Carbon foams derived from the phase separation of polyacrylonitrile/solvent mixtures were investigated as lithium intercalation anodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The carbon foams have a bulk density of 0.35--0.5 g/cm{sup 3}, low surface area (< 50 m{sup 2}/g), and an average cell size of 5--10 {mu}m. Polyacrylonitrile-based carbon foams doped with phosphoric acid had capacity as high as 450 mAh/g. Carbon capacity increased with increasing phosphoric acid concentration in the doping solution. The doped porous carbon anodes exhibited good cyclability and excellent coulombic efficiency.

A phenomenological approach is applied to explore signatures of disordered charge stripes and antiphase spin domains in single-particle properties of the high-temperature superconductors. Stripe phases are shown to explain many experimentally observed unusual features measured in angle-resolved photoemission and optical spectroscopy. It is argued that disordered and fluctuating stripe phases are a common feature of high-temperature superconductors, supported by the additional evidence from neutron scattering and NMR.

DOE's Atmospheric Chemistry Program is providing partial funding for the Atmospheric Chemistry Colloquium for Emerging Senior Scientists (ACCESS) and FY 1997 Gordon Research Conference in Atmospheric Chemistry

AlliedSignal Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (FM&T) was asked to perform a proof-of-concept study for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department (MHTD), Research Division, in June 1997. The goal of this proof-of-concept study was to ascertain if automated scanning and imaging techniques might be applied effectively to the problem of concrete evaluation. In the current evaluation process, a concrete sample core is manually scanned under a microscope. Voids (or air spaces) within the concrete are then detected visually by a human operator by incrementing the sample under the cross-hairs of a microscope and by counting the number of "pixels" which fall within a void. Automation of the scanning and image analysis processes is desired to improve the speed of the scanning process, to improve evaluation consistency, and to reduce operator fatigue. An initial, proof-of-concept image analysis approach was successfully developed and demonstrated using acquired black and white imagery of concrete samples. In this paper, the automated scanning and image capture system currently under development will be described and the image processing approach developed for the proof-of-concept study will be demonstrated. A development update and plans for future enhancements are also presented.

Article discussing research on the response of carbon nanotubes to a tensile load.

Within the next few decades, several hundred thousand tons of metal are expected to be removed from nuclear facilities across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex as a result of decontamination and decommissioning (D&amp;D) activities. These materials, together with large quantities of tools, equipment, and other items that are commonly recovered from site cleanup or D&amp;D activities, constitute non-real properties that warrant consideration for reuse or recycle, as permitted and practiced under the current DOE policy. The provisions for supporting this policy are contained in the Draft Handbook for Controlling Release for Reuse or Recycle of Property Containing Residual Radioactive Material published by DOE in 1997 and distributed to DOE field offices for interim use and implementation. The authorized release of such property is intended to permit its beneficial use across the entire DOE complex. The objective of this study is to develop readily usable computer-based release protocols to facilitate implementation of the Handbook in evaluating the scrap metals for reuse and recycle. The protocols provide DOE with an effective oversight tool for managing release activities.

Feature extraction and evaluation are procedures common to the development of all pattern recognition application. These features are the primary pieces of information used to train the pattern recognition engine, whether that engine is a neural network, a fuzzy logic rulebase, or a genetic algorithm. Careful selection of the features to be used by the pattern recognition engine can significantly streamline the overall development and training of the solution for the pattern recognition application. Presently, AlliedSignal Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (FM&T) is developing an integrated, computer-based software package, called the Feature Extraction Toolbox. This package will be used for developing and deploying solutions to generic pattern recognition problems. The toolbox integrates a variety of software techniques for signal processing, feature extraction and evaluation, and pattern recognition, under a single, user-friendly developmental environment. While a feature extraction toolbox can help in the selection process, it is the user that ultimately must make all decisions. A prototype version of this toolbox has been developed and currently is being used for applications development on several projects in support of the Department of Energy. The toolbox has been developed to run on a laptop computer so that it can be taken to a site …

High density plasma etching of GaAs, GaSb and AIGaAs was performed in IC1/Ar and lBr/Ar chemistries using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) source. GaSb and AlGaAs showed maxima in their etch rates for both plasma chemistries as a function of interhalogen percentage, while GaAs showed increased etch rates with plasma composition in both chemistries. Etch rates of all materials increased substantially with increasing rf chuck power, but rapidly decreased with chamber pressure. Selectivities > 10 for GaAs and GaSb over AlGaAs were obtained in both chemistries. The etched surfaces of GaAs showed smooth morphology, which were somewhat better with IC1/Ar than with IBr/& discharge. Auger Electron Spectroscopy analysis revealed equi-rate of removal of group III and V components or the corresponding etch products, maintaining the stoichiometry of the etched surface.

A parametric study of Inductively Coupled Plasma etching of InP, InSb, InGaP and InGaAs has been carried out in IC1/Ar and IBr/Ar chemistries. Etch rates in excess of 3.1 prrdmin for InP, 3.6 prnh-nin for InSb, 2.3 pm/min for InGaP and 2.2 ~rrdmin for InGaAs were obtained in IBr/Ar plasmas. The ICP etching of In-based materials showed a general tendency: the etch rates increased substantially with increasing the ICP source power and rf chuck power in both chemistries, while they decreased with increasing chamber pressure. The IBr/Ar chemistry typically showed higher etch rates than IC1/Ar, but the etched surface mophologies were fairly poor for both chemistries.

The rapid pace of change at Ike end of the 20th Century should continue unabated well into the 21st Century. The driver will be the marketplace imperative of "faster, better, cheaper." This imperative has already stimulated a revolution-in-engineering in design and manufacturing. In contrast, to date, reliability engineering has not undergone a similar level of change. It is critical that we implement a corresponding revolution-in-reliability-engineering as we enter the new millennium. If we are still using 20th Century reliability approaches in the 21st Century, then reliability issues will be the limiting factor in faster, better, and cheaper. At the heart of this reliability revolution will be a science-based approach to reliability engineering. Science-based reliability will enable building-in reliability, application-specific products, virtual qualification, and predictive maintenance. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a dialogue on the future of reliability engineering. We will try to gaze into the crystal ball and predict some key issues that will drive reliability programs in the new millennium. In the 21st Century, we will demand more of our reliability programs. We will need the ability to make accurate reliability predictions that will enable optimizing cost, performance and time-to-market to meet the needs of every …

A discrete element computer program named DMC_BLAST (Distinct Motion Code) has been under development since 1987 for modeling rock blasting (Preece & Taylor, 1989). This program employs explicit time integration and uses spherical or cylindrical elements that are represented as circles in two dimensions. DMC_BLAST calculations compare favorably with data from actual bench blasts (Preece et al, 1993). Coal seam chilling refers to the shattering of a significant portion of the coal leaving unusable fines. It is also refereed to as coal damage. Chilling is caused during a blast by a combination of explosive shock energy and movement of the adjacent rock. Chilling can be minimized by leaving a buffer zone between the bottom of the blastholes and the coal seam or by changing the blast design to decrease the powder factor or by a combination of both. Blast design in coal mine cast blasting is usually a compromise between coal damage and rock fragmentation and movement (heave). In this paper the damage to coal seams from rock movement is examined using the discrete element computer code DMC_BLAST. A rock material strength option has been incorporated into DMC_BLAST by placing bonds/links between the spherical particles used to model the rock. …

This paper addresses the statistical uncertainty of loads prediction using structural dynamics simulation codes and the requirements for the number and duration of simulations for obtaining robust load estimates.

Reactive ion beam etching (RD3E) of GaAs, GaP, AIGaAs and GaSb was performed in a Cl2-Ar mixture using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) source. `The etch rates and yields were strongly affected by ion energy and substrate temperature. The RJBE was dominated by ion-assisted etching at <600 eV and by physical sputtering beyond 600 eV. The temperature dependence of the etch rates revealed three different regimes, depending on the substrate temperature: 1) sputtering-etch limited, 2) products-resorption limited, and 3) mass-transfer limited regions. GaSb showed the overall highest etch rates, while GaAs and AIGaAs were etched at the same rates. The etched features showed extremely smooth morphologies with anisotropic sidewalls.

The intermetallic compound Li{sub 3}Bi played an integral part in the demonstration of an ion replacement electrorefining method developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The Li{sub 3}Bi compound was generated in a tilt-pour casting furnace using high-purity lithium and bismuth metals as the initial charge. At first, small-scale ({approximately}20 g) experiments were conducted to determine the materials synthesis parameters. In the end, four larger-scale castings (500 g to 1250 g) were completed in a tantalum crucible. The metals were heated slowly to melt the charge, and the formation reaction proceeded vigorously above the melting point of bismuth ({approximately}270 C). For the large-scale melts, the furnace power was temporarily turned off at this point. After several minutes, the tantalum crucible stopped glowing, and the furnace power was turned on. The temperature was then increased to {approximately}1200 C to melt and homogenize the compound, and liquid Li{sub 3}Bi was cast into cold stainless steel molds. Approximately 3.7 kg of Li{sub 3}Bi was generated by this method.

Zirconia is an important transition-metal oxide for catalytic applications. It has been widely used in automotive exhaust treatment, methanol synthesis, isomerization, alkylation, etc. [1]. Nanophase materials have unique physiochemical properties such as quantum size effects, high surface area, uniform morphology, narrow size distribution, and improvement of sintering rates[2]. Microemulsion method provides the means for controlling the microenvironment under which specific chemical reactions may occur in favoring the formation of homogeneous, nanometer-size particles. In this paper, we report the synthesis of nanophase zirconia and the characterization of the microemulsions as well as the powders by small- and wide-angle neutron scattering techniques.

Sol-gel matrices are promising host materials for potential chemical and biosensor applications. Previous studies have focused on modified sol-gel routes using alkoxides for encapsulation of enzymes. However the formation of alcohol as a byproduct during hydrolysis and condensation reactions poses limitations. We report the immobilization of glucose oxidase and peroxidase in silica prepared by an aqueous route which may provide a more favorable environment for the biomolecules. A two step aqueous sol-gel procedure using sodium silicate as the precursor was developed to encapsulate the enzymes and the dye precursor, o-dianisidine. Glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to give gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Peroxidase then catalyzes the reaction of the dye precursor with hydrogen peroxide to produce a colored product. The kinetics of the coupled enzymatic reactions were monitored by optical spectroscopy and compared to those occurring in tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) derived silica matrices developed by Yamanaka. Enhanced kinetics in the aqueous silicate matrices were related to differences in the host microstructure as elucidated by microstructural comparisons of the corresponding aerogels.

Using electron energy-loss filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), we have observed the formation of silicon-rich zones on the corroded surface of a West Valley (WV6) glass. This layer is approximately 100-200 nm thick and is directly underneath a precipitated smectite clay layer. Under conventional (C)TEM illumination, this layer is invisible; indeed, more commonly used analytical techniques, such as x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), have failed to describe fully the localized changes in the boron and silicon contents across this region. Similar silicon-rich and boron-depleted zones were not found on corroded Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) borosilicate glasses, including SRL-EA and SRL-51, although they possessed similar-looking clay layers. This study demonstrates a new tool for examining the corroded surfaces of materials.

Using Green's function techniques, the authors derive expressions for the width of a proton decaying state in spherical and deformed nuclei. The authors show that the proton decay widths calculated by the exact expressions of Maglione et al. are equivalent to the distorted wave expressions of Bugrov et al., and that of {angstrom} berg et al. in the spherical case.

The Chemical Waste Landfill (CWL) at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a 1.9-acre disposal site that was used for the disposal of chemical wastes generated by many of SNL/NM research laboratories from 1962 until 1985. These laboratories were primarily involved in the design, research and development of non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons and the waste generated by these labs included small quantities of a wide assortment of chemical products. A Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Closure Plan for the Chemical Waste Landfill was approved by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in 1992. Subsequent site characterization activities identified the presence of significant amounts of chromium in the soil as far as 80 feet below ground surface (fbgs) and the delineation of a solvent plume in the vadose zone that extends to groundwater approximately 500 fbgs. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was detected in some groundwater samples at concentrations slightly above the drinking water limit of 5 parts per billion. In 1997 an active vapor extraction system reduced the size of the TCE vapor plume and for the last six quarterly sampling events groundwater samples have not detected TCE above the drinking water standard. A source term removal, being conducted as a …

The effects of isospin-symmetry breaking on proton emission following {beta}-decay to the isobaric analog state are discussed in detail. Of particular importance is the mixing with a dense background of lower isospin states, whose properties are not well known. The possibility of observing T=4 states in even-even, N=Z nuclei, which is viable if the decay proceeds via isospin-forbidden particle emission, is also discussed.

This report is a summary of the panel discussions included with the Ninth Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials and Processes. The theme for the workshop was ``R and D Challenges and Opportunities in Si Photovoltaics.'' This theme was chosen because it appropriately reflects a host of challenges that the growing production of Si photovoltaics will be facing in the new millennium. The anticipated challenges will arise in developing strategies for cost reduction, increased production, higher throughput per manufacturing line, new sources of low-cost Si, and the introduction of new manufacturing processes for cell production. At the same time, technologies based on CdTe and CIS will come on line posing new competition. With these challenges come new opportunities for Si PV to wean itself from the microelectronics industry, to embark on a more aggressive program in thin-film Si solar cells, and to try new approaches to process monitoring.

A cryogenic, {beta}-layered NIF ignition capsule with a beryllium ablator that employs a BeO dopant (2% O) for opacity control is described. The design has an optimized yield of 12 MJ and uses a ''reduced drive'' hohlraum temperature pulse shape that peaks at {approx}250 eV. Shock timing sensitivity calculations have been performed for this capsule design. Individual uncertainties of (1) {approx}200 ps in the timing of the ''footpulse; (2) {approx}5% in the x-ray flux of the foot pulse and first step; (3) {approx}10% in the ablator EOS; or (4) {approx} 5 {micro}m in the DT ice layer thickness each have a significant impact on thermonuclear yield. Combined uncertainties have greater impact than isolated, individual issues. For example, a combination of uncertainties of: 200 ps in the foot + 2 eV in the foot + 5 pm in the DT thickness results in a calculation that produces only {approx}1% of the original design yield. A second, more speculative, capsule concept utilizing a liquid DT ablator is also discussed. This design produces a 5 MJ yield in a 250 eV peak drive calculation.

The short-range order (SRO) present in disordered solid solutions is classified according to three characteristic system-dependent energies: (1) formation enthalpies of ordered compounds, (2) enthalpies of mixing of disordered alloys, and (3) the energy of coherent phase separation, (the composition-weighted energy of the constituents each constrained to maintain a common lattice constant along an A/B interface). These energies are all compared against a common reference, the energy of incoherent phase separation (the composition-weighted energy of the constituents each at their own equilibrium volumes). Unlike long-range order (LRO), short-range order is determined by energetic competition between phases at a fixed composition, and hence only coherent phase-separated states are of relevance for SRO. The authors find five distinct SRO types, and show examples of each of these five types, including Cu-Au, Al-Mg, GaP-InP, Ni-Au, and Cu-Ag. The SRO is calculated from first-principles using the mixed-space cluster expansion approach combined with Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, they examine the effect of inclusion of coherency strain in the calculation of SRO, and specifically examine the appropriate functional form for accurate SRO calculations.