Transition metal oxides and chalcogenides are an ideal platform for demonstrating and investigating many interesting electronic phases of matter. These phases emerge as a result of collective many body interactions among the electrons. The omnipresent electron, depending on its interaction with other electrons and with the underlying lattice, can generate diverse phases of matter with exotic physical properties. The ultimate objective of Materials Science is to provide a complete microscopic understanding of these myriad electronic phases of matter. A proper understanding of the collective quant-tum behaviour of electrons in different system can also help in designing and tuning new electronic phases of matter that may have strong impact in the field of microelectronics, well beyond that predicted by Moore s law. Strong electron correlation effects produce a wide spectrum of ground state prop-retires like superconductivity, Metal Insulator Transition (MIT), charge-orbital ordering and many more. Similarly, different spin interactions among electrons, essentially due to various kinds of exchange coupling, give rise to varying magnetic ground state prop-retires like ferromagnetism, anti-ferromagnetism, spin glass, among others. The main objective of this thesis is to understand and rationalize diverse electronic and magnetic phases of matter in some selected strongly correlated systems. In chapter 1 we have provided an overview of various electronic and magnetic phases of matter which are relevant and necessary for understanding the chapters that follow. The first part of this chapter describes the fundamental concepts of the so called Metal Insulator Transition (MIT). A small section is dedicated to the subtle interactions among electrons and lattice that actually drive a system from a highly conducting metallic state to a strongly resistive insulating state. The second part of this chapter offers a compilation of different magnetic ground states which are discussed in detail in the last two chapters. In Chapter 2, we have explained various methodologies and experimental tech-antiques that have been used in the work reported in this thesis. In Chapter 3, we have provided a detailed understanding of the MIT in different polymorphic forms of Vanadium dioxide (VO2). Although VO2 exhibits a number of polymorphic forms, only the rutile/monoclinic VO2 phase has been studied extensively compared to other polymorphic forms. This phase shows a well-established MIT across ∼340 K, which has been extensively investigated in order to understand the relative importance of many body electron correlation effects arising primarily from on-site Coulomb interactions within the Vanadium 3d manifold, and single electron effects flounced by the dimerization of Vanadium atoms. Unlike the rutile phase of VO2, little is known about the MIT appearing across 212 K in the metastable B-phase of VO2. This phase shows dimerization of only half of the Vanadium atoms in the insulating state, in contrast to rutile/monoclinic VO2, which show complete dimerization. There is a long standing debate about the origin of the MIT in the rutile/monoclinic phase, that contrasts the role of the many-body Hubbard U term, with single particle effects of the dimerization. In light of this debate, the MIT in the B-phase offers a unique opportunity to understand and address the competition between many body and single particle effects, that has been unresolved over several decades. In this chapter we have investigated different polymorphs of VO2 to understand the underlying electronic structure and the nature of the MIT in these polymorphic forms. The MIT in VO2 B phase is very broad in nature. X-ray photoemission and optical conductivity data indicate that in case of VO2 B phase both correlation effects and dimerization is necessary to drive the MIT. We have also established that the correlation effects are more prominent for VO2 B phase compared to rutile/monoclinic phase. In Chapter 4, we have discussed the electronic structure of LaTiO3 (LTO)-SrTiO3 (STO) system. At the interface between polar LTO and non-polar (STO) oxides, an unique two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) like state appears, that exhibits a phenomenal range of unexpected transport, magnetic, and electronic properties. Thus, this interface stands as a prospective candidate for not only fundamental scientific investigation, but also application in technological and ultimately commercial frontiers. In this chapter, using variable energy Hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES), we have experimentally investigated the layer resolved evolution of electronic structure across the interface in LTO-STO system. HAXPES results suggest that the interface is more coherent in nature and the coherent to incoherent feature ratio changes significantly as we probe deeper into the layer In chapter 5, we have investigated the electronic structure of the chemically exfoliated trigonal phase of MoS2. This elusive trigonal phase exists only as small patches on chemically exfoliated MoS2, and is believed to control functioning of MoS2 based devices. Its electronic structure is little understood, with total absence of any spec-troscopic data, and contradictory claims from theoretical investigations. We have ad-dressed this issue experimentally by studying the electronic structure of few layered chemically exfoliated MoS2 systems using spatially resolved X-ray photoemission spec-otoscopy and micro Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with electronic structure calculations. We have established that the ground state of this unique trigonal phase is actually a small gap (∼90 meV) semiconductor. This is in contrast with most of the claims in existing literature. In chapter 6, we have re-examined and revaluated the electronic structure of the late 3d transition metal monoxides (NiO, FeO, and CoO) using a combination of HAX-PES and state-of-the-art theoretical calculations. We have observed a strong evolution in the valence band spectra as a function of excitation energy. Theoretical results show that a combined GW+LDA+DMFT scheme is essential for explaining the observed experimental findings. Additionally, variable temperature HAXPES measurement In chapter 8, we have differentiated the surface and the bulk electronic structure in Sr2FeMoO6 and also have provided a new route to increase the Curie temperature of this material. Sr2FeMoO6 is well known for its high Curie temperature (Tc ∼410 K), half-metallic ferromagnetism, and a spectacularly large tunnelling magnetoresistance. The surface electronic structure of Sr2FeMoO6 is believed to be different from the bulk; leading to a Spin-Valve type Magnetoresistance. We have carried out variable energy HAXPES on Sr2FeMoO6 to probe electronic structure as a function of surface depth. Our experimental results indicate that surface is more Mo6+ rich. We have also demonstrated what we believe is the first direct experimental evidence of hard ferro-magnetism in the surface layer using X Ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) with dual detection mode. In the second part of this chapter we have designed a new route to increase the Curie temperature and have been successfully able to achieve a Curie temperature as high as 515 K.

No description available.

PhD (Environmental Sciences) / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / The presence of arsenic in groundwater has drawn worldwide attention from researchers and public health officials due to its effects on human health such as, cancer, skin thickening, neurological disorders, muscular weakness, loss of appetite and nausea. World Health Organisation (WHO) has set the limit of 10 μg/L for arsenic in drinking water in trying to reduce the effects of arsenic. This was further adopted by South African National Standard (SANS). The present study aims at evaluating arsenic concentration in selected groundwater sources around Greater Giyani Municipality in Limpopo Province and further synthesize clay based adsorbents for arsenic removal using Fe3+ and Mn2+ oxides and hexadecylammonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) cationic surfactant as modifying agents. The first section of the work presented the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Greater Giyani Municipality. The results showed that the pH of the samples ranges from neutral to weakly alkaline. The dominance of major anionic and cationic species was found to be in the order: HCO3 ->Cl->SO4 2->NO3 - and Na+>Mg2+>Ca2+>K+>Si4+, respectively. Hydrogeochemical facies identified in the study area include CaHCO3 (90%) and mixed CaNaHCO3 (10%) which shows the dominance of water-rock interaction. About 60% of the tested samples contains arsenic concentration above 10 μg/L as recommended by SANS and WHO. Concentration of arsenic was found to be ranging between 0.1 to 172.53 μg/L with the average of 32.21 μg/L. In the second part of this work, arsenic removal efficiency of locally available smectite rich and kaolin clay was evaluated. Results showed that the percentage As(V) removal by kaolin clay was optimum at pH 2 while the percentage As(III) removal was greater than 60% at pH 2 to 12. For smectite rich clay soils, the percentage of As(III) and As(V) removal was found to be optimum at pH between 6 and 8. The adsorption isotherm data for As(III) and As(V) removal by both clays fitted better to Freundlich isotherm. Adsorption of both species of arsenic onto the clay mineral occurred via electrostatic attraction and ion exchange mechanisms. Both clay soils could be regenerated twice using Na2CO3 as a regenerant. Kaolin clay showed a better performance and was selected for further modification. In the third section of this work, Fe-Mn bimetal oxide modified kaolin clay was successfully synthesized by precipitating Fe3+ and Mn2+ metal oxides to the interlayer surface of kaolin clay. Modification of kaolin clay increased the surface area from 19.2 m2/g to 29.8 m2/g and further v decreased the pore diameter from 9.54 to 8.5 nm. The adsorption data fitted to the pseudo second order of reaction kinetics indicating that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) occurred via chemisorption. The adsorption isotherm data was described by Langmuir isotherm models showing a maximum As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities of 2.16 and 1.56 mg/g, respectively at a temperature of 289 K. Synthesized adsorbent was successfully reused for 6 adsorptiondesorption cycles using K2SO4 as a regenerant. Column experiments showed that maximum breakthrough volume of ≈2 L could be treated after 6 hours using 5 g adsorbent dosage. Furthermore, the concentration of Fe and Mn were within the WHO permissible limit. In the fourth part of the work kaolin clay was functionalized with hexadecyltrimethylamonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) cationic surfactant and its application in arsenic removal from groundwater was investigated. The results revealed that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) is optimum at pH range 4-8. The maximum As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities were found 2.33 and 2.88 mg/g, respectively after 60 min contact time. Pseudo first order model of reaction kinetics described the adsorption data for As(V) better while pseudo second order model described As(III) adsorption data. The adsorption isotherm data for As(III) and As(V) fitted well to Langmuir model indicating that adsorption of both species occurred on a mono-layered surface. Adsorption thermodynamics model revealed that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) was spontaneous and exothermic. The As(III)/As(V) adsorption mechanism was ascribed to electrostatic attraction and ion exchange. The regeneration study showed that synthesized adsorbent can be used for up to 5 times. In the firth part of the work inorgano-organo modified kaolin clay was successfully synthesized through intercalation of Fe3+ and Mn2+ metal oxides and HDTMA-Br surfactant onto the interlayers of the clay mineral. The batch experiments showed that As(III) removal was optimum at pH range of 4-6, while the As(V) removal was optimum at pH range 4-8. The adsorption data for both species of arsenic showed a better fit to pseudo second order of reaction kinetics which suggest that the dominant mechanism of adsorption was chemisorption. The isotherm studies showed better fit to Langmuir isotherm model as compared to Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity As(III) and As(V) at room temperature as determined by Langmuir model were found to be 7.99 mg/g and 7.32 mg/g, respectively. The thermodynamic studies for sorption of As(III) and As(V) showed negative value of ΔGᴼ and ΔHᴼ indicating that adsorption process occurred spontaneously and is exothermic in nature. The regeneration study showed that the vi inorgano-organo modified kaolin clay can be reused for up 7 adsorption-regeneration cycles using 0.01 M HCl as a regenerant. Thomas kinetic model and Yoon-Nelson model showed that the rate of adsorption increases with increasing flow rate and initial concentration and decreases with increasing of the bed mass. In conclusions, adsorbents synthesized from this work showed a better performance as compared to other adsorbents available in the literature. Among the synthesized adsorbents, inorgano-organo modified clay showed highest adsorption capacity as compared to surfactant functionalized and Fe-Mn bimetal oxides modified kaolin clay. However, all adsorbents were recommended for use in arsenic remediation from groundwater. The following recommendations were made following the findings from this study: 1) routine monitoring of arsenic in groundwater of Greater Giyani Municipality, 2) evaluating the possible link between arsenic exposure and arsenic related diseases within Giyani in order to find the extent of the problem in order to establish the population at risk, 3) The toxicity assessment for HDTMA-Br modified kaolin clay should be carried out, 4) Materials developed in the present study should be modeled and tested at the point of use for arsenic removal, and lastly, 5) this study further encourage the development of other arsenic removal materials that can be used at household level. / NRF

Nanomaterials have attracted great interest due to the unique physical properties and great potential in the applications of nanoscale devices. Two dimensional atomic crystals, which are atomic thickness, especially graphene, have triggered the gold rush recently due to the fascinating high mobility at room temperature for future electronics. The crystal structure of nanomaterials will have great influence on their physical properties. Thus, this thesis is focused on developing the methods to control the crystal structure of nanomaterials, namely quantum dots as semiconductor, boron nitride (BN) as insulator, graphene as semimetal, with low cost for their applications in photonics, structural support and electronics. In this thesis, firstly, Mn doped ZnSe quantum dots have been synthesized using colloidal synthesis. The shape control of Mn doped ZnSe quantum dots has been achieved from branched to spherical by switching the injection temperature from kinetics to thermodynamics region. Injection rates have been found to have effect on controlling the crystal phase from zinc blende to wurtzite. The structural-property relationship has been investigated. It is found that the spherical wurtzite Mn doped ZnSe quantum dots have the highest quantum yield comparing with other shape or crystal phase of the dots. Then, the Mn doped ZnSe quantum dots were deposited onto the BN sheets, which were micron-sized and fabricated by chemical exfoliation, for high resolution imaging. It is the first demonstration of utilizing ultrathin carbon free 2D atomic crystal as support for high resolution imaging. Phase contrast images reveal moiré interference patterns between nanocrystals and BN substrate that are used to determine the relative orientation of the nanocrystals with respect to the BN sheets and interference lattice planes using a newly developed equation method. Double diffraction is observed and has been analyzed using a vector method. As only a few microns sized 2D atomic crystal, like BN, can be fabricated by the chemical exfoliation. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is as used as an alternative to fabricate large area graphene. The mechanism and growth dynamics of graphene domains have been investigated using Cu catalyzed atmospheric pressure CVD. Rectangular few layer graphene domains were synthesized for the first time. It only grows on the Cu grains with (111) orientation due to the interplay between atomic structure of Cu lattice and graphene domains. Hexagonal graphene domains can form on nearly all non-(111) Cu surfaces. The few layer hexagonal single crystal graphene domains were aligned in their crystallographic orientation over millimetre scale. In order to improve the alignment and reduce the layer of graphene domains, a novel method is invented to perform the CVD reaction above the melting point of copper (1090 ºC) and using molybdenum or tungsten to prevent the balling of the copper from dewetting. By controlling the amount of hydrogen during the growth, individual single crystal domains of monolayer over 200 µm are produced determined by electron diffraction mapping. Raman mapping shows the monolayer nature of graphene grown by this method. This graphene exhibits a linear dispersion relationship and no sign of doping. The large scale alignment of monolayer hexagonal graphene domains with epitaxial relationship on Cu is the key to get wafer-sized single crystal monolayer graphene films. This paves the way for industry scale production of 2D single crystal graphene.

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung einer neuartigen Initiierungsmethode zur Polymerisation von Vinylmonomeren über die Kombination von gewöhnlichen organischen Isocyanaten und Iminbasen. Der radikalische Charakter dieses Polymerisationstyps wurde durch Copolymerisationsexperimente verifiziert. Mit verschiedenen Iminbase / Isocyanat-Kombinationen als Initiatoren wurde die Homopolymerisation von diversen (Meth)-Acrylaten, Styrol, Acrylnitril und Methacrylnitril untersucht. Parameter, wie die Brutto-Polymerisationsgeschwindigkeitskonstante und die Aktivierungsenergie wurden ermittelt und Aussagen zur Polymerisation getroffen. Über die Auswertung von Massenspektren niedermolekularer Polymer-Proben wurden Vermutungen zum ablaufenden Initiierungsmechanismus abgeleitet. Das Anwendungspotential dieser Methode wurde in Hinblick auf die Synthese diverser Polymerarchitekturen untersucht. Neben der Oberflächenpolymerisation an funktionalisierten Kieselgel-Partikeln mittels „grafting-from“ wurden neuartige Block- und Kammpolymer-Strukturen hergestellt und analysiert. Zudem wurde die durch reine Iminbasen vermittelte Polymerisation von (Meth-)Acrylaten untersucht. Ferner wird der positive Einfluss der Zugabe katalytischer Mengen Ionischer Flüssigkeiten auf beide Systeme gezeigt und diskutiert.

[ES] La fabricación aditiva, de sus siglas en inglés AM (Additive Manufacturing) es un proceso que construye objetos sólidos tridimensionales mediante la superposicióon de materiales basados en un modelo de diseño asistido por ordenador. La AM está llamada a convertirse en la próxima revolución industrial, transformando el panorama del desarrollo y la producción. La AM ofrece numerosas ventajas, como posibilidades de diseño complejas y flexibles, la eliminación de procesos intermedios como el mecanizado, la independencia de los costes de producción del tamaño de los lotes, la reducción de los residuos de material, las estructuras ligeras, las reparaciones personalizadas de las máquinas y la capacidad de desarrollar nuevos materiales, entre otras ventajas. En las tecnologías de fabricación aditiva que emplean un rayo láser como fuente de energía, la materia prima inicial (en forma de polvo o cable) es fundida por la fuente de calor láser de forma controlada, capa a capa, hasta crear un componente con dimensiones finales o casi finales. Estas tecnologías implican someter el material impreso a un proceso térmico único, en el que el material se funde en un área muy específica y luego se enfría rápidamente a velocidades extremadamente altas de hasta 10^6 K/s. Por lo tanto, las microestructuras que surgen de los procesos de fabricación en AM difieren significativamente de las que se consiguen en los procesos tradicionales. Además, los materiales que se emplean principalmente en la AM no se han diseñado explícitamente para estas tecnologías. Las características específicas de los procesos de AM pueden utilizarse para lograr microestructuras y propiedades distintas en aceros que han sido adaptados para aprovechar las rápidas velocidades de enfriamiento y la historia térmica del proceso, entre otros factores. Por el momento, el número de calidades de acero comerciales disponibles en el mercado de la AM es limitado. Diversas industrias demandan nuevos grados de acero con menor densidad para disminuir el peso sin comprometer las propiedades mecánicas. Los aceros con alto contenido en manganeso se consideran materiales muy prometedores para aplicaciones estructurales debido a su excepcional combinación de resistencia y ductilidad, con una baja densidad. Sin embargo, a pesar de sus excepcionales propiedades, los aceros con alto contenido en manganeso se enfrentan a diversas limitaciones o retos durante las técnicas de procesado convencionales. Afortunadamente, la solidificación rápida puede resolver estos problemas. En este sentido, las tecnologías de AM basadas en láser proporcionan velocidades de enfriamiento rápidas, así como flexibilidad en términos de diseño geométrico. Los nuevos retos de estas tecnologías implicarán la microsegregación y el agrietamiento en caliente o hot cracking en inglés, que se producen durante la solidificación. Esta tesis está dedicada a explotar el método CALPHAD para realizar cálculos termodinámicos con el fin de diseñar varios aceros con alto contenido en manganeso que puedan prevenir eficazmente los problemas de solidificación rápida en AM. Las composiciones de acero diseñadas se produjeron en forma de polvo para AM mediante atomización con gas. Se analizaron los polvos para determinar su microestructura en relación con la química y la velocidad de enfriamiento. Ajustando adecuadamente los parámetros de impresión, estos polvos de acero con alto contenido en manganeso se imprimieron con éxito en AM, dando lugar a densidades relativas superiores al 99.9%. Se analizó la microestructura de estas muestras totalmente densas y se comparó con sus respectivos polvos, con el fin de identificar cualquier diferencia resultante de las variaciones en la velocidad de enfriamiento y los ciclos térmicos. Por último, tras definir el mejor conjunto de condiciones de impresión para cada composición de polvo, se produjeron varias muestras para evaluar las propiedades mecánicas. / [CA] La fabricació additiva, de les seues sigles en anglés AM (Additive Manufacturing) és un procés que construïx objectes sòlids tridimensionals mitjançant la superposició de materials basats en un model de disseny assistit per ordinador. L'AM està cridada a convertir-se en la pròxima revolució industrial, transformant el panorama del desenvolupament i la producció. L'AM oferix nombrosos avantatges, com a possibilitats de disseny complexes i flexibles, l'eliminació de processos intermedis com el mecanitzat, la independència dels costos de producció de la grandària dels lots, la reducció dels residus de material, les estructures lleugeres, les reparacions personalitzades de les màquines i la capacitat de desenvolupar nous materials, entre altres avantatges. En les tecnologies de fabricació additiva que empren un raig làser com a font d'energia, la matèria primera inicial (en forma de pols o filferro) és fosa per la font de calor làser de manera controlada, capa a capa, fins a crear un component amb dimensions finals o quasi finals. Estes tecnologies impliquen sotmetre el material imprés a un procés tèrmic únic, en el qual el material es funde en una àrea molt específica i després es refreda ràpidament a velocitats extremadament altes de fins a 10^6 K/s. Per tant, les microestructures que sorgixen dels processos de fabricació en AM diferixen significativament de les que s'aconseguixen en els processos tradicionals. A més, els materials que s'empren principalment en l'AM no s'han dissenyat explícitament per a estes tecnologies. Les característiques específiques dels processos d'AM poden utilitzar-se per a aconseguir microestructures i propietats diferents en acers que han sigut adaptats per a aprofitar les ràpides velocitats de refredament i la història tèrmica del procés, entre altres factors. De moment, el nombre de qualitats d'acer comercials disponibles en el mercat de l'AM és limitat. Diverses indústries demanden nous graus d'acer amb menor densitat per a disminuir el pes sense comprometre les propietats mecàniques. Els acers amb alt contingut en manganés es consideren materials molt prometedors per a aplicacions estructurals a causa de la seua excepcional combinació de resistència i ductilitat, amb una baixa densitat. No obstant això, malgrat les seues excepcionals propietats, els acers amb alt contingut en manganés s'enfronten a diverses limitacions o reptes durant les tècniques de processament convencionals. Afortunadament, la solidificació ràpida pot resoldre estos problemes. En este sentit, les tecnologies d'AM basades en làser proporcionen velocitats de refredament ràpides, així com flexibilitat en termes de disseny geomètric. Els nous reptes d'estes tecnologies implicaran la microsegregació i l'esquerdament en calent, o hot cracking en anglés, que es produïxen durant la solidificació. Esta tesi està dedicada a explotar el mètode CALPHAD per a realitzar càlculs termodinàmics amb la finalitat de dissenyar diversos acers amb alt contingut en manganés que puguen previndre eficaçment els problemes de solidificació ràpida en AM. Les composicions d'acer dissenyades es van produir en forma de pols per a AM mitjançant atomització amb gas. Es van analitzar les pólvores per a determinar la seua microestructura en relació amb la química i la velocitat de refredament. Ajustant adequadament els paràmetres d'impressió, estes pólvores d'acer amb alt contingut en manganés es van imprimir amb èxit en AM, donant lloc a densitats relatives superiors al 99.9%. Es va analitzar la microestructura d'estes mostres totalment denses i es va comparar amb les seues respectives pólvores, amb la finalitat d'identificar qualsevol diferència resultant de les variacions en la velocitat de refredament i els cicles tèrmics. Finalment, desprès de definir el millor conjunt de condicions d'impressió per a cada composició de pols, es van produir diverses mostres per a avaluar les propietats mecàniques. / [EN] Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process that builds three-dimensional solid objects by layering materials based on a computer-aided design model. AM is set to become the next industrial revolution, transforming the landscape of development and production. AM provides numerous benefits, including complex and flexible design possibilities, the elimination of intermediate processes like machining, production cost independence from batch size, reduced material waste, lightweight structures, customized machine repairs, and the ability to develop new materials, among other advantages. In additive manufacturing technologies that employ a laser beam as an energy source, the initial raw material (in the form of powder or wire) is melted by the laser heat source in a controlled manner, layer by layer, until a component with final or nearly final dimensions is created. These technologies involve subjecting the printed material to a unique thermal process, where the material is melted in a very specific area and then rapidly cooled at extremely high rates of up to 10^6 K/s. Hence, the microstructures that arise from the manufacturing processes in AM differ significantly from those achieved in traditional processes. Moreover, the materials predominantly employed in AM have not been explicitly designed for these technologies. The specific characteristics of AM processes can be utilized to achieve distinct microstructures and properties in steels that have been tailored to take advantage of the rapid cooling rates and thermal history of the process, among other factors. For the moment, the number of commercial steel grades available in the AM market is limited. Various industries are demanding new steel grades with lower density to decrease weight without compromising mechanical properties. High manganese steels are regarded as highly promising materials for structural applications due to their exceptional combination of strength and ductility, with low density. Nevertheless, despite the exceptional properties of high manganese steels, they encounter various limitations or challenges during conventional processing techniques. Fortunately, rapid solidification may solve these issues. In this sense, laser-based AM technologies provide rapid cooling rates, as well as flexibility in terms of geometric design. The new challenges of these technologies will involve micro-segregation and hot cracking occurring during solidification. This thesis is dedicated to exploiting the CALPHAD method to perform thermodynamic calculations in order to design various high manganese steels that can effectively prevent fast solidification issues in AM. The steel compositions designed were produced in the form of powder for AM using gas atomization. Powders were analyzed to determine their microstructure in relation to the chemistry and cooling rate. By adjusting properly, the printing parameters, these high manganese steel powders were successfully printed in AM, resulting in relative densities exceeding 99.9%. The microstructure of these fully dense samples was analyzed and compared to their respective powders, in order to identify any difference resulting from variations in cooling rate and thermal cycling. Lastly, after defining the best set of printing conditions for each powder composition, various samples were produced to evaluate the mechanical properties, to determine the correlation between the composition, microstructure and properties of these steels. In addition, lattice structures that are close to final part geometries were constructed to quantify the energy absorbed during compression by one of these high manganese steels. The results were then compared to those of 316L, revealing that the high manganese steel absorbs roughly twice as much the specific energy in compression. This finding demonstrates the potential of these novel AM steels for use in industrial applications. / Sánchez Poncela, M. (2024). Design of High Mn Fe-Mn-Al-C Low Density Steels for Additive Manufacturing [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/205174

Jádrem této disertační práce bylo studovat optické a elektrické charakteristiky tenkovrstvých elektroluminiscenčních součástek řízených střídavým proudem (ACTFEL) a zejména vliv procesu stárnutí luminiforů na jejich optické a elektrické vlastnosti. Cílem této studie měl být příspěvek ke zvýšení celkové účinnosti luminoforů, vyjádřené pomocí jasu, účinnosti a stability. Vzhledem k tomu, že současnou dominantní technologií plochých obrazovek je LCD, musí se další alternativní technologie plošných displejů porovnávat s LCD. Výhodou ACTFEL displejů proti LCD je lepší rozlišení, větší teplotní rozsah činnosti, větší čtecí úhel, či možnost čtení při mnohem vyšší intenzitě pozadí. Na druhou stranu je jejich nevýhodou vyšší energetická náročnost, problém s odpovídající barevností tří základních barev a podstatně vyšší napětí nutné pro činnost displeje. K dosažení tohoto cíle jsme provedli optická, elektrická a optoelektrická měření ACTFEL struktur a ZnS:Mn luminoforů. Navíc jsme studovali vliv dotování vrstvy pomocí KCl na chování mikrostruktury a na elektroluminiscenční vlastnosti (zejména na jas a světelnou účinnost) ZnS:Mn luminoforů. Provedli jsme i některá, ne zcela obvyklá, měření ACTFEL součástek. Vypočítali jsme i rozptylový poměr nabitých barevných center a simulovali transportní charakteristiky v ACTFEL součástkách. Studovali jsme vliv stárnutí dvou typů ZnS:Mn luminoforů (s vrstvou napařenou či získanou pomocí epitaxe atomových vrstev) monitorováním závislostí svítivost-napětí (L-V), velikost vnitřního náboje - elektrické pole luminoforu (Q-Fp) a kapacitance-napětí (C-V) ve zvolených časových intervalech v průběhu stárnutí. Provedli jsme krátkodobá i dlouhodobá měření a pokusili jsme se i o vizualizaci struktury luminoforu se subvlnovým rozlišením pomocí optického rastrovacího mikroskopu pracujícího v blízkém poli (SNOM). Na praktickém případu zeleného Zn2GeO4:Mn (2% Mn) ACTFEL displeje, pracujícího při 50 Hz, jsme také studovali stabilitu svítivosti pomocí měření závislosti svítivosti na napětí (L-V) a světelné účinnosti na napětí (eta-V). Přitom byl zhodnocen význam těchto charakteristik. Nezanedbatelnou a neoddělitelnou součástí této práce je i její pedagogický aspekt. Předložený text by mohl být využit i jako učebnice pro studenty na mé univerzitě v Lybii.

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung einer neuartigen Initiierungsmethode zur Polymerisation von Vinylmonomeren über die Kombination von gewöhnlichen organischen Isocyanaten und Iminbasen. Der radikalische Charakter dieses Polymerisationstyps wurde durch Copolymerisationsexperimente verifiziert. Mit verschiedenen Iminbase / Isocyanat-Kombinationen als Initiatoren wurde die Homopolymerisation von diversen (Meth)-Acrylaten, Styrol, Acrylnitril und Methacrylnitril untersucht. Parameter, wie die Brutto-Polymerisationsgeschwindigkeitskonstante und die Aktivierungsenergie wurden ermittelt und Aussagen zur Polymerisation getroffen. Über die Auswertung von Massenspektren niedermolekularer Polymer-Proben wurden Vermutungen zum ablaufenden Initiierungsmechanismus abgeleitet. Das Anwendungspotential dieser Methode wurde in Hinblick auf die Synthese diverser Polymerarchitekturen untersucht. Neben der Oberflächenpolymerisation an funktionalisierten Kieselgel-Partikeln mittels „grafting-from“ wurden neuartige Block- und Kammpolymer-Strukturen hergestellt und analysiert. Zudem wurde die durch reine Iminbasen vermittelte Polymerisation von (Meth-)Acrylaten untersucht. Ferner wird der positive Einfluss der Zugabe katalytischer Mengen Ionischer Flüssigkeiten auf beide Systeme gezeigt und diskutiert.:ABKÜRZUNGSVERZEICHNIS 6 1 EINLEITUNG UND AUFGABENSTELLUNG 10 1.1 Einleitung 10 1.2 Motivation und Zielsetzung 13 2 ALLGEMEINER TEIL UND THEORETISCHE GRUNDLAGEN 15 2.1 Grundlagen der freien radikalischen Polymerisation 15 2.2 Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) und Nitroxide Mediated Radical Polymerization (NMP) als Beispiele für kontrollierte radikalische Polymerisationen 25 2.3 Theorie zur Copolymerisation von Vinylmonomeren 34 2.4 Applikation von Ionischen Flüssigkeiten bei der radikalischen Polymerisation 43 3 ERGEBNISSE UND DISKUSSION 49 3.1 Iminbase/Isocyanat-vermittelte (IBI) Polymerisation von Vinylmonomeren 49 3.1.1 Empirische Befunde und Klassifizierung der IBI-Systeme 50 3.1.2 Ergebnisse zu den IBI-Polymerisationen mit unmittelbarem Verbrauch der Initiator- Komponenten (Typ A) 58 3.1.3 Verwendung der Iminbase–Isocyanat-Addukte zur Polymerisation von MMA 70 3.1.4 Ergebnisse der Polymerisationen mit Typ B IBI-Kombinationen 78 3.1.5 Bestimmung und Auswertung kinetischer Parameter der IBI-Polymerisation 85 3.1.6 Studien zum Initiierungsmechanismus durch die Iminbase/Isocyanat-Kombination 102 3.2 Iminbasen-(Meth-)Acrylat-induzierte (IBA) Polymerisation 124 3.2.1 Phänomenologische Untersuchungen zur IBA-Polymerisation 124 3.2.2 Kinetik der IBA-Polymerisation und mechanistische Studien 129 3.3 Beschleunigung beider Polymerisationstypen über die Zugabe katalytischer Mengen Ionischer Flüssigkeit 143 3.3.1 Untersuchungen zur Wechselwirkung von Ionischen Flüssigkeit mit den Reaktanden mit Hilfe der ATR-FT-MIR-Spektroskopie 144 3.3.2 Ergebnisse zu den IL-katalysierten IBI-Polymerisationen 151 3.3.3 Ergebnisse zu den IL-katalysierten IBA-Polymerisationen 162 3.4 Applikation der neuartigen Polymerisationssysteme zur Blockcopolymerisation 171 3.4.1 Oberflächenpolymerisation an Siliziumdioxid-Partikeln 172 3.4.2 Blockcopolymer-Synthese mit Typ A IBI-Oligomeren 186 3.4.3 Kammpolymer-Synthese über die Anwendung der IBI- bzw. IBA-Methode 192 4 ZUSAMMENFASSUNG UND AUSBLICK 200 5 EXPERIMENTELLER TEIL 208 5.1 Verwendete Geräte 208 5.2 Verwendete Chemikalien 210 5.3 Details zur Berechnung der Copolymerisationsparameter, Beladungen und Pfropfgrade 210 5.4 Synthesen und Polymerisationen 213 5.4.1 Allgemeine Vorgehensweise und Ergebnisse bei den Homo- und Copolymerisationen 213 5.4.2 Synthese der Iminbase–Isocyanat Addukte 222 5.4.3 Synthese der funktionalisierten Siliziumdioxid-Partikel und deren Oberflächenpolymerisation 236 5.4.4 Abspaltung von kovalent gebundenem PMMA mittels Dimethylsulfat / NaOCH3 242 5.4.5 Vorgehensweise bei der Verwendung der Spritzenpumpen-Apparatur 246 5.4.6 Synthese und Charakterisierung der organischen Blockcopolymere 247 6 LITERATURVERZEICHNIS 253 7 ANHANG 264 7.1 Kristallographische Daten zu den ermittelten Strukturen 264 7.2 Weiterführende Details zu den durchgeführten Konzentrations-Zeit-Beziehungen 278 7.2.1 Iminbase / Isocyanat-vermittelte (IBI) Polymerisation 278 7.2.2 Iminbase-(Meth-)Acrylat-vermittelte (IBA) Polymerisation 302 7.3 Fineman und Ross Beziehungen und Copolymerisationsdiagramme 314 7.4 Nachtrag zu den konzentrationsbezogenen IR-Messungen 322 DANKSAGUNG 324 SELBSTÄNDIGKEITSERKLÄRUNG 327 LEBENSLAUF 328 LISTE AN VERÖFFENTLICHUNGEN 329