xvi, 145 p. : ill. (some col.) / The structures of several compounds in the [(PbSe)0.99]m[WSe2]n, [(PbSe)1.00]1[MoSe2]1, and [(SnSe)1.03]1[MoSe2]1 systems were determined using x-ray data. The structural determination using Rietveld methods was complicated by the strong preferred orientation of the samples, which resulted in x-ray diffraction scans with either 00l or hk0 reflections depending on the orientation of the sample in the diffractometer. Rietveld refinements of the [(PbSe)0.99]1[WSe2]1, [(PbSe)1.00]1[MoSe2]1, and [(SnSe)1.03]1[MoSe2]1 samples were compared to single crystal sample refinement results for [(MX)1+d]1[TX2]1, where M is a metal, T is a transition, X is a chalcogen, and d is the misfit parameter. The structural refinement yielded rock salt layer puckering values of 25 pm, 23 pm, and 36 pm for [(PbSe)0.99]1[WSe2]1, [(PbSe)1.00]1[MoSe2]1, and [(SnSe)1.03]1[MoSe2]1, respectively, which are all within the established literature range of 20 pm to 60 pm. The refinement of the hk0 reflections confirmed that the in plane structures were consistent with the dichalcogenide (P63mmc) and rock salt (Fm3m) structure types. Structures for the [(PbSe)0.99]m[WSe2]m isomer series where m = 1 to 5 were determined, and a systematic trend in structure as a function of the thickness of the constituent layers was discovered. The structure of the rock salt constituent was found to distort into pairs, forming alternating long and short distances along the c axis. This distortion decreases as the number of rock salt planes increases from 4 to 6 to 8 and is either absent or nearly so in compounds with a larger number of rock salt planes. The puckering distortion at the interface between the rock salt and the dichalcogenide is also observed in the inner rock salt layers but decreases in magnitude moving away from the rock salt – dichalcogenide interface. Structures of [(PbSe)0.99]m[WSe2]n where m = 1 or 2 and n = 1 or 2 were also determined. The degree of structural distortion is a function of the ratio of rock salt to dichalcogenide layers. This dissertation includes unpublished co-authored material. / Committee in charge: Dr. Thomas R. Dyke, Ph.D., Chairperson; Dr. David C. Johnson, Ph.D., Advisor; Dr. Catherine J. Page, Ph.D., Member; Dr. Andrew H. Marcus, Ph.D., Member; Dr. John L. Hardwick, Ph.D., Member; Dr. Richard Taylor, Ph.D., Outside Member

Microalloyed steels are widely used in oil and gas pipelines. They are a class of high strength, low carbon steels containing small additions (in amounts less than 0.1 wt%) of Nb, Ti and/or V. The steels may contain other alloying elements, such as Mo, in amounts exceeding 0.1wt%. Microalloyed steels have good strength, good toughness and excellent weldability, which are attributed in part to the presence of precipitates, especially nano-precipitates with sizes less than 10nm. Nano-precipitates have an important strengthening contribution, i.e. precipitation strengthening. In order to fully understand steel strengthening mechanisms, it is necessary to determine the precipitation strengthening contribution. Because of the fine sizes and low volume fraction, conventional microscopic methods are not satisfactory for quantifying the nano-precipitates. Matrix dissolution is a promising alternative to extract the precipitates for quantification. Relatively large volumes of material can be analyzed, so that statistically significant quantities of precipitates of different sizes are collected. In this thesis, the microstructure features of a series of microalloyed steels are characterized using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Matrix dissolution techniques have been developed to extract the precipitates from the above microalloyed steels. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) are combined to analyze the chemical speciation of these precipitates. Rietveld refinement of the XRD pattern is used to fully quantify the relative amounts of the precipitates. The size distribution of the nano-precipitates (mostly 10 nm) is quantified using dark field imaging (DF) in the TEM. The effects of steel chemistry and processing parameters on grain microstructure and the amount of nano-precipitates are discussed. Individual strengthening contributions due to grain size effect, solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening are quantified to fully understand the strengthening mechanisms of the steels. / Materials Engineering

The jarosite group of minerals is part of the alunite supergroup, which consists of more than 40 different mineral species that have the general formula AB3(TO4)2(OH, H2O)6. There is extensive solid-solution in the A, B and T sites within the alunite supergroup. Jarosite group minerals are common in acid mine waste and there is evidence of jarosite existing on Mars. Members of the jarosite - natrojarosite – hydronium jarosite (K,Na, H3O)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6 solid-solution series were synthesized and investigated by Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data. The synthesized samples have full iron occupancy, where in many previous studies there was significant vacancies in the B site. Well-defined trends can be seen in the unit cell parameters, bond lengths A – O and Fe - O across the solid-solution series in the synthetic samples. Based on unit cell parameters many natural samples appear to have full iron occupancy and correlate well with the synthetic samples from this study. In addition, the infrared spectra of the samples were analyzed. The atomic structure of ammoniojarosite, (NH4)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6, has been solved using single-crystal X-ray diffraction to wR 3.64% and R 1.4%. The atomic coordinates of the hydrogen atoms of the NH4 group have been located and it was found that the ammonium group has two different orientations with equal probability. Samples in the ammoniojarosite – hydronium jarosite solid-solution series were synthesized and analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement. It was found that an incomplete solid-solution series exists between jarosite and plumbojarosite, Pb[Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6]2, based on experimental and mineralogical data. At the studied synthesis conditions, lead solubility in jarosite is extremely limited with occupancy of 2% in the potassium site. Increased Pb in the iv starting solution resulted in no increased substitution of Pb into jarosite, but an increased substitution of H3O+. The stable isotope (H) geochemistry of hydronium jarosite, (H3O,K)Fe3(SO4)2(O,OH)6, and the effect that the presence of hydronium in the crystal structure has on exchange rates of stable isotope values of jarosite with hydronium substitution has been investigated in this study. / Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-05-07 18:21:45.136

No description available.

No description available.

Alkali (A) and alkaline earth (AE) metals can form carbides and intercalated graphites with carbon. The carbides mostly represent acetylides which are salt-like compounds composed of C22− dumbbell anions and metal cations. Both the acetylide carbides and intercalated graphites are technologically important. Superconductivity has been observed in several intercalated graphites such as KC8 and CaC6. Li intercalated graphites are a major ingredient in Li ion batteries. CaC2 is an important commodity for producing acetylene and the fertilizer CaCN2. In spite of the extensive research on A–C and AE–C compounds, phase diagrams are largely unknown. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of both carbides and intercalalated graphites are discussed controversially. Recent computational studies indicated that well-known carbides, like CaC2 and BaC2, are thermodynamically unstable. Additionally, computational studies predicted that acetylide carbides will generally form novel polymeric carbides (polycarbides) at high pressures. This thesis is intended to check the validity of theoretical predictions and to shed light on the complicated phase diagrams of the Li–C and the Ca–C systems. The Li–C and the Ca–C systems were investigated using well-controllable metal hydride–graphite reactions. Concerning the Li–C system, relative stabilities of the metastable lithium graphite intercalation compounds (Li-GICs) of stages I, IIa, IIb, III, IV and Id were studied close to the competing formation of the thermodynamically stable Li2C2. The stage IIa showed distinguished thermal stability. The phase Id showed thermodynamic stability and hence, was included in the Li–C phase diagram. In the Ca–C system, results from CaH2–graphite reactions indicate compositional variations between polymorphs I, II and III. The formation of CaC2  I was favored  only  at  1100  ◦C or  higher  temperature  and  with  excess calcium, which speculates phase I as carbon deficient CaC2−δ . To explore the potential existence of polycarbides, the acetylide carbides Li2C2 and CaC2 were investigated under various pressure and temperature conditions, employing diamond anvil cells for in situ studies and multi anvil techniques for large volume synthesis. The products were characterized by a combination of diffraction and spectroscopy techniques. For both Li2C2 and CaC2, a pressure induced structural transformation was observed at relatively low pressures (10–15 GPa), which was followed by an irreversible amorphization at higher pressures (25–30 GPa). For Li2C2 the structure of the high pressure phase prior to amorphization could be elucidated. The ground state with an antifluorite Immm structure (coordination number (CN) for C22− dumbbells = 8) transforms to a phase with an anticotunnite Pnma structure (CN for C22− dumbbells = 9). Polycarbides, as predicted from theory, could not be obtained. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript.</p>

This PhD thesis presents investigations of hydrogen incorporation in Zintl phases and transition metal oxides. Hydrogenous Zintl phases can serve as important model systems for fundamental studies of hydrogen-metal interactions, while at the same time hydrogen-induced chemical structure and physical property changes provide exciting prospects for materials science. Hydrogen incorporation in transition metal oxides leads to oxyhydride systems in which O and H together form an anionic substructure. The H species in transition metal oxides may be highly mobile, making these materials interesting precursors toward other mixed anion systems.  Zintl phases consist of an active metal, M (alkali, alkaline earth or rare earth) and a more electronegative p-block metal or semimetal component, E (Al, Ga, Si, Ge, etc.). When Zintl phases react with hydrogen, they can either form polyanionic hydrides or interstitial hydrides, undergo full hydrogenations to complex hydrides, or oxidative decomposition to more E-rich Zintl phases. The Zintl phases investigated here comprised the CaSi2, Eu3Si4, ASi (A= K, Rb) and GdGa systems which were hydrogenated at various temperature, H2 pressure, and dwelling time conditions. For CaSi2, a regular phase transition from the conventional 6R to the rare 3R took place and no hydride formation was observed. In contrast, GdGa and Eu3Si4 were very susceptible to hydrogen uptake. Already at temperatures below 100 ºC the formation of hydrides GdGaH2-x and Eu3Si4H2+x was observed. The magnetic properties of the hydrides (antiferromagnetic) differ radically from that of the Zintl phase precursor (ferromagnetic). Upon hydrogenating ASi at temperatures around 100 oC, silanides ASiH3 formed which contain discrete complex ion units SiH3-. The much complicated β – α order-disorder phase transition in ASiH3 was evaluated with neutron powder diffraction (NPD), 2H NMR and heat capacity measurements.  A systematic study of the hydride reduction of BaTiO3 leading to perovskite oxyhydrides BaTiO3-xHx was done. A broad range of reducing agents including NaH, MgH2, CaH2, LiAlH4 and NaBH4 was employed and temperature and dwelling conditions for hydride reduction examined. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermal gravimetric analysis and 1H NMR. The concentration of H that can be incorporated in BaTiO3-xHx was found to be very low, which is in contrast with earlier reports. Instead hydride reduction leads to a high concentration of O vacancies in the reduced BaTiO3. The highly O-deficient, disordered, phases - BaTiO3-xHy□(x-y) with x up to 0.6 and y in a range 0.05 – 0.2 and (x-y) &gt; y – are cubic and may represent interesting materials with respect to electron and ion transport as well as catalysis. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

No description available.

Cinzas de casca de arroz são resíduos de comprovada eficiência como material pozolânico. No entanto, a variabilidades do material, decorrente das diferentes condições de geração impedem que o mesmo seja comercializado. Assim o presente trabalho tem como objetivo verificar a influência da variação do índice de amorfismo (IA) de cinzas de casca de arroz, sobre a atividade pozolânica deste material. As cinzas foram utilizadas em substituição parcial ao cimento. A metodologia de pesquisa foi dividida nas seguintes fases: (1) Coleta das cascas de arroz; (2) produção das cinzas de casca de arroz através da queima em diferentes temperaturas (500, 650, 800, 950 e 1100ºC) realizada em forno de laboratório. Fixou-se o tempo de residência do material (3 horas), a taxa de aquecimento (5°C/min), e resfriamento lento. Posteriormente utilizou-se a moagem das cinzas em diferentes tempos para que os diâmetros atendessem a finura apropriada para uma pozolana. (3) Em seguida o material gerado foi caracterizado através de ensaios químicos, físicos e mineralógicos; os demais materiais, tais como cimento e areia, também foram caracterizados, de forma que atendam as especificações normativas. (4) Com base nas análises dos resultados, foram moldados 6 corpos-de-provas de argamassas para realização do ensaio de índice de atividade pozolânica com o cimento. (5) A etapa final foi a quantificação do índice de amorfismo por meio de refinamento de Rietveld. Os resultados demonstraram que o índice de amorfismo pode ser utilizado como parâmetro de controle de cinzas residuais. O índice de amorfismo está diretamente relacionado à temperatura de queima e ao tempo de moagem e a atividade pozolânica, sofre influência dessa variável bem como de outras tais como diâmetro médio dos grãos e relação água/aglomerante / The rice husk ash is a waste of proved performance as pozzolanic material. However, the variability of the material, as a result of different generation conditions, restricts its use. Thus, this study aims to determine the influence of variation of the amorphous index (AI) of rice husk ash on the pozzolanic activity of this material. The ash was used as partial replacement of cement. The methodology of research was divided into the following steps: (1) Collection of rice hulls, (2) production of rice husk ash at different temperatures (500, 650, 800, 950 and 1100 °C) made in a small lab furnace. The time into the furnace was fixed (3 hours), as well as the rate of heating (5 ° C / min) and the slow cooling adopted. Thus, the ashes had been grinded at different times until appropriate diameters. (3) Then, chemical, physical and mineralogical characterization had been carried through, as well as other materials such as cement and fine aggregate according standard specifications. (4) According previous analysis of results, 6 mortar samples were molded to perform testing of pozzolanic activity index with Portland cement. (5) The final step was to quantify the amorphous content by the Rietveld refinement. The results showed that the index of amorphous can be used as a control parameter for rice husk ashes. The amorphous index is directly related with the burning temperature and the grinding time, The pozzolanic activity was also influenced by these variables as well as medium diameter of grains and its water/binding ratio.

Cinzas de casca de arroz são resíduos de comprovada eficiência como material pozolânico. No entanto, a variabilidades do material, decorrente das diferentes condições de geração impedem que o mesmo seja comercializado. Assim o presente trabalho tem como objetivo verificar a influência da variação do índice de amorfismo (IA) de cinzas de casca de arroz, sobre a atividade pozolânica deste material. As cinzas foram utilizadas em substituição parcial ao cimento. A metodologia de pesquisa foi dividida nas seguintes fases: (1) Coleta das cascas de arroz; (2) produção das cinzas de casca de arroz através da queima em diferentes temperaturas (500, 650, 800, 950 e 1100ºC) realizada em forno de laboratório. Fixou-se o tempo de residência do material (3 horas), a taxa de aquecimento (5°C/min), e resfriamento lento. Posteriormente utilizou-se a moagem das cinzas em diferentes tempos para que os diâmetros atendessem a finura apropriada para uma pozolana. (3) Em seguida o material gerado foi caracterizado através de ensaios químicos, físicos e mineralógicos; os demais materiais, tais como cimento e areia, também foram caracterizados, de forma que atendam as especificações normativas. (4) Com base nas análises dos resultados, foram moldados 6 corpos-de-provas de argamassas para realização do ensaio de índice de atividade pozolânica com o cimento. (5) A etapa final foi a quantificação do índice de amorfismo por meio de refinamento de Rietveld. Os resultados demonstraram que o índice de amorfismo pode ser utilizado como parâmetro de controle de cinzas residuais. O índice de amorfismo está diretamente relacionado à temperatura de queima e ao tempo de moagem e a atividade pozolânica, sofre influência dessa variável bem como de outras tais como diâmetro médio dos grãos e relação água/aglomerante / The rice husk ash is a waste of proved performance as pozzolanic material. However, the variability of the material, as a result of different generation conditions, restricts its use. Thus, this study aims to determine the influence of variation of the amorphous index (AI) of rice husk ash on the pozzolanic activity of this material. The ash was used as partial replacement of cement. The methodology of research was divided into the following steps: (1) Collection of rice hulls, (2) production of rice husk ash at different temperatures (500, 650, 800, 950 and 1100 °C) made in a small lab furnace. The time into the furnace was fixed (3 hours), as well as the rate of heating (5 ° C / min) and the slow cooling adopted. Thus, the ashes had been grinded at different times until appropriate diameters. (3) Then, chemical, physical and mineralogical characterization had been carried through, as well as other materials such as cement and fine aggregate according standard specifications. (4) According previous analysis of results, 6 mortar samples were molded to perform testing of pozzolanic activity index with Portland cement. (5) The final step was to quantify the amorphous content by the Rietveld refinement. The results showed that the index of amorphous can be used as a control parameter for rice husk ashes. The amorphous index is directly related with the burning temperature and the grinding time, The pozzolanic activity was also influenced by these variables as well as medium diameter of grains and its water/binding ratio.