I have been working on a paper to be sent to a scientific journal. The paper concerns the structural properties of Ni-Mn-Sn based ribbons. Some TEM, SEM, XRD and DSC results are shown. Some initial magnetization versus temperature curves are also presented.

In the beginning of this month I took part in a “Joint PhD Seminar” meeting and “Nano-scale Materials and Advanced Characterization Techniques” course. They were both held in Germany near Dresden. During the seminar I presented results of measurements carried out so far. The title of my presentation was “Application of 3D-EBSD technique to microstructure characterization of zirconia ceramics”.

In december (2-7.12) I have participated in two related events that were held in Radeburg and Dresden, Germany. First one was so called "Joint PhD seminar", which was kind of informal meeting, between PhD students form our Institute and from ENano young research group from Institute for Materials Science of Technical University of Dresden. During the seminar each of participants had chance to present his or her research during 25 minutes talk, and then discuss all kind of issues related to scientiffic and non-scientiffic aspects of work and life. Since event was host to researchers from many different areas of materials science it was very good environment to exchange thoughts, problems and experiences related to scientific research.
Second event took place in two days following the Seminar, and was organized in Fraunhofer Institute in Dresden. It was basically series of lectures given by specialists in materials sciences and the scope was mostly focused on advanced research techniques. Among others, techniques such as SEM, TEM, SPM, APT were covered and their application in materials science were presented in great detail. The lectures were followed with visit to specialist laboratories where more equipment have been presented and more questions have been answered.
Overall whole trip to Germany turned to be both fruitful in scientific and pleasant in social experiences, undoubtedly enhanced by great measure with proper German lager and cuisine.

Similar to my colleagues between 3rd and 4th of December I participated in Joint PhD Seminar organized by ENano young researcher group from Institute for Materials Science of the TU Dresden and Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The meeting took place in Radeburg, Germany. During this seminar all young scientists gave presentation about their research field and topics of carried studies. On the first day I had chance to present my results by giving presentation titled: ”Quasicrystalline Al-Mn-Fe based alloys prepared by rapid solidification - structure and properties”. During the next two days, I participated in Nano-scale Materials and Advanced Characterization Techniques course organized by Dresden Fraunhofer Cluster Nanoanalysis.
In the second part of the month I was investigating new melt spun ribbons using SEM. This studies revealed presence of unmelted particles of Al3Nb phase in ribbons with Nb addition (in both prepared series). Additionally thermal stability of all new ribbons was examined using DSC measurements.

On 3-4 December 2012, participated in the seminar - Join PhD Seminar - held in Radeburg, Germany.
The organizers of the seminar were: Enano group of the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden and the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science in Krakow.
The main objective was to present seminars by the participants' own research results, often within the scope of the PhD dissertation of the future, and their discussion in an interdisciplinary group of young scientists.
During the seminar I gave a lecture under the title: Improvement of properties of Mg alloys construction-Importance of Microstructure. The paper presents the evolution of the texture for the basal plane (0001), lateral (10-10) and pyramidal (10-11). In the initial state after extrusion showed a preferential orientation crystallites and increase the degree of distortion caused strong texture. As a result of the manufacturing process of the first basal plane was oriented crystallites {0001} <11-20> direction parallel to the extrusion. At the same time the intensity of the angular range of reflection on the pole figure was broad and vertically stretched, which is clearly visible for the other two planes: prismatic and pyramidal. This vertical scattering intensity maximum corresponds to the direction of extrusion of the sample. Pole figure analysis (0001) of the starting material (0% deformation) showed that the crystal c axis is arranged in the normal direction (ND) and horizontally (TD) with respect to the measured sample. When the value was 28% of the density of crystallites reorientation of raising the density of the underlying planes of the poles {0001} direction ND with respect to the RD. During cold rolling of a grain parallel to the c-axis direction of the activation process of deformation twinning favor the {10-12} planes. Analysis of the images of the microstructure showed that the critical stress for the twinning plane {10-12} is reached already in the first stage of deformation. A further increase in the degree of deformation caused stronger texture {0001} in direction ND, until cracks appear stage. At the same time, the number of twins and increased fragmentation of microstructure occured. There was a trend deviation of basal texture component {0001} about 15 ° from the direction ND to the direction of TD. This deviation could not be used due to sample preparation, which was confirmed by examining the texture on the surface normal to the axis of the tube, as well as on the surface to be analyzed metallography. This type of texture is characteristic of some of the processes forming of magnesium alloys, including extrusion and rolling, where in addition to the base slip, twinning and pyramidal slip, slip increases <c+a> nonbasal activity. Additional studies confirmed the trend deviation texture pole peak (0001) from the radial direction (normal) to the transverse direction. This phenomenon is attributed to the nonbasal slip systems in the hexagonal structure and twinning.
On 5-6 December 2012 we participated in Training - Nano-scale Materials and Advanced Characterization Techniques-held in Dresden, Germany.
Training was organized by the Institute of Fraunhofer in Dresden, supported by FEMS - the Federation of European Materials Societies.
The main objective of training was to broaden the knowledge of participants in the field of nanomaterials and their nanoanalizy, so in the course of lectures delivered by experts in the wider physical and chemical analysis of materials.