Effect of Al2O3 on the viscosity of CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-Cr2O3 slags

We investigated the effect of Al2O3 content on the viscosity of CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-8wt%MgO-1wt%Cr2O3(mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 is 1.0,and Al2O3 content is 17wt%-29wt%)slags.The results show that the viscosity of the slag increases gradually with increases in the Al2O3 content in the range of 17wt%to 29wt%due to the role of Al2O3 as a network former in the polymerization of the aluminosilicate structure of the slag.With increases in the Al2O3 content from 17wt%to 29wt%,the apparent activation energy of the slags also increases from 180.85 to 210.23 kJ/mol,which is consistent with the variation in the critical temperature.The Fourier-transform infrared spectra indicate that the degree of polymerization of this slag is increased by the addition of Al2O3.The application of Iida’s model for predicting the slag viscosity in the presence of Cr2O3 indicates that the calculated viscosity values fit well with the measured values when both the temperature and Al2O3 content are at relatively low levels,i.e.,the temperature range of 1673 to 1803 K and the Al2O3 content range of 17wt%-29wt%in CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-8wt%MgO-1wt%Cr2O3 slag.     

Crystal structure and hydrogen storage properties of(La,Ce)Ni_(5-x)M_x(M = Al,Fe, or Co) alloys

The effects of partial substitution of La by Ce and Ni by Al, Fe, or Co in LaNi_5-based alloys on hydrogen storage performance were systematically studied. All samples were prepared using vacuum arc melting in an argon atmosphere. The results showed that for LaNi_(5-x)M_x(M = Al, Fe, or Co) alloys, the lattice constants and unit cell volumes increased with an increasing amount of Al and Fe. On the other hand, these parameters decreased upon partial substitution of La by Ce. In addition, the lattice constant remained almost constant in the La_(0.6)Ce_(0.4)Ni_(5–x)Cox alloys regardless of the value of x(x = 0.3, 0.6, or 0.9), as Ce might enhance the homogeneity of the CaCu_5-type phase in Co-containing alloys. The hydrogen storage properties of the alloys were investigated using pressure, composition, and temperature isotherms. The experimental results showed that the plateau pressure decreased with an increasing content of Al, Fe, or Co, but it increased with Ce addition. Furthermore, the plateau pressures of all Co-containing alloys were almost identical upon substitution with Ce. Finally, the enthalpy(ΔH) and entropy(ΔS) values for all alloys were calculated using van't Hoff plots. The relationship between the lattice parameters and enthalpy changes for hydrogenation will be discussed.     

Crystal structure and hydrogen storage properties of (La,Ce)Ni5-xMx (M=Al,Fe, or Co) alloys

The effects of partial substitution of La by Ce and Ni by Al, Fe, or Co in LaNi₅-based alloys on hydrogen storage performance were systematically studied. All samples were prepared using vacuum arc melting in an argon atmosphere. The results showed that for La-Ni_5-xM_x (M=Al, Fe, or Co) alloys, the lattice constants and unit cell volumes increased with an increasing amount of Al and Fe. On the other hand, these parameters decreased upon partial substitution of La by Ce. In addition, the lattice constant remained almost constant in the La_0.6Ce_0.4Ni_5-xCo_x alloys regardless of the value of x (x=0.3, 0.6, or 0.9), as Ce might enhance the homogeneity of the CaCu₅-type phase in Co-containing alloys. The hydrogen storage properties of the alloys were investigated using pressure, composition, and temperature isotherms. The experimental results showed that the plateau pressure decreased with an increasing content of Al, Fe, or Co, but it increased with Ce addition. Furthermore, the plateau pressures of all Co-containing alloys were almost identical upon substitution with Ce. Finally, the enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) values for all alloys were calculated using van't Hoff plots. The relationship between the lattice parameters and enthalpy changes for hydrogenation will be discussed.     

Site preference of ternary additions in Ni3Al

The substitution behavior of ternary additions in Ni3Al is systematically studied using interatomic potentials. The pair potentials between identical and distinct atoms are obtained via strict lattice inversion based on the first-principle cohesive energy curves. Taking long-range interaction into account, the quantitative calculations for the alloys containing various amounts of alloying elements are made by utilizing a relaxed sample averaging method. The relative magnitudes of cohesive energy corresponding to different configurations are used. The calculated results are in good agreement with the results of experiments. Finally, some predictions are made for the substitution behavior of certain alloying elements and some elements in the region of surface and interface that have not been previously studied.     

Ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties of Aurivillius phase Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27（Me 5 Fe,Co, Ni,Mn）

New Aurivillius phase Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27（Me = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn） oxides have been prepared using a citrate combustion method. X-ray diffraction on powders and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigation confirmed that the Bi9Fe4.7Me0.3Ti3O27 samples are with an eight-layer structure. Both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric investigations suggested that Co or Ni substitution could enhance their multiferroic properties,while Mn substitution depressed them. Among all the samples, Bi9Fe4.7Co0.3Ti3O27 sample exhibits the largest remnant polarization of Pr＊3.8 l C/cm2, and the largest remnant magnetization of Mr＊0.06 lB/f.u. with a Curie temperature about 764 K, while the Bi9Fe4.7Ni0.3Ti3O27 sample has the largest spontaneous magnetization（0.26 lB/f.u.）. The improved ferromagnetic properties ofboth Bi9Fe4.7Co0.3Ti3O27 and Bi9Fe4.7Ni0.3Ti3O27 can be ascribed to the spin canting of magnetic ion-based sublattices via the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and also the magnetic ions exchanging interactions（Fe3–O–Co3or Fe3–O–Ni3）.     

Enhancement of magnetic properties and thermal stability of nanocrystalline (NdDyTb)12.3(FeZrNbCu)81.7B6.0 alloy with Co substitution

The major drawbacks of Nd-Fe-B magnets are relatively low Curie temperature and poor thermal stability. Ribbons with the near stoichiometric 2:14:1 composition of Nd_10.8Dy_0.75Tb_0.75Fe_79.7-xCo_xZr_0.8Nb_0.8Cu_0.4B_6.0 (x=0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15) were prepared by rapid quenching and subsequent heat treatment. The effect of Co element on the magnetic properties, thermal stability, and microstructure of the ribbons was systematically studied by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermal magnetic analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that Co substitution was significantly effective in improving the magnetic properties and the thermal stability of nanocrystalline ribbons. Although the intrinsic coercivity decreased from 1308.7 kA/m for x=0 to 817.4 kA/m for x=15, the remanence polarization and maximum energy product increased from 0.839 T and 116.5 kJ/m3 for the Co-free samples to 1.041 T and 155.1 kJ/m3 for the 12at% Co-substituted samples, respectively. About 10 K increase in Curie temperature was observed for the 2:14:1 phase with 1at% Co substitution. The absolute values of temperature coefficients of induction and coercivity were significantly decreased with Co substitution, which may be attractive for high operational temperature applications. The microstructure of nanocrystalline ribbons was slightly refined with Co substitution.     

Microstructural evolution and growth kinetics of thermally grown oxides in plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings

The formation of thermally grown oxide(TGO) during high temperature is a key factor to the degradation of thermal barrier coatings(TBCs)applied on hot section components. In the present study both the Co Ni Cr Al Y bond coat and Zr O_2-8 wt.% Y_2O_3(8YSZ) ceramic coat of TBCs were prepared by air plasma spraying(APS). The composition and microstructure of TGO in TBCs were investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis. The growth rate of TGO for TBC and pure BC were gained after isothermal oxidation at 1100 °C for various times. The results showed that as-sprayed bond coat consisted of β and γ/γ'phases,β phase reducesd as the oxidation time increased. The TGO comprised α-Al_2O_3 formed in the first 2 h. Co O, Ni O, Cr_2O_3 and spinel oxides appeared after 20 h of oxidation. Contents of Co O and Ni O reduced while that of Cr_2O_3 and spinel oxides increased in the later oxidation stage.The TGO eventually consisted of a sub-Al2O3 layer with columnar microstructure and the upper porous CS clusters. The TGO growth kinetics for two kinds of samples followed parabolic laws, with oxidation rate constant of 0.344 μm/h~(0.5) for TBCs and 0.354 μm/h0.5for pure BCs.     

Preparation of CaB_6 powder via calciothermic reduction of boron carbide

The method of calciothermic reduction of B_4C was proposed for preparing CaB_6. The phase transition and morphology evolution during the reaction were investigated in detail. The experimental results reveal that Ca first reacts with B_4C to generate CaB_2C_2 and CaB_6 at a low temperature and that the CaB_2C_2 subsequently reacts with Ca to produce CaB_6 and CaC_2 at a high temperature. After the products were leached to remove the byproduct CaC_2, pure CaB_6 was obtained. The grain size of the prepared CaB_6 was 2–3 μm, whereas its particle size was 4–13 μm; it inherited the particle size of B_4C. The residual C content of the product was decreased to 1.03 wt% after the first reaction at 1173 K for 4 h and the second reaction at 1623 K for 4 h.     

Adsorptive Removal of Fluoride from Water by Heat-Treatment Waterworks Alum Sludge

Alum sludge( AS) is a world-wide by-product generated in the drinking water treatment process when aluminum salts are used as coagulant. Its high Al content makes it a potential adsorbent for flouride removal from water. A high performance adsorbent was fabricated via heat treatment of AS and batch adsorption experiments were carried out to investigate its flouride adosroption performance. The results indicated that AS treated at 300℃( AS300) for 1 h had the highest adsorption capacity for fluoride( 52. 9% fluoride removal). The adsorption of fluoride by AS300fitted better the Langmuir isotherm model than the Freundlich model. The maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of AS300increased from 4. 0 to 9. 3 mg /g sludge when reaction temperature increased from 15 to 35 ℃. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of fluoride by AS was spontaneous and endothermic.Hence higher temperature was favorable for fluoride adsorption.The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order equation.In addition,the fluoride adsorption on AS300 decreased from 4. 3 to2. 5 mg /g sludge when the solution initial pH increased from 4. 0 to9. 0,which meant that adsorption capacity was greatly dependent upon the initial pH of the solution. The results provide new insight into the resource utilization of AS for fluoride removal.     

Bulk Al–Al_3Zr composite prepared by mechanical alloying and hot extrusion for high-temperature applications

Bulk Al/Al_3Zr composite was prepared by a combination of mechanical alloying(MA) and hot extrusion processes. Elemental Al and Zr powders were milled for up to 10 h and heat treated at 600℃ for 1 h to form stable Al_3Zr. The prepared Al_3Zr powder was then mixed with the pure Al powder to produce an Al–Al_3Zr composite. The composite powder was finally consolidated by hot extrusion at 550℃. The mechanical properties of consolidated samples were evaluated by hardness and tension tests at room and elevated temperatures. The results show that annealing of the 10-h-milled powder at 600℃ for 1 h led to the formation of a stable Al_3Zr phase. Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) results confirmed that the formation of Al_3Zr began with the nucleation of a metastable phase, which subsequently transformed to the stable tetragonal Al_3Zr structure. The tension yield strength of the Al-10wt%Al_3Zr composite was determined to be 103 MPa, which is approximately twice that for pure Al(53 MPa). The yield stress of the Al/Al_3Zr composite at 300℃ is just 10% lower than that at room temperature, which demonstrates the strong potential for the prepared composite to be used in high-temperature structural applications.     

Preparation of metal oxide doped ACNFs and their adsorption performance for low concentration SO2

Metal oxide （TiO2 or Co304） doped activated carbon nanofibers （ACNFs） were prepared by electrospinning. These nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and Brunner- Emmett-Teller method （BET）. The results show that the average diameters of ACNFs were within the range of 200-500 nm, and the lengths were several tens of micrometers. The specific surface areas were 1146.7 m2/g for TiO2-doped ACNFs and 1238.5 m2/g for Co304-doped ACNFs, respectively. The electrospun nanofibers were used for adsorption of low concentration sulfur dioxide （SO2）. The results showed that the adsorption rates of these ACNFs increased with an increase in SO2concentration. When the SO2 concentration was 1.0 μg/mL, the adsorption rates of TiO2-doped ACNFs and Co3Oa-doped ACNFs were 66.2% and 67.1%, respectively. The adsorption rate also increased as the adsorption time increased. When the adsorption time was 40 min, the adsorption rates were 67.6% and 69.0% for TiO2-doped ACNFs and Co304-doped ACNFs, respectively. The adsorption rate decreased as the adsorption temperature increased below 60℃, while it increased as the adsorption temperature increased to more than 60℃.     

Adsorption and catalytic combustion of ARB on CuO-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>

CuO-Fe2O3 composite material with strong magnetism and a large surface area is prepared by the co-precipitate method. Its adsorption properties towards Acid Red B (ARB) and the regeneration by catalytic combastion of organic compounds have been studied. The results show that the prepared CuO-Fe2O3 composite is an excellent adsorbent for ARB adsorption at acid condition. The presence of Cl^- has no effect on ARB adsorption. But the SO4^2- can inhibit ARB adsorption. After being recovered by the magnetic separation method, the adsorbent can be regenerated by catalytic oxidation of absorbate at 300℃ in air atmosphere. The combustion reactions of ARB in the presence or absence of CuO-Fe2O3 are studied by in situ diffuse refieclion FTIR. The results indicate that, in the presence of CuO-Fe2O3, the degradation temperature is significantly lowered by the catalysis of CuO-Fe2O3, and ARB can be oxidized completely without volatile organic compound by-product; in comparison, in the absence of CuO-Fe2O3, the temperature needed for oxidation of ARB is higher and the reaction is incomplete with some N-containing harmful compounds produced. The reusability of CuO-Fe2O3 is also studied in successive seven adsorption-regeneration cycles.     

Geochemical characteristics of Jurassic coal and significance for the evolution of the environment, Yanqi Basin, China

The Mesozoic strata of the Yanqi Basin consists of coarse debris with coal beds, characterized by the developments of coal seams of the Jurassic sediments whose main petrologic contents are glutenite, fine sandstone, mudstone, carbonaceous shale and coal. Based on the analyses of the minerals, trace elements and REEs, we try to find geochemical characteristics of the coal seam formation process. The analysis results indicate that the contents of ash and sulfur are low while the content of phosphor is comparatively high, and that the specific value of Al2O3/SiO2 is relatively high and that of （Al2O3+SiO2）／（Fe2O3+CaO+MgO） is near 1. All these results indicate that the coal seams are formed in the relatively deep marsh, which is favorable for the evolvement of hydrocarbon at the diagenesis stage.     

The Influence of Surface Morphology of Dense Ca-P Ceramics on Apatite Formation in Dynamic SBF

This study aimed at exploring the effect of surface morphology of dense phosphate calcimn （Ca-P） ceramics upon the formation of bone-like apatite in static or dynamic simulated body fluid （SBF）. Dense and sandblasted calcium phosphate ceramics were immersed into dynamic SBF flowing at normal physiological speed of body fluid of skeletal muscle. The changes were characterized using SEM, XPS, IR and XRD. Changes can be observed after the sandblasted surface of dense calcium phosphate ceramics had been immersed in SBF for 14 days. XPS analysis results showed that the flake-like structure was composed of Ca, P, C, O; IR analysis result of surface structure of samples showed that there were specific peaks for CO3^2-; XRD results indicated the decrease in crystallinity and the increase in amorphous structure. The rough surface was advantageous for the formation of bone-like apatite. Increasing the Ca^2＋, HPO4^2- concentration of SBF could also enhance the bonelike apatite formation. All the results demonstrated that local concentration is a key factor affecting nucleation.     

Comparative study of LiNiO2, LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 for lithium-ion batteries

The comparative study of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical methods. The results show that Co and Al doping suppress the phase transition during charge-discharge. The experiments indicate that LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 has the better cycle-ability and over-charge resistance comparing with LiNi0.8Co0.2O2. The interfacial behavior was studied by use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 has a slightly larger polarization character than LiNi0.8Co0.2O2.     

Effect of Co addition on crystallization and magnetic properties of FeSiBPCu alloy

The effects of Co addition on the microstructure,crystallization processes and soft magnetic properties of(Fe1 xCox)83Si4B8P4Cu1(x?0.35,0.5,0.65)alloys were investigated.The experimental results demonstrated that the addition of Co decreased the thermal stability against crystallization of the amorphous phase,and thus improved the heat treatment temperature of this alloy.Fe Co Si BPCu nanocrystalline alloys with a dispersedα0-Fe Co phase were obtained by appropriately annealing the as-quenched ribbons at 763 K for 10 min.Theα0-Fe Co with grains size ranging from 9 to 28 nm was identified in primary crystallization.The coercivity(Hc)markedly increased with increasing x and exhibited a minimum value at x0.35,while the saturation magnetic flux density(Bs)shows a slight decrease.The(Fe0.65Co0.35)83Si4B8P4Cu1nanocrystalline alloy exhibited a high saturation magnetic flux density Bsof 1.68 T,a low coercivity,Hcof 5.4 A/m and a high effective permeability meof 29,000 at 1 k Hz.     

Analysis of magnetic mechanisms of 3d-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors by an abnormal peak on M-T curve

The crystallographic structures and magnetic properties of a Zn0.95Co0.05O thin film deposited on a C-sapphire substrate using a dual-beam pulsed laser deposition method were characterized. It was shown from crystallographic analysis that the film belongs to the wurtzite structure with the C-axis aligned with that of the substrate. Magnetic hysteresis loops were observed till up to room temperature. A small peak around 55 K was noticed on the magnetization vs. temperature curve. The corresponding temperature of the small peak is close to that of ‘the abnormal peak’ reported by X.M. Zhang et al. From the results obtained, no correlation was found between the abnormal peak and the quantum effects. The magnetic behaviors in the Zn0.95Co0.05O film cannot be explained by the ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors. The magnetic mechanisms in ZnO-based diluted magnetic semiconductors are also discussed.     

Acetone hydrogenation in exothermic reactor of an isopropanol–acetone–hydrogen chemical heat pump: effect of intra-particle mass and heat transfer

Intra-particle mass and heat transfer plays an important role in performance of the exothermic fixed-bed reactor for an isopropanol-acetone-hydrogen chemical heat pump. In this work, an exothermic fixed-bed reactor model, taking into account the actual packing structure, is established in the commercial software Fluent. A 120° segment of a tube with tube-to-particle diameter ratio （n） of 4, where realistic particles are packed and set to porous media, is used to simulate the 3D external flow, concen- tration and temperature fields in the exothermic packed-bed reactor. The influence of catalyst particle diameter （dp） and micropore diameter （do） on the intra-particle temperature, species distribution, reaction rate and selectivity is dis- cussed. The appropriate dp and do are obtained. Simulation results showed that intra-particle temperature gradient is not obvious. Large dp and small do lead to remarkable gradient of reaction rate inside the catalyst particle and the decrease in the catalyst efficiency and reduce the acetone conversion and the selectivity in isopropanol. The optimal results reveal that the spherical catalyst with dp of 1 mm and dpore of 10 nm is appropriate for high-temperature acetone hydrogenation.     

Preparation and performance of LiNi0. 8Co0.2O2 cathode material based on Co-substituted α-Ni（OH）2 precursor

Co-substituted α-Ni（OH）2 was synthesized by a novel microwave homogeneous precipitation method in the presence of urea. LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode material was synthesized by calcining Co-substituted α-Ni（OH）2 precursor and LiOH·H2O at 900℃for 10 h in flowing oxygen. XRD, FTIR, FESEM and electrochemical tests were used to study the physical and the electrochemical performances of the materials. The results show that the prepared LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 compound has a good layered hexagonal structure. Moreover, the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2cathode material demonstrates stable cyclability with a high initial specific discharge capacity of 183.9 mAh/g. The good electrochemical performance could be attributed to the uniform distribution of Ni^2＋ and Co^2＋ ions in the crystal structure and a minimal cation mixing in LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 host structure.     

Bulk Al-Al3Zr composite prepared by mechanical alloying and hot extrusion for high-temperature applications

Bulk Al/Al₃Zr composite was prepared by a combination of mechanical alloying (MA) and hot extrusion processes. Elemental Al and Zr powders were milled for up to 10 h and heat treated at 600℃ for 1 h to form stable Al₃Zr. The prepared Al₃Zr powder was then mixed with the pure Al powder to produce an Al-Al₃Zr composite. The composite powder was finally consolidated by hot extrusion at 550℃. The mechanical properties of consolidated samples were evaluated by hardness and tension tests at room and elevated temperatures. The results show that annealing of the 10-h-milled powder at 600℃ for 1 h led to the formation of a stable Al₃Zr phase. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results confirmed that the formation of Al₃Zr began with the nucleation of a metastable phase, which subsequently transformed to the stable tetragonal Al₃Zr structure. The tension yield strength of the Al-10wt%Al₃Zr composite was determined to be 103 MPa, which is approximately twice that for pure Al (53 MPa). The yield stress of the Al/Al₃Zr composite at 300℃ is just 10% lower than that at room temperature, which demonstrates the strong potential for the prepared composite to be used in high-temperature structural applications.