• Advances in materials Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2013

Lead-free complex perovskite ceramics $NaMeO_3$ ($Me{\equiv}Nb$, Ta) were synthesized using conventional solid state reaction technique and characterized by structural, FTIR and electrical (dielectric and ac conductivity) studies. The crystal symmetry, space group and unit cell dimensions were determined from the experimental results using FullProf software. XRD analysis of the compound indicated the formation of single-phase orthorhombic structure with the space group Pmmm (47). Dielectric studies showed the diffuse phase transition at $394^{\circ}C$ for $NaNbO_3$ and $430^{\circ}C$ for $NaTaO_3$. Ac conductivity in both the compounds follows Jonscher's power law.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2018

Niobium is a candidate base for new alloys devoted to applications at especially elevated temperatures. Elaborating and shaping niobium-based alloys by conventional foundry may lead to mechanically interesting microstructures. In this work a series of charges constituted of pure elements were subjected to high frequency induction melting in cold crucible to try obtaining cast highly refractory Nb-xCr and Nb-xCr-0.4 wt.%Calloys(x=27, 34 and 37 wt.%). Melting and solidification were successfully achieved. The as-cast microstructures of the obtained alloys were characterized by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and their hardness were specified by Vickers macro-indentation. The obtained as-cast microstructures are composed of a body centered cubic (bcc) niobium dendritic matrix and of an interdendritic eutectic compound involving the bcc Nb phase and a $NbCr_2$ Laves phase. The obtained alloys are hard to cut and particularly brittle at room temperature. Hardness is of a high level (higher than 600Hv) and is directly driven by the chromium content or the amount of {bcc Nb - $NbCr_2$} eutectic compound. Adding 0.4 wt.% of carbon did not lead to carbides but tends to increase hardness.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.622-633
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• 2015

The coexistence among different systems is a major problem in communications. Mutual interference between different systems should be analyzed and mitigated before their deployment. The paper focuses on two aspects that have an impact on the system performance. First, the coexistence analysis, i.e. evaluating the mutual interference. Second aspect is the coexistence techniques, i.e. appropriate system modifications that guarantee the simultaneous use of the spectrum by different technologies. In particular, the coexistence problem is analyzed between ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB) and narrow bandwidth (NB) systems emphasizing the role of spectrum sensing to identify and classify the NB interferers that mostly affect the performance of UWB system. A direct sequence (DS)-time hopping (TH) code design technique is used to mitigate the identified NB interference. Due to the severe effect of Narrowband Interference on UWB communications, we propose an UWB transceiver that utilizes spectrum-sensing techniques together with mitigation techniques. The proposed transceiver improves both the UWB and NB systems performance by adaptively reducing the mutual interference. Detection and avoidance method is used where spectrum is sensed every time duration to detect the NB interferer's frequency location and power avoiding it's effect by using the appropriate mitigation technique. Two scenarios are presented to identify, classify, and mitigate NB interferers.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.115-128
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• 2012

The structural and electrical properties of $(1-x)Ba(Sm_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_3-xBaTiO_3$; ($0{\leq}x{\leq}1$) ceramics were prepared by conventional ceramic technique at $1375^{\circ}C$/7 h in air atmosphere. The crystal symmetry, space group and unit cell dimensions were derived from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data using FullProf software whereas crystallite size and lattice strain were estimated from Williamson-Hall approach. XRD analysis of the compound indicated the formation of a single-phase cubic structure with the space group Pm m. Dielectric study revealed that the compound $0.75Ba(Sm_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_3-0.25BaTiO_3$ is having low and ${\varepsilon}^{\prime}$ and ${\varepsilon}^{{\prime}{\prime}}$ a low $T_{CC}$ (< 5%) in the working temperature range (up to+$100^{\circ}C$) which makes this composition suitable for capacitor application and may be designated as 'Stable Low-K' Class I material as per the specifications of the Electronic Industries Association. The correlated barrier hopping model was employed to successfully explain the mechanism of charge transport in the system. The ac conductivity data were used to evaluate the density of states at Fermi level, minimum hopping length and apparent activation energy of the compounds.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.217-225
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• 2014

In this study, a forging steel alloyed with both Nb and V was used as experimental material and the hot deformation behavior has been studied for this steel by conducting the compressive deformation test at temperature of $900-1150^{\circ}C$ and strain rate of $0.01-0.01s^{-1}$ in a MMS-300 thermo-mechanical simulator. The microstructure evolution, particularly the dynamically recrystallized microstructure, of the experimental steel at elevated temperatures, strain rates and strain levels, was characterized by optical microstructural observation and the constitutive equation in association with the activation energy and Zener-Hollomon parameter. The curves of strain hardening rate versus stress were used to determine the critical strain and peak strain, and their relation was connected with Zener-Hollomon parameter. Under the conditions of processing temperature $900^{\circ}C$ and strain rate $0.01s^{-1}$, the dynamic recrystallization took place and the austenite grain size was refined from $164.5{\mu}m$ to $28.9{\mu}m$.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2013

Impedance and electrical conduction studies of $Ba(Nd_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_3$ ceramic prepared using conventional high temperature solid-state reaction technique are presented. The crystal symmetry, space group and unit cell dimensions were estimated using Rietveld analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the formation of a single-phase cubic structure with space group $Pm\bar{3}m$. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy studies were carried to study the quality and purity of compound. The circuit model fittings were carried out using the impedance data to find the correlation between the response of real system and idealized model electrical circuit. Complex impedance analyses suggested the dielectric relaxation to be of non-Debye type and negative temperature coefficient of resistance character. The correlated barrier hopping model was employed to successfully explain the mechanism of charge transport in $Ba(Nd_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_3$. The ac conductivity data were used to evaluate the density of states at Fermi level, minimum hopping length and apparent activation energy.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2018

High Strength low alloy steels containing various levels of C, Nb and Mn were used and for each of which, a simulated double thermal cycle was applied with the same first peak temperature and different second peak temperatures to produce HAZ microstructure corresponding to multi-pass weld. Effect of double cycle second temperature on the microstructure was observed and compared with single cycle results obtained from previous works, it was found that the percentage of martensite austenite constituent (MA) increases by Nb addition for all steels with the same Mn content and the increase in Mn content at the same Nb content shows an increase in MA area fraction as well. MA area fraction obtained for the double cycle is larger than that obtained for the single cycle for all steels used which imply that MA will have great role in the brittle fracture initiation for double cycle and the inter-pass temperature should be controlled for medium and high-carbon Mn steel to avoid large area fraction of MA. The beneficial effects of Niobium obtained in single pass weld were not observed for the double cycle or multi pass welds.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.141-153
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• 2013

Nanocrystalline Barium niobate ($BaNbO_3$) has been synthesized by a novel auto-igniting combustion technique. The X-Ray diffraction studies reveals that $BaNbO_3$ posses a cubic structure with lattice constant $a=4.071{\AA}$. Phase purity and structure of the nano powder are further examined using Fourier-Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The average particle size of the as prepared nano particles from the Transmission Electron Microscopy is 20 nm. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of the samples are recorded and the calculated average optical band gap is 3.74eV. The sample is sintered at an optimized temperature of $1425^{\circ}C$ for 2h and attained nearly 98% of the theoretical density. The morphology of the sintered pellet is studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy. The dielectric constant and loss factor of a well-sintered $BaNbO_3$ at 5MHz sample is found to be 32.92 and $8.09{\times}10^{-4}$ respectively, at room temperature. The temperature coefficient of dielectric constant was $-179pp/^{\circ}C$. The high dielectric constant, low loss and negative temperature coefficient of dielectric constant makes it a potential candidate for temperature sensitive dielectric applications.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.93-105
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• 2016

KNN-based ceramics modified with small amounts of $Bi_4Zr_3O_{12}$ (BiZ) has been synthesized using high-throughput experimentation (HTE). The results from X-ray diffraction show that for samples with base composition $(K_{0.5}Na_{0.5})NbO_3$ (KNN), the phase present changes from orthorhombic to pseudo-cubic with more than 0.2 mol% BiZ addition; for samples with base composition $(K_{0.48}Na_{0.48}Li_{0.04})(Nb_{0.9}Ta_{0.1})O_3$ (KNNLT), the phase present changes from a mixture of orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetry to pseudo-cubic with more than 0.4 mol % while for samples with base composition $(K_{0.48}Na_{0.48}Li_{0.04})(Nb_{0.86}Ta_{0.1}Sb_{0.04})O_3$ (KNNLST), the phase present is tetragonal with <0.3 mol% BiZ addition and transforms to pseudo-cubic with more dopant addition. The microstructures of the samples show that addition of BiZ decreases the average grain size and increases the volume of pores at the grain boundaries. The values of dielectric constant for KNN and KNNLT compositions increase slightly with BiZ addition while that for KNNLST decreases gradually with BiZ addition. The dielectric loss values are between 0.02 and 0.04 for KNNLT and KNNLST compositions while they are ~ 0.05 for KNN samples. The resistivity values increases with BiZ addition and values in the range of $10^{10}{\Omega}cm$ and $10^{12}{\Omega}cm$ are obtained. The piezoelectric charge coefficient ($d{^*}_{33}$) is highest for KNNLST samples and decreases gradually from ~400 pm/V to ~100 pm/V with BiZ addition.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.51-74
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• 2012

A powder metallurgy-based rapid consolidation technique, Plasma Pressure Compaction ($P^2C^{(R)}$), was utilized to produce near-net shape parts of gamma titanium aluminides (${\gamma}$-TiAl). Micron-sized ${\gamma}$-TiAl powders, composed of Ti-50%Al and Ti-48%Al-2%Cr-2%Nb (at%), were rapidly consolidated to form near-net shape ${\gamma}$-TiAl parts in the form of 1.0" (25.4 mm) diameter discs, as well as $3"{\times}2.25"$ ($76.2mm{\times}57.2mm$) tiles, having a thickness of 0.25" (6.35 mm). The ${\gamma}$-TiAl parts were consolidated to near theoretical density. The microstructural morphology of the consolidated parts was found to vary with consolidation conditions. Mechanical properties exhibited a strong dependence on microstructural morphology and grain size. Because of the rapid consolidation process used here, grain growth during consolidation was minimal, which in turn led to enhanced mechanical properties. Consolidated ${\gamma}$-TiAl samples corresponding to Ti-48%Al-2%Cr-2%Nb composition with a duplex microstructure (with an average grain size of $5{\mu}m$) exhibited superior mechanical properties. Flexural strength, ductility, elastic modulus and fracture toughness for these samples were as high as 1238 MPa, 2.3%, 154.58 GPa and 17.95 MPa $m^{1/2}$, respectively. The high temperature mechanical properties of the consolidated ${\gamma}$-TiAl samples were characterized in air and vacuum and were found to retain flexural strength and elastic modulus for temperatures up to $700^{\circ}C$. At high temperatures, the flexural strength of ${\gamma}$-TiAl samples with Ti-50%Al composition deteriorated in air by 10% as compared to that in vacuum. ${\gamma}$-TiAl samples with Ti-48%Al-2%Nb-2%Cr composition exhibited better if not equal flexural strength in air than in vacuum at high temperatures.