Microstructure and growth kinetics of Ce and Y jointly modified silicide coatings for Nb–Ti–Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy

In order to protect Nb-Ti-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy from oxidation, pack cementation processes were utilized to prepare Ce and Y jointly modified silicide coatings. The Ce and Y jointly modified silicide coating has a double-layer structure: a relatively thick (Nb, X)Si2 (X represents Ti, Cr and Hf elements) outer layer and a thin (Ti, Nb)5Si4 transitional layer. The pack cementation experiments at 1150 ℃ for 8 h proved that the addition of certain amounts of CeO2 and Y2O3 powders in the packs distinctly influenced the coating thickness, the contents of Si, Ce and Y in the (Nb, X)Si2 outer layers, and the density of cavities in the coatings. In order to study the effects of Ce and Y joint modification in the silicide coatings, both only Ce and only Y modified silicide coatings were also prepared for comparison. The mechanisms of the beneficial effects of Ce and Y are discussed. A pack mixture containing 1.5CeO2-0.75Y2O3 (wt%) powders was employed to investigate the growth kinetics of the Ce and Y jointly modified silicide coating at 1050, 1150 and 1250 ℃. It has been found that the growth kinetics obeyed parabolic laws and the parabolic rate constants were 109.20 mm2/h at 1050 ℃, 366.75 mm2/h at 1150 ℃ and 569.78 mm2/h at 1250 ℃, and the activation energy for the growth of the Ce and Y jointly modified silicide coating was 197.53 kJ/mol.     

Microstructure, mechanical and thermo-physical properties of hot-pressed Al2O3-GdAlO3-ZrO2 ceramics with eutectic composition

A low cost chemical co-precipitation method was employed to fabricate nanoscale Al_2O_3-GdAlO_3-ZrO_2 powder with eutectic composition. A careful control of reaction conditions was required during the preparation. The synthesized nanopowders exhibited a particle size of 20-200 nm, and were highly dispersive and uniform. The results showed that calcination temperature had an important influence on the phase constituents of the nanopowders. With increasing the calcination temperature, a phase transformation from θ-Al_2O_3 to α-Al_2O_3 and a thermal decomposition from Gd_3 Al_5O_(12)(GdAG) to GdAlO_3 and α-Al_2O_3 occurred in sequence. A calcination temperature of 1300 ℃ was needed for the crystallization of α-Al_2 O_3. These nanosized powders were consolidated via hot pressing to produce a fully densified ceramic composite with eutectic composition. The Al_2O_3-GdAlO_3-ZrO_2 ceramic hot-pressed at 1500 ℃ exhibited a relative density of 99.4%, a flexural strength of 485 MPa and a fracture toughness of 6.5 MPa m~(1/2). The ceramic had a thermal conductivity of 1.9 W m K~(-1) at 1200 ℃ and a thermal expansion coefficient of 9.49 ×10~(-6) K~(-1) at 1100 ℃.     

Phase stability and thermal conductivity of ytterbia and yttria co-doped zirconia

Rare earth oxides doping has been extensively investigated as one of the effective methods to lower thermal conductivity of 4.55 mol% Y2O3stabilized ZrO2(YSZ) thermal barrier coatings(TBCs).In the present work,5–6 mol% Yb2O3and Y2O3co-doped ZrO2ceramics were synthesized by solid reaction sintering at 1600 1C.The phase stability of the samples after heat treatment at 1500 1C was investigated.Yb2O3and Y2O3co-doped zirconia,especially when Yb2O3/Y2O3≥1,contained less monoclinic phase than single Yb2O3or Y2O3phase doped zirconia,indicating that co-doped zirconia was more stable at high temperature than YSZ.The thermal conductivity of the 3 mol% Yb2O3+3 mol% Y2O3co-doped ZrO2was 1.8 W m 1K 1at 1000 1C,which was more than 20% lower than that of YSZ.     

Induced modi fi cations in the properties of Sr doped BiFeO3 multiferr oics

Multiferroics exhibit unique combination of ferroic properties,simultaneously.For instance,in BiFeO3,magnetic and electric properties co-exist.In this work,BiFeO3 and Sr-doped BiFeO3 samples with general formula,Bi1-x Srx FeO3(x=0.00,0.05,0.10,0.20,and 0.30) were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion technique,in order to investigate these ferroic properties.The samples were confrmed to have perovskite type rhombohedral structure,characteristic of BiFeO3.A dilute phase of Bi2Fe4O9was also found in all the Sr-doped samples.The micrographs of the palletized samples revealed that minutely doped Sr might not have any effect on the morphology of the samples.Frequency dependent dielectric measurements were carried out at room temperature for all the samples from 100 Hz to 1 MHz.The dielectric constant of un-doped sample at low frequency was 52 which decreased with increasing Sr doping.An enhancement of magnetic properties was observed with increasing the Sr contents.Pure BiFeO3 material was observed to have the least value of remanent magnetization.As the Sr2+ tions were doped in BiFeO3,its magnetization and remanence were increased to 0.867 emu/g and 0.175 emu/g,respectively,at x=0.30.     

Doping effect on thermoelectric properties of nonstoichiometric AgSbTe<Subscript>2</Subscript> compounds

Nonstoichiometric ternary thermoelectric materials Ag_0.84Sb_1.15M_0.01Te_2.16 (M=Ce, Yb, Cu) were prepared by a direct melt-quench and hot press process. The carrier concentration of all the samples increased after doping. Thermoelectric properties, namely electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity, were measured from 300 to 673 K. The phase transition occurring at about 418 K representing the phase transition from β-Ag₂Te to α-Ag₂Te influenced the electrical transport properties. The electrical conductivities of Ce and Yb doped samples increased after doping from 1.9×10⁴ to 2.5×10⁴ and 2.3×10⁴ S·m⁻¹, respectively, at 673 K. Also, at room temperature, the Seebeck coefficient of the Ce doped sample relatively increased corresponding to the high carrier concentration due to the changes in the band structure. However, all the thermal conductivities increased after doping at low temperature. Because of the higher thermal conductivity, the dimensionless figure of merit ZT of these doped samples has not been improved.     

Experimental studies on overall property of thermoelectric modules with sandwiched structures

Based on direct-current transient Harman method, an integrated characterization system of thermoelectric device’s performance is established. The overall properties of thermoelectric modules with sandwiched structures are experimentally investigated, including Seebeck coefficients, figures of merit (ZT), electrical and thermal conductivities. Experiment results reveal that ZT values of thermoelectric modules are smaller than those of commercial bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) modules. In contrast, Seebeck coefficients are significantly larger than traditional thermoelectric device’s values. Meanwhile, both electrical and thermal conductivities are greater compared with literature data. Our results have proposed a feasible and economical way that can potentially increase Seebeck coefficients as to bulk Bi₂Te₃ materials without significant deterioration to the nature of Peltier effect.     

Oxygen-rich carbon-nitrogen quantum dots as cocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity of TiO2 nanofibers

We developed an one-step hydrothermal method to synthesize carbon-nitrogen quantum dots(CNQDs) with oxygen-rich functional groups.The sample was characterized by TEM,AFM,FT-IR,XPS,UV-vis absorption and PL spectra.The 0/C and N/C atomic ratio of typical CNQDs with diameters of 3-6 nm are ca.0.4 and 0.2,respectively.Without noble metal cocatalyst,the photocatalytic H_2 production rate of CNQDs/TiO_2 nanofibers(NFs)(112.4 μmol h~(-1) g~(-1)) is 1.8 times higher than that of TiO_2 NFs.The good absorption of light contributes to the enhanced photocatalytic H_2 performance.The CNQDs could be promising in biomedical imaging,optical data recording storage and photo/electrocatalysis,etc.     

Effect of boehmite sol on the crystallization behavior and densification of mullite formed from a sol–gel precursor

Hybrid mullite sol was synthesized from an aqueous solution of aluminum nitrate (AN), aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), doped with boehmite sol with different ratios. Pressureless sintering of the xerogel was carried out at different temperatures in the presence of boehmite doping. The xerogel and sintered powder were characterized by FTIR, TG-DSC, XRD, SEM and bulk density. The addition of boehmite caused the formation of metaphase spinel (6Al2O3·SiO2) crystal before the appearance of mullite phase, which could lead to the formation of amorphous phase and suppress the premature formation of mullite. Both of these effects improve the densification of mullite. A maximum density about 98% of the theoretical density (TD, 3.01 g/cm3 ) of mullite could be obtained for 5 wt% boehmite addition at 1200 1C pressureless sintering.     

Effect of pickling processes on the microstructure and properties of electroless Ni–P coating on Mg–7.5Li–2Zn–1Y alloy

The electroless plating Ni–P is prepared on the surface of Mg–7.5Li–2Zn–1Y alloys with different pickling processes.The microstructure and properties of Ni–P coating are investigated.The results show that the Ni–P coatings deposited using the different pickling processes have a different high phosphorus content amorphous Ni–P solid solution structure,and the Ni–P coatings exhibit higher hardness.There is higher phosphorus content of Ni–P amorphous coating using 125 g/L Cr O3and 110 ml/L HNO3(w68%)than using 180 g/L Cr O3and 1 g/L KF during pre-treatment,and the coating structure is more compact,and the Ni–P coatings exhibit more excellent adhesion with substrate(Fcup to22 N).The corrosion potential of Ni–P coating is improved and exhibits good corrosion resistance.As a result,Mg-7.5Li-2Zn-1Y alloy is remarkably protected by the Ni–P coating.     

Transient photoconductivity in a-(Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) thin films

Bulk material of (Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) system was prepared by using a conventional melt quenching technique. Thin films of a-(Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) were deposited by the vacuum evaporation technique at a base pressure of 10 4 mbar onto well-cleaned glass substrates. Temperature dependence of electrical conductivity in the temperature range of 263–333 K has been studied. There is increase in the value of conductivity with increase in temperature as well as with Ag content. The measurements of intensity dependence of photoconductivity show that the photoconductivity increases with intensity as a power law where the power is found to be between 0.5 and 1.0, representing the continuous distribution of traps. Rise and decay of photocurrent with time at room temperature at different light intensities for (Se80Te20)98Ag2 thin film samples have also been reported. The results have been explained on the basis of the Dember voltage and interaction between photoexcited holes and the trapped electrons on the surface.     

掺杂Ce基Ce0.8SmxY0.2-xO1.9（0≤x≤0.2）电解质的电性能

采用固相反应法制备Ce0.8SmxY0.2-xO1.9Zn0.01(0≤x≤0.2)电解质试样。着重考察不同掺杂配比对材料整体导电性能的影响,另外ZnO对材料电性能的影响也进行了探讨。采用X线衍射(XRD)、Archimede排水法、热膨胀测量法和交流阻抗分析对试样的性能进行表征。结果表明:Sm和Y共掺杂能提高CeO2基电解质的电性能。其中1 550℃烧结的Ce0.8Sm0.18Y0.02O1.9在300～700℃具有最高的离子电导率。添加ZnO可以有效地降低烧结温度,在1 500℃所有试样均烧结致密。ZnO的加入可以提高材料的晶界电性能。     

Integrated Bi2O3 nanostructure modified with Au nanoparticles for enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

An integrated Bi_2O_3(i-Bi_2O_3) nanostructure with a particle size 10 nm inducing agglomerated structure were synthesized by dissolving bismuth nitrate pentahydrate in diethylene glycol at 180 ℃ with post heat treatment.The prepared i-Bi_2O_3 nanostructures were employed for the construction of Au/i-Bi_2O_3 composite system and characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern,UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(DRS),and transmission electron microscopy,X-ray photoemission spectroscopy(XPS) and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS).The i-Bi_2O_3 nanostructure and Au/i-Bi_2O_3 composite system were found to exhibit high photocatalytic activity than commercial Bi_2O_3 in decomposing salicylic acid under visible light irradiation.The high catalytic activity of i-Bi_2O_3 nanostructure was deduced to be caused by charge separation facilitated by electron hopping between the particles within the integrated structure and space-charge separation between i-Bi_2O_3 and Au.The charge separation behavior in i-Bi_2O_3 nanostructure was further bolstered by comparing the measured.OH radical produced in the solution with i-Bi_2O_3 nanostructure,commercial Bi_2O_3 and Au/i-Bi_2O_3 composite which readily react with 1,4-terephthalic acid(TA) inducing 2-hydroxy terephthalic acid(TAOH) that shows unique fluorescence peak at 426 nm.The space-charge separation between i-Bi_2O_3 and An was confirmed by measuring the electron spin resonance(ESR) spectra.     

Structure and properties of solid-state synthesiz ed poly (3,4-propylenedi oxythiophene) /nano-ZnO composite

Poly（3,4-propylenedioxythiophene）/nano-Zinic Oxide（PProDOT/ZnO） composites with the content of 3-7 wt%nano-ZnO were synthesized by the solid-state method with FeCl₃ as oxidant.The structure and morphology of the composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR）spectroscopy,ultraviolet-visible（UV-vis） absorption spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction（XRD） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.The electrochemical performances of the composites were investigated by galvanostatic charge-discharge,cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS）.The photocatalytic activities of the composites were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue（MB） dyes in aqueous medium under UV light irradiation.The results from FTIR and UV-vis spectra showed that the PProDOT/ZnO composites were successfully synthesized by solid-state method,and nano-ZnO had great influences on the conjugation length and oxidation degree of the polymers.Furthermore,the PProDOT/5 wt%ZnO had the highest conjugation and oxidation degree among the composites.The results of XRD analysis indicated that there were some FeCl₄^- ions as doping agent in the PProDOT matrix,and the content of ZnO had no effect on diffraction pattern of PProDOT.Morphological studies revealed that the pure PProDOT and composites had similar morphological structure,and all the composites displayed an irregular sponge like morphology.The results of electrochemical tests showed that the PProDOT/5 wt%ZnO had a higher electrochemical activity with a specific capacitance value of 220 F g^-1 than others.The results from photocatalytic activities of the composites indicated that the PProDOT/5 wt%ZnO had better photocatalytic activity than other composites.     

Effect of La0.8Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ morphology on the performance of composite cathodes

In the present work,one dimensional La0.8Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3 δ(LSCF) nanofibers with the mean diameter of about 100 nm prepared by electrospinning were deposited on Gd0.2Ce0.8O1.9(GDC) electrolyte followed by sintering to form one dimensional LSCF nanofiber cathode. And LSCF/GDC composite cathodes were formed by introducing GDC phases into LSCF nanofiber scaffold using infiltration method. The polarization resistances for the composite cathode with an optimal LSCF/GDC mass ratio of 1/0.56 are 0.27,0.14 and 0.07 Ω cm2at 650,700 and750 1C,respectively,which are obviously smaller than 2.26,0.78 and 0.29 Ω cm2of pure LSCF nanofiber cathode. And the activation energy is1.194 eV,which is much lower than that of pure LSCF nanofiber cathode(1.684 eV). These results demonstrate that the infiltration of GDC into LSCF nanofiber scaffold is an effective approach to achieve high performance cathode for solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs). In addition,the performance of composite cathode in this work was also compared with that of our previous nanorod structured LSCF/GDC composite cathode.     

A.C. conductivity and relaxation dynamics in zinc–borate glasses

The frequency-dependent dielectric dispersion of ZnO–Na2O–Al2O3–B2O3(in mol%) glass prepared by the melt quenching technique is investigated in the temperatur e ranges from room temperature to 420 K. Dielectric relaxation has been analyzed based on the behavior of electric modulus behavior. An analysis of the real and imaginary parts of dielectric is performed assuming the ideal Debye behavior as confirmed by Cole–Cole plot. The activation energy associated with the dielectric relaxation determined from the electric modulus spectra was found to be 1.863 eV, which is close to that the activation energy for d.c. conductivity (1.871 eV), indicating the similar nature of relaxation and conductivity.     

Synthesis of PbS–K2La2Ti3O10 composite and its photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production

Photocatalyst, lead sulfide (PbS )-intercalated layer perovskite-type compound (K2La2Ti3O10), was synthesized via ion-exchange reaction, butylamine pillaring and sulfuration processes under the assistance of the microwave irradiation. The structure of the photoc atalysts was determined by means of powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet- visible diffuse reflection spectra and photoluminescence measu rement. And the photocatalytic activity of the composite compound for hydrogen production was also investigated. The experimental results showed that the intercalation of PbS in the layered space of K2La2Ti3O10 greatly improved the absorption edge and the photocatalytic activity. Hydrogen production of the PbS–K2La2Ti3O10 was 127.19 mmol/(g cat) after 3 h irradiation of ultraviolet light.     

Synthesis of spherical Li1.167Ni0.2Co0.1Mn0.533O2 as cathode material for lithium-ion battery via co-precipitation

xLi2MnO3·(1-x)LiNi0.4Co0.2Mn0.4O2(x=0.5) powders were synthesized from co-precipitated spherical metal carbonate,Ni0.2Co0.1Mn0.533(CO3)x.It has been found that the preparation of metal carbonate was si...     

Novel electric conductive polylactide/carbon nanotubes foams prepared by supercritical CO2

In this paper,novel electric conductive polylactide/carbon nanotubes(PLA/CNTs) foams were fabricated by a pressure-quench process using supercritical CO2as a blowing agent.The morphology of PLA/CNTs nanocomposites prepared by solution blending was characterized using SEM and the results indicate that CNTs well dispersed in PLA matrix.The introduction of CNTs improved the thermal stability of PLA.The morphology and electrical properties of PLA/CNTs foams were characterized and discussed.Depending on the process parameters,such as saturation temperature and pressure,nanocellular or microcellular structure of PLA/CNTs nanocomposites were obtained.The volume resistivity of PLA/CNTs foams was from 0.53 103Ω cm to 15.13 103Ω cm,which was affected by cell structure and crystallization of foams oppositely.Foaming reduced the electrical conductivity due to the decrease of CNTs volume content and the break of conductive pathways.However,crystallization increased the electrical conductivity possibly because of the CNTs structural change in which the CNTs were less curled and more connected.     

Properties of garnet-type Li6La3ZrTaO12 solid electrolyte films fabricated by aerosol deposition method

The garnet-type Li_6La_3ZrTaO_(12)(LLZT) solid electrolyte films were fabricated by aerosol deposition(AD)method.Ball-milled LLZT powder with a cubic garnet structure and a particle size of 1-2 urn was used as raw material and deposited directly on a SUS316L or a glass substrate via impact consolidation.As-deposited LLZT film has a cubic garnet structure but contains Li_2CO_3 and La_2Zr_2O_7 phases.SEM observation revealed that the film consists of LLZT particles fractured into submicron size.The impurity phase formation during AD process was caused by the local heating by the collision between LLZT particles and deposition surface and reaction with CO_2.The Li~+ ion conductivity of LLZT film was estimated to be 0.24 × 10~(-5)S cm~(-1) at room temperature.Electronic conductivity of LLZT film was confirmed to be around 10~(-12) S cm~(-1),indicating the dominant Li~+ ion conduction of LLZT film.     

Minor-alloyed Cu-Ni-Si alloys with high hardness and electric conductivity designed by a cluster formula approach

Cu-Ni-Si alloys are widely used due to their good electrical conductivities in combination with high strength and hardness. In the present work, minor-alloying with M =(Cr, Fe, Mo, Zr) was conducted for the objective of further improving their hardness while maintaining their conductivity level. A cluster-plus-glue-atom model was introduced to design the compositions of M-alloyed Cu-Ni-Si alloys, in which an ideal composition formula[(Ni,Si,M)-Cu_(12)]Cu_3(molar proportion) was proposed. To guarantee the complete precipitation of solute elements in fine δ-Ni_2 Si precipitates, the atomic ratio of(Ni,M)/Si was set as 2/1. Thus the designed alloy series of Cu_(93.75)(Ni/Zr)_(3.75)Si_(2.08)(Cr/Fe/Mo)_(0.42)(at%) were arc-melted into ingots under argon atmosphere, and solidsolutioned at 950 ℃ for 1 h plus water quenching and then aged at 450 ℃ for different hours. The experimental results showed that these designed alloys exhibit high hardness(HV 1.7 GPa) and good electrical conductivities(≥ 35% IACS). Specifically, the quinary Cu_(93.75)Ni_(3.54)Si_(2.08)(Cr/Fe)_(0.42)Zr_(0.21) alloys(Cu-3.32 Ni-0.93 Si-0.37(Cr/Fe)-0.30 Zr wt%) possess both a high hardness with HV = 2.5-2.7 GPa, comparable to the highstrength KLFA85 alloy(Cu-3.2 Ni-0.7 Si-1.1 Zn wt%,HV= 2.548 GPa),and a good electrical conductivity(35-36% IACS).