Hierarchically porous carbon foams with specific surface areas exceeding 600 m2 g−1 can be derived from polystyrene foams that are synthesized via water-in-oil emulsion templating. However, most styrene-based polymers lack strong crosslinks and are degraded to volatile products when heated above 400 oC. A common strategy employed to avert depolymerization is to introduce potential crosslinking sites such as sulfonic acids by sulfonating the polymers. This article unravels the thermal and chemical processes leading up to the conversion of sulfonated high internal phase emulsion polystyrenes (polyHIPEs) to sulfur containing carbon foams. During pyrolysis, the sulfonic acid groups (-SO3H) are transformed to sulfone (-C-SO2-C-) and then to thioether (-C−S-C-) crosslinks. These chemical transformations have been monitored using spectroscopic techniques: in situ IR, Raman, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. Based on thermal analyses, the formation of thioether links is associated with increased thermal stability and thus a substantial decrease in volatilization of the polymers.
Skyrmion stabilization in novel magnetic systems with the B20 crystal structure is reported here, primarily based on theoretical results. The focus is on the effect of alloying on the 3d sublattice of the B20 structure by substitution of heavier 4d and 5d elements, with the ambition to tune the spin-orbit coupling and its influence on magnetic interactions. State-of-the-art methods based on density functional theory are used to calculate both isotropic and anisotropic exchange interactions. Significant enhancement of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is reported for 5d-doped FeSi and CoSi, accompanied by a large modification of the spin stiffness and spiralization. Micromagnetic simulations coupled to atomistic spin-dynamics and ab initio magnetic interactions reveal the spin-spiral nature of the magnetic ground state and field-induced skyrmions for all these systems. Especially small skyrmions similar to 50 nm are predicted for Co0.75Os0.25Si, compared to similar to 148 nm for Fe0.75Co0.25Si. Convex-hull analysis suggests that all B20 compounds considered here are structurally stable at elevated temperatures and should be possible to synthesize. This prediction is confirmed experimentally by synthesis and structural analysis of the Ru-doped CoSi systems discussed here, both in powder and in single-crystal forms.
Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of high-purity, giant magnetocaloric polycrystalline and single-crystalline Fe2P are investigated. Fe2P displays a moderate magnetic entropy change, which spans over 70 K and the presence of strong magnetization anisotropy proves this system is not fully itinerant but displays a mix of itinerant and localized magnetism. The properties of pure Fe2P are compared to those of giant magnetocaloric (Fe,Mn)2(P,A) (where A = As, Ge, Si) compounds helping understand the exceptional characteristics shown by the latter, which are so promising for heat pump and energy conversion applications.
The remarkable mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys can be further improved by interstitial alloying. In this work we employ density functional theory calculations to study the solution energies of dilute carbon interstitial atoms in tetrahedral and octahedral sites in bcc HfNbTiVZr. Our results indicate that carbon interstitials in tetrahedral sites are unstable, and the preferred octahedral sites present a large spread in the energy of solution. The inclusion of carbon interstitials induces large structural relaxations with long-range effects. The effect of local chemical environment on the energy of solution is investigated by performing a local cluster expansion including studies of its correlation with the carbon atomic Voronoi volume. However, the spread in solution energetics cannot be explained with a local environment analysis only pointing towards a complex, long-range influence of interstitial carbon in this alloy.
Devices based on magnetocaloric materials provide great hope for environmentally friendly and energy efficient cooling that does not rely on the use of harmful gasses. Fe2P based compounds are alloys that have shown great potential for magnetocaloric devices. The magnetic behavior in Fe2P is characterized by a strong magnetocaloric effect that coexists with a first-order magnetic transition (FOMT). Neutron diffraction and inelastic scattering, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations have been used to determine the structural and magnetic state of Fe2P around the FOMT. The results reveal that ferromagnetic moments in the ordered phase are perturbed at the FOMT such that the moments cant away from the principle direction within a small temperature region. The acoustic-phonon modes reveal a temperature-dependent nonzero energy gap in the magnetically ordered phase that falls to zero at the FOMT. The interplay between the FOMT and the phonon energy gap indicates hybridization between magnetic modes strongly affected by spin-orbit coupling and phonon modes leading to magnon-phonon quasiparticles that drive the magnetocaloric effect.
The mechanical and magnetic properties of the newly discovered MAB-phase class of materials based upon AlFe2B2 were investigated. The samples were synthesised from stoichiometric amounts of all constituent elements. X-ray diffraction shows that the main phase is orthorhombic with an elongated b-axis, similar to AlFe2B2. The low hardness and visual inspection of the samples after deformation indicate that these compounds are deformed via a delamination process. When substituting iron in AlFe2B2 with manganese, the magnetism in the system goes from being ferro- to antiferromagnetic via a disordered ferrimagnetic phase exhibited by AlFeMnB2. Density functional theory calculations indicate a weakening of the magnetic interactions among the transitions metal ions as iron is substituted by manganese in AlFe2B2. The Mn-Mn exchange interactions in AlMn2B2 are found to be very small.
The crystal and magnetic structures of AlFe2B2 have been studied with a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction and electronic structure calculations. The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties have been investigated by magnetisation measurements. The samples have been produced using high temperature synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. The compound crystallises in the orthorhombic crystal system Cmmm and it orders ferromagnetically at 285 K through a second order phase transition. At temperatures below the magnetic transition the magnetic moments align along the crystallographic a-axis. The magnetic entropy change from 0 to 800 kA/m was found to be - 1.3 J/K kg at the magnetic transition temperature.
Abstract X-ray and neutron powder diffraction has been used to determine the crystal and magnetic structure of Mn3Ni20P6. The crystal structure can be described as cubic with space group Fm 3 ¯ m (225) without any nuclear phase transformation within studied temperature interval from room temperature down to 4 K. The magnetic structure of Mn3Ni20P6 is complex with two independent magnetic positions for the Mn atoms and the compound passes three successive magnetic phase transitions during cooling. At 30 K the spins of the Mn atoms on the Wyckoff 4a site (Mn1) order to form a primitive cubic antiferromagnetic structure with propagation vector k=(0 0 1). Between 29 and 26 K the Mn atoms on the Wyckoff 8c site (Mn2) order independently on already ordered Mn1 magnetic structure forming a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with propagation vector k=(0 0 ½) and below 26 K, both Mn positions order to form an incommensurate helical structure with propagation vector k=(0 0 ~0.45). Magnetization vs. temperature curve of Mn3Ni20P6 shows a steep increase indicating some magnetic ordering below 230 K and a sharp field dependent anomaly in a narrow temperature range around 30 K.
Entropy stabilised materials have possibilities for tailoring functionalities to overcome challenges in materials science. The concept of configurational entropy can also be applied to metal oxides, but it is unclear whether these could be considered as solid solutions in the case of perovskite-structured oxides and if the configurational entropy plays a stabilising role. In this study, compositionally complex perovskite oxides, LnMO(3) (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Ca and Sr, M = Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu), are investigated for their phase stability and magnetic behaviour. Phase-pure samples were synthesised, and the room temperature structures were found to crystallise in either Pnma or R (3) over barc space groups, depending on the composition and the resulting tolerance factor, while the structural transition temperatures correlate with the pseudo cubic unit cell volume. The techniques used included diffraction with X-rays and neutrons, both ex- and in-situ, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetometry as well as electron microscopy. Neutron diffraction studies on one sample reveal that no oxygen vacancies are found in the structure and that the magnetic properties are ferrimagnetic-like with magnetic moments mainly coupled antiferromagnetically along the crystallographic c-direction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy gave indications of the oxidation states of the constituting ions where several mixed oxidation states are observed in these valence-compensated perovskites.
Mössbauer spectroscopy in the ferromagnetic AlFe2B2 reveals Tc=299 K and shows good agreement with magnetic measurements. The crystals are plate-shaped. The flakes are found from X-ray diffraction to be in the crystallographic ac-plane in the orthorhombic system. The axes of the principle electric field gradient tensor are, by symmetry, colinear with the crystal a-, b- and c-axes. By using information about the quadrupole splitting and line asymmetry in the paramagnetic regime together with the quadrupole shift of the resonance lines in the ferromagnetic regime the magnetic hyperfine field direction is found to be in the ab-plane having an angle =40° to the b-axis.
The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of phase pure and stoichiometric samples of the double perovskite Nd2NiMnO6. Photoectron spectroscopy revels a mixed valence of the transition metal sites where Ni has 3+/2+ oxidation states and Mn has 3+/4+. The compound orders ferromagnetically at 195 K. The magnetic structure was determined from the refinement of the neutron diffraction data. The results suggests that the B-site magnetic moments align along the crystallographic a-direction.
The crystal and magnetic structure of Fe5SiB2 has been studied by a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Also, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy constant has been estimated from magnetisation measurements. High quality samples have been prepared using high temperature synthesis and subsequent heat treatment protocols. The crystal structure is tetragonal within the space group I4/mcm and the compound behaves ferromagnetically with a Curie temperature of 760 K. At 172 K a spin reorientation occurs in the compound and the magnetic moments go from aligning along the c-axis (high T) down to the ab-plane (low T). The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy constant has been estimated to 03 MJ/m(3) at 300 K.
In this study the effects of cobalt substitutions in Fe5PB2 have been studied. An increased cobalt content reduces the magnetic exchange interactions. This has been concluded from a large, linear decrease in both the Curie temperature as well as the saturated magnetic moment. At high cobalt concentrations, cobalt prefers to order at the M(2) position in the crystal structure. A tunable Curie transition like this shows some prerequisites for magnetic cooling applications.
The substitutional effects of cobalt in (Fe1–xCox)5PB2 have been studied with respect to crystalline structure and chemical order with X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The magnetic properties have been determined from magnetic measurements, and density functional theory calculations have been performed for the magnetic properties of both the end compounds, as well as the chemically disordered intermediate compounds. The crystal structure of (Fe1–xCox)5PB2 is tetragonal (space group I4/mcm) with two different metal sites, with a preference for cobalt atoms in the M(2) position (4c) at higher cobalt contents. The substitution also affects the magnetic properties with a decrease of the Curie temperature (TC) with increasing cobalt content, from 622 to 152 K for Fe5PB2 and (Fe0.3Co0.7)5PB2, respectively. Thus, the Curie temperature is dependent on composition, and it is possible to tune TC to a temperature near room temperature, which is one prerequisite for magnetic cooling materials.
The microstructure response of laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF)-processed ferritic stainless steel (AISI 441) during post-heat treatments is studied in detail. Focus is on the precipitation kinetics of the Nb-rich phases: Laves (Fe2Nb) and the cubic carbo-nitride (NbC), as well as the grain structure evolution. The evolution of the precipitates is characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and the experimental results are used to calibrate precipitation kinetics simulations using the precipitation module (TC-PRISMA) within the Thermo-Calc Software package. The calculations reproduce the main trend for both the mean radii for the Laves phase and the NbC, and the amount of Laves phase, as a function of temperature. The calibrated model can be used to optimize the post-heat treatment of additively manufactured ferritic stainless steel components and offer a creator tool for process and structure linkages in an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) framework for alloy and process development of additively manufactured ferritic steels.
A series of compounds with compositions Fe5Si1-xGexB2 were synthesised and their structural and magnetic properties were investigated. The Mo5SiB2-type structure with tetragonal I4/mcm space group is maintained for all compounds with x < 0.15, which is estimated as the compositional limit of the system. The unit cell pa-rameters expand with Ge content before reaching a plateau of a = 5.5581(1) and c = 10.3545(1) angstrom at x = 0.15. The saturation magnetisation (MS) decreased slightly with increasing Ge content whilst the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE) remains almost unaffected. The Curie temperature for all compounds studied is at 790 K whilst the spin-reorientation temperature shows suppression from 172 K to 101 K where x = 0.15. Ab Initio calculations reveal an increase in MAE for compositions up to x = 0.25 and a decreased magnitude of MAE of-0.14 MJ/m3 for the hypothetical compound Fe5GeB2 relative to the parent compound Fe5SiB2.
Inherently layered magnetic materials, such as magnetic M(n+1)AX(n) (MAX) phases, offer an intriguing perspective for use in spintronics applications and as ideal model systems for fundamental studies of complex magnetic phenomena. The MAX phase composition M(n+1)AX(n) consists of M(n+1)AX(n) blocks separated by atomically thin A-layers where M is a transition metal, A an A-group element, X refers to carbon and/or nitrogen, and n is typically 1, 2, or 3. Here, we show that the recently discovered magnetic Mn2GaC MAX phase displays structural changes linked to the magnetic anisotropy, and a rich magnetic phase diagram which can be manipulated through temperature and magnetic field. Using first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, an essentially one-dimensional (1D) interlayer plethora of two-dimensioanl (2D) Mn-C-Mn trilayers with robust intralayer ferromagnetic spin coupling was revealed. The complex transitions between them were observed to induce magnetically driven anisotropic structural changes. The magnetic behavior as well as structural changes dependent on the temperature and applied magnetic field are explained by the large number of low energy, i.e., close to degenerate, collinear and noncollinear spin configurations that become accessible to the system with a change in volume. These results indicate that the magnetic state can be directly controlled by an applied pressure or through the introduction of stress and show promise for the use of Mn2GaC MAX phases in future magnetoelectric and magnetocaloric applications.
Methanol fuel cells are very promising power source due to its high efficiency and low emissions of pollutants but their commercialization is hindered by development of the effective catalysts. Bimetallic nanostructured catalysts have been used to increase the effectiveness of methanol electrooxidation. Their high electrocatalytic activity can be accounted largely by the difference in electronegativity of two metals (e.g. Pd and Au), that resulting in gradual Auδ+→Auδ– transition with the increase in Pd content. Therefore, gold-enriched bimetallic Pd-Aunano were recommended as catalysts for oxidation processes since they are characterized by the presence of Auδ+ on their surface. Deposition of Pd, Au and Pd–Au nanoparticles (~50–350 nm) were carried out in dimethyl sulfoxide by pulsed mode of electrolysis directly on electrode surface. Cyclic voltammetry was the main method to study catalytic properties of the modified electrode in the anode oxidation process of methanol. It was found that oxidation rate on the electrode surface modified by bimetallic Pd–Au nanoparticles is ~1.5 times higher as compared to that in the case of electrodes modified by Pd or Au monometallic nanoparticles individually. In order to find highly active, selective, and stable catalysts for methanol electrocatalytic oxidation reaction additional studies are needed to understand the role of electrode surface charge and local OH− ions concentration from alkali solution.
The vibrational properties of several High Entropy Alloy (HEA) based metal hydrides are investigated by inelastic neutron scattering (INS). HEAs have recently emerged as a new type of materials with a wide range of intriguing properties and potential applications such as hydrogen storage. The special properties of HEAs are believed to originate from the disordered lattice and internal strain that is introduced from the differences in atomic radii. This makes HEA hydrides provide an intriguing situation for the local H coordination, of several different transition metals. INS spectra were collected on a series of HEA-based metal hydrides starting with TiVNbHx and subsequently adding Zr and Hf to increase the atomic size mismatch. A general feature of the spectra are the optical peaks centered around an energy loss of 150 meV that can be attributed to hydrogen vibrations in a tetrahedral environment. Upon the addition of Zr and Hf, a shoulder appears on the optical peak at lower energy transfers that after comparison with in silico calculated INS spectra is indicative of hydrogen also occupying octahedral sites in the structure.
Hydrides Eu3Si4H2-X were obtained by exposing the Zintl phase Eu3Si4 to a hydrogen atmosphere at a pressure of 30 bar and temperatures from 25 to 300 degrees C. Structural analysis using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data suggested that hydrogenations in a temperature range 25-200 degrees C afford a uniform hydride phase with an orthorhombic structure (Immm, a approximate to 4.40 angstrom, b approximate to 3.97 angstrom, c approximate to 19.8 angstrom), whereas at 300 degrees C mixtures of two orthorhombic phases with c approximate to 19.86 and approximate to 19.58 angstrom were obtained. The assignment of a composition Eu3Si4H2+x is based on first principles DFT calculations, which indicated a distinct crystallographic site for H in the Eu3Si4 structure. In this position, H atoms are coordinated in a tetrahedral fashion by Eu atoms. The resulting hydride Eu3Si4H2 is stable by -0.46 eV/H atom with respect to Eu3Si4 and gaseous H-2. Deviations between the lattice parameters of the DFT optimized Eu3Si4H2 structure and the ones extracted from PXRD patterns pointed to the presence of additional H in interstitials also involving Si atoms. Subsequent DFT modeling of compositions Eu3Si4H3 and Eu3Si4H4 showed considerably better agreement to the experimental unit cell volumes. It was then concluded that the hydrides of Eu3Si4 have a composition Eu3Si4H2+x (x < 2) and are disordered with respect to H in Si2Eu3 interstitials. Eu3Si4 is a ferromagnet with a Tc at about 120 K. Ferromagnetism is effectively quenched in Eu3Si4H2+x. The effective magnetic moment for both materials is 7.5 pg which is typical for compounds containing Eu2+ 4f(7) ions.
A number of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) in the TiVZrNbHf system have been synthesized by arc melting and systematically evaluated for their hydrogen sorption characteristics. A total of 21 alloys with varying elemental compositions were investigated, and 17 of them form body-centered-cubic (bcc) solid solutions in the as-cast state. A total of 15 alloys form either face-centered-cubic (fcc) or body-centered-tetragonal (bct) hydrides after exposure to gaseous hydrogen with hydrogen per metal ratios (H/M) as high as 2.0. Linear trends are observed between the volumetric expansion per metal atom [(V/Z)fcc/bct – (V/Z)bcc/hcp]/(V/Z)bcc/hcp with the valence electron concentration and average Pauling electronegativity (χp) of the alloys. However, no correlation was observed between the atomic size mismatch, δ, and any investigated hydrogen sorption property such as the maximum storage capacity or onset temperature for hydrogen release.
The crystallization rate during selective laser melting (SLM) of bulk metallic glasses (BMG) is a critical factor in maintaining the material's amorphous structure. To increase the understanding of the interplay between the SLM process and the crystallization behavior of BMGs, a numerical model based on the classical nucleation theory has been developed that accounts for the rapid temperature changes associated with SLM. The model is applied to SLM of a Zr-based BMG and it is shown that the transient effects, accounted for by the model, reduce the nucleation rate by up to 15 orders of magnitude below the steady-state nucleation rate on cooling, resulting in less nuclei during the build process. The capability of the proposed modelling approach is demonstrated by comparing the resulting crystalline volume fraction to experimental findings. The agreement between model predictions and the experimental results clearly suggests that transient nucleation effects must be accounted for when considering the crystallization rate during SLM processing of BMGs.
The crystallization behavior during low-temperature annealing of samples of the Zr59.3Cu28.8Al10.4Nb1.5 (at%) bulk metallic glass produced by suction casting and the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process was studied with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The in-situ SANS measurements during isothermal annealing reveal that the phase separation in the LPBF processed material proceeds at a smaller characteristic length-scale than the cast material. Quantitative analysis of the SANS data shows that, while the crystallization process in both materials proceeds through rapid nucleation followed by diffusion-limited growth, the LPBF processed material crystallizes with a smaller cluster size and at a higher rate. The smaller cluster size is attributed to the elevated oxygen content in the LPBF processed material which reduces the nucleation barrier and thus the thermal stability.
The tavorite-type polymorph of LiFeSO4F has recently attracted substantial attention as a positive elec- trode material for lithium ion batteries. The synthesis of this material is generally considered to rely on a topotactic exchange of water (H2O) for lithium (Li) and fluorine (F) within the structurally similar hy- drated iron sulfate precursor (FeSO4·H2O) when reacted with lithium fluoride (LiF). However, there have also been discussions in the literature regarding the possibility of a non-topotactic reaction mechanism between lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) and iron fluoride (FeF2) in tetraethylene glycol (TEG) as reaction medium. In this work, we use in situ X-ray diffraction to continuously follow the formation of LiFeSO4F from the two suggested precursor mixtures in a setup aimed to mimic the conditions of a solvothermal autoclave synthesis. It is demonstrated that LiFeSO4F is formed directly from FeSO4·H2O and LiF, in agreement with the proposed topotactic mechanism. The Li2SO4 and FeF2 precursors, on the other hand, are shown to rapidly transform into FeSO4·H2O and LiF with the water originating from the highly hygroscopic TEG before a subsequent formation of LiFeSO4F is initiated. The results highlight the importance of the FeSO4·H2O precursor in obtaining the tavorite-type LiFeSO4F, as it is observed in both reaction routes.
The tau-phase MnAl alloys are promising candidate for rare earth free permanent magnets. In this study, In order to better understand the MnAl epsilon ->tau phase transition mechanism in a continuous cooling process and metastable MnAl tau-phase high temperature stability, Mn0.54Al0.46, Mn0.55Al0.45C0.02 and Mn0.55Al0.45B0.02 alloys were systematically studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SR-XRD). The relationship between tau-phase formation tendency and different cooling rates of Mn0.55Al0.45C0.02 was investigated. Besides, the high temperature stabilities of undoped tau-MnAl and carbon/boron doped tau-MnAl were studied. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was also employed to study the phase transformation as well. The research results show that a high cooling rate of 600 degrees C/min leads to a 50/50 wt% mixture of epsilon- and tau-phase; almost pure tau-phase was obtained when cooled at a moderate cooling rate of 10 degrees C/min; while for a slow cooling rate of 2 degrees C/min, the tau-phase partially decomposed into beta and gamma(2) phases. No intermediate epsilon'-phase was observed during the epsilon ->tau phase transition during the experiments. For the boron and carbon doped tau-MnAl, the 800 degrees C high temperature stability experiments reveal that C stabilizes the tau-MnAl while doped B destabilises the tetragonal structure and it decomposes into beta- and gamma(2)-phases.
The low cost, rare earth free τ-phase of MnAl has high potential to partially replace bonded Nd2Fe14B rare earth permanent magnets. However, the τ-phase is metastable and it is experimentally difficult to obtain powders suitable for the permanent magnet alignment process, which requires the fine powders to have an appropriate microstructure and high τ-phase purity. In this work, a new method to make high purity τ-phase fne powders is presented. A high purity τ-phase Mn0.55Al0.45C0.02 alloy was synthesized by the drop synthesis method. The drop synthesized material was subjected to cryo milling and followed by a fash heating process. The crystal structure and microstructure of the drop synthesized, cryo milled and flash heated samples were studied by X-ray in situ powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Magnetic properties and magnetic structure of the drop synthesized, cryo milled, flash heated samples were characterized by magnetometry and neutron powder diffraction, respectively. The results reveal that the 2 and 4hours cryo milled and flash heated samples both exhibit high τ-phase purity and micron-sized round particle shapes. Moreover, the fash heated samples display high saturation magnetization as well as increased coercivity.
The metastable tetragonal iota-phase has been directly obtained from casting Mn0.54Al0.46 and (Mn0.55Al0.45)(100)C-2 using the drop synthesis method. The as-casted samples were ball milled to decrease the particle size and relaxed at 500 degrees C for 1 h. The phase composition, crystallographic parameters, magnetic properties and microstructure were systematically studied. The results reveal that the iota-phase could be directly obtained from drop synthesis. The highest M-s of 117 emu/g was achieved in the (Mn0.55Al0.45)(100)C-2 where the iota-phase was stabilized by doping with carbon. Carbon doping increased the c/a ratio of the tau-phase as it occupies specific interstitial positions (1/2, 1/2, 0) in the structure. Furthermore, ball milling increases the coercivity (H-c) at the expense of a decrease in magnetic saturation (M-s). The increase in coercivity is explained by a decrease of grain size in conjunction with domain wall pinning due to defects introduced during the ball milling process.
To effectively synthesize high purity ferromagnetic low temperature phase (LTP) MnBi with optimal microstructure is still a challenge that needs to be overcome for the system to reach its full potential. Here, the phase transitions and magnetic properties of MnBi crystals are reported. The phase transition between the low and high temperature structure of MnBi was systematically investigated at different heating/cooling rates using in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. The material crystallizes in a layered hexagonal structure giving a platelike microstructure. The magnetic characterization of the crystals reveal that the saturation magnetization varies from 645 kA/m at 50 K to 546 kA/m at 300 K. Magnetization measurements also show that the sample upon heating becomes non-magnetic and transforms to the high temperature phase (HTP) at similar to 640 K, and that it regains ferromagnetic properties and transforms back to the LTP at similar to 610 K upon subsequent cooling.
The atomic and magnetic structure of the 1/1 Tb(14)Au(70)Si(16) quasicrystal approximant has been solved by combining x-ray and neutron diffraction data. The atomic structure is classified as a Tsai-type 1/1 approximant with certain structural deviations from the prototype structures; there are additional atomic positions in the so-called cubic interstices as well as in the cluster centers. The magnetic property and neutron diffraction measurements indicate the magnetic structure to be ferrimagnetic-like below 9Â K in contrast to the related Gd(14)Au(70)Si(16) structure that is reported to be purely ferromagnetic.
A novel synthesis method, "arc-melting-self-flux", has been developed and a series of five Tsai-type 1/1 approximant crystals in the Tb-Au-Si system have been synthesized. The synthesis method, by employing a temperature program which oscillates near the melting and nucleation points of the approximants, has provided high-quality and large single crystals in comparison to those obtained from the standard arc-melting-annealing and self-flux methods. The atomic structures of the approximants have been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and described using concentric atomic clusters with icosahedral symmetry. The compounds are nearly isostructural with subtle variations; two types of atomic clusters which mainly vary at their cluster centers are observed. One type contains a Tb site at the center, and the other contains a disordered tetrahedron decorated with Au/Si mixed sites. Both cluster types can be found coexisting in the approximants. The compounds have different average weighted ratios of central Tb to disordered tetrahedron in the bulk material. Furthermore, a strategy for chemically tuning magnetic behavior is presented. Magnetic property measurements on the approximants revealed that the magnetic transition temperature (T-c) decreases as the occupancy of the central Tb site increases. T-c decreased from 11.5 K for 0% occupancy of the central Tb to 8 K for 100% occupancy. Enhanced magneto crystalline anisotropy is observed for the approximants with higher central Tb occupancy in comparison to their low central Tb occupancy counterparts. Hence, the previously reported "ferrimagnetic-like" magnetic structure model remains valid.
Giant magnetocaloric (GMC) materials constitute a requirement for near room temperature magnetic refrigeration. (Fe,Mn)2(P,Si) is a GMC compound with strong magnetoelastic coupling. The main hindrance towards application of this material is a comparably large temperature hysteresis, which can be reduced by metal site substitution with a nonmagnetic element. However, the (Fe,Mn)2(P,Si) compound has two equally populated metal sites, the tetrahedrally coordinated 3f and the pyramidally coordinated 3g sites. The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of such compounds are highly sensitive to the site specific occupancy of the magnetic atoms. Here we have attempted to study separately the effect of 3f and 3g site substitution with equal amounts of vanadium. Using formation energy calculations, the site preference of vanadium and its influence on the magnetic phase formation are described. A large difference in the isothermal entropy change (as high as 44\%) with substitution in the 3f and 3g sites is observed. The role of the lattice parameter change with temperature and the strength of the magnetoelastic coupling on the magnetic properties are highlighted.
The magnetic properties of the compound Fe5Si1−xPxB2 have been studied, with a focus on the Curie temperature TC, saturation magnetization MS, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Field and temperature dependent magnetization measurements were used to determine TC(x) and MS(x). The saturation magnetization at 10 K (300 K) is found to monotonically decrease from 1.11MA/m (1.03MA/m) to 0.97MA/m (0.87MA/m), as x increases from 0 to 1. The Curie temperature is determined to be 810 and 615 K in Fe5SiB2 and Fe5PB2, respectively. The highest TC is observed for x=0.1, while it decreases monotonically for larger x. The Curie temperatures have also been theoretically determined to be 700 and 660 K for Fe5SiB2 and Fe5PB2, respectively, using a combination of density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulations. The magnitude of the effective magnetocrystalline anisotropy was extracted using the law of approach to saturation, revealing an increase with increasing phosphorus concentration. Low-field magnetization vs temperature results for x=0,0.1,0.2 indicate that there is a transition from easy-axis to easy-plane anisotropy with decreasing temperature.
Herein, we report on the effect of Mn content on the magnetic properties of the hexagonal Mn(Co,Ge)2 with composition Mn36+xCo49-xGe15.This compound was previously described as Mn2Co3Ge (MgZn2-type structure), but later as Mn(Co,Ge)2 with its own structure type, all samples in this work follow the same superstructure model. Samples were synthesized by induction melting, the crystal structures were evaluated using a combination of X-ray diffraction together with scanning electron microscopy equipped and an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector. The Curie temperature (TC) is shifted towards lower temperature as the Mn content is increased. On the other hand, the spin reorientation temperature (TSRT) increases and the magnetic moment decreases as the Mn content is increased. The magnetocaloric properties were investigated for the x = 1 alloy, Mn37Co48Ge15. It was found that the isothermal entropy change is 2 J kg−1 K−1 at room temperature for an applied field of 5 T.
The specific heat and thermodynamics of Fe2P single crystals around the first-order paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition at TC = 217K are empirically investigated. The magnitude and direction of the magnetic field relative to the crystal axes govern the derived H-T phase diagram. Strikingly different phase contours are obtained for fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the c axis of the crystal. In parallel fields, the FM state is stabilized, while in perpendicular fields the phase transition is split into two sections, with an intermediate FM phase where there is no spontaneous magnetization along the c axis. The zero-field transition displays a textbook example of a first-order transition with different phase stability limits on heating and cooling. The results have special significance since Fe2P is the parent material to a family of compounds with outstanding magnetocaloric properties.
The compound FeMnP(0.5)Si(0.5) has been studied by magnetic measurements, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and electronic structure and total energy calculations. An unexpectedly high magnetic hyperfine field for Fe atoms located at the tetrahedral Me(1) site in the Fe(2)P structure is found, The saturation moment derived from magnetic measurements corresponds to 4.4 mu(B)/f.u. at low temperatures, a value substantially higher than previously reported, but in accordance with the results from our electron structure calculations, This high saturation moment and the tunable first order ferromagnetic transition make the Fe(2-x)Mn(x)P(1-y)Si(y), system promising for magnetocaloric applications.
We report on the synthesis and structural characterization of the magnetocaloric FeMnP0.75Si0.25 compound. Two types of samples (as quenched and annealed) were synthesized and characterized structurally and magnetically. We have found that minute changes in the degree of crystallographic order causes a large change in the magnetic properties. The annealed sample, with higher degree of order is antiferromagnetic with a zero net moment. The as-quenched sample has a net moment of 1.26 μB /f.u. and ferrimagnetic-like behavior. Theoretical calculations give rather large values for the Fe and Mn magnetic moments, both when occupied on the tetrahedral and pyramidal lattice site. The largest being the Mn moment for the pyramidal site reaches values as high as 2.8 μB /atom.
The magnetic properties of the (Fe,Mn)2(P,Si)-system have been shown to be readily manipulated by small changes in composition. This study surveys the FeMnP1−xSix-system (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 1.00) reporting sample syntheses and investigations of crystallographic and magnetic properties using X-ray powder diffraction and magnetic measurements. Two single phase regions exist: the orthorhombic Co2P-type structure (x < 0.15) and the Fe2P-type structure (0.24 ≤ x < 0.50). Certain compositions have potential for use in magnetocaloric applications.
FeMnP0.75Si0.25 experiences a first order para- to ferromagnetic transition at about 200 K. In common with some other alloy compositions crystallizing in the Fe2P structure, the magnetic transition of the as prepared alloy occurs at a lower temperature than on subsequent cooling events. This virgin effect is found to be accompanied by a magnetostrictively induced irreversible structure change that persists on succeeding cooling heating cycles. These findings provide means to understand and control the thermal hysteresis of the (Fe1-xMnx)(2)P1-ySiy alloy system which is a promising material class for use in magnetocaloric refrigerators.
Magnetic and crystallographic properties of FeMnP0.75Si0.25 in the hexagonal Fe2P-type structure have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, neutron powder diffraction and magnetic measurements. The room temperature diffractograms reveal co-existence of two distinct structural phases in the samples with small, but significant, differences only in the unit cell dimensions. The volume ratio between the two phases is governed by the annealing conditions. One of the phases orders ferromagnetically (TC = 250 K) and the other in an incommensurate antiferromagnetic structure at low temperatures (qx = 0.363(1), TN = 150 K).
The crystal and magnetic structure of the magnetocaloric compound FeMnP0.5Si0.5 has been studied by means of neutron and X-ray powder diffraction. Single phase samples of nominal composition FeMnP0.5Si0.5 have been prepared by the drop synthesis method. The compound crystallizes in the Fe2P-type structure (P-62m) with the magnetic moments aligned along the a-axis. It is found that the Fe atoms are mainly situated in the tetrahedral 3g site while the Mn atoms prefer the pyramidal 3f position. The material is ferromagnetic (TC=382 K) and at 296 K the total magnetic moment is 4.4 µB/f.u. It is shown that the magnetic moment in the 3f site is larger (2.5 µB) than in the 3g site (1.9 µB).
A sample cell making it possible to perform synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction experiments in a magneticfield of 0.35 T has been constructed. The device is an add-on to an existing sample cell and contains a strong permanentmagnet of NdFeB-type. Experiments have shown that the setup is working satisfactory making it possible to performin-field measurements.
The structural and magnetic properties of the Dy2CoMnO6, Dy2NiMnO6 and Gd2CoMnO6 double perovskites are investigated using X-ray powder diffraction and squid magnetometry. The materials adopt an orthorhombic structure (space ground Pnma) with disordered Co(Ni)/Mn cations, and exhibit ferrimagnetic transitions near T(C)85, 95, and 115K respectively. T-C was found to monotonously depend on the orthorhombic distortion (a-c)/(a+c) of the compounds. The crystal structure of the compounds was investigated as a function of temperature (16-1100K range), evidencing changes in the BO6 octahedron near T-C. The magnetic entropy changes are estimated for comparison of the magnetocaloric properties to those from literature.
Ceramic samples of the multiferroic perovskite Pb(Fe1-xScx)(2/3)W1/3O3 with 0 <= x <= 0.4 have been synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method, and investigated experimentally and theoretically using first-principle calculations. Rietveld analyses of joint synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction patterns show the formation of a pure crystalline phase with cubic (Fm3(_)m) structure with partial ordering in the B-sites. The replacement of Fe by Sc leads to the increase of the cation order between the B and B '' sites. As the non-magnetic Sc3+ ions replace the magnetic Fe3+ cations, the antiferromagnetic state of PbFe2/3W1/3O3 is turned into a ferrimagnetic state reflecting the different magnitude of the magnetic moments on the B ' and B '' sites. The materials remain ferroelectric relaxors with increasing Sc content. Results from experiments on annealed and quenched samples show that the cooling rate after high temperature annealing controls the degree of cationic order in Pb(Fe1-xScx)(2/3)W1/3O3 and possibly also in the undoped PbFe2/3W1/3O3.
Efficient production of hydrogen from solar energy is anticipated to be an important component in a future sustainable post-carbon energy system. Here we demonstrate that series interconnected absorbers in a PV-electrolysis configuration based on the compound semiconductor CIGS, CuInxGa1-xSe2, are a highly interesting concept for solar water splitting applications. The band gap energy of CIGS can be adjusted to a value close to optimum for efficient absorption of the solar spectrum, but is too low to drive overall water splitting. Therefore we connect three cells in series, into a monolithic device, which provides sufficient driving force for the full reaction. Integrated with a catalyst this forms a stable PV/photo-electrochemical device, which when immersed in water reaches over 10% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency for unassisted water splitting. The results show that series interconnected device concepts, which enable use of a substantial part of the solar spectrum, provide a simple route towards highly efficient water splitting and could be used also for other solar absorbers with similar electro-optical properties. We discuss how the efficiency could be increased for this particular device, as well as the general applicability of the concepts used in this work. We also briefly discuss advantages and disadvantages of photo-electrochemical cells in relation to PV-electrolysis with respect to our results.
The thickness dependence of the Fe magnetic hyperfine field and the interfacial intermixing of Fe0.82Ni0.18/Co superlattices, with the same thickness for FeNi and Co layers, have been investigated. A local concentration model using the magnetic hyperfine field values from the [Fe0.82Ni0.18](1-x)Co-x alloys has been used to interpret the field distribution in the superlattices and the Co concentration profiles over the superlattices. A relationship between the Fe magnetic hyperfine field and the Fe magnetic moment has been determined for the unordered [Fe0.82Ni0.18](1-x)Co-x and Fe1-xCox alloys. The magnetic hyperfine fields have been explained using two Fermi contact terms: (i) the core electron term proportional to the Fe magnetic moment with a proportionality constant of -13 T/mu B and (ii) a valence electron term linearly dependent on the Co concentration. The direction of the magnetic moments is found to be in the sample plane except for the 1/1 superlattice, where an angle of about 45 degrees is found.
X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer and magnetization measurements have been performed on hematite nanoparticles, prepared by sol-gel method, to study the effect of the mixing tools used in the preparation on their magnetic properties. It has been shown that the mixing tool, i.e. magnetic or mechanical, has a crucial effect on the magnetic behaviors of magnetic nanoparticles. Furthermore, the degree of purity of nitrogen gas used in the preparation process also plays a minor role in magnetic properties of such nanoparticles.
In this study, the ferritic stainless steel SS441 was produced with excellent mechanical properties using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) compared to samples produced by conventional casting and hot-rolling. In addition, thermodynamic calculations were utilized to study the phase stability at elevated temperatures and to understand the solidification behavior. The hot-rolled sample showed a grain size up to several hundred mu m with additional precipitates of TiN and Nb(C,N). In contrast, the as-built L-PBF samples displayed a grain size in the mu m range. Spherical precipitates with a size of around 50 nm could be observed and were attributed to a corundum phase from the thermodynamic calculations. The printed material shows superior mechanical properties, with more than 30 times higher impact energy compared to the hot-rolled alloy (217 +/- 5 J vs. 7 +/- 0.5 J). Furthermore, the properties are anisotropic for the L-PBF produced alloy, with the highest tensile strength vertical to the build direction. The superior mechanical properties of the L-PBF produced sample can be attributed to a smaller grain size, giving a higher strength according to the Hall-Petch relationship. The anisotropy of the material can be eliminated by heat treatments at 900 degrees C followed by water quenching, but the absolute strength decreases slightly due to formation of intermetallic phases such as Nb(C,N) and the Fe2Nb Laves phase. The results clearly illustrates that L-PBF provides a promising manufacturing mute for enhanced strength of ferritic stainless steels.
A high-entropy alloy (HEA) of HfNbTiVZr was synthesized using an arc furnace followed by ball milling. The hydrogen absorption mechanism was studied by in situ X-ray diffraction at different temperatures and by in situ and ex situ neutron diffraction experiments. The body centered cubic (BCC) metal phase undergoes a phase transformation to a body centered tetragonal (BCT) hydride phase with hydrogen occupying both tetrahedral and octahedral interstitial sites in the structure. Hydrogen cycling of the alloy at 500 degrees C is stable. The large lattice strain in the HEA seems favorable for absorption in both octahedral and tetrahedral sites. HEAs therefore have potential as hydrogen storage materials because of favorable absorption in all interstitial sites within the structure.