Microstructural evolution of titanium matrix composite coatings reinforced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> synthesized TiB and TiC by laser cladding

Titanium-based composite coatings reinforced by in situ synthesized TiB and TiC particles were successfully fabricated on Ti6Al4V by laser cladding using Ti-B₄C-Al or Ti-B₄C-C-Al powders as the precursor materials. The microstructural and metallographic analyses were made by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The results show that the coatings are mainly composed of α-Ti cellular dendrites and a eutectic transformation product in which a large number of coarse and fine needle-shaped TiB and a few equiaxial TiC particles are homogeneously embedded. A thin dilution zone with a thickness of about 100 μm is present at the interface, and it consists of a few TiB and TiC reinforcements and a large number of lamella grains growing parallel to the heat flux direction in which a thin needle-shaped microstructure exists due to the martensitic transformation. The microstructural evolution can be divided into four stages: precipitation and growth of primary β-Ti phase, formation of the binary eutecticum β-Ti+TiB, formation of the ternary eutecticum β-Ti+TiB+TiC, and solid transformation from β-Ti to α-Ti.     

Formation and mechanical properties of Zr-based bulk metallic glass composites with high oxygen levels

Zr-based bulk metallic glass(BMG) composites with in situ formed Y 2 O 3 particle reinforcements were synthesized by proper additions of Y to ultrahigh-oxygen-containing glass-forming alloy precursors.Microstructures,thermal stabilities,and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated.Glass formation was greatly enhanced by Y additions in the alloys and the resultant particles were homogenously distributed in the glassy matrix,allowing for the fabrication of oxide dispersion strengthened BMG composites.The compressive strength and hardness increased by 10% and 20%,respectively,with the introduction of Y 2 O 3 particles.These results are significant for the design and production of Zr-based BMGs and BMG composites with improved properties using commercial high-oxygen content raw materials under industrial conditions.     

Effect of Ag addition on the thermal stability and glass-forming ability of Zr<Subscript>35</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>30</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>7.5</Subscript>Be<Subscript>27.5</Subscript> bulk metallic glass

The thermal stability and glass forming ability (GFA) of Zr35-xTi30Cu7.5Be27.5Agx (x = 0-10) alloys were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ultrasonic techniques. We found that the addition of 1 at.% Ag can considerably enhance the GFA as indicated by an increase in the critical glass dimension from 15 mm in the Zr35Ti30Cu7.5Be27.5 alloy to 20 mm in the Zr34Ti30Cu7.5Be27.5Ag1 alloy. However, with the addition of more Ag the supercooled liquid region (△Tx) and y parameter (defined as Tx/(Tg+Tl)) drastically decreased from 155 K and 0.436 to 76 K and 0.363, respectively, resulting in a decrease in the GFA. Additionally, the elastic constant (the ratio of shear modulus to bulk modulus or Poisson’s ratio) was also used as a gauge to evaluate the GFA in Zr35-xTi30Cu7.5Be27.5Agx alloys.     

Work toughening effect in Zr_（41）Ti_（14）Cu_（12.5）Ni_（10）Be_（22.5） bulk metallic glass

Work hardening is a well-known phenomenon occurring in crystalline metals during deformation,which has been widely used to increase the strength of metals although their ductility is usually reduced simultaneously. Here we report that the plastic strain of Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (at.%) bulk metallic glasses has been increased from 0.3% for the as-cast sample to 2.5%-8.0% for samples that have experienced pre-deformation under constrained conditions. The pre-deformed glassy alloys possess more free volume and abundant introduced shear bands,which are believed to promote the activation of shear bands in post-deformation and result in an increase in plasticity. The orientation of the pre-introduced shear bands relative to the loading direction will affect the deformation behavior of pre-deformed samples. The present results show that pre-deformation of this glassy alloy will result in work toughening. This work toughening effect can be removed by isothermal annealing at a sub-Tg (glass transition) temperature,which causes annihilation of free volume and healing of shear bands.     

Growth characteristics of directionally solidified Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/YAG/ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> ternary hypereutectic <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> composites under ultra-high temperature gradient

Oxide eutectic ceramic in situ composites have attracted significant interest in the application of high-temperature structural materials because of their excellent high-temperature strength, oxidation and creep resistance, as well as outstanding microstructural stability. The directionally solidified ternary Al₂O₃/YAG/ZrO₂ hypereutectic in situ composite was successfully prepared by a laser zone remelting method, aiming to investigate the growth characteristic under ultra-high temperature gradient. The microstructures and phase composition of the as-solidified hypereutectic were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the composite presents a typical hypereutectic lamellar microstructure consisting of fine Al₂O₃ and YAG phases, and the enriched ZrO₂ phases with smaller sizes are randomly distributed at the Al₂O₃/YAG interface and in Al₂O₃ phases. Laser power and scanning rate strongly affect the sample quality and microstructure characteristic. Additionally, coarse colony microstructures were also observed, and their formation and the effect of temperature gradient on the microstructure were discussed.     

Synthesis of LiFePO4 in situ vapor-grown carbon fiber （VGCF） composite cathode material via microwave pyrolysis chemical vapor deposition

One of the most important factors that limits the use of LiFePO 4 as cathode material for lithium ion batteries is its low electronic conductivity.In order to solve this problem,LiFePO 4 in situ vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF) composite cathode material has been prepared in a single step through microwave pyrolysis chemical vapor deposition.The phase,microstructure,and electrochemical performance of the composites were investigated.Compared with the cathodes without in situ VGCF,the initial discharge capacity of the composite electrode increases from 109 to 144 mA h g-1 at a 0.5-C rate,and the total electric resistance decreases from 538 to 66.The possible reasons for these effects are proposed.     

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.     

First-principles calculations of the β′-Mg<Subscript>7</Subscript>Gd precipitate in Mg-Gd binary alloys

The metastable β’ phase is often the most effective hardening precipitate in Mg-Gd based alloys.In this paper,the structural,elastic and electronic properties of the recently identified β’-Mg7Gd precipitate in Mg-Gd binary alloys were investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory.The lattice mismatches between the coherent β’-Mg7Gd precipitate and α-Mg matrix are discussed and used to rationalize the experimentally observed morphology of the precipitate.The mechanical properties were investigated through analysis of the single-crystal elastic constants and the polycrystalline elastic moduli.It is found that β’-Mg7Gd is brittle in nature.Strong covalent bonding in β’-Mg7Gd,as inferred from its electronic structure,further explains its mechanical properties.Our theoretical results show good agreement with experimental measurements.     

Direct observation of the clockwise light-driven rotation of F<Subscript>0</Subscript>F<Subscript>1</Subscript>-ATP synthase complex

The purified thermophilic bacterium PS3 F₁ β _10×His-tag is inserted into the F_oF₁-ATP synthases of chro-matophores isolated from photosynthetic bacteria Rhodo-spirillum rubrum. The studies of biochemical properties of the hybrid chromatophores show that they have both protons-driving capability and photophosphorylation. The fluorescent actin filaments, as a marker of its orientation by video-microscopic experiment, are connected via Maleimido-C₃-NTA to the reconstituted β_10×His-tag of F_oF₁-ATP synthases. The clockwise rotation of F_oF₁-ATP synthases driven by light is observed directly when viewed from the F_o side to F₁. This system should be valuable for further studying the coupling property of F_oF₁-ATP synthase.     

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.     

Microwave sintering of Ca<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>La<Subscript>0.2667</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> microwave dielectric ceramics

Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were prepared by conventional and microwave sintering techniques and their sinterability, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties were investigated in detail for comparison. Densified Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were obtained by microwave sintering at 1350°C for 30 min and by conventional sintering at 1450°C for 4 h. An unusual phenomenon was found that some larger grains (grain size range: 8–10 μm) inclined to assemble in one area but some smaller ones (grain size range: 2–4 μm) inclined to gather in another area in the microwave sintered ceramics. The microwave dielectric properties of Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics prepared by microwave sintering at 1350°C were as follows: dielectric constant (ɛ _r) = 119.6, quality factor (Qf) = 17858.5 GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ _f) = 155.5 ppm/°C. In contrast, the microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics prepared by conventional sintering at 1450°C were ɛ _r = 117.4, Qf = 13375 GHz, and τ _f = 217.2 ppm/°C.     

Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Spin-Liquid Tb2Ti2O7

Polycrystalline samples of a novel spin-liquid compound Tb2Ti2O7 were prepared by a standard solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction at room temperature confirms that the synthesized compound of Tb2Ti2O7 is single phase with cubic unit cell constant a0 of 1.015 44 nm. Magnetic susceptibility measurements in the temperature range between 100 and 300 K give an effective moment of 9.44 μB and Curie-Weiss temperature of 12.68 K, respectively, indicating the dominance of antiferromagnetic interactions. However, below 50 K, the magnetic behavior of Tb2Ti2O7 deviates from Curie-Weiss law, whose origin remains suspicion.     

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.     

Giant magneto-optical faraday effect of nanometer Fe-In<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> granular films

The giant magneto-optical Faraday effect of nanometer ferromagnetic metal-semiconductor matrix Fe-ln2O3 granular films prepared by the radio frequency sputtering are studied. The result shows that the Faraday rotation angle θF value of the granular film samples with Fe volume fraction x = 35% is of the order of 10^5（°）/cm at room temperature. Temperature dependence of the Faraday rotation angle θF of Fe0.35（In2O3）0.65 granular films shows that θF value below 10 K increases rapidly with the decrease of the temperature, and when T= 4.2 K, θF value is 106（°）/cm. Through the study of the dependence of low field susceptibility on temperature and the hysteresis loops at different temperatures, it has been found that when the temperature decreases to a critical point Tp = 10 K, the transformation of state from ferro-agnetic to spin-glass-like occurs in Fe0.35（In2O3）0.65 granular films. The remarkable increase of the Faraday rotation angle θF value of Fe0.35（In2O3）0.65 granular films below 10 K seems to arise from the sp-d exchange interaction of the granular film samples in the spin-glass-like state.     

Electronic structures and nonlinear optical properties of XAuPH<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The studies on model systems XAuPH3(X-H,F,Cl,Br,I,CN,CH3)have been carried out by using ab intiol HF and DFT B3LYP methods at pseudopotential and double-zeta LANL2DZ level.The results are compared with those of MP2,The properties of the models.i.e.the atomic net charge populations.the frontier molecular orbitals and nonlinear optical(NLO)properties have been investigated under an applied electric field on the basis of optimized structures.The computational results show that for these models characterized as electron acceptor-metal-electron donor(A-M-D)system,the NLO properties are due to intramolecular charge-transfer interaction between the acceptor and the donor.The more charges transfer gives,the better NLO properties.In the selected model systems,IAuPH3 has the biggest βvec and γof 1184.1942 a.u.and 17341.9214 a.u.,whereas IC6H4PH3^ ,A TYPICAL a-π-D organic conjugated system,has βvec and γof 710.7697 and 11664.1405 a.u.respectively.In comparison.IAuPH3 has significant NLO properties.     

Synthesis,Structure and Antitumor Activities of [Ni（dien）2][Ni（CN）4] Complex

Ni(II)-dien complex was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to triclinic system, space group P-1, with crystallographic parametersa=0.888 13(18) nm,b=0.890 10(18) nm,c=1. 591 8(3) nm, α=77.71(3)°, β=89.12(3)°, γ=61.24(3)°,Z=2. The two dien molecules coordinate to the central Ni atom, the six nitrogen atoms form a distorted octahedron. Preliminary pharmacological tests showed this complex had antitumor activity against HepG₂ and HL-60 cell linesin vitro. Foundation item, Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (29972034) Biography: Li Tao (1976-), male, Ph. D candidate, research direction: ophthalmology and chemicalbiology.     

Reinforcing effect of graphene on the mechanical properties of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiC ceramics

Multilayer graphene (MLG)-reinforced Al₂O₃/TiC ceramics were fabricated through hot pressing sintering, and the reinforcing effect of MLG on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated by experiment and simulation. The simulation of dynamic crack initiation and propagation was investigated based on the cohesive zone method. The results show that the composite added with 0.2wt% MLG has excellent flexural strength and high fracture toughness. The major reinforcing mechanisms are the synergistic effect by strong and weak bonding interfaces, MLG pull-out, and grain refinement resulting from the addition of MLG. In addition, the aggravating of crack deflection, branching, blunting, and bridging have indispensable contribution to the improvement of the as-designed materials.     

Kinetic investigation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> growth of CdMoO<Subscript>4</Subscript> nano-octahedra

CdMoO₄ nano-octahedra were grown in situ at room temperature by reverse-microemulsion. Energy evolution from this growth process was monitored using microcalorimetry. The microcalorimetric heat flow (MCHF) curve showed a characteristic endothermic peak for the initial reaction, and double discontinuous exothermic peaks for the subsequent crystal growth. Combined with complementary characterization techniques, the evolution of morphology and size of the CdMoO₄ nano-octahedra were correlated with the MCHF peaks. Calculations based on the microcalorimetric results at 298.15 K provided rate constants of 7.56×10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ for the reaction and nucleation process and 1.59×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ for the crystallization process.     

Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>17</Subscript> nanograins effect on the coercivity of HDDR NdFeB magnets with low boron content

Relationships between the coercivity of hydrogenation disproportionation desorption recombination (HDDR) Nd_12.5Fe_81.5−x Co₆B _x bonded magnets and boron content were investigated. Nd₂Fe₁₇ phase with planar magnetic anisotropy is present in the microstructure when x= 4at%–5.88at%, which does not reduce the coercivity of the bonded magnets. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that Nd₂Fe₁₇ phase exists in the form of nanocrystals in the Nd2Fe14B matrix. There is an exchange-coupling interaction between the two phases so that the coercivity of HDDR Nd_12.5Fe_81.5−x Co₆B _x bonded magnets is hardly reduced with a decrease in boron content.     

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.