Preparation of Al<Subscript>72</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>8</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>8</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>6</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Y<Subscript>3</Subscript> amorphous powders and bulk materials

Amorphous Al₇₂Ni₈Ti₈Zr₆Nb₃Y₃ powders were successfully fabricated by mechanical alloying. The microstructure, glass-forming ability, and crystallization behavior of amorphous Al₇₂Ni₈Ti₈Zr₆Nb₃Y₃ powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation. In the results, the supercooled liquid region of the amorphous alloy is as high as 81 K, as determined by non-isothermal DSC curves. The activation energy for crystallization is as high as 312.6 kJ·mol?1 obtained by Kissinger and Ozawa analyses. The values of Avrami exponent (n) imply that the crystallization is dominated by interface-controlled three-dimensional growth in the early stage and the end stage and by diffusion-controlled two- or three-dimensional growth in the middle stage. In addition, the amorphous Al₇₂Ni₈Ti₈Zr₆Nb₃Y₃ powders were sintered under 2 GPa at temperatures of 673 K and 723 K. The results show that the Vickers hardness of the compacted powders is as high as Hv 1215.     

Synthesis and characterization of wormhole-like mesoporous Ce0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2 solid solutions

Nanoparticles of Ce0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2 (CZY) solid solution have been prepared by the CTAB (hexadecyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide), CTAB-EG (ethylene glycol) templating, and CTAB-EG-NaCl (in which the pores of the precursor synthesized by the CTAB-EG method is filled by a certain amount of NaCl) method, respectively. The physical properties of these materials were characterized by means of tech-niques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and N2 adsorp-tion-desorption measurements. The CZY samples synthesized by the above three methods display wormhole-like mesoporous morphology and cubic crystal structures. The materials are narrow in pore size distribution (averaged pore diameter = 5.3―7.1 nm), high in surface areas (95―119 m2/g), and large in pore volumes (0.16―0.18 cm3/g). It has been demonstrated that the introduction of NaCl is capable of retaining the pore structures of solid nanomaterials at high-temperature calcination.     

Electrochemical properties of LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.3</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> cells

Spinel compounds LiNi_0.5Mn_1.3Ti_0.2O₄ (LNMTO) and Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) were synthesized by different methods. The particle sizes of LNMTO and LTO are 0.5–2 and 0.5–0.8 μm, respectively. The LNMTO/LTO cell exhibits better electrochemical properties at both a low current rate of 0.2C and a high current rate of 1C. When the specific capacity was determined based on the mass of the LNMTO cathode, the LNMTO/LTO cell delivered 137 mA·h·g⁻¹ at 0.2C and 118.2 mA·h·g⁻¹ at 1C, and the corresponding capacity retentions after 30 cycles are 88.5% and 92.4%, respectively.     

Lithium-ion full cell with high energy density using nickel-rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode and SiO-C composite anode

A high-energy-density Li-ion battery with excellent rate capability and long cycle life was fabricated with a Ni-rich layered LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ cathode and SiO-C composite anode. The LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ and SiO-C exhibited excellent electrochemical performance in both half and full cells. Specifically, when integrated into a full cell configuration, a high energy density (280 Wh·kg-1) with excellent rate capability and long cycle life was attained. At 0.5C, the full cell retained 80% of its initial capacity after 200 charge/discharge cycles, and 60% after 600 cycles, indicating robust structural tolerance for the repeated insertion/extraction of Li+ ions. The rate performance showed that, at high rate of 1C and 2C, 96.8% and 93% of the initial capacity were retained, respectively. The results demonstrate strong potential for the development of high energy density Li-ion batteries for practical applications.     

Bulk amorphous Al_（85）Ni_（10）Ce_5 composite fabricated by cold hydromechanical pressing of partially amorphous powders

Gas atomized Al85Ni10Ce5 partially amorphous alloy powders were successfully consolidated into bulk alloy specimens with high relative density at room temperature by cold hydromechanical pressing. The consolidated specimens have a high fracture strength of up to 1.1 GPa. Two densification mechanisms are proposed to explain the consolidation process. The viscous flow of the amorphous phase because of local heating facilities the elimination of residual pores.     

Preparation of nanocrystalline Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and its properties as supercapacitors

Electrochemical capacitors store the capacitance through faradic reaction, which is generally named psue-docapacitance or supercapacitance. They are currently extensively studied as novel energy storage devices. Due to their superb characteristics of high power density and long cycle life compared to the conventional batteries, their high pulse-power capability is very excellent. Inter-ests in supercapacitor energy-storage systems have arisen in recent years on account of possible applications…     

Magnetocaloric effect in Gd<Subscript>5</Subscript>Si<Subscript>1.85</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2.15</Subscript> prepared by Gd metal with lower purity

Recently, Pecharsky et al. have discovered that Gd5(SixGe1-x)4 (0 < x <0.5) has a significantly large mag-netocaloric effect (MCE), which is 50% to 200% larger than any known materials[1—4]. This behavior is called as 慻iant magnetocaloric effect? The giant MCE is caused by simultaneous magnetic and crystallographic transition in these alloys. The first order magnetic ordering tem-perature of Gd5(SixGe1-x)4 can be tuned from 20 to 280 K by changing the ratio of Si︰Ge[2]. The temperat…     

Temperature effect on the corrosion and passivation characterization of Ni<Subscript>82.3</Subscript>Cr<Subscript>7</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>Si<Subscript>4.5</Subscript>B<Subscript>3.2</Subscript> alloy in acidic media

The effects of temperature on corrosion and the electrochemical behavior of Ni_82.3Cr₇Fe₃Si_4.5B_3.2 glassy alloy in HCl, H₂SO₄, and H₃PO₄ acids were studied using AC and DC techniques. Impedance data reveal that the susceptibility to localized corrosion increases with increasing temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization curves reveal that the bulk glassy alloy is spontaneously passivated at all the investigated temperature in H₂SO₄ and H₃PO₄ solutions. A localized corrosion effect in HCl solution is clearly observed. The apparent activation energies in the regions of Tafel, active, and passive, as well as the enthalpies and entropies of the dissolution process were determined and discussed. The high apparent activation energy (E_a) value for H₃PO₄ solution in Tafel region is explained by the low aggressivity of PO₄3- ions.     

Synthesis of NiCr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> spinel coatings with high emissivity by plasma spraying

Air plasma spraying (APS) was used to produce high emissivity coatings with a NiCr₂O₄ spinel structure. The relationship between the emissivity and the crystal structure was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses show that NiCr₂O₄ spinel has been fabricated with the space group Fd3m. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs show that the coating consists of a laminated structure with homogeneous grains and high porosity because of the unique feature of plasma spraying. The emissivity measurement and Fourier transformation infrared radiation (FT-IR) spectra show that NiCr₂O₄ has a high emissivity of about 0.91 because of its special spinel structure. APS is a suitable method to produce high emissivity coatings.     

Rapid solidification mechanism of Ag60Sb34Cu6 ternary alloy in drop tube

Ternary eutectic growth involves competitive nu-cleation and growth of three solids from one liquid. Thesolidification behavior of ternary eutectic alloy is morecomplex than that of binary eutectic alloy due to the addi-tion of the third component[1—4]. Up to now, most scientificinvestigations on ternary eutectic alloy focus on the influ-ence of changing the component or adding a fourth even afifth element on the performance of the alloy[5—8]. How-ever, the information on crystal growth char…     

Tribological properties of La2O3 and CeO2 doped CoCrW coatings deposited by supersonic plasma spraying

A novel supersonic plasma spraying was used to prepare rare earth oxides doped CoCrW coatings. X-ray diffractometer, contact surface profiler, hardness tester, micro-friction and -wear tester and en- vironmental scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed to investigate the phase structure, surface morphology, microhardness, friction and wear properties of the sprayed coatings. The results show that rare earth oxide doped coatings have high microhardness and excellent tribological properties. Furthermore, the friction and wear mechanisms of sprayed coatings are also discussed.     

La<Subscript>2</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> TBCs toughened by Pt particles prepared by cathode plasma electrolytic deposition

La₂Zr₂O₇ thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with dispersed Pt particles were prepared by cathode plasma electrolytic deposition (CPED) with ceramic balls added to the cathode region. Compared with the conventional CPED, when ceramic balls are used in the cathode region, the plasma discharge ignition current density decreases approximately 62-fold and the stable plasma discharges occur at the whole cathode surface. Such TBCs with a thickness of 100 μm exhibit a crack-free surface and are composed of pyrochlore-structured La₂Zr₂O₇. Cyclic oxidation, scratching, and thermal insulation capability tests show that such TBCs not only exhibit high resistance to oxidation and spallation but also provide good thermal insulation. These beneficial effects are attributed to the excellent properties of TBCs, such as good thermal insulation because of low thermal conductivity, high-temperature oxidation resistance because of low-oxygen diffusion rate, and good mechanical properties because of the toughening effect of Pt particles.     

High-temperature synthesis in nonpolar solvent for CsPbBr<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>PbBr<Subscript>3</Subscript> perovskite nanocrystals with high-efficient luminescence

We report a method to synthesize both organicinorganic CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ and all-inorganic CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystals in nonpolar solvent at high temperature. The cesium oleate and CH₃NH₃Br (MABr) are prepared and then injected into the nonpolar solvent of octadecene including oleic acid, oleylamine, and lead halide. In the synthesis of organic-inorganic perovskites of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃, the frequently-used polar solvent of dimethylformamide or other polar solvents are not used. The prepared CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals are spherical nanoparticles with the diameter of 250 nm. The CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ perovskites are micro- scale hexagonal nanoplatelets. The colloidal perovskites exhibit high-efficient fluorescence and excellent stability.     

Acid etching process for fabrication of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8＋x stack

We adopted a new method, acid etching process, to fabricate the intrinsic Josephson junctions based on the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 x single crystals. By soaking the crystals into the dilute hydrochloric acid, we fabricated a junction stack successfully, and meantime made the surrounding area insulated. A certain concentration of hydrochloric acid was used to maintain the roughness of the modified layer. The cur-rent-voltage characteristic was achieved through the four terminal measurement. We could control the junctions' number by changing the concentration and the soaking time. We also found that the thick-ness of the stack was equal to the average height of the insulation layer. Such a simple, convenient and controllable fabrication method with a high yield might widen the applications of the intrinsic Joseph-son junctions.     

Shear-thinning behavior of the CaO-SiO2-CaF2-Si3N4 system mold flux and its practical application

Satisfying the mold-flux performance requirements for high-speed continuous casting necessitates the development of a new non-Newtonian-fluid mold flux with shear-thinning behavior, i.e., a mold flux whose viscosity is relatively high under lower shear rates and relatively low under higher shear rates. In this work, a mold flux that exhibits shear-thinning behavior was developed by adding different amounts of Si₃N₄ to the CaO-SiO₂-CaF₂ mold flux. The shear-thinning behavior was investigated using a rotational viscometer. In addition, the microstructure of the newly prepared slags was studied by high-temperature Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the mechanism of shear-thinning was attributable to a temporary viscosity loss caused by the one-way shear stress, whereas the corresponding magnitude of shear-thinning was closely related to the degree of polymerization (DP). Finally, the non-Newtonian fluid mold flux was used for laboratory casting tests, which revealed that the mold flux could reduce slag entrapment and positively affect the continuous casting optimization.     

Preparation of high emissivity NiCr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> powders with a spinel structure by spray drying

Spray-drying was used to produce the high emissivity NiCr₂O₄ powders with a spinel structure. Preliminary investigations focused on fabricating the high emissivity powders for infrared radiation coatings and finding the relationship between microstructure and emissivity. The NiCr₂O₄ powders were characterized for composition, microstructure, and infrared emissivity by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared radiant instrument, and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR). Thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis show that the appropriate baking temperature for NiCr₂O₄ powder preparation is about 1200°C. The emissivity measurement and FT-IR spectra show that, because of the special spinel structure, the NiCr₂O₄ powders have a high emissivity about 0.91. Spray-drying is a suitable method to produce the high emissivity ceramic powders.     

Photocatalytic degradation of metronidazole in aqueous solution by niobate K<Subscript>6</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>10.8</Subscript>O<Subscript>30</Subscript>

The photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic metroni-dazole in aqueous solution by niobate K6Nb10.8O30 photocatalyst that was prepared using a soft-chemical method was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-Vis absorption spectrum. Metronidazole is very stable and is difficult to degrade under UV irradiation. K6Nb10.8O30 photocatalyst cannot degrade metronidazole without UV irradiation and shows very high photo-catalytic activity for the degradation of metronidazole under UV irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation rate of metronidazole increased with increasing the dosage of K6Nb10.8O30 photocatalyst. The photocatalytic degradation reaction of metronidazole by nio-bate K6Nb10.8O30 follows the first-order kinetic equation.     

Preparation and characterization of porous ceramics prepared by kaolinite gangue and Al(OH)<Subscript>3</Subscript> with double addition of MgCO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CaCO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Porous ceramics were prepared from kaolinite gangue and Al(OH)₃ with double addition of MgCO₃ and CaCO₃ by the pore-forming in-situ technique. The characterizations of porous ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury porosimetry measurements, etc. It is found that although the decomposition of MgCO₃ and CaCO₃ has little contribution to the porosity, the double addition of MgCO₃ and CaCO₃ strongly affects the formation of liquid phase, and then changes the phase compositions, pore characterization, and strength. The appropriate mode is the sample containing 1.17wt% MgCO₃ and 1.17wt% CaCO₃, which has high apparent porosity (41.0%), high crushing strength (53.5 MPa), high mullite content (76wt%), and small average pore size (3.24 μm).     

Microstructures and properties of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> dispersion-strengthened copper alloys prepared through different methods

Al₂O₃ dispersion copper alloy powder was prepared by internal oxidation, and three consolidation methods—high-velocity compaction (HVC), hot pressing (HP), and hot extrusion (HE)—were used to prepare Al₂O₃ dispersion-strengthened copper (Cu–Al₂O₃) alloys. The microstructures and properties of these alloys were investigated and compared. The results show that the alloys prepared by the HP and HE methods exhibited the coarsest and finest grain sizes, respectively. The alloy prepared by the HVC method exhibited the lowest relative density (98.3% vs. 99.5% for HP and 100% for HE), which resulted in the lowest electrical conductivity (81% IACS vs. 86% IACS for HP and 87% IACS for HE). However, this alloy also exhibited the highest hardness (77 HRB vs. 69 HRB for HP and 70 HRB for HE), the highest compressive strength (443 MPa vs. 386 MPa for HP and 378 MPa for HE), and the best hardness retention among the investigated alloys. The results illustrate that the alloy prepared by the HVC method exhibits high softening temperature and good mechanical properties at high temperatures, which imply long service life when used as spot-welding electrodes.     

The giant magnetocaloric effect in Gd<Subscript>5</Subscript>Si<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript> with low purity gadolinium

The giant magnetocaloric effect Gd5Si2Ge2 alloy was prepared with 99wt% low purity commercial Gd. Powder XRD and magnetic measurements showed that the Gd5Si2Ge2 alloy annealed at 1200℃ for 1h had a significant magnetic- crystallographic first order phase transition at about 270 K. The maximal magnetic entropy change is 17.55 J· kg^-1· K^-1 under a magnetic field change of 0-5 T. The distinct increase of magnetic entropy change belongs to the first-order phase transition from the orthorhombic Gd5Si4-type to the monoclinic Gd5Si2Ge2-type after high temperature heat-treatment.