China

  2010 FEB 23 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "It has previously been established that Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce alloy possesses mechanical properties superior to those of undoped Sn-9Zn alloy, and is free of the problem of rapid whisker growth," scientists writing in the journal Materials Letters report.

  "However, no detailed studies have been conducted on the electromigration behavior of Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce alloy. In this research, Sn-9Zn and Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce solder joints with Au/Ni(P)/Cu and Ag/Cu pads were stressed under a current density of 3.1 x 10(4) A/cm(2) at room temperature for various periods of time," wrote H.J. Lin and colleagues, National Taiwan University ...read more

  2010 FEB 2 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to a study from Taipei, Taiwan, "This study investigates the cold-rolling effect on the formation of Ti(Ni,Cu)(2) precipitates and on the change of transformation temperatures for hot-rolled (HR)/annealed (HRA) and HR/cold-rolled/annealed (CRA) Ti50Ni40Cu10 specimens. Particle-like Ti(Ni,Cu)(2) precipitates formed in CRA are more numerous and smaller than plate-like Ti(Ni,Cu)(2) precipitates formed in HRA and thus the hardness and storage modulus of the former are higher. ...read more

  2010 JAN 19 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "The effects of substitution of Al for Co on magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of MnCo1-xAlxGe (x=0.00, 0.03, 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, and 0.20) compounds have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetization measurements," investigators in Hohhot, People's Republic of China report.

  "XRD exhibits that MnCo1-xAlxGe compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure for x<= 0.03 and in the hexagonal Ni(2)ln-type crystal structure for x>0.03. Magnetic measurements show that the Curie temperature can be tuned between 286 and 347 K by changing the Co/Al ratio," wrote W.G. Zhang and colleagues, Inner Mongolia Normal University ...read more