Roll-to-roll processing of thin film solar cells on flexible low cost substrates is an attractive option to lower the production cost of photovoltaic modules. Plastic substrates like PET or PEN are insulating which potentially offers advantages compared to conducting steel foils. However, plastic substrates require lower processing temperatures and novel schemes for efficient light trapping. In...

Important problems in load cells are creep and hysteresis. Expensive high grade steels are used in order to reduce these effects. In this paper a silicon load cell design is presented which is based on a force-to-liquid-pressure transformation. The design is insensitive to hysteresis and creep, can be made at very low costs and is able to measure loads up to 1000 kg with an accuracy of 0.03 %. ...

We report an attempt at increasing the thermal stability of nanocrystalline bainite to tempering heat-treatments, by enhancing the silicon concentration of the alloy. Validation experiments have been conducted using synchrotron X-radiation during tempering heat treatment. It is found that the change in alloying successfully stabilises the austenite at elevated temperatures by retarding cementit...

The oxidation behavior of silicon-containing steel was studied by applying segmented heating routes similar to the atmosphere and heating process in an industrial reheating furnace. The oxidation tests were carried out on a simultaneous thermal analyzer at heating temperatures of 1150 ̋C–1300 ̋C. The morphologies of Fe2SiO4 were observed by SEM, and the penetration depths of the Fe2SiO4 layer a...

The loss of biological activity of phage λ DNA was much greater when the DNA was sheared using a ceramic-coated needle attached to a syringe compared with a conventional stainless steel needle. Inactivation of the biological activity was due to breakage at the middle of the molecule. The thickness of the ceramic-coating was a crucial factor for the breakage. Because approximately the same level...