In September I’ve continued the the voltammetric studies on a copper surfaces, from stable homogeneous Zn(II)-Mo(VI) citrate baths with various concetrations of sodium citrate and sodium molybdate. The voltammetric measurements were performer in a tree-electrode cell , by means of potentiostat PARSTAT 2273 or PGSTAT302N. A copper disc was the working electrode (surface area 2.83 cm2). A platinum sheet (5cm2) was used as the counter electrode. The working electrode potentials were referred to the saturated calomel electrode (SCE) and were ohmic drop, as measured by the current interrupt method, was compensated for.

Last month I took part in the ”9-th Polish-Japanese Joint Seminar on Micro and Nano Analysis” (Sieniawa, 10-13.09.2012). I had an opportunity to present a poster there entitled “Microstructure and microhardness of ball milled/hot pressed aluminium with Mg3N2 addition”, which described my first attempt to produce an AlN reinforcement in situ, in an aluminium matrix (via mechano-chemical solid state reaction).

Most of this month was spend on holidays, so there is much to write about but it does not concern science. Berore holidays i was interpreting data collected during previous month.

Having researched some more literature we came up with new compositions to be studied. New alloys will cast by means of induction melting as well as arc melting. Then we will transfer the bulk alloys into melt spun ribbons in order to compare the properties resulting, if any difference, from microstructure rfeinment.

I started last month with an attendance in The XXII Conference on Applied Crystallography which took place in Targanice. I had an opportunity to listen to many lectures covering a really vast spectrum of topics related to crystallography and materials science. I presented a poster entitled "On Frequencies of Occurrence of Geometrically Characteristic Grain Boundaries". In fact, during the preparation of the poster, many new ideas came out for the future and I started to work on extending the considered ideas to the cases of all holohedral symmetries with at least two-fold symmetry axis.