Observation of co-segregation of titanium and boron at the interface between recrystallized and unrecrystallized grains in cold-rolled interstitial-free steel sheets.

It has been reported that the addition of ppm levels of B strongly retarded the growth of recrystallized grain into unrecrystallized grains in the process of cold-rolling and annealing of Ti-added interstitial-free (IF) ferritic steels. This phenomenon was explained by solute drag effect based on the assumption that, during annealing, B atoms segregate at the interface between recrystallized and unrecrystallized grains where they interact with Ti atoms. To verify this, atom probe tomography analysis of the interface was performed in Ti-added IF steels with and without B addition. Needle tips containing the interface identified from electron backscattering diffraction analysis, were produced by focused ion beam milling with the lift-out method. To increase the experiment reliability, the misorientation angle of the aimed interface was compared with that estimated by field ion microscopy analysis. Considerable amount of Ti segregation was observed at the interface in the steel without B addition, which increased with increasing amount of B segregation in the steel with B addition. The results suggest that the retardation of the interface migration was caused by solute drag effect based on the simultaneous co-segregation of Ti and B due to their attractive interaction.

Comparison between radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay for the determination of dihydroergotoxine in rabbit plasma samples.

Two analytical methods, radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay, for the determination of dihydroergotoxine have been developed. Antiserum, providing sufficient sensitivity for the radioimmunoassay, was produced by immunizing rabbits with D-lysergic acid coupled to bovine serum albumin. Radioreceptor assay utilizing dopamine receptor was carried out to determine dihydroergotoxine and its pharmacologically active metabolites in rabbit plasma, and the result was compared with that obtained by radioimmunoassay. The values obtained in both assays were almost identical; it was, therefore, assumed that the plasma concentrations of dihydroergotoxine determined by the present radioimmunoassay reflects the amount of unchanged drug and its active metabolites.