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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Liquid-liquid phase transition in supercooled yttria-alumina
Adrian C Barnes1, Lawrie B Skinner, Philip S Salmon
1H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TL, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The structure and thermal characteristics of aerodynamically levitated samples of yttria-alumina in the liquid, supercooled liquid and solid phases were explored in an extensive series of high energy x-ray diffraction, small angle neutron scattering, and pyrometric cooling measurements. Particular focus was placed on the compound (Y2O3)(x)(Al2O3)(1-x) with x = 0.2 for which a liquid-liquid phase transition at a temperature of 1788 K has recently been reported. No structural or thermal signature in support of this metastable phase transition could be found.
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