Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Saturating Growth Rate Against Phosphorus Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Gabrielle Armin, Jongsun Kim, Keisuke Inomura

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The saturating relationship between phytoplankton growth rate and environmental nutrient concentration has been widely observed, yet the mechanisms behind the relationship remain elusive. Here, we use a mechanistic model of phytoplankton and show that the saturating relationship between growth rate and phosphorous concentration can be interpreted by intracellular macromolecular allocation. At low nutrient levels, the diffusive nutrient transport linearly increases with the phosphorous concentration, while the internal phosphorous requirement increases with the growth rate, leading to a non-linear increase in the growth rate with phosphorous. This increased phosphorous requirement is due to the increased allocation to biosynthetic and photosynthetic molecules. …

Survival And Growth Assessment After Reintroduction Of The Pocketbook Mussel, Lampsilis Cardium Rafinesque, 1820 Among Three Streams In Nebraska (Usa), F. Montesanto, L. M. Ohlman, Mark A. Pegg

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Potential Interactions Between Diatoms And Bacteria Are Shaped By Trace Element Gradients In The Southern Ocean, Alexa R. Sterling, Laura Z. Holland, Randelle M. Bundy, Shannon M. Burns, Kristen N. Buck, P. Dreux Chappell, Bethany D. Jenkins

OES Faculty Publications

The growth of diatoms in the Southern Ocean, especially the region surrounding the West Antarctic Peninsula, is frequently constrained by low dissolved iron and other trace metal concentrations. This challenge may be overcome by mutualisms between diatoms and co-occurring associated bacteria, in which diatoms produce organic carbon as a substrate for bacterial growth, and bacteria produce siderophores, metal-binding ligands that can supply diatoms with metals upon uptake as well as other useful secondary compounds for diatom growth like vitamins. To examine the relationships between diatoms and bacteria in the plankton (diatom) size class (> 3 mu m), we sampled both …

The Atlantic Surfclam Fishery And Offshore Wind Energy Development: 1. Model Development And Verification, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Sarah Borsetti, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

Competing pressures imposed by climate-related warming and offshore development have created a need for quantitative approaches that anticipate fisheries responses to these challenges. This study used a spatially explicit, ecological-economic agent-based model integrating dynamics associated with Atlantic surfclam stock biology, decision-making behavior of fishing vessel captains, and fishing fleet behavior to simulate stock biomass, and fishing vessel catch, effort and landings. Simulations were implemented using contemporary Atlantic surfclam stock distributions and characteristics of the surfclam fishing fleet. Simulated distribution of fishable surfclam biomass was determined by a spatially varying mortality rate, fishing by the fleet was controlled by captain decisions …

Saturating Relationship Between Phytoplankton Growth Rate And Nutrient Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Jongsun Kim, Gabrielle Armin, Keisuke Inomura

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phytoplankton account for about a half of photosynthesis in the world, making them a key player in the ecological and biogeochemical systems. One of the key traits of phytoplankton is their growth rate because it indicates their productivity and affects their competitive capability. The saturating relationship between phytoplankton growth rate and environmental nutrient concentration has been widely observed yet the mechanisms behind the relationship remain elusive. Here we use a mechanistic model and metadata of phytoplankton to show that the saturating relationship between growth rate and nitrate concentration can be interpreted by intracellular macromolecular allocation. At low nitrate levels, the …

Maternal Diet In Pregnancy And Child’S Respiratory Outcomes: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Of 18 000 Children, Sara M. Mensink-Bout, Evelien R. Van Meel, Johan C. De Jongste, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, Adrien M. Aubert, Jonathan Y. Bernard, Ling-Wei Chen, Cyrus Cooper, Sarah R. Crozier, Wojciech Hanke, Nicholas C. Harvey, James R. Hébert Scd, Barbara Heude, Joanna Jerzynska, Cecily C. Kelleher, John Mehegan, Fionnuala M. Mcauliffe, Catherine M. Phillips, Kinga Polanska, Caroline L. Relton, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Matthew Suderman, Vincent W.V. Jaddoe, Liesbeth Duijts

Faculty Publications

Rationale Severe fetal malnutrition has been related to an increased risk of respiratory diseases later in life, but evidence for the association of a suboptimal diet during pregnancy with respiratory outcomes in childhood is conflicting. We aimed to examine whether a pro-inflammatory or low-quality maternal diet during pregnancy was associated with child's respiratory health.

Methods We performed an individual participant meta-analysis among 18 326 mother–child pairs from seven European birth cohorts. Maternal pro-inflammatory and low-quality diets were estimated by energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores. Preschool wheezing and school-age asthma were measured using …

Kelp-Associated Microbes Facilitate Spatial Subsidy In A Detrital-Based Food Web In A Shoreline Ecosystem, Charu Lata Singh, Megan J. Huggett, Paul S. Lavery, Christin Säwström, Glenn A. Hyndes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Microbes are ubiquitous but our knowledge of their effects on consumers is limited in benthic marine systems. Shorelines often form hotspots of microbial and detritivore activity due to the large amounts of detrital macrophytes that are exported from other coastal ecosystems, such as kelp forests, and accumulate in these systems. Shoreline ecosystems therefore provide a useful model system to examine microbial-detritivore interactions. We experimentally test whether bacteria in the biofilm of kelp provide a bottom-up influence on growth and reproductive output of detritivores in shorelines where detrital kelp accumulates, by manipulating the bacterial abundances on kelp (Ecklonia radiata). The growth …

The Effects Of Combinations Of Limited Ration And Diazinon Exposure On Acetylcholinesterase Activity, Growth And Reproduction In Oryzias Latipes, The Japanese Medaka, Kevin Flynn, Rodney Johnson, Doug Lothenbach, Joe Swintek, Frank Whiteman, Matthew Etterson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Environmental contamination can negatively impact fish populations. In addition to acute toxicity leading to death, toxicants can reduce fish growth and lower reproduction. The potential for adverse population level effects of environmental contaminants are estimated to conduct risk assessments from laboratory toxicity tests that most often measure apical endpoints related to growth, survival and reproduction. The relationships between these effect endpoints are being evaluated to predict shifts in fish population demography better after exposure to environmental toxicants. Environmental contaminants can also affect fish populations indirectly by reducing prey biomass. However, estimating the magnitude of the combined effects of prey reduction …

Population Dynamics Of The Freshwater Mussel Lampsilis Cardium Reintroduced In Nebraska, Lindsay M. Ohlman

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The global decline of native freshwater mussels has accelerated conservation projects that preserve and restore populations, but the complex life histories among species challenges biologists in determining the most effective management strategies. This study details the conservation of plain pocketbook, a Tier I threatened mussel species in Nebraska that was artificially propagated and reintroduced into 13 sites from autumn 2016 to summer 2017. The objectives of this study were: 1) determine how handling influences mussels, and 2) evaluate mussel growth and survival following introductions.

We conducted a laboratory experiment with age-2 plain pocketbook to assess the effects of handling on …

American White Pelican (Pelecanus Erythrorhynchos) Growth, Nutrition And Immunology, Treena L. Ferguson, Brian J. Rude, D. Tommy King

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Limited information about nutrition exists on American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) from hatching to fledging. To detail immunity, metabolism and nutrition of juvenile American White Pelicans, during 22-23 July 2011, 103 samples of regurgitate matter were collected at five Chase Lake, North Dakota, USA, and three Bitter Lake, South Dakota, USA, sub-colonies. Regurgitate sample nutrient content was significantly different for organic matter (P = 0.012), crude protein (P = 0.001), neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.014), acid detergent fiber (P = 0.005) and energy (P = 0.034) between North (n = 5) …

The Effects Of Continuous Diazinon Exposure On Growth And Reproduction In Japanese Medaka Using A Modified Medaka Extended One Generation Reproduction Test (Meogrt), Kevin Flynn, Doug Lothenbach, Frank Whiteman, Dean Hammermeister, Joe Swintek, Matthew Etterson, Rodney Johnson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

The Medaka Extended One Generation Reproduction Test (MEOGRT) is a Tier 2 test within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), designed to characterize the potential adverse effects to fish of exposure to chemical that can cause disruption of the endocrine system. The MEOGRT focuses primarily on adverse effects to reproduction while collecting information regarding effects on growth, survival, and endocrine-related endpoints. However, the risk assessment process for fish, as mandated by legislation such as the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) or the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), could benefit from a more detailed assessment …

The Effect Of Poplar Psngs1.2 Overexpression On Growth, Secondary Cell Wall, And Fiber Characteristics In Tobacco, Tingting Lu, Lulu Liu, Minjing Wei, Yingying Liu, Zianshang Qu, Chuanping Yang, Hairong Wei, Zhigang Wei

Michigan Tech Publications

The glutamine synthetase (GS1) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of glutamate and ammonia to produce glutamine in the nitrogen (N) metabolism. Previous studies on GS1s in several plant species suggest that overexpression of GS1s can enhance N utilization, accelerate plant vegetative growth, and change wood formation. In this study, we isolated a GS1 gene, termed PsnGS1.2, from Populus simonii × Populus nigra. This gene was expressed at a higher level in roots, and relatively lower but detectable levels in xylem, leaves and phloem of P. simonii × P. nigra. The protein encoded by PsnGS1.2 is …

Growing Bores At The South Pole, Mikaela Ashcroft

Physics Capstone Projects

Bores in the South Pole have been monitored for over ten years, and, until the year 2012, they were found to be relatively rare. Bores start with relatively large intensity and develop additional waves behind them depending on their movement and stability. The data from the South Pole was gathered from the US Admundsen-Scott South Pole station. A photo was taken every 30 seconds from the months of April to August with a wide-angled lens. The data was then processed and analyzed in multiple programs to determine wavelength, duration of event, relative velocity over time, and direction of propagation. Studies …

Coral-Excavating Sponge Cliona Delitrix: Current Trends Of Space Occupation On High Latitude Coral Reefs, Ari Halperin, Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, David S. Gilliam

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The recent increase in abundance of coral-excavating sponges is a threat to the health of coral reefs. However, the distribution and growth of these sponges are poorly documented on high latitude reefs where corals live in marginal environmental conditions. In this study, we characterize the current trends of space occupation of Cliona delitrix on high latitude reefs (26°N) in southeast Florida. C. delitrix densities were significantly higher on the deepest habitat of this reef tract (the outer reef) in response to a higher availability of coral substratum. Sponge growth rates increased with depth, and in relation to presence of tunicates …

Population Growth And Mortality Sources Of The Black Bear Population In Northern Georgia, Andrew R. Little, Adam Hammond, James A. Martin, Kristina L. Johannsen, Karl V. Miller

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

An understanding of black bear (Ursus americanus) population trends and cause-specific mortality is needed to direct management decisions in northern Georgia given an increasing human population. Therefore, we evaluated black bear population trends and mortality sources across 26 counties and 18 Wildlife Management Areas in northern Georgia from 1979–2014. We collected harvest data from 6,433 individuals during the study period. Using age-at-harvest data, population reconstruction illustrated an increasing trend in the bear population for both males (λ = 1.113) and females (λ = 1.108). Bait station indices reflected a similar increase in the bear population based on increased …

Birth Mass Is The Key To Understanding The Negative Correlation Between Lifespan And Body Size In Dogs, Rong Fan, Gayla R. Olbricht, Xavior Baker, Chen Hou

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Larger dog breeds live shorter than the smaller ones, opposite of the mass-lifespan relationship observed across mammalian species. Here we use data from 90 dog breeds and a theoretical model based on the first principles of energy conservation and life history tradeoffs to explain the negative correlation between longevity and body size in dogs. We found that the birth/adult mass ratio of dogs scales negatively with adult size, which is different than the weak interspecific scaling in mammals. Using the model, we show that this ratio, as an index of energy required for growth, is the key to understanding why …

Assessment Of Smallmouth Bass Growth And Mortality In Nebraska Waters, Benjamin J. Schall, Keith D. Koupal, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Keith L. Hurley

The Prairie Naturalist

Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) have been introduced across Nebraska into a variety of waterbodies. However, an estimate of smallmouth bass growth and mortality in Nebraska waters has not been produced. The objectives of this study were to use historic sampling data to describe the growth of smallmouth bass in Nebraska lakes in relation to other regional models, growth among waterbody types (reservoirs, Interstate 80 [I-80] lakes, and rivers), estimates of age at quality, preferred, and memorable lengths, and mortality for Nebraska smallmouth bass populations. Mean length ± SE of Nebraska smallmouth bass at age 7 was 383 ± …

The Growth Of The Central Region By Acquisition Of Counterrotating Gas In Star-Forming Galaxies, Yan-Mei Chen, Yong Shi, Christy A. Tremonti, Matt Bershady, Michael Merrifield, Eric Emsellem, Yi-Fei Jin, Song Huang, Hai Fu, David A. Wake, Kevin Bundy, David Stark, Lihwai Lin, Maria Argudo-Fernandez, Thaisa Storchi Bergmann, Dmitry Bizyaev, Joel Brownstein, Martin Bureau, John Chisholm, Niv Drory, Qi Guo, Lei Hao, Jian Hu, Cheng Li, Ran Li, Alexandre Roman Lopes, Kai-Ke Pan, Rogemar A Riffel, Daniel Thomas, Lan Wang, Renbin Yan

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Galaxies grow through both internal and external processes. In about 10% of nearby red galaxies with little star formation, gas and stars are counter-rotating, demonstrating the importance of external gas acquisition in these galaxies. However, systematic studies of such phenomena in blue, star-forming galaxies are rare, leaving uncertain the role of external gas acquisition in driving evolution of blue galaxies. Here, based on new measurements with integral field spectroscopy of a large representative galaxy sample, we find an appreciable fraction of counter-rotators among blue galaxies (9 out of 489 galaxies). The central regions of blue counter-rotators show younger stellar populations …

Low Florida Coral Calcification Rates In The Plio-Pleistocene, Thomas C. Brachert, Markus Reuter, Stefan Kruger, James S. Klaus, Kevin P. Helmle, Janice M. Lough

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

In geological outcrops and drill cores from reef frameworks, the skeletons of scleractinian corals are usually leached and more or less completely transformed into sparry calcite because the highly porous skeletons formed of metastable aragonite (CaCO3) undergo rapid diagenetic alteration. Upon alteration, ghost structures of the distinct annual growth bands often allow for reconstructions of annual extension ( =  growth) rates, but information on skeletal density needed for reconstructions of calcification rates is invariably lost. This report presents the bulk density, extension rates and calcification rates of fossil reef corals which underwent minor diagenetic alteration only. The corals derive from …

Why Was There A Harmful Algal Bloom In 2015: The Relative Growth Of Toxic And Non-Toxic Diatoms As A Function Of Temperature, Ariana M. Jensen, Meagan P. Beley-Finnemore, Christopher E. Ikeda, William P. Cochlan

STAR Program Research Presentations

A coastwide bloom of the toxigenic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia in 2015 resulted in the largest recorded outbreak and unprecedented levels of the neurotoxin, domoic acid (DA), along the North American west coast. The scientific community has suggested that warmer ocean temperatures were the main cause of this harmful algal bloom (HAB), but little scientific evidence to support the relationship between temperature, and the growth and toxicity of Pseudo-nitzschia has been provided for local isolates of these diatoms. To gain insight into bloom dynamics, a laboratory study was conducted to examine the growth of toxic and non-toxic phytoplankton species at a range …

Framework For Drafting Ecological Objectives For Water Sharing Plans - Submission Of The Nsw Aboriginal Land Council, Geoff Scott, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council

Indigenous Water Justice Symposium (June 6)

Presenter: Phil Duncan, Gomeroi Nation, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council

4 pages

Contains 1 footnote

Letter addressed to Nick Cook, A/Team Leader, WSP Science & Evaluation - North, NSW Office of Water, from Geoff Scott, Chief Executive Officer, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council.

Modelling Subject-Specific Childhood Growth Using Linear Mixed-Effect Models With Cubic Regression Splines, Laura M. Grajeda, Andrada Ivanescu, Mayuko Saito, Ciprian Crainiceanu, Devan Jaganath, Robert H. Gilman, Jean E. Crabtree, Dermott Kelleher, Lilia Cabrera, Vitaliano Cama, William Checkley

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Childhood growth is a cornerstone of pediatric research. Statistical models need to consider individual trajectories to adequately describe growth outcomes. Specifically, well-defined longitudinal models are essential to characterize both population and subject-specific growth. Linear mixed-effect models with cubic regression splines can account for the nonlinearity of growth curves and provide reasonable estimators of population and subject-specific growth, velocity and acceleration. Methods: We provide a stepwise approach that builds from simple to complex models, and account for the intrinsic complexity of the data. We start with standard cubic splines regression models and build up to a model that includes subject-specific …

Potential Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On A Shallow Natural Lake Fish Assemblage, Jason J. Breeggemann, Mark A. Kaemingk, Timothy J. Debates, Craig P. Paukert, Jacob R. Krause, Alexander P. Letvin, Tanner M. Stevens, David W. Willis, Steven R. Chipps

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Much uncertainty exists around how fish communities in shallow lakes will respond to climate change. In this study, we modelled the effects of increased water temperatures on consumption and growth rates of two piscivores (northern pike [Esox lucius] and largemouth bass [Micropterus salmoides]) and examined relative effects of consumption by these predators on two prey species (bluegill [Lepomis macrochirus] and yellow perch [Perca flavescens]). Bioenergetics models were used to simulate the effects of climate change on growth and food consumption using predicted 2040 and 2060 temperatures in a shallow Nebraska Sandhill lake, …

Ambient Aqueous Growth Of Cu2te Nanostructures With Excellent Electrocatalytic Activity Toward Sulfide Redox Shuttles, Chao Han, Yang Bai, Qiao Sun, Shaohua Zhang, Zhen Li, Lianzhou Wang, Shi Xue Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

A new aqueous and scalable strategy to synthesize surfactant-free Cu2Te nanotubes and nanosheets at room temperature has been developed. In aqueous solution, Cu2E (E = O, S, Se) nanoparticles can be easily transformed into Cu2Te nanosheets and nanotubes via a simple anion exchange reaction under ambient conditions. The formation of Cu2Te nanosheets is ascribed to a novel exchange-peeling growth mechanism instead of simple Kirkendall effect; and the resultant nanosheets can be further rolled into nanotubes with assistance of stirring. The morphologies of Cu2Te nanosheets and nanotubes can be easily controlled by changing the synthesis parameters, such as the concentration of …

Seed Mediated One-Pot Growth Of Versatile Heterogeneous Upconversion Nanocrystals For Multimodal Bioimaging, Shihui Wen, Du Li, Deming Liu, Xiaoxue Xu, Yi Du, David R. G Mitchell, Bingyang Shi, Xiangyang Shi, Dayong Jin

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The rapid development of a variety of molecular contrast agents makes the multimodality bioimaging highly attractive towards higher resolution, more sensitive, informative diagnosis. The key lies in the development of facile material synthesis that allows the integration of multiple contrast agents, ideally in a way that each of the components should be logically assembled to maximize their performances. Here, we report the one-pot programmable growth of multifunctional heterogeneous nanocrystal with tunable size, shape, composition, and properties. We demonstrated a facile one-pot hot-injection method to enable the highly selectively controlled growth of different sodium lanthanide fluoride nanomaterials in either longitudinal or …

Seebeck Coefficient Enhancement Of Ald Pbte/Pbse Nanolaminate Structures Deposited Inside Porous Silicon Templates, Xin Chen, Pengtao Lin, Kai Zhang, Helmut Baumgart, Brian Geist, Vladimir Kochergin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, lead chalcogenide based thermoelectric nanolaminate structures were fabricated by alternately depositing PbTe and PbSe ALD layers on regular planar silicon wafers and on microporous silicon templates. Lead bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato) (Pb(C₁₁H₁₉O₂) ₂), plus (trimethylsilyl) telluride ((Me₃Si)₂Te) and (trimethylsilyl) selenide ((Me₃Si)₂Se) were used as the chemical ALD precursors for lead, tellurium and selenium, respectively. The Seebeck coefficient in horizontal direction (parallel direction to the surface) to the multiple layered PbTe/PbSe nanolaminate structures was measured by an MMR Seebeck system, and benchmarked against the Seebeck coefficient …

A Highly Sensitive Underwater Video System For Use In Turbid Aquaculture Ponds, Chin-Chang Hung, Shih-Chieh Tsao, Kuo-Hao Huang, Jia-Pu Jang, Hsu-Kuang Chang, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

The turbid, low-light waters characteristic of aquaculture ponds have made it difficult or impossible for previous video cameras to provide clear imagery of the ponds' benthic habitat. We developed a highly sensitive, underwater video system (UVS) for this particular application and tested it in shrimp ponds having turbidities typical of those in southern Taiwan. The system's high-quality video stream and images, together with its camera capacity (up to nine cameras), permit in situ observations of shrimp feeding behavior, shrimp size and internal anatomy, and organic matter residues on pond sediments. The UVS can operate continuously and be focused remotely, a …

Contribution Of Radicals And Ions In Catalyzed Growth Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes From Low-Temperature Plasmas, Z Marvi, S Xu, G Foroutan, Kostya Ostrikov

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The growth kinetics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a low-temperature, low-pressure reactive plasma is investigated using a multiscale numerical simulation, including the plasma sheath and surface diffusion modules. The plasma-related effects on the characteristics of SWCNT growth are studied. It is found that in the presence of reactive radicals in addition to energetic ions inside the plasma sheath area, the effective carbon flux, and the growth rate of SWCNT increase. It is shown that the concentration of atomic hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals in the plasma plays an important role in the SWCNT growth. The effect of the effective carbon …

Growth Of Mos2@C Nanobowls As A Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Material, Chunyu Cui, Xiu Li, Zhe Hu, Jiantie Xu, Hua-Kun Liu, Jianmin Ma

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Layered MoS2 has attracted much attention as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. The intrinsically poor electrical/ionic conductivity, volume expansion and pulverization, stress accumulation and unstable solid-electrolyte interface formation within MoS2 electrodes during the lithiation-delithiation process significantly result in their fast capacity fading, poor rate capability and cycle life. To address these critical issues, a novel nanobowl structure for MoS2 with a carbon coating (MoS2@C-400, 500, 600) is successfully fabricated by a facile solvothermal method, followed by a post-annealing process. The fabricated MoS2@C-600 and MoS2@C-500 exhibited high reversible capacities of 1164.4 and 1076.4 mA h g-1 at 0.2C, …

Self-Growth Of Centimeter-Scale Single Crystals By Normal Sintering Process In Modified Potassium Sodium Niobate Ceramics, Cheol-Woo Ahn, Ho-Yong Lee, Guifang Han, Shujun Zhang, Si-Young Choi, Jong-Jin Choi, Jong-Woo Kim, Woon-Ha Yoon, Joon-Hwan Choi, Dong-Soo Park, Byung-Dong Hahn, Jungho Ryu

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

In this manuscript, an interesting phenomenon is reported. That is the self-growth of single crystals in Pb-free piezoelectric ceramics. These crystals are several centimeters in size. They are grown without any seed addition through a normal sintering process in modified potassium sodium niobate ceramics. It has been achieved by the composition designed to compensate the Na + loss which occurs during the liquid phase sintering. The composition of the crystals is (K0.4925 Na0.4925-x Ba0.015+x/2)Nb 0.995+x O3 [x is determined by the Na+ loss, due to Na2O volatilization]. These crystals have high piezoelectric voltage coefficients (g33, 131 10-3 Vm/N), indicating that …