The Influence of Cu-Additions on the Microstructure, Mechanical and Magnetic Properties of MnAl-C Alloys

Alloys of the form (Mn54Al44C2)100-xCux (with x = 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6) were produced by induction melting. After homogenisation and quenching, most of the alloys consist entirely of the retained ε-phase, except for x = 6, in which the κ-phase was additionally present. After subsequent annealing, the alloys with x ≤ 2 consist entirely of a Cu-doped, ferromagnetic τ-phase, whereas the alloys with x > 2 additionally contain the κ-phase. The polarisation of the alloys at an applied field of 14 T decreases with increasing Cu-content, which is attributed i) to the dilution of the magnetic moment of the τ-phase unit cell by the Cu atoms, which do not carry a magnetic moment, and ii) at higher Cu-contents, to the formation of the κ-phase, which has a much lower polarisation than the τ-phase and therefore dilutes the net polarisation of the alloys. The Curie temperature was not affected by the Cu-additions. The stress needed to die-upset the alloys with x ≤ 2 was similar to that of the undoped alloy, whereas it was much lower for x = 4 and 6, due to the presence of intergranular layers of the κ-phase. The extrinsic magnetic properties of alloys with x ≤ 2 were improved by die-upsetting, whereas decomposition of the τ-phase during processing had a deleterious effect on the magnetic properties for higher Cu-additions

Comment on ``Reduction of static field equation of Faddeev model to first order PDE'', arXiv:0707.2207

The authors of the article Phys. Lett. B 652 (2007) 384, (arXiv:0707.2207), propose an interesting method to solve the Faddeev model by reducing it to a set of first order PDEs. They first construct a vectorial quantity $\bm \alpha$, depending on the original field and its first derivatives, in terms of which the field equations reduce to a linear first order equation. Then they find vectors $\bm \alpha_1$ and $\bm \alpha_2$ which identically obey this linear first order equation. The last step consists in the identification of the $\bm \alpha_i$ with the original $\bm \alpha$ as a function of the original field. Unfortunately, the derivation of this last step in the paper cited above contains an error which invalidates most of its results

Stabilization of the ζ-Cu10Sn3 Phase by Ni at Soldering-Relevant Temperatures

A current issue in electrical engineering is the enhancement of the quality of solder joints. This is mainly associated with the ongoing electrification of transportation as well as the miniaturization of (power) electronics. For the reliability of solder joints, intermetallic phases in the microstructure of the solder are of great importance. The formation of the intermetallic phases in the Cu-Sn solder system was investigated for different annealing temperatures between 472 K and 623 K using pure Cu as well as Cu-1at.%Ni and Cu-3at.%Ni substrate materials. These are relevant for lead frame materials in electronic components. The Cu and Cu-Ni alloys were in contact to galvanic plated Sn. This work is focused on the unexpected formation of the hexagonal ζ-(Cu,Ni)10Sn3 phase at annealing temperatures of 523–623 K, which is far below the eutectoid decomposition temperature of binary ζ-Cu10Sn3 of about 855 K. By using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction the presence of the ζ phase was confirmed and its structural properties were analyzed

Electrocatalysis of Lithium (Poly-) Sulfides in Organic Ether-Based Electrolytes

This work aims at identifying an effective electrocatalyst for polysulfide reactions to improve the electrode kinetics of the sulfur half-cell in liquid organic electrolytes for alkali-sulfur cells. To increase the charge and discharge rates and energy efficiency of the cell, functionalized electrocatalytic coatings have been prepared and their electrode kinetics have been measured. To the best of our knowledge, there is no extensive screening of electrocatalysts for the sulfur electrode in dimethoxyethane:1,3-dioxolane (DME:DOL) electrolytes. In order to identify a suitable electrocatalyst, apparent exchange current densities at various materials (Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Steel, glassy carbon, ITO, Ni, Pt, Ti, TiN, Zn) are evaluated in a polysulfide electrolyte using potentiodynamic measurements with a Butler-Volmer fit. The chemical stability and surface morphology changes after electrochemical measurements are assessed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results show that cobalt is a promising candidate with appropriate electrocatalytic properties for polysulfide reactions while being stable in the electrochemical environment, followed by chromium in terms of catalytic activity and stability. Sputtered TiN was found to be a very stable material with very low catalytic activity, a possible current collector for the cell

Plant size and neighbourhood characteristics influence survival and growth in a restored ex-agricultural ecosystem

Restoring woody vegetation on degraded agricultural land is a widespread and common ecological restoration practice. However, highly variable plant survival and growth limit outcomes for many projects. Inconsistent reporting and monitoring of projects mean that an assessment of the relative importance of community-assembly processes is limited, particularly over longer timescales. We use 7 years of monitoring data of nearly 2000 native trees and shrubs in a restoration project on ex-agricultural land in south-western Australia to test the potential effects of facilitation or competition from neighbouring plants, as well as look for patterns in their interaction with the attributes of individuals and species traits. Overall, plant size was the strongest single predictor of survival and incremental growth. Individual plants in neighbourhoods with higher inter-generic basal area were more likely to survive, with this effect strongest in smaller individuals. When plants were larger, they were less likely to grow when in neighbourhoods with high intra-generic basal area. Taller-growing plants (higher species maximum height) were more likely to survive when individuals were small (basal area of 1–10 cm2), compared with shorter growing plants. Growth was also more likely in taller-growing plants, and this relationship increased with the size of the individual. Recruitment was very low, with just 148 new recruits recorded across the 42 plots over 7 years. Maximizing the growth of plants in restorations in the early stages may promote survival and growth in the longer term. We also demonstrate that increased levels of inter-generic neighbouring plants may improve individual plant survival in the restoration of ex-agricultural land. As a result, we suggest tailoring direct-seeding methods to minimize clustering of congeneric individuals. We also highlight the need to find means of promoting recruitment for the long-term sustainability of restoration efforts