A conceptual approach for noncontact calorimetry in space

A concept is developed and described which allows to measure the heat capacity and the effective thermal conductivity of stable and undercooled liquid metals and alloys in an electromagnetic levitation apparatus. We propose to use an ac pulse heating method which is used nowadays as a standard technique for precision measurement of low temperature heat capacities. The ideal process parameters including the drop diameter D, temperature T, and frequency of measurement ω can be optimized when the following relations hold for the external and internal relaxation time constants τ_1 and τ_2, respectively: ωτ_1≳10 and ωτ_2<0.1. Then heat capacity data can be obtained with an accuracy of better than 1% with D about 5 to 10 mm, T between 1200 and 1800 K and ω between 0.1 and 1 Hz for typical metals and alloys

Noncontact modulation calorimetry of metallic liquids in low Earth orbit

Noncontact modulation calorimetry using electromagnetic heating and radiative heat loss under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions has been applied to levitated solid, liquid, and metastable liquid samples. This experiment requires a reduced gravity environment over an extended period of time and allows the measurement of several thermophysical properties, such as the enthalpy of fusion and crystallization, specific heat, total hemispherical emissivity, and effective thermal conductivity with high precision as a function of temperature. From the results on eutectic glass forming Zr-based alloys thermodynamic functions are obtained which describe the glass-forming ability of these alloys

Thermodynamics of Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8, Zr52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5 and Zr57Cu15.4Ni12.6Al10Nb5 bulk metallic glass forming alloys

The differences in the thermodynamic functions between the liquid and the crystalline states of three bulk metallic glass forming alloys, Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8, Zr52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5, and Zr57Cu15.4Ni12.6Al10Nb5, were calculated. The heat capacity was measured in the crystalline solid, the amorphous solid, the supercooled liquid, and the equilibrium liquid. Using these heat capacity data and the heats of fusion of the alloys, the differences in the thermodynamic functions between the liquid and the crystalline states were determined. The Gibbs free energy difference between the liquid and the crystalline states gives a qualitative measure of the glass forming ability of these alloys. Using the derived entropy difference, the Kauzmann temperatures for these alloys were determined

Metastable phase formation in the Zr-Al binary system induced by mechanical alloying

We have studied the sequence of phase transformations induced in the Zr-Al binary system by mechanical alloying of mixed Zr and Al powders. The structure of these materials has been studied by transmission electron microscopy and by x-ray diffraction measurements. Three different metastable phases have been found experimentally with variation of the initial composition xAl: (1) a nanocrystalline supersaturated solid solution of alpha-Zr for xAl<=0.15, (2) an amorphous phase for 0.15<xAl<=0.4, and (3) a metastable face-centered-cubic phase for xAl=0.5 with a grain size of 4 nm. The crystallization reaction of the amorphous phase was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, and the kinetics of the reaction have been examined as well. A possible explanation based on thermodynamic arguments is given for the defect-driven vitrification of the crystalline Zr phase

Structural and thermodynamic properties of heavily mechanically deformed Ru and AlRu

We report on high-energy ball milling of Ru and AlRu. The deformation results in a drastic decrease of the crystal size to a nanometer scale and in an increase of atomic-level strain. This is accompanied by a disordering of the crystal lattice as is shown by means of the long-range-order parameter in AlRu. The specific heat increases by more than 15%–20%, indicating large changes in the vibrational and configurational part of the entropy. The stored energy of cold work is up to 6 kJ/mol for AlRu and 10 kJ/mol for Ru. This is almost 40% of the heat of fusion of Ru and exceeds by far the energies stored by other deformation processes

Does it measure up? A comparison of pollution exposure assessment techniques applied across hospitals in England

Weighted averages of air pollution measurements from monitoring stations are commonly assigned as air pollution exposures to specific locations. However, monitoring networks are spatially sparse and fail to adequately capture the spatial variability. This may introduce bias and exposure misclassification. Advanced methods of exposure assessment are rarely practicable in estimating daily concentrations over large geographical areas. We propose an accessible method using temporally adjusted land use regression models (daily LUR). We applied this to produce daily concentration estimates for nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter in a healthcare setting across England and compared them against geographically extrapolated measurements (inverse distance weighting) from air pollution monitors. The daily LUR estimates outperformed IDW. The precision gains varied across air pollutants, suggesting that, for nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, the health effects may be underestimated. The results emphasised the importance of spatial heterogeneity in investigating the societal impacts of air pollution, illustrating improvements achievable at a lower computational cost

Microstructure/phase evolution in mechanical alloying/milling of stainless steel and aluminum powder blends

The present study aims to examine the phase evolution in blends comprising different proportions of stainless steel (316SS) and Al (0, 25, 65, and 85 wt pct) powders during high-energy ball milling through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). An attempt has also been made to study the hardness value of the bulk samples obtained by hot pressing the ball-milled powder blend at suitable temperature and pressure. The results on changes in the constituent phases and hardness value of the bulk samples obtained after consolidation of ball-milled alloy using the high-pressure technique have been reported

670 nm laser light and EGCG complementarily reduce amyloid-β aggregates in human neuroblastoma cells: basis for treatment of Alzheimer's disease?

Objective: The aim of the present study is to present the results of in vitro experiments with possible relevance in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Background Data: Despite intensive research efforts, there is no treatment for AD. One root cause of AD is the extra- and intracellular deposition of amyloid-beta (A{beta}) fibrils in the brain. Recently, it was shown that extracellular A{beta} can enter brain cells, resulting in neurotoxicity. Methods: After internalization of A{beta}(42) into human neuroblastoma (SH-EP) cells, they were irradiated with moderately intense 670-nm laser light (1000 Wm(-2)) and/or treated with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Results: In irradiated cells, A{beta}(42) aggregate amounts were significantly lower than in nonirradiated cells. Likewise, in EGCG-treated cells, A{beta}(42) aggregate amounts were significantly lower than in non-EGCG-treated cells. Except for the cells simultaneously laden with A{beta}(42) and EGCG, there was a significant increase in cell numbers in response to laser irradiation. EGCG alone had no effect on cell proliferation. Laser irradiation significantly increased ATP levels in A{beta}(42)-free cells, when compared to nonirradiated cells. Laser-induced clearance of Aβ(42) aggregates occurred at the expense of cellular ATP. Conclusions: Irradiation with moderate levels of 670-nm light and EGCG supplementation complementarily reduces A{beta} aggregates in SH-EP cells. Transcranial penetration of moderate levels of red to near-infrared (NIR) light has already been amply exploited in the treatment of patients with acute stroke; the blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration of EGCG has been demonstrated in animals. We hope that our approach will inspire a practical therapy for AD

Specific-heat anomaly during vitrification of hydrided Fe2Er single crystals

A solid-state amorphization reaction is observed on hydrided, initially single-crystalline, Fe2Er powder samples (Fe2ErHx, 3.0 < x <3.4). Specific-heat measurements at constant concentration (x=3.4) show pronounced premelting effects exhibiting a lambda-type transition at Tc=475.6 K and a logarithmic temperature dependence. This typical feature of an instability underlying the "melting" transition has been predicted if the vitrification occurs in the vicinity of the triple point between supersaturated crystal, undercooled liquid, and glass