The magnetostructural coupling between the structural and the magnetic transition has a crucial role in magnetoresponsive effects in a martensitic-transition system. A combination of various magnetoresponsive effects based on this coupling may facilitate the multifunctional applications of a host material. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining a stable magnetostructural coupling over a broad temperature window from 350 to 70 K, in combination with tunable magnetoresponsive effects, in mnniGe:Fe alloys. The alloy exhibits a magneticfield-induced martensitic transition from paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic martensite. The results indicate that stable magnetostructural coupling is accessible in hexagonal phasetransition systems to attain the magnetoresponsive effects with broad tunability.

The hydrogen storage properties of LiBH4 ball milled with various ratios of carbon nanotubes (Cnano) were investigated. The LiBH4∕Cnano mixtures showed superior dehydrogenation, hydrogen desorption starting at 250°C, and the majority of hydrogen being released below 600°C. The rehydrogenation results revealed that the Li2C2, formed during the dehydrogenation, could be reversed to LiH, in which the hydrogen capacity corresponds to 1∕4 of the original hydrogen content of LiBH4, and C at 10MPa hydrogen pressure and 400°C.

SYNOPSISA series of polycaprolactone/4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate/l,4-butanediol (PCL/MDI/ BDO) segmented polyurethanes of different compositions was synthesized by solution polymerization. The molecular weight of PCL diols used was in the range of 1600-7000. The crystallinity and morphology of these polymers were studied by using DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis, WAXD, and polarizing microscopy methods. It was found that the crystallinity of PCL prepolymers was depressed in segmented polyurethanes. A lower limit of PCL molecular weight was found, below which the PCL segments were not able to crystallize a t the usual processing conditions. This limit of molecular weight is in the range of 2000-3000 and exhibits a slight increase with increasing hard-segment content of polyurethanes.The glass transition temperature related to the PCL segment regions in polyurethane specimens deviated from that of pure amorphous PCL prepolymer to a higher temperature. The deviation resulted from the crystallization of PCL segments and also the influence of hard segments. The formation of hard-segment domains becomes very difficult for polyurethanes having low hard-segment content and short hard-segment length. There is a lower limit of hard-segment content and segment length. Only above that limit do the polyurethanes have enough hard-segment domains acting as physical crosslinks at temperatures above the melting point of the PCL crystals. The structural characteristics of segmented polyurethanes which may exhibit a shape memory effect are also discussed.