Analysis of the carbide precipitation and microstructural evolution in HCCI as a function of the heating rate and destabilization temperature.

Microstructural modification of high chromium cast irons (HCCI) through the precipitation of secondary carbides (SC) during destabilization treatments is essential for improving their tribological response. However, there is not a clear consensus about the first stages of the SC precipitation and how both the heating rate (HR) and destabilization temperature can affect the nucleation and growth of SC. The present work shows the microstructural evolution, with a special focus on the SC precipitation, in a HCCI (26 wt% Cr) during heating up to 800, 900, and 980 °C. It was seen that the HR is the most dominant factor influencing the SC precipitation as well as the matrix transformation in the studied experimental conditions. Finally, this work reports for first time in a systematic manner, the precipitation of SC during heating of the HCCI, providing a further understanding on the early stages of the SC precipitation and the associated microstructural modifications.

Microstructure and Flux Pinning of Reacted-and-Pressed, Polycrystalline Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 Powders.

The flux pinning properties of reacted-and-pressed Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 powder were measured using magnetic hysteresis loops in the temperature range 20 K ≤ T ≤ 35 K. The scaling analysis of the flux pinning forces ( F p = j c × B , with j c denoting the critical current density) following the Dew-Hughes model reveals a dominant flux pinning provided by normal-conducting point defects ( δ l -pinning) with only small irreversibility fields, H irr , ranging between 0.5 T (35 K) and 16 T (20 K). Kramer plots demonstrate a linear behavior above an applied field of 0.6 T. The samples were further characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis to elucidate the origin of the flux pinning. We compare our data with results of Weiss et al. (bulks) and Yao et al. (tapes), revealing that the dominant flux pinning in the samples for applications is provided mainly by grain boundary pinning, created by the densification procedures and the mechanical deformation applied.

Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Substrates: Bridging the Gap between Model Surfaces and Enamel.

Hydroxyapatite substrates are common biomaterials, yet samples of natural teeth do not meet the demands for well-defined, highly reproducible properties. Pellets of hydroxyapatite were produced via the field assisted sintering technology (FAST) as well as via pressureless sintering (PLS). The applied synthesis routes provide samples of very high density (95%-99% of the crystallographic density) and of very low surface roughness (lower than 1 nm when averaged per 1 µm2). The chemical composition of the raw material (commercial HAP powder) as well as the crystalline structure is maintained by the sintering processes. These specimens can therefore be considered as promising model surfaces for studies on the interactions of biomaterial with surfaces of biological relevance, as demonstrated for the adsorption of BSA proteins.

Elemental depth profiling of fluoridated hydroxyapatite: saving your dentition by the skin of your teeth?

Structural and chemical changes that arise from fluoridation of hydroxyapatite (Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)OH or "HAp"), as representing the synthetic counterpart of tooth enamel, are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Elemental depth profiles with a depth resolution on the nanometer scale were determined to reveal the effect of fluoridation in neutral (pH = 6.2) and acidic agents (pH = 4.2). With respect to the chemical composition and the crystal structure, XPS depth profiling reveals different effects of the two treatments. In both cases, however, the fluoridation affects the surface only on the nanometer scale, which is in contrast to recent literature with respect to XPS analysis on dental fluoridation, where depth profiles of F extending to several micrometers were reported. In addition to the elemental depth profiles, as published in various other studies, we also present quantitative depth profiles of the compounds CaF(2), Ca(OH)(2), and fluorapatite (FAp) that were recently proposed by a three-layer model concerning the fluoridation of HAp in an acidic agent. The analysis of our experimental data exactly reproduces the structural order of this model, however, on a scale that differs by nearly 2 orders of magnitude from previous predictions. The results also reveal that the amount of Ca(OH)(2) and FAp is small compared to that of CaF(2). Therefore, it has to be asked whether such narrow Ca(OH)(2) and FAp layers really can act as protective layers for the enamel.