Effects of Strain Rate,Temperature and Grain Size on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure Evolutions of Polycrystalline Nickel Nanowires: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Through molecular dynamics(MD)simulation,the dependencies of temperature,grain size and strain rate on the mechanical properties were studied.The simulation results demonstrated that the strain rate from 0.05 to 2 ns~(–1 )affected the Young’s modulus of nickel nanowires slightly,whereas the yield stress increased.The Young’s modulus decreased approximately linearly;however,the yield stress firstly increased and subsequently dropped as the temperature increased.The Young’s modulus and yield stress increased as the mean grain size increased from 2.66 to6.72 nm.Moreover,certain efforts have been made in the microstructure evolution with mechanical properties association under uniaxial tension.Certain phenomena such as the formation of twin structures,which were found in nanowires with larger grain size at higher strain rate and lower temperature,as well as the movement of grain boundaries and dislocation,were detected and discussed in detail.The results demonstrated that the plastic deformation was mainly accommodated by the motion of grain boundaries for smaller grain size.However,for larger grain size,the formations of stacking faults and twins were the main mechanisms of plastic deformation in the polycrystalline nickel nanowire.     

Cationic Organic/Inorganic Hybrids and Their Swelling Properties

Specific properties of poly（dimethylsiloxanes）, such as low glass transition temperature, low surface energy, good insulating properties, biological and chemical inertness, high diffusion coefficient of gases, make them very attractive for practical applications in the daily life. However, there is a great interest last time in the preparation of ionic organic/inorganic materials with new properties for new applications. Quaternary ammonium salt（QAS） groups included in siloxane copolymers could induce new interesting properties such as： permanent fungicidal and bactericidal properties, which make them very attractive as materials for sanitary applications, improved selectivity coefficients of the gas-separation membranes, ion-exchange properties and so forth. So far, QAS groups have been located in the side chain.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan Nerve Conduits with Microtubular Architectures

Porous multi-channel chitosan conduits were fabricated using a novel phase-separation technique with an axial temperature gradient. First, porous chitosan tubes were made with a mold that was composed of two concentric polytetrafiuoroethylene tubes. Then 1%-3% （w/v） chitosan solution was injected into the chitosan tube while the two ends of the tube were closed with steel rods. Then the outside of the tube was wrapped with a layer of thermal insulating material to reduce the heat transfer through the outside, and the tubes were placed in a freezer. The resulting phase separation then occurred in the presence of an axial temperature gradient. The porosity, microtubule diameter, and orientation were controlled by adjusting the polymer concentration and temperature gradient. After the preparation course, no poisonous substances remained on the conduits. The mechanical properties, swelling, and biodegradability of the chitosan conduits were investigated, and a scanning electron microscope was used to observe the tubular morphology and growth of neuroblastoma cells （N2A, mouse） in the conduits. The results demonstrate that the multi-channel chitosan conduits have suitable mechanical strength, swelling, degradation properties, and nerve cell affinity, so they hold promise for use as neural tissue engineering scaffolds.     

Tensile properties and fracture reliability of a glass-coated Co-based amorphous microwire

Co_68.15Fe_4.35Si_12.25B_15.25 (at%) amorphous microwires with a smooth surface and a circular cross-section were fabricated by the glass-coated melt spinning method. Their mechanical properties were evaluated through tensile tests of the glass-coated amorphous microwires, and their fracture reliability was estimated using two- and three-parameter Weibull analysis. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results showed that these glass-coated Co-based microwires were mostly amorphous. The coated Co-based microwires exhibit a tensile strength of 1145 to 2457 MPa, with a mean value of 1727 MPa and a variance of 445 MPa. Weibull statistical analysis showed that the tensile two-parameter Weibull modulus of the amorphous microwires is 4.16 and the three-parameter Weibull modulus is 1.61 with a threshold value as high as 942 MPa. These results indicate that the fabricated microwires exhibit good tensile properties and fracture reliability, and thus appear to be good candidates for electronics reliability engineering applications.     

One Dimensional Nanostructures for Lithium-ion Batteries, Gas Sensors and Optoelectronics Applications

1 Results One dimensional (1D) nanostructures such as nanowires,nanotubes,nanorods and nanoribbons have been extensively investigated for a wide range of applications[1].Here,we present the synthesis,characterization and technological applications of several 1D nanostructures including SnO2 nanowires,CuO nanoribbons,CdSe nanowires and In2O3 nanowires.SnO2 nanowires were synthesized by thermal evaporation combined with a self-catalyzed growth procedure.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation shows SnO2 nanowires having diameters of 200-500 nm and lengths extending several tens of micrometers.High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis identified that SnO2 nanowires grew along [100] direction with an interplannar spacing of about 0.47 nm.The electrochemical performance of SnO2 nanowires was tested as anode materials in lithium-ion cells.SnO2 nanowires show a much higher lithium storage capacity,smaller initial irreversible capacity,and higher cyclability than that of SnO2 microcrystalline powders.This improved performance should be attributed to the 1D nanowires with a large surface area and high length/diameter ratio.CuO nanoribbons were synthesized via the hydrothermal reaction using CuCl2 and NaOH as reactants.SEM and TEM analysis show that CuO nanoribbons have widths in the range of 30-100 nm,a thickness of 10 nm and lengths of several micrometers.CuO nanoribbon sensors were fabricated and their gas sensitivities towards formaldehyde and ethanol gases were tested.CuO nanoribbon sensor demonstrated high sensitivity to formaldehyde gas.     

Structure Changes of Silk Fibroin（SF） by Blending with Poly（ε-caprolactone）（PCL）：Characterization of SF and PCL Blended Electrospinning Films

The mechanical properties and water solubility of electrospinning SF films limit their use as biomaterials. In order to develop a tissue engineering biomaterial with both satisfying biological properties and sufficient biomechanical properties,blended films composed of silk fibroin（ SF） and poly（ ε-caprolactone）（ PCL） were fabricated by electrospinning in this study. Scanning electron microscope（ SEM）, X-ray diffraction（ XRD）,thermal analysis,Fourier transform-infrared（ FT-IR）,Raman spectra,mechanical testing,and water solubility were used to characterize the morphological, structural and mechanical properties of the blended electrospinning films. Results showed that the diameter of the blended fiber was distributed between 600 and1000 nm,and the fiber diameter increased as the PCL content increased. There is no obvious phase separation due to the similarity and intermiscibility,as well as the interactions（ mainly hydrogen bonds）, between the two polymers. Meanwhile, the secondary structures of SF changed from random coils and Silk I to Silk II because of the interactions between SF and PCL. For this reason,the tensile strength and elongation at break of the electrospinning films improved significantly,and the water solubility decreased. In conclusion,the blended electrospinning films fabricated in this study showed satisfying mechanical properties and water insolubilities,and they may be promising biomaterials for applications in tissue engineering for blood vessels,nerve conduits,tendons,ligaments and other tissues.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered Ti-Mo alloys for dental applications

Ti-Mo alloys with various Mo contents from 6wt% to 14wt% were processed by spark plasma sintering based on elemental powders. The influence of sintering temperature and Mo content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the resulting alloys were investigated. For each Mo concentration, the optimum sintering temperature was determined, resulting in a fully dense and uniform microstructure of the alloy. The optimized sintering temperature gradually increases in the range of 1100–1300℃ with the increase in Mo content. The microstructure of the Ti-(6–12)Mo alloy consists of acicular α phase surrounded by equiaxed grains of β phase, while the Ti-14Mo alloy only contains single β phase. A small amount of fine α lath precipitated from β phase contributes to the improvement in strength and hardness of the alloys. Under the sintering condition at 1250℃, the Ti-12Mo alloy is found to possess superior mechanical properties with the Vickers hardness of Hv 472, the compressive yield strength of 2182 MPa, the compression rate of 32.7%, and the elastic modulus of 72.1 GPa. These results demonstrate that Ti-Mo alloys fabricated via spark plasma sintering are indeed a perspective candidate alloy for dental applications.     

Property of three-dimensional silica composites

Silica fibers-reinforced, fused silica composites were fabricated with repeated vacuum-assisted liquid-phase infiltration. The mechanical properties, thermal properties, and ablative properties of the samples were evaluated. The effect of the silica fiber content and treatment temperature on the flexural strength of the three-dimensional SiO₂ (3-D SiO₂) composites also was investigated. The SiO₂ composites show good mechanical properties and excellent ablative performance. The flexural strength increases with an increase in silica fiber content, and decreases with an increase in treatment temperature. When the volume fraction of the silica fiber is 50vo1% and the treatment temperature is 700℃ the flexural strength of the composites reaches a maximum value of 78 MPa. By adding cyclohexanone surfactant, the infiltration property can be largely improved, resulting in the density of SiO₂ composites increasing up to 1.65 g/cm3. The fracture surfaces of the flexural specimens observed using SEM, show that the pseudoplasticity and the toughening mechanisms of the composites are caused by absorption of a lot of energy by interface debonding and fiber pulling out.     

Hydrolysis-resistant Polyethylene Terephthalate （PET） Fiber

For certain industrial applications, the mechanical properties of PET fiber can be deteriorated from hydrolysis because the terminal carboxylic groups promote the degradation of macromolecules under high moisture and high temperature. It limits the wide applications of PET fiber in some special cases. In this paper, three additives are selected to improve the hydrolytic stability through the reaction of bi-functional groups on additive molecules with carboxyl groups on PET molecules. The additives can serve not only as hydrolysis stabilizers, but also as agents to increase the molecular weight and consequently to improve PET fiber mechanical properties. PET pellets were blended with additive before spinning, and melt spun into fiber. The fibers were then hydrolyzed in an autoclave by saturated vapor at 140℃ for a period of time. Measurements of intrinsic viscosity, terminal carboxylic group value and strength of polyester fibers were carried out to study the effects of hydrolysis resistance. Results show that 2, 2＇-bis （2-oxazoline） has best hydrolysis-resistibility and the chainextension effect at the same time.     

Controllable Fabrication of Spider-Web-Like Structured Anaphe Panda Regenerated Silk Nanofibers/Nets via Electrospinning/Netting

An Anaphe panda silk nanofibers / nets( NFN) membrane with attractive structures consisting of common electrospun nanofibers and two-dimensional( 2D) spider-web-like structured nano-nets were successfully fabricated via electrospinning / netting technology. The unique structures of NFN membranes such as extremely small diameter( 20 nm),high porosity,large specific surface area. and biocompatibility make this Anaphe panda silk NFN membrane a promising candidate for biomedical applications. In the present study, field emission scanning electron microscopy( FESEM) was used to investigate the influence of polymer solution and humidity on nano-nets coverage and morphology. The FE-SEM images revealed that nano-net coverage area increased with increase in concentration of solution while lowering the humidity increased the nano-nets formation. Moreover,the mechanical properties of the membrane were also tested and the result showed that the silk NFN membrane displayed a breaking stress of 3. 7 MPa and breaking strain of 13. 8%. For further structural elucidation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy( FT-IR) was used to analyze the structural conformation changes from random coil to β-sheet in the NFN membrane which was an important factor effecting the usability of membrane. Thus,the results above confirmed the feasibility of Anaphe panda NFN structures applicability in cell tissue culture and other biomedical applications.     

Mechanical,electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube-based silver and silver-palladium alloy composites

The mechanical, electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based silver and silver-palladium (10:1, w/w) alloy nanocomposites are reported. To tailor the properties of silver, CNTs were incorporated into a silver matrix by a modified molecular level-mixing process. CNTs interact weakly with silver because of their non-reactive nature and lack of mutual solubility. Therefore, palladium was utilized as an alloying element to improve interfacial adhesion. Comparative microstructural characterizations and property evaluations of the nanocomposites were performed. The structural characterizations revealed that decorated type-CNTs were dispersed, embedded, and anchored into the silver matrix. The experimental results indicated that the modification of the silver and silver-palladium nanocomposite with CNT resulted in increases in the hardness and Young’s modulus along with concomitant decreases in the electrical conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The hardness and Young’s modulus of the nanocomposites were increased by 30%–40% whereas the CTE was decreased to 50%–60% of the CTE of silver. The significantly improved CTE and the mechanical properties of the CNT-reinforced silver and silver-palladium nanocomposites are correlated with the intriguing properties of CNTs and with good interfacial adhesion between the CNTs and silver as a result of the fabrication process and the contact action of palladium as an alloying element.     

Fabrication of Dex-Loaded Shape Memory Polymer Based Composite Nanofibers ：for Potential Bone Tissue Engineering

Biodegradable shape memory polymers （SMPs） are a class of intelligent materials with great potential for imparting biomaterial scaffolds multifunetionality in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this study, the biodegradable SMP poly（ D, L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate） （PLMC） incorporated with the ,dexamethasone （Dex）, which was a kind of synthetic bone-formation inducing factor, was fabricated into nanofibers via dectrospinning. The morphology, constituent, thermal and mechanical properties of the produced Dex/PLMC composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, Fourier transform ：infrared spectroscopy （ FTIR ）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, and tensile testing, respectively. Then, ultrasound was ,employed as a remote stimulus to regulate the Dex releasing behavior from the composite nanofibers. It was found that the generated Dex/ PLMC composite nanofibers had a uniform and smooth morphology with a diameter of ca. 564 nm. Mechanical testing results showed that incorporation of the Dex gave rise to improved mechanical performance with the tensile strength, Young＇ s modulus and strain- at-break increased by 18.2 %, 20. 0 % and 64.4 %, respectively. DSC data revealed that the glass transition temperature （ Tg ） of the composite nanofibers, i. e., the thermal transition temperature （Ttrans） for activating shape memory effect, was 39. 7 ℃. Moreover, the release kinetics of the encapsulated Dex in the aanofibers could be manipulated by varying the acoustic power and insonation duration. These results suggested that the newly developed Dex/PLMC nanofibers could be a promising drug delivery system for applications in bone tissue engineering （BTE）.     

Sintering behavior,microstructure and properties of TiC-FeCr hard alloy

TiC based cermets were produced with FeCr, as a binder, by conventional P/M (powder metallurgy) to near 〉97% of the theoretical density. Sintering temperature significantly affects the mechanical properties of the composite. The sintering temperature of 〉1360℃ caused severe chemical reaction between TiC particles and the binder phase. In the TiC-FeCr cermets, the mechanical properties did not vary linearly with the carbide content. Optimum mechanical properties were found in the composite containing 57wt% TiC reinforcement, when sintered at 1360℃ for 1 h. Use of carbon as an additive enhanced the mechanical properties of the composites. Cermets containing carbon as an additive with 49wt% TiC exhibited attractive mechanical properties. The microstructure of the developed composite contained less or no debonding, representing good wettabifity of the binder with TiC particles. Homogeneous distribution of the TiC particles ensured the presence of isotropic mechanical properties and homogeneous distribution of stresses in the composite. Preliminary experiments for evaluation of the oxidation resistance of FeCr bonded TiC cermets indicate that they are more resistant than WC-Co hardmetals.     

The Novel Semiconductor Nanowire Heterostructures

1 Results If one-dimensional heterostructures with a well-defined compositional profile along the wire radial or axial direction can be realized within semiconductor nanowires, new nano-electronic devices,such as nano-waveguide and nano-capcipator, might be obtained. Here,we report the novel semiconducting nanowire heterostructures:(1) Si/ZnS side-to-side biaxial nanowires and ZnS/Si/ZnS sandwich-like triaxial nanowires[1],(2) Ga-Mg3N2 and Ga-ZnS metal-semiconductor nanowire heterojunctions[2-3]and (3) hierarchical heterostructures composed of Si core microwires and SiO2 nanowires[4].The 1D semiconducting nanowire heterostructures are interesting objects with respect to physical properties and applications in the blocks of advanced semiconducting nanodevices.     

Electrical and mechanical properties of vapour grown gallium monotelluride crystals

The physical vapour deposition (PVD) of gallium monotelluride (GaTe) in different crystalline habits was established in the growth ampoule, strongly depending on the temperature gradient. Proper control on the temperatures of source and growth zones in an indigenously fabricated dual zone furnace could yield the crystals in the form of whiskers and spherulites. Optical and electron microscopic images were examined to predict the growth mechanism of morphologies. The structural parameters of the grown spherulites were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The stoichiometric composition of these crystals was confirmed using energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX). The type and nature of electrical conductivity were identified by the conventional hot probe and two probe methods, respectively. The mechanical parameters, such as Vickers microhardness, work hardening index, and yield strength, were deduced from microindentation measurements. The results show that the vapour grown p-GaTe crystals exhibit novel physical properties, which make them suitable for device applications.     

Porous SiC ceramics fabricated by quick freeze casting and solid state sintering

Porous SiC ceramics with uniform microstructure were fabricated by quick freezing in liquid nitrogen and solid state sintering.Poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) was added as binder and pore morphology controller in this work.The microstructure and mechanical properties of porous SiC ceramics could be controlled by the composition of the aqueous slurries.Both solid content of the slurries and PVA content impacted on the pore structures and mechanical properties of the porous SiC ceramics.The solid content of slurries and PVA content varied from 60 to 67.5 wt%and 2-6 wt%,respectively.Besides,the grain morphology of ceramics was also tailored by changing the sintering temperature from 2050 to 2150 ℃.Porous SiC ceramics with an average porosity of 42.72%,flexural strength of 59.28 MPa were obtained at 2150 ℃ from 67.5 wt% slurries with 2 wt% PVA.     

High-throughput experimental tools for the materials genome initiative

The materials innovation infrastructure in the materials genome initiative(MGI)consists of three major components:computational tools,experimental tools,and digital data.This article will review experimental tools for high-throughput,high spatial resolution measurements of several materials properties such as elastic modulus,thermal conductivity,specific heat capacity,and thermal expansion.Application of these tools on compositionvarying samples such as diffusion multiples can be used to quickly and efficiently obtain composition–phase–structure–property relationships for materials property database establishment.They can also be used in conjunction with theoretical modeling to find and explain unusual effects to improve the predictability of models.More micron scale resolution experimental tools are in development.These high-throughput tools will be an essential part of MGI.     

Effect of Spinning Process on Properties of Polyglycollide Acid Embedding Materials

Acupoint catgut embedding therapy(ACET),filling the gaps of traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture treatment,has been widely used for the treatment of many diseases with significant effects.The aim of this paper is to obtain polyglycollide acid(PGA)fibers with higher performance at a lower cost,and ensure that PGA can meet the clinical requirements as well.PGA fibers with different diameters were spun as embedding materials.The mechanical performance,thermodynamic and biodegradable properties of PGA fibers were studied under different spinning process parameters,including spinning speed,drawing temperature and stretching ratio.The experimental results showed that the optimum spinning parameters were the spinning speed at 150 m/min,the drawing temperature of 45 ℃,and the stretching ratio of 4.0.The initial modulus of PGA fibers was 3.876 N/tex.The crystallization degree was 68% and the degradation performance was in consistent with treatment cycle of patients.     

Effect of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> pigment gradation on the properties of thermal insulation coatings

This study was designed to evaluate the thermal performance and mechanical properties of coatings with different gradations of TiO₂ pigments. The solar reflectance, cooling performance, wash resistance, and film adhesion strength of the coatings were investigated. The influence of TiO₂ powder gradation on the final properties of the coatings was studed. The solar reflectance and the thermal insulation were observed to increase with increasing content of nanosized TiO₂. The mechanical properties of the coatings, such as their wash resistance and film adhesion strength, were observed to increase with increased incorporation of nanosized TiO₂. Such improvements in the properties of the coatings were attributed to the greater specific surface area and lower thermal conductivity of nanosized TiO₂ particles compared to normal TiO₂ particles.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of X80 HTP Pipeline Steel Produced by Steckel Mill

The demand for energy becomes a bottleneck in development of China. Economically delivering natural gas and oil through pipeline is an urgent problem to be solved. In the present work, X80 pipeline steel with high toughness and thickness 21.0 mm was produced through HTP （ High Temperature Processing） by Steckel mill rolling. And the microstructure and mechanical properties of the X80 pipeline steel, which produced by different processing parameters such as reheating temperature of slabs, resume temperature, finishing temperature, accelerated cooling exit temperature and cooling rate, were analyzed. The results show that finishing temperature of 800 - 820℃ and cooling rate above 20℃/s are necessary to obtain fine and uniform acicular ferrite with high solute niobium in XS0 pipeline steel.