Preparation and radar-absorbing properties of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Yb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> composite powder

Al₂O₃/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃/Yb₂O₃ composite powder was synthesized via the sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, and radar-absorption properties of the composite powder were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and RF impedance analysis. The results show that two types of particles exist in the composite powder. One is irregular flakes (100-200 nm) and the other is spherical Al₂O₃ particles (smaller than 80 nm). Electromagnetic wave attenuation is mostly achieved by dielectric loss. The maximum value of the dissipation factor reaches 0.76 (at 15.68 GHz) in the frequency range of 2-18 GHz. The electromagnetic absorption of waves covers 2-18 GHz with the matching thicknesses of 1.5-4.5 mm. The absorption peak shifts to the lower-frequency area with increasing matching thickness. The effective absorption band covers the frequency range of 2.16-9.76 GHz, and the maximum absorption peak reaches -20.18 dB with a matching thickness of 3.5 mm at a frequency of 3.52 GHz.     

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.     

Investigation on high magnetoresistance Ni0.81Fe0.19 films grown on （Ni0.81Fe0.19）1-xCrx underlayers

We have fabricated Ni0.18Fe0.19 films with (Ni0.18Fe0.19)1-xCrx films as underlayers by dc magnetron sputtering, the results show that larger anisotropic magnetoresistance (△R/R) values of Ni0.18Fe0.19 films are observed using the underlayers with Cr concentration of -36 at.% at an optimum underlayer thickness of -4.4 nm, the maximum AMR value is 3.35%. The results of atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) show that the △R/R enhancement is attributed to the formation of large average grain size and the strong(111)texture in the Ni0.18Fe0.19 films.     

Effects of Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> on the properties of ceramics from steel slag

Ferric oxide is one of the key factors affecting both the microstructure and the properties of CaO-MgO-SiO₂-based ceramics. Research on this effect is significant in the utilization of iron-rich solid wastes in ceramics. Ceramic samples with various Fe₂O₃ contents (0wt%, 5wt%, and 10wt%) were prepared and the corresponding physical properties and microstructure were studied. The results indicated that Fe₂O₃ not only played a fluxing role, but also promoted the formation of crystals. Ceramics with 5wt% of Fe₂O₃ addition attained the best mechanical properties with a flexural strength of 132.9 MPa. Iron ions were dissolved into diopside, consequently causing phase transformation from diopside and protoenstatite to augite, thereby contributing to the enhancement of its properties. An excess amount of Fe₂O₃ addition (10wt% or more) resulted in deteriorated properties due to the generation of an excess volume of liquid and the formation of high-porosity structures within ceramics.     

Synthesis of highly ordered SnO2／Fe2O3 composite nanowire arrays by electrophoretic deposition method

Highly ordered SnO2/Fe2O3 composite nanowire arrays have been synthesized by electrophoretic deposition method. The morphology and chemical composition of SnO2/Fe2O3 composite nanowire arrays are characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, XPS, and XRD. The results show that the SnO2/Fe2O3 composite nanowires are about 180 nm in width and tens of microns in length, and they are composed of small nanoparticles of tetraganal SnO2 and rhombohedral α-Fe203 with diameters of 10-15nm. The SnO2/Fe2O3 composite nanowires are formed by a series of chemical reactions.     

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.     

One-pot synthesis of PVP-coated Ni<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2.4</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanocrystals

Novel poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP)-coated nickel ferrite nanocrystals were prepared by simultaneously pyrolyzing nickel(II) acetylacetonate (Ni(acac)₂) and iron(III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)₃) in N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP). The PVP coating was formed in situ through polymerization of NVP. The crystalline structure of the resultant nickel ferrite was analyzed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction patterns, and powder X-ray diffraction. In addition, the valence state of Ni and the metal contents of Ni and Fe in different valence states were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic absorption and the phenanthroline method. The surface coating layer of PVP and its binding states were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in combination with XPS. Colloidal stability experiments revealed that the nanocrystals could be dispersed well in both phosphate-buffered saline and Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium.     

Synthesis and characterization of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> magnetic composite nanoparticles by a one-pot process

Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell composite nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a one-pot process. Tetraethyl-orthosilicate was used as a surfactant to synthesize Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell structures from prepared Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The properties of the Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ composite nanoparticles were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The prepared Fe₃O₄ particles were approximately 12 nm in size, and the thickness of the SiO₂ coating was approximately 4 nm. The magnetic properties were studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. The results show that the maximum saturation magnetization of the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ powder (34.85 A·m2·kg–1) was markedly lower than that of the Fe₃O₄ powder (79.55 A·m2·kg–1), which demonstrates that Fe₃O₄ was successfully wrapped by SiO₂. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ composite nanoparticles have broad prospects in biomedical applications; thus, our next study will apply them in magnetic resonance imaging.     

Effect of Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> on the crystallization behavior of glass-ceramics produced from naturally cooled yellow phosphorus furnace slag

CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ (CAS) glass-ceramics were prepared via a melting method using naturally cooled yellow phosphorus furnace slag as the main raw material. The effects of the addition of Fe₂O₃ on the crystallization behavior and properties of the prepared glass-ceramics were studied by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The crystallization activation energy was calculated using the modified Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. The results show that the intrinsic nucleating agent in the yellow phosphorus furnace slag could effectively promote the crystallization of CAS. The crystallization activation energy first increased and then decreased with increasing amount of added Fe₂O₃. At 4wt% of added Fe₂O₃, the crystallization activation energy reached a maximum of 676.374 kJ·mol-1. The type of the main crystalline phase did not change with the amount of added Fe₂O₃. The primary and secondary crystalline phases were identified as wollastonite (CaSiO₃) and hedenbergite (CaFe(Si₂O₆)), respectively.     

Intense laser induced field ionization of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>, C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>4</Subscript>, and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>6</Subscript>

Using HOMO Field Ionization Model, the tunneling probabilities and the theoretical threshold intensities of the field ionizations of acetylene, ethylene, and ethane in intense laser field are calculated. C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 were irradiated by 800 nm, 100 fs laser pulses with the intensity range of 10^13-10^14 W/cm^2. A TOF-mass spectrometer was coupled to the laser system and used to experimentally investigate the field ionization of these molecules. The experimental ionization threshold intensities are obtained. The calculating results of the three molecules agree well with the experimental results, indicating that HOMO Field Ionization Model is valid for the ionization of polyatomic molecules in intense laser field.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Calorimetry of Ni（C4H8N2O3）2Cl2

A coordination complex was synthesized from NiCl2 and dipeptide glycylglycine（GG）. It was characterized by element analysis, NMR and TG methods, and then was determined to be Ni（C4HsN2O3）2Cl2. Using an isoperibolic reaction calorimeter, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of Ni（GG）2Cl2（solid） has been determined to be -（1 674.66±2.02） kJ · mol^-1 at 298.15 K.     

Catalytic oxidation of phenol in wastewater-A new application of the amorphous Fe78Si9B13 alloy

The amorphous Fe78Si9B13 alloy was used as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst in the process of phenol degradation.The influences of main operating parameters such as reaction temperature,catalyst amount,hydrogen peroxide dosage and initial pH of solution on phenol degradation rate were investigated.The maximum mineralization of phenol was achieved at 60°C,6 g/L Fe78Si9B13, 0.31 mol/L hydrogen peroxide,with an initial pH of 2.5.More than 99%of phenol was completely removed under the optimum conditions within 10 min for a solution containing 1000 mg/L of phenol.Batch experiments for solutions containing phenol con- centrations ranging from 50 to 2000 mg/L were investigated under the above conditions and the same excellent degradation rate was obtained.The Fe78Si9B13 showed better catalytic activity than iron powder and Fe 2+ .Addition of n-butannol(hydroxyl radical scavenger)decreased the degradation rate of phenol,which demonstrates that hydroxyl radicals were mainly responsible for the removal of phenol.We demonstrated that phenol may be degraded by hydroxyl radicals decomposed by hydrogen peroxide on the surface of Fe78Si9B13 and illustrated the reaction mechanism for this process.This amorphous alloy exhibited high stability in recycling experiments and showed excellent reuse performance even after continuous operations of 8 cycles.     

Dissolution of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> inclusions in CaO-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> slags at 1823 K

Al-Ti-O inclusions always clog submerged nozzles in Ti-bearing Al-killed steel. A typical synthesized Al₂TiO₅ inclusion was immersed in a CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃ molten slag for different durations at 1823 K. The Al₂TiO₅ dissolution paths and mechanism were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Decreased amounts of Ti and Al and increased amounts of Si and Ca at the dissolution boundary prove that inclusion dissolution and slag penetration simultaneously occur. SiO₂ diffuses or penetrates the inclusion more quickly than CaO, as indicated by the w(CaO)/w(SiO₂) value in the reaction region. A liquid product (containing 0.7–1.2 w(CaO)/w(SiO₂), 15wt%–20wt% Al₂O₃, and 5wt%–15wt% TiO₂) forms on the inclusion surface when Al₂TiO₅ is dissolved in the slag. Al₂TiO₅ initially dissolves faster than the diffusion rate of the liquid product toward the bulk slag. With increasing reaction time, the boundary reaches its largest distance, the Al₂TiO₅ dissolution rate equals the liquid product diffusion rate, and the dissolution process remains stable until the inclusion is completely dissolved.     

Fabrication of porous alumina templates with a large-scale tunable interpore distance in a H<Subscript>2</Subscript>C<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>-C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>5</Subscript>OH-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O solution

Highly ordered porous alumina templates with a large-scale tunable interpore distance （100-445 nm） have been successfully fabricated under an electric field of 40-180 V by modifying oxalic acid solution with adequate alcohol. The results under our experimental conditions show that the phenomena of burning and breakdown during the high-field anodization process can be avoided by adding a proper amount of alcohol to the oxalic acid solution. An excellent linear relationship between interpore distance and anodization voltage is obtained under 40-170 V, and the maximum anodization voltage that could be used to avoid burning and breakdown is 180 V.     

Synthesis and application of bilayer-surfactant-enveloped Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles: water-based bilayer-surfactant-enveloped ferrofluids

Superparamagnetic carbon-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with high magnetization (85 emu·g-1) and high crystallinity were synthesized using polyethylene glycol-4000 (PEG (4000)) as a carbon source. Fe₃O₄ water-based bilayer-surfactant-enveloped ferrofluids were subsequently prepared using sodium oleate and PEG (4000) as dispersants. Analyses using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy indicate that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with a bilayer surfactant coating retain the inverse spinel-type structure and are successfully coated with sodium oleate and PEG (4000). Transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and particle-size analysis results indicate that the coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles also retain the good saturation magnetization of Fe₃O₄ (79.6 emu·g-1) and that the particle size of the bilayer-surfactant-enveloped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is 42.97 nm, which is substantially smaller than that of the unmodified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (486.2 nm). UV–vis and zeta-potential analyses reveal that the ferrofluids does not agglomerate for 120 h at a concentration of 4 g·L-1, which indicates that the ferrofluids are highly stable.     

Static synthesis of high-quality MCM-22 zeolite with high SiO2／Al2O3 ratio

We demonstrate a synthesis method to broaden the range of SiO2/Al2O3 ratio (30-100) of high-silica MCM-22 zeolites by prolonging the aging time of the gel before the crystallization. The synthesis conditions such as silica sources, chemical compositions of initial gel and aging time of gel were investigated in detail.High quality MCM-22 products with various morphologies have been synthesized by optimize their synthesis conditions.Our results show that increasing of the aging time can make the gel be homogenization and promote their nucleus formation,which may avoid the formation of impurity phase and thus broaden the range of SiO2/Al2O3 ratio.     

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.     

Electro-deoxidation of V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> in molten CaCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>-NaCl-CaO

The electro-deoxidation of V₂O₃ precursors was studied. Experiments were carried out with a two-terminal electrochemical cell, which was comprised of a molten electrolyte of CaCl₂ and NaCl with additions of CaO, a cathode of compact V₂O₃, and a graphite anode under the potential of 3.0 V at 1173 K. The phase constitution and composition as well as the morphology of the samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). 3 g of V₂O₃ could be converted to vanadium metal powder within the processing time of 8 h. The kinetic pathway was investigated by analyzing the product phase in samples prepared at different reduction stages. CaO added in the reduction path of V₂O₃ formed the intermediate product CaV₂O₄.     

Effect of Al2O3 and Y2O3 on the corrosion behavior of ZrO2-benzotriazole nanostructured coatings applied on AA2024 via a sol-gel method

zirconia-based nanostructured coatings were deposited on AA2024 to improve the corrosion resistance properties. Three different nanostructured coatings, namely, zirconia-benzotriazole, zirconia-alumina-benzotriazole, and zirconia-yttria-benzotriazole, were applied on AA2024 via a sol-gel method using the dip-coating technique. Next, the coatings were annealed at 150℃ after each dipping period. The phases and morphologies of the coatings were investigated using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corrosion properties were evaluated using electrochemical methods, including polarization and electrochemical impedance techniques in 3.5wt% NaCl solution. The obtained results confirm the formation of homogeneous and crack free zirconia-benzotriazole-based nanostructured coatings. The average roughness values for zirconia-benzotriazole, zirconia-alumina-benzotriazole, and zirconia-yttria-benzotriazole nanostructured coatings were 30, 8, and 6 nm, respectively. The presence of alumina as a stabilizer on zirconia coating was found to have a beneficial impact on the stability of the corrosion resistance for different immersion times. In fact, the addition of alumina resulted in the dominance of the healing behavior in competition with the corrosion process of zirconia-benzotriazole nanostructured coating.