Search results for "scanning"

Microstructural Evolution in Fast-Heated Cordierite-Based Glass-Ceramic Glazes for Ceramic Tile

2004

The crystallization mechanism of α-cordierite from a B 2 O 3 -and TiO 2 -containing glass submitted to fast heating in the cordierite primary phase field of the CaO-MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 quaternary system was investigated. Addition of B 2 O 3 to a SiO 2 -rich glass suppressed the formation of μ-cordierite. This suppression facilitated densification by viscous flow before crystallization. Powder X-ray diffractometry, field-emission electron scanning microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis revealed that α-cordierite nucleated directly from glass on the boundaries of original particles and was probably favored by TiO 2 , which acted as a nucleant. The growth kinetics of α-cordierite cry…

Effect of MgO/CaO ratio on the microstructure of cordierite-based glass-ceramic glazes for floor tiles

2005

Abstract The effect of the MgO/CaO ratio on the microstructure and microhardness of cordierite-based glass-ceramic glazes was studied. For this purpose glasses, with compositions in the cordierite primary phase field of the CaO–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 quaternary system and, with different MgO/CaO ratios, were prepared by melting. Glass powder pellets pressed under low pressure were fast heated at several temperatures simulating industrial floor-tile processing, and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray emission spectroscopy (EDX). The studied glasses crystallized α-cordierite as the only crystalline phase…

Atomic-resolution imaging of clean and hydrogen-terminated C(100)-(2×1)diamond surfaces using noncontact AFM

2010

Received 22 April 2010; published 14 May 2010High-purity, type IIa diamond is investigated by noncontact atomic force microscopy NC-AFM .Wepresent atomic-resolution images of both the electrically conducting hydrogen-terminated C 100 - 2 1 :Hsurface and the insulating C 100 - 2 1 surface. For the hydrogen-terminated surface, a nearly square unitcell is imaged. In contrast to previous scanning tunneling microscopy experiments, NC-AFM imaging allowsboth hydrogen atoms within the unit cell to be resolved individually, indicating a symmetric dimer alignment.Upon removing the surface hydrogen, the diamond sample becomes insulating. We present atomic-resolutionimages, revealing individual C-C dim…

Proton-conducting zirconium phosphate/poly(vinyl acetate)/glycerine gel electrolytes

2003

This work reports on a proton gel electrolyte composed of zirconium phosphate (ZP) particles suspended in a poly(vinyl acetate)/glycerine matrix. The material was studied by X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, impedance spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry. It had a proton conductivity of 1–0.1 mS/cm at room temperature and remained stable and transparent up to at least 110 °C; it therefore appears suitable for uses in electrochromic devices. The structure of the ZP powder and of the gel is discussed in terms of water removal from interplanar spaces by heating or exfoliation. It is suggested that an exfoliation of the layered structure of ZP by intercalation of glyce…

Multi-scale characterization of porosity in Boom Clay (HADES-level, Mol, Belgium) using a combination of X-ray μ-CT, 2D BIB-SEM and FIB-SEM tomography

2015

Abstract The Oligocene age Boom Clay is a potential host material for radioactive waste disposal in Belgium. To better understand the physical basis of transport mechanisms of radionuclides, we aim to characterize the pore space and its connectivity at nm-scale in 3D. In the present study, X-ray μ-CT and FIB-SEM (focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy) tomography were combined, to investigate the 3D pore space of a Boom Clay sample from the Mol-1 borehole (depth corresponding to the level of the HADES-URF – ‘high activity disposal experimental site underground research facility’) at the Mol–Dessel research site for radioactive waste disposal (Belgium). BIB-SEM (broad ion beam scannin…

2019

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TCNFs) have unique properties, which can be utilised in many application fields from printed electronics to packaging. Visual characterisation of TCNFs has been commonly performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). However, a novel imaging technique, Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM), offers benefits over SEM, including higher resolution and the possibility of imaging non-conductive samples uncoated. HIM has not been widely utilized so far, and in this study the capability of HIM for imaging of TCNFs was evaluated. Freeze drying and critical point drying (CPD) techniques were applied to preserve the open fibril structure of the gel-like TCNFs. Both dry…

Evaluation of Silver Ion Bioavailability from Silver Doped Hydroxyapatite

2014

Thein vitrobehavior of silver doped hydroxyapatite (HAp/Ag) prepared by two wet precipitation routes were studied in water and simulated body fluid (SBF). In order to evaluate the silver ion bioavailability from HAp/Ag, the samples were soaked in SBF or water and kept at 37°C for fixed periods of time up to one year. After fixed periods of time, analyses of SBF and water solutions were performed and silver ion concentration within the solutions determined. According to silver release data from dense and porous HAp/Ag ceramic scaffolds, release rate of silver ions were reduced in water as the ion exchange there was slower compared to SBF solution. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron micr…

Morphology, reorganization and stability of mesomorphic nanocrystals in isotactic polypropylene

2006

Abstract The morphology and thermodynamic stability of crystals of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) were analyzed as a function of the path of crystallization by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Samples were melt-crystallized at different rates of cooling using a “controlled rapid cooling technique”, and subsequently annealed at elevated temperature. Mesomorphic equi-axed domains with a size less than 20 nm were obtained by fast cooling from the melt at a rate larger about 100 K s−1. These domains stabilize on heating by growing in chain direction and cross-chain direction, to reach a maximum size of about 40–50 nm at a temperature of 433 K, with the q…

Electronic structure of MgO-supported Au clusters: quantum dots probed by scanning tunneling microscopy.

2007

We investigate via density functional theory (DFT) the appearance of small MgO-supported gold clusters with 8 to 20 atoms in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) experiment. Comparison of simulations of ultrathin films on a metal support with a bulk MgO leads to similar results for the cluster properties relevant for STM. Simulated STM pictures show the delocalized states of the cluster rather than the atomic structure. This finding is due to the presence of s- derived delocalized states of the cluster near the Fermi energy. The properties of theses states can be understood from a jellium model for monovalent gold.

Scanning probe microscopy of pine and birch kraft pulp fibres

2000

Abstract Fibres of the conventional pine and birch kraft pulps were characterized by scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The surface characteristics of these pulps taken at the early stages of pulping were compared with those from later stages of pulping (with or without subsequent oxygen/alkali delignification). It was observed that during delignification a granular surface structure was replaced by a fibrillar surface containing various disruptions. The granular and fibrillar regions were particularly well resolved by using phase imaging in tapping mode of SPM. It was concluded that the granular structure corresponded to surface lignin since the decrease in the relative amount of the granula…