NIMS Monographs – serie

Smart Biomaterials

In this book, advanced steel technologies mainly developed at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, for structure control, mechanical properties, and the related mechanisms are introduced and discussed. NIMS has long worked on developing advanced steel techniques, namely, producing advanced steels by using only simple alloying elements such as carbon, manganese, and silicon, and also by utilizing steel scrap. The hope is that this approach will lead to a technology of a so-called steel-to-steel recycling process, with the ultimate goal of a recycling process such as an automotive-steel-to-automotive-steel recycling process to take the place of the current cascade-type recycling system. The main idea is to utilize ultra-grain refining structures and hetero structures as well as martensite structures. In particular, the focus of this book is on tensile strength and toughness of advanced steels from both the fundamental and engineering points of view. Fundamentally,a unique approach to analysis is taken, based on fracture surface energy as effective grain size is employed to better understand the mechanism of property improvement. From the engineering point of view, in fracture toughness such factors as crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) of advanced steels are evaluated in comparison with those of conventional steels.

This book describes the fiber fuse phenomenon that causes a serious problem for the present optical communication systems. A fiber fuse appears in a heated region of the fiber cable delivering a few watts of light and runs toward the light source destroying its core region.

Oxide materials are good candidates for replacing Si devices, which are increasingly reaching their performance limits, since the former offer a range of unique properties, due to their composition, design and/or doping techniques.

This book displays how optical (absorption, emission, and magnetic circular dichroism) spectra of phthalocyanines and related macrocyclic dyes can be varied from their prototypical ones depending on conditions. As these compounds can be involved in colorful chemistry (which might be driven by impurities in solvents), their spectra behave like the sea-god Proteus in their mutability. Therefore, those who have been engaged with phthalocyanines for the first time, including even educated professional researchers and engineers, may have been embarrassed by the deceptive behavior of their compounds and could have, in the worst cases, given up their projects. This book is aimed not merely at reviewing the optical spectra, but also at helping such people, particularly beginners, to figure them out by showing some examples of their prototypical spectra and their variations in several situations. For the purpose of better understanding, the book also provides an introduction to their theoretical backgrounds as graphically as possible and without mathematicization for readers who are weak in mathematics.

In this book, improvements in the heat resistance of silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramics using grain boundary control and in plasticity at high temperatures using grain size control in order to reduce the cost of shaping Si3N4 are described. The heat resistance of Si3N4 is improved by mixing a slight amount of sintering additive as an impurity into the original material powder. The author presents his findings on the high heat resistance of Si3N4. The author also develops a new fabrication method for Si3N4 nano-ceramics that produces high plastic formability. The method developed offers two improved points in grinding and sintering processes. The author found that the plastic formability of Si3N4 nanoceramics is dependent on load stress; the results of his research are detailed in this book.

This book introduces the principles and techniques of crystal growth by the flux method, which is arguably the most useful way to obtain millimeter- to centimeter-sized single crystals for physical research. As it is possible to find an appropriate solvent (“flux”) for nearly all inorganic materials, the flux method can be applied to the growth of many crystals ranging from transition metal oxides to intermetallic compounds. Both important principles and experimental procedures are described in a clear and accessible manner. Practical advice on various aspects of the experiment, which is not readily available in the literature, will assist the beginning graduate students in setting up the lab and conducting successful crystal growth. The mechanisms of crystal growth at an elementary level are also provided to better understand the techniques and to help in assessing the quality of the crystals. The book also contains many photographs of beautiful crystals with important physical properties of current interest, such as high-temperature superconductors, strongly correlated electronic systems, topological insulators, relaxor ferroelectrics, low-dimensional quantum magnets, non-linear optical materials, and multiferroics.

This book introduces the synthesis, electrochemical and photochemical properties, and device applications of metallo-supramolecular polymers, new kinds of polymers synthesized by the complexation of metal ions and organic ditopic ligands.

Methods introduced in the book help to improve device performance and to solve the problems of controlling the voltage and efficiency of devices in a great variety of applications, including electronic devices, optical devices such as displays, and energy devices such as solar cells and batteries.

Target fields include materials chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, nanotechnology, and even biotechnology.

A profound secret of nature hidden in ice water in a glass cup is revealed in this book. This introductory book focuses experimental thermodynamic data of liquid water, supercooled water, and amorphous solid water at various pressures and temperatures, and demonstrates how the two-water scenario initially evolved experimentally.

This book presents natural minerals used as inorganic materials, and inorganic materials exchanging cations or anions in natural minerals for other ions not found in nature.

This book describes the details of the research and development of nickel-saving high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel and high nitrogen steel (HNS) with excellent corrosion resistance in the sea.