l13Cd NMR measurements in two Ag-Cd samples cycled between room temperature and temperatures below M, are presented. The growth curve of the martensite on cooling presents a discontinuity in the cycling temperature region. It is shown that the method of analysis of the NMR data recently developed by us [Phys.Rev.B 46, 10563 (1992)], allows to detect subtle memory effects and the absolute determ...

The microstructure of a Co38Ni33Al29 FSMA was determined by conventional transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction studies together with advanced microscopy techniques and in-situ Lorentz microscopy. 10 to 60 nm sized rod-like precipitates of hcp ǫ-Co were confirmed to be present by HRTEM. The orientation relationship between the precipitates and B2 matrix is described by the Burge...

BACKGROUND Kenya is home to several high-performing internationally-accredited research laboratories, whilst most public sector laboratories have historically lacked functioning quality management systems. In 2010, Kenya enrolled an initial eight regional and four national laboratories into the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme. To address the challenge ...

Determining the structures of nanoparticles at atomic resolution is vital to understand their structure-property correlations. Large metal nanoparticles with core diameter beyond 2 nm have, to date, eluded characterization by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Here we report the chemical syntheses and structures of two giant thiolated Ag nanoparticles containing 136 and 374 Ag atoms (that is, up to...

There has been relatively little study on time-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires, in spite of their importance for the design, fabrication and operation of nanoscale devices. Here we report a dislocation-mediated, time-dependent and fully reversible plastic behaviour in penta-twinned silver nanowires. In situ tensile experiments inside scanning and transmission electron microscopes s...

Based on first-principles calculations, we predict that penta-twinned Cu nanowires (NWs) are superior to conventional Cu catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. The penta-twinned NWs possess a combination of ultrahigh mechanical strength, large surface-to-volume ratios and an abundance of undercoordinated adsorption sites, all desirable for CO2 electroreduction. In particular, we show that the pent...

A new experimental approach is used to quantify the full field heterogeneous strain accommodation associated with martensitic phase transformation in Nickel–Titanium at the microstructural length scale. Local deformation measures were matched with underlying microstructural characteristics obtained by EBSD, providing point-by-point correlation between transformation extent and microstructure. I...

The author have developed a new SCC test method that enables the super Kelvin force microscope (SKFM) and the Kelvin force microscope (KFM) observations. By using this test device, the crack tip deformation and surface potential distribution were observed on SUS310S stainless steel by SKFM and KFM. At the same time, the distribution of hydrogen was examined by the Ag decoration method with the ...

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of stainless steel is one of the biggest problems for maintaining atomic power and chemical plants. However the mechanism has not been solved because of difficulty in observing hydrogen movement. In order to solve this problem, the author has developed a new SCC test method that enables the super Kelvin force microscope (SKFM) and the Kelvin force microscope ...

Thermal strain, permeability, and magnetization measurements of the ferromagnetic shape memory alloys Ni50+xMn27-xGa23 (x = 2.0, 2.5, 2.7) were performed. For x = 2.7, in which the martensite transition and the ferromagnetic transition occur at the same temperature, the martensite transition starting temperature TMs shift in magnetic fields around a zero magnetic field was estimated to be dTMs/...