WorldWideScience

Sample records for surface insulation materials

  1. A simple approach to measure the surface resistivity of insulating materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Zhenyu; Wang, Qian

    2011-01-01

    A simple approach for measuring high surface resistivity of insulating materials using standard laboratory equipments is proposed. The developed system consists of a DC power transformer, a concentric ring probe assembly and a digital multi-meter. The DC power transformer can provide either 500V ...... for different materials, source voltages, and serially connected resistors. The testing results showed that the developed system and methods can provide a reasonably accurate measurement of surface resistivity of insulating materials in a robust and economic manner.......A simple approach for measuring high surface resistivity of insulating materials using standard laboratory equipments is proposed. The developed system consists of a DC power transformer, a concentric ring probe assembly and a digital multi-meter. The DC power transformer can provide either 500V...... or 250V DC signal. The probe assembly is constructed according to Danish Standard (DS/EN 1149-1:2006). The multi-meter (Agilent 3440 1A 6½) is used to measure the micro voltage over a known resistor which is serially connected with electrodes in the probe assembly. In order to obtain reliable...

  2. Sound absorption of low-temperature reusable surface insulation candidate materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, J. D.

    1974-01-01

    Sound absorption data from tests of four candidate low-temperature reusable surface insulation materials are presented. Limitations on the use of the data are discussed, conclusions concerning the effective absorption of the materials are drawn, and the relative significance to Vibration and Acoustic Test Facility test planning of the absorption of each material is assessed.

  3. Lessons learned from the development and manufacture of ceramic reusable surface insulation materials for the space shuttle orbiters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banas, R. P.; Elgin, D. R.; Cordia, E. R.; Nickel, K. N.; Gzowski, E. R.; Aguiler, L.

    1983-01-01

    Three ceramic, reusable surface insulation materials and two borosilicate glass coatings were used in the fabrication of tiles for the Space Shuttle orbiters. Approximately 77,000 tiles were made from these materials for the first three orbiters, Columbia, Challenger, and Discovery. Lessons learned in the development, scale up to production and manufacturing phases of these materials will benefit future production of ceramic reusable surface insulation materials. Processing of raw materials into tile blanks and coating slurries; programming and machining of tiles using numerical controlled milling machines; preparing and spraying tiles with the two coatings; and controlling material shrinkage during the high temperature (2100-2275 F) coating glazing cycles are among the topics discussed.

  4. Topological insulators/superconductors: Potential future electronic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hor, Y. S.

    2014-01-01

    A new material called topological insulator has been discovered and becomes one of the fastest growing field in condensed matter physics. Topological insulator is a new quantum phase of matter which has Dirac-like conductivity on its surface, but bulk insulator through its interior. It is considered a challenging problem for the surface transport measurements because of dominant internal conductance due to imperfections of the existing crystals of topological insulators. By a proper method, the internal bulk conduction can be suppressed in a topological insulator, and permit the detection of the surface currents which is necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computing applications. Doped topological insulators have depicted a large variety of bulk physical properties ranging from magnetic to superconducting behaviors. By chemical doping, a TI can change into a bulk superconductor. Nb x Bi 2 Se 3 is shown to be a superconductor with T c ∼ 3.2 K, which could be a potential candidate for a topological superconductor

  5. Reusable Surface Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1997-01-01

    Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation, developed by Ames Research Center, protects the Space Shuttle from the searing heat that engulfs it on reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Initially integrated into the Space Shuttle by Rockwell International, production was transferred to Hi-Temp Insulation Inc. in 1974. Over the years, Hi-Temp has created many new technologies to meet the requirements of the Space Shuttle program. This expertise is also used commercially, including insulation blankets to cover aircrafts parts, fire barrier material to protect aircraft engine cowlings and aircraft rescue fire fighter suits. A Fire Protection Division has also been established, offering the first suit designed exclusively by and for aircraft rescue fire fighters. Hi-Temp is a supplier to the Los Angeles City Fire Department as well as other major U.S. civil and military fire departments.

  6. Standard Practice for Evaluating Thermal Insulation Materials for Use in Solar Collectors

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    1994-01-01

    1.1 This practice sets forth a testing methodology for evaluating the properties of thermal insulation materials to be used in solar collectors with concentration ratios of less than 10. Tests are given herein to evaluate the pH, surface burning characteristics, moisture adsorption, water absorption, thermal resistance, linear shrinkage (or expansion), hot surface performance, and accelerated aging. This practice provides a test for surface burning characteristics but does not provide a methodology for determining combustibility performance of thermal insulation materials. 1.2 The tests shall apply to blanket, rigid board, loose-fill, and foam thermal insulation materials used in solar collectors. Other thermal insulation materials shall be tested in accordance with the provisions set forth herein and should not be excluded from consideration. 1.3 The assumption is made that elevated temperature, moisture, and applied stresses are the primary factors contributing to the degradation of thermal insulation mat...

  7. 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.

  8. Status of surface conduction in topological insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barua, Sourabh; Rajeev, K. P.

    2014-01-01

    In this report, we scrutinize the thickness dependent resistivity data from the recent literature on electrical transport measurements in topological insulators. A linear increase in resistivity with increase in thickness is expected in the case of these materials since they have an insulating bulk and a conducting surface. However, such a trend is not seen in the resistivity versus thickness data for all the cases examined, except for some samples, where it holds for a range of thickness

  9. Cork-resin ablative insulation for complex surfaces and method for applying the same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, H. M.; Sharpe, M. H.; Simpson, W. G. (Inventor)

    1980-01-01

    A method of applying cork-resin ablative insulation material to complex curved surfaces is disclosed. The material is prepared by mixing finely divided cork with a B-stage curable thermosetting resin, forming the resulting mixture into a block, B-stage curing the resin-containing block, and slicing the block into sheets. The B-stage cured sheet is shaped to conform to the surface being insulated, and further curing is then performed. Curing of the resins only to B-stage before shaping enables application of sheet material to complex curved surfaces and avoids limitations and disadvantages presented in handling of fully cured sheet material.

  10. 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)

  11. Foam/Aerogel Composite Materials for Thermal and Acoustic Insulation and Cryogen Storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Fesmire, James E. (Inventor); Weiser, Erik S. (Inventor); Sass, Jared P. (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    The invention involves composite materials containing a polymer foam and an aerogel. The composite materials have improved thermal insulation ability, good acoustic insulation, and excellent physical mechanical properties. The composite materials can be used, for instance, for heat and acoustic insulation on aircraft, spacecraft, and maritime ships in place of currently used foam panels and other foam products. The materials of the invention can also be used in building construction with their combination of light weight, strength, elasticity, ability to be formed into desired shapes, and superior thermal and acoustic insulation power. The materials have also been found to have utility for storage of cryogens. A cryogenic liquid or gas, such as N.sub.2 or H.sub.2, adsorbs to the surfaces in aerogel particles. Thus, another embodiment of the invention provides a storage vessel for a cryogen.

  12. Some characteristics of metal migration in or on the surface of insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shields, R.B.

    1978-03-01

    This report reviews the migration of metals, principally silver, in or on the surface of insulating materials, by electrolytic processes. These processes are described for various metals, insulating materials and physical conditions, with numerous examples from the literature. While it is concluded that the only sure way to prevent degradation of insulation due to metal migration is to avoid the use of migration-prone metals, some other measures are mentioned which have been reported to reduce the extent of the growth. (author)

  13. Fermi surfaces in Kondo insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hsu; Hartstein, Máté; Wallace, Gregory J.; Davies, Alexander J.; Ciomaga Hatnean, Monica; Johannes, Michelle D.; Shitsevalova, Natalya; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Sebastian, Suchitra E.

    2018-04-01

    We report magnetic quantum oscillations measured using torque magnetisation in the Kondo insulator YbB12 and discuss the potential origin of the underlying Fermi surface. Observed quantum oscillations as well as complementary quantities such as a finite linear specific heat capacity in YbB12 exhibit similarities with the Kondo insulator SmB6, yet also crucial differences. Small heavy Fermi sections are observed in YbB12 with similarities to the neighbouring heavy fermion semimetallic Fermi surface, in contrast to large light Fermi surface sections in SmB6 which are more similar to the conduction electron Fermi surface. A rich spectrum of theoretical models is suggested to explain the origin across different Kondo insulating families of a bulk Fermi surface potentially from novel itinerant quasiparticles that couple to magnetic fields, yet do not couple to weak DC electric fields.

  14. Novel surface coating strategies for better battery materials

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Wen, L

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available . Surface-coated cathodes have been demonstrated to be effective in blocking these surface processes and enhancing the electrochemical performance of the materials. For example, the electron-insulating but ion-conducting lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) has been... noticed that most LIB electrode materials have very poor electrical conductivity (e.g. lithium iron phosphate and lithium titanate are almost insulators).22,23 In this regard, surface coating of the electrode active materials with a conductive layer...

  15. Topological insulator materials and nanostructures for future electronics, spintronics and energy conversion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kantser, Valeriu

    2011-01-01

    Two fundamental electrons attributes in materials and nanostructures - charge and spin - determine their electronic properties. The processing of information in conventional electronic devices is based only on the charge of the electrons. Spin electronics, or spintronics, uses the spin of electrons, as well as their charge, to process information. Metals, semiconductors and insulators are the basic materials that constitute the components of electronic devices, and these have been transforming all aspects of society for over a century. In contrast, magnetic metals, half-metals, magnetic semiconductors, dilute magnetic semiconductors and magnetic insulators are the materials that will form the basis for spintronic devices. Materials with topological band structure attributes and having a zero-energy band gap surface states are a special class of these materials that exhibit some fascinating and superior electronic properties compared to conventional materials allowing to combine both charge and spin functionalities. This article reviews a range of topological insulator materials and nanostructures with tunable surface states, focusing on nanolayered and nanowire like structures. These materials and nanostructures all have intriguing physical properties and numerous potential practical applications in spintronics, electronics, optics and sensors.

  16. Plasma immersion ion implantation into insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Xiubo; Yang Shiqin

    2006-01-01

    Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is an effective surface modification tool. During PIII processes, the objects to be treated are immersed in plasmas and then biased to negative potential. Consequently the plasma sheath forms and ion implantation may be performed. The pre-requirement of plasma implantation is that the object is conductive. So it seems difficult to treat the insulating materials. The paper focuses on the possibilities of plasma implantation into insulting materials and presents some examples. (authors)

  17. Accelerated Aging Effect on Epoxy-polysiloxane Polymeric Insulator Material with Rice Husk Ash Filler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rochmadi .

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The performances of outdoor polymeric insulators are influenced by environmental conditions. This paper presents the effect of artificial tropical climate on the hydrophobicity, equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD, surface leakage current, flashover voltage, and surface degradation on epoxy-polysiloxane polymeric insulator materials with rice husk ash (RHA. Test samples are made at room temperature vulcanized (RTV of various composition of epoxy-polysiloxane with rice husk ash as filler. The aging was carried out in test chamber at temperature from 50oC to 62oC, relative humidity of 60% to 80%, and ultraviolet (UV  radiation 21.28 w/cm2 in daylight conditions for 96 hours. The experiment results showed that the flashover voltage fluctuates from 34.13 kV up to 40.92 kV and tends to decrease on each variation of material composition. The surface leakage current fluctuates and tends to increase. Test samples with higher filler content result greater hydrophobicity, smaller equivalent salt deposit density, and smaller critical leakage current, which caused the increase of the flashover voltage. Insulator material (RTVEP3 showed the best performance in tropical climate environment. Artificial tropical aging for short duration gives less effect to the surface degradation of epoxy-polysiloxane insulator material.

  18. Surface electrical resistivity of insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senn, B. C.; Liesegang, J.

    1996-01-01

    A method is presented here for measuring surface charge decay, and theory has been developed so as to produce determinations of resistivity in the surface region of insulator films or wafers. This method incorporates the use of a coaxial cylindrical capacitor arrangement and an electrometer interfaced to a PC. The charge transport theory given here is based on Mott-Gurney diffusion, and allows easy interpretation of the experimental data, especially for the initial phase of surface charge decay. Resistivity measurements are presented for glass, mica, perspex and polyethylene, covering a range of 10 9 to 10 18 Ωm, as an illustration of the useful range of the instrument for static and antistatic materials, particularly in film or sheet form. Values for the surface charge diffusion constants of the materials are also presented. The charge transport theory has also been extended to allow the experimental and computational theoretical comparison of surface charge decay not only over the initial phase of charge decay, but also over longer times. The theoretical predictions show excellent agreement with experiment using the values for the diffusion constants referred to above

  19. Insulating materials from renewable raw materials. 4. ed.; Daemmstoffe aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandhorst, Joerg; Spritzendorfer, Josef; Gildhorn, Kai; Hemp, Markus

    2012-03-27

    The thermal insulation has become a central issue in the construction and renovation of buildings. The question of healthy building materials and appropriate construction follows the desire of a comfartable and allergy-free living. Due to these developments, insulation materials from renewable resources increasingly has raised the consciousness. The brochure under consideration describes the dynamic market of insulation materials consisting of renewable raw materials. Wood fibers, wood wool, sheep wool, flax, hemp, reeds, meadow grass, cork, cellulose, seaweed and bulrushes are considered as renewable raw materials for insulating materials.

  20. Modeling thermal performance of exterior walls retrofitted from insulation and modified laterite based bricks materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wati, Elvis; Meukam, Pierre; Damfeu, Jean Claude

    2017-12-01

    Uninsulated concrete block walls commonly found in tropical region have to be retrofitted to save energy. The thickness of insulation layer used can be reduced with the help of modified laterite based bricks layer (with the considerably lower thermal conductivity than that of concrete block layer) during the retrofit building fabrics. The aim of this study is to determine the optimum location and distribution of different materials. The investigation is carried out under steady periodic conditions under the climatic conditions of Garoua in Cameroon using a Simulink model constructed from H-Tools (the library of Simulink models). Results showed that for the continuous air-conditioned space, the best wall configuration from the maximum time lag, minimum decrement factor and peak cooling transmission load perspective, is dividing the insulation layer into two layers and placing one at the exterior surface and the other layer between the two different massive layers with the modified laterite based bricks layer at the interior surface. For intermittent cooling space, the best wall configuration from the minimum energy consumption depends on total insulation thickness. For the total insulation thickness less than 8 cm approximately, the best wall configuration is placing the half layer of insulation material at the interior surface and the other half between the two different massive layers with the modified earthen material at the exterior surface. Results also showed that, the optimum insulation thickness calculated from the yearly cooling transmission (estimated only during the occupied period) and some economic considerations slightly depends on the location of that insulation.

  1. Surface quantum oscillations and weak antilocalization effect in topological insulator (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urkude, Rajashri; Rawat, Rajeev; Palikundwar, Umesh

    2018-04-01

    In 3D topological insulators, achieving a genuine bulk-insulating state is an important topic of research. The material system (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3 has been proposed as a topological insulator with high resistivity and low carrier concentration. Topological insulators are predicted to present interesting surface transport phenomena but their experimental studies have been hindered by metallic bulk conduction that overwhelms the surface transport. Here we present a study of the bulk-insulating properties of (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3. We show that a high resistivity exceeding 1 Ωm as a result of variable-range hopping behavior of state and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations as coming from the topological surface state. We have been able to clarify both the bulk and surface transport channels, establishing a comprehensive understanding of the transport properties in this material. Our results demonstrate that (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3 is a good material for studying the surface quantum transport in a topological insulator.

  2. Synthesis and characterization of innovative insulation materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Skaropoulou Aggeliki

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Insulation elements are distinguished in inorganic fibrous and organic foamed materials. Foamed insulation materials are of great acceptance and use, but their major disadvantage is their flammability. In case of fire, they tend to transmit the flame producing toxic gases. In this paper, the synthesis and characterization of innovative inorganic insulation materials with properties competitive to commercial is presented. Their synthesis involves the mixing of inorganic raw material and water with reinforcing agent or/and foaming agent leading to the formation of a gel. Depending on raw materials nature, the insulation material is produced by freeze drying or ambient drying techniques of the gel. The raw material used are chemically benign and abundantly available materials, or industrial by-products and the final products are non-toxic and, in some cases, non-flammable. Their density and thermal conductivity was measured and found 0.02-0.06 g/cm3 and 0.03-0.04 W/mK, respectively.

  3. Methodology for Evaluating Raw Material Changes to RSRM Elastomeric Insulation Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mildenhall, Scott D.; McCool, Alex (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) uses asbestos and silicon dioxide filled acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (AS-NBR) as the primary internal insulation to protect the case from heat. During the course of the RSRM Program, several changes have been made to the raw materials and processing of the AS-NBR elastomeric insulation material. These changes have been primarily caused by raw materials becoming obsolete. In addition, some process changes have been implemented that were deemed necessary to improve the quality and consistency of the AS-NBR insulation material. Each change has been evaluated using unique test efforts customized to determine the potential impacts of the specific raw material or process change. Following the evaluations, the various raw material and process changes were successfully implemented with no detectable effect on the performance of the AS-NBR insulation. This paper will discuss some of the raw material and process changes evaluated, the methodology used in designing the unique test plans, and the general evaluation results. A summary of the change history of RSRM AS-NBR internal insulation is also presented.

  4. In-surface confinement of topological insulator nanowire surface states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Fan W.; Jauregui, Luis A.; Tan, Yaohua; Manfra, Michael; Klimeck, Gerhard; Chen, Yong P.; Kubis, Tillmann

    2015-01-01

    The bandstructures of [110] and [001] Bi 2 Te 3 nanowires are solved with the atomistic 20 band tight binding functionality of NEMO5. The theoretical results reveal: The popular assumption that all topological insulator (TI) wire surfaces are equivalent is inappropriate. The Fermi velocity of chemically distinct wire surfaces differs significantly which creates an effective in-surface confinement potential. As a result, topological insulator surface states prefer specific surfaces. Therefore, experiments have to be designed carefully not to probe surfaces unfavorable to the surface states (low density of states) and thereby be insensitive to the TI-effects

  5. In-surface confinement of topological insulator nanowire surface states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Fan W., E-mail: fanchen@purdue.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Jauregui, Luis A. [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Tan, Yaohua [Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Manfra, Michael [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Klimeck, Gerhard [Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Chen, Yong P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Kubis, Tillmann [Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

    2015-09-21

    The bandstructures of [110] and [001] Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanowires are solved with the atomistic 20 band tight binding functionality of NEMO5. The theoretical results reveal: The popular assumption that all topological insulator (TI) wire surfaces are equivalent is inappropriate. The Fermi velocity of chemically distinct wire surfaces differs significantly which creates an effective in-surface confinement potential. As a result, topological insulator surface states prefer specific surfaces. Therefore, experiments have to be designed carefully not to probe surfaces unfavorable to the surface states (low density of states) and thereby be insensitive to the TI-effects.

  6. In-surface confinement of topological insulator nanowire surface states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Fan W.; Jauregui, Luis A.; Tan, Yaohua; Manfra, Michael; Klimeck, Gerhard; Chen, Yong P.; Kubis, Tillmann

    2015-09-01

    The bandstructures of [110] and [001] Bi2Te3 nanowires are solved with the atomistic 20 band tight binding functionality of NEMO5. The theoretical results reveal: The popular assumption that all topological insulator (TI) wire surfaces are equivalent is inappropriate. The Fermi velocity of chemically distinct wire surfaces differs significantly which creates an effective in-surface confinement potential. As a result, topological insulator surface states prefer specific surfaces. Therefore, experiments have to be designed carefully not to probe surfaces unfavorable to the surface states (low density of states) and thereby be insensitive to the TI-effects.

  7. Effects of radiation on insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poehlchen, R.

    1992-01-01

    This presentation will concentrate on the insulation materials which are suitable for the insulation of superconducting magnets for fusion. For the next generation of fusion machines with magnetic confinement as NET and ITER general agreement exists that the insulation will consist of fibre reinforced organic matrix material, a composite. Much effort has been put into the investigation of the radiation resistance of such materials during the last 20-30 years, see in particular the numerous reports of accelerator laboratories on this subject. But very few of the published data are relevant for the superconducting magnets of fusion machines. Either the irradiation and testing was carried out at RT or LN 2 temperature and/or the irradiation spectrum was not representative for a fusion machine and/or the materials investigated are not applicable for the insulation of S.C. fusion magnets. Therefore test programs have been launched recently, one by the NET team. The intention of the first chapter is to give guidance on the choice of materials which are suitable as insulation materials from a more general point of view. A good understanding of the coil manufacturing process is needed for this purpose. The second chapter explains the irradiation spectrum seen by the magnets. A third chapter does present the NET/ITER test programme. Step 1 was completed at the end of 1989, the second step will be carried out in the autumn of 1991. Finally, a general assessment of materials and testing methods will be given with recommendations for further testing

  8. 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.)

  9. Insulating materials for optoelectronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agullo-Lopez, F.

    1990-01-01

    Optoelectronics is an interdisciplinary field. Basic functions of an optoelectronic system include the generator of the optical signal, its transmission and handling and, finally, its detection, storage and display. A large variety of semiconductor and insulating materials are used or are being considered to perform those functions. The authors focus on insulating materials, mostly oxides. For signal generation, tunable solid state lasers, either vibronic or those based oon colour centres are briefly described, and their main operating parameters summarized. Reference is made to some developments on fiber and waveguide lasers. Relevant physical features of the silica fibres used for low-loss, long-band, optical transmission are reviewed, as well as present efforts to further reduce attenuation in the mid-infrared range. Particular attention is paid to photorefractive materials (LiNbO 3 , BGO, BSO, etc.), which are being investigated

  10. He atom-surface scattering: Surface dynamics of insulators, overlayers and crystal growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Investigations in this laboratory have focused on the surface structure and dynamics of ionic insulators and on epitaxial growth onto alkali halide crystals. In the later the homoepitaxial growth of NaCl/NaCl(001) and the heteroepitaxial growth of KBr/NaCl(001), NaCl/KBr(001) and KBr/RbCl(001) have been studied by monitoring the specular He scattering as a function of the coverage and by measuring the angular and energy distributions of the scattered He atoms. These data provide information on the surface structure, defect densities, island sizes and surface strain during the layer-by-layer growth. The temperature dependence of these measurements also provides information on the mobilities of the admolecules. He atom scattering is unique among surface probes because the low-energy, inert atoms are sensitive only to the electronic structure of the topmost surface layer and are equally applicable to all crystalline materials. It is proposed for the next year to exploit further the variety of combinations possible with the alkali halides in order to carry out a definitive study of epitaxial growth in the ionic insulators. The work completed so far, including measurements of the Bragg diffraction and surface dispersion at various stages of growth, appears to be exceptionally rich in detail, which is particularly promising for theoretical modeling. In addition, because epitaxial growth conditions over a wide range of lattice mismatches is possible with these materials, size effects in growth processes can be explored in great depth. Further, as some of the alkali halides have the CsCl structure instead of the NaCl structure, we can investigate the effects of the heteroepitaxy with materials having different lattice preferences. Finally, by using co-deposition of different alkali halides, one can investigate the formation and stability of alloys and even alkali halide superlattices

  11. Adsorption on insulator materials enhanced by D implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibarra, A.; Climent-Font, A.; Munoz-Martin, A.

    2005-01-01

    Many insulator materials used in ITER are exposed to a gas phase composed of D, T and a plasma with hydrocarbons, Fe and other particles combined with the presence of an intense neutron and gamma radiation field. Some of these materials (Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 ) are implanted at room temperature with low energy D and H ions in order to simulate some of the DT gas effects. The implantation is characterized using optical absorption and elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) techniques. It is observed that ion implantation as well as electron or gamma irradiation increases the surface scattering and the concentration of C and H adsorbed at the surface, suggesting that a radiation-induced surface degradation process is taking place and an increase of the surface adsorption capability. The effect is higher for higher dose implantation and for lower energy

  12. Emergent Momentum-Space Skyrmion Texture on the Surface of Topological Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanta, Narayan; Kampf, Arno P.; Kopp, Thilo

    The quantum anomalous Hall effect has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified in magnetic topological insulators. In addition, the surface states of these materials exhibit a hedgehog-like ``spin'' texture in momentum space. Here, we apply the previously formulated low-energy model for Bi2Se3, a parent compound for magnetic topological insulators, to a slab geometry in which an exchange field acts only within one of the surface layers. In this sample set up, the hedgehog transforms into a skyrmion texture beyond a critical exchange field. This critical field marks a transition between two topologically distinct phases. The topological phase transition takes place without energy gap closing at the Fermi level and leaves the transverse Hall conductance unchanged and quantized to e2 / 2 h . The momentum-space skyrmion texture persists in a finite field range. It may find its realization in hybrid heterostructures with an interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator. The work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through TRR 80.

  13. Insulating materials from renewable raw materials. 3. upd. ed.; Daemmstoffe aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandhorst, Joerg; Spritzendorfer, Josef; Gildhorn, Kai; Hemp, Markus

    2009-07-01

    Due to increasing energy prices, obligations to climatic protection and the desire for comfortable, allergy-free living, the thermal insulation is a central question with building and sanitation. Under this aspect, the contribution under consideration describes the very dynamic market of the insulating materials from renewable raw materials and deals with the questions of the users. In particular, the following raw materials are considered in the production of insulating materials: Wood fibre, wood chips, wood wool, sheep wool, flax, hemp, reeds, straw, cellulose.

  14. 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.

  15. On-surface synthesis on a bulk insulator surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Antje; Floris, Andrea; Bechstein, Ralf; Kantorovich, Lev; Kühnle, Angelika

    2018-04-01

    On-surface synthesis has rapidly emerged as a most promising approach to prepare functional molecular structures directly on a support surface. Compared to solution synthesis, performing chemical reactions on a surface offers several exciting new options: due to the absence of a solvent, reactions can be envisioned that are otherwise not feasible due to the insolubility of the reaction product. Perhaps even more important, the confinement to a two-dimensional surface might enable reaction pathways that are not accessible otherwise. Consequently, on-surface synthesis has attracted great attention in the last decade, with an impressive number of classical reactions transferred to a surface as well as new reactions demonstrated that have no classical analogue. So far, the majority of the work has been carried out on conducting surfaces. However, when aiming for electronic decoupling of the resulting structures, e.g. for the use in future molecular electronic devices, non-conducting surfaces are highly desired. Here, we review the current status of on-surface reactions demonstrated on the (10.4) surface of the bulk insulator calcite. Besides thermally induced C-C coupling of halogen-substituted aryls, photochemically induced [2  +  2] cycloaddition has been proven possible on this surface. Moreover, experimental evidence exists for coupling of terminal alkynes as well as diacetylene polymerization. While imaging of the resulting structures with dynamic atomic force microscopy provides a direct means of reaction verification, the detailed reaction pathway often remains unclear. Especially in cases where the presence of metal atoms is known to catalyze the corresponding solution chemistry reaction (e.g. in the case of the Ullmann reaction), disclosing the precise reaction pathway is of importance to understand and generalize on-surface reactivity on a bulk insulator surface. To this end, density-functional theory calculations have proven to provide atomic

  16. 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.

  17. Investigation of deterioration mechanism of electrical ceramic insulating materials under high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizutani, Yoshinobu; Ito, Tetsuo; Okamoto, Tatsuki; Kumazawa, Ryoji; Aizawa, Rie; Moriyama, Hideshige

    2000-01-01

    It is thought that ceramic insulator can be applied to electric power equipments that are under high temperature not to be able use organic materials. Our research has suggested components of mica-alumina combined insulation. As the results of and carried out temperature accelerating test, combined insulation life is expected long term over 40 years at over 500-Celsius degrees. However to construct high reliable insulating system, it is clarified deterioration mechanism on combined insulation and evaluates life of that. Therefore we carried out metal behavior test and voltage aging test using mica-sheet and alumina-cloth that are components of combined insulation under high temperature in nitrogen gas atmosphere. It is cleared two metal behavior mechanisms: One is that the opening of insulator are filled up with copper that is oxidized, the other is the metal diffuses in alumina-cloth through surface. And distance of metal behavior is able to be estimated at modulate temperature and in modulate time. It is also cleared that alumina-cloth is deteriorated by metal behavior into alumina-cloth. These results indicate that combined insulation is deteriorated from electrode side by metal behavior and is finally broken down through alumina-cloth. (author)

  18. Nanometric holograms based on a topological insulator material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Zengji; Xue, Gaolei; Liu, Juan; Wang, Yongtian; Gu, Min

    2017-05-18

    Holography has extremely extensive applications in conventional optical instruments spanning optical microscopy and imaging, three-dimensional displays and metrology. To integrate holography with modern low-dimensional electronic devices, holograms need to be thinned to a nanometric scale. However, to keep a pronounced phase shift modulation, the thickness of holograms has been generally limited to the optical wavelength scale, which hinders their integration with ultrathin electronic devices. Here, we break this limit and achieve 60 nm holograms using a topological insulator material. We discover that nanometric topological insulator thin films act as an intrinsic optical resonant cavity due to the unequal refractive indices in their metallic surfaces and bulk. The resonant cavity leads to enhancement of phase shifts and thus the holographic imaging. Our work paves a way towards integrating holography with flat electronic devices for optical imaging, data storage and information security.

  19. Investigation of Vacuum Insulator Surface Dielectric Strength with Nanosecond Pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunnally, W.C.; Krogh, M.; Williams, C.; Trimble, D.; Sampayan, S.; Caporaso, G.

    2003-01-01

    The maximum vacuum insulator surface dielectric strength determines the acceleration electric field gradient possible in a short pulse accelerator. Previous work has indicated that higher electric field strengths along the insulator-vacuum interface might be obtained as the pulse duration is decreased. In this work, a 250 kV, single ns wide impulse source was applied to small diameter, segmented insulators samples in a vacuum to evaluate the multi-layer surface dielectric strength of the sample construction. Resonances in the low inductance test geometry were used to obtain unipolar, pulsed electric fields in excess of 100 MV/m on the insulator surface. The sample construction, experimental arrangement and experimental results are presented for the initial data in this work. Modeling of the multi-layer structure is discussed and methods of improving insulator surface dielectric strength in a vacuum are proposed

  20. External insulation with cellular plastic materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lars Schiøtt; Nielsen, Anker

    2014-01-01

    External thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) can be used as extra insulation of existing buildings. The system can be made of cellular plastic materials or mineral wool. There is a European Technical guideline, ETAG 004, that describe the tests that shall be conducted on such systems....... This paper gives a comparison of systems with mineral wool and cellular plastic, based on experience from practice and literature. It is important to look at the details in the system and at long time stability of the properties such as thermal insulation, moisture and fire. Investigation of fire properties...

  1. Environmental safety providing during heat insulation works and using thermal insulation materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Velichko Evgeny

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article considers the negative effect of thermal insulating materials and products on human health and environment pollution, particularly in terms of the composition of environmentally hazardous construction products. The authors have analyzed the complex measures for providing ecological safety, sanitary and epidemiological requirements, rules and regulations both during thermal insulation works and throughout the following operation of buildings and premises. The article suggests the protective and preventive measures to reduce and eliminate the negative impact of the proceeding of thermal insulation works on the natural environment and on human health.

  2. Positron Annihilation in Insulating Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asoka-Kumar, P; Sterne, PA

    2002-01-01

    We describe positron results from a wide range of insulating materials. We have completed positron experiments on a range of zeolite-y samples, KDP crystals, alkali halides and laser damaged SiO 2 . Present theoretical understanding of positron behavior in insulators is incomplete and our combined theoretical and experimental approach is aimed at developing a predictive understanding of positrons and positronium annihilation characteristics in insulators. Results from alkali halides and alkaline-earth halides show that positrons annihilate with only the halide ions, with no apparent contribution from the alkali or alkaline-earth cations. This contradicts the results of our existing theory for metals, which predicts roughly equal annihilation contributions from cation and anion. We also present result obtained using Munich positron microprobe on laser damaged SiO 2 samples

  3. Current-induced switching of magnetic molecules on topological insulator surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locane, Elina; Brouwer, Piet W.

    2017-03-01

    Electrical currents at the surface or edge of a topological insulator are intrinsically spin polarized. We show that such surface or edge currents can be used to switch the orientation of a molecular magnet weakly coupled to the surface or edge of a topological insulator. For the edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator as well as for the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator the application of a well-chosen surface or edge current can lead to a complete polarization of the molecule if the molecule's magnetic anisotropy axis is appropriately aligned with the current direction. For a generic orientation of the molecule a nonzero but incomplete polarization is obtained. We calculate the probability distribution of the magnetic states and the switching rates as a function of the applied current.

  4. Voltage-driven magnetization control in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael E. Flatté

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available A major barrier to the development of spin-based electronics is the transition from current-driven spin torque, or magnetic-field-driven magnetization reversal, to a more scalable voltage-driven magnetization reversal. To achieve this, multiferroic materials appear attractive, however the effects in current materials occur at very large voltages or at low temperatures. Here the potential of a new class of hybrid multiferroic materials is described, consisting of a topological insulator adjacent to a magnetic insulator, for which an applied electric field reorients the magnetization. As these materials lack conducting states at the chemical potential in their bulk, no dissipative charge currents flow in the bulk. Surface states at the interface, if present, produce effects similar to surface recombination currents in bipolar devices, but can be passivated using magnetic doping. Even without conducting states at the chemical potential, for a topological insulator there is a finite spin Hall conductivity provided by filled bands below the chemical potential. Spin accumulation at the interface with the magnetic insulator provides a torque on the magnetization. Properly timed voltage pulses can thus reorient the magnetic moment with only the flow of charge current required in the leads to establish the voltage. If the topological insulator is sufficiently thick the resulting low capacitance requires little charge current.

  5. Assessment of fibrous insulation materials for the selenide isotope generator system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, G.C; Tennery, V.J.

    1977-11-01

    Fibrous insulations for use in the converter and the heat source of the radioisotope-powered, selenide element, thermoelectric generator (selenide isotope generator) are assessed. The most recent system design and material selection basis is presented. Several fibrous insulation materials which have the potential for use as load-bearing or nonload-bearing thermal insulations are reviewed, and thermophysical properties supplied by manufacturers or published in the literature are presented. Potential problems with the application of fibrous insulations in the selenide isotope generator are as follows: compatibility with graphite, the thermoelectric elements, and the isolation hot frame; devitrification, grain growth, and sintering with an accompanying degradation of insulation quality; impurity diffusion from the insulation to adjoining structures; outgassing and storage of fibrous materials. Areas in which thermophysical data or quantitative information on the insulation and structural stability is lacking are identified

  6. 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.

  7. Production of a nuclear radiation resistant and mechanically tough electrically insulating material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brechna, H.

    1975-01-01

    According to the invention, an electrically insulating material of high mechanical strength and resistance to nuclear radiation may be made of a hardenable plastic material coated on an inorganic supporting tissue. The synthetic resin serving as binder - duroplasts, e.g. epoxide resins, polyester resins or silicon resins - is heated, mixed with a catalyst, a wetting agent and a filler (and, if required, with 0.5-1.5 weight % thixotropic material) and coated, under reduced pressure (o.4 to 0.6 mm Hg), on the supporting tissue whose surface is cleaned before this by heating. It is then hardened. Hardening may also take place directly on the electric conductor to be insulated. One obtains a bubble-free wire coating. The inorganic supporting material is glas fibre tissue, also in combination with mica, while Al 2 O 3 , zirconium, zirconia, magnesium oxide, mica and silica (grain size 10-20 μ). The invention is illustrated by a number of examples. (UWI) [de

  8. Tests on irradiated magnet-insulator materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmunk, R.E.; Miller, L.G.; Becker, H.

    1983-01-01

    Fusion-reactor coils, located in areas where they will be only partially shielded, must be fabricated from materials which are as resistant to radiation as possible. They will probably incorporate resistive conductors with either water or cryogenic cooling. Inorganic insulators have been recommended for these situations, but the possibility exists that some organic insulators may be usuable as well. Results were previously reported for irradiation and testing of three glass reinforced epoxies: G-7, G-10, and G-11. Thin disks of these materials, nominally 0.5 mm thick by 11.1 mm diameter, were tested in compressive fatigue, a configuration and loading which represents reasonably well the magnet environment. In that work G-10 was shown to withstand repeated loading to moderately high stress levels without failure, and the material survived better at liquid nitrogen temperature than at room temperature

  9. Individual Magnetic Molecules on Ultrathin Insulating Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Hallak, Fadi; Warner, Ben; Hirjibehedin, Cyrus

    2012-02-01

    Single molecule magnets have attracted ample interest because of their exciting magnetic and quantum properties. Recent studies have demonstrated that some of these molecules can be evaporated on surfaces without losing their magnetic properties [M. Mannini et al., Nature 468, 417, (2010)]. This remarkable progress enhances the chances of real world applications for these molecules. We present STM imaging and spectroscopy data on iron phthalocyanine molecules deposited on Cu(100) and on a Cu2N ultrathin insulating surface. These molecules have been shown to display a large magnetic anisotropy on another thin insulating surface, oxidized Cu(110) [N. Tsukahara et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 167203 (2009)]. By using a combination of elastic and inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy, we investigate the binding of the molecules to the surface and the impact that the surface has on their electronic and magnetic properties.

  10. Research on insulating material affecting the property of gas ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Liqiang; Wang Zhentao; Zheng Jian

    2014-01-01

    The insulating material in ionization chamber affects the internal gas pressure and ionic pulse shape in the research process of the ion drift velocity in high pressure gas ionization chamber. It will affect the ion drift velocity measurement. It is required to isolate by insulating material between electrode to electrode and between electrodes to the shell of gas ionization chamber. Insulating material in gas ionization chamber is indispensable. Therefore it needs to carefully study the insulating material affecting the performance of gas ionization chamber. First of all, it is found that Teflon can slowly adsorb the working gas in ionization chamber, and the gas pressure in it is reduced when we measure the sensitivity of gas ionization chamber over time. It is verified by experiment that insulating materials absorbing and releasing gas is dynamically reversible process. Then the adsorbing gas property of 95% aluminium oxide ceramic and Teflon is studied through experimental comparision. Gas adsorption equilibrium time of ceramic material is faster, generally it is about a few hours, and the gas adsorption capacity is relatively less. Gas adsorption equilibrium time of Teflon is slower, it is about a few days, and the gas adsorption capacity is relatively more. It is found that Teflon will release part of the gas at higher temperature through experimental research on the influence of Teflon adsorbing gas. Finally it is studied that the distribution of insulation in ionization chamber affects the time response speed of ionization chamber by measuring the signal pulse shape of ionization chamber under the pulse X-ray. Through these experimental research, it is presented that it need to pay attention to select insulation material and to design the internal structure and arrangement of insulating material when we design gas ionization chamber. (authors)

  11. Plasma etching to enhance the surface insulating stability of alumina for fusion applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Malo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A significant increase in the surface electrical conductivity of alumina, considered one of the most promising insulating materials for numerous applications in fusion devices, has been observed during ion bombardment in vacuum due to oxygen loss by preferential sputtering. Although this is expected to cause serious limitations to insulating components functionality, recent studies showed it is possible to restore the damaged lattice by oxygen reincorporation during thermal treatments in air. These studies also revealed a correlation between conductivity and ion beam induced luminescence, which is being used to monitor surface electrical conductivity degradation and help qualify the post irradiation recovery. Work now carried out for Wesgo alumina considers oxygen implantation and plasma etching as additional methods to improve recovered layer depth and quality. Both conductivity and luminescence results indicate the potential use of plasma etching not only for damage recovery, but also as a pre-treatment to enhance material stability during irradiation.

  12. Air-Filled Nanopore Based High-Performance Thermal Insulation Materials

    OpenAIRE

    Gangåssæter, Haakon Fossen; Jelle, Bjørn Petter; Alex Mofid, Sohrab; Gao, Tao

    2017-01-01

    State-of-the-art thermal insulation solutions like vacuum insulation panels (VIP) and aerogels have low thermal conductivity, but their drawbacks may make them unable to be the thermal insulation solutions that will revolutionize the building industry regarding energy-efficient building envelopes. Nevertheless, learning from these materials may be crucial to make new and novel high-performance thermal insulation products. This study presents a review on the state-of-the-art air-filled thermal...

  13. 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.

  14. 2D layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride enabled surface passivation in dye sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanmugam, Mariyappan; Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin; Durcan, Chris; Yu, Bin

    2013-11-21

    A two-dimensional layered insulator, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), is demonstrated as a new class of surface passivation materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to reduce interfacial carrier recombination. We observe ~57% enhancement in the photo-conversion efficiency of the DSSC utilizing h-BN coated semiconductor TiO2 as compared with the device without surface passivation. The h-BN coated TiO2 is characterized by Raman spectroscopy to confirm the presence of highly crystalline, mixed monolayer/few-layer h-BN nanoflakes on the surface of TiO2. The passivation helps to minimize electron-hole recombination at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interfaces. The DSSC with h-BN passivation exhibits significantly lower dark saturation current in the low forward bias region and higher saturation in the high forward bias region, respectively, suggesting that the interface quality is largely improved without impeding carrier transport at the material interface. The experimental results reveal that the emerging 2D layered insulator could be used for effective surface passivation in solar cell applications attributed to desirable material features such as high crystallinity and self-terminated/dangling-bond-free atomic planes as compared with high-k thin-film dielectrics.

  15. Local Thermal Insulating Materials For Thermal Energy Storage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Thermal insulation is one of the most important components of a thermal energy storage system. In this paper the thermal properties of selected potential local materials which can be used for high temperature insulation are presented. Thermal properties of seven different samples were measured. Samples consisted of: ...

  16. The inaccuracy of heat transfer characteristics for non-insulated and insulated spherical containers neglecting the influence of heat radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, King-Leung; Salazar, Jose Luis Leon; Prasad, Leo; Chen, Wen-Lih

    2011-01-01

    In this investigation, the differences of heat transfer characteristics for insulated and non-insulated spherical containers between considering and neglecting the influence of heat radiation are studied by the simulations in some practical situations. It is found that the heat radiation effect cannot be ignored in conditions of low ambient convection heat coefficients (such ambient air) and high surface emissivities, especially for the non-insulated and thin insulated cases. In most practical situations when ambient temperature is different from surroundings temperature and the emissivity of insulation surface is different from that of metal wall surface, neglecting heat radiation will result in inaccurate insulation effect and heat transfer errors even with very thick insulation. However, the insulation effect considering heat radiation will only increase a very small amount after some dimensionless insulated thickness (such insulation thickness/radius ≥0.2 in this study), thus such dimensionless insulated thickness can be used as the optimum thickness in practical applications. Meanwhile, wrapping a material with low surface emissivity (such as aluminum foil) around the oxidized metal wall or insulation layer (always with high surface emissivity) can achieve very good insulated effect for the non-insulated or thin insulated containers.

  17. Aharonov–Bohm interference in topological insulator nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Peng, Hailin

    2009-12-13

    Topological insulators represent unusual phases of quantum matter with an insulating bulk gap and gapless edges or surface states. The two-dimensional topological insulator phase was predicted in HgTe quantum wells and confirmed by transport measurements. Recently, Bi2 Se3 and related materials have been proposed as three-dimensional topological insulators with a single Dirac cone on the surface, protected by time-reversal symmetry. The topological surface states have been observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. However, few transport measurements in this context have been reported, presumably owing to the predominance of bulk carriers from crystal defects or thermal excitations. Here we show unambiguous transport evidence of topological surface states through periodic quantum interference effects in layered single-crystalline Bi2 Se3 nanoribbons, which have larger surface-to-volume ratios than bulk materials and can therefore manifest surface effects. Pronounced Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the magnetoresistance clearly demonstrate the coherent propagation of two-dimensional electrons around the perimeter of the nanoribbon surface, as expected from the topological nature of the surface states. The dominance of the primary h/e oscillation, where h is Plancks constant and e is the electron charge, and its temperature dependence demonstrate the robustness of these states. Our results suggest that topological insulator nanoribbons afford promising materials for future spintronic devices at room temperature.

  18. Electrical machining method of insulating ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuzawa, Y.; Mohri, N.; Tani, T.

    1999-01-01

    This paper describes a new electrical discharge machining method for insulating ceramics using an assisting electrode with either a sinking electrical discharge machine or a wire electrical discharge machine. In this method, the metal sheet or mesh is attached to the ceramic surface as an assisting material for the discharge generation around the insulator surface. When the machining condition changes from the attached material to the workpiece, a cracked carbon layer is formed on the workpiece surface. As this layer has an electrical conductivity, electrical discharge occurs in working oil between the tool electrode and the surface of the workpiece. The carbon is formed from the working oil during this electrical discharge. Even after the material is machined, an electrical discharge occurs in the gap region between the tool electrode and the ceramic because an electrically conductive layer is generated continuously. Insulating ceramics can be machined by the electrical discharge machining method using the above mentioned surface modification phenomenon. In this paper the authors show a machined example demonstrating that the proposed method is available for machining a complex shape on insulating ceramics. Copyright (1999) AD-TECH - International Foundation for the Advancement of Technology Ltd

  19. Development of advanced material composites for use as internal insulation for LH2 tanks (gas layer concept)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gille, J. P.

    1972-01-01

    A program is described that was conducted to develop an internal insulation system for potential application to the liquid hydrogen tanks of a reusable booster, where the tanks would be subjected to repeated high temperatures. The design of the internal insulation is based on a unique gas layer concept, in which capillary or surface tension effects are used to maintain a stable gas layer, within a cellular core structure, between the tank wall and the contained liquid hydrogen. Specific objectives were to select materials for insulation systems that would be compatible with wall temperatures of 350 F and 650 F during reentry into the earth's atmosphere, and to fabricate and test insulation systems under conditions simulating the operating environment. A materials test program was conducted to evaluate the properties of candidate materials at elevated temperatures and at the temperature of liquid hydrogen, and to determine the compatibility of the materials with a hydrogen atmosphere at the appropriate elevated temperature. The materials that were finally selected included Kapton polyimide films, silicone adhesives, fiber glass batting, and in the case of the 350 F system, Teflon film.

  20. Wall insulation system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kostek, P.T.

    1987-08-11

    In a channel specially designed to fasten semi-rigid mineral fibre insulation to masonry walls, it is known to be constructed from 20 gauge galvanized steel or other suitable material. The channel is designed to have pre-punched holes along its length for fastening of the channel to the drywall screw. The unique feature of the channel is the teeth running along its length which are pressed into the surface of the butted together sections of the insulation providing a strong grip between the two adjacent pieces of insulation. Of prime importance to the success of this system is the recent technological advancements of the mineral fibre itself which allow the teeth of the channel to engage the insulation fully and hold without mechanical support, rather than be repelled or pushed back by the inherent nature of the insulation material. After the insulation is secured to the masonry wall by concrete nail fastening systems, the drywall is screwed to the channel.

  1. A protocol for lifetime energy and environmental impact assessment of building insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shrestha, Som S.; Biswas, Kaushik; Desjarlais, Andre O.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a proposed protocol that is intended to provide a comprehensive list of factors to be considered in evaluating the direct and indirect environmental impacts of building insulation materials, as well as detailed descriptions of standardized calculation methodologies to determine those impacts. The energy and environmental impacts of insulation materials can generally be divided into two categories: (1) direct impact due to the embodied energy of the insulation materials and other factors and (2) indirect or environmental impacts avoided as a result of reduced building energy use due to addition of insulation. Standards and product category rules exist, which provide guidelines about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of materials, including building insulation products. However, critical reviews have suggested that these standards fail to provide complete guidance to LCA studies and suffer from ambiguities regarding the determination of the environmental impacts of building insulation and other products. The focus of the assessment protocol described here is to identify all factors that contribute to the total energy and environmental impacts of different building insulation products and, more importantly, provide standardized determination methods that will allow comparison of different insulation material types. Further, the intent is not to replace current LCA standards but to provide a well-defined, easy-to-use comparison method for insulation materials using existing LCA guidelines. - Highlights: • We proposed a protocol to evaluate the environmental impacts of insulation materials. • The protocol considers all life cycle stages of an insulation material. • Both the direct environmental impacts and the indirect impacts are defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided operational energy’ is defined. • Standardized calculation methods for the ‘avoided environmental impact’ is defined

  2. Radiant Heat Transfer in Reusable Surface Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, T. A.; Linford, R. M. F.; Chmitt, R. J.; Christensen, H. E.

    1973-01-01

    During radiant testing of mullite panels, temperatures in the insulation and support structure exceeded those predicted on the basis of guarded hot plate thermal conductivity tests. Similar results were obtained during arc tunnel tests of mullite specimens. The differences between effective conductivity and guarded hot plate values suggested that radiant transfer through the mullite was occurring. To study the radiant transport, measurements were made of the infrared transmission through various insulating materials and fibers of interest to the shuttle program, using black body sources over the range of 780 to 2000 K. Experimental data were analyzed and scattering coefficients were derived for a variety of materials, fiber diameters, and source temperature.

  3. Data base of radiation-resistant dielectric and insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hama, Yoshimasa; Sunazuka, Hideo; Nashiyama, Isamu; Kakuta, Tsunemi.

    1987-01-01

    In the data base of radiation-resistant dielectric and insulating materials, the data format contains such items as to give the summary; the data sheet contains the data in concrete form of respective properties from the references; the sheet of references contains the references in the former two. In the above three, there are attached code No., data sheet No., reference No. and key words. In the three areas as radiation-resistant dielectric and insulating materials, i.e., organic materials, inorganic materials and optical fibers, the following are explained: data format, data sheet and objectives. (Mori, K.)

  4. 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.

  5. Hydrogen interactions with silicon-on-insulator materials

    OpenAIRE

    Rivera de Mena, A.J.

    2003-01-01

    The booming of microelectronics in recent decades has been made possible by the excellent properties of the Si/SiO2 interface in oxide on silicon systems.. This semiconductor/insulator combination has proven to be of great value for the semiconductor industry. It has made it possible to continuously increase the number of transistors per chip until the physical limit of integration is now almost reached. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials were early on seen as a step in the logical evolutio...

  6. Basalt fiber insulating material with a mineral binding agent for industrial use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drozdyuk, T.; Aizenshtadt, A.; Tutygin, A.; Frolova, M.

    2016-04-01

    The paper considers a possibility of using mining industry waste as a binding agent for heat insulating material on the basis of basalt fiber. The main objective of the research is to produce a heat-insulating material to be applied in machine building in high-temperature environments. After synthetic binder having been replaced by a mineral one, an environmentally sound thermal insulating material having desirable heat-protecting ability and not failing when exposed to high temperatures was obtained.

  7. Recent Advances in the Sound Insulation Properties of Bio-based Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong Zhu

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Many bio-based materials, which have lower environmental impact than traditional synthetic materials, show good sound absorbing and sound insulation performances. This review highlights progress in sound transmission properties of bio-based materials and provides a comprehensive account of various multiporous bio-based materials and multilayered structures used in sound absorption and insulation products. Furthermore, principal models of sound transmission are discussed in order to aid in an understanding of sound transmission properties of bio-based materials. In addition, the review presents discussions on the composite structure optimization and future research in using co-extruded wood plastic composite for sound insulation control. This review contributes to the body of knowledge on the sound transmission properties of bio-based materials, provides a better understanding of the models of some multiporous bio-based materials and multilayered structures, and contributes to the wider adoption of bio-based materials as sound absorbers.

  8. The impact of nano-coating on surface charge accumulation of epoxy resin insulator: characteristic and mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Bo; Gao, Chunjia; Lv, Yuzhen; Li, Chengrong; Tu, Youping; Xiong, Jun

    2018-06-01

    The flashover phenomenon of the insulator is the main cause for insulating failure of GIS/GIL, and one of the most critical impacting factors is the accumulation of surface charge. The common methods to restrain the surface charge accumulation are reviewed in this paper. Through the reasonable comparison and analysis of these methods, nano-coatings for the insulator were selected as a way to restrain the surface charge accumulation. Based on this, six nano-coated epoxy resin samples with different concentrations of P25-TiO2 nanoparticles were produced. A high precision 3D surface charge measurement system was developed in this paper with a spatial resolution of 4.0 mm2 and a charge resolution of 0.01 µC (m2 · mV)‑1. The experimental results for the epoxy resin sample showed that with the concentration of nanoparticles of the coating material increasing, the surface charge density tended to first decrease and then increase. In the sample coated with 0.5% concentration of nanoparticles, the suppression effect is the optimum, leading to a 63.8% reduction of charge density under DC voltage. The application test for actual nano-coated GIS/GIL basin insulator indicated that the maximum suppression degree for the charge density under DC voltage could reach 48.3%, while it could reach 22.2% for switching impulse voltage and 12.5% for AC context. The control mechanism of nano-coatings on charge accumulation was proposed based on the analysis for surface morphology features and traps characteristics; the shallow traps dominate in the migration of charges while the deep traps operate on the charge accumulation. With the concentration of nanoparticles in nano-coating material mounting up, the density of shallow traps continuously increases, while for deep traps, it first decreases and then increases. For the sample with 0.5% concentration of nanoparticles coated, the competition between shallow traps and deep traps comes to the most balanced state, producing the most

  9. Dynamical analysis of surface-insulated planar wire array Z-pinches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yang; Sheng, Liang; Hei, Dongwei; Li, Xingwen; Zhang, Jinhai; Li, Mo; Qiu, Aici

    2018-05-01

    The ablation and implosion dynamics of planar wire array Z-pinches with and without surface insulation are compared and discussed in this paper. This paper first presents a phenomenological model named the ablation and cascade snowplow implosion (ACSI) model, which accounts for the ablation and implosion phases of a planar wire array Z-pinch in a single simulation. The comparison between experimental data and simulation results shows that the ACSI model could give a fairly good description about the dynamical characteristics of planar wire array Z-pinches. Surface insulation introduces notable differences in the ablation phase of planar wire array Z-pinches. The ablation phase is divided into two stages: insulation layer ablation and tungsten wire ablation. The two-stage ablation process of insulated wires is simulated in the ACSI model by updating the formulas describing the ablation process.

  10. Development of flame retardant, radiation resistant insulating materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hagiwara, M.

    1984-01-01

    On the cables used for nuclear power stations, in particular those ranked as IE class, flame retardation test, simulated LOCA environment test, radiation resistance test and so on are imposed. The results of the evaluation of performance by these tests largely depend on the insulating materials mainly made of polymers. Ethylene propylene copolymer rubber has been widely used as cable insulator because of its electrical characteristics, workability, economy and relatively good radiation resistance, but it is combustible, therefore, in the practical use, it is necessary to make it fire resistant. The author et al. have advanced the research on the molecular design of new fire retarding materials, and successfully developed acenaphthylene bromide condensate, which is not only fire resistant but also effective for improving radiation resistance. The condition of flame retardant, radiation resistant auxiliary agents is explained, and there are additive type and reaction type in fire retarding materials. The synthesis of acenaphthylene bromide condensate and its effect of giving flame retardant and radiation resistant properties are reported. The characteristics of the cables insulated with the flame retardant ethylene propylene rubber containing acenaphthylene bromide condensate were tested, and the results are shown. (Kako, I.).

  11. Effect of resin composition to the electrical and mechanical properties of high voltage insulator material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Totok Dermawan; Elin Nuraini; Suyamto

    2012-01-01

    A solid insulator manufacture of resins for high voltage with a variation of resin and hardener composition has been made. The purpose of research to know electrical and mechanical properties of high voltage insulator material of resin. To determine its electric properties, the material is tested its breakdown voltage and the flashover voltage that occurred on the surface. While to determine the mechanical properties were tested by measuring its strength with a tensile test. From testing with variety of mixed composition it is known that for composition between hardener and resin of 1 : 800 has most advantageous properties because it has good strength with a tensile strength of 19.86 MPa and enough high dielectric strength of 43.2 kV / mm). (author)

  12. CERTIFICATION OF THE RADIATION RESISTANCE OF COIL INSULATION MATERIAL

    CERN Document Server

    Polinski, J; Bogdan, P

    2013-01-01

    The goal of the WP 7.2.1 sub-task of the EuCARD program has been to determine the Nb$_{3}$Sn based accelerator magnet coil electrical insulation resistance against irradiation, which will occur in future accelerators. The scope of the certification covers determination of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties changes due to irradiation. The report presents a selection of the insulation material candidates for future accelerator magnets as well as the definition of the radiation certification methodology with respect of radiation type, energy, doses and irradiation conditions. The test methods and results of the electrical and mechanical insulation materials properties degradation due to irradiation are presented. Thermal conductivity and Kapitza resistance at temperature range from 1.5 K to 2.0 K (superfluid helium conditions) are given.

  13. Electrical insulation and conduction coating for fusion experimental devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiji; Toyoda, Masahiko; Inoue, Masahiko; Abe, Tetsuya; Murakami, Yoshio

    1996-01-01

    The development of electrical insulation and conduction coating methods that can be applied to large components of fusion experimental devices has been investigated. A thermal spraying method is used to coat the insulation or conduction materials on the structural components because of its applicability for large surfaces. The insulation material chosen was Al 2 O 3 , while Cr 3 C 2 -NiCr and WC-NiCr were chosen as conduction materials. These materials were coated on stainless steel substrates to examine the basic characteristics of the coated layers, such as their adhesive strength to the substrate, thermal shock resistance, electrical resistance, dielectric breakdown voltage, and thermal conductivity. It was found that they have sufficient electrical insulation and conduction properties, respectively. In addition, the sliding tests of the coated layers showed adequate frictional properties. The spraying method was tested on a 100- x 1000-mm surface and found to be applicable for large surfaces of experimental fusion devices. 9 refs., 6 figs., 15 tabs

  14. Stability of alternating current discharges between water drops on insulation surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowland, S M; Lin, F C

    2006-01-01

    Discharges between water drops are important in the ageing of hydrophobic outdoor insulators. They may also be important in the processes leading up to flashover of these insulators in high pollution conditions. This paper considers discharges between drops when a limited alternating current is available, as experienced by an ageing insulator in service. A phenomenon is identified in which the length of a discharge between two drops is reduced through a particular type of distortion of the drops. This is visually characterized as a liquid protrusion from each of a pair of water drops along the insulator surface. This process is distinct from vibration of the drops, general distortion of their shape and the very fast emission of jet streams seen in very high fields. The process depends upon the discharge current, the resistivity of the moisture and the hydrophobicity of the insulation surface

  15. Ferromagnetic-insulators-modulated transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Jun-Ji; Liao Wen-Hu

    2014-01-01

    Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n—n junction and n—p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ θ < π/2 and π/2 < θ ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n—n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n—p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs

  16. Proximity induced ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and finite-size effects on the surface states of topological insulator nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillmann; Tan, Yaohua; Klimeck, Gerhard

    2015-01-01

    Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are well known 3D-topological insulators (TI). Films made of these materials exhibit metal-like surface states with a Dirac dispersion and possess high mobility. The high mobility metal-like surface states can serve as building blocks for a variety of applications that involve tuning their dispersion relationship and opening a band gap. A band gap can be opened either by breaking time reversal symmetry, the proximity effect of a superconductor or ferromagnet or adjusting the dimensionality of the TI material. In this work, methods that can be employed to easily open a band gap for the TI surface states are assessed. Two approaches are described: (1) Coating the surface states with a ferromagnet which has a controllable magnetization axis. The magnetization strength of the ferromagnet is incorporated as an exchange interaction term in the Hamiltonian. (2) An s-wave superconductor, because of the proximity effect, when coupled to a 3D-TI opens a band gap on the surface. Finally, the hybridization of the surface Dirac cones can be controlled by reducing the thickness of the topological insulator film. It is shown that this alters the band gap significantly.

  17. Competitive landscape of the EU’s insulation materials industry for energy-efficient buildings

    OpenAIRE

    PAVEL CLAUDIU; BLAGOEVA DARINA

    2017-01-01

    Insulation materials could contribute significantly to improving the overall energy efficiency and sustainability of the buildings, especially by reducing the energy losses through the building envelope (walls, roofs, floors, etc.). The global demand for thermal insulation materials in building applications is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.5 % between 2016 and 2027. In the EU the demand for thermal insulation materials is estimated at 3.48 % (2015-2027). Wool minerals (glass and stone ...

  18. PRODUCTION OF AN INSULATION MATERIAL FROM CARPET AND BORON WASTES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasin ERDOĞAN

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Buildings are large consumers of energy in all countries. In regions with harsh climatic conditions, a substantial share of energy goes to heat and cool buildings. This paper reports an investigation of the insulation materials made from mixing carpet wastes with a solution with added crude colemanite ore, one of boron minerals, and a solution with added colemanite wastes from a barrage. A new building insulation material was produced which is name, Halibor. Optimum mixing ratios were determined for mass production and the physical properties of the product were established. In addition, the material produced was compared with similar products used in buildings in terms of physical properties. As a result of the investigations, it was established that the product provides high heat and sound insulation and can be used easily in building and construction industry.

  19. Insulating materials resistance in intense radiation beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oproiu, Constantin; Martin, Diana; Scarlat, Florin; Timus, Dan; Brasoveanu, Mirela; Nemtanu, Monica

    2002-01-01

    The paper emphasizes the main changes of the mechanical and electrical properties of some organic insulating materials exposed to accelerated electron beams. These materials are liable to be used in nuclear plants and particle accelerators. The principal mechanical and electrical properties analyzed were: tensile strength, fracture strength, tearing on fracture, dielectric strength, electrical resistivity, dielectric constant and tangent angle of dielectric losses. (authors)

  20. Vacuum-insulated catalytic converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, David K.

    2001-01-01

    A catalytic converter has an inner canister that contains catalyst-coated substrates and an outer canister that encloses an annular, variable vacuum insulation chamber surrounding the inner canister. An annular tank containing phase-change material for heat storage and release is positioned in the variable vacuum insulation chamber a distance spaced part from the inner canister. A reversible hydrogen getter in the variable vacuum insulation chamber, preferably on a surface of the heat storage tank, releases hydrogen into the variable vacuum insulation chamber to conduct heat when the phase-change material is hot and absorbs the hydrogen to limit heat transfer to radiation when the phase-change material is cool. A porous zeolite trap in the inner canister absorbs and retains hydrocarbons from the exhaust gases when the catalyst-coated substrates and zeolite trap are cold and releases the hydrocarbons for reaction on the catalyst-coated substrate when the zeolite trap and catalyst-coated substrate get hot.

  1. Survey and evaluation of available thermal insulation materials for use on solar heating and cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-03-01

    This is the final report of a survey and evaluation of insulation materials for use with components of solar heating and cooling systems. The survey was performed by mailing questionnaires to manufacturers of insulation materials and by conducting an extensive literature search to obtain data on relevant properties of various types of insulation materials. The study evaluated insulation materials for active and passive solar heating and cooling systems and for multifunction applications. Primary and secondary considerations for selecting insulation materials for various components of solar heating and cooling systems are presented.

  2. 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.

  3. RESEARCHES REGARDING USE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR THERMAL INSULATION AT NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    IOSUB Andrei

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Using thermal insulation in negative temperature acts to reduce heat flow to the cooled space or to objects that have a temperature below ambient temperature. To achieve economic operation of the space to be cooled insulation thickness and quality is an important factor. In this article we want to compare three products used in thermal insulation at negative temperatures: expanded polystyrene, non-woven and wool coats. The materials will be tested with a mechanical vapor compression refrigerator capable of producing temperatures in the range +4 .. -35 ° C, managed by a programmer Dixel capable of recording values between +40. .. -60 °C. Refrigeration insulation enclosure was made with 100 mm expanded polystyrene. On one side of the enclosure will be a cut of 250 * 250 mm, chosen in a central position where the material will be introduced to be tested. The dimensions of the samples are 250 * 250 * 60 mm. To check the insulation properties of materials it will be used a temperature logger capable of recording with two probes temperatures between +125...-40° C. One of the probes will be inserted inside the refrigerator and the second probe will be positioned to the outside of the test material adhered to an aluminum plate, in order to read a average temperature. The difference in thickness of the insulation shall be filled with non-woven material. Hardening the assembly will be made using a 6 mm thick OSB board. The materials will be tested in an identical ambient temperature and humidity.

  4. 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.

  5. Application of Nanotechnology-Based Thermal Insulation Materials in Building Construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bozsaky David

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Nanotechnology-based materials have previously been used by space research, pharmaceuticals and electronics, but in the last decade several nanotechnology-based thermal insulation materials have appeared in building industry. Nowadays they only feature in a narrow range of practice, but they offer many potential applications. These options are unknown to most architects, who may simply be afraid of these materials owing to the incomplete and often contradictory special literature. Therefore, they are distrustful and prefer to apply the usual and conventional technologies. This article is intended to provide basic information about nanotechnology-based thermal insulation materials for designers. It describes their most important material properties, functional principles, applications, and potential usage options in building construction.

  6. PRODUCTION OF AN INSULATION MATERIAL FROM CARPET AND BORON WASTES

    OpenAIRE

    Yasin ERDOĞAN

    2016-01-01

    Buildings are large consumers of energy in all countries. In regions with harsh climatic conditions, a substantial share of energy goes to heat and cool buildings. This paper reports an investigation of the insulation materials made from mixing carpet wastes with a solution with added crude colemanite ore, one of boron minerals, and a solution with added colemanite wastes from a barrage. A new building insulation material was produced which is name, Halibor. Optimum mixing ratios were determi...

  7. Synthesis of Macroporous Silica Particles by Continuous Generation of Droplets for Insulating Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Young-Sang; Lee, Dokyoung

    2018-09-01

    We report on the synthesis of porous silica particles by self-assembly routes in a continuous manner for application to thermal insulators. A continuous process was employed to produce tiny droplets containing precursor materials such as silica and organic templates for self-organization to fabricate particles with well defined pores. A rotating cylinder system or a spray drying process was adopted to form emulsions or aerosol droplets as micro-reactors for self-assembly, and the physical properties including the thermal conductivity of the resulting porous particles were compared between the two methods. The porous particles could be coated as a thick film by solution dripping, and the fluorination treatment using a silane coupling agent was performed to produce superhydrophobic surfaces of insulating layers by a lotus effect.

  8. Material science experience gained from the space nuclear rocket program: Insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, P.

    1992-07-01

    Although Rover reactors are viewed as the ultimate in high-temperature operating systems, many of the materials used in these reactors (for example, support rods, control drums, and the reflector) have to be held at relatively low temperatures while the reactor operates, in order to maintain their structural integrity. Thus the insulators needed to separate these temperature domains are crucial to the reactor's ultimate operating times and temperatures. All of the reactors that were tested used pyrolytic graphite as the primary insulator. However, it had been long planned to replace the graphite with zirconium carbide and a lengthy and intensive effort to develop the zirconium carbide insulators had been made at the time Rover was terminated. This report details research and development and the experience we gained with both these insulator materials

  9. Axial grazing collisions with insulator surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gravielle, M.S. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio (IAFE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Casilla de Correo 67, Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)]. E-mail: msilvia@iafe.uba.ar; Miraglia, J.E. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio (IAFE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Casilla de Correo 67, Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2007-05-15

    Electron capture and emission processes from insulator surfaces produced by grazing impact of fast ions are investigated under axial incidence conditions. For crystal surfaces we develop a model based on distorted wave methods, which allows us to express the coherent transition amplitude along the projectile path as a sum of atomic amplitudes, each one associated with a different lattice site. The method is applied to 100 keV protons colliding with LiF surfaces. For electron transitions from a given initial crystal state, the probabilities display strong interference effects as a function of the crystal orientation. But the interference patterns disappear when these partial probabilities are added to derive the total probability from the surface band.

  10. Axial grazing collisions with insulator surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gravielle, M.S.; Miraglia, J.E.

    2007-01-01

    Electron capture and emission processes from insulator surfaces produced by grazing impact of fast ions are investigated under axial incidence conditions. For crystal surfaces we develop a model based on distorted wave methods, which allows us to express the coherent transition amplitude along the projectile path as a sum of atomic amplitudes, each one associated with a different lattice site. The method is applied to 100 keV protons colliding with LiF surfaces. For electron transitions from a given initial crystal state, the probabilities display strong interference effects as a function of the crystal orientation. But the interference patterns disappear when these partial probabilities are added to derive the total probability from the surface band

  11. Single atom anisotropic magnetoresistance on a topological insulator surface

    KAUST Repository

    Narayan, Awadhesh

    2015-03-12

    © 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. We demonstrate single atom anisotropic magnetoresistance on the surface of a topological insulator, arising from the interplay between the helical spin-momentum-locked surface electronic structure and the hybridization of the magnetic adatom states. Our first-principles quantum transport calculations based on density functional theory for Mn on Bi2Se3 elucidate the underlying mechanism. We complement our findings with a two dimensional model valid for both single adatoms and magnetic clusters, which leads to a proposed device setup for experimental realization. Our results provide an explanation for the conflicting scattering experiments on magnetic adatoms on topological insulator surfaces, and reveal the real space spin texture around the magnetic impurity.

  12. Electrical insulation and conduction coating for fusion experimental devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiji; Toyoda, Masahiko; Inoue, Masahiko [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Abe, Tetsuya; Murakami, Yoshio [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka (Japan)

    1996-01-01

    The development of electrical insulation and conduction coating methods that can be applied to large components of fusion experimental devices has been investigated. A thermal spraying method is used to coat the insulation or conduction materials on the structural components because of its applicability for large surfaces. The insulation material chosen was Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, while Cr{sub 3}C{sub 2}-NiCr and WC-NiCr were chosen as conduction materials. These materials were coated on stainless steel substrates to examine the basic characteristics of the coated layers, such as their adhesive strength to the substrate, thermal shock resistance, electrical resistance, dielectric breakdown voltage, and thermal conductivity. It was found that they have sufficient electrical insulation and conduction properties, respectively. In addition, the sliding tests of the coated layers showed adequate frictional properties. The spraying method was tested on a 100- x 1000-mm surface and found to be applicable for large surfaces of experimental fusion devices. 9 refs., 6 figs., 15 tabs.

  13. Organic Insulation Materials, the Effect on Indoor Humidity, and the Necessity of a Vapor Barrier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten

    1998-01-01

    Examples of organic insulation products are cellulose fiber, other plant fiber, and animal wool. These materials, which are all very hygroscopic, are associated with certain assertions about their building physical behavior that need to be verified.Examples of such assertions are: "A vapor barrier...... is not needed when using organic insulation materials" and "Organic insulation materials have a stabilizing effect on the indoor humidity".The paper presents some numerical analyses of the hygrothermal behavior of wall constructions and the occupied spaces they surround when an organic insulation material...

  14. Bio-susceptibility of materials and thermal insulation systems used for historical buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterflinger, Katja; Ettenauer, Joerg; Pinar, Guadalupe

    2013-04-01

    In historical buildings of Northern countries high levels of energy are necessary to reach comfortable temperatures especially during the cold season. For this reason historical buildings are now also included in country specific regulations and ordinances to enhance the "energy - efficiency". Since an exterior insulation - as it is commonly used for modern architecture - is incompatible with monument protection, several indoor insulation systems based on historical and ecological materials, are on the market that should improve the thermic performance of a historical building. However, using organic materials as cellulose, loam, weed or wood, bears the risk of fungal growth and thus may lead to health problems in indoor environments. For this reason 5 different ecological indoor insulations systems were tested for their bio-susceptibility against various fungi both under natural conditions - after 2 years of installation in an historical building - and under laboratory conditions with high levels of relative humidity. Fungal growth was evaluated by classical isolation and cultivation as well as by molecular methods. The materials turned out to have a quite different susceptibility towards fungal contamination. Whereas insulations made of bloated Perlite (plaster and board) did not show any fungal growth after 2 years of exposition, the historical insulation made of loam and weed had high cell counts of various fungi. In laboratory experiments wooden softboard represented the best environment for fungal growth. As a result from this study, plaster and board made of bloated Perlite are presented as being the most appropriate materials for thermal insulation at least from the microbiological and hygienic point of view. For future investigations and for the monitoring of fungi in insulation and other building materials we suggest a molecular biology approach with a common protocol for quantitative DNA-extraction and amplification.

  15. 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.)

  16. 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

  17. Polymer-Reinforced, Non-Brittle, Lightweight Cryogenic Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, David M.

    2013-01-01

    The primary application for cryogenic insulating foams will be fuel tank applications for fueling systems. It is crucial for this insulation to be incorporated into systems that survive vacuum and terrestrial environments. It is hypothesized that by forming an open-cell silica-reinforced polymer structure, the foam structures will exhibit the necessary strength to maintain shape. This will, in turn, maintain the insulating capabilities of the foam insulation. Besides mechanical stability in the form of crush resistance, it is important for these insulating materials to exhibit water penetration resistance. Hydrocarbon-terminated foam surfaces were implemented to impart hydrophobic functionality that apparently limits moisture penetration through the foam. During the freezing process, water accumulates on the surfaces of the foams. However, when hydrocarbon-terminated surfaces are present, water apparently beads and forms crystals, leading to less apparent accumulation. The object of this work is to develop inexpensive structural cryogenic insulation foam that has increased impact resistance for launch and ground-based cryogenic systems. Two parallel approaches will be pursued: a silica-polymer co-foaming technique and a post foam coating technique. Insulation characteristics, flexibility, and water uptake can be fine-tuned through the manipulation of the polyurethane foam scaffold. Silicate coatings for polyurethane foams and aerogel-impregnated polyurethane foams have been developed and tested. A highly porous aerogel-like material may be fabricated using a co-foam and coated foam techniques, and can insulate at liquid temperatures using the composite foam

  18. Overview of thermal conductivity models of anisotropic thermal insulation materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skurikhin, A. V.; Kostanovsky, A. V.

    2017-11-01

    Currently, the most of existing materials and substances under elaboration are anisotropic. It makes certain difficulties in the study of heat transfer process. Thermal conductivity of the materials can be characterized by tensor of the second order. Also, the parallelism between the temperature gradient vector and the density of heat flow vector is violated in anisotropic thermal insulation materials (TIM). One of the most famous TIM is a family of integrated thermal insulation refractory material («ITIRM»). The main component ensuring its properties is the «inflated» vermiculite. Natural mineral vermiculite is ground into powder state, fired by gas burner for dehydration, and its precipitate is then compressed. The key feature of thus treated batch of vermiculite is a package structure. The properties of the material lead to a slow heating of manufactured products due to low absorption and high radiation reflection. The maximum of reflection function is referred to infrared spectral region. A review of current models of heat propagation in anisotropic thermal insulation materials is carried out, as well as analysis of their thermal and optical properties. A theoretical model, which allows to determine the heat conductivity «ITIRM», can be useful in the study of thermal characteristics such as specific heat capacity, temperature conductivity, and others. Materials as «ITIRM» can be used in the metallurgy industry, thermal energy and nuclear power-engineering.

  19. Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Qi; Mi, Jian; Zhao, Dan; Su, Tang; Yuan, Wei; Xing, Wenyu; Chen, Yangyang; Wang, Tianyu; Wu, Tao; Chen, Xian Hui; Xie, X. C.; Zhang, Chi; Shi, Jing; Han, Wei

    2016-01-01

    There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observe the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Furthermore, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6. PMID:27834378

  20. Surface potential measurement of insulators in negative-ion implantation by secondary electron energy-peak shift

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagumo, Shoji; Toyota, Yoshitaka; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Ishikawa, Junzo; Sakai, Shigeki; Tanjyo, Masayasu; Matsuda, Kohji.

    1993-01-01

    Negative-ion implantation is expected to realize charge-up free implantation. In this article, about a way to specify surface potential of negative-ion implanted insulator by secondary-electron-energy distribution, its principle and preliminary experimental results are described. By a measuring system with retarding field type energy analyzer, energy distribution of secondary electron from insulator of Fused Quartz in negative-carbon-ion implantation was measured. As a result the peak-shift of its energy distribution resulted according with the surface potential of insulator. It was found that surface potential of insulator is negatively charged by only several volts. Thus, negative-ion implanted insulator reduced its surface charge-up potential (without any electron supply). Therefore negative-ion implantation is considered to be much more effective method than conventional positive-ion implantation. (author)

  1. Effects of gamma-rays irradiation on tracking resistance of organic insulating materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Boxue; Suzuki, Akio; Kobayashi, Shigeo [Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei (Japan). Faculty of Technology

    1996-04-01

    This paper describes the influence of gamma-rays irradiation on tracking failure of organic insulating materials by use of the IEC Publ.112 method. Tracking resistance of organic insulating materials under wet polluted condition has been studied by many investigators with a test method of the IEC Publ.112. The investigations on irradiation effects on tracking resistance should be enhanced due to the increasing usage of organic insulating materials in the radiation environments. The tracking resistance seems to be affected by gamma-irradiation, but the knowledge on the influence of gamma-irradiation is quite a few and systematic studies are needed. In this paper, modified polyphenylene oxide, polybutylene naphthalate, modified polycarbonate and polybutylene terephthalate which were irradiated in air until 1x10{sup 7}R and 1x10{sup 8}R with dose rate of 10{sup 6}R/hr using {sup 60}Co gamma-source have been employed. The total dose effects on the number of drops to tracking failure, contact angle and charges of scintillation have been studied. As the total doses are increased, the number of drops to tracking failure decreases with polybutylene terephthalate. On the other hand, the number of drops to tracking failure increases with polybutylene naphthalate and modified polycarbonate when the total doses are increased. The effects of gamma-rays irradiation on tracking failure are due to radiation-induced degradation or cross-linking of organic insulating materials. When the organic insulating materials are degraded by gamma-irradiation, the tracking resistance decreases, but for cross-linking type materials, the tracking resistance increases. (author)

  2. Safety distance for preventing hot particle ignition of building insulation materials

    OpenAIRE

    Jiayun Song; Supan Wang; Haixiang Chen

    2014-01-01

    Trajectories of flying hot particles were predicted in this work, and the temperatures during the movement were also calculated. Once the particle temperature decreased to the critical temperature for a hot particle to ignite building insulation materials, which was predicted by hot-spot ignition theory, the distance particle traveled was determined as the minimum safety distance for preventing the ignition of building insulation materials by hot particles. The results showed that for sphere ...

  3. Simulation of energy- efficient building prototype using different insulating materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouhaibi, Salma; Belouaggadia, Naoual; Lbibb, Rachid; Ezzine, Mohammed

    2018-05-01

    The objective of this work is to analyze the energetic efficiency of an individual building including an area of 130 m2 multi-zone, located in the region of FEZ which is characterized by a very hot and dry climate in summer and a quite cold one in winter, by incorporating insulating materials. This study was performed using TRNSYS V16 simulation software during a typical year of the FEZ region. Our simulation consists in developing a comparative study of two types of polystyrene and silica-aerogel insulation materials, in order to determine the best thermal performance. The results show that the thermal insulation of the building envelope is among the most effective solutions that give a significant reduction in energy requirements. Similarly, the use of silica-aerogels gives a good thermal performance, and therefore a good energy gain.

  4. Investigation of the Hygrothermal Performance of Alternative Insulation Materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Kristiansen, Finn Harken; Rasmussen, Niels T.

    1999-01-01

    The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force. The mater......The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force...... is determined for the different materials with a guarded hot plate apparatus in which different vapour pressure conditions can be maintained over the specimens. The apparatus and some results are presented.2. Computational analysis of the hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation...... products.The hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation products is analysed with a computational model for combined heat and moisture transfer. The analysis concerns both traditional wall and roof constructions with the alternative insulation products, and some alternative...

  5. Heat Transfer Measurement and Modeling in Rigid High-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daryabeigi, Kamran; Knutson, Jeffrey R.; Cunnington, George R.

    2011-01-01

    Heat transfer in rigid reusable surface insulations was investigated. Steady-state thermal conductivity measurements in a vacuum were used to determine the combined contribution of radiation and solid conduction components of heat transfer. Thermal conductivity measurements at higher pressures were then used to estimate the effective insulation characteristic length for gas conduction modeling. The thermal conductivity of the insulation can then be estimated at any temperature and pressure in any gaseous media. The methodology was validated by comparing estimated thermal conductivities with published data on a rigid high-temperature silica reusable surface insulation tile. The methodology was also applied to the alumina enhanced thermal barrier tiles. Thermal contact resistance for thermal conductivity measurements on rigid tiles was also investigated. A technique was developed to effectively eliminate thermal contact resistance on the rigid tile s cold-side surface for the thermal conductivity measurements.

  6. Investigation of Insulation Materials for Future Radioisotope Power Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornell, Peggy A.; Hurwitz, Frances I.; Ellis, David L.; Schmitz, Paul C.

    2013-01-01

    NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Technology Advancement Project is developing next generation high-temperature insulation materials that directly benefit thermal management and improve performance of RPS for future science missions. Preliminary studies on the use of multilayer insulation (MLI) for Stirling convertors used on the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) have shown the potential benefits of MLI for space vacuum applications in reducing generator size and increasing specific power (W/kg) as compared to the baseline Microtherm HT (Microtherm, Inc.) insulation. Further studies are currently being conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center on candidate MLI foils and aerogel composite spacers. This paper presents the method of testing of foils and spacers and experimental results to date.

  7. 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.

  8. Dirac-Screening Stabilized Surface-State Transport in a Topological Insulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Brüne

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We report magnetotransport studies on a gated strained HgTe device. This material is a three-dimensional topological insulator and exclusively shows surface-state transport. Remarkably, the Landau-level dispersion and the accuracy of the Hall quantization remain unchanged over a wide density range (3×10^{11}  cm^{−2}surface-state dominated, where bulk transport would have been expected to coexist already. Moreover, the density dependence of the Dirac-type quantum Hall effect allows us to identify the contributions from the individual surfaces. A k·p model can describe the experiments but only when assuming a steep band bending across the regions where the topological surface states are contained. This steep potential originates from the specific screening properties of Dirac systems and causes the gate voltage to influence the position of the Dirac points rather than that of the Fermi level.

  9. Development and validation of cryogenic foam insulation for LH2 subsonic transports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, F. M.; Colt, J. Z.; Helenbrook, R. G.

    1981-01-01

    Fourteen foam insulation specimens were tested. Some were plain foam while others contained flame retardants, chopped fiberglass reinforcement and/or vapor barriers. The thermal performance of the insulation was determined by measuring the rate at which LH2 boiled from an aluminum tank insulated with the test material. The test specimens were approximately 50 mm (2 in.) thick. They were structurally scaled so that the test cycle would duplicate the maximum thermal stresses predicted for the thicker insulation of an aircraft liquid hydrogen fuel tank during a typical subsonic flight. The simulated flight cycle of approximately 10 minutes duration heated the other insulation surface to 316 K (110 F) and cooled it to 226 K (20 F) while the inner insulation surface remained at liquid hydrogen temperature of 20 K (-423 F). Two urethane foam insulations exceeded the initial life goal of 2400 simulated flight cycles and sustained 4400 cycles with only minor damage. The addition of fiberglass reinforcement of flame retardant materials to an insulation degraded thermal performance and/or the life of the foam material. Installation of vapor barriers enhanced the structural integrity of the material but did not improve thermal performance. All of the foams tested were available materials; none were developed specifically for LH2 service.

  10. Converters and electric machines. Solid insulating materials. Electrical characteristics; Convertisseurs et machines electriques. Materiaux isolants solides. Caracteristiques electriques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anton, A. [Institut National Superieur de Chimie Industrielle, 76 - Rouen (France)

    2003-08-01

    The aim of this article is to allow a preselection of a solid insulating material using the most common electrical characteristics: tangent of the loss angle, relative permittivity, dielectric rigidity, superficial resistivity, transverse resistivity, resistance to high voltage creeping spark currents, index of creeping resistance. The characteristics of the main solid insulating materials are presented in tables for: thermoplastics, thermosetting materials, natural insulating materials, mineral insulating materials, rubber and synthetic elastomers, stratified insulating materials, thermoplastic films, composite synthetic papers. A comparison is made between the different materials using the three properties: tangent of the loss angle, relative permittivity and resistance to HV spark creeping currents. (J.S.)

  11. Acoustic parameters of sound insulating materials investigation in small reverberation rooms on rubber plates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    О.О. Козлітін

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available  The new method of sound insulating materials acoustic characteristics investigation in small reverberation rooms was elaborated. The research of sound insulating materials on rubber plates was done. The analysis of obtained results of acoustic parameters of materials being a part of the composite real structures of airplane was carried out.

  12. Ionization by ion impact at grazing incidence on insulator surface

    CERN Document Server

    Martiarena, M L

    2003-01-01

    We have calculated the energy distribution of electrons produced by ionization of the ionic crystal electrons in grazing fast ion-insulator surface collision. The ionized electrons originate in the 2p F sup - orbital. We observe that the binary peak appears as a double change in the slope of the spectra, in the high energy region. The form of the peak is determined by the initial electron distribution and its position will be affected by the binding energy of the 2p F sup - electron in the crystal. This BEP in insulator surfaces will appear slightly shifted to the low energy side with respect the ion-atom one.

  13. Surface conduction of topological Dirac electrons in bulk insulating Bi2Se3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuhrer, Michael

    2013-03-01

    The three dimensional strong topological insulator (STI) is a new phase of electronic matter which is distinct from ordinary insulators in that it supports on its surface a conducting two-dimensional surface state whose existence is guaranteed by topology. I will discuss experiments on the STI material Bi2Se3, which has a bulk bandgap of 300 meV, much greater than room temperature, and a single topological surface state with a massless Dirac dispersion. Field effect transistors consisting of thin (3-20 nm) Bi2Se3 are fabricated from mechanically exfoliated from single crystals, and electrochemical and/or chemical gating methods are used to move the Fermi energy into the bulk bandgap, revealing the ambipolar gapless nature of transport in the Bi2Se3 surface states. The minimum conductivity of the topological surface state is understood within the self-consistent theory of Dirac electrons in the presence of charged impurities. The intrinsic finite-temperature resistivity of the topological surface state due to electron-acoustic phonon scattering is measured to be ~60 times larger than that of graphene largely due to the smaller Fermi and sound velocities in Bi2Se3, which will have implications for topological electronic devices operating at room temperature. As samples are made thinner, coherent coupling of the top and bottom topological surfaces is observed through the magnitude of the weak anti-localization correction to the conductivity, and, in the thinnest Bi2Se3 samples (~ 3 nm), in thermally-activated conductivity reflecting the opening of a bandgap.

  14. The Wick-Concept for Thermal Insulation of Cold Piping

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koverdynsky, Vit; Korsgaard, Vagn; Rode, Carsten

    2006-01-01

    the wick-concept in either of two variations: the self-drying or the self-sealing system. Experiments have been carried out using different variations of the two systems to investigate the conditions for exploiting the drying capabilities of the systems, and the results are presented. The results show......The wick-concept for thermal insulation of cold piping is based on capillary suction of a fiber fabric to remove excess water from the pipe surface by transporting it to the outer surface of the insulation. From the surface of the insulation jacket, the water will evaporate to the ambient air....... This will prevent long-term accumulation of moisture in the insulation material. The wick keeps the hydrophobic insulation dry, allowing it to maintain its thermal performance. The liquid moisture is kept only in the wick fabric. This article presents the principle of operation of cold pipe insulation using...

  15. Topological Insulator Nanowires and Nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Kong, Desheng; Randel, Jason C.; Peng, Hailin; Cha, Judy J.; Meister, Stefan; Lai, Keji; Chen, Yulin; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Manoharan, Hari C.; Cui, Yi

    2010-01-01

    Recent theoretical calculations and photoemission spectroscopy measurements on the bulk Bi2Se3 material show that it is a three-dimensional topological insulator possessing conductive surface states with nondegenerate spins, attractive

  16. Heat insulating structure for use in transporting and handling gas of high temperature and pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathusima, T.; Sato, T.; Uenishi, A.

    1980-01-01

    A heat insulating structure is described that has a heat-resistant tube disposed in a tubular cylindrical body and defining a passage for a high temperature gas, a heat insulating material disposed between the tube and the tubular cylindrical body and adapted to prevent the heat possessed by the gas from being transmitted to the tubular cylindrical body, and a spring adapted to bias the heat insulating material toward the inner surface of the tubular cylindrical body, so as to prevent the formation of a bypass passage for the gas including the gap between the tubular cylindrical body and the heat insulating material. The heat insulating material consists of a plurality of fibrous heat insulating materials mainly consisting of bulky fibrous materials and a plurality of shaped fibrous heat insulating materials. These fibrous heat insulating materials and the shaped fibrous heat insulating materials are arranged alternatingly and independently in the axial direction. In each of the bulky fibrous heat insulating material, disposed is a spring for biasing the shaped fibrous heat insulating material in the axial direction

  17. Ultra-low carrier concentration and surface-dominant transport in antimony-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Seung Sae; Cha, Judy J.; Kong, Desheng; Cui, Yi

    2012-01-01

    A topological insulator is the state of quantum matter possessing gapless spin-locking surface states across the bulk band gap, which has created new opportunities from novel electronics to energy conversion. However, the large concentration of bulk residual carriers has been a major challenge for revealing the property of the topological surface state by electron transport measurements. Here we report the surface-state-dominant transport in antimony-doped, zinc oxide-encapsulated Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with suppressed bulk electron concentration. In the nanoribbon with sub-10-nm thickness protected by a zinc oxide layer, we position the Fermi levels of the top and bottom surfaces near the Dirac point by electrostatic gating, achieving extremely low two-dimensional carrier concentration of 2×10 11cm-2. The zinc oxide-capped, antimony-doped Bi 2Se3 nanostructures provide an attractive materials platform to study fundamental physics in topological insulators, as well as future applications. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  18. Ultra-low carrier concentration and surface-dominant transport in antimony-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Seung Sae

    2012-03-27

    A topological insulator is the state of quantum matter possessing gapless spin-locking surface states across the bulk band gap, which has created new opportunities from novel electronics to energy conversion. However, the large concentration of bulk residual carriers has been a major challenge for revealing the property of the topological surface state by electron transport measurements. Here we report the surface-state-dominant transport in antimony-doped, zinc oxide-encapsulated Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with suppressed bulk electron concentration. In the nanoribbon with sub-10-nm thickness protected by a zinc oxide layer, we position the Fermi levels of the top and bottom surfaces near the Dirac point by electrostatic gating, achieving extremely low two-dimensional carrier concentration of 2×10 11cm-2. The zinc oxide-capped, antimony-doped Bi 2Se3 nanostructures provide an attractive materials platform to study fundamental physics in topological insulators, as well as future applications. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  19. Treeing phenomenon of thermoplastic polyethylene blends for recyclable cable insulation materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lunzhi; Zhang, Kai; Zhong, Lisheng; Gao, Jinghui; Xu, Man; Chen, Guanghui; Fu, Mingli

    2017-02-01

    Owing to its good recyclability and low processing energy consumption, non-crosslinked polyethylene blends (e.g. LLDPE-HDPE blends) are considered as one of potential environmental-friendly substitutions for crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) as cable insulation material. Although extensive work has been performed for measuring the basic dielectric properties, there is a lack of the investigations on the aging properties for such a material system, which hinders the evaluation of reliability and lifetime of the material for cable insulation. In this paper, we study the electric aging phenomenon of 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blending material by investigating the treeing behavior, and its comparison with XLPE and LLDPE. Treeing tests show that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends have lower probability for treeing as well as smaller treeing dimensions. Further thermal analysis and microstructure study results suggest that the blends exhibit larger proportion of thick lamellae and higher crystallinity with homogeneously-distributed amorphous region, which is responsible for good anti-treeing performance. Our finding provides the evidence that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends exhibits better electric-aging-retardance properties than XLPE, which may result in a potential application for cable insulation.

  20. Treeing phenomenon of thermoplastic polyethylene blends for recyclable cable insulation materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lunzhi Li

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Owing to its good recyclability and low processing energy consumption, non-crosslinked polyethylene blends (e.g. LLDPE-HDPE blends are considered as one of potential environmental-friendly substitutions for crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE as cable insulation material. Although extensive work has been performed for measuring the basic dielectric properties, there is a lack of the investigations on the aging properties for such a material system, which hinders the evaluation of reliability and lifetime of the material for cable insulation. In this paper, we study the electric aging phenomenon of 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blending material by investigating the treeing behavior, and its comparison with XLPE and LLDPE. Treeing tests show that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends have lower probability for treeing as well as smaller treeing dimensions. Further thermal analysis and microstructure study results suggest that the blends exhibit larger proportion of thick lamellae and higher crystallinity with homogeneously-distributed amorphous region, which is responsible for good anti-treeing performance. Our finding provides the evidence that the 0.7LLDPE-0.3HDPE blends exhibits better electric-aging-retardance properties than XLPE, which may result in a potential application for cable insulation.

  1. State of the art on historic building insulation materials and retrofit strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blumberga, Andra; Kass, Kristaps; Kamendere, Edite

    2016-01-01

    This report provides an analysis and evaluation of a state-of-the-art of internal insulation materials and methods for application in historic buildings, and review on methods, tools and guidelines used as decision making tools for implementation of internal insulation in historic buildings. Hist...

  2. Development of Highly Repellent Silica Particles for Protection of Hemp Shiv Used as Insulation Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marion A. Bourebrab

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available New bio-materials have recently gained interest for use in insulation panels in walls, but wider adoption by the building industry is hindered by their intrinsic properties. The fact that such materials are mainly composed of cellulose makes them combustible, and their hydrophilic surface presents a high water uptake, which would lead to faster biodegradation. A hydrophobic treatment with silica particles was successfully synthesised via Stöber process, characterised, and deposited on hemp shiv. The surface of hemp shiv coated several times with 45 and 120 nm particles were uniformly covered, as well as extensively water repellent. Those samples could withstand in humidity chamber without loss of their hydrophobic property and no sign of mould growth after 72 h of exposure.

  3. Development of Highly Repellent Silica Particles for Protection of Hemp Shiv Used as Insulation Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourebrab, Marion A; Durand, Géraldine G; Taylor, Alan

    2017-12-21

    New bio-materials have recently gained interest for use in insulation panels in walls, but wider adoption by the building industry is hindered by their intrinsic properties. The fact that such materials are mainly composed of cellulose makes them combustible, and their hydrophilic surface presents a high water uptake, which would lead to faster biodegradation. A hydrophobic treatment with silica particles was successfully synthesised via Stöber process, characterised, and deposited on hemp shiv. The surface of hemp shiv coated several times with 45 and 120 nm particles were uniformly covered, as well as extensively water repellent. Those samples could withstand in humidity chamber without loss of their hydrophobic property and no sign of mould growth after 72 h of exposure.

  4. THERMAL INSULATION PROPERTIES RESEARCH OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL WATER GLASS–GRAPHITE MICROPARTICLES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Gostev

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Research results for the composite material (CM water glass–graphite microparticles with high thermal stability and thermal insulation properties are given. A composition consisting of graphite (42 % by weight, water glass Na2O(SiO2n (50% by weight and the hardener - sodium silicofluoric Na2SiF6 (8% by weight. Technology of such composition receipt is suggested. Experimental samples of the CM with filler particles (graphite and a few microns in size were obtained. This is confirmed by a study of samples by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The qualitative and quantitative phase analysis of the CM structure is done. Load limit values leading to the destruction of CM are identified. The character of the rupture surface is detected. Numerical values of specific heat and thermal conductivity are defined. Dependence of the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity on temperature at monotonic heating is obtained experimentally. Studies have confirmed the increased thermal insulation properties of the proposed composition. CM with such characteristics can be recommended as a coating designed to reduce heat losses and resistant to high temperatures. Due to accessibility and low cost of its components the proposed material can be produced on an industrial scale.

  5. 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.

  6. Complex evaluation of properties for some thermal insulating materials of NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yurchenko, V.G.; Nazarova, G.A.; Yakunichev, V.N.; Potulov, V.V.; Kazakova, K.A.

    1991-01-01

    The effects of the main operational factors (temperature, ionizing radiation, increased humidity) on some most widely applied fibrous materials are investigated. The samples were irradiated by 60 Co gamma photons at the PKhM-gamma-20 device in air at temperature of 40±1 deg C in order to analyze the radiation resistance of thermal insulating materials. The analysis and generalization of the results of laboratory tests give an opportunity to make the following conclusions. The thermal insulation articles and constructions made of superfine basalt fiber may be used in the zones of rigorous regime. The superfine glass fibers (GF) are recommended to be used for equipment and pipeline shielding in the zones of rigorous control only as a part of multilayer insulation as the second or next layers and only in places where leaks are impossible

  7. Fatigue effects in insulation materials for fusion magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenkranz, P.

    2000-12-01

    The mechanical properties of insulation materials for the superconducting magnets of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) and future fusion plants, i.e. woven fiber reinforced composites, have been identified as an area of concern for the long-term operation of such magnets. The magnets will be subjected to fast neutron and γ-radiation over their lifetime, which influence the mechanical properties of the insulation materials. The ultimate tensile strength and, above all, the interlaminar shear strength and their performance under dynamic load, corresponding to the pulsed operation of a TOKAMAK-confinement system, are sensitive indicators of material failure in fiber-reinforced laminates especially at cryogenic temperatures. To simulate these conditions, low frequency fatigue measurements at 10 Hz were made at 77 K up to one million cycles. Tension-tension fatigue tests were performed according to ASTM D3479. However, due to the space limitations in all irradiation facilities, the tests have to be done on samples, which are considerably smaller than those required for standard test conditions. The influence of the specimen geometry on the ultimate tensile strength under static and dynamic load conditions was, therefore, investigated on fiber-reinforced plastics. They did not show any systematic trends as long as the sample thickness does not exceed the thickness recommended in ASTM D3479. The double lap shear test method was chosen for the shear experiments because of the symmetry of the specimen geometry under tensile load and the suitability for fatigue tests. Like almost every existing test procedure for the interlaminar shear strength, this test method does not provide for a completely uniform interlaminar shear stress distribution over a sizable region in the test section of the specimen. A scaling program combined with FE-simulations was, therefore, initiated to assess the influence of the length of the test section and of the sample

  8. Radiation tests on selected electrical insulating materials for high-power and high voltage application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liptak, G.; Schuler, R.; Haberthuer, B.; Mueller, H.; Zeier, W.; Maier, P.; Schoenbacher, H.

    1985-01-01

    This report presents a comprehensive set of test results on the irradiation of insulating materials and systems used for the windings of rotating machines, dry-type transformers, and magnet coils. The materials were: Novolac, bisphenol-A, and cycloaliphatic types of epoxy; saturated and unsaturated polyesterimide; silicone, phenolic, and acrylic resins. The reinforcement consisted of glass mat, glass roving, glass cloth, mica paper, polyester mat, polyester roving, polyester cloth, aromatic polyamide paper, or combinations thereof. The materials were irradiated in an 8 MW pool reactor up to integrated doses of 10 8 Gy. On most samples, flexural properties were examined as recommended by IEC Standard 544. For tapes and varnishes, the breakdown voltage was measured. The adhesion of copper bars glued together with an epoxy resin was examined by means of a lap-shear test. A cupping test by means of the Erichsen apparatus was used to measure the flexibility of varnishes. The results are presented in tables and graphs for each of the materials tested. Those from mechanical tests show that the radiation resistance of composite resin-rich insulations depends not only on the base resin combination and the reinforcement material but, to a large degree, also on the adhesion between the two. It appears that better adhesion, and consequently higher radiation resistance, is obtained by special surface treatments of glass fibres. For laminates, higher radiation resistance is obtained with glass mat and resin combinations than with glass cloth as reinforcing materials. The breakdown voltage tests show that the application of mechanical stress to most irradiated samples causes the insulation layer to crack, resulting in lower dielectric strength. For a number of materials, the critical properties of flexural strength and breakdown voltage are above 50% of the initial value at doses between 10 7 and 10 8 Gy, i.e. a radiation index of 7 to 8 at 10 5 Gy/h. (orig.)

  9. Development of electrical insulation and conduction coating for fusion experimental devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onozuka, M. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Tsujimura, S. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Toyoda, M. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Inoue, M. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan); Abe, T. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka (Japan); Murakami, Y. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka (Japan)

    1995-12-31

    Development of electrical insulation and conduction methods that can be applied for large components have been investigated for future large fusion experimental devices. A thermal spraying method is employed to coat the insulation or conduction materials on the structural components. Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been selected as an insulation material, while Cr{sub 3}C{sub 2}-NiCr and WC-NiCr have been chosen as conduction materials. These materials were coated on stainless steel base plates to examine the basic characteristics of the coated layers, such as their adhesive strength to the base plate and electrical resistance. It was found that they have sufficient electrical insulation and conduction properties, respectively. In addition, the sliding tests of the coated layers showed sufficient frictional properties. The applicability of the spraying method was examined on a 100mm x 1000mm surface and found to be applicable for large surfaces in fusion experimental devices. (orig.).

  10. Development of electrical insulation and conduction coating for fusion experimental devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onozuka, M.; Tsujimura, S.; Toyoda, M.; Inoue, M.; Abe, T.; Murakami, Y.

    1995-01-01

    Development of electrical insulation and conduction methods that can be applied for large components have been investigated for future large fusion experimental devices. A thermal spraying method is employed to coat the insulation or conduction materials on the structural components. Al 2 O 3 has been selected as an insulation material, while Cr 3 C 2 -NiCr and WC-NiCr have been chosen as conduction materials. These materials were coated on stainless steel base plates to examine the basic characteristics of the coated layers, such as their adhesive strength to the base plate and electrical resistance. It was found that they have sufficient electrical insulation and conduction properties, respectively. In addition, the sliding tests of the coated layers showed sufficient frictional properties. The applicability of the spraying method was examined on a 100mm x 1000mm surface and found to be applicable for large surfaces in fusion experimental devices. (orig.)

  11. Thermal insulating panel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hughes, J.T.

    1985-09-11

    A panel of thermal insulation material has at least one main portion which comprises a dry particulate insulation material compressed within a porous envelope so that it is rigid or substantially rigid and at least one auxiliary portion which is secured to and extends along at least one of the edges of the main portions. The auxiliary portions comprise a substantially uncompressed dry particulate insulation material contained within an envelope. The insulation material of the auxiliary portion may be the same as or may be different from the insulation material of the main portion. The envelope of the auxiliary portion may be made of a porous or a non-porous material. (author).

  12. 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.

  13. Investigation of Insulation Materials for Future Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornell, Peggy A.; Hurwitz, Frances I.; Ellis, David L.; Schmitz, Paul C.

    2013-01-01

    NASA's Radioisotope Power System (RPS) Technology Advancement Project is developing next generation high temperature insulation materials that directly benefit thermal management and improve performance of RPS for future science missions. Preliminary studies on the use of multilayer insulation (MLI) for Stirling convertors used on the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) have shown the potential benefits of MLI for space vacuum applications in reducing generator size and increasing specific power (W/kg) as compared to the baseline Microtherm HT (Microtherm, Inc.) insulation. Further studies are currently being conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) on candidate MLI foils and aerogel composite spacers. This paper presents the method of testing of foils and spacers and experimental results to date.

  14. Influence of Wind Speed on Heat Flow through Polypropylene Insulating Material

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    SUN Yu-chai; CHENG Zhong-hao; FENG Xun-wei

    2006-01-01

    The heat transfer properties of polypropylene insulation at different ambient temperature against wind were analysed.A theoretical model of the combined conductive, convective and radiative heat flow through fibrous insulating material was presented. Detail study was carried out by using the finite element method. The theoretical results are in accordance to the experimental results which were accomplished in an artificial climate chamber.

  15. Surface plasmon on topological insulator/dielectric interface enhanced ZnO ultraviolet photoluminescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-Min Liao

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available It has recently been predicted that the surface plasmons are allowed to exist on the interface between a topological insulator and vacuum. Surface plasmons can be employed to enhance the optical emission from various illuminants. Here, we study the photoluminescence properties of the ZnO/Bi2Te3 hybrid structures. Thin flakes of Bi2Te3, a typical three-dimensional topological insulator, were prepared on ZnO crystal surface by mechanical exfoliation method. The ultraviolet emission from ZnO was found to be enhanced by the Bi2Te3 thin flakes, which was attributed to the surface plasmon – photon coupling at the Bi2Te3/ZnO interface.

  16. The Role of Interfaces in Polyethylene/Metal-Oxide Nanocomposites for Ultrahigh-Voltage Insulating Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pourrahimi, Amir Masoud; Olsson, Richard T; Hedenqvist, Mikael S

    2018-01-01

    Recent progress in the development of polyethylene/metal-oxide nanocomposites for extruded high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables with ultrahigh electric insulation properties is presented. This is a promising technology with the potential of raising the upper voltage limit in today's underground/submarine cables, based on pristine polyethylene, to levels where the loss of energy during electric power transmission becomes low enough to ensure intercontinental electric power transmission. The development of HVDC insulating materials together with the impact of the interface between the particles and the polymer on the nanocomposites electric properties are shown. Important parameters from the atomic to the microlevel, such as interfacial chemistry, interfacial area, and degree of particle dispersion/aggregation, are discussed. This work is placed in perspective with important work by others, and suggested mechanisms for improved insulation using nanoparticles, such as increased charge trap density, adsorption of impurities/ions, and induced particle dipole moments are considered. The effects of the nanoparticles and of their interfacial structures on the mechanical properties and the implications of cavitation on the electric properties are also discussed. Although the main interest in improving the properties of insulating polymers has been on the use of nanoparticles, leading to nanodielectrics, it is pointed out here that larger microscopic hierarchical metal-oxide particles with high surface porosity also impart good insulation properties. The impact of the type of particle and its inherent properties (purity and conductivity) on the nanocomposite dielectric and insulating properties are also discussed based on data obtained by a newly developed technique to directly observe the charge distribution on a nanometer scale in the nanocomposite. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. He atom surface spectroscopy: Surface lattice dynamics of insulators, metals and metal overlayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    During the first three years of this grant (1985--1988) the effort was devoted to the construction of a state-of-the-art He atom scattering (HAS) instrument which would be capable of determining the structure and dynamics of metallic, semiconductor or insulator crystal surfaces. The second three year grant period (1988--1991) has been dedicated to measurements. The construction of the instrument went better than proposed; it was within budget, finished in the proposed time and of better sensitivity and resolution than originally planned. The same success has been carried over to the measurement phase where the concentration has been on studies of insulator surfaces, as discussed in this paper. The experiments of the past three years have focused primarily on the alkali halides with a more recent shift to metal oxide crystal surfaces. Both elastic and inelastic scattering experiments were carried out on LiF, NaI, NaCl, RbCl, KBr, RbBr, RbI, CsF, CsI and with some preliminary work on NiO and MgO

  18. Neutron and gamma irradiation effects on organic insulating materials for fusion magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurer, W.

    1985-10-01

    Available low-temperature neutron and gamma irradiation data for organic insulating materials are collected and compared with room temperature data. Only the most promising polymers in terms of mechanical strength for magnet insulation are taken into account. For characterization and comparison of different materials the 75% dose is used, i.e. the dose, where the mechanical strength is reduced by 25%, and 75% is retained. For room temperature special prepared polyimide and epoxy materials reinforced with glass fibre retained 75% of the mechanical strength up to a dose of 7x10 7 Gy. For 5 K irradiation the best epoxy material retained the 75% dose up to 1x10 7 Gy, the best polyimide material up to 1x10 8 Gy. (orig.) [de

  19. Verification of the behavior of insulating materials under ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reis, Joao C. Marques dos; Rezende, Aurimar de P.; Menzel, Silvio C.

    2009-01-01

    To analyze the behavior of specifics electrical insulating materials and components under ionizing radiation, a test program was developed to verify the overall effects of general electrical equipment under high radiation fields conditions. The main objective is for maintenance purposes, in the substitution of electrical components installed in the reactor building of the Angra 1 nuclear power plant. Knowing the characteristics of electrical insulating materials available in the country and determining by tests their ability to withstand the ionizing radiation effects, is feasible to implement specific maintenance services of electrical equipment, maintaining the same level of quality and safety for the specified application. This procedure reduces the time and also costs of maintenance services, in comparison with materials acquired or services performed abroad. The isolating materials and components of electrical equipment should be specified, manufactured and qualified to withstand aggressive environmental conditions in the reactor building during the normal operation and postulated accident. Additional tests should be conducted to verify the conditions of the aged material by ionizing radiation. Examples of additional tests: dielectric strength, tensile strength and elongation and impact resistance. (author)

  20. Investigation of electrophysical properties of electrical insulating materials under neutron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skornyakov, Yu.A.; Stepanov, A.N.; Lapenas, A.A.

    1978-01-01

    The possibilities of applicaiton of insulating materials on the basis of glass cloths in electric windings for operation under neutron radiation of thermonuclear devices are studied. Changes in the specimen resistance, tangent of the angle of dielectric losses, electric strength according to the value of neutron fluence are determined. The temperature regimes are also studied. The data indicate the irreversible changes in the composition and structure of the polymer material under irradiation. The LSMI 228L-80 glass cloth has the highest radiation resistance. The necessity of forced cooling of large-sized specimens under the neutron radiation the IRT-200 reactor is established. The presence of impurities leading to the long-term induced activity of the insulating materials ( 59 Fe, 60 Co) is determined

  1. Workshop on technical assessment of industrial thermal insulation materials: summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, S.

    1976-07-01

    Over 80 participants representing 50 organizations met to discuss the report, Industrial Thermal Insulation--An Assessment, ORNL/TM-5283. Presentations on the performance of available materials, economic considerations, and measurement problems were followed by discussion. A final wrap-up session concluded that the report was valuable in pointing the direction for needed effort in the area, confirmed the indicated actions needed to further industrial application of insulation, and called for future meetings to continue the dialogue between the various facets of the industry

  2. High Temperature Electrical Insulation Materials for Space Applications, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA's future space science missions cannot be realized without the state of the art high temperature insulation materials of which higher working temperature, high...

  3. Protective capping of topological surface states of intrinsically insulating Bi2Te3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Hoefer

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We have identified epitaxially grown elemental Te as a capping material that is suited to protect the topological surface states of intrinsically insulating Bi2Te3. By using angle-resolved photoemission, we were able to show that the Te overlayer leaves the dispersive bands of the surface states intact and that it does not alter the chemical potential of the Bi2Te3 thin film. From in-situ four-point contact measurements, we observed that the conductivity of the capped film is still mainly determined by the metallic surface states and that the contribution of the capping layer is minor. Moreover, the Te overlayer can be annealed away in vacuum to produce a clean Bi2Te3 surface in its pristine state even after the exposure of the capped film to air. Our findings will facilitate well-defined and reliable ex-situ experiments on the properties of Bi2Te3 surface states with nontrivial topology.

  4. Teaching Acoustic Properties of Materials in Secondary School: Testing Sound Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez, M. I.; Couso, D.; Pinto, R.

    2011-01-01

    Teaching the acoustic properties of materials is a good way to teach physics concepts, extending them into the technological arena related to materials science. This article describes an innovative approach for teaching sound and acoustics in combination with sound insulating materials in secondary school (15-16-year-old students). Concerning the…

  5. Electrical breakdown studies with Mycalex insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waldron, W.; Greenway, W.; Eylon, S.; Henestroza, E.; Yu, S.

    2003-01-01

    Insulating materials such as alumina and glass-bonded mica (Mycalex) are used in accelerator systems for high voltage feedthroughs, structural supports, and barriers between high voltage insulating oil and the vacuum beam pipe in induction accelerator cells. Electric fields in the triple points should be minimized to prevent voltage breakdown. Mechanical stress can compromise seals and result in oil contamination of the insulator surface. We have tested various insulator cleaning procedures including ultrasonic cleaning with a variety of aqueous-based detergents, and manual scrubbing with various detergents. Water sheeting tests were used to determine the initial results of the cleaning methods. Ultimately, voltage breakdown tests will be used to quantify the benefits of these cleaning procedures

  6. On the improvement of mechanical properties of monolithic silica aerogels (for transparent insulating material); Silica aerogel (tomei dannetsu zairyo) kyodo no kaizen ni tsuite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tajiri, K; Igarashi, K; Tanemura, S [National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya, Nagoya (Japan)

    1997-11-25

    Study was made on improvement of the strength of silica aerogel as transparent insulating material. Silica aerogel is a low-density porous material with high heat insulation and transparency. To develop a insulating material with high transparency, monolithic silica aerogel was studied. For direct use of it for windows, its strength improvement was attempted. The aerogel was prepared by supercritical drying (alcohol or CO2) of silica wet gel obtained by hydrolysis and condensation of silicon alkoxide solution. To prepare the aerogel bonded on plate glass for strength improvement, the aerogel was bonded to alkoxide by exposing active silanol radical through F-etching of plate glass surface. However, to obtain the practical large-area bonded aerogel, shrinkage control of the aerogel in supercritical drying was necessary. Addition of Laponite into a silica network for strength improvement by polymer increased the bending strength by 50%. Although some reduction of its transparency was observed because of clouding, its heat insulation was stable. Further strength improvement is necessary for its practical use. 5 figs., 1 tab.

  7. Self-Healing Wire Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrish, Clyde F. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    A self-healing system for an insulation material initiates a self-repair process by rupturing a plurality of microcapsules disposed on the insulation material. When the plurality of microcapsules are ruptured, reactants within the plurality of microcapsules react to form a replacement polymer in a break of the insulation material. This self-healing system has the ability to repair multiple breaks in a length of insulation material without exhausting the repair properties of the material.

  8. Surface modification by metal ion implantation forming metallic nanoparticles in an insulating matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salvadori, M.C.; Teixeira, F.S.; Sgubin, L.G.; Cattani, M.; Brown, I.G.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Metal nanoparticles can be produced through metallic ion implantation in insulating substrate, where the implanted metal self-assembles into nanoparticles. • The nanoparticles nucleate near the maximum of the implantation depth profile, that can be estimated by computer simulation using the TRIDYN. • Nanocomposites, obtained by this way, can be produced in different insulator materials. More specifically we have studied Au/PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), Pt/PMMA, Ti/alumina and Au/alumina systems. • The nanocomposites were characterized by measuring the resistivity of the composite layer as function of the dose implanted, reaching the percolation threshold. • Excellent agreement was found between the experimental results and the predictions of the theory. - Abstract: There is special interest in the incorporation of metallic nanoparticles in a surrounding dielectric matrix for obtaining composites with desirable characteristics such as for surface plasmon resonance, which can be used in photonics and sensing, and controlled surface electrical conductivity. We have investigated nanocomposites produced by metal ion implantation into insulating substrates, where the implanted metal self-assembles into nanoparticles. The nanoparticles nucleate near the maximum of the implantation depth profile (projected range), which can be estimated by computer simulation using the TRIDYN code. TRIDYN is a Monte Carlo simulation program based on the TRIM (Transport and Range of Ions in Matter) code that takes into account compositional changes in the substrate due to two factors: previously implanted dopant atoms, and sputtering of the substrate surface. Our study show that the nanoparticles form a bidimentional array buried a few nanometers below the substrate surface. We have studied Au/PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), Pt/PMMA, Ti/alumina and Au/alumina systems. Transmission electron microscopy of the implanted samples show that metallic nanoparticles form in

  9. Moisture buffer capacity of different insulation materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele; Rode, Carsten; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2004-01-01

    . In the isothermal tests the material samples were exposed to the same change in the relative humidity of the ambient air on both sides, while the samples were exposed to variations in relative humidity only on the cold side in the non-isothermal tests. The results of these rather different measurement principles...... lead to more durable constructions. In this paper, a large range of very different thermal insulation materials have been tested in specially constructed laboratory facilities to determine their moisture buffer capacity. Both isothermal and nonisothermal experimental set-ups have been used...... are discussed, and different ways are presented how to determine the moisture buffer capacity of the materials using partly standard material parameters and partly parameters determined from the actual measurements. The results so far show that the determination of moisture buffer capacity is very sensitive...

  10. Comparative experimental and numerical studies of usual insulation materials and PCMs in buildings at Casablanca

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mourid, Amina; El Alami, Mustapha

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, we present a comparative thermal study of the usual insulation materials used in the building as well as the innovate one like phase change materials (PCMs). Both experimental study and numerical approach were applied in this work for summer season. In the experimental study the PCM was installed on the outer surface on the ceiling of one of two full-scale rooms located at FSAC, Casablanca. A simulation model was performed with TRNSYS’17 software. We have established as a criterion of comparison the internal temperatures. An economic study also has been carried out. Based on this latter, that the PCM is most efficient.

  11. Cooperative effect of radiation and vapor environments on the deterioration of insulator materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusama, Yasuo; Okada, Sohei; Yagi, Toshiaki; Ito, Masayuki; Yoshida, Kenzo; Tamura, Naoyuki

    1985-01-01

    Experimental results and speculations are described on the cooperative effect of radiation and vapor environments for the deterioration of insulator cable cladding materials such as polyethylene chlorosulphonate, ethylene propylene rubber, cross-linked polyethylene, chloroprene and silicone rubber, by the separate, simultaneous or subsequent exposure of the above-mentioned two kinds of exposure factors. These experiment was carried out by considering main environmental factors in the LOCA (loss of coolant accident) conditions. Radiation experiment was made by employing 60 Co source of 9.7 kGy/h at a room-temperature air condition. Vapor environment exposure was conducted by the conditions of 120 to 160 deg C steam-saturated air conditions and others. With the experimental results described on the characteristics of the five kinds of the above-mentioned insulator materials in radiation and saturated vapor conditions, the following conclusions were obtained. Acceleration of deterioration by the cooperative action of radiation and saturated vapor was found for the examined materials except the cross-linked polyethylene. In the subsequent exposure of radiation and saturated vapor, deterioration behavior was dependent on insulator materials and component ratios of the insulator materials. For the cross-linked polyethylene, annealing effect by heat was found, and the effect was less significent in the simultaneous exposure. Restoration phenomenon was found in the cross-linked polyethylene even in the saturated vapor exposure stage of the subsequent exposure conditions of radiation exposure followed by saturated vapor. (Takagi, S.)

  12. Correlation among ESDD, NSDD and leakage current in distribution insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montoya, G.; Ramirez, I.; Montoya, J.I.

    2004-01-01

    The maintenance of distribution networks is more effective if the insulation contamination levels are known. The selection of measuring methods of pollution levels is then crucial. The relationship between several evaluation methods of pollution levels and the operating behaviour of several insulator profiles in a polluted zone is described. Laboratory tests were carried out to reproduce pollution levels found in the field. The quantity of non-soluble materials deposited over the insulators' surface affect the magnitude of the leakage current generated over a contaminated insulator. The relationship that defines leakage current with respect to the equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) level for a specific non-soluble material level is almost linear, from which it is possible to develop a relationship between them for each insulator. (author)

  13. Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Haijun; Liu, Chao-Xing; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Dai, Xi; Fang, Zhong; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

    2009-06-01

    Topological insulators are new states of quantum matter in which surface states residing in the bulk insulating gap of such systems are protected by time-reversal symmetry. The study of such states was originally inspired by the robustness to scattering of conducting edge states in quantum Hall systems. Recently, such analogies have resulted in the discovery of topologically protected states in two-dimensional and three-dimensional band insulators with large spin-orbit coupling. So far, the only known three-dimensional topological insulator is BixSb1-x, which is an alloy with complex surface states. Here, we present the results of first-principles electronic structure calculations of the layered, stoichiometric crystals Sb2Te3, Sb2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3. Our calculations predict that Sb2Te3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are topological insulators, whereas Sb2Se3 is not. These topological insulators have robust and simple surface states consisting of a single Dirac cone at the Γ point. In addition, we predict that Bi2Se3 has a topologically non-trivial energy gap of 0.3eV, which is larger than the energy scale of room temperature. We further present a simple and unified continuum model that captures the salient topological features of this class of materials.

  14. Superconductivity and ferromagnetism in topological insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Duming

    Topological insulators, a new state of matter discovered recently, have attracted great interest due to their novel properties. They are insulating inside the bulk, but conducting at the surface or edges. This peculiar behavior is characterized by an insulating bulk energy gap and gapless surface or edge states, which originate from strong spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry. The spin and momentum locked surface states not only provide a model system to study fundamental physics, but can also lead to applications in spintronics and dissipationless electronics. While topological insulators are interesting by themselves, more exotic behaviors are predicted when an energy gap is induced at the surface. This dissertation explores two types of surface state gap in topological insulators, a superconducting gap induced by proximity effect and a magnetic gap induced by chemical doping. The first three chapters provide introductory theory and experimental details of my research. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the theoretical background of topological insulators. Chapter 2 is dedicated to material synthesis principles and techniques. I will focus on two major synthesis methods: molecular beam epitaxy for the growth of Bi2Se3 thin films and chemical vapor deposition for the growth of Bi2Se3 nanoribbons and nanowires. Material characterization is discussed in Chapter 3. I will describe structural, morphological, magnetic, electrical, and electronic characterization techniques used to study topological insulators. Chapter 4 discusses the experiments on proximity-induced superconductivity in topological insulator (Bi2Se3) nanoribbons. This work is motivated by the search for the elusive Majorana fermions, which act as their own antiparticles. They were proposed by Ettore Majorara in 1937, but have remained undiscovered. Recently, Majorana's concept has been revived in condensed matter physics: a condensed matter analog of Majorana fermions is predicted to

  15. Innovative Retrofit Insulation Strategies for Concrete Masonry Foundations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huelman, P. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; Goldberg, L. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership; Jacobson, R. [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership

    2015-05-06

    This study was designed to test a new approach for foundation insulation retrofits, with the goal of demonstrating improved moisture control, improved occupant comfort, and reduced heat loss. Because conducting experimental research on existing below-grade assemblies is very difficult, most of the results are based on simulations. The retrofit approach consists of filling open concrete block cores with an insulating material and adding R-10 exterior insulation that extends 1 ft below grade. The core fill is designed to improve the R-value of the foundation wall and increase the interior wall surface temperature, but more importantly to block convection currents that could otherwise increase moisture loads on the foundation wall and interior space. The exterior insulation significantly reduces heat loss through the most exposed part of the foundation and further increases the interior wall surface temperature. This improves occupant comfort and decreases the risk of condensation. Such an insulation package avoids the full-depth excavation necessary for exterior insulation retrofits, reduces costs, and eliminates the moisture and indoor air quality risks associated with interior insulation retrofits. Retrofit costs for the proposed approach were estimated at roughly half those of a full-depth exterior insulation retrofit.

  16. Quantum reflection of fast atoms from insulator surfaces: Eikonal description

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gravielle, M S; Miraglia, J E, E-mail: msilvia@iafe.uba.a, E-mail: miraglia@iafe.uba.a [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, CONICET, Casilla de Correo 67, Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Dpto. de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2009-11-01

    Interference effects recently observed in grazing scattering of swift atoms from insulator surfaces are studied within a distorted-wave method - the surface eikonal approximation. This approach makes use of the eikonal wave function, involving axial channeled trajectories. The theory is applied to helium atoms colliding with a LiF(001) surface along low-index crystallographic directions. The roles played by the projectile polarization and the surface rumpling are investigated, finding that both effects are important for the description of the experimental projectile distributions.

  17. Transport and screen blockage characteristics of reflective metallic insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brocard, D.N.

    1984-01-01

    In the event of a LOCA within a nuclear power plant, it is possible for insulation debris to be generated by the break jet. Such debris has the potential for PWR sump screen (or BWR RHR suction inlet) blockage and thus can affect the long-term recirculation capability. In addition to the variables of break jet location and orientation, the types and quantities of debris which could be generated are dependent on the insulation materials employed. This experimental investigation was limited to reflective metallic insulation and components thereof. The study was aimed at determining the flow velocities needed to transport the insulation debris to the sump screens and the resulting modes of screen blockage. The tests revealed that thin metallic foils (0.0025 in. and 0.004 in.) could transport at low flow velocities, 0.2 to 0.5 ft/sec. Thicker foils (0.008 in.) transported at higher velocities, 0.4 to 0.8 ft/sec, and as fabricated half cylinder insulation units required velocities in excess of 1.0 ft/sec for transport. The tests also provided information on screen blockage patterns that showed blockage could occur at the lower portion of the screen as foils readily flipped on the screen when reaching it

  18. Electron emission from insulator surfaces by ultra-short laser pulses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Acuna, M; Gravielle, M S, E-mail: mario@iafe.uba.a, E-mail: msilvia@iafe.uba.a [Institutes de AstronomIa y Fisica del Espacio, Casilla de Correo 67, Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2009-11-01

    Photoelectron emission from insulator surfaces induced by ultra-short laser pulses is studied within a time-dependent distorted wave method. The proposed approach combines the Volkov phase, which takes into account the laser interaction, with a simple representation of the unperturbed surface states, given by the Tight-binding method. The model is applied to evaluate the photoelectron emission from a LiF(001) surface, finding effects of interference produced by the crystal lattice.

  19. 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.

  20. The substrate strain mediated magnetotransport properties of surface states in topological insulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Ning, E-mail: maning@stu.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Zhang, Shengli, E-mail: zhangsl@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Liu, Daqing, E-mail: liudq@cczu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Physics, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China)

    2016-10-14

    Recent experiments reveal that the strained bulk HgTe can be regarded as a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI). We further explore the strain effects on magnetotransport in HgTe at magnetic field. We find that the substrate strain associated with the surface index of carriers, can remove the surfaces degeneracy in Landau levels. This accordingly induces the well separated surface quantum Hall plateaus and Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. These results can be used to generate and detect surface polarization, not only in HgTe but also in a broad class of TIs, which would be very great news for electronic applications of TIs. - Highlights: • We explore the strain mediated magnetotransport in topological insulators. • We analytically derive the zero frequency magnetoconductivity. • The strain removes the surface degeneracy in Landau levels. • The strain gives rise to the splitting and mixture of Landau levels. • The strain leads to the surface asymmetric spectrum of conductivity.

  1. Cellulose Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    Fire retardant cellulose insulation is produced by shredding old newspapers and treating them with a combination of chemicals. Insulating material is blown into walls and attics to form a fiber layer which blocks the flow of air. All-Weather Insulation's founders asked NASA/UK-TAP to help. They wanted to know what chemicals added to newspaper would produce an insulating material capable of meeting federal specifications. TAP researched the query and furnished extensive information. The information contributed to successful development of the product and helped launch a small business enterprise which is now growing rapidly.

  2. 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)

  3. Water absorption and desorption in shuttle ablator and insulation materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitaker, A. F.; Smith, C. F.; Wooden, V. A.; Cothren, B. E.; Gregory, H.

    1982-01-01

    Shuttle systems ablator and insulation materials underwent water soak with subsequent water desorption in vacuum. Water accumulation in these materials after a soak for 24 hours ranged from +1.1% for orbiter tile to +161% for solid rocket booster MSA-1. After 1 minute in vacuum, water retention ranged from none in the orbiter tile to +70% for solid rocket booster cork.

  4. Electrical and proximity-magnetic effects induced quantum Goos–Hänchen shift on the surface of topological insulator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuai, Jian [School of Physics and Electronics, Yancheng Teachers College, Yancheng, 224002 Jiangsu (China); Da, H.X., E-mail: haixia8779@163.com [Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117576 (Singapore)

    2014-03-15

    We use scattering matrix method to theoretically demonstrate that the quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulator coated by ferromagnetic strips is sensitive to the magnitude of ferromagnetic magnetization. The dependence of quantum Goos–Hänchen shift on magnetization and gate bias is investigated by performing station phase approach. It is found that quantum Goos–Hänchen shift is positive and large under the magnetic barrier but may be positive as well as negative values under the gate bias. Furthermore, the position of quantum Goos–Hänchen peak can also be modulated by the combination of gate bias and proximity magnetic effects. Our results indicate that topological insulators are another candidates to support quantum Goos–Hänchen shift. - Highlights: • Quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators is first investigated. • The magnetization affects quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators. • Quantum Goos–Hänchen shift of the surface on three-dimensional topological insulators can be manipulated by the gate voltages.

  5. A comparison of atom and ion induced SSIMS - evidence for a charge induced damage effect in insulator materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, A.; Berg, J.A. van den; Vickerman, J.C.

    1985-01-01

    A static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) study of two very low conductivity materials, polystyrene and niobium pentoxide, using on the one hand a primary ion beam with electron neutralisation, and on the other, atom bombardment, shows that whilst the initial spectra obtained were quite similar, subsequent damage effects were much greater under ion impact conditions. For an equivalent flux density the half-life of the polystyrene surface structure was four times longer under atom bombardment. Significant reduction of the niobium surface was observed under ion bombardment whereas an equivalent atom flux had little apparent effect on the surface oxidation state. These data suggest that the requirement to dissipate the charge delivered to the sample by the primary ion beam contributes significantly to the damage mechanisms in electrically insulating materials. (author)

  6. A highly efficient surface plasmon polaritons excitation achieved with a metal-coupled metal-insulator-metal waveguide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongyan Yang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We propose a novel metal-coupled metal-insulator-metal (MC-MIM waveguide which can achieve a highly efficient surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs excitation. The MC-MIM waveguide is formed by inserting a thin metal film in the insulator of an MIM. The introduction of the metal film, functioning as an SPPs coupler, provides a space for the interaction between SPPs and a confined electromagnetic field of the intermediate metal surface, which makes energy change and phase transfer in the metal-dielectric interface, due to the joint action of incomplete electrostatic shielding effect and SPPs coupling. Impacts of the metal film with different materials and various thickness on SPPs excitation are investigated. It is shown that the highest efficient SPPs excitation is obtained when the gold film thickness is 60 nm. The effect of refractive index of upper and lower symmetric dielectric layer on SPPs excitation is also discussed. The result shows that the decay value of refractive index is 0.3. Our results indicate that this proposed MC-MIM waveguide may offer great potential in designing a new SPPs source.

  7. 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.

  8. Evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties of insulation materials for HTS power devices at liquid nitrogen temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Hyung Seop; Diaz, Mark Angelo [Dept. of Mechanical Design Engineering, Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    In superconducting power devices including power cables in which high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes are utilized, a reliable electrical insulation should be achieved for its maximum performance. For an efficient design of HTS superconducting devices, a comparative evaluation of the mechanical and thermal propperties for various insulation materials at cryogenic temperatures is required. Especially, in the process of the property evaluation of the sheet-shaped insulation materials, anisotropy according to the machining direction should be considered because the mechanical and thermal properties are significantly influenced by the sample orientation. In this study, the cryogenic thermal and mechanical properties of various insulation material sheets such as PPLP, Cryoflex, Teflon, and Kapton were determined considering sample orientation. All samples tested at cryogenic temperature showed significantly higher tensile strength as compared with that of room temperature. The ultimate tensile strength at both temperature conditions significantly depended upon the sample orientation. The thermal properties of the insulation materials exhibited a slight difference among samples depending on the orientation: for the PPLP and Cryoflex, the CD orientation showed larger thermal contraction up to 77 K as compared to the MD one. MD samples in PPLP and Cryoflex showed a lower CTE and thermal contraction which made it more promising as an insulation material due to its comparable CTE with HTS CC tapes.

  9. Opportunities in chemistry and materials science for topological insulators and their nanostructures

    KAUST Repository

    Kong, Desheng

    2011-10-24

    Electrical charges on the boundaries of topological insulators favour forward motion over back-scattering at impurities, producing low-dissipation, metallic states that exist up to room temperature in ambient conditions. These states have the promise to impact a broad range of applications from electronics to the production of energy, which is one reason why topological insulators have become the rising star in condensed-matter physics. There are many challenges in the processing of these exotic materials to use the metallic states in functional devices, and they present great opportunities for the chemistry and materials science research communities. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  10. Layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride for surface passivation in quantum dot solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shanmugam, Mariyappan; Jain, Nikhil; Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin; Yu, Bin; Xu, Yang

    2013-01-01

    Single crystalline, two dimensional (2D) layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), is demonstrated as an emerging material candidate for surface passivation on mesoporous TiO 2 . Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dot based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell employed h-BN passivated TiO 2 as an electron acceptor exhibits photoconversion efficiency ∼46% more than BHJ employed unpassivated TiO 2 . Dominant interfacial recombination pathways such as electron capture by TiO 2 surface states and recombination with hole at valence band of CdSe are efficiently controlled by h-BN enabled surface passivation, leading to improved photovoltaic performance. Highly crystalline, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, dangling bond-free 2D layered h-BN with self-terminated atomic planes, achieved by chemical exfoliation, enables efficient passivation on TiO 2 , allowing electronic transport at TiO 2 /h-BN/CdSe interface with much lower recombination rate compared to an unpassivated TiO 2 /CdSe interface

  11. Quantum magnetotransport for the surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators in the presence of a Zeeman field

    KAUST Repository

    Tahir, Muhammad; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2013-01-01

    We show that the surface states of magnetic topological insulators realize an activated behavior and Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. Applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the topological insulator in the presence

  12. Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre, José D.; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D.; Durão, Vera

    2016-01-01

    Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards. PMID:28773516

  13. Insulation Cork Boards-Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre, José D; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D; Durão, Vera

    2016-05-20

    Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A "cradle-to-cradle" environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows ( i.e. , uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage-the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation-the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date "cradle-to-cradle" environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

  14. Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José D. Silvestre

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions, including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

  15. Quantum oscillations in insulators with neutral Fermi surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sodemann, Inti; Chowdhury, Debanjan; Senthil, T.

    2018-02-01

    We develop a theory of quantum oscillations in insulators with an emergent Fermi sea of neutral fermions minimally coupled to an emergent U(1 ) gauge field. As pointed out by Motrunich [Phys. Rev. B 73, 155115 (2006), 10.1103/PhysRevB.73.155115], in the presence of a physical magnetic field the emergent magnetic field develops a nonzero value leading to Landau quantization for the neutral fermions. We focus on the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the analog of the de Haas-van Alphen effect in two and three dimensions. At temperatures above the effective cyclotron energy, the magnetization oscillations behave similarly to those of an ordinary metal, albeit in a field of a strength that differs from the physical magnetic field. At low temperatures, the oscillations evolve into a series of phase transitions. We provide analytical expressions for the amplitude and period of the oscillations in both of these regimes and simple extrapolations that capture well their crossover. We also describe oscillations in the electrical resistivity of these systems that are expected to be superimposed with the activated temperature behavior characteristic of their insulating nature and discuss suitable experimental conditions for the observation of these effects in mixed-valence insulators and triangular lattice organic materials.

  16. Electrospinning onto Insulating Substrates by Controlling Surface Wettability and Humidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, WooSeok; Kim, Geon Hwee; Shin, Jung Hwal; Lim, Geunbae; An, Taechang

    2017-11-01

    We report a simple method for electrospinning polymers onto flexible, insulating substrates by controlling the wettability of the substrate surface. Water molecules were adsorbed onto the surface of a hydrophilic polymer substrate by increasing the local humidity around the substrate. The adsorbed water was used as the ground electrode for electrospinning. The electrospun fibers were deposited only onto hydrophilic areas of the substrate, allowing for patterning through wettability control. Direct writing of polymer fiber was also possible through near-field electrospinning onto a hydrophilic surface.

  17. Thermal insulation. Non-utilized energy need not be generated. Four rules for a successful thermal insulation by means of building insulation; Waermedaemmung. Energie, die nicht gebraucht wird, muss man nicht erzeugen. Vier Regeln fuer erfolgreichen Waermeschutz durch Gebaeudedaemmung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patschke, Markus [3E-Consult, Nordkirchen (Germany); Drewer, Arnold [IpeG-Institut, Paderborn (Germany)

    2011-07-15

    The heat supply of buildings causes nearly one third of the energy consumption of an industrialized country. In 2006, the climate-adjusted heat consumption of private households in Germany amounted nearly 600 billion kWh. This consumption caused more than 167 million tons of CO{sub 2}. Heat insulation measures in buildings are required for all heat-transferring enveloping surface. Under this aspect, the contribution under consideration reports on four fundamental rules for a cost-efficient building insulation: (a) Only heated rooms should be insulated thermally; (b) Location and thermal insulation of cavities; (c) Selection of a suitable insulating material; (d) Consideration of an economic sustainability.

  18. Surface and bulk MHD instabilities due to insulator coating imperfections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Zengyu; Reed, C.B.; Pan Chuanjie

    2002-01-01

    Experiments were performed using copper electrodes inserted into the wall of a perfectly insulated duct to simulate insulator coating flaking or cracking. The results show that surface electric potential U and MHD pressure drop ΔP exhibit a non-monotonic behavior with increasing V 0 , while the magnetic field B 0 is held constant. Additional experiments were also performed keeping all external experimental conditions fixed while measuring the change of U, V 0 , B 0 , and ΔP with increasing time. It was found that while all external experimental conditions were kept constant, the system changed by itself and U, V 0 and ΔP exhibited a non-monotonic behavior with increasing time. The results seem contrary to the law of ΔP∝V 0 B 0 n , but are consistent with conservation of energy, which implies that the change is due to some inherent feature of the system, or possibly instabilities, which may occur due to insulator coating imperfections

  19. Surfaces and slabs of fractional topological insulator heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Sharmistha; Sirota, Alexander; Cho, Gil Young; Teo, Jeffrey C. Y.

    2017-10-01

    Fractional topological insulators (FTIs) are electronic topological phases in (3 +1 ) dimensions enriched by time reversal (TR) and charge U (1 ) conservation symmetries. We focus on the simplest series of fermionic FTIs, whose bulk quasiparticles consist of deconfined partons that carry fractional electric charges in integral units of e*=e /(2 n +1 ) and couple to a discrete Z2 n +1 gauge theory. We propose massive symmetry preserving or breaking FTI surface states. Combining the long-ranged entangled bulk with these topological surface states, we deduce the novel topological order of quasi-(2 +1 ) -dimensional FTI slabs as well as their corresponding edge conformal field theories.

  20. Surface Thermal Insulation and Pipe Cooling of Spillways during Concrete Construction Period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Zhenhong

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Given that spillways adopt a hydraulic thin concrete plate structure, this structure is difficult to protect from cracks. The mechanism of the cracks in spillways shows that temperature stress is the major reason for cracks. Therefore, an effective way of preventing cracks is a timely and reasonable temperature-control program. Studies show that one effective prevention method is surface thermal insulation combined with internal pipe cooling. The major factors influencing temperature control effects are the time of performing thermal insulation and the ways of internal pipe cooling. To solve this problem, a spillway is taken as an example and a three-dimensional finite element program and pipe cooling calculation method are adopted to conduct simulation calculation and analysis on the temperature fields and stress fields of concretes subject to different temperature-control programs. The temperature-control effects are then compared. Optimization results show that timely and reasonable surface thermal insulation and water-flowing mode can ensure good temperature-control and anticrack effects. The method has reference value for similar projects.

  1. Effect on the insulation material of a MOSFET device submitted to a standard diagnostic radiation beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Magalhaes, C M S; Dos Santos, L A P; Souza, D do N; Maia, A F

    2010-01-01

    MOSFET electronic devices have been used for dosimetry in radiology and radiotherapy. Several communications show that due to the radiation exposure defects appear on the semiconductor crystal lattice. Actually, the structure of a MOSFET consists of three materials: a semiconductor, a metal and an insulator between them. The MOSFET is a quadripolar device with a common terminal: gate-source is the input; drain-source is the output. The gate controls the electrical current passing through semiconductor medium by the field effect because the silicon oxide acts as insulating material. The proposal of this work is to show some radiation effects on the insulator of a MOSFET device. A 6430 Keithley sub-femtoamp SourceMeter was used to verify how the insulating material layer in the structure of the device varies with the radiation exposure. We have used the IEC 61267 standard radiation X-ray beams generated from a Pantak industrial unit in the radiation energy range of computed tomography. This range was chosen because we are using the MOSFET device as radiation detector for dosimetry in computed tomography. The results showed that the behaviour of the electrical current of the device is different in the insulator and semiconductor structures.

  2. Insulated Wire Fed Floating Monopole Antenna for Coastal Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. M. Loni

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A thin, flexible, insulated wire submerged in seawater forms a coaxial cable which has attenuation at ultra-high frequency (UHF dependent on the operating frequency, the diameter of the insulating material and the diameter of the inner conductor. An extension of the insulated wire above the surface through a spherical float forms a monopole antenna. Attenuation through the wire depends on the conductivity and temperature of seawater. This paper reports the effect of electromagnetic (EM wave propagation at 433 MHz through insulated wires with different radii of the insulating material and inner conductor. The attenuation was calculated and measured in the range of 32-47 dB/m. The propagation from the monopole antenna to a fixed shore based receiver was measured to be approximately equal to 1 dB/m. The propagation measurements were compared with a shielded coaxial cable. Results show that the propagation range depends on the ratio of the insulation radius to conductor radius for insulated wire, however, a shielded coaxial cable showed no significant attenuation. The technique has applications in coastal wireless sensor networks where the water depth changes continually due to tide and wave motion.

  3. Transport of Dirac fermions on the surface of strong topological insulator and graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kundu, Arijit

    2012-06-14

    In this dissertation I study electronic transport through Dirac Fermions on the surface of strong topological insulator and graphene. I start by reviewing the physics of topological insulator and graphene and the low energy effective theory for the electronic states of the surface of a 3D strong topological insulator and graphene. Using this theory the electronic structure of the surface states of strong topological insulators of geometries with large surface to bulk ratio like nanowire and thin film are obtained. Then the energy spectrum and the spin-parity structure of the eigenstates for a finite size topological insulator quantum dot of the shape of a nanotube are considered. Numerical calculations show that even at the lowest energy scales, the ''spin-surface locking'' is broken, that is, the spin direction in a topologically protected surface mode is not locked to the surface. The calculations also show the existence of ''zero-momentum'' modes, and sub-gap states localized near the ''caps'' of the dot. Both the energy spectrum and the spin texture of the eigenstates are basically reproduced from an analytical surface Dirac fermion description. The results are compared to microscopic calculations using a tight-binding model for a strong topological insulator in a finite-length nanowire geometry, which shows qualitative similarity. Then, a theoretical study of electron-phonon scattering effects in thin films made of a strong topological insulator is presented. Phonons are modeled by isotropic elastic continuum theory with stress-free boundary conditions, and the interaction with the helical surface Dirac fermions is mediated by the deformation potential. The temperature-dependent electrical resistivity ρ(T) and the quasi-particle decay rate Γ(T) observable in photo-emission are computed numerically. The low and high-temperature power laws for both quantities are obtained analytically. Detailed

  4. A Difference in Using Atomic Layer Deposition or Physical Vapour Deposition TiN as Electrode Material in Metal-Insulator-Metal and Metal-Insulator-Silicon Capacitors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenland, A.W.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Schmitz, Jurriaan

    2011-01-01

    In this work, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) and metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors are studied using titanium nitride (TiN) as the electrode material. The effect of structural defects on the electrical properties on MIS and MIM capacitors is studied for various electrode configurations. In the

  5. Topological Insulator Nanowires and Nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Kong, Desheng

    2010-01-13

    Recent theoretical calculations and photoemission spectroscopy measurements on the bulk Bi2Se3 material show that it is a three-dimensional topological insulator possessing conductive surface states with nondegenerate spins, attractive for dissipationless electronics and spintronics applications. Nanoscale topological insulator materials have a large surface-to-volume ratio that can manifest the conductive surface states and are promising candidates for devices. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of high quality single crystalline Bi2Se5 nanomaterials with a variety of morphologies. The synthesis of Bi 2Se5 nanowires and nanoribbons employs Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Nanowires, which exhibit rough surfaces, are formed by stacking nanoplatelets along the axial direction of the wires. Nanoribbons are grown along [1120] direction with a rectangular cross-section and have diverse morphologies, including quasi-one-dimensional, sheetlike, zigzag and sawtooth shapes. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on nanoribbons show atomically smooth surfaces with ∼ 1 nm step edges, indicating single Se-Bi-Se-Bi-Se quintuple layers. STM measurements reveal a honeycomb atomic lattice, suggesting that the STM tip couples not only to the top Se atomic layer, but also to the Bi atomic layer underneath, which opens up the possibility to investigate the contribution of different atomic orbitais to the topological surface states. Transport measurements of a single nanoribbon device (four terminal resistance and Hall resistance) show great promise for nanoribbons as candidates to study topological surface states. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  6. Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

    KAUST Repository

    Ndiaye, Papa Birame

    2017-07-07

    We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

  7. Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndiaye, Papa B.; Akosa, C. A.; Fischer, M. H.; Vaezi, A.; Kim, E.-A.; Manchon, A.

    2017-07-01

    We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

  8. Dirac spin-orbit torques and charge pumping at the surface of topological insulators

    KAUST Repository

    Ndiaye, Papa Birame; Akosa, Collins Ashu; Fischer, M. H.; Vaezi, A.; Kim, E.-A.; Manchon, Aurelien

    2017-01-01

    We address the nature of spin-orbit torques at the magnetic surfaces of topological insulators using the linear-response theory. We find that the so-called Dirac torques in such systems possess a different symmetry compared to their Rashba counterpart, as well as a high anisotropy as a function of the magnetization direction. In particular, the damping torque vanishes when the magnetization lies in the plane of the topological-insulator surface. We also show that the Onsager reciprocal of the spin-orbit torque, the charge pumping, induces an enhanced anisotropic damping. Via a macrospin model, we numerically demonstrate that these features have important consequences in terms of magnetization switching.

  9. Novel Application of Glass Fibers Recovered From Waste Printed Circuit Boards as Sound and Thermal Insulation Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhixing; Shen, Zhigang; Ma, Shulin; Zhang, Xiaojing

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using glass fibers, a recycled material from waste printed circuit boards (WPCB), as sound absorption and thermal insulation material. Glass fibers were obtained through a fluidized-bed recycling process. Acoustic properties of the recovered glass fibers (RGF) were measured and compared with some commercial sound absorbing materials, such as expanded perlite (EP), expanded vermiculite (EV), and commercial glass fiber. Results show that RGF have good sound absorption ability over the whole tested frequency range (100-6400 Hz). The average sound absorption coefficient of RGF is 0.86, which is prior to those of EP (0.81) and EV (0.73). Noise reduction coefficient analysis indicates that the absorption ability of RGF can meet the requirement of II rating for sound absorbing material according to national standard. The thermal insulation results show that RGF has a fair low thermal conductivity (0.046 W/m K), which is comparable to those of some insulation materials (i.e., EV, EP, and rock wool). Besides, an empirical dependence of thermal conductivity on material temperature was determined for RGF. All the results showed that the reuse of RGF for sound and thermal insulation material provided a promising way for recycling WPCB and obtaining high beneficial products.

  10. Mass loss and flammability of insulation materials used in sandwich panels during the pre-flashover phase of fire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Giunta d'Albani, A.W.; de Kluiver, L.L.; de Korte, A.C.J.; van Herpen, R.; Weewer, R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, buildings contain more and more synthetic insulation materials in order to meet the increasing energy-performance demands. These synthetic insulation materials have a different response to fire. In this study, the mass loss and flammability limits of different sandwich panels and their

  11. On the nano-hillock formation induced by slow highly charged ions on insulator surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemell, C.; El-Said, A. S.; Meissl, W.; Gebeshuber, I. C.; Trautmann, C.; Toulemonde, M.; Burgdörfer, J.; Aumayr, F.

    2007-10-01

    We discuss the creation of nano-sized protrusions on insulating surfaces using slow highly charged ions. This method holds the promise of forming regular structures on surfaces without inducing defects in deeper lying crystal layers. We find that only projectiles with a potential energy above a critical value are able to create hillocks. Below this threshold no surface modification is observed. This is similar to the track and hillock formation induced by swift (˜GeV) heavy ions. We present a model for the conversion of potential energy stored in the projectiles into target-lattice excitations (heat) and discuss the possibility to create ordered structures using the guiding effect observed in insulating conical structures.

  12. Safeguarding of emergency core cooling in case of loss-of-coolant accidents with insulation material release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pointner, W.; Broecker, A.

    2012-01-01

    The report on safeguarding of emergency core cooling in case of loss-of-coolant accidents with insulation material release covers the following issues: assessment of the relevant status for PWR, evaluation of the national and international (USA, Canada, France) status, actualization of recommendations, transferability from PWR to BWR. Generic studies on the core cooling capability in case of insulation material release in BWR-type reactors were evaluated.

  13. Samarium Hexaboride: The First True 3D Topological Insulator?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolgast, Steven G.

    The recent theoretical prediction of a topologically protected surface state in the mixed-valent insulator SmB6 has motivated a series of charge transport studies, which are presented here. It is first studied using a specialized configuration designed to distinguish bulk-dominated conduction from surface-dominated conduction. As the material is cooled below 4 K, it exhibits a crossover from thermally activated bulk transport to metallic surface conduction with a fully insulating bulk. The robustness and magnitude of the surface conductivity, as is manifest in the literature of SmB6, is strong evidence for the topological insulator (TI) metallic surface states predicted for this material. This resolves a decades-old puzzle surrounding the low-temperature behavior of SmB6. Next, the magnetotransport properties of the surface are investigated using a Corbino disk geometry, which can directly measure the conductivity of individual surfaces. Both (011) and (001) crystal surfaces show a strong negative magnetoresistance at all magnetic field angles, due primarily to changes in the carrier density. The low mobility value accounts for the failure so far to observe Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations below 95 T. Small variations in the mobility and temperature dependence suggest a suppression of Kondo scattering from native oxide-layer magnetic moments. At low fields, a dynamical field-sweep-rate-dependent hysteretic behavior is observed. It persists at the slowest sweep rates, and cannot be explained by quantum interference corrections; it is likely due to extrinsic effects such as the magnetocaloric effect or glassy ordering of the native oxide moments. Pulsed magnetic field measurements up to 60 T at temperatures throughout the crossover regime clearly distinguish the surface magnetoresistance from the bulk magnetoresistance. The bulk magnetoresistance is due to a reduction in the bulk gap with increasing magnetic field. Finally, small subsurface cracks formed in SmB6 via

  14. Anomalous Quasiparticle Symmetries and Non-Abelian Defects on Symmetrically Gapped Surfaces of Weak Topological Insulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mross, David F; Essin, Andrew; Alicea, Jason; Stern, Ady

    2016-01-22

    We show that boundaries of 3D weak topological insulators can become gapped by strong interactions while preserving all symmetries, leading to Abelian surface topological order. The anomalous nature of weak topological insulator surfaces manifests itself in a nontrivial action of symmetries on the quasiparticles; most strikingly, translations change the anyon types in a manner impossible in strictly 2D systems with the same symmetry. As a further consequence, screw dislocations form non-Abelian defects that trap Z_{4} parafermion zero modes.

  15. Setting of loose-fill insulation materials in walls; Saetningsfri indblaesning af loesfyldsisolering i vaegge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rasmussen, T.V.

    2001-07-01

    The report describes material behaviour, which significantly influences the settling of loose-fill insulation materials. The specific application presented here is loose-fill insulation material injected in walls as thermal insulation. The physical formulation of the issue to be discussed is that the mass is kept in position in the cavity by frictional forces, which counteracts the settling but complicates injection. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a possibility that decreased friction will be able to release settling. Cellulose loose-fill material injected in a 0.1 m thick and 1 m wide gypsum wall with a minimum density of 48 kg/m3 was found not to settle if kept at a constant relative humidity, RH 50 %. A minimum density of 53 kg/m3 is necessary if the thickness of the wall is increased from 0.1 m to 0.3 m. If changing the constant environment from RH 50 % to RH 80 % a minimum density of 63 kg/m3 is necessary. Furthermore, results so far show that cellulose loose-fill material spread on the attic floor will have a density after settling of 48 kg /M3 for a constant RH 50 %, corresponding to 43 kg/m3 dry material. The results were found by using a model and tests. (au)

  16. 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.

  17. INSUL, Calculation of Thermal Insulation of Various Materials Immersed in He

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinkead, A.N.; Pitchford, B.E.

    1977-01-01

    1 - Nature of the physical problem solved: Performance of thermal insulation immersed in helium. 2 - Method of solution: Mineral fibre, metal fibre and metallic multi-layer foils are studied. An approximate analysis for performance evaluation of multi-layer insulation in vertical gas spaces including the regime between fully suppressed natural convection and that for which an accepted power relationship applies is included

  18. Polyester Apparel Cutting Waste as Insulation Material

    OpenAIRE

    Trajković, Dušan; Jordeva, Sonja; Tomovska, Elena; Zafirova, Koleta

    2017-01-01

    Polyester waste is the dominant component of the clothing industry waste stream, yet its recycling in this industry is rarely addressed. This paper proposes using polyester cutting waste as an insulation blanket for roofing and buildings’ internal walls in order to reduce environmental pollution. The designed textile structures used waste cuttings from different polyester fabrics without opening the fabric to fibre. Thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, fire resistance and biodegradation o...

  19. Compilation of radiation damage test data cable insulating materials

    CERN Document Server

    Schönbacher, H; CERN. Geneva

    1979-01-01

    This report summarizes radiation damage test data on commercially available organic cable insulation and jacket materials: ethylene- propylene rubber, Hypalon, neoprene rubber, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, silicone rubber, etc. The materials have been irradiated in a nuclear reactor to integrated absorbed doses from 5*10/sup 5/ to 5*10/sup 6/ Gy. Mechanical properties, e.g. tensile strength, elongation at break, and hardness, have been tested on irradiated and non-irradiated samples. The results are presented in the form of tables and graphs, to show the effect of the absorbed dose on the measured properties. (13 refs).

  20. Experimental performance evaluation of solid concrete and dry insulation materials for passive buildings in hot and humid climatic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, Hassam Ur

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Experimental investigation of building insulation materials in UAE from 2012–2014. • Four same calorimeters with different south walls were built in open air laboratory. • Heat flux was reduced by 22–75% in steady state analysis during summer by insulation. • Hence, energy consumption for cooling was reduced by an average 7.6–25.3%. • Heat flow was steady in free floating analysis in winter through insulated walls. - Abstract: It is known that enhancement of building energy efficiency can help in reducing energy consumption. The use of the solar insulating materials are the most efficient and cost effective passive methods for reducing the cooling requirements of the buildings. Apart from theoretical studies, no detailed experimental studies were performed in the UAE on energy savings by using solar insulation materials on buildings. Four (3 m × 3 m × 3 m) solar calorimeters were built in RAK, UAE in order to perform an open air outdoor test for energy savings obtained with solar insulating materials. The design is aimed to determine the heat flux reduction and the energy savings achieved with and without different solar insulating materials, mounted at the south wall of solar calorimeters with similar indoor and ambient conditions. Experimental results are discussed to evaluate the thermal performance during high temperature conditions in summer’s period when cooling demand of the building is at its peak and also in winters when there is no cooling demand. The test is from 2012 to 2014. The controlled-temperature experimental study at a set point of 24 °C showed that if the standard building material, i.e. solid concrete, is retrofitted with polyisocyanurate (PIR) and reflective coatings or completely replaced with energy-efficient dry insulation material walls such as exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS), energy savings up to an average of 7.6–25.3% can be achieved. This is due to the reduction of heat flux by an

  1. Two-dimensional simulation research of secondary electron emission avalanche discharge on vacuum insulator surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Libing; Wang, Jianguo; Zhu, Xiangqin; Wang, Yue; Zhang, Dianhui

    2015-01-01

    Based on the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) model, the SEEA discharge on the vacuum insulator surface is simulated by using a 2D PIC-MCC code developed by ourselves. The evolutions of the number of discharge electrons, insulator surface charge, current, and 2D particle distribution are obtained. The effects of the strength of the applied electric field, secondary electron yield coefficient, rise time of the pulse, length of the insulator on the discharge are investigated. The results show that the number of the SEEA electrons presents a quadratic dependence upon the applied field strength. The SEEA current, which is on the order of Ampere, is directly proportional to the field strength and secondary electron yield coefficient. Finally, the electron-stimulated outgassing is included in the simulation code, and a three-phase discharge curve is presented by the simulation, which agrees with the experimental data.

  2. Two-dimensional simulation research of secondary electron emission avalanche discharge on vacuum insulator surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Libing; Wang, Jianguo; Zhu, Xiangqin; Wang, Yue; Zhang, Dianhui

    2015-01-01

    Based on the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) model, the SEEA discharge on the vacuum insulator surface is simulated by using a 2D PIC-MCC code developed by ourselves. The evolutions of the number of discharge electrons, insulator surface charge, current, and 2D particle distribution are obtained. The effects of the strength of the applied electric field, secondary electron yield coefficient, rise time of the pulse, length of the insulator on the discharge are investigated. The results show that the number of the SEEA electrons presents a quadratic dependence upon the applied field strength. The SEEA current, which is on the order of Ampere, is directly proportional to the field strength and secondary electron yield coefficient. Finally, the electron-stimulated outgassing is included in the simulation code, and a three-phase discharge curve is presented by the simulation, which agrees with the experimental data

  3. The Dynamics of the Electric Field Distribution in the Surface of Insulating Film Irradiated by Air Ions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julionas KALADE

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available When deposited on a surface, electric charge usually accumulates near the tips of surface irregularities, from where it can be transferred to nearby objects due to ionization of ambient air. The amount of transferred charge, the rate of charge transfer, the size of the charged spot (e.g., on the surface of an insulator and its tendency to spread will depend on properties of air during electric discharge, on the magnitude of charge accumulated at the tip of an object, on possibilities for replenishing that charge, on the time spent for charge transfer from the tip onto the insulating layer, on properties of the insulating layer, etc. Those properties are discussed in this work by comparing the results of measurements and theoretical analysis.

  4. Thermal highly porous insulation materials made of mineral raw materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mestnikov, A.

    2015-01-01

    The main objective of the study is to create insulating foam based on modified mineral binders with rapid hardening. The results of experimental studies of the composition and properties of insulating foam on the basis of rapidly hardening Portland cement (PC) and gypsum binder composite are presented in the article. The article proposes technological methods of production of insulating foamed concrete and its placement to the permanent shuttering wall enclosures in monolithic-frame construction and individual energy-efficient residential buildings, thus reducing foam shrinkage and improving crack-resistance.

  5. Dynamic Test Method Based on Strong Electromagnetic Pulse for Electromagnetic Shielding Materials with Field-Induced Insulator-Conductor Phase Transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yun; Zhao, Min; Wang, Qingguo

    2018-01-01

    In order to measure the pulse shielding performance of materials with the characteristic of field-induced insulator-conductor phase transition when materials are used for electromagnetic shielding, a dynamic test method was proposed based on a coaxial fixture. Experiment system was built by square pulse source, coaxial cable, coaxial fixture, attenuator, and oscilloscope and insulating components. S11 parameter of the test system was obtained, which suggested that the working frequency ranges from 300 KHz to 7.36 GHz. Insulating performance is good enough to avoid discharge between conductors when material samples is exposed in the strong electromagnetic pulse field up to 831 kV/m. This method is suitable for materials with annular shape, certain thickness and the characteristic of field-induced insulator-conductor phase transition to get their shielding performances of strong electromagnetic pulse.

  6. Influence of LOCA simulating conditions on the variation of electrical characteristics of insulating materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okada, Sohei; Yoshikawa, Masato; Ito, Masayuki; Kusama, Yasuo; Yagi, Toshiaki

    1982-12-01

    The authors have examined the variation of insulation resistance when the sheets of insulating materials and cables were exposed to various LOCA simulating environment. This report describes the summarized results obtained so far for ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) which is important as an insulating material of cables. The samples used were an EPR sheet of standard compound ratio, 2 kinds of EPR sheets of practical compound ratio, 6 types of PH cables (fire-retardant, EPR insulated, chlorosulphonated polyethylene sheathed cable) produced for trial as reactor use, and 6 kinds of EPR sheets of the same composition as the cable core. To discuss the difference of insulation resistance change, the logarithmic mean of the ratio of 1 min values to initial insulation resistance rho/rhosub(o) was used. PWR LOCA-simulating environment was used, while the thermal aging in the air at 121 deg C for 7 days and 50 Mrad irradiation in the air at room temperature were given as the predeterioration. The effect of LOCA-simulation period in the simultaneous method without air, in which steam and radiation were given in parallel, the difference in the experimental results of cables and sheets, the effect of air, the comparison of the simultaneous method with the sequential method in which LOCA-simulating steam was applied after the irradiation in the air and the reverse sequential method (dielectric property measurements) are described. Under the existence of air, the sequential method seems to be a good simulation condition for the simultaneous method, though many experiments are required further.

  7. Influence of LOCA simulating conditions on the variation of electrical characteristics of insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, Sohei; Yoshikawa, Masato; Ito, Masayuki; Kusama, Yasuo; Yagi, Toshiaki

    1982-01-01

    The authors have examined the variation of insulation resistance when the sheets of insulating materials and cables were exposed to various LOCA simulating environment. This report describes the summarized results obtained so far for ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) which is important as an insulating material of cables. The samples used were an EPR sheet of standard compound ratio, 2 kinds of EPR sheets of practical compound ratio, 6 types of PH cables (fire-retardant, EPR insulated, chlorosulphonated polyethylene sheathed cable) produced for trial as reactor use, and 6 kinds of EPR sheets of the same composition as the cable core. To discuss the difference of insulation resistance change, the logarithmic mean of the ratio of 1 min values to initial insulation resistance rho/rhosub(o) was used. PWR LOCA-simulating environment was used, while the thermal aging in the air at 121 deg C for 7 days and 50 Mrad irradiation in the air at room temperature were given as the predeterioration. The effect of LOCA-simulation period in the simultaneous method without air, in which steam and radiation were given in parallel, the difference in the experimental results of cables and sheets, the effect of air, the comparison of the simultaneous method with the sequential method in which LOCA-simulating steam was applied after the irradiation in the air and the reverse sequential method (dielectric property measurements) are described. Under the existence of air, the sequential method seems to be a good simulation condition for the simultaneous method, though many experiments are required further. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

  8. Translucent insulating building envelope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rahbek, Jens Eg

    1997-01-01

    A new type of translucent insulating material has been tested. This material is made of Celulose-Acetat and have a honey-comb structure. The material has a high solar transmittance and is highly insulating. The material is relatively cheap to produce. Danish Title: Translucent isolerende klimaskærm....

  9. Irradiation and testing of compact ignition tokamak toroidal field coil insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanemoto, G.K.; Sherick, M.J.; Sparks, D.C.

    1990-05-01

    This report documents the results of an irradiation and testing program performed on behalf of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. in support of the Compact Ignition Tokamak Research and Development program. The purpose of the irradiation and testing program was to determine the effects of neutron and gamma irradiation on the mechanical and electrical properties of candidate toroidal field coil insulation materials. Insulation samples were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) in a large I-hole. The insulation samples were irradiated within a lead shield to reduce exposure to gamma radiation to better approximate the desired ration of neutron to gamma exposure. Two different exposure levels were specified for the insulation samples. To accomplish this, the samples were encapsulated in two separate aluminum capsules; the capsules positioned at the ATR core mid-plane and at the top of the fueled region to take advantage of the axial cosine distribution of the neutron and gamma flux; and by varying the length of irradiation time of the two capsules. Disassembly of the irradiated capsules and testing of the insulation samples were performed at the Test Reactor Area (TRA) Hot Cell Facilities. Testing of the samples included shear compression static, shear compression fatigue, flexure static, and electrical resistance measurements

  10. He atom-surface scattering: Surface dynamics of insulators, overlayers and crystal growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1994-01-01

    This progress report describes work carried out in the study of surface structure and dynamics of ionic insulators, the microscopic interactions controlling epitaxial growth and the formation of overlayers, and energy exchange in multiphonon surface scattering. The approach used is to employ high resolution helium atom scattering to study the geometry and structural features of the surfaces. Experiments have been carried out on the surface dynamics of RbCl and preliminary studies done on CoO and NiO. Epitaxial growth and overlayer dynamics experiments on the systems NaCl/NaCl(001), KBr/NaCl(001), NaCl/KBr(001) and KBr/RbCl(001) have been performed. They have collaborated with two theoretical groups to explore models of overlayer dynamics with which to compare and to interpret their experimental results. They have carried out extensive experiments on the multiphonon scattering of helium atoms from NaCl and, particularly, LiF. Work has begun on self-assembling organic films on gold and silver surfaces (alkyl thiols/Au(111) and Ag(111))

  11. Safety distance for preventing hot particle ignition of building insulation materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiayun Song

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Trajectories of flying hot particles were predicted in this work, and the temperatures during the movement were also calculated. Once the particle temperature decreased to the critical temperature for a hot particle to ignite building insulation materials, which was predicted by hot-spot ignition theory, the distance particle traveled was determined as the minimum safety distance for preventing the ignition of building insulation materials by hot particles. The results showed that for sphere aluminum particles with the same initial velocities and diameters, the horizontal and vertical distances traveled by particles with higher initial temperatures were higher. Smaller particles traveled farther when other conditions were the same. The critical temperature for an aluminum particle to ignite rigid polyurethane foam increased rapidly with the decrease of particle diameter. The horizontal and vertical safety distances were closely related to the initial temperature, diameter and initial velocity of particles. These results could help update the safety provision of firework display.

  12. Low emissivity insulating glazing materials: principle and examples; Les vitrages isolants a basse emissivite: principe et exemples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prost, A. [Saint-Gobain Recherche, 93 - Aubervilliers (France)

    1996-12-31

    One of the stakes of flat glass industry is the limitation of thermal losses from indoor to outdoor through glass walls (K coefficient) in order to increase energy savings. Thermal insulation performances of a double glazing can be reinforced by the application of a highly reflective (low emissive) film with respect to thermal infrared radiation. The low emissive character is obtained with the use of surface-deposited materials that can be described using the Drude model: vacuum pulverization of metals, and vacuum pulverization or pyrolysis deposition of doped semi-conductor oxides. (J.S.)

  13. Cryogenic Properties of Inorganic Insulation Materials for ITER Magnets: A Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, N.J.

    1994-01-01

    Results of a literature search on the cryogenic properties of candidate inorganic insulators for the ITER TF magnets are reported. The materials investigated include: Al 2 O 3 , AlN, MgO, porcelain, SiO 2 , MgAl 2 O 4 , ZrO 2 , and mica. A graphical presentation is given of mechanical, elastic, electrical, and thermal properties between 4 and 300 K. A companion report reviews the low temperature irradiation resistance of these materials

  14. Thermally insulating and fire-retardant lightweight anisotropic foams based on nanocellulose and graphene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicklein, Bernd; Kocjan, Andraž; Salazar-Alvarez, German; Carosio, Federico; Camino, Giovanni; Antonietti, Markus; Bergström, Lennart

    2015-03-01

    High-performance thermally insulating materials from renewable resources are needed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Traditional fossil-fuel-derived insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene and polyurethane have thermal conductivities that are too high for retrofitting or for building new, surface-efficient passive houses. Tailored materials such as aerogels and vacuum insulating panels are fragile and susceptible to perforation. Here, we show that freeze-casting suspensions of cellulose nanofibres, graphene oxide and sepiolite nanorods produces super-insulating, fire-retardant and strong anisotropic foams that perform better than traditional polymer-based insulating materials. The foams are ultralight, show excellent combustion resistance and exhibit a thermal conductivity of 15 mW m-1 K-1, which is about half that of expanded polystyrene. At 30 °C and 85% relative humidity, the foams retained more than half of their initial strength. Our results show that nanoscale engineering is a promising strategy for producing foams with excellent properties using cellulose and other renewable nanosized fibrous materials.

  15. Manipulating topological-insulator properties using quantum confinement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotulla, M; Zülicke, U

    2017-01-01

    Recent discoveries have spurred the theoretical prediction and experimental realization of novel materials that have topological properties arising from band inversion. Such topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but have conductive surface or edge states. Topological materials show various unusual physical properties and are surmised to enable the creation of exotic Majorana-fermion quasiparticles. How the signatures of topological behavior evolve when the system size is reduced is interesting from both a fundamental and an application-oriented point of view, as such understanding may form the basis for tailoring systems to be in specific topological phases. This work considers the specific case of quantum-well confinement defining two-dimensional layers. Based on the effective-Hamiltonian description of bulk topological insulators, and using a harmonic-oscillator potential as an example for a softer-than-hard-wall confinement, we have studied the interplay of band inversion and size quantization. Our model system provides a useful platform for systematic study of the transition between the normal and topological phases, including the development of band inversion and the formation of massless-Dirac-fermion surface states. The effects of bare size quantization, two-dimensional-subband mixing, and electron–hole asymmetry are disentangled and their respective physical consequences elucidated. (paper)

  16. Experimental study of surface insulated-standard hybrid tungsten planar wire array Z-pinches at “QiangGuang-I” facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheng, Liang; Peng, Bodong; Yuan, Yuan; Zhang, Mei; Zhao, Chen; Zhao, Jizhen; Wang, Liangping [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect (Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology), Xi' an 710024 (China); Li, Yang, E-mail: liyang@nint.ac.cn; Li, Mo [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect (Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology), Xi' an 710024 (China); Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2016-01-15

    The experimental results of the insulated-standard hybrid wire array Z pinches carried out on “QiangGuang-I” facility at Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology were presented and discussed. The surface insulating can impose a significant influence on the dynamics and radiation characteristics of the hybrid wire array Z pinches, especially on the early stage (t/t{sub imp} < 0.6). The expansion of insulated wires at the ablation stage is suppressed, while the streams stripped from the insulated wires move faster than that from the standard wires. The foot radiation of X-ray is enhanced by increment of the number of insulated wires, 19.6 GW, 33.6 GW, and 68.6 GW for shots 14037S, 14028H, and 14039I, respectively. The surface insulation also introduces nonhomogeneity along the single wire—the streams move much faster near the electrodes. The colliding boundary of the hybrid wire array Z pinches is bias to the insulated side approximately 0.6 mm.

  17. Effect of the insulation materials filling on the thermal performance of sintered hollow bricks under the air-conditioning intermittent operation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaoping Hou

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Wall insulation performance is an important factor affecting building energy consumption and indoor comfortable level. This study proposes that the insulation materials are filled into the cavities of the sintered hollow brick to replace the single insulation layer. The physical models of typical walls were built by the hollow bricks filled with expanding polystyrene board (EPS in cavities and wall thermal performance is numerically analyzed by the Finite Volume Method under air-conditioning intermittent operation, which conforms to the actual operation rules of air-conditioning. Results show that filling EPS in cavities is beneficial to improve the thermal performance of the bricks, and the larger the EPS filling ratio, the higher the thermal performance improvement. The EPS filling ratio increase has the higher sensitivity on inner surface heat flow under the low EPS filling ratio, and filling EPS in the external cavities is optimum with the decrement rate 5.92% higher than filling EPS in internal cavities for the EPS filling ratio of 20%, while filling EPS in internal and external cavities simultaneously is optimum with decrement rate 2.45%–6.87% higher than that with filling EPS in the internal cavities for the EPS filling ratio of 40%–80%. Keywords: Insulation filling ratio, Insulation filling location, Thermal performance, Sintered hollow bricks

  18. Effect of oxygen in the simulated LOCA environments of the degradation of cable insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusuma, Y.; Okada, S.; Itoh, M.; Yagi, T.; Yoshikawa, M.; Yoshida, K.; Machi, S.; Tamura, N.; Kawakami, W.

    1990-01-01

    Five kinds of insulating and jacketing materials for the cables used in nuclear power plants were exposed to various LOCA environments of both simultaneous and sequential methods using SEAMATE-II. Experimental conditions of the simultaneous LOCA tests were done at different radiation dose rate, steam temperature and amount of air added to the LOCA environments. The sequential tests consist of two stages, that is, pre-irradiation and subsequent steam/spray exposure. Pre-irradiation conditions and subsequent steam/spray exposure conditions of the sequential LOCA tests are systematically changed in order to find appropriate conditions which can bring about the degradation of same degree to those obtained for various simultaneous LOCA simulations. Tensile properties, insulating resistance and water sorption of the insulating materials exposed to various LOCA environments are measured and discussed. (author). 11 refs, 19 figs, 3 tabs

  19. Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qi Liu

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta3L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine, is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs. The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μFET of 0.17 cm2 V−1 s−1, threshold voltage (Vth of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 103, and subthreshold slope (SS of 1.0 V dec−1, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO2 substrate (0.13 cm2 V−1 s−1, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec−1 for μFET, Vth and SS value when operated at −30 V. These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

  20. Contact spectroscopy on S/TI/N devices: Induced pairing on the surface of a topological insulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stehno, Martin P.; Ngabonziza, Prosper; Snelder, Marieke; Myoren, Hiroaki; Pan, Yu; de Visser, Anne; Huang, Y.; Golden, Mark S.; Brinkman, Alexander

    Translating concepts of topological quantum computation into applications requires fine-tuning of parameters in the model Hamiltonians of candidate systems. Such level of control has proven difficult to achieve in devices where superconductors are used to induce pairing in topological insulator (TI) materials. While local probe experiments have indicated features of p-wave superconducting correlations in TIs (as suggested by theory), results on extended devices often remain ambiguous. We present contact spectroscopy data on superconductor/topological insulator/normal metal devices with bulk-insulating TI material and compare these with bulk conducting samples. We discuss the magnitude of the induced gap and unusual features in the conductance traces of the bulk-insulating samples that may suggest the presence of p-wave type correlations in the TI. This work is financially supported by the Dutch Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and by the European Research Council (ERC).

  1. Minimization of thermal insulation thickness taking into account condensation on external walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurettin Yamankaradeniz

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Condensation occurs in the inner layers of construction materials at whatever point the partial pressure of water vapor diffuses and reaches its saturation pressure. Condensation, also called sweating, damages materials, reduces thermal resistance, and by increasing the total heat transfer coefficient, results in unwanted events such as increased heat loss. This study applied minimization of thermal insulation thickness with consideration given to condensation in the external walls. The calculations of heat and mass transfers in the structure elements are expressed in a graphical form. While there was an increase in the required thermal insulation thickness subsequent to an increase in the internal environment’s temperature, relative humidity, and the external environment’s relative humidity, the required thickness decreased with an increase in the external environment’s temperature. The amount of water vapor transferred varied with internal or external conditions and the thickness of the insulation. A change in the vapor diffusion resistance of the insulation material can increase the risk of condensation on the internal or external surfaces of the insulation.

  2. Numerical simulation of the insulation material transport to a PWR core under loss of coolant accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Höhne, Thomas; Grahn, Alexander; Kliem, Sören; Rohde, Ulrich; Weiss, Frank-Peter

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Detailed results of a numerical simulation of the insulation material transport to a PWR core are shown. ► The spacer grid is modeled as a strainer which completely retains the insulation material carried by coolant. ► The CFD calculations showed that the fibers at the upper spacer grid plane are not uniformly distributed. ► Furthermore the pressure loss does not exceed a critical limit. ► The PWR core coolablity can be guaranteed all the time during the transient. -- Abstract: In 1992, strainers on the suction side of the ECCS pumps in Barsebäck NPP Unit 2 became partially clogged with mineral wool because after a safety valve opened the steam impinged on thermally insulated equipment and released mineral wool. This event pointed out that strainer clogging is an issue in the course of a loss-of-coolant accident. Modifications of the insulation material, the strainer area and mesh size were carried out in most of the German NPPs. Moreover, back flushing procedures to remove the mineral wool from the strainers and differential pressure measurements were implemented to assure the performance of emergency core cooling during the containment sump recirculation mode. Nevertheless, it cannot be completely ruled out, that a limited amount of small fractions of the insulation material is transported into the RPV. During a postulated cold leg LOCA with hot leg ECC injection, the fibers enter the upper plenum and can accumulate at the fuel element spacer grids, preferably at the uppermost grid level. This effect might affect the ECC flow into the core and could result in degradation of core cooling. It was the aim of the numerical simulations presented to study where and how many mineral wool fibers are deposited at the upper spacer grid. The 3D, time dependent, multi-phase flow problem was modeled applying the CFD code ANSYS CFX. The CFD calculation does not yet include steam production in the core and also does not include re-suspension of the

  3. Investigation of cryogenic irradiation influence on mechanical and physical properties of ITER magnetic system insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozlov, A.V.; Scherbacov, E.N.; Dudchenko, N.A.; Shihalev, V.S.; Bedin, V.V.; Paltusov, N.A.; Korsunskiy, V.E.

    1998-01-01

    A set of methods of cryogenic irradiation influence test on mechanical and physical properties of insulation of ITER magnetic system are presented in this paper. Investigations are carried out without intermediate warming up of samples. A Russian insulating composite material was irradiated in the IVV-2M reactor. The ratio of energy absorbed by insulation materials from neutron irradiation to that from gamma irradiation can be varied from ∝(25:75)% to ∝(50:50)% in the reactor. The test results on the thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and gas evolution of the above material are presented. It was shown, that cryogenic irradiation up to the fluence ∝2 x 10 22 n/m 2 (E ≥ 0.1 MeV) leads to 0.27% linear size changes along layers of fiber-glass, the thermal conductivity coefficient is decreased on 15% at 100 k in perpendicular direction to fiber-glass plane, and thermal coefficient of linear expansion (TCLE) has anomalous temperature dependence. (orig.)

  4. Effect of radiation resistance additives for insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Yasuaki; Yagyu, Hideki; Seguchi, Tadao.

    1988-01-01

    For the electric wires and cables used in radiation environment such as nuclear power stations and fuel reprocessing facilities, the properties of excellent radiation resistance are required. For these insulators and sheath materials, ethylene propylene rubber, polyethylene and other polymers have been used, but it cannot be said that they always have good radiation resistance. However, it has been well known that radiation resistance can be improved with small amount of additives, and heat resistance and burning retarding property as well as radiation resistance are given to the insulators of wires and cables for nuclear facilities by mixing various additives. In this research, the measuring method for quantitatively determining the effect of Anti-rad (radiation resistant additive) was examined. Through the measurement of gel fraction, radical formation and decomposed gas generation, the effect of Anti-rad protecting polymers from radiation deterioration was examined from the viewpoint of chemical reaction. The experimental method and the results are reported. The radiation energy for cutting C-H coupling is polymers is dispersed by Anti-rad, and the probability of cutting is lowered. Anti-rad catches and extinguishes radicals that start oxidation reaction. (K.I.)

  5. Surface antiferromagnetism and incipient metal-insulator transition in strained manganite films

    KAUST Repository

    Cossu, Fabrizio; Colizzi, G.; Filippetti, A.; Fiorentini, Vincenzo; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2013-01-01

    Using first-principles calculations, we show that the (001) surface of the ferromagnet La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 under an epitaxial compressive strain favors antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the surface layers, coexisting with ferromagnetic (FM) bulk order. Surface antiferromagnetism is accompanied by a very marked surface-related spectral pseudogap, signaling an incomplete metal-insulator transition at the surface. The different relaxation and rumpling of the MnO2 and LaO surface planes in the two competing magnetic phases cause distinct work-function changes, which are of potential diagnostic use. The AF phase is recognized as an extreme surface-assisted case of the combination of in-plane AF super-exchange and vertical FM double-exchange couplings that rules magnetism in manganites under in-plane compression.

  6. Surface antiferromagnetism and incipient metal-insulator transition in strained manganite films

    KAUST Repository

    Cossu, Fabrizio

    2013-06-21

    Using first-principles calculations, we show that the (001) surface of the ferromagnet La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 under an epitaxial compressive strain favors antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the surface layers, coexisting with ferromagnetic (FM) bulk order. Surface antiferromagnetism is accompanied by a very marked surface-related spectral pseudogap, signaling an incomplete metal-insulator transition at the surface. The different relaxation and rumpling of the MnO2 and LaO surface planes in the two competing magnetic phases cause distinct work-function changes, which are of potential diagnostic use. The AF phase is recognized as an extreme surface-assisted case of the combination of in-plane AF super-exchange and vertical FM double-exchange couplings that rules magnetism in manganites under in-plane compression.

  7. Device Performance of the Mott InsulatorDevice Performance of the Mott Insulator LaVO3 as a Photovoltaic Material

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Lingfei

    2015-06-22

    Searching for solar-absorbing materials containing earth-abundant elements with chemical stability is of critical importance for advancing photovoltaic technologies. Mott insulators have been theoretically proposed as potential photovoltaic materials. In this paper, we evaluate their performance in solar cells by exploring the photovoltaic properties of Mott insulator LaVO3 (LVO). LVO films show an indirect band gap of 1.08 eV as well as strong light absorption over a wide wavelength range in the solar spectrum. First-principles calculations on the band structure of LVO further reveal that the d−d transitions within the upper and lower Mott-Hubbard bands and p−d transitions between the O 2p and V 3d band contribute to the absorption in visible and ultraviolet ranges, respectively. Transport measurements indicate strong carrier trapping and the formation of polarons in LVO. To utilize the strong light absorption of LVO and to overcome its poor carrier transport, we incorporate it as a light absorber in solar cells in conjunction with carrier transporters and evaluate its device performance. Our complementary experimental and theoretical results on such prototypical solar cells made of Mott-Hubbard transition-metal oxides pave the road for developing light-absorbing materials and photovoltaic devices based on strongly correlated electrons.

  8. Cryogenic Properties of Inorganic Insulation Materials for ITER Magnets: A Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simon, N.J.

    1994-12-01

    Results of a literature search on the cryogenic properties of candidate inorganic insulators for the ITER TF magnets are reported. The materials investigated include: Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, AlN, MgO, porcelain, SiO{sub 2}, MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}, ZrO{sub 2}, and mica. A graphical presentation is given of mechanical, elastic, electrical, and thermal properties between 4 and 300 K. A companion report reviews the low temperature irradiation resistance of these materials.

  9. Radiation induced ion currents in vacuum due to residual He and H, and their expected effect on insulating surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodgson, E.R.; Morono, A.; Gonzalez de Vicente, S.M.

    2006-01-01

    Ceramic insulators and windows in ITER will be subjected to bombardment by energetic hydrogen isotopes and helium as a consequence of ionization of the residual gas by gamma radiation and acceleration of the ions by the local electric fields. Most of the energy carried by these particles will be deposited at or very near the surface giving rise to possible electrical and optical degradation. Severe surface electrical degradation has recently been observed when oxide materials are implanted to low doses (10 15 ions/cm 2 ) with protons and alpha particles at temperatures between 50 and 450 o C. In order to estimate the relevance to fusion applications and hence the lifetime of ceramic insulators in ITER it is necessary to quantify possible ion currents generated in the residual gas by measuring radiation induced electrical conductivity for hydrogen isotopes and helium gases at low pressures and then perform experiments in which ceramic candidate materials are subjected to ion bombardment at representative currents and energies. To determine the magnitude of radiation generated ion currents, experiments have been carried out in a special gas chamber mounted in the beam line of a 2 MeV Van de Graaff electron accelerator, with the gases being irradiated through an 0.05 x 10 -3 m thick aluminium window with 1.8 MeV electrons. A guarded volume was defined between two parallel square copper plate electrodes separated by 1.5 x 10 -2 m. The experimental set-up permitted an electric field to be applied to the irradiated volume of gas, and the electric current flowing through the ionized gas to be measured. For these experiments the radiation beam was perpendicular to the electric field direction. In this way radiation induced conductivity for helium and hydrogen has been measured at pressures between about 1000 and 10 -3 mbar (10 -5 to 10 -1 Pa), radiation dose rates of 30 Gy/s and applied voltages up to 1500 volts. The radiation induced electrical currents for low pressure

  10. Artificial heart system thermal insulation component development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svedberg, R.C.; Buckman, R.W. Jr.

    1975-01-01

    A concentric cup vacuum multifoil insulation system has been selected by virtue of its size, weight, and thermal performance to insulate the hot radioisotope portion of the thermal converter of an artificial implantable heart system. A factor of 2 improvement in thermal performance, based on the heat loss per number of foil layers (minimum system weight and volume) has been realized over conventional spiral wrapped multifoil vacuum insulation. This improvement is the result of the concentric cup construction to maintain a uniform interfoil spacing and the elimination of corner heat losses. Based on external insulation system dimensions (surface area in contact with host body), heat losses of 0.019 W/ cm 2 at 1140 0 K (1600 0 F) and 0.006 W/cm 2 at 920 0 K (1200 0 F) have been achieved. Factors which influence thermal performance of the nickel foil concentric cup insulation system include the number of cups, configuration and method of application of zirconia (ZrO 2 ) spacer material, system pressure, emittance of the cups, and operating temperature

  11. The inaccuracy of heat transfer characteristics of insulated and non-insulated circular duct while neglecting the influence of heat radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsien, T.-L.; Wong, K.-L.; Yu, S.-J.

    2009-01-01

    The non-insulated and insulated ducts are commonly applied in the industries and various buildings, because the heat radiation equation contains the 4th order exponential of temperature which is very complicate in calculations. Most heat transfer experts recognized from their own experiences that the heat radiation effect can be ignored due to the small temperature difference between insulated and non-insulated surface and surroundings. This paper studies in detail to check the inaccuracies of heat transfer characteristics non-insulated and insulated duct by comparing the results between considering and neglecting heat radiation effect. It is found that neglecting the heat radiation effect is likely to produce large errors of non-insulated and thin-insulated ducts in situations of ambient air with low external convection heat coefficients and larger surface emissivity, especially while the ambient air temperature is different from that of surroundings and greater internal fluid convection coefficients. It is also found in this paper that using greater duct surface emissivity can greatly improve the heat exchanger effect and using smaller insulated surface emissivity can obtain better insulation.

  12. Stress-induced roughening instabilities along surfaces of piezoelectric materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chien, N.Y.; Gao, H.

    1993-01-01

    The possibility of using electric field to stabilize surfaces of piezoelectric solids against stress-induced morphological roughening is explored in this paper. Two types of idealized boundary conditions are considered: (1) a traction free and electrically insulating surface and (2) a traction free and electrically conducting surface. A perturbation solution for the energy variation associated with surface roughening suggests that the electric field can be used to suppress the roughening instability to various degrees. A completely stable state is possible in the insulating case, and kinetically more stable states can be attained in the conducting case. The stabilization has importance in reducing concentration of stress and electric fields due to microscopic surface roughness which might trigger failure processes involving dislocation, cracks and dielectric breakdown

  13. Aerogels: transparent and super-insulating materials; Les aerogels: isolants transparent-super isolants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melka, S.; Rigacci, A.; Achard, P.; Bezian, J.J. [Ecole des Mines de Paris, 06 - Sophia-Antipolis (France); Sallee, H.; Chevalier, B. [Centre des Sciences et Techniques du Batiment, 38 - Saint-Martin-d`Heres (France)

    1996-12-31

    Recent studies have demonstrated the super-insulating properties of silica aerogel in its monolithic or finely divided state. In its monolithic state, this material conciliates excellent thermal insulation performances, a good transmission of visible light and interesting acoustic properties. Also its amazing structural characteristics (lightness, high global porosity, small diameter of pores) are particularly interesting for its use in double glazing windows as transparent insulating spacer. The aim of the work carried out by the Energetic Centre of the Ecole des Mines of Paris is to understand the thermal transfer phenomena in all forms of silica aerogel. In this paper, the main steps of the synthesis process of monolithic silica aerogel is presented with the thermal conductivities obtained. Then, a model is built to describe the thermal transfer mechanisms in finely divided aerogel beds. Finally, the hot wire thermal characterization method is presented and the results obtained on silica aerogels are discussed. (J.S.) 16 refs.

  14. Valence band structure of PDMS surface and a blend with MWCNTs: A UPS and MIES study of an insulating polymer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmerl, Natalya M.; Khodakov, Dmitriy A.; Stapleton, Andrew J.; Ellis, Amanda V.; Andersson, Gunther G., E-mail: gunther.andersson@flinders.edu.au

    2015-10-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Valence electron spectroscopy was performed on an insulating polymer using different charge compensation methods. • MWCNT were embedded in PDMS and found to be the most effective method for reducing the charging of the insulating polymer. • The valence band spectrum of PDMS was obtained via MIES and UPS. • Ion scattering spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration depth profile of the PDMS in the sample. - Abstract: The use of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is increasing with new technologies working toward compact, flexible and transparent devices for use in medical and microfluidic systems. Electronic characterization of PDMS and other insulating materials is difficult due to charging, yet necessary for many applications where the interfacial structure is vital to device function or further modification. The outermost layer in particular is of importance as this is the area where chemical reactions such as surface functionalization will occur. Here, we investigate the valence band structure of the outermost layer and near surface area of PDMS through the use of metastable induced photoelectron spectroscopy (MIES) paired with ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The chemical composition of the samples under investigation were measured via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the vertical distribution of the polymer was shown with neutral impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy (NICISS). Three separate methods for charge compensation are used for the samples, and their effectiveness is compared.

  15. Charge-spin Transport in Surface-disordered Three-dimensional Topological Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Xingyue

    As one of the most promising candidates for the building block of the novel spintronic circuit, the topological insulator (TI) has attracted world-wide interest of study. Robust topological order protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS) makes charge transport and spin generation in TIs significantly different from traditional three-dimensional (3D) or two-dimensional (2D) electronic systems. However, to date, charge transport and spin generation in 3D TIs are still primarily modeled as single-surface phenomena, happening independently on top and bottom surfaces. In this dissertation, I will demonstrate via both experimental findings and theoretical modeling that this "single surface'' theory neither correctly describes a realistic 3D TI-based device nor reveals the amazingly distinct physical picture of spin transport dynamics in 3D TIs. Instead, I present a new viewpoint of the spin transport dynamics where the role of the insulating yet topologically non-trivial bulk of a 3D TI becomes explicit. Within this new theory, many mysterious transport and magneto-transport anomalies can be naturally explained. The 3D TI system turns out to be more similar to its low dimensional sibling--2D TI rather than some other systems sharing the Dirac dispersion, such as graphene. This work not only provides valuable fundamental physical insights on charge-spin transport in 3D TIs, but also offers important guidance to the design of 3D TI-based spintronic devices.

  16. Development of electrical insulator coatings for fusion power applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.H.; Domenico, T.; Dragel, G.; Clark, R.

    1995-01-01

    In the design of liquid-metal cooling systems for fusion blanket applications, the corrosion resistance of structural materials and the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) force and its subsequent influence on thermal hydraulics and corrosion are major concerns. The objective of this study was to develop stable corrosion-resistant electrical insulator coatings at the liquid-metal-structural-material interface, with emphasis on electrically insulating coatings that prevent adverse MHD-generated currents from passing through the structural walls. Vanadium and V-base alloys (V-Ti or V-Ti-Cr) are leading candidate materials for structural applications in fusion reactors. When the system is cooled by liquid metals, insulator coatings are required on piping surfaces in contact with the coolant. Various intermetallic films were produced on V, V-5Ti, and V-20Ti, V-5Cr-5Ti, and V-15Cr-5Ti, and Ti, and on types 304 and 316 stainless steel. The intermetallic layers were developed by exposure of the materials to liquid Li containing 3-5at.% dissolved metallic solute (e.g. Al, Be, Mg, Si, Ca, Pt, and Cr) at temperatures of 416-880 C. Subsequently, electrical insulator coatings were produced by reaction of the reactive layers with dissolved N in liquid Li or by air oxidation under controlled conditions at 600-1000 C. These reactions converted the intermetallic layers to electrically insulating oxide-nitride or oxynitride layers. This coating method is applicable to reactor components. The liquid metal can be used over and over because only the solutes are consumed within the liquid metal. The technique can be applied to various shapes (e.g. inside or outside of tubes, complex geometrical shapes) because the coating is formed by liquid-phase reaction. This paper discusses initial results on the nature of the coatings (composition, thickness, adhesion, surface coverage) and their in situ electrical resistivity characteristics in liquid Li at high temperatures. (orig.)

  17. Multicharged ion-induced emission from metal- and insulator surfaces related to magnetic fusion research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winter, H.P. [Technische Univ., Vienna (Austria). Inst. fuer Allgemeine Physik

    1997-01-01

    The edge region of magnetically confined plasmas in thermonuclear fusion experiments couples the hot plasma core with the cold first wall. We consider the dependence of plasma-wall interaction processes on edge plasma properties, with particular emphasis on the role of slow multicharged ions (MCI). After a short survey on the physics of slow MCI-surface interaction we discuss recent extensive studies on MCI-induced electron emission from clean metal surfaces conducted at impact velocities << 1 a.u., from which generally reliable total electron yields can be obtained. We then demonstrate the essentially different role of the MCI charge for electron emission from metallic and insulator surfaces, respectively. Furthermore, we present recent results on slow MCI-induced `potential sputtering` of insulators which, in contrast to the well established kinetic sputtering, already occurs at very low ion impact energy and strongly increases with the MCI charge state. (J.P.N.). 55 refs.

  18. Ultrafast surface carrier dynamics in the topological insulator Bi₂Te₃.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajlaoui, M; Papalazarou, E; Mauchain, J; Lantz, G; Moisan, N; Boschetto, D; Jiang, Z; Miotkowski, I; Chen, Y P; Taleb-Ibrahimi, A; Perfetti, L; Marsi, M

    2012-07-11

    We discuss the ultrafast evolution of the surface electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi(2)Te(3) following a femtosecond laser excitation. Using time and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we provide a direct real-time visualization of the transient carrier population of both the surface states and the bulk conduction band. We find that the thermalization of the surface states is initially determined by interband scattering from the bulk conduction band, lasting for about 0.5 ps; subsequently, few picoseconds are necessary for the Dirac cone nonequilibrium electrons to recover a Fermi-Dirac distribution, while their relaxation extends over more than 10 ps. The surface sensitivity of our measurements makes it possible to estimate the range of the bulk-surface interband scattering channel, indicating that the process is effective over a distance of 5 nm or less. This establishes a correlation between the nanoscale thickness of the bulk charge reservoir and the evolution of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in the surface Dirac cone.

  19. Leakage current characterization for estimating the conditions of non-ceramic insulators' surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Hag, Ayman H. [Electrical Engineering Department, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah (United Arab Emirate)

    2007-03-15

    In this work both detection of the beginning of dry-band arcing and correlating the average value of leakage current (LC) with non-ceramic insulator surface damage have been investigated. Silicone rubber insulators were tested in salt-fog under different voltage and conductivity levels. The autocorrelation function (ACF) was calculated for both the fundamental and third harmonic components of LC during the early aging period (EAP). It has been observed that distinct differences exist in the behavior of both the fundamental and that of the third harmonic components of the LC during EAP. Although the fundamental component of the LC begins to grow immediately after starting the test, the third harmonic requires a much longer period of time to begin. Dry-band arcing is highly correlated with distortion in the LC and hence to its third harmonic component. But it has been observed that the level of the fundamental component of LC at which the third harmonic component started to increase is different from one case to another. As such, it is more appropriate to use the ACF of the third harmonic component of LC as an indication of dry-band arcing rather than a simple threshold value. Moreover, the average value of LC during late aging period (LAP) was correlated with the damage of non-ceramic insulators. It has been found that the average level of both the fundamental and third harmonic component of LC is well correlated with the different degrees of damage of non-ceramic insulators' surface. (author)

  20. Quantum and Classical Magnetoresistance in Ambipolar Topological Insulator Transistors with Gate-tunable Bulk and Surface Conduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Jifa; Chang, Cuizu; Cao, Helin; He, Ke; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun; Chen, Yong P.

    2014-01-01

    Weak antilocalization (WAL) and linear magnetoresistance (LMR) are two most commonly observed magnetoresistance (MR) phenomena in topological insulators (TIs) and often attributed to the Dirac topological surface states (TSS). However, ambiguities exist because these phenomena could also come from bulk states (often carrying significant conduction in many TIs) and are observable even in non-TI materials. Here, we demonstrate back-gated ambipolar TI field-effect transistors in (Bi0.04Sb0.96)2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO3(111), exhibiting a large carrier density tunability (by nearly 2 orders of magnitude) and a metal-insulator transition in the bulk (allowing switching off the bulk conduction). Tuning the Fermi level from bulk band to TSS strongly enhances both the WAL (increasing the number of quantum coherent channels from one to peak around two) and LMR (increasing its slope by up to 10 times). The SS-enhanced LMR is accompanied by a strongly nonlinear Hall effect, suggesting important roles of charge inhomogeneity (and a related classical LMR), although existing models of LMR cannot capture all aspects of our data. Our systematic gate and temperature dependent magnetotransport studies provide deeper insights into the nature of both MR phenomena and reveal differences between bulk and TSS transport in TI related materials. PMID:24810663

  1. 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.

  2. Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Qi; Li, Yi; Zhang, Yang; Song, You, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Wang, Xizhang, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Hu, Zheng [Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Jiangsu Provincial Lab for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. High-Tech Research Institute of Nanjing University (Suzhou), Suzhou 215123 (China); Sun, Huabin; Li, Yun, E-mail: wangxzh@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yli@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yousong@nju.edu.cn; Shi, Yi [School of Electronic Science and Engineering and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic and Electronic Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

    2014-08-15

    A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta){sub 3}L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine), is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μ{sub FET}) of 0.17 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, threshold voltage (V{sub th}) of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 10{sup 3}, and subthreshold slope (SS) of 1.0 V dec{sup −1}, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO{sub 2} substrate (0.13 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec{sup −1} for μ{sub FET}, V{sub th} and SS value when operated at −30 V). These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

  3. Normal zone propagation characteristics of coated conductor according to insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, S.E.; Ahn, M.C.; Park, D.K.; Chang, K.S.; Bae, D.K.; Ko, T.K.

    2007-01-01

    Recent development of CC, usually called second generation (2G) HTS, is actively in progress. Because of its higher critical current density as well as higher n-value, 2G HTS is feasible for the applications such as superconducting fault current limiter and superconducting cable. For operating the HTS equipment stably, it needs to investigate the characteristics of normal zone propagation occurred by quench. Investigations on the fundamental characteristics can be one of the indispensable foundations for research and development of power equipments. In this paper, normal zone propagation (NZP) characteristics according to various insulation materials are researched. By heating with NiCr heater and insulating with epoxy, we applied the operating current with respect to the critical current for calculation of minimum quench energy (MQE) and measurement of NZP

  4. Band inversion mechanism in topological insulators: A guideline for materials design

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Zhiyong; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2012-01-01

    Alteration of the topological order by band inversion is a key ingredient of a topologically nontrivial material. Using first-principles calculations for HgTe, PtScBi, and Bi2Se3, we argue that it is not accurate to ascribe the band inversion to the spin-orbit coupling. Instead, scalar relativistic effects and/or lattice distortions are found to be essential. Therefore, the search for topologically nontrivial materials should focus on band shifts due to these mechanisms rather than spin-orbit coupling. We propose an effective scheme to search for new topological insulators.

  5. Band inversion mechanism in topological insulators: A guideline for materials design

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Zhiyong

    2012-06-01

    Alteration of the topological order by band inversion is a key ingredient of a topologically nontrivial material. Using first-principles calculations for HgTe, PtScBi, and Bi2Se3, we argue that it is not accurate to ascribe the band inversion to the spin-orbit coupling. Instead, scalar relativistic effects and/or lattice distortions are found to be essential. Therefore, the search for topologically nontrivial materials should focus on band shifts due to these mechanisms rather than spin-orbit coupling. We propose an effective scheme to search for new topological insulators.

  6. 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.

  7. Insulation systems of the building construtions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rumiantcev Boris

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Constructions of the exterior insulation and decoration combines materials of different functionality and constructive solutions allows to these materials to demonstrate their efficiency to the great extent. Fire safety of buildings is mandatory requirement for building systems. Some insulating material may belong to the group of combustible, but their use in structures so as to minimize the risk of fire. On the other hand, there are special designs, in which non-flammable insulation acts as a flame retardant barrier. In the article carried systematization of construction systems used in the flat and pitched roof during the insulation and wall covering and facades. Taking into account the experience of leading firms were considered the application features of using exterior finish systems: construction solutions, requirements for materials and recommendations about the installation these systems.The article deals with the construction ventilated roofing system of two types: flat roof and pitched roof seam. In the first case, the ventilation system is created using milled insulation boards in the second - by a ventilated gap. In both cases the natural convection of air in the air cavities. Ensuring operational stability insulation is laid on the stages of production of heat-insulating materials. It is important: firstly responsible execution of all process operations associated with providing regulatory properties of materials and secondly, the performance of additional operations associated with the produc-tion of materials, working in a specific design. An example of a material whose properties can modify for a particular application, are milled mineral wool (with air channels for systems of ventilated flat roof.

  8. The human impact on natural rock reserves using basalt, anorthosite, and carbonates as raw materials in insulation products

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Tais Wittchen; Clausen, Anders U.; Hansen, Peter B.

    2011-01-01

    lithosphere or subducted with oceanic crust and recycled through the mantle by plate tectonics. Insulation products have a chemical composition similar to average crustal rocks and participate in the natural rock cycle. However, these products need not accumulate in nature, inasmuch as old insulation......Typical crustal rocks such as basalt, limestone, and anorthosite are used in stone wool insulation products. The raw materials for stone wool production are not specific to any rare mineral source but depend upon the mixture of materials having the correct chemical composition, exemplified by 40 wt......% basalt, 20 wt% anorthosite, and 40 wt% cement-bonded renewable materials. This study provides an overview of the natural cycle of these resources, including their abundances in nature, and sets the consumption by the stone wool industry and other human activities in perspective. Basalt, anorthosite...

  9. Electrical insulating liquid: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deba Kumar Mahanta

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Insulating liquid plays an important role for the life span of the transformer. Petroleum-based mineral oil has become dominant insulating liquid of transformer for more than a century for its excellent dielectric and cooling properties. However, the usage of petroleum-based mineral oil, derived from a nonrenewable energy source, has affected the environment for its nonbiodegradability property. Therefore, researchers direct their attention to renewable and biodegradable alternatives. Palm fatty acid ester, coconut oil, sunflower oil, etc. are considered as alternatives to replace mineral oil as transformer insulation liquid. This paper gives an extensive review of different liquid insulating materials used in a transformer. Characterization of different liquids as an insulating material has been discussed. An attempt has been made to classify different insulating liquids-based on different properties.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. Duo gating on a 3D topological insulator - independent tuning of both topological surface states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chuan; de Ronde, Bob; Snelder, Marieke; Stehno, Martin; Huang, Yingkai; Golden, Mark; Brinkman, Alexander; ICE Team; IOP Collaboration

    ABSTRACT: Topological insulators are associated with a trove of exciting physics, such as the ability to host robust anyons, Majorana Bound States, which can be used for quantum computation. For future Majorana devices it is desirable to have the Fermi energy tuned as close as possible to the Dirac point of the topological surface state. Based on previous work on gating BSTS, we report the experimental progress towards gate-tuning of the top and bottom topological surface states of BiSbTeSe2 crystal flakes. When the Fermi level is moved across the Dirac point conduction is shown to change from electron dominated transport to hole dominated transport independently for either surface. In the high magnetic field, one can tune the system precisely between the different landau levels of both surfaces, thus a full gating map of the possible landau levels combination is established. In addition, we provide a simple capacitance model to explain the general hysteresis behaviors in topological insulator systems.

  13. Multiple-Nozzle Spray Head Applies Foam Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walls, Joe T.

    1993-01-01

    Spray head equipped with four-nozzle turret mixes two reactive components of polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foam insulating material and sprays reacting mixture onto surface to be insulated. If nozzle in use becomes clogged, fresh one automatically rotated into position, with minimal interruption of spraying process. Incorporates features recirculating and controlling pressures of reactive components to maintain quality of foam by ensuring proper blend at outset. Also used to spray protective coats on or in ships, aircraft, and pipelines. Sprays such reactive adhesives as epoxy/polyurethane mixtures. Components of spray contain solid-particle fillers for strength, fire retardance, toughness, resistance to abrasion, or radar absorption.

  14. Forming Refractory Insulation On Copper Wire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setlock, J.; Roberts, G.

    1995-01-01

    Alternative insulating process forms flexible coat of uncured refractory insulating material on copper wire. Coated wire formed into coil or other complex shape. Wire-coating apparatus forms "green" coat on copper wire. After wire coiled, heating converts "green" coat to refractory electrical insulator. When cured to final brittle form, insulating material withstands temperatures above melting temperature of wire. Process used to make coils for motors, solenoids, and other electrical devices to be operated at high temperatures.

  15. Terahertz emission from semi-insulating GaAs with octadecanthiol-passivated surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Xiaojun; Xu, Xinlong; Lu, Xinchao; Wang, Li

    2013-01-01

    Terahertz (THz) emission from octadecanthiol (ODT) passivated (1 0 0) surface of the semi-insulating GaAs was measured, and compared with those from the native oxidized and the fresh surfaces. It was shown that the self-assembled ODT monolayer can stabilize the GaAs (1 0 0) surface, and maintain a THz surface emission 1.4 times as efficient as the native oxidized surface under equal conditions. Surface passivation can reduce the built-in electric field in the depletion region of the GaAs (1 0 0), resulting in the suppression of the THz radiation to a different extent. Oxidation of GaAs surface reduces the THz amplitude mainly in the low-frequency region. These results indicate that GaAs can be made a more effective THz source by choosing molecular passivation technique. Conversely, the THz emission features such as polarity, amplitude, and phase from molecule-passivated surfaces may be used to characterize the attached molecules.

  16. Improvement of Surface Flashover Performance of Al2O3 Ceramics in Vacuum by Adopting A-B-A Insulation System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shengtao; Zhang Tuo; Huang Qifeng; Li Weiwei; Ni Fengyan; Li Jianying

    2011-01-01

    A new insulation system with inorganic A-B-A insulators was proposed to improve the surface flashover performance in vacuum. Inorganic A-B-A insulator samples of Mo/Al 2 O 3 cermet-Al 2 O 3 ceramic-Mo/Al 2 O 3 cermet were prepared, in which the conductivity and permittivity of the Mo/Al 2 O 3 cermets were controlled through different amount of metallic molybdenum powder added. The effects of both conductivity and permittivity of Mo/Al 2 O 3 cermets on the DC and impulse surface flashover voltage in vacuum were experimentally investigated. The result showed that the DC and impulse surface flashover voltage were improved by 52% and 95%, respectively. For the distribution of electric field, two triple junctions, i.e., vacuum-layer A-cathode (TJ1) and vacuum-layer A-layer B (TJ2) were prepared with the introduction of layer A into the A-B-A insulation system. Based on the electric field distribution obtained via electrostatic field simulation and Maxwell-Wagner three-layer model, the electric field of TJ1 decreases while that of TJ2 increases with the increase in conductivity and permittivity of layer A under applied DC and impulse voltage, respectively. Therefore, the improvement of surface flashover performance of A-B-A insulators has been reasonably explained. (fusion engineering)

  17. Thermal insulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durston, J.G.; Birch, W.; Facer, R.I.; Stuart, R.A.

    1977-01-01

    Reference is made to liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors. In the arrangement described the reactor vessel is clad with thermal insulation comprising a layer of insulating blocks spaced from the wall and from each other; each block is rigidly secured to the wall, and the interspaces are substantially closed against convectional flow of liquid by resilient closure members. A membrane covering is provided for the layer of blocks, with venting means to allow liquid from the reactor vessel to penetrate between the covering and the layer of blocks. The membrane covering may comprise a stainless steel sheet ribbed in orthogonal pattern to give flexibility for the accommodation of thermal strain. The insulating blocks may be comprised of stainless steel or cellular or porous material and may be hollow shells containing ceramic material or gas fillings. (U.K.)

  18. Energy conservation through thermally insulated structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abu-Dayyeh, Ayoub

    2006-01-01

    The propose of this paper is to explicate its title through investigating the different available thermal insulating materials and the various techniques of application, as practiced in Jordan, in particular, and as practiced in many parts of the world in general, which will satisfy Jordanian standards in terms of heat transmittance and thermal comfort. A brief comparison with international standards will shed some light on the stringent measures enforced in the developed world and on our striving aspirations to keep pace. The paper consists of four main parts, pseudoally divided. The first part will deal with the mechanism of heat loss and heat gain in structures during summer and winter. It will also explain the Time-lag phenomenon which is vital for providing thermal comfort inside the dwellings. The second part will evaluate the damages induced by the temperature gradients on the different elements of the structure, particularly next to exterior opening. The paper will also demonstrate the damages induced by water condensation and fungus growth on the internal surfaces of the structure and within its skeleton. A correlation between condensation and thermal insulation will be established. The third part of the paper will evaluate the different available thermal insulating materials and the application techniques which will satisfy the needs for thermal insulating and thermal comfort at the least cost possible. The criteria of an economical design shall be established. As a conclusion, the paper infers answers to the following different criteria discussed throughout the different parts of the paper. The main theme of questions can be summarized as follows: 1)How energy conservation is possible due to thermal insulation? 2)The feasibility of investing in thermal insulation? 3)Is thermal comfort and a healthy atmosphere possible inside the dwellings during all season! What are the conditions necessary to sustain them? 4)What environmental impacts can exist due to

  19. Ablation characteristics and reaction mechanism of insulation materials under slag deposition condition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Yiwen; Li, Jiang; Liu, Yang

    2017-07-01

    Current understanding of the physical and chemical processes involved in the ablation of insulation materials by highly aluminized solid propellants is limited. The study on the heat transfer and ablation principle of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) materials under slag deposition condition is essential for future design or modification of large solid rocket motors (SRMs) for launch application. In this paper, the alumina liquid flow pattern and the deposition principle in full-scale SRM engines are discussed. The interaction mechanism between the alumina droplets and the wall are analyzed. Then, an experimental method was developed to simulate the insulation material ablation under slag deposition condition. Experimental study was conducted based on a laboratory-scale device. Meanwhile, from the analysis of the cross-sectional morphology and chemical composition of the charring layer after ablation, the reaction mechanism of the charring layer under deposition condition was discussed, and the main reaction equation was derived. The numerical simulation and experimental results show the following. (i) The alumina droplet flow in the deposition section of the laboratory-scale device is similar to that of a full-scale SRM. (ii) The charring layer of the EPDM insulator displays a porous tight/loose structure under high-temperature slag deposition condition. (iii) A seven-step carbothermal reduction in the alumina is derived and established under high-pressure and high-temperature environment in the SRM combustion chamber. (iv) The analysis using thermodynamic software indicates that the reaction of the alumina and charring layer initially forms Al4C3 during the operation. Then, Al element and Al2OC compound are subsequently produced with the reduction in the release of gas CO as well with continuous environmental heating.

  20. Thermal conductivity: recent developments on insulating and new materials; La conductivite thermique: developpements recents sur les isolants et les materiaux nouveaux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-12-31

    This workshop organized by the thermo-kinetics section of the French society of thermal engineers deals with recent developments concerning insulating, dielectric and composite materials. The seven papers presented during this workshop concern the methods and results of thermal conductivity measurements performed in these materials and the possible applications of these materials in aerospace industry (carbon foams, ceramic-based composite materials), civil engineering (glazing materials, aerogels), power electronics (dielectric thin films, ceramics), and in other industries (heat resistant and thermal insulating materials). (J.S.)

  1. Field experiments on the use of phase changing materials, insulation materials and passive solar radiation in the built environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Entrop, Alexis Gerardus; Brouwers, Jos; Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.; McCarthy, J.; Foliente, G.

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes the development of an experimental research facility to assess the effectiveness of Phase Change Materials (PCM), that can be used for passive solar heating. Four test boxes are constructed representing the conventional and future Dutch building practices regarding insulation

  2. Optical microcavities based on surface modes in two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Sanshui; Qiu, M.

    2007-01-01

    Surface-mode optical microcavities based on two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals are studied. We demonstrate that a high-quality-factor microcavity can be easily realized in these structures. With an increasing of the cavity length, the quality factor is gr...... is gradually enhanced and the resonant frequency converges to that of the corresponding surface mode in the photonic crystals. These structures have potential applications such as sensing.......Surface-mode optical microcavities based on two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals are studied. We demonstrate that a high-quality-factor microcavity can be easily realized in these structures. With an increasing of the cavity length, the quality factor...

  3. EVALUATION OF THERMAL INSULATION FOR THREE DIFFERENT MATERIALS USED IN CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION OF EXTERNAL WALLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio Carlos Navroski

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Summers increasingly hot are bringing large thermal problems within homes and businesses, leading to increased demand for installation of air conditioners and the consequent high energy consumption. Constructions with thermal insulation on its external walls thatcould reduce energy use or even supply the use of such equipment. Due to these factors the present study was to evaluate the insulation in three boxes built with different materials, one made of wooden boards with plain walls, and two built with plywood, wall insulation andinterior walls filled with rice husk and Styrofoam®. The boxes were built after placed in drying oven at 40 °C, then noted the temperature inside the same interval every five minutes using a digital thermometer. The box with inner Styrofoam® showed the lowest variation among the three evaluated, followed by the box of rice husk. These two materials also showed good thermal initial, unlike the box built only with wood, which showed a large interiorheating, lay in a drying oven.

  4. Risk Assessment of Failure of Outdoor High Voltage Polluted Insulators under Combined Stresses Near Shoreline

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Majid Hussain

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate the various effects of climate conditions on outdoor insulators in coastal areas as a result of saline contamination under acidic and normal cold fog, determining significant electrical and physico-chemical changes on the insulator surface and considering the effect of discharge current, electric field distribution and surface roughness. To replicate similar conditions near the shoreline, experimental investigations have been carried out on insulation materials with the combined application of saline contamination and acidic or normal cold fog. The test samples included silicone rubber (SiR, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM and high-density polyethylene (HDPE, which were used as reference. The materials are of the same composition as those used in real-life outdoor high voltage insulators. All samples were aged separately in an environmental chamber for 150 h for various saline contaminations combined with acidic and normal cold fog, and were generated by means of the adopted experimental setup. This analysis represented conditions similar to those existing near the shoreline exposed to saline and acid spray during winter and early spring. Electric field and discharge current along polymeric samples were examined under acidic and normal cold fog. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopic (SEM were used to probe the physico-chemical changes on the samples surface and investigate the hydrophobicity recovery property after aging tests. Finally, a comparative study was carried out on polymeric samples before and after being exposed to the acidic and normal cold fog based on the results obtained from the experiment. Research data may provide references for the better prediction of surface degradation as well as for the better material coating and design of external insulation.

  5. Effect of air on speed of insulating material deterioration under simulated LOCA environment. [Gamma radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kusama, Yasuo; Yagi, Toshiaki; Ito, Masayuki; Okada, Sohei; Yoshikawa, Masato (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma. Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment)

    1982-12-01

    To examine the quality approval testing method for the electric cables used for nuclear reactors, various covering insulating materials employed for the cables have been investigated from all angles. The factors which are considered to affect the deterioration of cable materials in a simulated LOCA (loss of coolant accident) environmental test are numerous. This paper reports on the result of investigation on the effect of air on the rate of deterioration of various organic materials usually used as the insulating and covering materials for the cables. Five kinds of polymer sheets (1 mm thick) used for reactor cables were employed as samples. The samples of both standard compounding ratio and the compounding ratio for practical reactor use were tested. As the deterioration prior to LOCA simulation, the thermal deterioration corresponding to 40 years aging (at 121 deg C for 7 days) was given, and subsequently, 50 Mrad gamma -irradiation at 1 Mrad/h was performed in the air. After that, the samples were subject to LOCA simulated environment. Since the results were different according to the kinds of samples, those are described separately for Hypalon, ethylene propylene rubber, cross-linked polyethylene, chloroprene and silicone rubber. The existence of air under LOCA environment accelerated the deterioration of insulation materials except silicone rubber, though its influence differed to the polymers. These materials swelled in the presence of air, and the degree of swelling increased with the temperature, having the close relation to oxidation deterioration. Polyethylene was more susceptible to the effect of air, and silicone rubber was rather stable. The samples of fire-retardant compounding ratio more swelled by water absorption than those of standard compounding ratio.

  6. Cardboard Based Packaging Materials as Renewable Thermal Insulation of Buildings: Thermal and Life Cycle Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Čekon, Miroslav; Struhala, Karel; Slávik, Richard

    2017-01-01

    Cardboard based packaging components represent a material with a significant potential of renewable exploitation in buildings. This study presents the results of thermal and environmental analysis of existing packaging materials compared with standard conventional thermal insulations. Experimental measurements were performed to identify the thermal performance of studied cardboard packaging materials. Real-size samples were experimentally tested in laboratory measurements. The thermal resi...

  7. Analysis of copper contamination in transformer insulating material with nanosecond- and femtosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aparna, N.; Vasa, N. J.; Sarathi, R.

    2018-06-01

    This work examines the oil-impregnated pressboard insulation of high-voltage power transformers, for the determination of copper contamination. Nanosecond- and femtosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy revealed atomic copper lines and molecular copper monoxide bands due to copper sulphide diffusion. X-ray diffraction studies also indicated the presence of CuO emission. Elemental and molecular mapping compared transformer insulating material ageing in different media—air, N2, He and vacuum.

  8. An experimental study on thermal properties of composite insulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Gyoung-Seok [Building and Urban Research Department, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, 2311 Daehwa-Dong, Ilsanseo-Gu, Goyang-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 411-712 (Korea); College of Architecture, Hanyang University, 17, Hangdang-Dong, Sungdong-Gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea); Kang, Jae-Sik; Jeong, Young-Sun; Lee, Seung-Eon [Building and Urban Research Department, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, 2311 Daehwa-Dong, Ilsanseo-Gu, Goyang-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 411-712 (Korea); Sohn, Jang-Yeul [College of Architecture, Hanyang University, 17, Hangdang-Dong, Sungdong-Gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea)

    2007-04-01

    In accordance with the insulation standards reinforced since 2001 and the compulsory standards on floor impact sound insulation that have been enforced since 2004, insulation materials for actual buildings have been converted to composite materials and new insulation materials have been released in the market. However, Korea is lagging behind the world in fundamental experimental studies and resources. In case of some composite insulation materials, there also have been problems of distorted performance occurring as a result of tests being conducted without having verification and evaluation on the accuracy and inaccuracy of such tests. Therefore, this study grasped the thermal properties of composite insulation materials using thermal conductivity test equipment by heat flux method, and performed quantitative evaluation on the measurement precision and uncertainty of composite materials. (author)

  9. Thermal-Insulation Properties of Multilayer Textile Packages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matusiak Małgorzata

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Thermal-insulation properties of textile materials play a significant role in material engineering of protective clothing. Thermal-insulation properties are very important from the point of view of thermal comfort of the clothing user as well as the protective efficiency against low or high temperature. Thermal protective clothing usually is a multilayer construction. Its thermal insulation is a resultant of a number of layers and their order, as well as the thermalinsulation properties of a single textile material creating particular layers. The aim of the presented work was to investigate the relationships between the thermal-insulation properties of single materials and multilayer textile packages composed of these materials. Measurement of the thermal-insulation properties of single and multilayer textile materials has been performed with the Alambeta. The following properties have been investigated: thermal conductivity, resistance and absorptivity. Investigated textile packages were composed of two, three and four layers made of woven and knitted fabrics, as well as nonwovens. On the basis of the obtained results an analysis has been carried out in order to assess the dependency of the resultant values of the thermal-insulation properties of multilayer packages on the appropriate values of particular components.

  10. The dynamics of ultraviolet-induced oxygen vacancy at the surface of insulating SrTiO_3(0 0 1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suwanwong, S.; Eknapakul, T.; Rattanachai, Y.; Masingboon, C.; Rattanasuporn, S.; Phatthanakun, R.; Nakajima, H.; King, P.D.C.; Hodak, S.K.; Meevasana, W.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The dynamics of UV-induced oxygen vacancy is studied from the change of surface resistance. • The formation of 2DEG at the insulating surface of SrTiO_3 is confirmed by ARPES. • The UV-induced change in resistance responds differently to oxygen/gas exposure. • The behavior of resistance recovery suggests an alternative method of low-pressure sensing. - Abstract: The effect of ultra-violet (UV) irradiation on the electronic structure and the surface resistance of an insulating SrTiO_3(0 0 1) crystal is studied in this work. Upon UV irradiation, we show that the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) emerges at the insulating SrTiO_3 surface and there is a pronounced change in the surface resistance. By combining the observations of the change in valance band and the resistance change under different environments of gas pressure and gas species, we find that UV-induced oxygen vacancies at the surface plays a major role in the resistance change. The dynamic of the resistance change at different oxygen pressures also suggests an alternative method of low-pressure sensing.

  11. Stress-Dependent Voltage Offsets From Polymer Insulators Used in Rock Mechanics and Material Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, G. G.; Dahlgren, Robert; Gray, Amber; Vanderbilt, V. C.; Freund, F.; Johnston, M. J.; Dunson, C.

    2013-01-01

    Dielectric insulators are used in a variety of laboratory settings when performing experiments in rock mechanics, petrology, and electromagnetic studies of rocks in the fields of geophysics,material science, and civil engineering. These components may be used to electrically isolate geological samples from the experimental equipment, to perform a mechanical compliance function between brittle samples and the loading equipment, to match ultrasonic transducers, or perform other functions. In manyexperimental configurations the insulators bear the full brunt of force applied to the sample but do not need to withstand high voltages, therefore the insulators are often thin sheets of mechanically tough polymers. From an instrument perspective, transduction from various types of mechanical perturbation has beenqualitatively compared for a number of polymers [1, 2] and these error sources are readily apparent duringhigh-impedance measurements if not mitigated. However even when following best practices, a force dependent voltage signal still remains and its behavior is explored in this presentation. In this experimenttwo thin sheets (0.25 mm) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were set up in a stack, held alternatelybetween three aluminum bars; this stack was placed on the platen of a 60T capacity hydraulic testingmachine. The surface area, A, over which the force is applied to the PE sheets in this sandwich is roughly 40 square cm, each sheet forming a parallel-plate capacitor having roughly 320 pF [3], assuming therelative dielectric permittivity of PE is approximately 2.3. The outer two aluminum bars were connected to the LO input ofthe electrometer and the central aluminum bar was connected to the HI input of a Keithley model 617 electrometer. Once the stack is mechanically well-seated with no air gaps, the voltage offset is observed tobe a linear function of the baseline voltage for a given change in applied force. For a periodically appliedforce of 66.7 kN the

  12. Safety research of insulating materials of cable for nuclear power generating station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, C. K.; Choi, J. H.; Kong, Y. K.; Chang, H. S.

    1988-01-01

    The polymers PE, EPR, PVC, Neoprene, CSP, CLPE, EP and other similar substances are frequently used as insulation and protective covering for cables used in nuclear power generating stations. In order to test these materials for flame retardation, environmental resistance, and cable specifications, they were given the cable normal test, flame test, chemical tests, and subjected to design analysis and loss of coolant accident tests. Material was collected on spark tests and actual experience standards were established through these contributions and technology was accumulated.

  13. FOREWORD International Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valerio, Mário Ernesto Giroldo; Jackson, R. A.

    2010-11-01

    These proceedings represent a sample of the scientific works presented during ICDIM2008, the 16th International Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials, held at the Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil from 24-29 August 2008. The conference was the latest in a series which began at Argonne in 1956, and which has been held most recently in Riga, Latvia (2004) and Johannesburg, South Africa (2000). The conference was also related scientifically to the EURODIM series, which have been held most recently in Milan, Italy (2006), Wroclaw, Poland (2002) and Pecs, Hungary (2010). The aim of the conference was to bring together physicists, chemists and materials scientist to discuss defects in insulating materials and their effect on materials, including their optical, mass/charge transport, energy storage and sensor properties. The conference featured 6 plenary lectures, 60 contributed lectures and about 130 posters. The posters were displayed for the whole conference, but discussed in two three-hour sessions. We are grateful to the International Advisory Committee for suggesting invited speakers and to the Programme Committee for their help in refereeing all the abstracts and choosing the contributed oral contributions. We would also like to thank the Local Organising Committee and the Brazilian Physical Society for their help with local organisation and the online registration/payment process respectively. The chairpersons would like to specially thanks all the sponsors listed below for financial support. The Federal University of Sergipe, one of the public and 'free tuition' Universities of the Country, run by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, were pleased to host this 16th meeting, the first one in Latin America. Mario E G Valerio Conference Chair Robert A Jackson Programme Chair Conference Scope Scope of the Conference was the presentation of the latest investigations on point and extended defects in bulk materials and thin films. Technological

  14. Dissociative adsorption of environment-friendly insulating medium C3F7CN on Cu(111) and Al(111) surface: A theoretical evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Yi; Chen, Dachang; Xiao, Song; Tian, Shuangshuang; Tang, Ju; Wang, Dibo

    2018-03-01

    SF6 is extensively used in electrical applications because of its excellent insulation and arc extinguishing performance, but its strong greenhouse effect has negative impact on the atmosphere. The excellent performance of C3F7CN in greenhouse effect, insulation ability, safety, and thermal stability has been demonstrated, indicating that this compound can replace SF6 in electrical applications. However, little information is available on the compatibility of C3F7CN with metals, such as copper and aluminum, in devices. Material compatibility between new gas mixtures and materials used in Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) should be investigated to determine the long-term behavior of materials. In this paper, dissociative adsorption of C3F7CN on Cu (1 1 1) and Al (1 1 1) surfaces were analyzed based on density functional theory. Adsorption energy, charge transfer, density of states, and electron density difference of interaction between C3F7CN and two metals were analyzed. It was found that the adsorption energy of C3F7CN adsorbed on Cu (1 1 1) and Al (1 1 1) is both below 0.8 eV. This value indicates that the interaction between them is not very strong. In addition, the dissociation reaction path of gas molecules after adsorption requires certain activation energy. Therefore, C3F7CN and copper or aluminum have certain compatibility and the compatibility of C3F7CN with aluminum is better than that of copper. Related results provide a reference for predicting the aging mechanism of equipment and the selection or modification of major materials for equipment.

  15. Survey of thermal insulation systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinoshita, Izumi

    1983-01-01

    Better thermal insulations have been developed to meet the growing demands of industry, and studies on thermal insulation at both high temperature and low temperature have been widely performed. The purpose of this survey is to summarize data on the performances and characteristics of thermal insulation materials and thermal insulation structures (for instance, gas cooled reactors, space vehicles and LNG storage tanks), and to discuss ravious problems regarding the design of thermal insulation structures of pool-type LMFBRs. (author)

  16. Fabrication and characterization of Aerogel-Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) Insulation Film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noh, Yeoung ah; Song, Sinae; Taik Kim, Hee

    2018-03-01

    The building has a large impact on the space heating demand and the indoor environment is affected by climate or daylight. Hence, silica aerogel has generally used as a film to reduce the coefficient of the window in the building. Silica aerogel is a suitable material to apply for insulation material with lower thermal conductivity than that of air to save interior energy. However expensive precursor and drying process were the main issue of the silica aerogel synthesis and practical usage. We attempt to fabricate aerogel insulation film for energy saving through the economic process under ambient pressure. Silica aerogel was synthesized from rice husk ash, which was an agricultural waste to be able to recycle. Taguchi design was used to optimize the parameters (amount of rice husk ash, pH, aging time) controlling the surface area of silica aerogel. The silica aerogel is prepared by sol-gel processing through acidic treatment and aging. The silica aerogel was obtained by modification of silica hydrogel surface and dry at ambient pressure. Finally, aerogel film was respectively fabricated by the different content of aerogel in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Silica aerogel obtained 21 – 24nm average particle size was analyzed by SEM and silica aerogel with high surface area (832.26 m2/g), pore size ( 3.30nm ) was characterized by BET. Then silica Aerogel – PDMS insulation film with thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK) was analyzed by thermal wave system. The study demonstrates an eco-friendly and low-cost route toward silica – PDMS insulation film with low thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK).

  17. Quantum magnetotransport for the surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators in the presence of a Zeeman field

    KAUST Repository

    Tahir, Muhammad

    2013-05-01

    We show that the surface states of magnetic topological insulators realize an activated behavior and Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. Applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the topological insulator in the presence of Zeeman interaction, we investigate the opening of a gap at the Dirac point, making the surface Dirac fermions massive, and the effects on the transport properties. Analytical expressions are derived for the collisional conductivity for elastic impurity scattering in the first Born approximation. We also calculate the Hall conductivity using the Kubo formalism. Evidence for a transition from gapless to gapped surface states at n = 0 and activated transport is found from the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the collisional and Hall conductivities. © Copyright EPLA, 2013.

  18. Heat-insulating mortars for older buildings. Problem solutions for all kinds of building materials. Waermedaemmputze in der Altbausanierung. Problemloesungen auf allen Untergruenden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bresch, C M

    1988-01-01

    The book is a guideline for the renovation and sanitation of outer walls with improved thermal insulation. Heat-insulating mortars are described, and machines and equipment for efficient roughcasting are listed. Subjects: Heat-insulating mortars; protective cover and thermal insulation; surfaces to be plastered (old brick walls, house fronts, wall cracks); renovation or sanitation; colours and structures; manual and mechanized roughcasting; calculations; an exemplary case of sanitation, solutions for constructional details; light-weight mortar; heat-insulating mortars in Austria. (HWJ).

  19. Defect Detection of Adhesive Layer of Thermal Insulation Materials Based on Improved Particle Swarm Optimization of ECT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Yintang; Jia, Yao; Zhang, Yuyan; Luo, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Hongrui

    2017-10-25

    This paper studies the defect detection problem of adhesive layer of thermal insulation materials. A novel detection method based on an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is presented. Firstly, a least squares support vector machine is applied for data processing of measured capacitance values. Then, the improved PSO algorithm is proposed and applied for image reconstruction. Finally, some experiments are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in defect detection for adhesive layer of thermal insulation materials. The performance comparisons demonstrate that the proposed method has higher precision by comparing with traditional ECT algorithms.

  20. Molecular-beam epitaxial growth of insulating AlN on surface-controlled 6H-SiC substrate by HCl gas etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onojima, Norio; Suda, Jun; Matsunami, Hiroyuki

    2002-01-01

    Insulating AlN layers were grown on surface-controlled 6H-SiC subtrates by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) using elemental Al and rf plasma-excited nitrogen (N*). HCl gas etching was introduced as an effective pretreatment method of substrate for MBE growth of AlN. 6H-SiC substrates pretreated by HCl gas etching had no surface polishing scratches and an atomically flat surface. In addition, evident ( 3 √x 3 √)R30 deg. surface reconstruction was observed even before thermal cleaning. AlN layers grown on this substrate had no defects related to surface polishing scratches and excellent insulating characteristics

  1. Synthesis of one-dimensional metal-containing insulated molecular wire with versatile properties directed toward molecular electronics materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masai, Hiroshi; Terao, Jun; Seki, Shu; Nakashima, Shigeto; Kiguchi, Manabu; Okoshi, Kento; Fujihara, Tetsuaki; Tsuji, Yasushi

    2014-02-05

    We report, herein, the design, synthesis, and properties of new materials directed toward molecular electronics. A transition metal-containing insulated molecular wire was synthesized through the coordination polymerization of a Ru(II) porphyrin with an insulated bridging ligand of well-defined structure. The wire displayed not only high linearity and rigidity, but also high intramolecular charge mobility. Owing to the unique properties of the coordination bond, the interconversion between the monomer and polymer states was realized under a carbon monoxide atmosphere or UV irradiation. The results demonstrated a high potential of the metal-containing insulated molecular wire for applications in molecular electronics.

  2. 5th Duisburg thermal insulation days. Fuenfte Duisburger Waermedaemm-Tage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agst, J. (ed.)

    1989-01-01

    This volume contains 18 specialist lectures mainly about the problems of thermal insulation in industrial furnaces and facility engineering. Among the subjects are: formed parts, monolithic lining materials and fillers of vermiculite; pyro-block-modular systems for furnaces (of the company DYKO-Morgan Fasertechnik); microporous insulating materials (KAOWOOL); properties of lightweight refractory bricks; thermal insulation in induction furnaces; vacuum moulded parts in electric furnace engineering; high temperature insulating materials with ceramic fibres; microtherm insulating materials. (MM).

  3. Impact Verification of Aerogel Insulation Paint on Historic Brick Facades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganobjak, Michal; Kralova, Eva

    2017-10-01

    Increasing the sustainability of existing buildings is being motivated by reduction of their energy demands. It is the above all the building envelope and its refurbishment by substitution or addition of new materials that makes the opportunity for reduction of energy consumption. A special type of refurbishment is conservation of historical buildings. Preservation of historic buildings permits also application of innovative methods and materials in addition to the original materials if their effects are known and the gained experience ensures their beneficial effect. On the market, there are new materials with addition of silica aerogel in various forms of products. They are also potentially useful in conservation of monuments. However, the effects of aerogel application in these cases are not known. For refurbishment is commercially available additional transparent insulation paint - Nansulate Clear Coat which is containing aerogel and can be used for structured surfaces such as bricks. A series of experiments examined the thermo-physical manifestation of an ultra-thin insulation coating of Nansulate Clear Coat containing silica aerogel on a brick facade. The experiments of active and passive thermography have observed effects of application on the small-scale samples of the brick façade of a protected historical building. Through a series of experiments were measured thermal insulation effect and influence on the aesthetic characteristics such as change in colour and gloss. The treated samples were compared to a reference. Results have shown no thermal-insulating manifestation of the recommended three layers of insulation paint. The three layers recommended by the manufacturer did not significantly affect the appearance of the brick facade. Color and gloss were not significantly changed. Experiments showed the absence of thermal insulation effect of Nansulate transparent triple coating. The thermal insulation effect could likely be reached by more layers of

  4. APPLICATION OF POLYURETHANE FOAM FOR IMPACT ABSORPTION AND THERMAL INSULATION FOR RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS PACKAGINGS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, A; Glenn Abramczyk, G; Paul Blanton, P; Steve Bellamy, S; William Daugherty, W; Sharon Williamson, S

    2007-01-01

    Polyurethane foam has been widely used as an impact absorbing and thermal insulating material for large radioactive materials packages, since the 1980's. With the adoption of the regulatory crush test requirement, for smaller packages, polyurethane foam has been adopted as a replacement for cane fiberboard, because of its ability to withstand the crush test. Polyurethane foam is an engineered material whose composition is much more closely controlled than that of cane fiberboard. In addition, the properties of the foam can be controlled by controlling the density of the foam. The conditions under which the foam is formed, whether confined or unconfined have an affect on foam properties. The study reported here reviewed the application of polyurethane foam in RAM packagings and compared property values reported in the literature with published property values and test results for foam specimens taken from a prototype 9977 packaging. The study confirmed that, polyurethane foam behaves in a predictable and consistent manner and fully satisfies the functional requirements for impact absorption and thermal insulation

  5. Propagation Characteristics of Multilayer Hybrid Insulator-Metal-Insulator and Metal-Insulator-Metal Plasmonic Waveguides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Talafi Noghani

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Propagation characteristics of symmetrical and asymmetrical multilayer hybrid insulator-metal-insulator (HIMI and metal-insulator-metal (HMIM plasmonic slab waveguides are investigated using the transfer matrix method. Propagation length (Lp and spatial length (Ls are used as two figures of merit to qualitate the plasmonic waveguides. Symmetrical structures are shown to be more performant (having higher Lp and lower Ls, nevertheless it is shown that usage of asymmetrical geometry could compensate for the performance degradation in practically realized HIMI waveguides with different substrate materials. It is found that HMIM slab waveguide could support almost long-range subdiffraction plasmonic modes at dimensions lower than the spatial length of the HIMI slab waveguide.

  6. Topological surface states interacting with bulk excitations in the Kondo insulator SmB6 revealed via planar tunneling spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Wan Kyu; Sun, Lunan; Noddings, Alexander; Kim, Dae-Jeong; Fisk, Zachary; Greene, Laura H

    2016-06-14

    Samarium hexaboride (SmB6), a well-known Kondo insulator in which the insulating bulk arises from strong electron correlations, has recently attracted great attention owing to increasing evidence for its topological nature, thereby harboring protected surface states. However, corroborative spectroscopic evidence is still lacking, unlike in the weakly correlated counterparts, including Bi2Se3 Here, we report results from planar tunneling that unveil the detailed spectroscopic properties of SmB6 The tunneling conductance obtained on the (001) and (011) single crystal surfaces reveals linear density of states as expected for two and one Dirac cone(s), respectively. Quite remarkably, it is found that these topological states are not protected completely within the bulk hybridization gap. A phenomenological model of the tunneling process invoking interaction of the surface states with bulk excitations (spin excitons), as predicted by a recent theory, provides a consistent explanation for all of the observed features. Our spectroscopic study supports and explains the proposed picture of the incompletely protected surface states in this topological Kondo insulator SmB6.

  7. Optical Manipulation and Detection of Emergent Phenomena in Topological Insulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gedik, Nuh [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics

    2017-02-17

    The three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) is a new quantum phase of matter that exhibits quantum-Hall-like properties, even in the absence of an external magnetic field. These materials are insulators in the bulk but have a topologically protected conducting state at the surface. Charge carriers on these surface states behave like a two-dimensional gas of massless helical Dirac fermions for which the spin is ideally locked perpendicular to the momentum. The purpose of this project is to probe the unique collective electronic behaviors of topological insulators by developing and using advanced time resolved spectroscopic techniques with state-of-the-art temporal and spatial resolutions. The nature of these materials requires development of specialized ultrafast techniques (such as time resolved ARPES that also has spin detection capability, ultrafast electron diffraction that has sub-100 fs time resolution and THz magneto-spectroscopy). The focus of this report is to detail our achievements in terms of establishing state of the art experimental facilities. Below, we will describe achievements under this award for the entire duration of five years. We will focus on detailing the development of ultrafast technqiues here. The details of the science that was done with these technqiues can be found in the publications referencing this grant.

  8. Quantum and Classical Optics of Plasmonic Systems: 3D/2D Materials and Photonic Topological Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassani Gangaraj, Seyyed Ali

    analysis of the Green's function for the surface plasmonic wave contribution of the Sommerfeld integral. The Sommerfeld integral form of the Green's function can be time-consuming to evaluate, and here, it has been shown that for the surface waves, this integral can be evaluated efficiently as a mixture of continuous and discrete spectrums associated to the radiation of the source into the ambient space and energy coupled to the SPPs. Graphene strip arrays provide directive surface waves in the low THz regime, and unperturbed black phosphorus provides a similar response for higher frequency ranges. All plasmonic devices are impacted by SPP diffraction at surface defects and discontinuities. In particular, for reciprocal materials a surface defect/discontinuity can both scatter a forward mode into a backward mode (and vice versa) and cause significant radiation/diffraction of the SPP. The presence of a backward state comes from time reversal (TR) symmetry; when broken, a backward state may be absent, and reflection at a discontinuity can be suppressed. As a result, surface energy becomes unidirectional and follows the contour of the interface. This type of system can be broadly classified as a photonic topological insulators (PTIs). The properties of PTIs are quantified by the Berry phase, Berry connection, and an invariant known as the Chern number. Also the physical meaning of the Berry phase, connection, and curvature, how these quantities arise in electromagnetic problems, and the significance of Chern numbers for unidirectional, scattering-immune surface wave propagation are discussed. The Chern numbers for the electromagnetic modes supported by a biased plasma have been calculated. It has been demonstrated that the modes supported by biased plasmas indeed possess non-trivial Chern numbers, which leads to the propagation of a topologically protected and unidirectional surface modes (energy) at the interface between the biased plasma and topologically trivial material

  9. Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A.

    2013-01-01

    The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A. [MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

    2013-02-15

    The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  11. Research on vacuum insulation for cryocables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graneau, P.

    1974-01-01

    Vacuum insulation, as compared with solid insulation, simplifies the construction of both resistive or superconducting cryogenic cables. The common vacuum space in the cable can furnish thermal insulation between the environment and the cryogenic coolant, provide electrical insulation between conductors, and establish thermal isolation between go- and return-coolant streams. The differences between solid and vacuum high voltage insulation are discussed, and research on the design, materials selection, and testing of vacuum insulated cryogenic cables is described

  12. Uncertainty relations and topological-band insulator transitions in 2D gapped Dirac materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romera, E; Calixto, M

    2015-01-01

    Uncertainty relations are studied for a characterization of topological-band insulator transitions in 2D gapped Dirac materials isostructural with graphene. We show that the relative or Kullback–Leibler entropy in position and momentum spaces, and the standard variance-based uncertainty relation give sharp signatures of topological phase transitions in these systems. (paper)

  13. Molecular dynamics study of water molecule diffusion in oil-paper insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Ruijin; Zhu Mengzhao; Yang Lijun; Zhou Xin; Gong Chunyan

    2011-01-01

    Moisture is an important factor that influences the safe operation of transformers. In this study, molecular dynamics was employed to investigate the diffusion behavior of water molecules in the oil-paper insulation materials of transformers. Two oil-cellulose models were built. In the first model, water molecules were initially distributed in oil, and in the second model, water molecules were distributed in cellulose. The non-bonding energies of interaction between water molecules and oil, and between water molecules and cellulose, were calculated by the Dreiding force field. The interaction energy was found to play a dominant role in influencing the equilibrium distribution of water molecules. The radial direction functions of water molecules toward oil and cellulose indicate that the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and cellulose are sufficiently strong to withstand the operating temperature of the transformer. Mean-square displacement analysis of water molecules diffusion suggests that water molecules initially distributed in oil showed anisotropic diffusion; they tended to diffuse toward cellulose. Water molecules initially distributed in cellulose diffused isotropically. This study provides a theoretical contribution for improvements in online monitoring of water in transformers, and for subsequent research on new insulation materials.

  14. Molecular dynamics study of water molecule diffusion in oil-paper insulation materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liao Ruijin [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Zhu Mengzhao, E-mail: xiaozhupost@163.co [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yang Lijun; Zhou Xin; Gong Chunyan [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

    2011-03-01

    Moisture is an important factor that influences the safe operation of transformers. In this study, molecular dynamics was employed to investigate the diffusion behavior of water molecules in the oil-paper insulation materials of transformers. Two oil-cellulose models were built. In the first model, water molecules were initially distributed in oil, and in the second model, water molecules were distributed in cellulose. The non-bonding energies of interaction between water molecules and oil, and between water molecules and cellulose, were calculated by the Dreiding force field. The interaction energy was found to play a dominant role in influencing the equilibrium distribution of water molecules. The radial direction functions of water molecules toward oil and cellulose indicate that the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and cellulose are sufficiently strong to withstand the operating temperature of the transformer. Mean-square displacement analysis of water molecules diffusion suggests that water molecules initially distributed in oil showed anisotropic diffusion; they tended to diffuse toward cellulose. Water molecules initially distributed in cellulose diffused isotropically. This study provides a theoretical contribution for improvements in online monitoring of water in transformers, and for subsequent research on new insulation materials.

  15. Weak antilocalization and universal conductance fluctuations in bismuth telluro-sulfide topological insulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trivedi, Tanuj, E-mail: tanuj@utexas.edu; Sonde, Sushant; Movva, Hema C. P.; Banerjee, Sanjay K., E-mail: banerjee@ece.utexas.edu [Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States)

    2016-02-07

    We report on van der Waals epitaxial growth, materials characterization, and magnetotransport experiments in crystalline nanosheets of Bismuth Telluro-Sulfide (BTS). Highly layered, good-quality crystalline nanosheets of BTS are obtained on SiO{sub 2} and muscovite mica. Weak-antilocalization (WAL), electron-electron interaction-driven insulating ground state and universal conductance fluctuations are observed in magnetotransport experiments on BTS devices. Temperature, thickness, and magnetic field dependence of the transport data indicate the presence of two-dimensional surface states along with bulk conduction, in agreement with theoretical models. An extended-WAL model is proposed and utilized in conjunction with a two-channel conduction model to analyze the data, revealing a surface component and evidence of multiple conducting channels. A facile growth method and detailed magnetotransport results indicating BTS as an alternative topological insulator material system are presented.

  16. Material-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, D.K.; Potter, T.F.

    1996-10-08

    A compact vacuum insulation panel is described comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning ``on`` and ``off`` the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls. 25 figs.

  17. The dynamics of ultraviolet-induced oxygen vacancy at the surface of insulating SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suwanwong, S. [School of Physics, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Program in General Science Teaching, Faculty of Education, Vongchavalitkul University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Eknapakul, T. [School of Physics, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Rattanachai, Y. [Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Masingboon, C. [School of Physics, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kasetsart University, Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47000 (Thailand); Rattanasuporn, S.; Phatthanakun, R.; Nakajima, H. [Synchrotron Light Research Institute, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); King, P.D.C. [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Hodak, S.K. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Meevasana, W., E-mail: worawat@g.sut.ac.th [School of Physics, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); NANOTEC-SUT Center of Excellence on Advanced Functional Nanomaterials, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, CHE, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • The dynamics of UV-induced oxygen vacancy is studied from the change of surface resistance. • The formation of 2DEG at the insulating surface of SrTiO{sub 3} is confirmed by ARPES. • The UV-induced change in resistance responds differently to oxygen/gas exposure. • The behavior of resistance recovery suggests an alternative method of low-pressure sensing. - Abstract: The effect of ultra-violet (UV) irradiation on the electronic structure and the surface resistance of an insulating SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) crystal is studied in this work. Upon UV irradiation, we show that the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) emerges at the insulating SrTiO{sub 3} surface and there is a pronounced change in the surface resistance. By combining the observations of the change in valance band and the resistance change under different environments of gas pressure and gas species, we find that UV-induced oxygen vacancies at the surface plays a major role in the resistance change. The dynamic of the resistance change at different oxygen pressures also suggests an alternative method of low-pressure sensing.

  18. Peierls instability as the insulating origin of the Na/Si(111)-(3 × 1) surface with a Na coverage of 2/3 monolayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Myung Ho; Kwon, Se Gab; Jung, Sung Chul

    2018-03-01

    Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to investigate the insulating origin of the Na/Si(111)-(3 × 1) surface with a Na coverage of 2/3 monolayers. In the coverage definition, one monolayer refers to one Na atom per surface Si atom, so this surface contains an odd number of electrons (i.e., three Si dangling-bond electrons plus two Na electrons) per 3 × 1 unit cell. Interestingly, this odd-electron surface has been ascribed to a Mott-Hubbard insulator to account for the measured insulating band structure with a gap of about 0.8 eV. Here, we instead propose a Peierls instability as the origin of the experimental band gap. The concept of Peierls instability is fundamental in one-dimensional metal systems but has not been taken into account in previous studies of this surface. Our DFT calculations demonstrate that the linear chain structure of Si dangling bonds in this surface is energetically unstable with respect to a × 2 buckling modulation, and the buckling-induced band gap of 0.79 eV explains well the measured insulating nature.

  19. Lambda as a factor for saving energy. When are special high-performance insulating materials worthwhile?; Einsparfaktor Lambda. Wann rechnen sich besonders leistungsfaehige Daemmstoffe?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tornow, Sven-Erik [Arbeitskreis Baufachpresse e.V., Koeln (Germany)

    2011-01-15

    The probably most important criterion of an insulating material is its specific thermal conductivity. The so-called lambda value describes the amount of heat which flows in one second at a temperature difference of one Kelvin through one square meters of a one meter thick layer of a material. The lower the lambda-value, the much better. While usual insulating materials exist in the heat conductance stages 035 to 045, in the meantime the manufactures overestimate oneself with super-insulating materials whose thermal conductivity reach a value of 0.019. VIP panels have a heat conductivity to approximately 0.006 W/(m{sup 2} K). This is a high damming performance,which has its price.

  20. Influence of copper on the by-products of different oil-paper insulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao Jian; Liao Ruijin; Chen, George; Ma Chao

    2011-01-01

    Transformer failure caused by the corrosion of copper material in transformer attracts great attention of researchers and engineers. In this paper, Karamay No. 25 naphthenic mineral oil, Karamay No. 25 paraffinic mineral oil, Kraft paper and copper were used to compose four combinations of oil-paper insulation samples. The ageing by-products and dielectric properties of the four combinations of oil-paper insulation samples were compared after they were thermally aged at 130 deg. C. The influence of copper on the by-products and dielectric properties of different oil-paper insulations was obtained. The results show that copper can accelerate the ageing rate of insulation oils and reduce their AC breakdown voltage. The content of copper substance dissolved in insulating oil increases with ageing time at first and then decreases. The paper aged in the oil-paper insulation sample with copper has higher moisture content than the one without copper. Results of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) show that there is copper product deposited on the surface of insulation paper. The insulation oil and paper aged in the oil-paper insulation sample with copper have higher dielectric loss and conductivity than that without copper.

  1. Influence of copper on the by-products of different oil-paper insulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao Jian; Liao Ruijin [State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University (China); Chen, George [School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton (United Kingdom); Ma Chao, E-mail: cquhaojian@126.com [Gansu Electric Power Research Institute (China)

    2011-08-12

    Transformer failure caused by the corrosion of copper material in transformer attracts great attention of researchers and engineers. In this paper, Karamay No. 25 naphthenic mineral oil, Karamay No. 25 paraffinic mineral oil, Kraft paper and copper were used to compose four combinations of oil-paper insulation samples. The ageing by-products and dielectric properties of the four combinations of oil-paper insulation samples were compared after they were thermally aged at 130 deg. C. The influence of copper on the by-products and dielectric properties of different oil-paper insulations was obtained. The results show that copper can accelerate the ageing rate of insulation oils and reduce their AC breakdown voltage. The content of copper substance dissolved in insulating oil increases with ageing time at first and then decreases. The paper aged in the oil-paper insulation sample with copper has higher moisture content than the one without copper. Results of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) show that there is copper product deposited on the surface of insulation paper. The insulation oil and paper aged in the oil-paper insulation sample with copper have higher dielectric loss and conductivity than that without copper.

  2. Measurement of the quantum capacitance from two-dimensional surface state of a topological insulator at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Hyunwoo, E-mail: chw0089@gmail.com [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.kr [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Changhwan, E-mail: cshin@uos.ac.kr [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • The quantum capacitance in topological insulator (TI) at room temperature is directly revealed. • The physical origin of quantum capacitance, the two dimensional surface state of TI, is experimentally validated. • Theoretically calculated results of ideal quantum capacitance can well predict the experimental data. - Abstract: A topological insulator (TI) is a new kind of material that exhibits unique electronic properties owing to its topological surface state (TSS). Previous studies focused on the transport properties of the TSS, since it can be used as the active channel layer in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). However, a TI with a negative quantum capacitance (QC) effect can be used in the gate stack of MOSFETs, thereby facilitating the creation of ultra-low power electronics. Therefore, it is important to study the physics behind the QC in TIs in the absence of any external magnetic field, at room temperature. We fabricated a simple capacitor structure using a TI (TI-capacitor: Au-TI-SiO{sub 2}-Si), which shows clear evidence of QC at room temperature. In the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement, the total capacitance of the TI-capacitor increases in the accumulation regime, since QC is the dominant capacitive component in the series capacitor model (i.e., C{sub T}{sup −1} = C{sub Q}{sup −1} + C{sub SiO2}{sup −1}). Based on the QC model of the two-dimensional electron systems, we quantitatively calculated the QC, and observed that the simulated C-V curve theoretically supports the conclusion that the QC of the TI-capacitor is originated from electron–electron interaction in the two-dimensional surface state of the TI.

  3. Timber Chips as the Insulation Material for Energy Saving in Prefabricated Offices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yupeng Wang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This research demonstrates the feasibility of a roof insulation method for prefabricated offices that uses vinyl packed timber chips to reduce air conditioning loads (hereinafter referred to as AC loads and which also improves indoor thermal comfort. The advantages of the new roof insulation method were revealed through comparing the impacts of four roof types on prefabricated offices. The AC load and indoor thermal comfort (surface temperature and air temperature were evaluated. The disposal of scrap timber discarded from building construction projects is costing money, and is also a waste of natural resources. The assessment of a new roof insulation method with timber chips demonstrates the advanced usage of timber chips, reducing the environmental load in the building construction process. On the other hand, since prefabricated offices have lower thermal storage capacities and are less airtight than RC (reinforced concrete or S (steel structured buildings, the AC load consumption and indoor thermal comfort exacerbation in prefabricated offices is more serious. Especially in summer, a large amount of solar energy absorption from the roof raises the indoor air temperature and significantly increases the cooling load. This research contributes to the environmental design for prefabricated offices, and develops a method for the reuse of wood chips.

  4. Electrical resistivity study of insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liesegang, J.; Senn, B.C.; Holcombe, S.R.; Pigram, P.J.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Conventional methods of electrical resistivity measurement of dielectric materials involve the application of electrodes to a sample whereby a potential is applied and a current through the material is measured. Although great care and ingenuity has often been applied to this technique, the recorded values of electrical resistivity (p), especially for insulator materials, show great disparity. In earlier work by the authors, a method for determining surface charge decay [Q(t)], using a coaxial cylindrical capacitor arrangement interfaced to a personal computer, was adapted to allow the relatively straightforward measurement of electrical resistivity in the surface region of charged insulator materials. This method was used to develop an ionic charge transport theory, based on Mott-Gurney diffusion to allow a greater understanding into charge transport behaviour. This theory was extended using numerical analysis to produce a two dimensional (2-D) computational model to allow the direct comparison between experimental and theoretical charge decay data. The work also provided a means for the accurate determination of the diffusion coefficient (D) and the layer of thickness of surface charge (Δz) on the sample. The work outlined here involves an extension of the theoretical approach previously taken, using a computational model based more closely on the 3-D experimental set-up, to reinforce the level of confidence in the results achieved for the simpler 2-D treatment. Initially, a 3-D rectangular box arrangement similar to the experimental set-up was modelled and a theoretical and experimental comparison of voltage decay results made. This model was then transferred into cylindrical coordinates to allow it to be almost identical to the experiment and again a comparison made. In addition, theoretical analysis of the coupled non-linear partial differential equations governing the charge dissipation process has led to a simplification involving directly, the

  5. Aerogel nanocomposite materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunt, A.J.; Ayers, M.; Cao, W. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, CA (United States)] [and others

    1995-05-01

    Aerogels are porous, low density, nanostructured solids with many unusual properties including very low thermal conductivity, good transparency, high surface area, catalytic activity, and low sound velocity. This research is directed toward developing new nanocomposite aerogel materials for improved thermal insulation and several other applications. A major focus of the research has been to further increase the thermal resistance of silica aerogel by introducing infrared opacification agents into the aerogel to produce a superinsulating composite material. Opacified superinsulating aerogel permit a number of industrial applications for aerogel-based insulation. The primary benefits from this recently developed superinsulating composite aerogel insulation are: to extend the range of applications to higher temperatures, to provide a more compact insulation for space sensitive-applications, and to lower costs of aerogel by as much as 30%. Superinsulating aerogels can replace existing CFC-containing polyurethane in low temperature applications to reduce heat losses in piping, improve the thermal efficiency of refrigeration systems, and reduce energy losses in a variety of industrial applications. Enhanced aerogel insulation can also replace steam and process pipe insulation in higher temperature applications to substantially reduce energy losses and provide much more compact insulation.

  6. Results of the research on electrode and insulation wall material in fiscal 1977. Large scale technological development 'R and D on magneto hydrodynamic generation'; 1977 nendo denkyoku oyobi zetsuenheki zairyo ni kansuru kenkyu seika

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1978-06-01

    Results of research in fiscal 1977 were compiled concerning electrodes and insulation wall materials, the research conducted by the material working group of the magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) generation R and D liaison conference. Researches on trial manufacturing of duct materials for MHD generation were conducted for a Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-MgO, Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}-Spinel, Spinel and Sialon based insulation wall material, MgO-BN based insulation wall material, tin oxide based electrode material, cold press ZrO{sub 2}-CeO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 2} based electrode material, hot press hot hydrostatic pressure ZrO{sub 2}-CeO{sub 2} based electrode material, cermet based electrode material, etc. In the investigation and measurement of basic characteristics, these materials were put through various tests such as 1,300 degree C-300 hr-K{sub 2}SO{sub 4} immersion test, thermal shock resistance, thermal expansibility, oxidation resistance of oxide/nitride based materials. In addition, selection of materials for MHD generation, as well as the examination and degradation analysis of dynamic characteristics, was carried out by simulation of MHD generation, which provided data of various electrodes such as consumption, electrical characteristics (electrode lowering voltage, critical current, etc.) and thermal characteristics (surface temperature, heat flow velocity, etc.) (NEDO)

  7. Development and preliminary experimental study on micro-stacked insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Chengyan; Yuan Weiqun; Zhang Dongdong; Yan Ping; Wang Jue

    2009-01-01

    High gradient insulating technology is one of the key technologies in new type dielectric wall accelerator(DWA). High gradient insulator, namely micro-stacked insulator, was developed and preliminary experimental study was done. Based on the finite element and particle simulating method, surface electric field distribution and electron movement track of micro-stacked insulator were numerated, and then the optimized design proposal was put forward. Using high temperature laminated method, we developed micro-stacked insulator samples which uses exhaustive fluorinated ethylene propylene(FEP) as dielectric layer and stainless steel as metal layer. Preliminary experiment of vacuum surface flashover in nanosecond pulse voltage was done and micro-stacked insulator exhibited favorable vacuum surface flashover performance with flashover field strength of near 180 kV/cm. (authors)

  8. Interplay between surface and bulk states in the Topological Kondo Insulator SmB6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Sangram; Hatnean, Monica Ciomaga; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Bid, Aveek

    Kondo insulator SmB6 is predicted to have topologically protected conducting surface states(TSS). We have studied electrical transport through surface states(SS) at ultra-low temperatures in single crystals of SmB6 using local-nonlocal transport scheme and found a large nonlocal signal at temperatures lower than bulk Kondo gap scale. Using resistance fluctuation spectroscopy, we probed the local and nonlocal transport channels and showed that at low temperatures, transport in this system takes place only through SS. The measured noise in this temperature range arises due to Universal Conductance Fluctuations whose statistics was found to be consistent with theoretical predictions for that of 2D systems in the Symplectic symmetry class. We studied the temperature dependence of noise and found that, unlike the topological insulators of the dichalcogenide family, the noise in surface and bulk conduction channels in SmB6 are uncorrelated - at sufficiently low temperatures, the bulk has no discernible contribution to electrical transport in SmB6 making it an ideal platform for probing the physics of TSS. Nanomission, Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Indian Institute of Scienc and EPSRC, UK, Grant EP/L014963/1.

  9. Realization of a Hole-Doped Mott Insulator on a Triangular Silicon Lattice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ming, Fangfei; Johnston, Steve; Mulugeta, Daniel; Smith, Tyler S.; Vilmercati, Paolo; Lee, Geunseop; Maier, Thomas A.; Snijders, Paul C.; Weitering, Hanno H.

    2017-12-01

    The physics of doped Mott insulators is at the heart of some of the most exotic physical phenomena in materials research including insulator-metal transitions, colossal magnetoresistance, and high-temperature superconductivity in layered perovskite compounds. Advances in this field would greatly benefit from the availability of new material systems with a similar richness of physical phenomena but with fewer chemical and structural complications in comparison to oxides. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we show that such a system can be realized on a silicon platform. The adsorption of one-third monolayer of Sn atoms on a Si(111) surface produces a triangular surface lattice with half filled dangling bond orbitals. Modulation hole doping of these dangling bonds unveils clear hallmarks of Mott physics, such as spectral weight transfer and the formation of quasiparticle states at the Fermi level, well-defined Fermi contour segments, and a sharp singularity in the density of states. These observations are remarkably similar to those made in complex oxide materials, including high-temperature superconductors, but highly extraordinary within the realm of conventional s p -bonded semiconductor materials. It suggests that exotic quantum matter phases can be realized and engineered on silicon-based materials platforms.

  10. Aharonov–Bohm interference in topological insulator nanoribbons

    KAUST Repository

    Peng, Hailin; Lai, Keji; Kong, Desheng; Meister, Stefan; Chen, Yulin; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Zhang, Shou-Cheng; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Cui, Yi

    2009-01-01

    Topological insulators represent unusual phases of quantum matter with an insulating bulk gap and gapless edges or surface states. The two-dimensional topological insulator phase was predicted in HgTe quantum wells and confirmed by transport

  11. THE INFLUENCE OF ECOLOGICAL MATERIALS EMBEDDED INTO COMPOSITES UPON THE THERMAL INSULATING CAPACITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luminiţa-Maria BRENCI

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the results of a research performed in order to design and manufacture composites that embed in their structure ecological raw materials, such as wood chips and hemp hurds. The thermal conductivity was determined for a temperature difference (ΔT of 200 C between the cold plate and warm plate and the measurements were done in eight points. The results showed that the best insulating composite material was obtained for the structure containing equal shares of wood chips and chopped hemp

  12. Development of polymer concrete for dike insulation at LNG facilities: Phase 4, Low cost materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kukacka, L.E.

    1991-01-01

    Earlier GRI-sponsored work at Brookhaven National Laboratory has resulted in the development and utilization of insulating polymer concrete composites (IPC) as a means of reducing the evaporation rate of liquified natural gas in the event of a spill into a containment dike, thereby improving the safety at these sites. Although all of the required properties can be attained with the IPC, it was estimated that a low-cost replacement for the expensive organic binder would be necessary before use of the material would be cost-effective. In the current program, several latex modified cement formulations were evaluated and the most promising one identified. A mixture of two carboxylated styrene-butadiene latexes was selected for use in detailed laboratory property characterizations and a subsequent field evaluation. When compared to the properties of IPC, the latex-modified insulating materials display somewhat higher thermal conductivities, greater permeability to water, and reduced strength. However, these properties still meet most of the performance criteria, and the unit cost of the material is less than one-fifth that of IPC made with epoxy binders. When installed as a 0.75-in. thick overlay, material costs are estimated to be $1.00/ft{sup 2}.

  13. 2D particle-in-cell simulation of the entire process of surface flashover on insulator in vacuum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongguang; Zhang, Jianwei; Li, Yongdong; Lin, Shu; Zhong, Pengfeng; Liu, Chunliang

    2018-04-01

    With the introduction of an external circuit model and a gas desorption model, the surface flashover on the plane insulator-vacuum interface perpendicular to parallel electrodes is simulated by a Particle-In-Cell method. It can be seen from simulations that when the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) occurs, the current sharply increases because of the influence of the insulator surface charge on the cathode field emission. With the introduction of the gas desorption model, the current keeps on increasing after SEEA, and then the feedback of the external circuit causes the voltage between the two electrodes to decrease. The cathode emission current decreases, while the anode current keeps growing. With the definition that flashover occurs when the diode voltage drops by more than 20%, we obtained the simulated flashover voltage which agrees with the experimental value with the use of the field enhancement factor β = 145 and the gas molecule desorption coefficient γ=0.25 . From the simulation results, we can also see that the time delay of flashover decreases exponentially with voltage. In addition, from the gas desorption model, the gas density on the insulator surface is found to be proportional to the square of the gas desorption rate and linear with time.

  14. Colloquium 3: Thermal insulation materials in construction and in high-temperature plants. Lectures; Kolloquium 3: Waermedaemmstoffe im Bauwesen und in Hochtemperaturanlagen. Vortraege

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schlegel, E.; Gross, U.; Walter, G. [comps.

    1999-07-01

    Colloquium 3, ''Thermal insulation materials in construction and in high-temperature plants'' focused, for one thing, on the inter-relationships between the development of thermal insulation materials for construction and high-temperature applications and the development of processes and plants and, for another, on the standards of and amendments to the thermal protection ordinance. Calcium silicate and Silcapor as a thermal protection material and a high-temperature thermal insulant, respectively, are dealt with inter alia. The use of thermal insulants in industrial furnaces and different methods for measuring thermal conductivity are described. Further topics are the elements of the energy conservation ordinance being drafted, and thermal-insulation construction materials such as bricks and foam mortar. Ten papers are individually listed in the Energy database. (orig.) [German] Im Mittelpunkt des Kolloquium 3 ''Waermedaemmstoffe im Bauwesen und in Hochtemperaturanlagen'' stehen die wechselseitigen Zusammenhaenge zwischen der Entwicklung von Waermedaemmstoffen fuer das Bauwesen und die Hochtemperaturanwendung einerseits und der Prozess-und Anlagenentwicklung anderseits sowie die Normung und die Novellierung der Waermeschutzverordnung. Es wird u.a. auf den Waermedaemmstoff Calciumsilicat eingegangen ebensowie auf Silcapor als Hochtemperaturd ammstoff. Der Einsatz von Waermedaemmstoffen in Industrieoefen sowie die unterschiedlichen Messmethoden der Waermeleitfaehigkeit werden beschrieben. Weitere Themen sind die Grundlagen der kuenftigen Energiesparverordnung sowie waermedaemmende Baustoffe wie Ziegel und Porenbeton. Fuer die Datenbank Energy wurden zehn Arbeiten separat aufgenommen.

  15. Strong correlation effects on surfaces of topological insulators via holography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Yunseok; Song, Geunho; Sin, Sang-Jin

    2017-07-01

    We investigate the effects of strong correlation on the surface state of a topological insulator (TI). We argue that electrons in the regime of crossover from weak antilocalization to weak localization are strongly correlated, and calculate the magnetotransport coefficients of TIs using the gauge-gravity principle. Then, we examine the magnetoconductivity (MC) formula and find excellent agreement with the data of chrome-doped Bi2Te3 in the crossover regime. We also find that the cusplike peak in MC at low doping is absent, which is natural since quasiparticles disappear due to the strong correlation.

  16. Compliance of Bombardier's Challenger 604 and CRJ200 to FAR25.856(a) : flame propagation of thermal/acoustic insulation materials and future trends in aircraft materials fire safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lewis, W.R. [Bombardier, Montreal, PQ (Canada); Schofield, C.M.A. [Transport Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

    2007-07-01

    This paper provided details of a testing program designed to ensure the compliance of Bombardier's Challenger 604 to new rules established to improve flammability standards for thermal and acoustic insulation materials. The rule applied to both pressurized and unpressurized sections of the fuselage, as well as to ducting, sound damping foams, and insulation bags. Test samples of all non-metallic insulation components were collected. Testing of the samples was conducted in a chamber with an ignition source as well as a controlled heat flux provided by a radiant panel. The new rules were discussed as well as challenges faced by industry which will have to show compliance for flame propagation requirements. Issues related to the in-service replacement of thermal and acoustic insulation materials were reviewed along with potential changes to flammability regulations. Materials used by Bombardier for compliant constructions were also listed. It was concluded that the safety of airplane occupants will be improved through compliance to new testing methods under harsher fire threat conditions, with more stringent pass and fail criteria. 15 refs., 5 figs.

  17. Interfacial Coatings for Inorganic Composite Insulation Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hooker, M. W.; Fabian, P. E.; Stewart, M. W.; Grandlienard, S. D.; Kano, K. S.

    2006-01-01

    Inorganic (ceramic) insulation materials are known to have good radiation resistance and desirable electrical and mechanical properties at cryogenic and elevated temperatures. In addition, ceramic materials can withstand the high-temperature reaction cycle used with Nb3Sn superconductor materials, allowing the insulation to be co-processed with the superconductor in a wind-and-react fabrication process. A critical aspect in the manufacture of ceramic-based insulation systems is the deposition of suitable fiber-coating materials that prevent chemical reaction of the fiber and matrix materials, and thus provide a compliant interface between the fiber and matrix, which minimizes the impact of brittle failure of the ceramic matrix. Ceramic insulation produced with CTD-FI-202 fiber interfaces have been found to exhibit very high shear and compressive strengths. However, this material is costly to produce. Thus, the goal of the present work is to evaluate alternative, lower-cost materials and processes. A variety of oxide and polyimide coatings were evaluated, and one commercially available polyimide coating has been shown to provide some improvement as compared to uncoated and de-sized S2 glass

  18. Ripple-modulated electronic structure of a 3D topological insulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okada, Yoshinori; Zhou, Wenwen; Walkup, D; Dhital, Chetan; Wilson, Stephen D; Madhavan, V

    2012-01-01

    Three-dimensional topological insulators host linearly dispersing states with unique properties and a strong potential for applications. An important ingredient in realizing some of the more exotic states in topological insulators is the ability to manipulate local electronic properties. Direct analogy to the Dirac material graphene suggests that a possible avenue for controlling local properties is via a controlled structural deformation such as the formation of ripples. However, the influence of such ripples on topological insulators is yet to be explored. Here we use scanning tunnelling microscopy to determine the effects of one-dimensional buckling on the electronic properties of Bi(2)Te(3.) By tracking spatial variations of the interference patterns generated by the Dirac electrons we show that buckling imposes a periodic potential, which locally modulates the surface-state dispersion. This suggests that forming one- and two-dimensional ripples is a viable method for creating nanoscale potential landscapes that can be used to control the properties of Dirac electrons in topological insulators.

  19. 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.

  20. Ambipolar field effect in the ternary topological insulator (BixSb1–x)2Te3 by composition tuning

    KAUST Repository

    Kong, Desheng

    2011-10-02

    Topological insulators exhibit a bulk energy gap and spin-polarized surface states that lead to unique electronic properties 1-9, with potential applications in spintronics and quantum information processing. However, transport measurements have typically been dominated by residual bulk charge carriers originating from crystal defects or environmental doping 10-12, and these mask the contribution of surface carriers to charge transport in these materials. Controlling bulk carriers in current topological insulator materials, such as the binary sesquichalcogenides Bi 2Te 3, Sb 2Te 3 and Bi 2Se 3, has been explored extensively by means of material doping 8,9,11 and electrical gating 13-16, but limited progress has been made to achieve nanostructures with low bulk conductivity for electronic device applications. Here we demonstrate that the ternary sesquichalcogenide (Bi xSb 1-x) 2Te 3 is a tunable topological insulator system. By tuning the ratio of bismuth to antimony, we are able to reduce the bulk carrier density by over two orders of magnitude, while maintaining the topological insulator properties. As a result, we observe a clear ambipolar gating effect in (Bi xSb 1-x) 2Te 3 nanoplate field-effect transistor devices, similar to that observed in graphene field-effect transistor devices 17. The manipulation of carrier type and density in topological insulator nanostructures demonstrated here paves the way for the implementation of topological insulators in nanoelectronics and spintronics. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  1. Analysis of Insulating Material of XLPE Cables considering Innovative Patterns of Partial Discharges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Figueroa Godoy

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to analyze the quality of insulation in high voltage underground cables XLPE using a prototype which classifies the following usual types of patterns of partial discharge (PD: (1 internal PD, (2 superficial PD, (3 corona discharge in air, and (4 corona discharge in oil, in addition to considering two new PD patterns: (1 false contact and (2 floating ground. The tests and measurements to obtain the patterns and study cases of partial discharges were performed at the Testing Laboratory Equipment and Materials (LEPEM of the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico (CFE using a measuring equipment LDIC and norm IEC60270. To classify the six patterns of partial discharges mentioned above a Probabilistic Neural Network Bayesian Modified (PNNBM method having the feature of using a large amount of data will be used and it is not saturated. In addition, PNN converges, always finding a solution in a short period of time with low computational cost. The insulation of two high voltage cables with different characteristics was analyzed. The test results allow us to conclude which wire has better insulation.

  2. Bionics in textiles: flexible and translucent thermal insulations for solar thermal applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stegmaier, Thomas; Linke, Michael; Planck, Heinrich

    2009-05-13

    Solar thermal collectors used at present consist of rigid and heavy materials, which are the reasons for their immobility. Based on the solar function of polar bear fur and skin, new collector systems are in development, which are flexible and mobile. The developed transparent heat insulation material consists of a spacer textile based on translucent polymer fibres coated with transparent silicone rubber. For incident light of the visible spectrum the system is translucent, but impermeable for ultraviolet radiation. Owing to its structure it shows a reduced heat loss by convection. Heat loss by the emission of long-wave radiation can be prevented by a suitable low-emission coating. Suitable treatment of the silicone surface protects it against soiling. In combination with further insulation materials and flow systems, complete flexible solar collector systems are in development.

  3. Metal-insulator transition and superconductivity in heavily boron-doped diamond and related materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Achatz, Philipp

    2009-05-15

    During this PhD project, the metal-insulator transition and superconductivity of highly boron-doped single crystal diamond and related materials have been investigated. The critical boron concentration n{sub c} for the metal-insulator transition was found to be the same as for the normal-superconductor transition. All metallic samples have been found to be superconducting and we were able to link the occurence of superconductivity to the proximity to the metal-insulator transition. For this purpose, a scaling law approach based on low temperature transport was proposed. Furthermore, we tried to study the nature of the superconductivity in highly boron doped single crystal diamond. Raman spectroscopy measurements on the isotopically substituted series suggest that the feature occuring at low wavenumbers ({approx} 500 cm{sup -1}) is the A1g vibrational mode associated with boron dimers. Usual Hall effect measurements yielded a puzzling situation in metallic boron-doped diamond samples, leading to carrier concentrations up to a factor 10 higher than the boron concentration determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The low temperature transport follows the one expected for a granular metal or insulator, depending on the interplay of intergranular and intragranular (tunneling) conductance. The metal-insulator transition takes place at a critical conductance g{sub c}. The granularity also influences significantly the superconducting properties by introducing the superconducting gap {delta} in the grain and Josephson coupling J between superconducting grains. A peak in magnetoresistance is observed which can be explained by superconducting fluctuations and the granularity of the system. Additionally we studied the low temperature transport of boron-doped Si samples grown by gas immersion laser doping, some of which yielded a superconducting transition at very low temperatures. Furthermore, preliminary results on the LO-phonon-plasmon coupling are shown for the

  4. Metal-insulator transition and superconductivity in heavily boron-doped diamond and related materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Achatz, Philipp

    2009-01-01

    During this PhD project, the metal-insulator transition and superconductivity of highly boron-doped single crystal diamond and related materials have been investigated. The critical boron concentration n c for the metal-insulator transition was found to be the same as for the normal-superconductor transition. All metallic samples have been found to be superconducting and we were able to link the occurence of superconductivity to the proximity to the metal-insulator transition. For this purpose, a scaling law approach based on low temperature transport was proposed. Furthermore, we tried to study the nature of the superconductivity in highly boron doped single crystal diamond. Raman spectroscopy measurements on the isotopically substituted series suggest that the feature occuring at low wavenumbers (∼ 500 cm -1 ) is the A1g vibrational mode associated with boron dimers. Usual Hall effect measurements yielded a puzzling situation in metallic boron-doped diamond samples, leading to carrier concentrations up to a factor 10 higher than the boron concentration determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The low temperature transport follows the one expected for a granular metal or insulator, depending on the interplay of intergranular and intragranular (tunneling) conductance. The metal-insulator transition takes place at a critical conductance g c . The granularity also influences significantly the superconducting properties by introducing the superconducting gap Δ in the grain and Josephson coupling J between superconducting grains. A peak in magnetoresistance is observed which can be explained by superconducting fluctuations and the granularity of the system. Additionally we studied the low temperature transport of boron-doped Si samples grown by gas immersion laser doping, some of which yielded a superconducting transition at very low temperatures. Furthermore, preliminary results on the LO-phonon-plasmon coupling are shown for the first time in aluminum

  5. Hot Leg Piping Materials Issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    V. Munne

    2006-01-01

    With Naval Reactors (NR) approval of the Naval Reactors Prime Contractor Team (NRPCT) recommendation to develop a gas cooled reactor directly coupled to a Brayton power conversion system as the space nuclear power plant (SNPP) for Project Prometheus (References a and b) the reactor outlet piping was recognized to require a design that utilizes internal insulation (Reference c). The initial pipe design suggested ceramic fiber blanket as the insulation material based on requirements associated with service temperature capability within the expected range, very low thermal conductivity, and low density. Nevertheless, it was not considered to be well suited for internal insulation use because its very high surface area and proclivity for holding adsorbed gases, especially water, would make outgassing a source of contaminant gases in the He-Xe working fluid. Additionally, ceramic fiber blanket insulating materials become very friable after relatively short service periods at working temperatures and small pieces of fiber could be dislodged and contaminate the system. Consequently, alternative insulation materials were sought that would have comparable thermal properties and density but superior structural integrity and greatly reduced outgassing. This letter provides technical information regarding insulation and materials issues for the Hot Leg Piping preconceptual design developed for the Project Prometheus space nuclear power plant (SNPP)

  6. 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...

  7. Recovery of waste and side products of apatite-nepheline and eudialyte ores processing in manufacture of heat-insulating foam glassy-crystalline materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suvorova O. V.

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Overburden and dressing tailings accumulated in the Murmansk region in impressive volumes represent serious challenges of both economic and ecological character. Maintenance of overburden dumps and dressing tailings involves considerable capital and material expenses. Therefore reprocessing of mining waste and manufacture of building materials, including heat-insulating foam-glass materials, is a promising trend. The work discusses the feasibility of recovering silica-containing waste and ore processing byproducts on the Kola Peninsula. Compositions and techniques for producing blocks and pellets from foam-glass crystalline materials have been developed. The effect of modifying agents on the foam-silicate materials' mechanical properties has been investigated. The production conditions for high-quality foam-silicate blocks have been identified. The foam silicates obtained under optimal conditions have featured a relatively low viscosity (0.3–0.5 g/cm³, high strength (up to 5 MPa and heat conductivity (0.09–0.107 Wt/m·K. Methods of improving the operating characteristics of foam silicates based on structure perfecting have been proposed. It has been found that as a result of shorttime baking of grainy samples the product has a grain strength of 5–6 MPa, density of 0.25–0.35 g/cm3 and a resistance to crushing in cylinder of 2.2–3 MPa, which is 2–3 times higher than that of a material subjected to one-stage thermal treatment. The water absorption of the material is 5–6 %, which is by a half lower compared to a one-stage treated material. The thermal conduction coefficient is 0.091–0.096 Wt/m·K. The obtained materials are recommended for use as heat-insulating surfacing and filling material for garrets, floors and roofs in construction and renovation of industrial and civic buildings

  8. Using of Aerogel to Improve Thermal Insulating Properties of Windows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valachova, Denisa; Zdrazilova, Nada; Panovec, Vladan; Skotnicova, Iveta

    2018-06-01

    For the best possible thermal-technical properties of building structures it is necessary to use materials with very low thermal conductivity. Due to the increasing thermal-technical requirements for building structures, the insulating materials are developed. One of the modern thermal insulating materials is so-called aerogel. Unfortunately, this material is not used in the field of external thermal insulation composite systems because of its price and its properties. The aim of this paper is to present possibilities of using this insulating material in the civil engineering - specifically a usage of aerogel in the production of windows.

  9. Insulating Foams Save Money, Increase Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Scientists at Langley Research Center created polyimide foam insulation for reusable cryogenic propellant tanks on the space shuttle. Meanwhile, a small Hialeah, Florida-based business, PolyuMAC Inc., was looking for advanced foams to use in the customized manufacturing of acoustical and thermal insulation. The company contacted NASA, licensed the material, and then the original inventors worked with the company's engineers to make a new material that was better for both parties. The new version, a high performance, flame retardant, flexible polyimide foam, is used for insulating NASA cryogenic propellant tanks and shows promise for use on watercraft, aircraft, spacecraft, electronics and electrical products, automobiles and automotive products, recreation equipment, and building and construction materials.

  10. Detection of UV Pulse from Insulators and Application in Estimating the Conditions of Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jingang; Chong, Junlong; Yang, Jie

    2014-10-01

    Solar radiation in the band of 240-280 nm is absorbed by the ozone layer in the atmosphere, and corona discharges from high-voltage apparatus emit in air mainly in the 230-405 nm range of ultraviolet (UV), so the band of 240-280 nm is called UV Solar Blind Band. When the insulators in a string deteriorate or are contaminated, the voltage distribution along the string will change, which causes the electric fields in the vicinity of insulators change and corona discharge intensifies. An UV pulse detection method to check the conditions of insulators is presented based on detecting the UV pulse among the corona discharge, then it can be confirmed that whether there exist faulty insulators and whether the surface contamination of insulators is severe for the safe operation of power systems. An UV-I Insulator Detector has been developed, and both laboratory tests and field tests have been carried out which demonstrates the practical viability of UV-I Insulator Detector for online monitoring.

  11. Spintronics Based on Topological Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Yabin; Wang, Kang L.

    2016-10-01

    Spintronics using topological insulators (TIs) as strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) materials have emerged and shown rapid progress in the past few years. Different from traditional heavy metals, TIs exhibit very strong SOC and nontrivial topological surface states that originate in the bulk band topology order, which can provide very efficient means to manipulate adjacent magnetic materials when passing a charge current through them. In this paper, we review the recent progress in the TI-based magnetic spintronics research field. In particular, we focus on the spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced magnetization switching in the magnetic TI structures, spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) measurements in the TI/ferromagnet structures, spin pumping and spin injection effects in the TI/magnet structures, as well as the electrical detection of the surface spin-polarized current in TIs. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the TI-based spintronics field and its potential applications in ultralow power dissipation spintronic memory and logic devices.

  12. High performance thermal insulation systems (HiPTI). Vacuum insulated products (VIP). Proceedings of the international conference and workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zimmermann, M.; Bertschinger, H.

    2001-07-01

    These are the proceedings of the International Conference and Workshop held at EMPA Duebendorf, Switzerland, in January 2001. The papers presented at the conference's first day included contributions on the role of high-performance insulation in energy efficiency - providing an overview of available technologies and reviewing physical aspects of heat transfer and the development of thermal insulation as well as the state of the art of glazing technologies such as high-performance and vacuum glazing. Also, vacuum-insulated products (VIP) with fumed silica, applications of VIP systems in technical building systems, nanogels, VIP packaging materials and technologies, measurement of physical properties, VIP for advanced retrofit solutions for buildings and existing and future applications for advanced low energy building are discussed. Finally, research and development concerning VIP for buildings are reported on. The workshops held on the second day covered a preliminary study on high-performance thermal insulation materials with gastight porosity, flexible pipes with high performance thermal insulation, evaluation of modern insulation systems by simulation methods as well as the development of vacuum insulation panels with a stainless steel envelope.

  13. High-Resolution Faraday Rotation and Electron-Phonon Coupling in Surface States of the Bulk-Insulating Topological Insulator Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3}.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Liang; Tse, Wang-Kong; Brahlek, M; Morris, C M; Aguilar, R Valdés; Koirala, N; Oh, S; Armitage, N P

    2015-11-20

    We have utilized time-domain magnetoterahertz spectroscopy to investigate the low-frequency optical response of the topological insulator Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} and Bi_{2}Se_{3} films. With both field and frequency dependence, such experiments give sufficient information to measure the mobility and carrier density of multiple conduction channels simultaneously. We observe sharp cyclotron resonances (CRs) in both materials. The small amount of Cu incorporated into the Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} induces a true bulk insulator with only a single type of conduction with a total sheet carrier density of ~4.9×10^{12}/cm^{2} and mobility as high as 4000 cm^{2}/V·s. This is consistent with conduction from two virtually identical topological surface states (TSSs) on the top and bottom of the film with a chemical potential ~145 meV above the Dirac point and in the bulk gap. The CR broadens at high fields, an effect that we attribute to an electron-phonon interaction. This assignment is supported by an extended Drude model analysis of the zero-field Drude conductance. In contrast, in normal Bi_{2}Se_{3} films, two conduction channels were observed, and we developed a self-consistent analysis method to distinguish the dominant TSSs and coexisting trivial bulk or two-dimensional electron gas states. Our high-resolution Faraday rotation spectroscopy on Cu_{0.02}Bi_{2}Se_{3} paves the way for the observation of quantized Faraday rotation under experimentally achievable conditions to push the chemical potential in the lowest Landau level.

  14. Intermetallic and electrical insulator coatings on high-temperature alloys in liquid-lithium environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.H.

    1994-06-01

    In the design of liquid-metal cooling systems for fusion-reactor blanket, applications, the corrosion resistance of structural materials and the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) force and its subsequent influence on thermal hydraulics and corrosion are major concerns. When the system is cooled by liquid metals, insulator coatings are required on piping surfaces in contact with the coolant. The objective of this study is to develop stable corrosion-resistant electrical insulator coatings at the liquid-metal/structural-material interface, with emphasis on electrically insulating coatings that prevent adverse MHD-generated currents from passing through the structural wall, and Be-V intermetallic coatings for first-wall components that face the plasma. Vanadium and V-base alloys are leading candidate materials for structural applications in a fusion reactor. Various intermetallic films were produced on V-alloys and on Types 304 and 316 stainless steel. The intermetallic layers were developed by exposure of the materials to liquid Li containing 2 at temperatures of 500--1030 degree C. CaO electrical insulator coatings were produced by reaction of the oxygen-rich layer with <5 at. % Ca dissolved in liquid Li at 400--700 degree C. The reaction converted the oxygen-rich layer to an electrically insulating film. This coating method is applicable to reactor components because the liquid metal can be used over and over; only the solute within the liquid metal is consumed. This paper will discuss initial results on the nature of the coatings and their in-situ electrical resistivity characteristics in liquid Li at high temperatures

  15. Asymmetric Cherenkov acoustic reverse in topological insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, Sergey

    2014-09-01

    A general phenomenon of the Cherenkov radiation known in optics or acoustics of conventional materials is a formation of a forward cone of, respectively, photons or phonons emitted by a particle accelerated above the speed of light or sound in those materials. Here we suggest three-dimensional topological insulators as a unique platform to fundamentally explore and practically exploit the acoustic aspect of the Cherenkov effect. We demonstrate that by applying an in-plane magnetic field to a surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator one may suppress the forward Cherenkov sound up to zero at a critical magnetic field. Above the critical field the Cherenkov sound acquires pure backward nature with the polar distribution differing from the forward one generated below the critical field. Potential applications of this asymmetric Cherenkov reverse are in the design of low energy electronic devices such as acoustic ratchets or, in general, in low power design of electronic circuits with a magnetic field control of the direction and magnitude of the Cherenkov dissipation.

  16. Method of manufacturing a thermally insulating body

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1988-10-11

    A method of manufacturing a microporous thermally insulating body comprises mixing together a finely divided microporous insulating material such as silica aerogel or pyrogenic silica and a solid ammonia-generating compound in particulate form, and compressing the mixture to form a thermally insulating body. The ammonia-generating compound is dispersed evenly throughout the insulating material and may comprise, for example, ammonium carbonate, ammonium acetate or urea. Preferably, the ammonia-generating compound comprises a mixture of about one third by weight of ammonium carbonate and about two thirds by weight of ammonium bicarbonate together with a small proportion of magnesium oxide. Experiments are described which illustrate the manufacturing process. 6 tabs.

  17. Light fireproof insulating plate-formed material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plum, B.A.; Juhl, L.F.

    1981-02-23

    Light fireproof insulating plates were produced by pressure processing of a mixture of rice-husk ashes with pearlite aluminium phosphate and glass wool. The corn size of pearlite is 0-5 mm., of rice-husk ashes 0-5 mm. and the fiber length of fibrous additive is about 25 mm.

  18. Self-energy behavior away from the Fermi surface in doped Mott insulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merino, J; Gunnarsson, O; Kotliar, G

    2016-02-03

    We analyze self-energies of electrons away from the Fermi surface in doped Mott insulators using the dynamical cluster approximation to the Hubbard model. For large onsite repulsion, U, and hole doping, the magnitude of the self-energy for imaginary frequencies at the top of the band ([Formula: see text]) is enhanced with respect to the self-energy magnitude at the bottom of the band ([Formula: see text]). The self-energy behavior at these two [Formula: see text]-points is switched for electron doping. Although the hybridization is much larger for (0, 0) than for [Formula: see text], we demonstrate that this is not the origin of this difference. Isolated clusters under a downward shift of the chemical potential, [Formula: see text], at half-filling reproduce the overall self-energy behavior at (0, 0) and [Formula: see text] found in low hole doped embedded clusters. This happens although there is no change in the electronic structure of the isolated clusters. Our analysis shows that a downward shift of the chemical potential which weakly hole dopes the Mott insulator can lead to a large enhancement of the [Formula: see text] self-energy for imaginary frequencies which is not associated with electronic correlation effects, even in embedded clusters. Interpretations of the strength of electronic correlations based on self-energies for imaginary frequencies are, in general, misleading for states away from the Fermi surface.

  19. Effects of surface exchange anisotropy in Heisenberg ferromagnetic insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selzer, S.; Majlis, N.

    1982-03-01

    We consider an fcc semi-infinite ferromagnetic insulator displaying an anisotropic exchange interaction between spins on the (111) surface plane of the form Jsub(parallel)[Ssub(i)sup(x)Ssub(j)sup(x)+Ssub(i)sup(y)Ssub(j)sup(y )+etaSsub(i)sup(z)Ssub(j)sup(z)], assuming all other interactions isotropic. A self-consistent RPA calculation is performed, with a Green function method valid for any spin S, up to the bulk transition temperature Tsub(c)sup(b), by imposing that the magnetization of the third layer equals the bulk value. For eta sufficiently large, the surface magnetization is non-zero for T>Tsub(c)sup(b), up to a transition temperature Tsub(c)sup(s)(eta) whenever eta>=etasub(c)>1, where Tsub(c)sup(s)(etasub(c))=Tsub(c)sup(b). For T>Tsub(c)sup(b) the system is equivalent to a film of three layers, where the magnetization of the third one is identically zero as a boundary condition. A discontinuity of the derivative in the curve of the magnetization of the first two layers vs. temperature is found at Tsub(c)sup(b). The results show clearly a cross-over from Heisenberg to Ising behaviour at the surface. (author)

  20. The Effect of Moisture and Fungus on Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Plastic Insulating Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    1945-10-01

    0110 106 280000 46000 7.6 30000 6.2 27000 4.2 24000 1.2 10000 Samples and eleotrode arrangement were humidity exposure tests« aa...VARIOUS INSULATING MATERIALS TEMPERATURE 25°C.; RELATIVE HUMIDITY 979b; EXCEPT WHERE NOTED OTHERWISE 140 160 ISO 200 220 240 260 270

  1. The Microwave Noise Behaviour Of Dual Material Gate Silicon On Insulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafar, N.; Soin, N.

    2009-06-01

    This work presents the noise behaviour due to the applied Dual Material Gate (DMG) on the 75 nm n-channel Silicon On Insulator (SOI) device operating in the fully depletion mode, particularly for microwave circuit design. Influences of DMG properties namely the gate length ratio (L1:L2) and gate material workfunction difference (ΔΦM) as well as structural and operational parameters which are silicon thickness (TSi) and threshold voltage (VTH) setting variation on the noise performance were carried out on simulation basis using ATLAS 2D. Results show better noise performance in DMG as compare to the standard gate structure of FD-SOI devices. Higher VTH for DMG design is recommended for minimized noise figure in line with the advantage of inverse VTH roll-off characteristics for short channel effects suppression.

  2. Slab edge insulating form system and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Brain E [Corral de Tierra, CA; Barsun, Stephan K [Davis, CA; Bourne, Richard C [Davis, CA; Hoeschele, Marc A [Davis, CA; Springer, David A [Winters, CA

    2009-10-06

    A method of forming an insulated concrete foundation is provided comprising constructing a foundation frame, the frame comprising an insulating form having an opening, inserting a pocket former into the opening; placing concrete inside the foundation frame; and removing the pocket former after the placed concrete has set, wherein the concrete forms a pocket in the placed concrete that is accessible through the opening. The method may further comprise sealing the opening by placing a sealing plug or sealing material in the opening. A system for forming an insulated concrete foundation is provided comprising a plurality of interconnected insulating forms, the insulating forms having a rigid outer member protecting and encasing an insulating material, and at least one gripping lip extending outwardly from the outer member to provide a pest barrier. At least one insulating form has an opening into which a removable pocket former is inserted. The system may also provide a tension anchor positioned in the pocket former and a tendon connected to the tension anchor.

  3. Research on thermal insulation for hot gas ducts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broeckerhoff, P.

    1984-01-01

    The inner surfaces of prestressed reactor vessels and hot gas ducts of Gas Cooled High Temperature Reactors need internal thermal insulation to protect the pressure bearing walls from high temperatures. The design parameters of the insulation depend on the reactor type. In a PNP-plant temperature and pressure of the cooling medium helium are proposed to be 950 deg. C and 40 bars, respectively. The experimental work was started at KFA in 1971 for the HHT-project using three test facilities. At first metallic foil insulation and stuffed fibre insulating systems, the hot gas ducting shrouds of which were made of metal, have been tested. Because of the elevated helium temperature in case of PNP and the resulting lower strength of the metallic parts the interest was directed to rigid ceramic materials for the spacers and the inner shrouds. This led to modified structures designed by the INTERATOM company. Tests were performed at KFA. The main object of the investigations was to study the influence of temperature, pressure and axial pressure gradients on the thermal efficiency of the structures. Moreover, the temperatures within the insulation, at the pressure tube, and at the elements which bear the inner shrouds were measured. Thermal fluxes and effective thermal conductivities in axial and circumferential direction of the pressure tube are given, mainly for the INTERATOM-design with spherical spacers. (author)

  4. 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

  5. Topological surface states of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2}Se are robust against surface chemical modification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, Conor R.; Sahasrabudhe, Girija; Kushwaha, Satya Kumar; Cava, Robert J.; Schwartz, Jeffrey [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Xiong, Jun [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

    2014-12-01

    The robustness of the Dirac-like electronic states on the surfaces of topological insulators (TIs) during materials process-ing is a prerequisite for their eventual device application. Here, the (001) cleavage surfaces of crystals of the topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2}Se (BTS) were subjected to several surface chemical modification procedures that are common for electronic materials. Through measurement of Shubnikov-de Hass (SdH) oscillations, which are the most sensitive measure of their quality, the surface states of the treated surfaces were compared to those of pristine BTS that had been exposed to ambient conditions. In each case - surface oxidation, deposition of thin layers of Ti or Zr oxides, or chemical modification of the surface oxides - the robustness of the topological surface electronic states was demonstrated by noting only very small changes in the frequency and amplitude of the SdH oscillations. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  6. Spin-torque generation in topological insulator based heterostructures

    KAUST Repository

    Fischer, Mark H.

    2016-03-11

    Heterostructures utilizing topological insulators exhibit a remarkable spin-torque efficiency. However, the exact origin of the strong torque, in particular whether it stems from the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states or rather from spin-Hall physics of the topological-insulator bulk, remains unclear. Here, we explore a mechanism of spin-torque generation purely based on the topological surface states. We consider topological-insulator-based bilayers involving ferromagnetic metal (TI/FM) and magnetically doped topological insulators (TI/mdTI), respectively. By ascribing the key theoretical differences between the two setups to location and number of active surface states, we describe both setups within the same framework of spin diffusion of the nonequilibrium spin density of the topological surface states. For the TI/FM bilayer, we find large spin-torque efficiencies of roughly equal magnitude for both in-plane and out-of-plane spin torques. For the TI/mdTI bilayer, we elucidate the dominance of the spin-transfer-like torque. However, we cannot explain the orders of magnitude enhancement reported. Nevertheless, our model gives an intuitive picture of spin-torque generation in topological-insulator-based bilayers and provides theoretical constraints on spin-torque generation due to topological surface states.

  7. High Performance Slab-on-Grade Foundation Insulation Retrofits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldberg, Louise F. [NorthernSTAR, St. Paul, MN (United States); Mosiman, Garrett E. [NorthernSTAR, St. Paul, MN (United States)

    2015-09-01

    ?A more accurate assessment of SOG foundation insulation energy savings than traditionally possible is now feasible. This has been enabled by advances in whole building energy simulation with 3-dimensional foundation modelling integration at each time step together with an experimental measurement of the site energy savings of SOG foundation insulation. Ten SOG insulation strategies were evaluated on a test building to identify an optimum retrofit insulation strategy in a zone 6 climate (Minneapolis, MN). The optimum insulation strategy in terms of energy savings and cost effectiveness consisted of two components: (a) R-20 XPS insulation above grade, and, (b) R-20 insulation at grade (comprising an outer layer of R-10 insulation and an interior layer of R-12 poured polyurethane insulation) tapering to R-10 XPS insulation at half the below-grade wall height (the lower half of the stem wall was uninsulated). The optimum insulation strategy was applied to single and multi-family residential buildings in climate zone 4 - 7. The highest site energy savings of 5% was realized for a single family home in Duluth, MN, and the lowest savings of 1.4 % for a 4-unit townhouse in Richmond, VA. SOG foundation insulation retrofit simple paybacks ranged from 18 to 47 years. There are other benefits of SOG foundation insulation resulting from the increase in the slab surface temperatures. These include increased occupant thermal comfort, and a decrease in slab surface condensation particularly around the slab perimeter.

  8. Airflow Resistance of Loose-Fill Mineral Fiber Insulations in Retrofit Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schumacher, C. J. [Building Science Laboratories, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Fox, M. J. [Building Science Laboratories, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Lstiburek, J. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

    2015-02-01

    This report expands on Building America Report 1109 by applying the experimental apparatus and test method to dense-pack retrofit applications using mineral fiber insulation materials. Three fiber glass insulation materials and one stone wool insulation material were tested, and the results compared to the cellulose results from the previous study.

  9. 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.

  10. Modeling of Dynamic Responses in Building Insulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Antonyová

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this research a measurement systemwas developedfor monitoring humidity and temperature in the cavity between the wall and the insulating material in the building envelope. This new technology does not disturb the insulating material during testing. The measurement system can also be applied to insulation fixed ten or twenty years earlier and sufficiently reveals the quality of the insulation. A mathematical model is proposed to characterize the dynamic responses in the cavity between the wall and the building insulation as influenced by weather conditions.These dynamic responses are manifested as a delay of both humidity and temperature changes in the cavity when compared with the changes in the ambient surrounding of the building. The process is then modeled through numerical methods and statistical analysis of the experimental data obtained using the new system of measurement.

  11. Electrical Performance of Distribution Insulators with Chlorella vulgaris Growth on its Surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herbert Enrique Rojas Cubides

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a study about electrical performance of ceramic and polymeric insulators bio-contaminated with alga Chlorella vulgaris. The performed tests involve ANSI 55-2 and ANSI 52-1 ceramic insulators and ANSI DS-15 polymeric insulators, all of them used in distribution systems of Colombia. Biological contamination of insulators is realized using a controlled environment chamber that adjusts the temperature, humidity and light radiation. The laboratory tests include measurements of flashover voltages and leakage currents and they were performed to determine how insulators are affected by biological contamination. After a series of laboratory tests, it was concluded that the presence of Chlorella vulgaris on the contaminated ceramic insulators reduces the wet flashover voltage up to 12% and increases their leakage currents up to 80%. On the other hand, for polymeric insulators the effect of algae growth on flashover voltages was not to strong, although the leakage currents increase up to 60%.

  12. Surface potential measurement of negative-ion-implanted insulators by analysing secondary electron energy distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toyota, Yoshitaka; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Nagumo, Syoji; Gotoh, Yasuhito; Ishikawa, Junzo; Sakai, Shigeki.

    1994-01-01

    The negative ion implantation method we have proposed is a noble technique which can reduce surface charging of isolated electrodes by a large margin. In this paper, the way to specify the surface potential of negative-ion-implanted insulators by the secondary electron energy analysis is described. The secondary electron energy distribution is obtained by a retarding field type energy analyzer. The result shows that the surface potential of fused quartz by negative-ion implantation (C - with the energy of 10 keV to 40 keV) is negatively charged by only several volts. This surface potential is extremely low compared with that by positive-ion implantation. Therefore, the negative-ion implantation is a very effective method for charge-up free implantation without charge compensation. (author)

  13. Technology of Double Thermal Insulation for the Repair and Energy Optimization of Existing Thermal Insulation Composite Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belániová, Barbora; Antošová, Naďa

    2017-06-01

    The theme of improvement thermal proprieties of external cladding according to the New EU Directive is still a hot topic, which needs to be answered necessarily till December 2020. Maintenance and repair of existing ETICS became to also an actual open theme in search solutions for existing constructions. The aim of the research in this review is to analyze influence of layers the alternative thermal materials in technology "double thermal insulation". Humidity and temperature conditions will be further examined in connection with the development and colonization of microorganisms on surface construction.

  14. Structure, Mechanism, and Application of Vacuum Insulation Panels in Chinese Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changhai Peng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermal insulation is one of the most used approaches to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs are new thermal insulation materials that have been used in the domestic and overseas market in the last 20 years. Due to the vacuum thermal insulation technology of these new materials, their thermal conductivity can be as low as 0.004 W/(m·K at the center of panels. In addition, VIPs that are composites with inorganic core and an envelope out of commonly three metallized PET layers and a PE sealing layer can provide B class fire resistance (their core materials are not flammable and are classified as A1. Compared with other conventional thermal insulation materials, the thermal insulation and fire resistance performances form the foundation of VIP’s applications in the construction industry. The structure and thermal insulation mechanism of VIP and their application potential and problems in Chinese buildings are described in detail.

  15. Airflow Resistance of Loose-Fill Mineral Fiber Insulations in Retrofit Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schumacher, C. J. [Building Science Labs., Waterloo, ON (Canada); Fox, M. J. [Building Science Labs., Waterloo, ON (Canada); Lstiburek, J. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

    2015-02-01

    This report expands on Building America Report 1109 by applying the experimental apparatus and test method to dense-pack retrofit applications using mineral fiber insulation materials. Three (3) fiber glass insulation materials and one (1) stone wool insulation material were tested, and the results compared to the cellulose results from the previous study.

  16. Infrared circular photogalvanic effect in topological insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Siyuan

    2018-04-01

    Topological insulators have attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to its unique phenomena. Circular photogalvanic effect (CPGE) is one of the important phenomena in topological insulators. Bi2Se3, as one of the 3D topological insulators, consist of a single Dirac cone at the Γ point in k-space [1], corresponding to the surface states. Controlled by the Berry curvature of the surface band, the dominant photo response due to the interband transition is helicity dependent [2]. In addition, due to the spin-momentum locking in topological insulators' surface, the sign of spin-angular-momentum of obliquely incident light and photo currents are locked together. On the other hand, Bi2Se3 consists of quintuple layers which make it possible to be exfoliated and transferred based on graphene fabrication. In this paper, Bi2Se3 devices were fabricated and Ohm contact was achieved. We experimentally demonstrated the CPGE in Bi2Se3 using 1550nm incident laser.

  17. Ion-solid interactions for materials modification and processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poker, D.B.; Ila, D.; Cheng, Y.T.; Harriott, L.R.; Sigmon, T.W.

    1996-01-01

    Topics ranged from the very fundamental ion-solid interactions to the highly device-oriented semiconductor applications. Highlights of the symposium featured in this volume include: nanocrystals in insulators, plasma immersion ion implantation. Focused ion beams, molecular dynamics simulations of ion-surface interactions, ion-beam mixing of insulators, GeV ion irradiation, electro-optical materials, polymers, tribological materials, and semiconductor processing. Separate abstracts were prepared for most papers in this volume

  18. Transport on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargiamidis, V.; Vasilopoulos, P.

    2014-01-01

    We study theoretically dc and ac transport on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator when its time-reversal symmetry is broken. Starting with a Kubo formula, we derive an explicit expression for the dc Hall conductivity, valid for finite temperatures. At zero temperature this expression gives the dc half-quantum Hall conductivity, provided the Fermi level lies in the gap. Corrections when the Fermi level is outside the gap and scattering by impurities are quantified. The longitudinal conductivity is also examined. At finite frequencies, we find a modified Drude term in σ xx (ω) and logarithmic, frequency-dependent corrections in σ yx (ω). The ac Hall conductivity exhibits a robust logarithmic singularity for excitation energies equal to the gapwidth. For these energies, we also find that the power spectrum, which is pertinent to optical experiments, exhibits drastic increase. The Hall conductivity remains almost unaffected for temperatures up to approximately 300 K

  19. Grandstand view of phenolic foam insulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1987-03-01

    Stadium Insulation Ltd, manufacture pipe sections, tank and vessel insulation products in Lowphen, polyisocyanurate, polyurethane foams and expanded polystyrene, though for certain specialist applications, cork is still employed in small quantities. Currently the emphasis is very much on Lowphen, the company's range of pipe sections based on phenolic foam. The company's manufacturing and marketing effort reflects the increasing market trend towards the use of insulating material capable of withstanding higher temperatures, and phenolic foam neatly satisfies the demand since it is capable of use at temperatures up to 140/sup 0/C. Moreover, phenolic foam has the lowest K value at 0.02W/m/sup 0/C of any of the currently available range of insulating materials, and while the product is slightly more expensive than alternatives such as polyisocyanurate and polyurethane, its high performance offsets that premium.

  20. Electronic structure and transport on the surface of topological insulator attached to an electromagnetic superlattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Haiyan; Chen Xiongwen; Zhou Xiaoying; Zhang Lebo; Zhou Guanghui

    2012-01-01

    We study the electronic structure and transport for Dirac electron on the surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator attached to an electromagnetic superlattice. It is found that, by means of the transfer-matrix method, the number of electronic tunneling channels for magnetic barriers in antiparallel alignment is larger than that in parallel alignment, which stems to the energy band structures. Interestingly, a remarkable semiconducting transport behavior appears in this system with a strong magnetic barrier due to low energy band nearly paralleling to the Fermi level. Consequently, there is only small incident angle transport in the higher energy region when the system is modulated mainly by the higher electric barriers. We further find that the spatial distribution of the spin polarization oscillates periodically in the incoming region, but it is almost in-plane with a fixed direction in the transmitting region. The results may provide a further understanding of the nature of 3D TI surface states, and may be useful in the design of topological insulator-based electronic devices such as collimating electron beam.

  1. RESTORING A DAMAGED 16-YEAR -OLD INSULATING POLYMER CONCRETE DIKE OVERLAY: REPAIR MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    SUGAMA,T.

    2007-01-01

    The objective of this program was to design and formulate organic polymer-based material systems suitable for repairing and restoring the overlay panels of insulating lightweight polymer concrete (ILPC) from the concrete floor and slope wall of a dike at KeySpan liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, just over sixteen years ago. It also included undertaking a small-scale field demonstration to ensure that the commercial repairing technologies were applicable to the designed and formulated materials.

  2. Supporting Documentation for the 2008 Update to the Insulation Fact Sheet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stovall, Therese K [ORNL

    2008-02-01

    The Insulation Fact Sheet provides consumers for general guidance and recommended insulation levels for their home. This fact sheet has been on-line since 1995 and this update addresses new insulation materials, as well as updated costs for energy and materials.

  3. Trial fabrication and preliminary characterization of electrical insulator for liquid metal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamichi, Masaru; Kawamura, Hiroshi; Oyamada, Rokuro

    1995-03-01

    In the design of the liquid metal blanket, MHD pressure drop is one of critical issues. Ceramic coating on the surface of structural material is considered as an electrical insulator to reduce the MHD pressure drop. Ceramic coating such as Y 2 O 3 is a promising electrical insulator due to its high electrical resistivity and good compatibility with liquid lithium. This report describes the trial fabrication and preliminary characterization of electrical insulator for a design study of the liquid metal system. From the results of trial fabrication and preliminary characterization, it is concluded that densified atmospheric plasma spray Y 2 O 3 coating with 410SS undercoating between 316SS substrate and Y 2 O 3 coating is suitable for Y 2 O 3 coating fabrication. (author)

  4. Nanometer-size surface modification produced by single, low energy, highly charged ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stockli, M.P.

    1994-01-01

    Atomically flat surfaces of insulators have been bombarded with low energy, highly charged ions to search for nanometer-size surface modifications. It is expected that the high electron deficiency of highly charged ions will capture and/or remove many of the insulator's localized electrons when impacting on an insulating surface. The resulting local electron deficiency is expected to locally disintegrate the insulator through a open-quotes Coulomb explosionclose quotes forming nanometer-size craters. Xe ions with charge states between 10+ and 45+ and kinetic energies between 0 and 10 keV/q were obtained from the KSU-CRYEBIS, a CRYogenic Electron Beam Ion Source and directed onto various insulating materials. Mica was favored as target material as atomically flat surfaces can be obtained reliably through cleaving. However, the authors observations with an atomic force microscope have shown that mica tends to defoliate locally rather than disintegrate, most likely due to the small binding forces between adjacent layers. So far the authors measurements indicate that each ion produces one blister if the charge state is sufficiently high. The blistering does not seem to depend very much on the kinetic energy of the ions

  5. Mass and loss analysis of a space-type radiation cooled insulated DC transmission line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarze, g.E.

    1986-01-01

    As both the power levels and transmission distances increase such as for large future nuclear power systems, the transmission line becomes an important element in the power chain between the source and load bus. Thus, the transmission line's characteristics must be determined so that the effect of these characteristics on the total power system can be assessed. These design characteristics include the specific mass, percent power loss, size, voltage and power levels, and operating temperatures of the conductor and insulating materials. In a previous paper, the dc transmission line's characteristics of a noninsulated solid cylindrical conductor were determined. In that analysis the expression derived for the transmission line's mass only included the conductor mass and the operating temperature of the line was that of the conductor. In the analysis of this paper, a single layer of insulation is added to the solid cylindrical conductor. In this analysis the dependency of the dc transmission line's mass, loss, and size on the power and voltage levels, conductor and insulation surface temperatures, transmission distance, and conductor and insulation material properties is determined. This analysis can be extended to multi-layers of insulation but the complexity of the analysis increases as the number of layers increase

  6. Quantitative analysis of thermal insulation coatings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiil, Søren

    2014-01-01

    This work concerns the development of simulation tools for mapping of insulation properties of thermal insulation coatings based on selected functional filler materials. A mathematical model, which includes the underlying physics (i.e. thermal conductivity of a heterogeneous two-component coating...

  7. HiPTI - High Performance Thermal Insulation, Annex 39 to IEA/ECBCS-Implementing Agreement. Vacuum insulation in the building sector. Systems and applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Binz, A.; Moosmann, A.; Steinke, G.; Schonhardt, U.; Fregnan, F. [Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW), Muttenz (Switzerland); Simmler, H.; Brunner, S.; Ghazi, K.; Bundi, R. [Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA), Duebendorf (Switzerland); Heinemann, U.; Schwab, H. [ZAE Bayern, Wuerzburg (Germany); Cauberg, H.; Tenpierik, M. [Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Johannesson, G.; Thorsell, T. [Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm (Sweden); Erb, M.; Nussbaumer, B. [Dr. Eicher und Pauli AG, Basel and Bern (Switzerland)

    2005-07-01

    This final report on vacuum insulation panels (VIP) presents and discusses the work done under IEA/Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS) Annex 39, subtask B on the basis of a wide selection of reports from practice. The report shows how the building trade deals with this new material today, the experience gained and the conclusions drawn from this work. As well as presenting recommendations for the practical use of VIP, the report also addresses questions regarding the effective insulation values to be expected with current VIP, whose insulation performance is stated as being a factor of five to eight times better than conventional insulation. The introduction of this novel material in the building trade is discussed. Open questions and risks are examined. The fundamentals of vacuum insulation panels are discussed and the prerequisites, risks and optimal application of these materials in the building trade are examined.

  8. Development of insulating coatings for liquid metal blankets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malang, S.; Borgstedt, H.U.; Farnum, E.H.; Natesan, K.; Vitkovski, I.V.

    1994-07-01

    It is shown that self-cooled liquid metal blankets are feasible only with electrically insulating coatings at the duct walls. The requirements on the insulation properties are estimated by simple analytical models. Candidate insulator materials are selected based on insulating properties and thermodynamic consideration. Different fabrication technologies for insulating coatings are described. The status of the knowledge on the most crucial feasibility issue, the degradation of the resisivity under irradiation, is reviewed

  9. Process insulation. Isolation thermique des equipements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1987-01-01

    A manual is presented to assist managers and operating personnel to recognize industrial energy management opportunities, and provides mathematical equations, general information on proven techniques and technology, and examples. It deals with process insulation, focusing on the insulation of mechanical systems such as piping, process vessels, equipment, and ductwork. The manual describes the effects of insulation materials; commonly encountered types of insulation, coverings and protective finishes as well as common applications; energy management opportunities, divided into housekeeping, low cost, and retrofit; and includes worked examples of each. Includes glossary. 17 figs., 8 tabs.

  10. Insulation Reformulation Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapman, Cynthia; Bray, Mark

    2015-01-01

    The current Space Launch System (SLS) internal solid rocket motor insulation, polybenzimidazole acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (PBI-NBR), is a new insulation that replaced asbestos-based insulations found in Space Shuttle heritage solid rocket boosters. PBI-NBR has some outstanding characteristics such as an excellent thermal erosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, and low density. PBI-NBR also has some significant challenges associated with its use: Air entrainment/entrapment during manufacture and lay-up/cure and low mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus, and fracture toughness. This technology development attempted to overcome these challenges by testing various reformulated versions of booster insulation. The results suggest the SLS program should continue to investigate material alternatives for potential block upgrades or use an entirely new, more advanced booster. The experimental design was composed of a logic path that performs iterative formulation and testing in order to maximize the effort. A lab mixing baseline was developed and documented for the Rubber Laboratory in Bldg. 4602/Room 1178.

  11. Surface plasmon resonance phenomenon of the insulating state polyaniline

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Umiati, Ngurah Ayu Ketut, E-mail: ngurahayuketutumiati@gmail.com [Jurusan Fisika FMIPA UGM, Sekip Utara Yogyakarta, 55281 (Indonesia); Jurusan Fisika FMIPA Universitas Diponegoro, Jalan Prof. Soedarto, SH Tembalang Semarang 50275 (Indonesia); Triyana, Kuwat; Kamsul [Jurusan Fisika FMIPA UGM, Sekip Utara Yogyakarta, 55281 (Indonesia)

    2015-04-16

    Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) phenomenon of the insulating polyaniline (PANI) is has been observed. Surface Plasmon (SP) is the traveled electromagnetic wave that passes through the interface of dielectric metal and excited by attenuated total reflection (ATR) method in Kretschmannn configuration (Au-PANI prism). The resonance condition is observed through the angle of SPR in such condition that SP wave is coupled by the evanescent constant of laser beam. In this research, the laser beam was generated by He–Ne and its wavelength (λ) was 632,8 nm. SPR curve is obtained through observation of incidence angles of the laser beam in prism. SPR phenomenon at the boundary between Au – PANI layer has showed by reflection dip when the laser beam passes through the prism. In this early study, the observation was carried out through simulation Winspall 3.02 software and preliminary compared with some experimental data reported in other referred literatures. The results shows that the optimum layer of Au and polyaniline are 50 and 1,5 nm thick respectively. Our own near future experimental work would be further performed and reported elsewhere.

  12. 2006/07 Field Testing of Cellulose Fiber Insulation Enhanced with Phase Change Material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kosny, Jan [ORNL; Yarbrough, David W [ORNL; Miller, William A [ORNL; Petrie, Thomas [ORNL; Childs, Phillip W [ORNL; Syed, Azam M [ORNL

    2008-12-01

    Most recent improvements in building envelope technologies suggest that in the near future, residences will be routinely constructed to operate with very low heating and cooling loads. In that light, the application of novel building materials containing active thermal components (e.g., phase change materials [PCMs,] sub-venting, radiant barriers, and integrated hydronic systems) is like a final step in achieving relatively significant heating and cooling energy savings from technological improvements in the building envelope. It is expected that optimized building envelope designs using PCMs for energy storage can effectively bring notable savings in energy consumption and reductions in peak hour power loads. During 2006/07, a research team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) performed a series of laboratory and field tests of several wall and roof assemblies using PCM-enhanced cellulose insulation. This report summarizes the test results from the perspective of energy performance. The ORNL team is working on both inorganic and organic PCMs; this report discusses only paraffinic PCMs. A limited economical analysis also is presented. PCMs have been tested as a thermal mass component in buildings for at least 40 years. Most of the research studies found that PCMs enhanced building energy performance. In the case of the application of organic PCMs, problems such as high initial cost and PCM leaking (surface sweating) have hampered widespread adoption. Paraffinic hydrocarbon PCMs generally performed well, with the exception that they increased the flammability of the building envelope.

  13. F-15B in on ramp with close-up of test panels covered with advanced spray-on foam insulation materia

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-01-01

    Test panels covered with an advanced foam insulation material for the Space Shuttle's giant external fuel tank were test flown aboard an F-15B research aircraft at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Six panels were mounted on the left side of a heavily instrumented Flight Text Fixture mounted underneath the F-15B's fuselage. Insulation on this panel was finely machined over a horizontal rib structure to simulate in-line airflow past the tank; other panels had the ribs mounted vertically or had the insulation left in a rough as-sprayed surface. The tests were part of an effort by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to determine why small particles of the new insulation flaked off the tank on recent Shuttle missions. The tests with Dryden's F-15B were designed to replicate the pressure environment the Shuttle encounters during the first minute after launch. No noticeable erosion of the insulation material was noted after the flight experiment at Dryden.

  14. Similarity Analysis of Cable Insulations by Chemical Test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jong Seog [Central Research Institute of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    As result of this experiment, it was found that FT-IR test for material composition, TGA test for aging trend are applicable for similarity analysis of cable materials. OIT is recommended as option if TGA doesn't show good trend. Qualification of new insulation by EQ report of old insulation should be based on higher activation energy of new insulation than that of old one in the consideration of conservatism. In old nuclear power plant, it is easy to find black cable which has no marking of cable information such as manufacturer, material name and voltage. If a type test is required for qualification of these cables, how could I select representative cable? How could I determine the similarity of these cables? If manufacturer has qualified a cable for nuclear power plant more than a decade ago and composition of cable material is changed with similar one, is it acceptable to use the old EQ report for recently manufactured cable? It is well known to use FT-IR method to determine the similarity of cable materials. Infrared ray is easy tool to compare compositions of each material. But, it is not proper to compare aging trend of these materials. Study for similarity analysis of cable insulation by chemical test is described herein. To study a similarity evaluation method for polymer materials, FT-IR, TGA and OIT tests were performed for two cable insulation(old and new) which were supplied from same manufacturer. FT-IR shows good result to compare material compositions while TGA and OIT show good result to compare aging character of materials.

  15. Similarity Analysis of Cable Insulations by Chemical Test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jong Seog

    2013-01-01

    As result of this experiment, it was found that FT-IR test for material composition, TGA test for aging trend are applicable for similarity analysis of cable materials. OIT is recommended as option if TGA doesn't show good trend. Qualification of new insulation by EQ report of old insulation should be based on higher activation energy of new insulation than that of old one in the consideration of conservatism. In old nuclear power plant, it is easy to find black cable which has no marking of cable information such as manufacturer, material name and voltage. If a type test is required for qualification of these cables, how could I select representative cable? How could I determine the similarity of these cables? If manufacturer has qualified a cable for nuclear power plant more than a decade ago and composition of cable material is changed with similar one, is it acceptable to use the old EQ report for recently manufactured cable? It is well known to use FT-IR method to determine the similarity of cable materials. Infrared ray is easy tool to compare compositions of each material. But, it is not proper to compare aging trend of these materials. Study for similarity analysis of cable insulation by chemical test is described herein. To study a similarity evaluation method for polymer materials, FT-IR, TGA and OIT tests were performed for two cable insulation(old and new) which were supplied from same manufacturer. FT-IR shows good result to compare material compositions while TGA and OIT show good result to compare aging character of materials

  16. Insulators for fusion applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-04-01

    Design studies for fusion devices and reactors have become more detailed in recent years and with this has come a better understanding of requirements and operating conditions for insulators in these machines. Ceramic and organic insulators are widely used for many components of fusion devices and reactors namely: radio frequency (RF) energy injection systems (BeO, Al 2 O 3 , Mg Al 2 O 4 , Si 3 N 4 ); electrical insulation for the torus structure (SiC, Al 2 O 3 , MgO, Mg Al 2 O 4 , Si 4 Al 2 O 2 N 6 , Si 3 N 4 , Y 2 O 3 ); lightly-shielded magnetic coils (MgO, MgAl 2 O 4 ); the toroidal field coil (epoxies, polyimides), neutron shield (B 4 C, TiH 2 ); high efficiency electrical generation; as well as the generation of very high temperatures for high efficiency hydrogen production processes (ZrO 2 and Al 2 O 3 - mat, graphite and carbon - felt). Timely development of insulators for fusion applications is clearly necessary. Those materials to be used in fusion machines should show high resistance to radiation damage and maintain their structural integrity. Now the need is urgent for a variety of radiation resistant materials, but much effort in these areas is required for insulators to be considered seriously by the design community. This document contains 14 papers from an IAEA meeting. It was the objective of this meeting to identify existing problems in analysing various situations of applications and requirements of electrical insulators and ceramics in fusion and to recommend strategies and different stages of implementation. This meeting was endorsed by the International Fusion Research Council

  17. Disorder Effects in Charge Transport and Spin Response of Topological Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lukas Zhonghua

    Topological insulators are a class of solids in which the non-trivial inverted bulk band structure gives rise to metallic surface states that are robust against impurity backscattering. First principle calculations predicted Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and Bi2Se3 to be three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators with a single Dirac cone on the surface. The topological surface states were subsequently observed by angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The investigations of charge transport through topological surfaces of 3D topological insulators, however, have faced a major challenge due to large charge carrier densities in the bulk donated by randomly distributed defects such as vacancies and antisites. This bulk disorder intermixes surface and bulk conduction channels, thereby complicating access to the low-energy (Dirac point) charge transport or magnetic response and resulting in the relatively low measured carrier mobilities. Moreover, charge inhomogeneity arising from bulk disorder can result in pronounced nanoscale spatial fluctuations of energy on the surface, leading to the formation of surface `puddles' of different carrier types. Great efforts have been made to combat the undesirable effects of disorder in 3D topological insulators and to reduce bulk carriers through chemical doping, nanostructure fabrication, and electric gating. In this work we have developed a new way to reduce bulk carrier densities using high-energy electron irradiation, thereby allowing us access to the topological surface quantum channels. We also found that disorder in 3D topological insulators can be beneficial. It can play an important part in enabling detection of unusual magnetic response from Dirac fermions and in uncovering new excitations, namely surface superconductivity in Dirac `puddles'. In Chapter 3 we show how by using differential magnetometry we could probe spin rotation in the 3D topological material family (Bi2Se 3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3

  18. Emerging Trends in Topological Insulators and Topological ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    /fulltext/reso/022/08/0787-0800. Keywords. Superconductor, quantum Hall effect, topological insulator, Majorana fermions. Abstract. Topological insulators are new class of materials which arecharacterized by a bulk band gap like ordinary ...

  19. Improving thermal insulation of TC4 using YSZ-based coating and SiO2 aerogel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Jin

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, air plasmas spray (APS was used to prepare YSZ and Sc2O3–YSZ (ScYSZ coating in order to improve the thermal insulation ability of TC4 alloy. SiO2 aerogel was also synthesized and affixed on TC4 titanium alloy to inhabit thermal flow. The microstructures, phase compositions and thermal insulation performance of three coatings were analyzed in detail. The results of thermal diffusivity test by a laser flash method showed that the thermal diffusivities of YSZ, Sc2O3–YSZ and SiO2 aerogel are 0.553, 0.539 and 0.2097×10−6 m2/s, respectively. Then, the thermal insulation performances of three kinds of coating were investigated from 20 °C to 400 °C using high infrared radiation heat flux technology. The experimental results indicated that the corresponding temperature difference between the top TC4 alloy (400 °C and the bottom surface of YSZ is 41.5 °C for 0.6 mm thickness coating. For 1 mm thickness coating, the corresponding temperature difference between the top TC4 alloys (400 °C and the bottom surface of YSZ, ScYSZ, SiO2 aerogel three specimens is 54, 54.6 and 208 °C, respectively. The coating thickness and species were found to influence the heat insulation ability. In these materials, YSZ and ScYSZ exhibited a little difference for heat insulation behavior. However, SiO2 aerogel was the best one among them and it can be taken as protection material on TC4 alloys. In outer space, SiO2 aerogel can meet the need of thermal insulation of TC4 of high-speed aircraft.

  20. Standard Test Method for Oxyacetylene Ablation Testing of Thermal Insulation Materials

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2008-01-01

    1.1 This test method covers the screening of ablative materials to determine the relative thermal insulation effectiveness when tested as a flat panel in an environment of a steady flow of hot gas provided by an oxyacetylene burner. 1.2 This test method should be used to measure and describe the properties of materials, products, or assemblies in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to describe or appraise the fire hazard of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions. However, results of this test method may be used as elements of a fire risk assessment which takes into account all of the factors which are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard of a particular end use. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limi...

  1. Experimental study on surface properties of the PMMA used in high power spark gaps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Ruoyu; Wu, Jiawei; Ding, Weidong; Liu, Yunfei; Gou, Yang

    2017-10-01

    This paper studies the surface properties of the Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) insulator samples used in high power spark gaps. Experiments on surface morphology, surface profile, surface chemical composition and surface leakage current were performed. Metal particles ejected in tangent direction of discharge spots were researched on the sample surface. Three kinds of distinct bands were found on the surface after 1500 shots: colorless and transparent sinking band, black band, and grey powdered coating band. The thickness of the coating band was tens of microns and the maximum radial erosion rate was about 10 μm/C. Surface content analysis indicated that the powdered coating was a mixture of decomposed insulator material and electrode material oxides. In addition, leakage current significantly depended on water content in the chamber and presented an U-shape curve distribution along the insulator surface, in keeping with the amount of powdered coating due to shock waves. Possible reasons of the surface property changes were discussed. Electroconductive oxides of low valence states of Cu and W produced by the reactions between electrode materials and arc plasmas were considered to be the cause of dielectric performance degradation.

  2. Surface electronic transport measurements: A micro multi-point probe approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barreto, Lucas

    2014-01-01

    This work is mostly focused on the study of electronic transport properties of two-dimensional materials, in particular graphene and topological insulators. To study these, we have improved a unique micro multi-point probe instrument used to perform transport measurements. Not only the experimental...... quantities are extracted, such as conductivity, carrier density and carrier mobility. • A method to insulate electrically epitaxial graphene grown on metals, based on a stepwise intercalation methodology, is developed and transport measurements are performed in order to test the insulation. • We show...... a direct measurement of the surface electronic transport on a bulk topological insulator. The surface state conductivity and mobility are obtained. Apart from transport properties, we also investigate the atomic structure of the Bi2Se3(111) surface via surface x-ray diraction and low-energy electron...

  3. Hydrothermal hardened high-temperature thermal insulation material CALUTHERM {sup registered} from hibonite and alumina cement. Pt. 1; Hydrothermal erhaerteter Hochtemperaturwaermedaemmstoff CALUTHERM {sup registered} aus Hibonit und Tonerdezement. T. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoelscher, Tobias; Schneider, Hans-Juergen [Calsitherm Silikatbaustoffe GmbH, Bad Lippspringe (Germany); Schlegel, Ernst

    2013-07-01

    The first part features an overview to the properties of all calcium aluminates followed by a presentation of CALUTHERM {sup registered}, a high temperature-thermal insulating material. CALUTHERM is produced on the bases of SLA-92, a calcium hexaaluminat aggregate, and calcium aluminate cement CA-14 W as binder. The comprehensive studies focus on properties and changes of these raw materials during the technological stages of the CALUTHERM's production. The second part will present CALUTHERM's properties and its variants throughout the production process. A possible correlation between the properties of raw materials and thermal insulation material is researched and finally application examples are presented. CALUTHERM is suited for thermal insulation up to 1600 C and has a remarkable low thermal conductivity near 0.4 W/m . K at these high temperatures. For that reason CALUTHERM is a top high-temperature thermal insulating material. (orig.)

  4. The roles of thermal insulation and heat storage in the energy performance of the wall materials: a simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Linshuang; Ye, Hong

    2016-04-07

    A high-performance envelope is the prerequisite and foundation to a zero energy building. The thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of a wall are two thermophysical properties that strongly influence the energy performance. Although many case studies have been performed, the results failed to give a big picture of the roles of these properties in the energy performance of an active building. In this work, a traversal study on the energy performance of a standard room with all potential wall materials was performed for the first time. It was revealed that both heat storage materials and insulation materials are suitable for external walls. However, the importances of those materials are distinct in different situations: the heat storage plays a primary role when the thermal conductivity of the material is relatively high, but the effect of the thermal insulation is dominant when the conductivity is relatively low. Regarding internal walls, they are less significant to the energy performance than the external ones, and they need exclusively the heat storage materials with a high thermal conductivity. These requirements for materials are consistent under various climate conditions. This study may provide a roadmap for the material scientists interested in developing high-performance wall materials.

  5. Parametric Investigation of Optimum Thermal Insulation Thickness for External Walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omer Kaynakli

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Numerous studies have estimated the optimum thickness of thermal insulation materials used in building walls for different climate conditions. The economic parameters (inflation rate, discount rate, lifetime and energy costs, the heating/cooling loads of the building, the wall structure and the properties of the insulation material all affect the optimum insulation thickness. This study focused on the investigation of these parameters that affect the optimum thermal insulation thickness for building walls. To determine the optimum thickness and payback period, an economic model based on life-cycle cost analysis was used. As a result, the optimum thermal insulation thickness increased with increasing the heating and cooling energy requirements, the lifetime of the building, the inflation rate, energy costs and thermal conductivity of insulation. However, the thickness decreased with increasing the discount rate, the insulation material cost, the total wall resistance, the coefficient of performance (COP of the cooling system and the solar radiation incident on a wall. In addition, the effects of these parameters on the total life-cycle cost, payback periods and energy savings were also investigated.

  6. 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.

  7. Dielectric and Insulating Technology 2005 : Reviews & Forecasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Tatsuki

    This article reports the state-of-art of TC-DEI ( Technical Committee of Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation of IEEJ) activites. The activiteis are basically based on the activites of 8-10 investigation committees under TC-DEI. Recent activites were categorized into three functions in this article and remarkable activity or trend for each category is mentioned as was done in the article of 2003. Thoese are activities on asset management (AI application and insulation diagnosis), activities on new insulating and functional materials (Nano composite) and activities on new insulation technology for power tansmission (high Tc superconducting cable insulation).

  8. Dielectric and Insulating Technology 2006 : Review & Forecast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Tatsuki

    This article reports the state-of-art of TC-DEI ( Technical Committee of Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation of IEEJ) activites. The activiteis are basically based on the activites of 8-10 investigation committees under TC-DEI. Recent activites were categorized into three functions in this article and remarkable activity or trend for each category is mentioned as was seen in the articles of 2005. Those are activities on asset management (AI application and insulation diagnosis), activities on new insulating and functional materials (Nano composite) and activities on new insulation technology for power tansmission (high Tc superconducting cable insulation).

  9. Surface physics of materials materials science and technology

    CERN Document Server

    Blakely, J M

    2013-01-01

    Surface Physics of Materials presents accounts of the physical properties of solid surfaces. The book contains selected articles that deal with research emphasizing surface properties rather than experimental techniques in the field of surface physics. Topics discussed include transport of matter at surfaces; interaction of atoms and molecules with surfaces; chemical analysis of surfaces; and adhesion and friction. Research workers, teachers and graduate students in surface physics, and materials scientist will find the book highly useful.

  10. Building materials and systems with vacuum insulation panels for external walls; Bauelemente und Systeme mit VIP fuer Aussenwandkonstruktionen - Schlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Binz, A; Steinke, G

    2007-07-01

    This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at materials and systems using vacuum insulation panels (VIP) for the construction of external walls. The aim of this research project was the development, practical use and market introduction of VIP systems that take account of the special properties of VIP. Along with partners in industry, applications involving external and internal insulation were examined. The need for protecting the vacuum panels against mechanical damage is stressed. The specific needs for the protection of external and internal applications are discussed. The dynamic developments in this relatively new area are commented on. Various mounting systems are examined and commented on. The thermal properties of such insulation systems and applications are noted and commented on.

  11. Radiative contribution to the thermal conductivity of fibrous insulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linford, R. M. F.; Schmitt, R. J.; Hughes, T. A.

    1974-01-01

    An approach is shown for using a simple two-flux model to interpret infrared transmission data for a variety of reuseable surface insulations materials and to calculate the radiation transmission. A description is given of preliminary experiments on mullite and silica-based materials. The calculated parameters are compared with the measured values of the total thermal conductivity, as determined on guarded hot plate equipment. It is pointed out that for many samples the newly developed four-flux model must be utilized because the scattering properties of the fibers are often dependent on the wavelength of the radiation.

  12. Electric breakdown of high polymer insulating materials at cryogenic temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sanhyon; Yoshino, Katsumi

    1985-01-01

    Cryogenic properties : temperature dependence of E sub(b) and effects of media upon E sub(b) were investigated on several high polymers. Temperature conditions were provided by liquid He (4.2 K), liquid N 2 (77 K) and cryogen (dry ice-methyl alcohol, 194 K). Silicone oil was used also at ambient temperature and elevated temperature. Polymer film coated with gold by vacuum evaporation was placed in cryostat, and high tension from pulse generator was applied to the film. Dielectric breakdowns were detected by oscilloscope and observed visually. The results of experiment are summerized as follow. (1) E sub(b) of film in He is affected by medium remarkably, and covering with 3-methyl pentane is effective for increasing E sub(b). (2) Temperature dependence of E sub(b) was not recognized in cryogenic temperature below liquid N 2 . (3) Temperature characteristic of E sub(b) changes considerably at the critical temperature T sub(c), and T sub(c) is dependent on material. (4) Strength against dielectric breakdown under cryogenic temperature is not affected by bridging caused by irradiation of electron beam. (5) Dielectric breakdown is thought to be caused by electronic process such as electron avalanche. Consequently, for designing insulation for the temperature below liquid He, insulation design for liquid N 2 is thought to be sufficient. However, the degradation and breakdown by mechanical stress under cryogenic temperature must be taken into consideration. (Ishimitsu, A.)

  13. ASRM case insulation design and development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Matthew S.; Tam, William F. S.

    1992-10-01

    This paper describes the achievements made on the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) case insulation design and development program. The ASRM case insulation system described herein protects the metal case and joints from direct radiation and hot gas impingement. Critical failure of solid rocket systems is often traceable to failure of the insulation design. The wide ranging accomplishments included the development of a nonasbestos insulation material for ASRM that replaced the existing Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) asbestos-filled nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) along with a performance gain of 300 pounds, and improved reliability of all the insulation joint designs, i.e., segmented case joint, case-to-nozzle and case-to-igniter joint. The insulation process development program included the internal stripwinding process. This process advancement allowed Aerojet to match to exceed the capability of other propulsion companies.

  14. Hydrogen interactions with silicon-on-insulator materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rivera de Mena, A.J.

    2003-01-01

    The booming of microelectronics in recent decades has been made possible by the excellent properties of the Si/SiO2 interface in oxide on silicon systems.. This semiconductor/insulator combination has proven to be of great value for the semiconductor industry. It has made it possible to continuously

  15. Study of Hygrothermal Processes in External Walls with Internal Insulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biseniece Edite

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Being an important contributor to the final energy consumption, historic buildings built before 1945 have high specific heating energy consumption compared to current energy standards and norms. However, they often cannot be insulated from the outside due to their heritage and culture value. Internal insulation is an alternative. However internal insulation faces challenges related to hygrothermal behaviour leading to mold growth, freezing, deterioration and other risks. The goal of this research is to link hygrothermal simulation results with experimental results for internally insulated historic brick masonry to assess correlation between simulated and measured data as well as the most influential parameters. The study is carried out by both a mathematical simulation tool and laboratory tests of historic masonry with internal insulation with four insulation materials (mineral wool, EPS, wood fiber and granulated aerogel in a cold climate (average 4000 heating degree days. We found disparity between measured and simulated hygrothermal performance of studied constructions due to differences in material parameters and initial conditions of materials. The latter plays a more important role than material parameters. Under a steady state of conditions, the condensate tolerating system varies between 72.7 % and 80.5 % relative humidity, but in condensate limiting systems relative humidity variates between 73.3 % and 82.3 %. The temperature between the masonry wall and all insulation materials has stabilized on average at +10 °C. Mold corresponding to Mold index 3 was discovered on wood fiber mat.

  16. Study of Hygrothermal Processes in External Walls with Internal Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biseniece, Edite; Freimanis, Ritvars; Purvins, Reinis; Gravelsins, Armands; Pumpurs, Aivars; Blumberga, Andra

    2018-03-01

    Being an important contributor to the final energy consumption, historic buildings built before 1945 have high specific heating energy consumption compared to current energy standards and norms. However, they often cannot be insulated from the outside due to their heritage and culture value. Internal insulation is an alternative. However internal insulation faces challenges related to hygrothermal behaviour leading to mold growth, freezing, deterioration and other risks. The goal of this research is to link hygrothermal simulation results with experimental results for internally insulated historic brick masonry to assess correlation between simulated and measured data as well as the most influential parameters. The study is carried out by both a mathematical simulation tool and laboratory tests of historic masonry with internal insulation with four insulation materials (mineral wool, EPS, wood fiber and granulated aerogel) in a cold climate (average 4000 heating degree days). We found disparity between measured and simulated hygrothermal performance of studied constructions due to differences in material parameters and initial conditions of materials. The latter plays a more important role than material parameters. Under a steady state of conditions, the condensate tolerating system varies between 72.7 % and 80.5 % relative humidity, but in condensate limiting systems relative humidity variates between 73.3 % and 82.3 %. The temperature between the masonry wall and all insulation materials has stabilized on average at +10 °C. Mold corresponding to Mold index 3 was discovered on wood fiber mat.

  17. Thermo-Insulation Properties Of Hemp-Based Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lekavicius V.

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available As known, many multi-purpose plants can be used in different industries. This research is focused on the possibilities to utilize hemp as feedstock for thermal insulation products. The most advantageous features of hemp insulation are associated with health and environmental safety. The thermal conductivity of commercially available hemp insulation products is comparable with that of other fibrous insulation materials; however, it is possible to develop new products that could be more efficient in terms of cost and due to other important features.

  18. Dielectric and Insulating Technology 2004 : Review & Forecast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Tatsuki

    This article reports the state-of-art of DEIS activites. DEIS activiteis are basically based on the activites of 8-10 investigation committees’ under DEIS committee. Recent DEIS activites are categlized into three functions in this article and remarkable activity or trend of each category is mentioned. Those are activities on insulation diagnosis (AI application and asset management), activities on new insulation technology for power tansmission (high Tc super conducting cable insulation and all solid sinulated substation), and activities on new insulating materials (Nanocomposite).

  19. Chiral topological insulator of magnons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bo; Kovalev, Alexey A.

    2018-05-01

    We propose a magnon realization of 3D topological insulator in the AIII (chiral symmetry) topological class. The topological magnon gap opens due to the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. The existence of the topological invariant is established by calculating the bulk winding number of the system. Within our model, the surface magnon Dirac cone is protected by the sublattice chiral symmetry. By analyzing the magnon surface modes, we confirm that the backscattering is prohibited. By weakly breaking the chiral symmetry, we observe the magnon Hall response on the surface due to opening of the gap. Finally, we show that by changing certain parameters, the system can be tuned between the chiral topological insulator, three-dimensional magnon anomalous Hall, and Weyl magnon phases.

  20. External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems: Critical Parameters for Surface Hygrothermal Behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Barreira

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS are often used in Europe. Despite its thermal advantages, low cost, and ease of application, this system has serious problems of biological growth causing the cladding defacement. Recent studies pointed that biological growth is due to high values of surface moisture content, which mostly results from the combined effect of exterior surface condensation, wind-driven rain, and drying process. Based on numerical simulation, this paper points the most critical parameters involved in hygrothermal behaviour of ETICS, considering the influence of thermal and hygric properties of the external rendering, the effect of the characteristics of the façade, and the consequences of the exterior and interior climate on exterior surface condensation, wind-driven rain, and drying process. The model used was previously validated by comparison with the results of an “in situ” campaign. The results of the sensitivity analyses show that relative humidity and temperature of the exterior air, atmospheric radiation, and emissivity of the exterior rendering are the parameters that most influence exterior surface condensation. Wind-driven rain depends mostly on horizontal rain, building’s height, wind velocity, and orientation. The drying capacity is influenced by short-wave absorbance, incident solar radiation, and orientation.

  1. 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)

  2. Study of surface and bulk instabilities in MHD duct flow with imitation of insulator coating imperfections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu Zengyu [Southwestern Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 432, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 (China)]. E-mail: xuzy@swip.ac.cn; Pan Chuanjie [Southwestern Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 432, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 (China); Wei Wenhao [Southwestern Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 432, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 (China); Kang Weishan [Southwestern Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 432, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 (China)

    2006-02-15

    MHD phenomena in a duct flow were studied experimentally by using copper electrodes inserted into the wall of a perfectly insulated duct. The electrodes were connected using a copper wire to imitate different insulator coating imperfection conditions. The experimental results show instabilities of electric potential at the wall (surface instabilities) as well as instabilities in the pressure and velocity (bulk instabilities). The instabilities are strongly dependent on the scale of the copper wire. Three different cases were studied (at the same flow regimes, but with different electrode connections), where the potential at the duct wall is smaller, equal to or higher than the product of duct diameter 2a and transverse magnetic field B and average velocity V . MHD pressure drop {delta}P also exhibits significant changes.

  3. Metal - Insulator Transition Driven by Vacancy Ordering in GeSbTe Phase Change Materials

    OpenAIRE

    Bragaglia, Valeria; Arciprete, Fabrizio; Privitera, Stefania; Rimini, Emanuele; Mazzarello, Riccardo; Calarco, Raffaella; Zhang, Wei; Mio, Antonio Massimiliano; Zallo, Eugenio; Perumal, Karthick; Giussani, Alessandro; Cecchi, Stefano; Boschker, Jos Emiel; Riechert, Henning

    2016-01-01

    Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are unique compounds employed in non-volatile random access memory thanks to the rapid and reversible transformation between the amorphous and crystalline state that display large differences in electrical and optical properties. In addition to the amorphous-to-crystalline transition, experimental results on polycrystalline GeSbTe alloys (GST) films evidenced a Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) attributed to disorder in the crystalline phase. Here we report on a f...

  4. 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.

  5. Design of Chern insulating phases in honeycomb lattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickett, Warren E.; Lee, Kwan-Woo; Pentcheva, Rossitza

    2018-06-01

    The search for robust examples of the magnetic version of topological insulators, referred to as quantum anomalous Hall insulators or simply Chern insulators, so far lacks success. Our groups have explored two distinct possibilities based on multiorbital 3d oxide honeycomb lattices. Each has a Chern insulating phase near the ground state, but materials parameters were not appropriate to produce a viable Chern insulator. Further exploration of one of these classes, by substituting open shell 3d with 4d and 5d counterparts, has led to realistic prediction of Chern insulating ground states. Here we recount the design process, discussing the many energy scales that are active in participating (or resisting) the desired Chern insulator phase.

  6. 12th Europhysical Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials (EURODIM 2014)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfredsson, M L; Chadwick, A V; Jackson, R A; McCabe, E E

    2015-01-01

    The 12th Europhysical Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials (EURODIM14) was held at the University of Kent, UK, from 13-18 July 2014. It was attended by about 120 delegates from around the world, and featured 56 oral presentations and 77 posters. EURODIM14 followed other conferences in the series, held in Pecs (2010), Milan (2006) and Wroclaw (2002), as well as the related ICDIM conferences held in Santa Fe (2012), Aracaju (2008) and Riga (2004). These conferences all have the aim of bringing together scientists to discuss the chemistry and physics of defects in solids, and their role in determining material properties. We would like to thank the International Advisory Committee for suggesting invited speakers, and the Local and Programme Committee for their hard work in planning and running the conference. Finally we would like to thank the authors and referees for their contributions to the proceedings. M L Alfredsson (Conference Chair) A V Chadwick R A Jackson E E McCabe (preface)

  7. Interactions of liquid lithium with various atmospheres, concretes, and insulating materials; and filtration of lithium aerosols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeppson, D.W.

    1979-06-01

    This report describes the facilities and experiments and presents test results of a program being conducted at the hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) in support of the fusion reactor development effort. This experimental program is designed to characterize the interaction of liquid lithium with various atmospheres, concretes, and insulating materials. Lithium-atmosphere reaction tests were conducted in normal humidity air, pure nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. These tests are described and their results, such as maximum temperatures, aerosol generated, and reaction rates measured, are reported. Initial lithium temperatures for these tests ranged between 224 0 C and 843 0 C. A lithium-concrete reaction test, using 10 kg of lithium at 327 0 C, and lithium-insulating materials reaction tests, using a few grams of lithium at 350 0 C and 600 0 C, are also described and results are presented. In addition, a lithium-aerosol filter loading test was conducted to determine the mass loading capacity of a commercial high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The aerosol was characterized, and the loading-capacity-versus-pressure-buildup across the filter is reported

  8. Thermal insulation layer for the vacuum containers of a thermonuclear device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishikawa, Masana; Yamada, Masao; Kameari, Akihisa; Niikura, Setsuo.

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To prevent temperature rise of a thermal insulation layer for a vacuum container of a thermonuclear device higher than allowable value when irradiated by neutron by constructing the layer of a cooling unit in thermal insulation material. Constitution: A metal plate attached with cooling pipes is buried in a thermal insulation material forming a thermal insulation layer to form the layer provided between a vacuum container of a thermonuclear device and a shield. (Yoshihara, H.)

  9. Impact of moisture content in AAC on its heat insulation properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubene, S.; Vilnitis, M.

    2017-10-01

    One of the most popular trends in construction industry is sustainable construction. Therefore, application of construction materials with high insulation characteristics has significantly increased during the past decade. Requirements for application of construction materials with high insulation parameters are required not only by means of energy saving and idea of sustainable construction but also by legislative requirements. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a load bearing construction material, which has high heat insulation parameters. However, if the AAC masonry construction has high moisture content the heat insulation properties of the material decrease significantly. This fact lead to the necessity for the on-site control of moisture content in AAC in order to avoid inconsistency between the designed and actual thermal resistivity values of external delimiting constructions. Research of the impact of moisture content in AAC on its heat insulation properties has been presented in this paper.

  10. Practical reasons for investigating ion transport in high temperature insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonder, E.

    1976-01-01

    Practical problems encountered in a number of advanced technology appliations, particularly those related to energy conversion, are discussed. Refractory ionic compounds which are abundant and of high melting point are listed, and technological problems are discussed in terms of specific materials problems. The argument is made that basic information concerning transport properties in refractory compounds is lacking to such an extent that it is difficult to design and assess advanced energy generation systems. Technology applications include: a) ceramic nuclear fuels for high temperature fission reactors, b) high temperature gas turbine blades, c) insulators in controlled thermonuclear reactors, and d) magnetohydrodynamic generators. Some of the difficulties inherent in making transport property measurements at high temperatures are also listed

  11. MODAL ANALYSIS OF REAL TIMBER FRAME HOUSES WITH DIFFERENT INSULATION MATERIALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcin Szczepański

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to present the results of a numerical modal analysis of two actual structures of timber frame buildings and the different behaviour due to the used insulation material. One model of the timber structure was filled with mineral wool, while the other with polyurethane foam. During the modal analysis, eigenvalues for both models have been determined. The results of the analysis clearly show the increase of stiffness and damping properties of skeletal constructions achieved by the use of polyurethane foam as the skeleton filling. The numerical model was based on prior experimental test on real scale single frame elements, therefore the result can be assumed to be adequate.

  12. 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)

  13. Geometric effects on surface states in topological insulator Bi2Te3 nanowire

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-02-01

    Bismuth Telluride (BT) is a 3D topological insulator (TI) with surface states that have energy dispersion linear in momentum and forms a Dirac cone at low energy. In this work we investigate the surface properties of a BT nanowire and demonstrate the existence of TI states. We also show how such states vanish under certain geometric conditions. An atomistic model (sp3d5s* TB) is used to compute the energy dispersion in a BT nanowire. Penetration depth of the surface states is estimated by ratio of Fermi velocity and band-gap. BT possesses a tiny band-gap, which creates small localization of surface states and greater penetration in to the bulk. To offset this large spatial penetration, which is undesirable to avoid a direct coupling between surfaces, we expect that bigger cross-sections of BT nanowires would be needed to obtain stable TI states. Our numerical work validates this prediction. Furthermore, geometry of the nanowire is shown to influence the TI states. Using a combined analytical and numerical approach our results reveal that surface roughness impact electronic structure leading to Rashba type splits along z-direction. Cylindrical and square cross-sections are given as illustrative examples.

  14. Cryogenic foam insulation: Abstracted publications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, F. R.

    1977-01-01

    A group of documents were chosen and abstracted which contain information on the properties of foam materials and on the use of foams as thermal insulation at cryogenic temperatures. The properties include thermal properties, mechanical properties, and compatibility properties with oxygen and other cryogenic fluids. Uses of foams include applications as thermal insulation for spacecraft propellant tanks, and for liquefied natural gas storage tanks and pipelines.

  15. Surface resistivity measurement of plasma treated polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, D.; Pigram, P.J.; Liesegang, J.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: Resistivity of insulators is an important property of materials used within the integrated circuit and packaging industries. The measurement of electrical resistivity of insulator materials in the surface region in this work is interpreted through observations of surface charge decay. A self-field driven and diffusion charge transport theory is used to model the process and resistivity values obtained computationally. Data for the charge decay of surface charged samples are collected by suspending them inside a coaxial cylinder connected to an electrometer. Samples used have been low density polyethylene LDPE sheet, both pristine and surface treated. Some samples have been treated by air plasma at low vacuum pressures for different periods of time; others have been washed in ethyl acetate and then plasma treated before the resistivity measurement. The sets of resistivity measurements form the various treatments are compared below. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has also been used to investigate and account for the observed variations in surface resistivity

  16. Ablation, surface activation, and electroless metallization of insulating materials by pulsed excimer laser irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1993-01-01

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

  17. Linear particle accelerator with seal structure between electrodes and insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broadhurst, John H.

    1989-01-01

    An electrostatic linear accelerator includes an electrode stack comprised of primary electrodes formed or Kovar and supported by annular glass insulators having the same thermal expansion rate as the electrodes. Each glass insulator is provided with a pair of fused-in Kovar ring inserts which are bonded to the electrodes. Each electrode is designed to define a concavo-convex particle trap so that secondary charged particles generated within the accelerated beam area cannot reach the inner surface of an insulator. Each insulator has a generated inner surface profile which is so configured that the electrical field at this surface contains no significant tangential component. A spark gap trigger assembly is provided, which energizes spark gaps protecting the electrodes affected by over voltage to prevent excessive energy dissipation in the electrode stack.

  18. Built-in unit with short-circuit insulation for hermetic cable ducts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tschacher, B.; Gurr, W.; Kusserow, J.; Katzmarek, W.

    1984-01-01

    The invention concerns a built-in unit with short-circuit insulation for hermetic cable ducts, especially for containments of nuclear power reactors. The short-circuit insulation is achieved by an insulation plate made from radiation-resistant insulating materials of high mechanical strength

  19. Surface, interface and thin film characterization of nano-materials using synchrotron radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, Shigeru; Kobayashi, Keisuke

    2005-01-01

    From the results of studies in the nanotechnology support project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, several investigations on the surface, interface and thin film characterization of nano-materials are described; (1) the MgB 2 thin film by X-ray diffraction, (2) the magnetism of the Pt thin film on a Co film by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurement, (3) the structure and physical properties of oxygen molecules absorbed in a micro hole of the cheleted polymer crystal by the direct observation in X-ray powder diffraction, and (4) the thin film gate insulator with a large dielectric constant, thermally treated HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. (M.H.)

  20. Cryogenic Insulation Standard Data and Methodologies Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summerfield, Burton; Thompson, Karen; Zeitlin, Nancy; Mullenix, Pamela; Fesmire, James; Swanger, Adam

    2015-01-01

    Extending some recent developments in the area of technical consensus standards for cryogenic thermal insulation systems, a preliminary Inter-Laboratory Study of foam insulation materials was performed by NASA Kennedy Space Center and LeTourneau University. The initial focus was ambient pressure cryogenic boil off testing using the Cryostat-400 flat-plate instrument. Completion of a test facility at LETU has enabled direct, comparative testing, using identical cryostat instruments and methods, and the production of standard thermal data sets for a number of materials under sub-ambient conditions. The two sets of measurements were analyzed and indicate there is reasonable agreement between the two laboratories. Based on cryogenic boiloff calorimetry, new equipment and methods for testing thermal insulation systems have been successfully developed. These boiloff instruments (or cryostats) include both flat plate and cylindrical models and are applicable to a wide range of different materials under a wide range of test conditions. Test measurements are generally made at large temperature difference (boundary temperatures of 293 K and 78 K are typical) and include the full vacuum pressure range. Results are generally reported in effective thermal conductivity (ke) and mean heat flux (q) through the insulation system. The new cryostat instruments provide an effective and reliable way to characterize the thermal performance of materials under subambient conditions. Proven in through thousands of tests of hundreds of material systems, they have supported a wide range of aerospace, industry, and research projects. Boiloff testing technology is not just for cryogenic testing but is a cost effective, field-representative methodology to test any material or system for applications at sub-ambient temperatures. This technology, when adequately coupled with a technical standards basis, can provide a cost-effective, field-representative methodology to test any material or system

  1. Topological phases of topological-insulator thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asmar, Mahmoud M.; Sheehy, Daniel E.; Vekhter, Ilya

    2018-02-01

    We study the properties of a thin film of topological insulator material. We treat the coupling between helical states at opposite surfaces of the film in the properly-adapted tunneling approximation, and show that the tunneling matrix element oscillates as a function of both the film thickness and the momentum in the plane of the film for Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 . As a result, while the magnitude of the matrix element at the center of the surface Brillouin zone gives the gap in the energy spectrum, the sign of the matrix element uniquely determines the topological properties of the film, as demonstrated by explicitly computing the pseudospin textures and the Chern number. We find a sequence of transitions between topological and nontopological phases, separated by semimetallic states, as the film thickness varies. In the topological phase, the edge states of the film always exist but only carry a spin current if the edge potentials break particle-hole symmetry. The edge states decay very slowly away from the boundary in Bi2Se3 , making Bi2Te3 , where this scale is shorter, a more promising candidate for the observation of these states. Our results hold for free-standing films as well as heterostructures with large-gap insulators.

  2. Characterizing material properties of cement-stabilized rammed earth to construct sustainable insulated walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rishi Gupta

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Use of local materials can reduce the hauling of construction materials over long distances, thus reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transporting such materials. Use of locally available soils (earth for construction of walls has been used in many parts of the world. Owing to the thermal mass of these walls and the potential to have insulation embedded in the wall section has brought this construction material/technology at the forefront in recent years. However, the mechanical properties of the rammed earth and the parameters required for design of steel reinforced walls are not fully understood. In this paper, the author presents a case study where full-scale walls were constructed using rammed earth to understand the effect of two different types of shear detailing on the structural performance of the walls. The mechanical properties of the material essential for design such as compressive strength of the material including effect of coring on the strength, pull out strength of different rebar diameters, flexural performance and out-of-plane bending on walls was studied. These results are presented in this case study.

  3. Photoinduced Topological Phase Transitions in Topological Magnon Insulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owerre, S A

    2018-03-13

    Topological magnon insulators are the bosonic analogs of electronic topological insulators. They are manifested in magnetic materials with topologically nontrivial magnon bands as realized experimentally in a quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) kagomé ferromagnet Cu(1-3, bdc), and they also possess protected magnon edge modes. These topological magnetic materials can transport heat as well as spin currents, hence they can be useful for spintronic applications. Moreover, as magnons are charge-neutral spin-1 bosonic quasiparticles with a magnetic dipole moment, topological magnon materials can also interact with electromagnetic fields through the Aharonov-Casher effect. In this report, we study photoinduced topological phase transitions in intrinsic topological magnon insulators in the kagomé ferromagnets. Using magnonic Floquet-Bloch theory, we show that by varying the light intensity, periodically driven intrinsic topological magnetic materials can be manipulated into different topological phases with different sign of the Berry curvatures and the thermal Hall conductivity. We further show that, under certain conditions, periodically driven gapped topological magnon insulators can also be tuned to synthetic gapless topological magnon semimetals with Dirac-Weyl magnon cones. We envision that this work will pave the way for interesting new potential practical applications in topological magnetic materials.

  4. Structure, Mechanism, and Application of Vacuum Insulation Panels in Chinese Buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Peng, Changhai; Yang, Jianqiang

    2016-01-01

    Thermal insulation is one of the most used approaches to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are new thermal insulation materials that have been used in the domestic and overseas market in the last 20 years. Due to the vacuum thermal insulation technology of these new materials, their thermal conductivity can be as low as 0.004 W/(m·K) at the center of panels. In addition, VIPs that are composites with inorganic core and an envelope out of commonly three me...

  5. Ferromagnetic barrier-induced negative differential conductance on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An Xing-Tao

    2014-01-01

    The effect of the negative differential conductance of a ferromagnetic barrier on the surface of a topological insulator is theoretically investigated. Due to the changes of the shape and position of the Fermi surfaces in the ferromagnetic barrier, the transport processes can be divided into three kinds: the total, partial, and blockade transmission mechanisms. The bias voltage can give rise to the transition of the transport processes from partial to blockade transmission mechanisms, which results in a considerable effect of negative differential conductance. With appropriate structural parameters, the current-voltage characteristics show that the minimum value of the current can reach to zero in a wide range of the bias voltage, and then a large peak-to-valley current ratio can be obtained. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  6. Gigantic 2D laser-induced photovoltaic effect in magnetically doped topological insulators for surface zero-bias spin-polarized current generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shikin, A. M.; Voroshin, V. Yu; Rybkin, A. G.; Kokh, K. A.; Tereshchenko, O. E.; Ishida, Y.; Kimura, A.

    2018-01-01

    A new kind of 2D photovoltaic effect (PVE) with the generation of anomalously large surface photovoltage up to 210 meV in magnetically doped topological insulators (TIs) has been studied by the laser time-resolved pump-probe angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The PVE has maximal efficiency for TIs with high occupation of the upper Dirac cone (DC) states and the Dirac point located inside the fundamental energy gap. For TIs with low occupation of the upper DC states and the Dirac point located inside the valence band the generated surface photovoltage is significantly reduced. We have shown that the observed giant PVE is related to the laser-generated electron-hole asymmetry followed by accumulation of the photoexcited electrons at the surface. It is accompanied by the 2D relaxation process with the generation of zero-bias spin-polarized currents flowing along the topological surface states (TSSs) outside the laser beam spot. As a result, the spin-polarized current generates an effective in-plane magnetic field that is experimentally confirmed by the k II-shift of the DC relative to the bottom non-spin-polarized conduction band states. The realized 2D PVE can be considered as a source for the generation of zero-bias surface spin-polarized currents and the laser-induced local surface magnetization developed in such kind 2D TSS materials.

  7. Sheath insulator final test report, TFE Verification Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-07-01

    The sheath insulator in a thermionic cell has two functions. First, the sheath insulator must electrically isolate the collector form the outer containment sheath tube that is in contact with the reactor liquid metal coolant. Second, The sheath insulator must provide for high uniform thermal conductance between the collector and the reactor coolant to remove away waste heat. The goals of the sheath insulator test program were to demonstrate that suitable ceramic materials and fabrication processes were available, and to validate the performance of the sheath insulator for TFE-VP requirements. This report discusses the objectives of the test program, fabrication development, ex-reactor test program, in-reactor test program, and the insulator seal specifications.

  8. Sheath insulator final test report, TFE Verification Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-07-01

    The sheath insulator in a thermionic cell has two functions. First, the sheath insulator must electrically isolate the collector form the outer containment sheath tube that is in contact with the reactor liquid metal coolant. Second, The sheath insulator must provide for high uniform thermal conductance between the collector and the reactor coolant to remove away waste heat. The goals of the sheath insulator test program were to demonstrate that suitable ceramic materials and fabrication processes were available, and to validate the performance of the sheath insulator for TFE-VP requirements. This report discusses the objectives of the test program, fabrication development, ex-reactor test program, in-reactor test program, and the insulator seal specifications

  9. Calculation of high-temperature insulation parameters and heat transfer behaviors of multilayer insulation by inverse problems method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Can

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In the present paper, a numerical model combining radiation and conduction for porous materials is developed based on the finite volume method. The model can be used to investigate high-temperature thermal insulations which are widely used in metallic thermal protection systems on reusable launch vehicles and high-temperature fuel cells. The effective thermal conductivities (ECTs which are measured experimentally can hardly be used separately to analyze the heat transfer behaviors of conduction and radiation for high-temperature insulation. By fitting the effective thermal conductivities with experimental data, the equivalent radiation transmittance, absorptivity and reflectivity, as well as a linear function to describe the relationship between temperature and conductivity can be estimated by an inverse problems method. The deviation between the calculated and measured effective thermal conductivities is less than 4%. Using the material parameters so obtained for conduction and radiation, the heat transfer process in multilayer thermal insulation (MTI is calculated and the deviation between the calculated and the measured transient temperatures at a certain depth in the multilayer thermal insulation is less than 6.5%.

  10. Dynamic surface electronic reconstruction as symmetry-protected topological orders in topological insulator Bi2Se3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, G. J.; Liou, S. C.; Karna, S. K.; Sankar, R.; Hayashi, M.; Chou, F. C.

    2018-04-01

    The layered narrow-band-gap semiconductor Bi2Se3 is composed of heavy elements with strong spin-orbital coupling, which has been identified both as a good candidate for a thermoelectric material with high thermoelectric figure of merit (Z T ) and as a topological insulator of the Z2 type with a gapless surface band in a Dirac-cone shape. The existence of a conjugated π -bond system on the surface of each Bi2Se3 quintuple layer is proposed based on an extended valence bond model with valence electrons distributed in the hybridized orbitals. Supporting experimental evidence of a two-dimensional (2D) conjugated π -bond system on each quintuple layer of Bi2Se3 is provided using electron energy-loss spectroscopy and electron density mapping through inverse Fourier transform of x-ray diffraction data. Quantum chemistry calculations support the π -bond existence between partially filled 4 pz orbitals of Se via side-to-side orbital overlap positively. The conjugated π -bond system on the surface of each quintuple Bi2Se3 layer is proposed to be similar to that found in graphite (graphene) and responsible for the unique 2D conduction mechanism. The van der Waals (vdW) attractive force between quintuple layers is interpreted to be coming from the antiferroelectrically ordered effective electric dipoles, which are constructed with π -bond trimer pairs on Se layers across the vdW gap of minimized Coulomb repulsion.

  11. Diffusion and solubility of oxygen in γ-ray irradiated polymer insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seguchi, Tadao; Yamamoto, Yasuaki.

    1986-03-01

    The effects of 60 Co γ-rays irradiation on diffusion and solubility of oxygen in polymer materials for electric cable insulation materials were investigated. The polymers were polyethylene, ethylene-propylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulphonated polyethylene, and chloroprene rubber. They were pure grade and several types of formulation grade. The sheets of these polymers were irradiated up to 5 - 200 Mrad under vacuum or in oxygen under pressure of 3 - 15 atm at room temperature or at 70 deg C. By a method of gas desorption, the diffusion coefficient (D) and solubility coefficient (S) of oxygen or argon in polymer materials were determined at various temperatures of 10 - 80 deg C. The D and S decreased with increase of dose, and the decrease by irradiation with oxidation was more remarkable than that by irradiation without oxidation. However, the decreases of D and S by irradiation were reduced by the formulation of polymers. The additives in formulated polymers would reduce the reactions of crosslinking or oxidation by γ-ray irradiation. The activation energy of D was scarcely changed by irradiations with and without oxidation. (author)

  12. Ultrafast Optical Excitation of a Persistent Surface-State Population in the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sobota, Jonathan

    2012-03-14

    Using femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigated the nonequilibrium dynamics of the topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}. We studied p-type Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}, in which the metallic Dirac surface state and bulk conduction bands are unoccupied. Optical excitation leads to a meta-stable population at the bulk conduction band edge, which feeds a nonequilibrium population of the surface state persisting for >10 ps. This unusually long-lived population of a metallic Dirac surface state with spin texture may present a channel in which to drive transient spin-polarized currents.

  13. Achievement report for fiscal 1976 on research in materials for electrodes and insulation walls. Large-scale technology development (Research and development of magnetohydrodynamic power generation); 1976 nendo denkyoku oyobi zetsuenheki zairyo ni kansuru kenkyu seika

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1977-06-01

    This report covers the achievements attained in fiscal 1976 by the materials working group engaged in the study of materials for electrodes and insulation walls. Fabricated and tested in the study relative to the experimental fabrication of materials for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generation are MgO-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} based insulation materials, MgO-BN based insulation materials, tin oxide based electrode materials, ZrO{sub 2}-CeO{sub 2} based cold pressed electrode materials, cermet based electrode materials, etc. In the research on basic characteristics and measurement, various electrode materials and insulation wall materials are subjected to a 300-hour K{sub 2}SO{sub 4} corrosion test at 1,300 degrees C. In the simulation of MHD power generation, correlations are investigated between materials, cooling structures, and dynamic characteristics, and data are collected to enable the prediction of performance and consumption of the materials during power generation. A data processing system is developed for the said simulation, and this enhances experimenting efficiency. In the study of insulation wall structures and electrode phenomena, studies are conducted about the thermal stress in power generation duct wall materials, localized anomalous heating due to arc spots, and the transfer of heat between the power generation duct wall materials and the cooling material. (NEDO)

  14. Response Surface Methodology for Design of Porous Hollow Sphere Thermal Insulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shohani, Nazanin; Pourmahdian, Saeed; Shirkavand Hadavand, Behzad

    2017-11-01

    In this study, response surface method is used for synthesizing polystyrene (PS) as sacrificial templates and optimizing the particle size. Three factors of initiator, stabilizer concentration and also stirring rate were selected as variable factors. Then, three different concentration of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) added to reaction media and core-shell structure with PS core and silica shell was developed. Finally, core-shell structure was changed to hollow silica sphere for using as thermal insulator. We observed that increased initiator concentration caused to larger PS particles, increase the stirring rate caused the smaller PS and also with increased the stabilizer concentration obtained that particle size decrease then after 2.5% began to increase. Also the optimum amount of TEOS was found.

  15. Optically tunable spin transport on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yudin, D; Shelykh, I A; Kibis, O V

    2016-01-01

    The emerging field of spinoptronics has a potential to supersede the functionality of modern electronics, while a proper description of strong light–matter coupling pose the most intriguing questions from both fundamental scientific and technological perspectives. In this paper we address a highly relevant issue for such a development. We theoretically explore spin dynamics on the surface of a 3D topological insulator (TI) irradiated with an off-resonant high-frequency electromagnetic wave. The strong coupling between electrons and the electromagnetic wave drastically modifies the spin properties of TI. The effects of irradiation are shown to result in anisotropy of electron energy spectrum near the Dirac point and suppression of spin current and are investigated in detail in this work. (paper)

  16. Feasibility study of thermal insulation materials for core support of experimental VHTR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawakami, H.; Nakanishi, T.

    1982-01-01

    Thermal insulation materials for core support of the experimental VHTR, planned by JAERI, should maintain moderate compressive strength and dimensional stability as well as low thermal conductivity at the maximum service temperature of 1100 0 C for 20 years. For selecting materials, we investigate properties of some candidates, and evaluate their feasibility. Preliminary tests, heat treatment test and compressive creep tests for 1000 hours at 900 0 C and 1000 0 C were conducted. In the preliminary tests, EG-38B (carbon baked at 1350 0 C) and Fine Finnex 600 (silicon nitride) showed acceptable physical stability. In the heat treatment tests, silicon nitride showed weight loss probably caused by thermal decomposition. Compressive creep deformation of Fine Finnex 600 was negligible under stress of 100 kg/cm 2 for 1000 hours. Heat treatment at 1200 to 1300 0 C for 50 hours improved dimensional stability of carbon at 1000 0 C

  17. Controlling electron transfer processes on insulating surfaces with the non-contact atomic force microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trevethan, Thomas; Shluger, Alexander

    2009-07-01

    We present the results of theoretical modelling that predicts how a process of transfer of single electrons between two defects on an insulating surface can be induced using a scanning force microscope tip. A model but realistic system is employed which consists of a neutral oxygen vacancy and a noble metal (Pt or Pd) adatom on the MgO(001) surface. We show that the ionization potential of the vacancy and the electron affinity of the metal adatom can be significantly modified by the electric field produced by an ionic tip apex at close approach to the surface. The relative energies of the two states are also a function of the separation of the two defects. Therefore the transfer of an electron from the vacancy to the metal adatom can be induced either by the field effect of the tip or by manipulating the position of the metal adatom on the surface.

  18. Insulation and Heat Treatment of Bi-2212 Wire for Wind-and-React Coils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peter K. F. Hwang

    2007-10-22

    Higher Field Magnets demand higher field materials such as Bi-2212 round superconducting wire. The Bi-2212 wire manufacture process depends on the coil fabrication method and wire insulation material. Considering the wind-and-react method, the coil must unifirmly heated to the melt temperature and uniformly cooled to the solidification temperature. During heat treat cycle for tightly wound coils, the leakage melt from conductor can chemically react with insulation on the conductor and creat short turns in the coils. In this research project, conductor, insulation, and coils are made to systemically study the suitable insulation materials, coil fabrication method, and heat treatment cycles. In this phase I study, 800 meters Bi-2212 wire with 3 different insulation materials have been produced. Best insulation material has been identified after testing six small coils for insulation integrity and critical current at 4.2 K. Four larger coils (2" dia) have been also made with Bi-2212 wrapped with best insulation and with different heattreatment cycle. These coils were tested for Ic in a 6T background field and at 4.2 K. The test result shows that Ic from 4 coils are very close to short samples (1 meter) result. It demonstrates that HTS coils can be made with Bi-2212 wire with best insulation consistently. Better wire insulation, improving coil winding technique, and wire manufacture process can be used for a wide range of high field magnet application including acclerators such as Muon Collider, fusion energy research, NMR spectroscopy, MRI, and other industrial magnets.

  19. Insulation and Heat Treatment of Bi-2212 Wires for Wind-and-React Coils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Peter K.F.

    2007-01-01

    Higher Field Magnets demand higher field materials such as Bi-2212 round superconducting wire. The Bi-2212 wire manufacture process depends on the coil fabrication method and wire insulation material. Considering the wind-and-react method, the coil must unifirmly heated to the melt temperature and uniformly cooled to the solidification temperature. During heat treat cycle for tightly wound coils, the leakage melt from conductor can chemically react with insulation on the conductor and creat short turns in the coils. In this research project, conductor, insulation, and coils are made to systemically study the suitable insulation materials, coil fabrication method, and heat treatment cycles. In this phase I study, 800 meters Bi-2212 wire with 3 different insulation materials have been produced. Best insulation material has been identified after testing six small coils for insulation integrity and critical current at 4.2 K. Four larger coils (2-inch dia) have been also made with Bi-2212 wrapped with best insulation and with different heattreatment cycle. These coils were tested for Ic in a 6T background field and at 4.2 K. The test result shows that Ic from 4 coils are very close to short samples (1 meter) result. It demonstrates that HTS coils can be made with Bi-2212 wire with best insulation consistently. Better wire insulation, improving coil winding technique, and wire manufacture process can be used for a wide range of high field magnet application including acclerators such as Muon Collider, fusion energy research, NMR spectroscopy, MRI, and other industrial magnets.

  20. Experimental studies of ions and atoms interaction with insulating surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villette, J.

    2000-10-01

    Grazing collisions ( + , Ne + , Ne 0 , Na + on LiF (001) single crystal, an ionic insulator, are investigated by a time of flight technique. The incident beam is chopped and the scattered particles are collected on a position sensitive detector providing differential cross section while the time of flight gives the energy loss. Deflection plates allow the charge state analysis. Secondary electrons are detected in coincidence allowing direct measurements of electron emission yield, angular and energetic distribution through time of flight measurements. The target electronic structure characterized by a large band gap, governs the collisional processes: charge exchange, electronic excitations and electron emission. In particular, these studies show that the population of local target excitations surface excitons is the major contribution to the kinetic energy transfer (stopping power). Auger neutralization of Ne + and He + ions reveals the population of quasi-molecular excitons, an exciton bound on two holes. Referenced in the literature as trion. A direct energy balance determines the binding energy associated with these excited states of the surface. Besides these electronic energy loss processes, two nuclear energy loss mechanisms are characterized. These processes imply momentum transfer to individual target atoms during close binary collisions or, if the projectile is charged, to collective mode of optical phonons induced by the projectile coulomb field. The effect of the temperature on the scattering profile, the contribution of topological surface defects to the energy loss profile and to skipping motion on the surface are analyzed in view of classical trajectory simulations. (author)

  1. Post-Insulation of Existing Buildings Constructed Between 1850 and 1920

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

    2010-01-01

    as a result of post-insulation measures. Besides lower heating costs and reduced CO2 emissions, improvement of the insulation standard could contribute to the elimination of other aspects of discomfort, such as draught originating from cold surfaces inside. This paper considers post-insulation of a simulated...

  2. Comparative Investigation of Pollution Accumulation and Natural Cleaning for Different HV Insulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Dimitropoulou

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available High Voltage insulators are scattered throughout any HV network and a single insulator fault may cause an excessive outage. Reliability is a key issue for electric power systems and fault-free performance of insulators greatly reflects on the reliability of the system. Environmental influence is rather important for the optimum selection of outdoor insulators and, therefore, field measurements provide valuable information. Utilities perform such measurements in order to decide upon the location/route of new HV installations (substations, lines etc and also to optimize the selection, maintenance and replacement of already installed insulators. A rather interesting case in Greek territory is the island of Crete, due to the coastal development of the network and the local weather conditions. The Greek utility has employed a variety of remedies to cope with the pollution problem. Following the positive feedback after the installation on certain tower in the past, a large project to replace all ceramic insulators with new polymer ones of hydrophobic surface is now in progress. Polymer coatings have also been extensively applied on substations and also on certain areas/towers of the transmission network in the past. In order to investigate the pollution accumulation and the impact of natural washing on different insulator types, a series of periodical ESDD and NSDD pollution measurements were conducted in HEDNO’s TALOS High Voltage Test Station for a 3-months period. Multiple measurements were performed on each insulator every month in order to collect additional data. Five different insulators were selected based on the types historically used in the Cretan Network. Along with the standard glass disc profile, two strings of glass fog profile (the one coated with RTV and two long-rod composite insulators of different shed profile and material were used. Results are presented and discussed in this paper.

  3. 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

  4. Vacuum maintenance in vacuum insulation panels exemplified with a staggered beam VIP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Jae-Sung; Jang, Choong Hyo; Jung, Haeyong; Song, Tae-Ho [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Guseong-dong 373-1, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-05-15

    Thermal insulation performance of a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is highly dependent on the inner pressure of the VIP. Long-term vacuum maintenance characteristics are investigated in this study for a VIP with an example of polymer staggered beam structure as the core material. Various gas sources deteriorating the vacuum level in the VIP are investigated based on theoretical models and experiments. Gas permeation occurring through heat-sealed flanges and pinholes in the barrier envelope is the largest gas leakage source. The calculated gas permeation rate is in accordance with the experimental result. To reduce these permeations, a three-side sealing envelope and double enveloping are proposed. Outgassing from the core material and inner surface of the envelope is also critical. It is significantly reduced by a baking pre-treatment in vacuum. When the estimated total gas load exceeds the allowable limit within a few years, a getter material may be applied. Double enveloping structure with a getter is promising as it ensures a lifetime of more than 20 years. (author)

  5. Insulator coated magnetic nanoparticulate composites with reduced core loss and method of manufacture thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yide (Inventor); Wang, Shihe (Inventor); Xiao, Danny (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    A series of bulk-size magnetic/insulating nanostructured composite soft magnetic materials with significantly reduced core loss and its manufacturing technology. This insulator coated magnetic nanostructured composite is comprises a magnetic constituent, which contains one or more magnetic components, and an insulating constituent. The magnetic constituent is nanometer scale particles (1-100 nm) coated by a thin-layered insulating phase (continuous phase). While the intergrain interaction between the immediate neighboring magnetic nanoparticles separated by the insulating phase (or coupled nanoparticles) provide the desired soft magnetic properties, the insulating material provides the much demanded high resistivity which significantly reduces the eddy current loss. The resulting material is a high performance magnetic nanostructured composite with reduced core loss.

  6. Unconventional quantum Hall effect in Floquet topological insulators

    KAUST Repository

    Tahir, M.

    2016-07-27

    We study an unconventional quantum Hall effect for the surface states of ultrathin Floquet topological insulators in a perpendicular magnetic field. The resulting band structure is modified by photon dressing and the topological property is governed by the low-energy dynamics of a single surface. An exchange of symmetric and antisymmetric surface states occurs by reversing the lights polarization. We find a novel quantum Hall state in which the zeroth Landau level undergoes a phase transition from a trivial insulator state, with Hall conductivity αyx = 0 at zero Fermi energy, to a Hall insulator state with αyx = e2/2h. These findings open new possibilities for experimentally realizing nontrivial quantum states and unusual quantum Hall plateaus at (±1/2,±3/2,±5/2, ...)e2/h. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK.

  7. Unconventional quantum Hall effect in Floquet topological insulators

    KAUST Repository

    Tahir, M.; Vasilopoulos, P.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2016-01-01

    We study an unconventional quantum Hall effect for the surface states of ultrathin Floquet topological insulators in a perpendicular magnetic field. The resulting band structure is modified by photon dressing and the topological property is governed by the low-energy dynamics of a single surface. An exchange of symmetric and antisymmetric surface states occurs by reversing the lights polarization. We find a novel quantum Hall state in which the zeroth Landau level undergoes a phase transition from a trivial insulator state, with Hall conductivity αyx = 0 at zero Fermi energy, to a Hall insulator state with αyx = e2/2h. These findings open new possibilities for experimentally realizing nontrivial quantum states and unusual quantum Hall plateaus at (±1/2,±3/2,±5/2, ...)e2/h. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK.

  8. Measurement of the thermal conductivity of thin insulating anisotropic material with a stationary hot strip method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jannot, Yves; Degiovanni, Alain; Félix, Vincent; Bal, Harouna

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a method dedicated to the thermal conductivity measurement of thin insulating anisotropic materials. The method is based on three hot-strip-type experiments in which the stationary temperature is measured at the center of the hot strip. A 3D model of the heat transfer in the system is established and simulated to determine the validity of a 2D transfer hypothesis at the center of the hot strip. A simplified 2D model is then developed leading to the definition of a geometrical factor calculable from a polynomial expression. A very simple calculation method enabling the estimation of the directional thermal conductivities from the three stationary temperature measurements and from the geometrical factor is presented. The uncertainties on each conductivity are estimated. The method is then validated by measurements on polyethylene foam and Ayous (anistropic low-density tropical wood); the estimated values of the thermal conductivities are in good agreement with the values estimated using the hot plate and the flash method. The method is finally applied on a thin super-insulating fibrous material for which no other method is able to measure the in-plane conductivity

  9. He atom surface scattering: Surface dynamics of insulators, overlayers and crystal growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Investigations have focused primarily on surface structure and dynamics of ionic insulators, epitaxial growth onto alkali halide crystals and multiphoton studies. The surface dynamics of RbCl has been re-examined. We have developed a simple force constant model which provides insight into the dynamics of KBr overlayers on NaCl(001), a system with a large lattice mismatch. The KBr/NaCl(001) results are compared to Na/Cu(001) and NaCl/Ge(001). We have completed epitaxial growth experiments for KBr onto RbCl(001). Slab dynamics calculations using a shell model for this system with very small lattice mismatch are being carried out in collaboration with Professor Manson of Clemson University and with Professor Schroeder in Regensburg, Germany. Extensive experiments on multiphoton scattering of helium atoms onto NaCl and, particularly, LiF have been carried out and the theory has been developed to a rather advanced stage by Professor Manson. This work will permit the extraction of more information from time-of-flight spectra. It is shown that the theoretical model provides a very good description of the multiphoton scattering from organic films. Work has started on self-assembling organic films on gold (alkyl thiols/Au(111)). We have begun to prepare and characterize the gold crystal; one of the group members has spent two weeks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory learning the proper Au(111) preparation techniques. One of our students has carried out neutron scattering experiments on NiO, measuring both bulk phonon and magnon dispersion curves

  10. Simultaneous in-bore rail and insulator spectra from a railgun plasma armature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keefer, D.; Sedghinasah, A.; Crawford, R.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on absolute spectral radiance measurements obtained simultaneously at the rail and insulator surface of the UTSI 1 cm square-bore railgun. The emission spectra were obtained through the use of quartz optical fibers which penetrated both the rail and the insulator walls. The spectral characteristics of the rail and insulator emission are quite similar but differ significantly in magnitude. A detailed plasma radiation model was used to analyze these spectra. In order to obtain reasonable agreement between the model predictions and the experimental spectra, it was necessary to assume that these existed a broadband absorbing layer at the insulator surface. This result suggests a new physical model of the plasma armature in which insulator ablation leads to significant 3-dimensional flow and affects the shape of the current emission pattern on the rail surfaces

  11. 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

  12. 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.

  13. The electric strength of high-voltage transformers insulation at effect of partial dischargers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoshravan, E.; Zeraatparvar, A.; Gashimov, A.M.; Mehdizadeh, R.N.

    2001-01-01

    Full text : In paper the change of electric strength of high-voltage transformers insulation at the effect of partial discharges with space charge accumulation was investigated. It is revealed that the effect of partial discharges of insulation materials results the reduction of their pulsing electric strength which can restore the own initial value at releasing of saved charge the volume of a material under condition of absence the ineversible structural changes in it. Researches of high-voltage transformers insulation's non-failure operation conditions show, that at increasing of insulation work time in a strong electrical field the reduction of average breakdown voltages with simultaneous increasing of spread in discharge voltage values takes place. It authentically testifies to reduction of short-time discharge voltage of insulation materials during their electrical aging. As the basic reason of insulation electrical aging the partial discharges occurring in gas cavities inside insulation were considered. It is known that the space charges will be formed in insulation elements of high-voltage devices which effects in dielectrical property of these elements including the electric strength and the space charge formation can occur also at partial discharges in an alternating voltage while the service of high-voltage transformers. In the given work the experiments in revealing separate influence partial discharges in pulsing electric strength of insulation materials at presence and at absence inside them the space charge were spent

  14. PREFACE: 12th Europhysical Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials (EURODIM 2014)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfredsson, M. L.; Chadwick, A. V.; Jackson, R. A.; McCabe, E. E.

    2015-04-01

    The 12th Europhysical Conference on Defects in Insulating Materials (EURODIM14) was held at the University of Kent, UK, from 13-18 July 2014. It was attended by about 120 delegates from around the world, and featured 56 oral presentations and 77 posters. EURODIM14 followed other conferences in the series, held in Pecs (2010), Milan (2006) and Wroclaw (2002), as well as the related ICDIM conferences held in Santa Fe (2012), Aracaju (2008) and Riga (2004). These conferences all have the aim of bringing together scientists to discuss the chemistry and physics of defects in solids, and their role in determining material properties. We would like to thank the International Advisory Committee for suggesting invited speakers, and the Local and Programme Committee for their hard work in planning and running the conference. Finally we would like to thank the authors and referees for their contributions to the proceedings. M L Alfredsson (Conference Chair) A V Chadwick R A Jackson E E McCabe

  15. Faraday Rotation Due to Surface States in the Topological Insulator (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Yinming; Post, Kirk W; Wu, Jhih-Sheng; Dai, Siyuan; Frenzel, Alex J; Richardella, Anthony R; Lee, Joon Sue; Samarth, Nitin; Fogler, Michael M; Balatsky, Alexander V; Kharzeev, Dmitri E; Basov, D N

    2017-02-08

    Using magneto-infrared spectroscopy, we have explored the charge dynamics of (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 thin films on InP substrates. From the magneto-transmission data we extracted three distinct cyclotron resonance (CR) energies that are all apparent in the broad band Faraday rotation (FR) spectra. This comprehensive FR-CR data set has allowed us to isolate the response of the bulk states from the intrinsic surface states associated with both the top and bottom surfaces of the film. The FR data uncovered that electron- and hole-type Dirac Fermions reside on opposite surfaces of our films, which paves the way for observing many exotic quantum phenomena in topological insulators.

  16. Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-20

    Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 20120321 - 20150320 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Topological insulators and superconductors for innovative...locking, which hold promise for various innovative devices. Similarly, topological superconductors are associated with exotic surface states, which...298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Final Report Title: Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

  17. Long-term radiation effects on commercial cable-insulating materials irradiated at CERN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maier, P.; Stolarz, A.

    1983-01-01

    Long-term irradiation damage tests have been carried out on a variety of flexible cable-insulating materials offered to CERN by different European cable manufacturers. Tensile test specimens were exposed for a maximum of three years in high-level radiation areas of the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and for comparison at high dose rates in a nuclear reactor. The degradation of mechanical properties after irradiation in air depends not only on the total absorbed dose, but also on the dose rate for most of these polymer compounds. These dose-rate effects vary between material types and for different compounds. The results presented here illustrate the difference in radiation damage between short-term and long-term irradiation conditions in a typical service application for the various materials tested. They also allow safety factors to be estimated for the extrapolation of the limiting exposure in service from accelerated material tests in the range of dose rates covered. A discussion of the available models of the dose-rate effects results in a conservative estimate for extrapolation to low dose rates from measured values at intermediate dose rates of the order of 0.1 Gy/s. Based on short-term irradiation tests only, the safety factors to be applied depend on the end-point criterion used, and may vary between 1 and 10 for the range of dose rates and materials considered here. (orig.)

  18. Thin Aerogel as a Spacer in Multilayer Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moroz, Nancy

    2015-01-01

    Cryogenic fluid management is a critical technical area that is needed for future space exploration. A key challenge is the storability of liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane (LCH4), and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants for long-duration missions. The storage tanks must be well-insulated to prevent over-pressurization and venting, which can lead to unacceptable propellant losses for long-duration missions to Mars and beyond. Aspen Aerogels had validated the key process step to enable the fabrication of thin, low-density aerogel materials. The multilayer aerogel insulation (MLAI) system prototypes were prepared using sheets of aerogel materials with superior thermal performance exceeding current state-of-the-art insulation for space applications. The exceptional properties of this system include a new breakthrough in high-vacuum cryogenic thermal insulation, providing a durable material with excellent thermal performance at a reduced cost when compared to longstanding state-of-the-art multilayer insulation systems. During the Phase II project, further refinement and qualification/system-level testing of the MLAI system will be performed for use in cryogenic storage applications. Aspen has been in discussions with United Launch Alliance, LLC; NASA's Kennedy Space Center; and Yetispace, Inc., to test the MLAI system on rea-lworld tanks such as Vibro-Acoustic Test Article (VATA) or the Cryogenic Orbital Testbed (CRYOTE).

  19. Sustainable wall construction and exterior insulation retrofit technology process and structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vohra, Arun

    2000-01-01

    A low-cost process for exterior wall insulation retrofit, or new wall construction by stacking layers of fabric tube filled with insulating material against a wall and covering them with mesh and stucco provides a durable structure with good insulating value.

  20. Bulletin of Materials Science | News

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    pp 235-241 Polymers. Synthesis, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of ... pp 243-249 Polymers. Terpolymerization of 2-ethoxy ethylmethacrylate, styrene ... showed reduction in g value. pp 251-262 Polymers. Analysis of surface degradation of high density polyethylene (HDPE) insulation material due to tracking.

  1. Solid-gate control of insulator to 2D metal transition at SrTiO3 surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulman, Alejandro; Stoliar, Pablo; Kitoh, Ai; Rozenberg, Marcelo; Inoue, Isao H.

    As miniaturization of the semiconductor transistor approaches its limit, semiconductor industries are facing a major challenge to extend information processing beyond what can be attainable by conventional Si-based transistors. Innovative combinations of new materials and new processing platforms are desired. Recent discovery of the 2D electron gas (2DEG) at the surface of SrTiO3 (STO) and its electrostatic control, have carried it to the top of promising materials to be utilized in innovative devices. We report an electrostatic control of the carrier density of the 2DEG formed at the channel of bilayer-gated STO field-effect devices. By applying a gate electric field at room temperature, its highly insulating channel exhibits a transition to metallic one. This transition is accompanied by non-monotonic voltage-gain transfer characteristic with both negative and positive slope regions and unexpected enhancement of the sheet carrier density. We will introduce a numerical model to rationalize the observed features in terms of the established physics of field-effect transistors and the physics of percolation. Furthermore, we have found a clear signature of a Kondo effect that arises due to the interaction between the dilute 2DEG and localized Ti 3d orbitals originated by oxygen vacancies near the channel. On leave from CIC nanoGUNE, Spain.

  2. Spatial distribution of spin polarization in a channel on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Xiaoying; Shao Huaihua; Liu Yiman; Tang Dongsheng; Zhou Guanghui

    2012-01-01

    We study the spatial distribution of electron spin polarization for a gate-controlled T-shaped channel on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator (3D TI). We demonstrate that an energy gap depending on channel geometry parameters is definitely opened due to the spatial confinement. Spin surface locking in momentum space for a uniform wide channel with Hamiltonian linearity in the wavevector is still kept, but it is broken with Hamiltonian nonlinearity in the wavevector, like that for two-dimensional surface states widely studied in the literature. However, the spin surface locking for a T-shaped channel is broken even with Hamiltonian linearity in the wavevector. Interestingly, the magnitude and direction of the in-plane spin polarization are spatially dependent in all regions due to the breaking of translational symmetry of the T-shaped channel system. These interesting findings for an electrically controlled nanostructure based on the 3D TI surface may be testable with the present experimental technique, and may provide further understanding the nature of 3D TI surface states. (paper)

  3. A time-reversal invariant topological phase at the surface of a 3D topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonderson, Parsa; Nayak, Chetan; Qi, Xiao-Liang

    2013-01-01

    A 3D fermionic topological insulator has a gapless Dirac surface state protected by time-reversal symmetry and charge conservation symmetry. The surface state can be gapped by introducing ferromagnetism to break time-reversal symmetry, introducing superconductivity to break charge conservation, or entering a topological phase. In this paper, we construct a minimal gapped topological phase that preserves both time-reversal and charge conservation symmetries and supports Ising-type non-Abelian anyons. This phase can be understood heuristically as emerging from a surface s-wave superconducting state via the condensation of eight-vortex composites. The topological phase inherits vortices supporting Majorana zero modes from the surface superconducting state. However, since it is time-reversal invariant, the surface topological phase is a distinct phase from the Ising topological phase, which can be viewed as a quantum-disordered spin-polarized p x + ip y superconductor. We discuss the anyon model of this topological phase and the manner in which time-reversal symmetry is realized in it. We also study the interfaces between the topological state and other surface gapped phases. (paper)

  4. Mouse-resistant insulated covers keep pipes from freezing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2010-01-15

    Fabric wellhead covers and insulated blankets are commonly used at well sites in the Wyoming coalbed methane field to keep surface pipes from freezing. These materials are often chewed up by mice who build nests close to the warm pipes. The mice attract rattlesnakes, a potentially serious problem for the workmen who check the wells daily. Kennon Products of Sheridan, Wyoming solved this problem by making a flexible covering material that has a coating of hardened guard plates that prevents mice from chewing through it. More than a hundred of Kennon's mouse-resistant wellhead covers have been used successfully in the gas fields for over a year. They can be installed in less than 30 minutes and cost only a fraction of what a fiberglass hut costs to purchase and install. Huts are being discouraged for use on federal lands because they alter the nesting patterns of eagles, who perch upon them to hunt rodents. Huts also trap methane gas, which is a potential safety hazard. Kennon's mouse-resistant wellhead covers are lower than the fiberglass huts and blend into the landscape. The company is working on camouflage colours to make wellheads less noticeable. In the future, the company plans to insulate water pipes. 1 fig.

  5. Airborne sound insulation evaluation and flanking path prediction of coupled room

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tassia, R. D.; Asmoro, W. A.; Arifianto, D.

    2016-11-01

    One of the parameters to review the acoustic comfort is based on the value of the insulation partition in the classroom. The insulation value can be expressed by the sound transmission loss which converted into a single value as weighted sound reduction index (Rw, DnTw) and also have an additional sound correction factor in low frequency (C, Ctr) .In this study, the measurements were performed in two positions at each point using BSWA microphone and dodecahedron speaker as the sound source. The results of field measurements indicate the acoustic insulation values (DnT w + C) is 19.6 dB. It is noted that the partition wall not according to the standard which the DnTw + C> 51 dB. Hence the partition wall need to be redesign to improve acoustic insulation in the classroom. The design used gypsum board, plasterboard, cement board, and PVC as the replacement material. Based on the results, all the material is simulated in accordance with established standards. Best insulation is cement board with the insulation value is 69dB, the thickness of 12.5 mm on each side and the absorber material is 50 mm. Many factors lead to increase the value of acoustic insulation, such as the thickness of the panel, the addition of absorber material, density, and Poisson's ratio of a material. The prediction of flanking path can be estimated from noise reduction values at each measurement point in the class room. Based on data obtained, there is no significant change in noise reduction from each point so that the pathway of flanking is not affect the sound transmission in the classroom.

  6. Polyimide Foams Offer Superior Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    At Langley Research Center, Erik Weiser and his colleagues in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch were working with a new substance for fabricating composites for use in supersonic aircraft. The team, however, was experiencing some frustration. Every time they tried to create a solid composite from the polyimide (an advanced polymer) material, it bubbled and foamed. It seemed like the team had reached a dead end in their research - until they had another idea. "We said, This isn t going to work for composites, but maybe we could make a foam out of it," Weiser says. "That was kind of our eureka moment, to see if we could go in a whole other direction. And it worked." Weiser and his colleagues invented a new kind of polyimide foam insulation they named TEEK. The innovation displayed a host of advantages over existing insulation options. Compared to other commercial foams, Weiser explains, polyimide foams perform well across a broad range of temperatures, noting that the NASA TEEK foams provide effective structural insulation up to 600 F and down to cryogenic temperatures. The foam does not burn or off-gas toxic fumes, and even at -423 F - the temperature of liquid hydrogen - the material stays flexible. The inventors could produce the TEEK foam at a range of densities, from 0.5 pounds per cubic foot up to 20 pounds per cubic foot, making the foam ideal for a range of applications, including as insulation for reusable launch vehicles and for cryogenic tanks and lines. They also developed a unique, friable balloon format for manufacturing the foam, producing it as hollow microspheres that allowed the foam to be molded and then cured into any desired shape - perfect for insulating pipes of different sizes and configurations. The team s originally unplanned invention won an "R&D 100" award, and a later form of the foam, called LaRC FPF-44 (Spinoff 2009), was named "NASA Invention of the Year" in 2007.

  7. Topological BF field theory description of topological insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Gil Young; Moore, Joel E.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We show that a BF theory is the effective theory of 2D and 3D topological insulators. → The non-gauge-invariance of the bulk theory yields surface terms for a bosonized Dirac fermion. → The 'axion' term in electromagnetism is correctly obtained from gapped surfaces. → Generalizations to possible fractional phases are discussed in closing. - Abstract: Topological phases of matter are described universally by topological field theories in the same way that symmetry-breaking phases of matter are described by Landau-Ginzburg field theories. We propose that topological insulators in two and three dimensions are described by a version of abelian BF theory. For the two-dimensional topological insulator or quantum spin Hall state, this description is essentially equivalent to a pair of Chern-Simons theories, consistent with the realization of this phase as paired integer quantum Hall effect states. The BF description can be motivated from the local excitations produced when a π flux is threaded through this state. For the three-dimensional topological insulator, the BF description is less obvious but quite versatile: it contains a gapless surface Dirac fermion when time-reversal-symmetry is preserved and yields 'axion electrodynamics', i.e., an electromagnetic E . B term, when time-reversal symmetry is broken and the surfaces are gapped. Just as changing the coefficients and charges of 2D Chern-Simons theory allows one to obtain fractional quantum Hall states starting from integer states, BF theory could also describe (at a macroscopic level) fractional 3D topological insulators with fractional statistics of point-like and line-like objects.

  8. Aging predictions in nuclear power plants: Crosslinked polyolefin and EPR cable insulation materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gillen, K.T.; Clough, R.L.

    1991-06-01

    In two earlier reports, we derived a time-temperature-dose rate superposition methodology, which, when applicable, can be used to predict cable degradation versus dose rate, temperature and exposure time. This methodology results in long-term predictive capabilities at the low dose rates appropriate to ambient nuclear power plant aging environments. The methodology was successfully applied to numerous important cable materials used in nuclear applications and the extrapolated predictions were verified by comparisons with long-term (7 to 12 year) results for similar or identical materials aged in nuclear environments. In this report, we test the methodology on three crosslinked polyolefin (CLPO) and two ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) cable insulation materials. The methodology applies to one of the CLPO materials and one of the EPR materials, allowing predictions to be made for these materials under low dose-rate, low temperature conditions. For the other materials, it is determined that, at low temperatures, a decrease in temperature at a constant radiation dose rate leads to an increase in the degradation rate for the mechanical properties. Since these results contradict the fundamental assumption underlying time-temperature-dose rate superposition, this methodology cannot be applied to such data. As indicated in the earlier reports, such anomalous results might be expected when attempting to model data taken across the crystalline melting region of semicrystalline materials. Nonetheless, the existing experimental evidence suggests that these CLPO and EPR materials have substantial aging endurance for typical reactor conditions. 28 refs., 26 figs., 3 tabs

  9. Tuning the metal-insulator transition in manganite films through surface exchange coupling with magnetic nanodots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, T Z; Gai, Z; Xu, X Y; Guo, H W; Yin, L F; Shen, J

    2011-04-15

    In strongly correlated electronic systems, the global transport behavior depends sensitively on spin ordering. We show that spin ordering in manganites can be controlled by depositing isolated ferromagnetic nanodots at the surface. The exchange field at the interface is tunable with nanodot density and makes it possible to overcome dimensionality and strain effects in frustrated systems to greatly increasing the metal-insulator transition and magnetoresistance. These findings indicate that electronic phase separation can be controlled by the presence of magnetic nanodots.

  10. Zirconium Micro-Arc Oxidation as a Method for Producing Heat Insulation Elements in Spacecraft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. K. Shatalov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Application of coatings on the surface of materials as well as their composition and structure control in the near-surface layer enables us to use properties of base material and modified layers in the most rational and profitable way and save expensive and rare metals and alloys.The space telescope of T-170M will be the main tool of the international space observatory "Spektr-UF".It is being understood that the main mirror shade, which is in the outer space and has a considerable height will act as a radiator cooling a unit (cage of the main mirror. Therefore it is necessary to create heat insulation between the shade of the main mirror and the frame of the main mirror unit. From the thermal calculations a detail to provide heat insulation must possess thermal conductivity, at most, 2,5 and a conditional limit of fluidity for compression, at least, 125 MPas to ensure that the shade diaphragms position of the main mirror is stable with respect to the optical system of telescope.Considering that oxide of zirconium possesses one of the lowest thermal conductivities among oxides of metals, it is offered to use zirconium, as a material of base, and to put the MAO-covering (micro-arc oxide on its surface.As a result of studying the features of MAO-coverings on zirconium it is:1 found that the composite material consisting of zirconium and MAO-covering on it, has low thermal conductivity (less than 2 , and thus, because of small oxide layer thickness against the thickness of base material, possesses the mechanical properties which are slightly different from the pure zirconium ones;2 found that the composite material possesses the low gas release, allowing its use in the outer space conditions; the material processed in two electrolytes i.e. phosphate and acid ones has the lowest gas release;3 found that with growing thickness of MAO-covering its porosity decreases, thus the average pore diameter grows thereby leading to increasing thermal

  11. Phase coherent transport in hybrid superconductor-topological insulator devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finck, Aaron

    2015-03-01

    Heterostructures of superconductors and topological insulators are predicted to host unusual zero energy bound states known as Majorana fermions, which can robustly store and process quantum information. Here, I will discuss our studies of such heterostructures through phase-coherent transport, which can act as a unique probe of Majorana fermions. We have extensively explored topological insulator Josephson junctions through SQUID and single-junction diffraction patterns, whose unusual behavior give evidence for low-energy Andreev bound states. In topological insulator devices with closely spaced normal and superconducting leads, we observe prominent Fabry-Perot oscillations, signifying gate-tunable, quasi-ballistic transport that can elegantly interact with Andreev reflection. Superconducting disks deposited on the surface of a topological insulator generate Aharonov-Bohm-like oscillations, giving evidence for unusual states lying near the interface between the superconductor and topological insulator surface. Our results point the way towards sophisticated interferometers that can detect and read out the state of Majorana fermions in topological systems. This work was done in collaboration with Cihan Kurter, Yew San Hor, and Dale Van Harlingen. We acknowledge funding from Microsoft Project Q.

  12. Heat resistance insulation for NPP pipelines and components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yurchenko, V.G.; Nazarova, G.A.; Popov, A.M.; Matveeva, N.F.

    1986-01-01

    To insulate hot surfaces of NPP process equipment and pipes it is suggested to use heat resistant insulation of foam aminoimides (FAI). Relative toxicity of aceton and acetaldehyd evolved from FAI in the process of thermal and thermal-oxidative break-down was determined. FAI can be used at 200 deg C

  13. Processing of insulators and semiconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quick, Nathaniel R.; Joshi, Pooran C.; Duty, Chad Edward; Jellison, Jr., Gerald Earle; Angelini, Joseph Attilio

    2015-06-16

    A method is disclosed for processing an insulator material or a semiconductor material. The method includes pulsing a plasma lamp onto the material to diffuse a doping substance into the material, to activate the doping substance in the material or to metallize a large area region of the material. The method may further include pulsing a laser onto a selected region of the material to diffuse a doping substance into the material, to activate the doping substance in the material or to metallize a selected region of the material.

  14. Measuring the lateral charge-carrier mobility in metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors via Kelvin-probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milotti, Valeria; Pietsch, Manuel; Strunk, Karl-Philipp; Melzer, Christian

    2018-01-01

    We report a Kelvin-probe method to investigate the lateral charge-transport properties of semiconductors, most notably the charge-carrier mobility. The method is based on successive charging and discharging of a pre-biased metal-insulator-semiconductor stack by an alternating voltage applied to one edge of a laterally confined semiconductor layer. The charge carriers spreading along the insulator-semiconductor interface are directly measured by a Kelvin-probe, following the time evolution of the surface potential. A model is presented, describing the device response for arbitrary applied biases allowing the extraction of the lateral charge-carrier mobility from experimentally measured surface potentials. The method is tested using the organic semiconductor poly(3-hexylthiophene), and the extracted mobilities are validated through current voltage measurements on respective field-effect transistors. Our widely applicable approach enables robust measurements of the lateral charge-carrier mobility in semiconductors with weak impact from the utilized contact materials.

  15. Measuring the lateral charge-carrier mobility in metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors via Kelvin-probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milotti, Valeria; Pietsch, Manuel; Strunk, Karl-Philipp; Melzer, Christian

    2018-01-01

    We report a Kelvin-probe method to investigate the lateral charge-transport properties of semiconductors, most notably the charge-carrier mobility. The method is based on successive charging and discharging of a pre-biased metal-insulator-semiconductor stack by an alternating voltage applied to one edge of a laterally confined semiconductor layer. The charge carriers spreading along the insulator-semiconductor interface are directly measured by a Kelvin-probe, following the time evolution of the surface potential. A model is presented, describing the device response for arbitrary applied biases allowing the extraction of the lateral charge-carrier mobility from experimentally measured surface potentials. The method is tested using the organic semiconductor poly(3-hexylthiophene), and the extracted mobilities are validated through current voltage measurements on respective field-effect transistors. Our widely applicable approach enables robust measurements of the lateral charge-carrier mobility in semiconductors with weak impact from the utilized contact materials.

  16. Spin and Charge Transport in 2D Materials and Magnetic Insulator/Metal Heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amamou, Walid

    Spintronic devices are very promising for future information storage, logic operations and computation and have the potential to replace current CMOS technology approaching the scaling limit. In particular, the generation and manipulation of spin current enables the integration of storage and logic within the same circuit for more powerful computing architectures. In this thesis, we examine the manipulation of spins in 2D materials such as graphene and metal/magnetic insulator heterostructures. In particular, we investigate the feasibility for achieving magnetization switching of a nanomagnet using graphene as a nonmagnetic channel material for All Spin Logic Device applications. Using in-situ MBE deposition of nanomagnet on graphene spin valve, we demonstrate the presence of an interfacial spin dephasing at the interface between the graphene and the nanomagnet. By introducing a Cu spacer between the nanomagnet and graphene, we demonstrate that this interfacial effect is related to an exchange interaction between the spin current and the disordered magnetic moment of the nanomagnet in the first monolayer. In addition to the newly discovered interfacial spin relaxation effect, the extracted contact resistance area product of the nanomagnet/graphene interface is relatively high on the order of 1Omicrom2. In practice, reducing the contact resistance will be as important as eliminating the interfacial relaxation in order to achieve magnetization switching. Furthermore, we examine spin manipulation in a nonmagnetic Pt using an internal magnetic exchange field produced by the adjacent magnetic insulator CoFe2O4 grown by MBE. Here, we report the observation of a strong magnetic proximity effect of Pt deposited on top of a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) inverse spinel material Cobalt Ferrite (CFO, CoFe 2O4). The CFO was grown by MBE and its magnetization was characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) demonstrating the strong out of plane magnetic

  17. Recent Progress in Electrical Insulation Techniques for HTS Power Apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayakawa, Naoki; Kojima, Hiroki; Hanai, Masahiro; Okubo, Hitoshi

    This paper describes the electrical insulation techniques at cryogenic temperatures, i.e. Cryodielectrics, for HTS power apparatus, e.g. HTS power transmission cables, transformers, fault current limiters and SMES. Breakdown and partial discharge characteristics are discussed for different electrical insulation configurations of LN2, sub-cooled LN2, solid, vacuum and their composite insulation systems. Dynamic and static insulation performances with and without taking account of quench in HTS materials are also introduced.

  18. 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.

  19. Lighter touch keeps in the heat. [Advantages of low-thermal-mass insulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pipes, A.

    1979-04-01

    Low-thermal-mass insulation of ceramic fibers and light refractory materials is more suitable to applications with intermittent processes and lower-temperature melting and retreating, where the heat-retention requirements do not require traditional furnace design. Old furnaces can be retrofitted by replacing bricks with insulation or by veneering. Insulating materials include ceramic, alumina, and quartz fibers, and microtherm in the form of blocks, blankets and other shapes. 4 figures. (DCK)

  20. Analysis and comparison of magnetic sheet insulation tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marion-Péra, M. C.; Kedous-Lebouc, A.; Cornut, B.; Brissonneau, P.

    1994-05-01

    Magnetic circuits of electrical machines are divided into coated sheets in order to limit eddy currents. The surface insulation resistance of magnetic sheets is difficult to evaluate because it depends on parameters like pressure and covers a wide range of values. Two methods of measuring insulation resistance are analyzed: the standardized 'Franklin device' and a tester developed by British Steel Electrical. Their main drawback is poor local repeatability. The Franklin method allows better quality control of industrial process because it measures only one insulating layer at a time. It also gives more accurate images of the distribution of possible defects. Nevertheless, both methods lead to similar classifications of insulation efficiency.

  1. Ageing of insulation and diagnosis of electrical equipment through detection of partial discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez Vergara, T.; Velasco Bernal, C.

    1994-01-01

    Ageing in electrical equipment affects mainly its insulation system. Such ageing in the insulation system is determined by its organic nature, basically constituted by three families of materials: cellulose, resin and hydrocarbon. All of these are affected by high temperatures, which tend to produce a break in the molecular chains (if the temperatures are not too high) or carbonization and gasification of the material (if they are). The radiation absorbed by the insulating materials also destroys molecular chains, causing degradation of the material. The break of the molecular chains, especially in the polymer-based materials, fragments the material, mainly in areas subjected to mechanical forces and stresses. From the electrical point of view, fissures occurring the insulating material lead to a much lower dielectric strength in certain parts of the materials, which could produce partial discharge conditions. Therefore, the growth of partial discharges in electrical equipment items is frequently the consequences of ageing, and be used to evaluate their residual life. Empresarios Agrupados has developed a system to detect partial discharges which can be used while equipment is still in operation. The measurements taken with this system are sufficiently accurate and repetitive to be used in evaluating the condition of medium-voltage electrical equipment insulation. (Author)

  2. Nematic order on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren, Rex; Yerzhakov, Hennadii; Maciejko, Joseph

    2017-12-01

    We study the spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry in the helical surface state of three-dimensional topological insulators due to strong electron-electron interactions, focusing on time-reversal invariant nematic order. Owing to the strongly spin-orbit coupled nature of the surface state, the nematic order parameter is linear in the electron momentum and necessarily involves the electron spin, in contrast with spin-degenerate nematic Fermi liquids. For a chemical potential at the Dirac point (zero doping), we find a first-order phase transition at zero temperature between isotropic and nematic Dirac semimetals. This extends to a thermal phase transition that changes from first to second order at a finite-temperature tricritical point. At finite doping, we find a transition between isotropic and nematic helical Fermi liquids that is second order even at zero temperature. Focusing on finite doping, we discuss various observable consequences of nematic order, such as anisotropies in transport and the spin susceptibility, the partial breakdown of spin-momentum locking, collective modes and induced spin fluctuations, and non-Fermi-liquid behavior at the quantum critical point and in the nematic phase.

  3. Topological Insulators Dirac Equation in Condensed Matters

    CERN Document Server

    Shen, Shun-Qing

    2012-01-01

    Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk, but process metallic states around its boundary owing to the topological origin of the band structure. The metallic edge or surface states are immune to weak disorder or impurities, and robust against the deformation of the system geometry. This book, Topological insulators, presents a unified description of topological insulators from one to three dimensions based on the modified Dirac equation. A series of solutions of the bound states near the boundary are derived, and the existing conditions of these solutions are described. Topological invariants and their applications to a variety of systems from one-dimensional polyacetalene, to two-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect and p-wave superconductors, and three-dimensional topological insulators and superconductors or superfluids are introduced, helping readers to better understand this fascinating new field. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in the field of topological in...

  4. A Novel Environmental Route to Ambient Pressure Dried Thermal Insulating Silica Aerogel via Recycled Coal Gangue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinghua Zhu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Coal gangue, one of the main hazardous emissions of purifying coal from coalmine industry, is rich in silica and alumina. However, the recycling of the waste is normally restricted by less efficient techniques and low attractive output; the utilization of such waste is still staying lower than 15%. In this work, the silica aerogel materials were synthesized by using a precursor extracted from recycled silicon-rich coal gangue, followed by a single-step surface silylation and ambient pressure drying. A low density (~0.19 g/cm3 nanostructured aerogel with a 3D open porous microstructure and high surface area (~690 m2/g was synthesized, which presents a superior thermal insulation performance (~26.5 mW·m−1·K−1 of a plane packed of 4-5 mm granules which was confirmed by transient hot-wire method. This study offers a new facile route to the synthesis of insulating aerogel material by recycling solid waste coal gangue and presents a potential cost reduction of industrial production of silica aerogels.

  5. Microwave heating of electric cable insulated wires before their impregnation with a hydrophobic material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niculae, D; Mihailescu, A [Romanian Electricity Authority (Romania); Indreias, I; Martin, D [Institute of Atomic Physics, Bucharest (Romania); Margaritescu, A [ICPE Electrostatica, Bucharest, (Romania); Zlatonovici, D

    1998-12-31

    Underground insulated telecommunication cables must be impregnated with a hydrophobic material in order to prevent water penetration damage. To do so, the cable wire bundle must be heated to a temperature of 60 to 90 degrees C to ensure proper fluidity of the hydrophobic material that must fill the free spaces between the copper wires of the telephone cable. This paper described the microwave heating method of the wires before their impregnation. A cylindrical applicator was designed to perform a telephone bundle heating test. 800 W of microwave power were used on a telephone cable made up of 800 wires of 0.4 mm in diameter. A uniform heating was obtained throughout the section. Microwave heating was also found to be 53 per cent more energy efficient than hot air heating. 4 refs., 4 figs.

  6. Ninth international conference on ion beam modification of materials. Book of abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The conference focused on new developments and current status in the use of ion beams for modification of materials including: fundamental ion beam research and secondary effects of ion beams; materials modifications and techniques; biomedical and industrial applications; low energy processes; point defects and damage, nanocrystals in insulators, plasma immersion ion implantation, molecular dynamics simulations of ion-surface interactions, ion-beam mixing of insulators, GeV ion irradiation, electro-optical materials, polymers, tribological materials, and semiconductor processing. The handbook contains the workshop's program, abstracts and an author index. Separate abstracts were prepared for all papers in this volume

  7. Ninth international conference on ion beam modification of materials. Book of abstracts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-31

    The conference focused on new developments and current status in the use of ion beams for modification of materials including: fundamental ion beam research and secondary effects of ion beams; materials modifications and techniques; biomedical and industrial applications; low energy processes; point defects and damage, nanocrystals in insulators, plasma immersion ion implantation, molecular dynamics simulations of ion-surface interactions, ion-beam mixing of insulators, GeV ion irradiation, electro-optical materials, polymers, tribological materials, and semiconductor processing. The handbook contains the workshop`s program, abstracts and an author index. Separate abstracts were prepared for all papers in this volume.

  8. A Non-Ventilated Solar Façade Concept Based on Selective and Transparent Insulation Material Integration: An Experimental Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miroslav Čekon

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available A new solar façade concept based on transparent insulation and a selective absorber is proposed, tested and compared with conventional insulation and a non-selective type of absorber, respectively. The presented study focuses on an experimental non-ventilated solar type of façade exposed to solar radiation both in the laboratory and in outdoor tests. Due to the high solar absorbance level of the façade, high- and low-emissivity contributions were primarily analysed. All of the implemented materials were contrasted from the thermal and optical point of view. An analysis was made of both thermodynamic and steady state procedures affecting the proposed solar façade concept. Experimental full scale tests on real building components were additionally involved during summer monitoring. An indicator of the temperature response generated by solar radiation exposure demonstrates the outdoor performance of the façade is closely related to overheating phenomena. From the thermal point of view, the proposed transparent insulation and selective absorber concept corresponds to the performance of conventional thermal insulation of identical material thickness; however, the non-selective prototype only provides 50% thermal performance. The results of the solar-based experiments show that with a small-scale experimental prototype, approximately no significant difference is measured when compared with a non-selective absorber type. The only difference was achieved at the maximum of 2.5 K, when the lower temperature was obtained in the solar selective concept. At the full-scale outdoor mode, the results indicate a maximum of 3.0 K difference, however the lower temperature achieves a non-selective approach. This solar façade can actively contribute to the thermal performance of building components during periods of heating.

  9. Influences of Corrosive Sulfur on Copper Wires and Oil-Paper Insulation in Transformers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Li

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Oil-impregnated paper is widely used in power transmission equipment as a reliable insulation. However, copper sulphide deposition on oil-paper insulation can lead to insulation failures in power transformers. This paper presents the influences of copper sulfur corrosion and copper sulphide deposition on copper wires and oil-paper insulation in power transformers. Thermal aging tests of paper-wrapped copper wires and bare copper wires in insulating oil were carried out at 130 °C and 150 °C in laboratory. The corrosive characteristics of paper-wrapped copper wires and bare copper wires were analyzed. Dielectric properties of insulation paper and insulating oil were also analyzed at different stages of the thermal aging tests using a broadband dielectric spectrometer. Experiments and analysis results show that copper sulfide deposition on surfaces of copper wires and insulation paper changes the surface structures of copper wires and insulation paper. Copper sulfur corrosion changes the dielectric properties of oil-paper insulation, and the copper sulfide deposition greatly reduces the electrical breakdown strength of oil-paper insulation. Metal passivator is capable of preventing copper wires from sulfur corrosion. The experimental results are helpful for investigations for fault diagnosis of internal insulation in power transformers.

  10. Topological insulators fundamentals and perspectives

    CERN Document Server

    Ortmann, Frank; Valenzuela, Sergio O

    2015-01-01

    There are only few discoveries and new technologies in physical sciences that have the potential to dramatically alter and revolutionize our electronic world. Topological insulators are one of them. The present book for the first time provides a full overview and in-depth knowledge about this hot topic in materials science and condensed matter physics. Techniques such as angle-resolved photoemission spectrometry (ARPES), advanced solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or scanning-tunnel microscopy (STM) together with key principles of topological insulators such as spin-locked electronic

  11. Excitonic condensation for the surface states of topological insulator bilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhigang; Fu Zhenguo; Zhang Ping; Hao Ningning

    2012-01-01

    We propose a generic topological insulator bilayer (TIB) system to study the excitonic condensation with self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) theory. We show that the TIB system presents the crossover behavior from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) limit to the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) limit. Moreover, in comparison with traditional semiconductor systems, we find that for the present system the superfluid property in the BEC phase is more sensitive to electron-hole density imbalance and the BCS phase is more robust. Applying this TIB model to the Bi 2 Se 3 -family material, we find that the BEC phase is most likely to be observed in experiment. We also calculate the critical temperature for the Bi 2 Se 3 -family TIB system, which is ∼100 K. More interestingly, one can expect this relative high-temperature excitonic condensation, since our calculated SCMF critical temperature is approximately equal to the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature. (paper)

  12. Quasiparticle dynamics in reshaped helical Dirac cone of topological insulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Lin; Wang, Z F; Ming, Wenmei; Yao, Meng-Yu; Wang, Meixiao; Yang, Fang; Song, Y R; Zhu, Fengfeng; Fedorov, Alexei V; Sun, Z; Gao, C L; Liu, Canhua; Xue, Qi-Kun; Liu, Chao-Xing; Liu, Feng; Qian, Dong; Jia, Jin-Feng

    2013-02-19

    Topological insulators and graphene present two unique classes of materials, which are characterized by spin-polarized (helical) and nonpolarized Dirac cone band structures, respectively. The importance of many-body interactions that renormalize the linear bands near Dirac point in graphene has been well recognized and attracted much recent attention. However, renormalization of the helical Dirac point has not been observed in topological insulators. Here, we report the experimental observation of the renormalized quasiparticle spectrum with a skewed Dirac cone in a single Bi bilayer grown on Bi(2)Te(3) substrate from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. First-principles band calculations indicate that the quasiparticle spectra are likely associated with the hybridization between the extrinsic substrate-induced Dirac states of Bi bilayer and the intrinsic surface Dirac states of Bi(2)Te(3) film at close energy proximity. Without such hybridization, only single-particle Dirac spectra are observed in a single Bi bilayer grown on Bi(2)Se(3), where the extrinsic Dirac states Bi bilayer and the intrinsic Dirac states of Bi(2)Se(3) are well separated in energy. The possible origins of many-body interactions are discussed. Our findings provide a means to manipulate topological surface states.

  13. Design analysis of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for tropical condition using quickfield software

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walukow, Stephy B.; Manjang, Salama; Zainuddin, Zahir; Samman, Faizal Arya

    2018-03-01

    This research is to analyze design of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for the tropical area. The use of an insulator certainly requires an electric field. The leakage current and breakdown voltage this happens the contaminant on the surface of the insulator. This type of contaminant can be rain, dust, salt air, extreme weather (much in tropical climates), industrial pollutants and cracks on the surface resulting in collisions. The method used in this research is magnetic field and electric field isolator using Quicfield software. To get the test results variation ranges 20 kV, 70 kV and 150 kV. Side effects of magnetic and electric fields around the insulator. The simulation results show the accumulated contaminants on the surface. Planning should be done in insulator insulator on unstable insulator. Thus, the approach using this commercially available software can be applied to. Therefore, the development of further simulations on the different types of composite insulators used on.

  14. Effect of Sweating on Insulation of Footwear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuklane, Kalev; Holmér, Ingvar

    1998-01-01

    The study aimed to find out the influence of sweating on footwear insulation with a thermal foot model. Simultaneously, the influence of applied weight (35 kg), sock, and steel toe cap were studied. Water to 3 sweat glands was supplied with a pump at the rate of 10 g/hr in total. Four models of boots with steel toe caps were tested. The same models were manufactured also without steel toe. Sweating reduced footwear insulation 19-25% (30-37% in toes). During static conditions, only a minimal amount of sweat evaporated from boots. Weight affected sole insulation: Reduction depended on compressibility of sole material. The influence of steel toe varied with insulation. The method of thermal foot model appears to be a practical tool for footwear evaluation.

  15. Periodic thermal response of multi-layer walls in a building. Materials of different types used for insulation, both internal and external

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elchinger, M F; Martin, C; Fauchais, P [UER des Sciences, Limoges (France)

    1982-05-01

    The authors analyze the temperature distribution in a wall built of several layers, heated on the inside, and whose outside wall temperatures exhibit a sine distribution: development of a simulation program and validation by comparison with experimental results. They determine the influence of the positioning and thickness of the insulation, the heat flux required to keep the inside surface of a 3, 4 or 5-layer wall at a fixed temperature, and make a comparison between heavy walls and light-weight structure walls. Finally, the study concludes with the determination of the most interesting insulation (external) for slack periods, night and weekend.

  16. Analysis of the optical and thermal properties of transparent insulating materials containing gas bubbles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Qilin; Ye, Hong; Lin, Qizhao

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Transparent insulating medium containing gas bubbles was proposed. • Radiative transfer and thermal conduction models were constructed. • Bulk transmittance increases first and then decreases with the bubble number. • Effective thermal conductivity decreases with increasing filling ratio. • High filling ratio with large bubbles is preferred for good performance. - Abstract: As a medium of low absorption and low thermal conduction, introducing gas bubbles into semitransparent mediums, such as glass and polycarbonate (PC), may simultaneously improve their light transmission and thermal insulation performances. However, gas bubbles can also enhance light scattering, which is in competition with the effect of the absorption decrease. Moreover, the balance between the visible light transmittance and the effective thermal conductivity should also be considered in the material design. Therefore, a radiative transfer model and the Maxwell–Eucken model for such material were employed to analyze the optical and thermal performances, respectively. The results demonstrate that the transmittance increases when the bubble radius (r) increases with a fixed volume fraction of the gas bubbles (f_v) due to the increased scattering intensity. In addition, the effective thermal conductivity always decreases with increasing f_v. Thus, to achieve both good optical and thermal performances, high f_v with large r is preferred. When f_v=0.5, the transmittance can be kept larger than 50% as long as r ≥ 0.7 mm. To elucidate the application performance, the heat transfer of a freezer adopting the glass or PC with gas bubbles as a cover was analyzed and the energy saving can be nearly 10%.

  17. Super-insulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerold, J.

    1985-01-01

    The invention concerns super-insulation, which also acts as spacing between two pressurized surfaces, where the crossing bars in at least two layers are provided, with interposed foil. The super-insulation is designed so that it can take compression forces and limits thermal radiation and thermal conduction sufficiently, where the total density of heat flow is usually limited to a few watts per m 2 . The solution to the problem is characterized by the fact that the bars per layer are parallel and from layer to layer they are at an angle to each other and the crossover positions of the bars of different layers are at fixed places and so form contact columns. The basic idea is that bars crossing over each other to support compression forces are used so that contact columns are formed, which are compressed to a certain extent by the load. (orig./PW) [de

  18. Experimental and numerical study of heat transfer across insulation wall of a refrigerated integral panel van

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glouannec, Patrick; Michel, Benoit; Delamarre, Guillaume; Grohens, Yves

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental and numerical design study of an insulation wall for refrigerated vans. The thermophysical properties of the insulating multilayer panel, the external environment impact (solar irradiation, temperature, etc.) and durability are taken into account. Different tools are used to characterize the thermal performances of the insulation walls and the thermal properties of the insulation materials are measured. In addition, an experiment at the wall scale is carried out and a 2D FEM model of heat and mass transfer within the wall is formulated. Three configurations are studied with this design approach. Multilayer insulation walls containing reflective multi-foil insulation, aerogel and phase change materials (PCM) are tested. Promising results are obtained with these materials, especially the reduction of peak heat transfer and energy consumption during the daytime period. Furthermore, the major influence of solar irradiation is highlighted as it can increase the peak heat transfer crossing the insulation wall by up to 43%. Nevertheless, we showed that the use of reflective multi-foil insulation and aerogel layers allowed decreasing this impact by 27%. - Highlights: • A design study of an insulation wall for a refrigerated van is carried out. • Experimental and numerical studies of multilayer insulation walls are performed. • The major influence of solar irradiation is highlighted. • New insulation materials (reflective multi-foil, aerogel and PCM) are tested

  19. Extracting and focusing of surface plasmon polaritons inside finite asymmetric metal/insulator/metal structure at apex of optical fiber by subwavelength holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshikane, Yasushi; Murai, Kensuke; Nakano, Motohiro

    2013-09-01

    We have been studied a finite asymmetric metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure on glass plate for near-future visible light communication (VLC) system with white LED illuminations in the living space (DOI: 10.1117/12.929201). The metal layers are vacuum-evaporated thin silver (Ag) films (around 50 nm and 200 nm, respectively), and the insulator layer (around 150 nm) is composed of magnesium fluoride (MgF2). A characteristic narrow band filtering of the MIM structure at visible region might cause a confinement of intense surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at specific monochromatic frequency inside a subwavelength insulator layer of the MIM structure. Central wavelength and depth of such absorption dip in flat spectral reflectance curve is controlled by changing thicknesses of both insulator and thinner metal layers. On the other hand, we have proposed a twin-hole pass-through wave guide for SPPs in thick Ag film (DOI: 10.1117/12.863587). At that time, the twin-hole converted a incoming plane light wave into a pair of channel plasmon polaritons (CPPs), and united them at rear surface of the Ag film. This research is having an eye to extract, guide, and focus the SPPs through a thicker metal layer of the MIM with FIBed subwavelength pass-through holes. The expected outcome is a creation of noble, monochromatic, and tunable fiber probe for scanning near-field optical microscopes (SNOMs) with intense white light sources. Basic experimental and FEM simulation results will be presented.

  20. Review of progress on fusion materials technology, Harwell, December 1980

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harries, D.R.

    1981-03-01

    The programme has been aimed specifically at investigating and furthering an understanding of: (a) the evolution of the radiation damage structure, void and gas bubble swelling and surface blistering effects in both model and potential first wall materials for a D-T fusion reactor system of the TOKAMAK type. (b) Radiation effects in inorganic insulator materials. In addition, investigations were carried out into the effects of irradiation on organic insulators and on the performance of rubber seals. The principal achievements to date are summarised and a list of 50 references is given. (author)