D. de la Fuente

Infrared diffuse interstellar bands in the Galactic Centre region

The spectrum of any star viewed through a sufficient quantity of diffuse interstellar material reveals a number of absorption features collectively called ‘diffuse interstellar bands’ (DIBs). The first DIBs were reported about 90 years ago, and currently well over 500 are known. None of them has been convincingly identified with any specific element or molecule, although recent studies suggest that the DIB carriers are polyatomic molecules containing carbon. Most of the DIBs currently known are at visible and very near-infrared wavelengths, with only two previously known at wavelengths beyond one micrometre (10,000 ångströms), the longer of which is at 1.318 micrometres (ref. 6). Here we report 13 diffuse interstellar bands in the 1.5–1.8 micrometre interval on high-extinction sightlines towards stars in the Galactic Centre. We argue that they originate almost entirely in the Galactic Centre region, a considerably warmer and harsher environment than where DIBs have been observed previously. The relative strengths of these DIBs towards the Galactic Centre and the Cygnus OB2 diffuse cloud are consistent with their strengths scaling mainly with the extinction by diffuse material.

Effect of variable amounts of rust at the steel/paint interface on the behaviour of anticorrosive paint systems

This paper analyses the effect of the presence of rust at the metal/paint interface on the behaviour of different paint systems used for protecting the structural steel exposed to the atmosphere. The paint systems were applied as films of variable thickness over rusted steel surfaces cleaned to different grades of surface preparation (Sa3, Sa2(1/2), Sa2 and St2). Pre-rusting of steel was carried out in a clean (uncontaminated) rural atmosphere. Atmospheric exposure tests were conducted for 14 years at three Spanish test sites of different atmospheric corrosivity. Exposed specimens were evaluated for rusting and blistering, as well as for delamination of the paint system on both sides of a scribe made in the paint film. The results reveal that in some cases the presence of rust has a negligible influence on the durability of the paint system applied. Those systems including a zinc-rich (ethyl silicate) primer were found to provide the most effective protection against corrosion under all types of conditions tested.

First detections of FS Canis Majoris stars in clusters: Evolutionary state as constrained by coeval massive stars

FS CMa stars are low-luminosity objects showing the B[e] phenomenon whose evolutionary state remains a puzzle. These stars are surrounded by compact disks of warm dust of unknown origin. Hitherto, membership of FS CMa stars to coeval populations has never been confirmed. The discovery of low-luminosity line emitters in the young massive clusters Mercer 20 and Mercer 70 prompts us to investigate the nature of such objects. We intend to confirm membership to coeval populations in order to characterize these emission-line stars through the cluster properties. Based on ISAAC/VLT medium-resolution spectroscopy and NICMOS/HST photometry of massive cluster members, new characterizations of Mercer 20 and Mercer 70 are performed. Coevality of each cluster and membership of the newly-discovered B[e] objects are investigated using our observations as well as literature data of the surroundings. Infrared excess and narrow-band photometric properties of the B[e] stars are also studied. We confirm and classify 22 new cluster members, including Wolf-Rayet stars and blue hypergiants. Spectral types (O9-B1.5 V) and radial velocities of B[e] objects are compatible with the remaining cluster members, while emission features of Mg II, Fe II], and [Fe II] are identified in their spectra. The ages of these stars are 4.5 and 6 Myr, and they show mild infrared excesses. We confirm the presence of FS CMa stars in the coeval populations of Mercer 20 and Mercer 70. We discuss the nature and evolutionary state of FS CMa stars, discarding a post-AGB nature and introducing a new hypothesis about mergers. A new search method for FS CMa candidates in young massive clusters based on narrow-band Paschen-alpha photometry is proposed and tested in photometric data of other clusters, yielding three new candidates.

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with phosphomolybdate as smart anticorrosive pigment

Recent developments in surface science and technology open up new opportunities for the development of smart pigments through the integration of nanoscale containers loaded with active components into coatings. Regarding the external factor to trigger the inhibitor release, a change in pH is a very interesting stimulus since corrosion activity leads to local changes in pH. Although several types of nanocontainers and encapsulation approaches have been proposed and studied to meet this goal, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are especially interesting as they retain their solid properties as long as pH of the surrounding medium does not exceed ~11. On the other hand, the use of hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) with a large cavity inside each original mesoporous silica nanoparticle has recently gained increasing interest due to the higher loading capacity. In the present work, an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor with good anticorrosive behavior when applied on steel substrates, sodium phosphomolybdate, has been successfully loaded and encapsulated on HMSNs. The pH-dependent release of the corrosion inhibitor from the loaded/encapsulated HMSNs has been confirmed. In addition, an improved anticorrosive behavior of the coatings formulated with loaded/encapsulated HMSNs has been observed by Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP).

Wet/dry accelerated laboratory test to simulate the formation of multilayered rust on carbon steel in marine atmospheres

ABSTRACT The prolonged exposure of carbon steel in marine atmospheres with high chloride deposition rates and long times of wetness of the metallic surface leads to the formation of thick multilayered rust. The present work proposes an accelerated cyclic laboratory test based on immersion (4.2 min) in a 3.5% NaCl solution followed by drying (12 min) under infra-red lamps in the laboratory atmosphere. The carbon steel corrosion process is thus accelerated, giving rise to the generation of thick rust layers in relatively short times. The rust phases and the structure of the rust layers formed offer a good approximation to the multilayered rust formed in marine atmospheres. The study includes a gravimetric evaluation of the magnitude of corrosive attack and a characterisation of the rust phases and corrosion layers formed using XRD, optical microscopy and SEM.

Corrosion inhibition of aluminum by organic coatings formulated with calcium exchange silica pigment

One of the first commercial ion-exchange anticorrosive pigments to be developed was Shieldex® (Si/Ca). Its proposed corrosion protection mechanism, based on the retention of aggressive cations and the subsequent release of calcium cations, has created certain controversy. A number of studies have focused on the anticorrosive behavior of this pigment on carbon steel and galvanized steel to replace chromates (Cr6+) as inhibitor pigment, but none has considered its performance on aluminum or aluminum alloys. In this research, alkyd coatings have been formulated with Si/Ca pigment at different concentrations and applied on aluminum 1050 (Al 99.5%) specimens. These specimens have then been subjected to accelerated tests (condensing humidity, salt spray, and Kesternich) and natural weathering in atmospheres of different aggressivity. Corrosion performance has been also evaluated in the laboratory by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The study has also considered an organic coating with zinc chromate anticorrosive pigment for comparative purposes. The results obtained with organic coatings formulated with Si/Ca pigments confirm that they provide corrosion protection of the underlying aluminum substrate, even improving the behavior of the reference zinc chromate in some environmental conditions.

Corrosion behaviour of powder metallurgical stainless steels after two years of exposure in atmosphere

Abstract This work addresses the corrosion behaviour of sintered components manufactured from powders of AISI 316L and AISI 304L stainless steel. The steels were sintered under vacuum or in a nitrogen based atmosphere at temperatures of 1120 and 1250°C. Their corrosion resistance was then analysed by electrochemical techniques and by atmospheric corrosion testing for two years at urban and marine test sites. The results obtained demonstrate the adverse influence of porosity on the corrosion resistance of powder metallurgical stainless steels in natural environments, and validate several important conclusions about the influence of the sintering parameters on the corrosion behaviour. The morphology of the attack on the surface of the stainless steels, and its development within the interior of the material, a frequent consequence of exposure to natural environments, have been studied.

Probing the Dragonfish star-forming complex: the ionizing population of the young massive cluster Mercer 30

The Dragonfish Nebula has been recently claimed to be powered by a superluminous but elusive OB association. Instead, systematic searches in near-infrared photometric surveys have found many other cluster candidates on this sky region. Among these, the first confirmed young massive cluster was Mercer 30, where Wolf-Rayet stars were found. We perform a new characterization of Mercer 30 with unprecedented accuracy, combining NICMOS/HST and VVV photometric data with multi-epoch ISAAC/VLT H- and K-band spectra. Stellar parameters for most of spectroscopically observed cluster members are found through precise non-LTE atmosphere modeling with the CMFGEN code. Our spectrophotometric study for this cluster yields a new, revised distance of d = (12.4 +- 1.7) kpc and a total of Q = 6.70 x 10^50 Lyman ionizing photons. A cluster age of (4.0 +- 0.8) Myr is found through isochrone fitting, and a total mass of (1.6 +- 0.6) x 10^4 Msol is estimated thanks to our extensive knowledge of the post-main-sequence population. As a consequence, membership of Mercer 30 to the Dragonfish star-forming complex is confirmed, allowing us to use this cluster as a probe for the whole complex, which turns out to be extremely large (400 pc across) and located at the outer edge of the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm (11 kpc from the Galactic Center). The Dragonfish complex hosts 19 young clusters or cluster candidates (including Mercer 30 and a new candidate presented in this work) and an estimated minimum of 9 field Wolf-Rayet stars. The sum of all these contributions accounts for, at least, 73% of the Dragonfish Nebula ionization and leaves little or no room for the alleged superluminous OB association; alternative explanations are discussed.

Anticorrosive behavior study by localized electrochemical techniques of sol–gel coatings loaded with smart nanocontainers

In the present work, sodium phosphomolybdate, an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor with good anticorrosive behavior when applied on steel substrates, has been loaded and encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanoparticles without and with a hollow core in order to produce different smart nanocontainers. These nanocontainers have been designed to allow controlled release of the inhibitor in response to an external stimulus, thereby achieving more efficient and more economical use of the active substance. Corrosion activity leads to local changes in pH, and this work considers such changes as a signal of great interest. The nanocontainers respond to a pH of 10 or higher by increasing the release rate of the encapsulated active material. The smart nanocontainers have been incorporated into hybrid organic–inorganic sol–gel coatings and applied on carbon steel substrates. Mechanical defects have been made in the organic coating, reaching through to the metallic substrate, in order to study anticorrosive behavior in the affected area. A characterization study has been carried out at the defects and in their surroundings by means of two different localized electrochemical techniques: Scanning Kelvin Probe and Localized Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The results have shown significant improvement in the anticorrosive behavior of sol–gel coatings when formulated with smart nanocontainers loaded with sodium phosphomolybdate compared to a reference sol–gel coating.