Aggregate stability of ZrO2 aqueous sols in electrolyte solutions

The aggregate stability of submicron and nanosized ZrO₂ aqueous sols of different origins and different dispersities at pH 3–10 in the KCl concentration range 10^?3–10^?1 M is investigated by flow ultramicroscopy and photometry. The results obtained are analyzed in the framework of the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory and the Muller-Martynov theory of reversible aggregation. The extension of boundary layers of water near the surface of the ZrO₂ particles is estimated.     

Internal nonlinear four-mode interactions of capillary oscillations of a charged drop

Analytical expressions for the shape of a charged drop of an incompressible liquid nonlinearly oscillating upon multimode initial deformation have been obtained for the first time to within the third order of smallness. The second-order corrections to oscillation frequencies are calculated depending on the spectrum of modes determining the initial deformation. The third-order calculations show that the fundamental mode amplitude may increase due to the energy exchange with higher modes in a large number of possible four-mode resonance interactions.     

The effect of charge relaxation on the electromagnetic radiation of an oscillating charged viscous drop

A dispersion equation for the capillary oscillations of a charged drop of incompressible liquid possessing a finite electric conductivity is derived with an allowance for the energy lost as a result of the electromagnetic wave emission. The magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation losses of the oscillating drop linearly increases with the electric conductivity and the surface mobility of charge carriers.     

Dichotomous indexing of array in recursive construction of voxel-graphic images

Rapid development of the cluster multiprocessor computer systems allows one to pose to the designers of the computer-graphical systems the problem of organization of graphical information enabling efficient use of the parallel algorithms. Consideration was given to the use of the dichotomous principle of binary construction of a numerical sequence for successive indexing of the elements of a multidimensional array in the problems of recursive decomposition of the multidimensional space. This principle was used to advantage in recursive construction of the voxel graphical information used in the program accelerators of graphical processing based on parallelization of the algorithm and partial sorting of the graphical output flow in terms of the recursion depth.     

Occurrence of wax esters in the tissues of the organge roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus)

The skin, skeleton and a fat-filled swim bladder of the orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) each contained greater than 20% lipid by wet weight which was almost entirely wax esters. These had carbon numbers of 34–40 consistent with the major fatty acid being 18∶1 and the major fatty alcohols being 16∶0, 18∶1, 20∶1 and 22∶1. In contrast, the liver and the roe contained appreciable quantities of glycerolipids with 18∶1 and 22∶6 as the major fatty acids.     

Quasi-distributed measuring system based on Bragg sensors of mechanical stress with increased sample rate

Functionality and technical features of modern industrial fiber-optic sensors on Bragg gratings are considered. Feasibility to design information-measuring systems for such sensors involving the improved concept of calibration based on acetylene cavity is studied. The results of investigation regarding the design and analysis of the prototypical information-measuring system are discussed.     

Investigation into the formation of phases with a Ba<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>9</Subscript>O<Subscript>20</Subscript>-type structure in the BaO-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and BaO-SrO-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> systems

The mechanism of formation of barium titanate Ba₂Ti₉O₂₀ in the BaO-TiO₂ and BaO-SrO-TiO₂ systems is investigated using initial mixtures prepared by three methods, namely, mechanical grinding of the initial reactants, coprecipitation from aqueous solutions of salts, and the sol-gel technique. It is established that, irrespective of the preparation procedure, the formation of Ba₂Ti₉O₂₀ proceeds through the formation of the intermediate phases BaTi₄O₉ and BaTi₅O₁₁. The nature of the intermediate phases is determined by the homogeneity and dispersion of the initial mixture, as well as by the stability of the intermediate phase. The most optimum conditions for the synthesis of Ba₂Ti₉O₂₀ are provided by the formation of BaTi₅O₁₁ as an intermediate phase upon heat treatment of the coprecipitation products in the nanocrystalline state. The metastability and structural defects in the BaTi₅O₁₁ intermediate phase encourage a decrease in the temperature of the final heat treatment by 100–150°C in the course of the preparation of Ba₂Ti₉O₂₀ single-phase ceramics.     

Reactivity of platinum nanoaggregates on various types of supports in catalytic decomposition of hydrazine in acid solutions

Platinized catalysts on various types of supports were tested in the catalytic decomposition of hydrazine in HClO₄ and HNO₃ solutions, where the process follows different pathways. In HClO₄, the activity of the catalysts supported on a Termoksid ceramic material is higher than that of the catalysts supported on amorphous silica gel. In nitric acid solutions, the trend is reverse. Peptization of the ceramic supports in acid solutions increasing in the order 75% TiO₂-25% SnO₂ < 75% TiO₂-25% ZrO₂ ? TiO₂ < ZrO₂ was observed. In perchloric acid solutions, the catalyst specific activity in the hydrazine adsorption-dissociative decomposition increases with decreasing size of platinum crystallites on the support. In nitric acid solutions, where the hydrazine decomposition proceeds as its catalytic oxidation with nitric acid, the catalyst specific activity decreases with a decrease in the size of the catalyst crystallites, i.e., the catalyst centers located on large crystallites are more active. The results obtained were attributed to the energetic heterogeneity of the surface Pt atoms and various mechanisms of the hydrazine catalytic decomposition in various media.     

Assurance of uniformity of measurements of spectral and dispersion characteristics in fiber-optic information transmission systems with wavelength-division multiplexing

The state and problems involved in achieving the uniformity of measurements in the field of fiber-optic information transmission systems and their components are considered. Possible approaches to the solution of these problems and the basic methods and techniques that have been developed in Russia up to this point are analyzed. __________ Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 30–34, May, 2006.     

Effect of current pulse frequency on the structure and properties of electric-spark alloyed coatings of the Ti - Al - N system

The mass transfer kinetics, composition, structure, and properties of coatings, formed by high-frequency electric-spark alloying of 45 and 40X steels with the Ti - Al (3:1, 1:1, 1:3) intermetallics and TiN - AIN (1:1) nitride were studied as a function of the current pulse frequency(ν = 1200 and 1600 Hz). A decrease in ν was found to lead to a higher mass transfer coefficient and higher microhardness and Young’s modulus of the coating as well. This is due to the decrease in the Ti/Al ratio on the surface. The phase composition of intermetallic and nitride coatings differed only insignificantly and did not depend on the value of ν. The main phases of the coatings were Fe - Ti - O and Al - Ti - O solid solutions. The nitride and intermetallic coatings had similar friction coefficients f and wear rates I (f = 0.26 and 0.28, I = 5.4 and 5.9 µm/km), despite the difference in their structure. We can assume that the coating phase composition which defines the composition of the secondary structure under dry friction, is the main factor controlling tribological behavior.