The Activity of Silicon Carbide Particles in Al-Based Metal Matrix Composites Revealed by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is used to image variations in electrochemical activity over the surface of an aluminum-based metal matrix composite (MMC) in contact with buffered or unbuffered neutral solutions. The composite consists of an Al - 13.5% Si - 9% Mg alloy matrix and reinforcing silicon carbide particles (SiCp). Feedback mode SECM imaging using ferrocenemethanol as a redox mediator in 0.1 M NaCl solution and in buffer solution (pH 6.8) revealed that the SiC particles are electrochemically active. The data suggest that the electronic conductivity at these sites is higher than that of the Al2O3 film covering the alloy matrix surface. The reduction of dissolved oxygen on the silicon carbide particles was investigated by in situ SECM images of samples and current vs. tip-substrate distance curves. The results with samples of SiCp/Al composites immersed in distilled water alone or in either 0.1 M NaCl or boric acid/borax buffer containing ferrocenemethanol as mediator demonstrate that the silicon carbide particles are conductive and act as local cathodes for the reduction of oxygen

Phase Transitions for Al-base Alloy on Themicro Structural Experimental Measurements

ABSTRACT:The ternary Al-base alloys were re-melted and processed with a rapid extraction of thermal energy. In an effort to find the influences of the temperature on the solid transition, the materials were annealing at 500 °C during 48 hours. The effects of the rapid extraction of thermal energy plus the phase transition on the morphology were studied by SEM. Microstructural morphology has been related to mechanical properties thought-out the high cooling rate. In order to provide a means of determine their mechanical properties,the microhardness, and tensile tests have been characterized. The microstructure refinement of ternary Al-base alloy was observed due to melt undercooling associated with the cooling rate. The transition phase process from melt to solid by conventional methods of melting and casting has been approached by cooling rate parameter.A successful approach to finer microstructure is correlated with the grain size measured. Reduced grain size results depends on increased cooling rates because nucleation events become more frequent by establishing a positive temperature gradient in the melt ahead of the advancing solid-liquid interface. The purpose of the present study in this paper, is evaluatethe relationship between microstructure, rapid extraction of thermal energy, and the mechanical properties as hardness and tensile tests.The present investigation clearly compared the hardness measurements inthe Al-VIIB-VIB alloy processed at high cooling rateswith the less microhardness values from the annealed condition. Correlation between tensile tests results and fracture type indicate that a transgranular + intergranular mode depend on the solidification route compared with the microstructural changes associated with an increment on grain-size refinement.In both cases, in as-spun and annealed condition grain size was found to depend significant on the magnitude of the cooling rate parameter obtained by the wheel speed velocity

Engineering the fatty acid synthesis pathway in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 improves omega-3 fatty acid production

Background: The microbial production of fatty acids has received great attention in the last few years as feedstock for the production of renewable energy. The main advantage of using cyanobacteria over other organisms is their ability to capture energy from sunlight and to transform CO2 into products of interest by photosynthesis, such as fatty acids. Fatty acid synthesis is a ubiquitous and well-characterized pathway in most bacteria. However, the activity of the enzymes involved in this pathway in cyanobacteria remains poorly explored. Results: To characterize the function of some enzymes involved in the saturated fatty acid synthesis in cyanobacteria, we genetically engineered Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 by overexpressing or deleting genes encoding enzymes of the fatty acid synthase system and tested the lipid profile of the mutants. These modifications were in turn used to improve alpha-linolenic acid production in this cyanobacterium. The mutant resulting from fabF overexpression and fadD deletion, combined with the overexpression of desA and desB desaturase genes from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, produced the highest levels of this omega-3 fatty acid. Conclusions: The fatty acid composition of S. elongatus PCC 7942 can be significantly modified by genetically engineering the expression of genes coding for the enzymes involved in the first reactions of fatty acid synthesis pathway. Variations in fatty acid composition of S. elongatus PCC 7942 mutants did not follow the pattern observed in Escherichia coli derivatives. Some of these modifications can be used to improve omega-3 fatty acid production. This work provides new insights into the saturated fatty acid synthesis pathway and new strategies that might be used to manipulate the fatty acid content of cyanobacteria.Work in the FDLC laboratory was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (MINECO) Grant BFU2014-55534-C2-1-P. MSM. was recipientof a Ph.D. fellowship (BES-2012-057387) from MINECO

Cinética de formación del Al₂O₃ en capas de aluminio estudiada mediante mediciones eléctricas

In this work a simple method for monitoring the low temperature oxidation of aluminum thin films, which is based on measurements of electrical resistance using the four-probe technique, is proposed. Kinetic growth data of the aluminum oxide layer, obtained using different values of applied current on as-deposited metallic films is presented. The temperature gradient measured on the films were 2 °C and 9 °C when the corresponding applied currents were 0.1A and 0.2 A. The obtained data show a good agreement with the Cabrera-Mott`s model for low temperature oxidation of metals. From kinetic curves, values of the energy barrier (U) and of the electrostatic potential (V) were obtained, which are reasonable with the values reported in the literature. The sample with a larger current applied, exhibited a higher oxidation rate due to a thermal effect and by the larger electrostatic potential established across the oxide layer. This simple method can be interesting to monitoring and controlling the oxidation process.<br><br>En este trabajo se propone un método sencillo para el seguimiento del proceso de oxidación de capas delgadas de aluminio, basado en mediciones de la resistencia eléctrica usando la técnica de cuatro puntas en línea. Se presentan datos de cinética de crecimiento de la capa de óxido de aluminio para dos muestras recién depositadas a las que se aplicaron valores distintos de corriente. Los cambios de temperatura medidos fueron de 2 °C y 9 °C para corrientes aplicadas de 0.1 A y 0.2 A. Los datos muestran buen acuerdo con el modelo de Cabrera-Mott para oxidación de metales en baja temperatura. A partir de las curvas de crecimiento se obtuvieron valores de la barrera de energía (U) y del potencial electrostático (V), razonables con los reportados en la literatura. La muestra con mayor corriente aplicada se oxidó más rápido debido al efecto térmico ya que se estableció un mayor potencial electrostático a través de la capa de óxido. Este sencillo método de análisis puede ser de gran interés para el control del proceso de oxidación en metales