ABSTRACT The appearance of BCT martensite in Fe-Pd-based ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, which develops at lower temperatures than the thermoelastic martensitic transition, deteriorates the shape memory properties. In a previous work performed in Fe70Pd30, it was shown that a reduction in defects density reduces the non thermoelastic FCT-BCT transformation temperature. In the present work, the influence of quenched-in-defects upon the intensity and temperature of the thermoelastic martensitic (FCC-FCT) and the non thermoelastic (FCT-BCT) transitions in Fe-Pd doped with Co and Mn is studied. Differential scanning calorimetric and mechanical spectroscopy studies demonstrate that a reduction in the dislocation density the stability range of the FCC-FCT reversible transformation in Fe67Pd30Co3 and Fe66.8Pd30.7Mn2.5 ferromagnetic shape memory alloys.

ABSTRACT The magnetic response, coercive force and magnetic induction, in Fe-10at.% Si, Fe-6at.% Al-9at.% Si and Fe-4at.% Al-8at.% Ge alloys as a function of the annealing temperature was determined and correlated to the microstructural state. The microstructural characterization was made through differential thermal analysis, mechanical spectroscopy and neutron thermodiffraction studies. It has been determined that the increase in the order degree and the decrease in the mobility of structural defects lead to a deterioration of the magnetic quality of the alloys above detailed.

ABSTRACT In the present work, mechanical spectroscopy measurements as a function of temperature and strain have been performed in (at.%) Ni50Mn37Sn13-xTix (x=0, 0.5 and 2) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys in order both to study martensitic transition phenomenon and also to determine its temperature of appearance. For mechanical spectroscopy measurements, a five elements piezoelectric device recently developed has been used. In addition, other characterization techniques as, differential thermal analysis and superconducting quantum interference magnetic spectroscopy, were also used. Besides, relaxation processes near the martensitic transition temperature have been also observed.

ABSTRACT The changes in the degree of crystallinity in commercial Ethylene Propylene Diene rubber-type M (EPDM) irradiated with neutrons at different doses has been studied by means of inelastic neutron scattering and infrared absorption spectroscopy experiments. EPDM samples were taken from the housing of non-ceramic electrical insulators which are used in outdoor transmission lines of 66 kV. Inelastic neutron scattering spectra were recorded at 5 K with an accessible energy-transfer range between 180 - 3500 cm-1. Infrared studies were performed at room temperature with an energy transfer between 4000 - 400 cm-1. Controlled neutron irradiation allows to obtain different volume fraction and size of crystalline zones in EPDM. The obtained results are discussed and correlated with studies of differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy from where the changes in crystallinity in EPDM were indirectly studied. Inelastic neutron scattering studies were not appropriate for determining the changes in the crystallinity degree in neutron irradiated commercial EPDM. In contrast, from infrared absorption spectroscopy the changes in crystallinity could be determined successfully.

ABSTRACT The thermal stability of collagen is of great interest for the scientific communities both of medicine and archaeology. In medicine, the interest is focused to the reconstruction and repair of bone and cartilage, given the frequency and importance of pathological situations. In contrast, in archaeology the interest is focused to infer from buried and/or burned bones the behavior and habits of people who once inhabited archaeological sites. In bones from cow ribs, the biodegradation of collagen by denaturation of albumin and haemoglobin proteins, the loss of water and the loss of crystallization water during warming up to around 450 K, have been studied. In addition, from an easy-to-handle mathematical viscoelastic procedure, it was determined that the conformational changes from the collagenic triple helix towards the random coil are made through the viscous movement of fibrils, invoking an activation energy of (127 ± 8) kJ/mol. In the present work, the thermal stability of type I collagen from cow bones, either femur and rib, was studied in the temperature range from 250 K up to 670 K by means of dynamic mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy and infrared absorption spectroscopy. In fact, this temperature range is wider than the previous explored ones. Several stages of denaturation were found in the temperature range from 320 K up to 670 K, including also the transition from the triple helix (TH) towards the random coil (RC) of the collagen fibrils. The temperature for the TH �� RC transition was approximately the same for all the kinds of bones, but the intensity of the relaxation processes depended upon the kind of bone. The differences between the denaturation processes in the femur and rib are highlighted and the physical-chemical mechanisms controlling the denaturation processes are discussed. In fact, different behaviours of the mesostructure were found between the cortical parts of bones from ribs and femurs. In addition, the cancellous parts from ribs bone exhibits the survival of organic compounds even at temperatures as higher as 673 K. The results from the present work are crucial both for the tissue engineering, focused to bone replacement and pathologic treatments, and for the archaeology, for the study of identification of buried and/or burned bones in archaeological sites.

The viscoelastic properties (E', G', tanΦ, δ) of Arundo donax (AD) and a polypropylene-beech fiber composite (PPC) were measured from RT to 580K for various frequencies and strains. E' of AD varies between 5250-6250MPa depending on ageing at RT while E'(RT)=2250MPa of PPC is signifcantly lower. E' of the AD is higher than E' of PPC in the whole investigated temperature range with the exception of AD after a heat treatment up to 575K. Damping spectra exhibit peaks around 340K (Q=234kJ/mol) and 415K for the PPC related to relaxations in the crystalline part of polypropylene and the relaxation at melting temperature. For AD damping peaks were found at 350K (Q=320kJ/mol) related to the glass-rubber transition of lignin, at 420K due to a reorganization in the amorphous phase of lignin, at 480K related to micro-Brownian motions in the non-crystalline region of cell-wall polymers and reduction of the crystallinity of cellulose, and at 570K due to the polymeric compounds of wood and/or a decomposition of lignin. The course of E' and tanΦ of AD and PPC is comparable from 20-200Hz, whereas tanΦ of AD is lower than tanΦ of PPC while E' of AD is higher than E' of PPC.