Xieite, a new mineral of high-pressure FeCr2O4 polymorph

Xieite, a new mineral, occurs in the shock vein of the Suizhou meteorite. The mineral has an orthorhombic structure and its space group is Bbmm. The cell parameters are a = 9.462（6） A, b = 9.562（9） A, c = 2.916（1）A. The crystal-chemical formula is （Fe0.87Mg0.13Mn0.01）1.01（Cr1.62AI0.25Ti0.08V0.02）1.97O4, or simply formula FeCr2O4. Stronger X-ray diffraction lines are [d （A）, I/Io]： （2.675, 100）, （2.389, 20）, （2.089, 10）, （1.953, 90）, （1.566, 60）, （1.439, 15）, （1.425, 15）, （1.337, 40）. Xieite is a high pressure polymorph of FeCr2O4 and formed by solid-state transformation of chromite under shock-induced high pressure and temperature, in association with other high-pressure minerals including ringwoodite, majorite, lingunite and tuite. The P-Tcondition for the formation of xieite is estimated to be 18--23 GPa and 1800--1950℃, respectively. Xieite has recently been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association （IMA 2007-056）. The mineral name, xieite, is named after Xiande Xie.     

Multi-index analysis of the melting process of laterite metallized pellet

Herein, a multi-index analysis of the nickel content of an alloy, output rate of the alloy, nickel recovery rate, and iron recovery rate during the melting of laterite metallized pellets was performed. The thermodynamic reduction behavior of oxides such as NiO, FeO, Fe₃O₄, and Cr₂O₃ was studied using the FactSage software, which revealed that SiO₂ is not conducive to the reduction of iron oxides, whereas the addition of basic oxides such as CaO and MgO is beneficial for the reduction of iron oxides. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis to achieve greater nickel recovery and lower iron recovery rates, the optimum experimental parameters in the orthogonal experiment were A3B1C3 (t=30 min, C/O=0.4, R=1.2); the indicators w_Ni, φ_alloy, η_Ni, and η_Fe had values of 15.0wt%, 12.1%, 44.9%, and 96.4%, respectively. In single-factor experiments, increasing basicity (R) substantially improved the separation effect in the low-basicity range 0.5 ≤ R ≤ 0.8 but not in the high-basicity range 0.8 ≤ R ≤ 1.2. Similar results were obtained for the effect of the C/O ratio. Moreover, the recovery rate of nickel increased with increasing recovery rate of iron.     

Preparation of Cr2O3 precursors by hydrothermal reduction in the abundant Na2CO3 and Na2CrO4 solution

Precursors of chromium oxide (p-Cr₂O₃) were prepared by reducing hexavalent chromium in the presence of sodium carbonate solution under hydrothermal conditions. Methanal was used as the reductant, and carbon dioxide was the acidulating agent. The influences of reaction temperature, initial pressure of carbon dioxide, isothermal time and methanal coefficient on Cr(VI) reduction were investigated. Experimental results showed that Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) with a yield of 99%. Chemical titration, thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the p-Cr₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃. The series of p-Cr₂O₃ were found to be multiphase even if they presented different colors, from gray green to lavender. After these p-Cr₂O₃ samples were calcined, the product of rhombohedral Cr₂O₃ with a purity of 99.5wt% was obtained.     

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Cr7C3/γ-Fe Ceramal Composite Coating Fabricated by Plasma Cladding

A new type in situ Cr7C3/γ-Fe ceramal composite coating was fabricated on substrate of hardened and tempered grade C steel by plasma cladding with Fe-Cr-C alloy powders. The ceramal composite coating has a rapidly solidified microstructure consisting of primary Cr7C3/γ- and the Cr7C3/γ-Fe eutectics, and is metallurgically bonded to the degree C steel substrate. The corrosion resistances of the coating in water solutions of 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 and 3.5% NaCl were evaluated utilizing the electrochemical polarization corrosion-test method. Because of the inherent excellent corrosion-resisting properties of the constituting phase and the rapidly solidified homogeneous microstructure, the plasma clad ceramal composite coating exhibits excellent corrosion resistance in the water solutions of 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 and 3.5% NaCl.     

FeO影响CaO-SiO_2-MgO-Al_2O_3-Cr_2O_3体系中含铬尖晶石晶体析出的热力学分析

不锈钢渣中的铬以尖晶石矿物相状态赋存时不易溶出,有利于钢渣的资源化利用。本文基于熔体非平衡凝固理论,采用热力学数据库FactSage 7.0研究了FeO添加量对CaO-SiO_2-MgO-Al_2O_3-Cr_2O_3不锈钢渣体系中尖晶石晶体析出温度、析出量、化学组成及铬元素赋存状态的影响规律。模拟计算结果表明,尖晶石晶体为高温析出相,主要由MgCr_2O_4和FeCr_2O_4组成;随着FeO添加量不断增多,尖晶石晶体的析出温度逐渐降低,其最终析出量逐渐增加,析出物中FeCr_2O_4所占比例增加而MgCr_2O_4相对减少;铬元素的赋存状态未受FeO添加量变化影响,仍以尖晶石固溶体形式存在。     

Experimental and theoretical studies of the reaction between cationic vanadium oxide clusters and acetylene

The time of flight mass spectrometer coupled with a laser ablation/supersonic expansion cluster source and a fast flow reactor was adopted to study the reactivity of cationic vanadium oxide clusters （VinOS,） toward acetylene （C2H2） molecules under gas phase （P, - 1.14 kPa）, under near room temperature （T, - 350 K） conditions. Association products, VmOnC2H2^＋ （m,n = 2,4; 2,6; 3,7-8; 4,9-11; 5,12-13; 6,13-16, and 7,17）, are observed. The oxidation of C2H2 by （V2Os）n^＋ （n = 1 -3） is experimentally identified. The reactivity of （V2O5）n^＋ decreases as n increases. Density functional theory （DFT） calculations were carried out to interpret the reaction mechanisms. The DFT results indicate that a terminal oxygen atom from V2O5^＋ can transfer overall barrierlessly to C2H2 at room temperature, which is in agreement with the experimental observation. Other experimental results such as the observation of V206C2H2^＋ and nonobservation of V2O7,8C2H2^＋ in the experiments are also well interpreted based on the DFT calculations. The reactivity of vanadium oxide clusters toward acetylene and other hydrocarbons may be considered in identifying molecular level mechanisms for related heterogeneous catalysis.     

Influence of silicon on the microstructures,mechanical properties and stretch-flangeability of dual phase steels

Uniaxial tension tests and hole-expansion tests were carried out to determine the influence of silicon on the microstructures, mechanical properties, and stretch-flangeability of conventional dual-phase steels. Compared to 0.03wt% silicon, the addition of 1.08wt% silicon induced the formation of finer ferrite grains (6.8 μm) and a higher carbon content of martensite (C_m ≈ 0.32wt%). As the silicon level increased, the initial strain-hardening rate (n value) and the uniform elongation increased, whereas the yield strength, yield ratio, and stretch-flangeability decreased. The microstructures were observed after hole-expansion tests. The results showed that low carbon content martensite (C_m ≈ 0.19wt%) can easily deform in coordination with ferrite. The relationship between the mechanical properties and stretch-flangeability indicated that the steel with large post-uniform elongation has good stretch-flangeability due to a closer plastic incompatibility of the ferrite and martensite phases, which can effectively delay the production and decohesion of microvoids.     

Novel approaches to produce Al2O3– TiC/TiCN– Fecomposite powders directly from ilmenite

Al2O3 –TiC/TiCN–Fe composite powders were successfully prepared directly from ilmenite at 1300–1400℃.The effects of Al/C ratio,sintering atmosphere,and reaction temperature and time on the reaction products were investigated.Results showed that the nitrogen atmosphere was bene cial to the reduction of ilmenite and the formation of Al2O3 –TiC/TiCN–Fe composite powders.When the reaction temperature was between 600 and 1100℃,the intermediate products,TiO2,Ti3O5 and Ti4O7 were found,which changed to TiC or TiCN at higher temperature.Al/C ratio was found to affect the reaction process and synthesis products.When Al addition was 0.5 mol,the Al2O3 phase did not appear.The content of carbon in TiCN rose when the reaction temperature was increased.     

Preparation and properties of the Ni-Al/Fe-Al intermetallics composite coating produced by plasma cladding

A novel approach to produce an intermetallic composite coating was put forward. The microstructure, microhardness, and dry-sliding wear behavior of the composite coating were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) analysis, microhardness test, and ball-on-disc wear experiment. XRD results indicate that some new phases FeAl, Fe_0.23Ni_0.77Al, and Ni₃Al exit in the composite coating with the Al₂O₃ addition. SEM results show that the coating is bonded with carbon steel metallurgically and exhibits typical rapid directional solidification structures. The Cr₇C₃ carbide and intermetallic compounds co-reinforced composite coating has a high average hardness and exhibits an excellent wear resistance under dry-sliding wear test compared with the Cr₇C₃ carbide-reinforced composite coating. The formation mechanism of the intermetallic compounds was also investigated.     

Chemical quenching and inhibition of positronium in Cr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalysts

The pore structure of Cr2O3/Al2O3 catalysts and the surface chemical properties of these pores were characterized by positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) measurements. Four lifetime components could be resolved from the positron lifetime spectrum, with two long lifetime components and two short lifetime components. The two long lifetimes τ4 and τ3 are attributed to ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilation in large pores and microvoids, respectively. With increasing Cr2O3 content, both τ4 and its intensity I4 show sharp decrease, while τ3 and its intensity I3 keep nearly unchanged. The Doppler broadening S parameters also show sharp decrease with increasing Cr2O3 content. Detailed analysis of the CDB spectrum reveals that the parapositronium (p-Ps) intensity also decreases with increasing Cr2O3 content. This indicates that the change of o-Ps lifetime τ4 is due to the chemical quenching by Cr2O3 but not spin-conversion of positronium. The decrease of o-Ps intensity I4 indicates that Cr2O3 also inhibits positronium formation.     

镍基合金CMSX-4在3.5wt.% NaCl溶液中的腐蚀行为

研究二代镍基合金CMSX-4在质量分数为3.5% NaCl溶液中的腐蚀行为,对该类合金在海洋性环境条件下的应用具有深远意义。通过动电位极化方法研究室温条件下镍基合金CMSX-4在3.5 wt.% NaCl溶液中的电化学行为,利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、能谱分析仪（EDS）和X射线光电子能谱仪（XPS）对合金表面阳极腐蚀产物进行微观形貌观察及成分分析。研究表明,CMSX-4合金具有一定的钝化能力,钝化区间比较宽广;在镍基合金CMSX-4表面上形成的腐蚀产物可大致分为两层,表层主要由Ni （OH）₂、Cr （OH）₃、Co （OH）₂和Al （OH）₃等氢氧化物组成,内层主要分布着NiO、Al₂O₃、CoO、Cr₂O₃和CrO₃等氧化物及组成合金基体的各种金属;由Ni （OH）₂和Cr （OH）₃等氢氧化物组成的腐蚀产物膜外层能够在腐蚀介质和金属之间产生较好的屏蔽效果;构成腐蚀产物膜内层的NiO、Al₂O₃、Cr₂O₃和CrO₃等氧化物有利于产物膜内层与外层之间建立一定的空间电荷区,对稳定腐蚀产物内层有很大帮助。研究表明CMSX-4合金在海洋性环境中具有一定的耐蚀性能。     

New classes of interconnection topology structures and their properties

In the first part of this paper, three generalizations of arrangement graphA _n,k of [1], namelyB _{n, k},C _{n, k} andD _{n, k}, are introduced. We prove that all the three classes of graphs are vertex symmetric, two of them are edge symmetric. They have great faulty tolerance and high connectivity. We give the diameters ofB _{n, k}andC _n,k, the Hamiltonian cycle ofC _{n, k} and Hamiltonian path ofB _n,k. We list several open problems, one of them related to the complexity of sorting algorithm on the arrangement graphs. All these graphs can be thought as generalizations of star graph but are more flexible so that they can be considered as new interconnection network topologies. In the second part of this paper, we provide other four classes of combinatorial graphes,Ch _n, Cy_n, Zh_n, andZy _n. Many good properties of them, such as high node-connectivity, node symmetry, edge symmetry, diameter, ets., are shown in this paper.     

Formation of substitutional metallofullerenes by laser ablation of externally doped fullerenes C60M x (M=Sm, Pt, Ni and Rh)

Photofragmentation study of metal fullerides C₆₀M _x (M = Sm, Pt, Ni and Rh) by excimer laser ablation-TOF mass spectrometry shows that metallofullerenes C_2n M and C_2n+1M formed in both the positive and negative ionic modes. The isotopic distributions of the metallofullerenes C_2n M and C_2n+1M are consistent with the calculated spectra based on the natural abundance of isotopes of C and M, confirming the formation of metallofullerenes. The metal atom is supposed to be incorporated into the network of the fullerene cage to replace one carbon atom of the cage forming substitutional metallofullerene. Odd-numbered high carbon clusters are observed in our laser ablation study of all the metal fullerides in the negative ion channel. Evolution of mass spectrum with irradiation laser shots shows that the formation of the substitutionally doped fullerenes is closely related to the production of metal carbide (MC). The structures, as well as formation mechanism, of metallofullerenes C_2n+1M and C_2n M with even and odd numbers of total atoms respectively are discussed based on the structural optimization of the odd-numbered high carbon clusters.     

Crystalline mesoporous metal oxide

Since the discovery of many types of mesoporous silicas, such as SBA-15, KIT-6, FDU-12 and SBA-16, porous crystalline transition metal oxides, such as Cr2O3, Co3O4, In2O3, NiO, CeO2, WO3, Fe2O3 and MnO2, have been synthesized using the mesoporous silicas as hard templates. Several synthetic methods have been developed. These new porous materials have high potential applications in catalysis, Li-ion rechargeable batteries and gas sensors. This article gives a brief review of the research of porous crystals of metal oxides in the last four years.     

Synthesis and characterization of spinel Li_(1.05)Cr_(0.1)Mn_(1.9)O_(4-z)F_z as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Samples with the nominal stoichiometry Li_1.05Cr_0.1Mn_1.9O_4−z F _z (z=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2) were synthesized via the solid-state reaction method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), galvanostatic charge/discharge, and slow rate cyclic voltammetry (SSCV) techniques. The results show that the pure spinel phase indexed to Fd3m can be obtained when z=0, 0.05, and 0.1. The substitution of F for O with z≤0.1 contributes to the increase of initial capacity compared with Li_1.05Cr_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ spinels. However, when the F-dopant content is designed to be 0.15 and 0.2, the Li_1.05Cr_0.1Mn_1.9O_4−z F _z samples deliver relatively low capacity and poor cycling properties at 55°C.     

Long-chain branched/cyclic alkanes in recent sediment of Lake Fuxian and their environmental implications

Lake Fuxian is a large, deep, and oligotrophic freshwater lake. In recent sediment of this lake, a series of branched and cyclic alkanes, including branched alkanes with one or two quaternary carbon atoms （C2n compounds）, alkylcycloheptane, and alkylcyclohexane, were detected in high abundance. For each homolog of long-chain branched/ cyclic alkanes, molecules with only an odd or even carbon number were present in the sediment. The abundance vari- ation of each compound homolog corresponded to those of other compound homolog in the section, indicating the same origin of these compounds. The concentrations of long-chain branched/cyclic alkanes in the sediment profile exhibited variations similar to those of phytoplankton biomarkers, such as 3-methylJalkanes, short-chain odd carbon n-alkanes, hopene, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytol, sterols, and long-chain alkyl diols, but slightly different from those of long-chain odd carbon n-alkanes, which are ubiquitous biomarkers for higher plants. Therefore, the Can compounds and long-chain cyclic alkanes in the lake sediment were most likely produced by algae and bacteria in the water, primarily, by the heterotrophic bacteria in the moderately oxygenated waters, which flourishing might be the results of specific water environments in Lake Fuxian.     

Development of Fe(III)-containing ether-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids for aryl Grignard cross-coupling of alkyl halides

A series of Fe(Ⅲ)-containing imidazolium-based ionic liquids containing ether substituents,including[C3OMim][FeCl4](1,[C3OMim]=1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium),[C3OiPim][FeCl4](2,[C3OiPim]=1-isopropyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[C3OBim][FeCl4](3,[C3OBim]=1-butyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[(C3O)2im][FeCl4](4,[(C3O)2im]=1,3-bis(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[C3OMim][FeBr4](5)and[(C3O)2im][FeBr4](6),were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis,Raman spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.The catalytic performances of 1–6 and related Fe(III)-based catalysts in the cross-coupling of aryl Grignard reagents with alkyl halides bearing-hydrogens were studied,revealing that mono(ether)functionality improves the catalytic activity and that bis(ether)functionality improves the reusability.After simply decanting the product contained in the ethereal layer,complex 4,which containing bis(ether)-functionalized imidazolium cation,could be successfully recycled seven times.     

Wear properties of NiAl based materials

The NiAl based materials including NiAl-TiC-Al2O3 composite,NiAl-Cr(Mo)-Hf-Ho eutectic alloy and NiAl-Cr(Mo)-CrxSy in situ composite were fabricated and their wear properties were tested at different temperatures.The results revealed that the NiAl-TiC-Al2O3 composite,NiAl-Cr(Mo)-Hf-Ho eutectic alloy and NiAl-Cr(Mo)-CrxSy in situ composite exhibited the excellent wear properties between 700℃ and 900℃.The microstructure observations exhibited that the self-lubricant films formed on the worn surfaces during the dry sliding test at high temperature,which decreased the wear rate and friction coefficient significantly.TEM observation on the self-lubricant film revealed that it was mainly comprised by ceramic amorphous and nanocrystalline.Compared with the NiAl-TiC-Al2O3 composite,the NiAl-Cr(Mo)-CrxSy in situ composite has lower friction coefficient at low temperature.Such phenomena may be ascribed to the addition of sulfide which contributes much to the formation of self-lubricant,and moreover the TiC addition increase the strength of NiAl based material and its wear resistance.     

Corrosion behavior of ferritic ODS steel prepared by adding YH_2 nanoparticles in supercritical water at 600 °C

The corrosion behavior of the ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS)steel(14Cr-3Al-2W-0.1Ti)prepared by adding YH_2nanoparticles(NPs)was investigated in supercritical water(SCW)at 600°C for 1500 h.The mass gain of the ODS steel(215.5 mg/dm~2)was lower than that of SUS430 steel(357.2 mg/dm~2).A dual oxide layer generated on the surface of ODS steel after corrosion in SCW.The outer layer was composed of Fe_2O_3and Fe_3O_4,while the inner layer composed of the spinel-type FeCr_2O_4together with Al_2O_3.The generation of Y_2Ti_2O_7NPs in the ODS steel by adding YH_2NPs prohibits the formation of Y-Al-O particles and leaves more Al available to form a continuous protective oxide scale to improve the corrosion resistance.Moreover,the Y_2Ti_2O_7NPs act as efficient barriers to suppress the outward diffusion of metal atoms.This novel ODS steel shows potential applications in supercritical water.     

Thermodynamic analysis and preparation of β-SiC/ZrO2 composites

A predominance area diagram for the Zr-Si-C-O system at 1773 K was plotted according to correlative thermodynamic data. β-SiC/ZrO₂ composites were prepared based on the phase diagram by carbothermal reduction of zircon (ZrSiO₄) in argon atmosphere. Zircon and carbon black were mixed according to the C/ZrSiO₄ mass ratio of 0.2, and with 0, 1wt% and 2wt% extra addition of La₂O₃. Phase evolution of the mixture was investigated at 1723-1803 K by X-ray powder diffraction, and the microstructure of the product prepared at 1803 K for 4 h was examined by scanning electronic microscope. The results show that the decomposition of ZrSiO₄ and the formation of β-SIC can be promoted by increasing the heating temperature and adding La₂O₃. The β-SiC/ZrO₂ composites can be prepared at 1803 K for 4 h in a mixture of zircon, carbon black and La₂O₃, and the contents of β-SIC and m-ZrO₂ in the product sample with 2wt% La₂O₃ reach the highest values of 10.8wt% and 89.2wt%, respectively. The crystal size of the products is about 200 nm.