Spherical Gd2Zr2O7 hollow powders with a mean size of 8.8 μm were fabricated as feedstock for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) by spray-drying. The single-ceramic-layer (SCL) Gd2Zr2O7 TBCs and double-ceramic-layer (DCL) Gd2Zr2O7/YSZ TBCs with quasi-columnar structure were successfully fabricated by plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD). Tensile and water-quenching tests were applied to evaluate

Abstract Solvent extraction based on ionic liquids is generally considered to be an environmentally benign and effective technology for gold(I) recovery. The aim of this work is to study gold(I) extraction from aurocyanide solution using fluorine-free ionic liquids [A336][SCN], [A336][MTBA] and [A336][Mal]. Various factors that affect gold(I) extraction (including concentration of ionic liquids, equilibrium

Abstract Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles with a carbon content of 13 wt% and a mean size of 50 nm were fabricated through a convenient and effective in situ sol–gel process. The small grain size and carbon modification can improve the pseudocapacitive effect of the Ti2Nb10O29/C nanoparticles, leading to excellent rate capacity, especially at high current rate. Specifically, the discharge capacity of the

Abstract A two-dimensional (2D) SnNb2O6/amino-functionalized graphene (En-RGO) nanocomposite with a representative 2D–2D architecture has been constructed by an easy self-assembly approach and firstly investigated as anode materials for secondary sodium-ion batteries. The SnNb2O6 nanosheets are evenly anchored with the amino-functionalized graphene through electrostatic attractive interplay between

Abstract ZrCoCe getter films with thickness of ~ 2.3 μm were deposited on Si(100) wafers by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering process. A 400-nm-thick Pd protection layer was then deposited on the as-deposited ZrCoCe film without exposure to atmosphere. Microstructure, surface morphology and surface chemical state of the films were analyzed. Moreover, hydrogen sorption properties were determined

Abstract Porous Zn2TiO4–ZnO microtubes have been successfully fabricated using chemical precipitation followed by a calcination process using a carbon fiber template. The porous Zn2TiO4–ZnO microtubes with a diameter of ~ 4 μm consisted of Zn2TiO4 and ZnO nanoparticles. These displayed worm-like pore structures. Carbon fibers played an important role during the porous Zn2TiO4–ZnO microtube formation

Abstract The interaction mechanism of B and Ti in liquid Gd metal was theoretically analyzed, and the occurrence state transformation and removal of Ti impurity were experimentally analyzed in this study. The research results indicated that the B additive reacted with the Ti impurity in liquid Gd metal to form the high-melting-point TiB2 at 1673 K. Owing to the low density of TiB2 that is far lower

Abstract As a fundamental surface property of two-dimensional (2D) materials, surface potential is critical for their emerging electronic applications and essential for van der Waals heterostructure engineering. Here, we report the surface potential of few-layer InSe. The effect of layer count, light intensity and different deposited substrates is considered. Few-layer InSe flakes were exfoliated from

Abstract Addition of rare earth elements for improving the tensile properties of aluminum alloys has attracted great attention. In this study, a systematic analysis on the microstructure and tensile properties of A356–0.13Ti alloys with different contents of scandium (Sc) and scandium/zirconium (Sc/Zr) after solution and aging treatment process was carried out. The addition of Sc/Zr into A356–0.13Ti

Abstract The oxidation behavior of a nickel-based superalloy GH738 was studied by isothermal oxidation tests in still air at different temperatures, with exposure time up to 100 h. Oxidation-kinetic curves were plotted using the mass gain method. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A composition analysis and an oxidation-product identification

Abstract The isothermal section of the Ho–Fe–In system at 773 K has been constructed by X-ray powder diffraction. One known structure ternary compound Er12Fe2In3-type Ho12Fe2In3 has been confirmed. At the same time, solid solutions are not detected in Ho–Fe–In system at 773 K. The magnetic transition and magnetocaloric effect of Ho12Fe2.08In2.92 alloy with Er12Fe2In3-type structure were investigated

Abstract Graphitic carbons with reasonable pore volume and appropriate graphitization degree can provide efficient Li+/electrolyte-transfer channels and ameliorate the sluggish dynamic behavior of battery-type carbon negative electrode in lithium-ion capacitors (LICs). In this work, onion-like graphitic carbon materials are obtained by using carbon quantum dots as precursors after sintering, and the

Abstract Most resistance-type humidity sensors exhibit negative humidity sensitivity, i.e., their resistance decreases with a corresponding increase in humidity. This is primarily attributed to the dominant role of ionic conduction in adsorbed water. In this work, a humidity sensor based on a p-type reduced graphene oxide (p-rGO) with positive humidity sensitivity is proposed. Moreover, its positive

Abstract Weight reduction plays an important role in reducing fuel and emissions, and the heat-treatable 6016 aluminum alloy exhibits excellent application prospect in automobile lightweight. In this paper, ingot with constant Mg/Si ratio and decreased Mg and Si contents was obtained. Both the microstructure and the texture of 6016 aluminum alloy plate designed with different alloy compositions at

Abstract The influence of heat input on the microstructural evolution of laser-welded Ti2AlNb joints was investigated in this study. The thermal cycles during welding process were analyzed by numerical simulation. In the heat affected zone (HAZ), the amount of α2 and O phases decreased with laser power increasing. During the heating period, α2 → B2 and O → B2 transformations occurred, but the decomposition

Abstract Microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg–4.5Y–2.5Nd–1.0Gd–0.5Zr–xZn (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5; wt%) alloys under as-cast and peak-aged states were investigated in this work. The results indicate that the intermetallic phase components are closely dependent on Zn content. Under as-cast state, the dominant eutectic phase is Mg5RE in the alloys with 0 wt% and 0.5 wt% Zn additions while

Abstract A new strategy to chemically synthesize exchange-coupled SmCo5/Sm2Co17 nanocomposites by in situ decomposition of SmCox (5 < x < 8.5) is reported in this work. Our synthesis starts with the fabrication of Co/Sm2O3 (Sm to Co atomic ratio of Sm/Co = 1:4.2), which can be reduced into 40-nm SmCo5 single crystal nanoparticles by Ca under the protection of CaO, showing a high coercivity of 2.85

Abstract Inconel 625 + WC composite coatings were prepared on the surface of 2Cr13 steel by laser cladding. The microstructure, microhardness and corrosion resistance of the composite coatings with different WC contents were investigated in detail. The results show that the phase compositions of the composite coatings are mainly γ-(Ni, Fe) and various carbides. The content of WC has a significant effect

Abstract Cobalt thin films were deposited on silicon substrates by magnetron sputtering two commercial cobalt targets with different pass-through fluxes (PTFs). The influences of PTF on the magnetic properties of sputtered thin films were investigated. The results indicate that under the same sputtering conditions, cobalt thin film deposited by Co target with high PTF (84.21%) has lower remanence ratio

Abstract Potassium ion batteries (PIBs) are regarded as one of promising low-cost energy storage technologies. Achieving long cycle life and high energy density has been considered as important tasks for developing high-performance PIBs. The alloy-based anodes for PIBs have attracted great attentions because of their high theoretical capacity and relatively low operating voltage. In this review, the

This study focused on the extraction of valuable metals from the cathode-active materials in spent lithium-ion batteries using a high-concentration chloride solution. The effects of the concentrations of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and reductants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and urea (CO(NH2)2) on metal extraction and chlorine production were studied experimentally. The

Abstract Cerium dioxide has a comparatively lower Ce4+/Ce3+ redox pair, which leaves abundant oxygen vacancies on oxide lattice, also making incorporation of foreign ion and subsequent applications feasible and convenient. In this work, a series of cerium–yttrium mixed oxides were prepared by using polyvinylpyrrolidone as major template through sol–gel, which were further employed as catalyst for dehydration

Self-organized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes, which are prepared by electrochemical anodizing, have been widely researched as promising anodes for Li-ion batteries. Both nanotubular morphology and bulk structure of TiO2 nanotubes can be easily changed by adjusting the anodizing and annealing parameters. This is provided to investigate different phenomena by selectively adjusting a specific parameter

Abstract The volume of the metallic lithium anode in all-solid-state Li metal batteries increases significantly due to the lithium dendrite formation during the battery cycling, and the rough surface of lithium metal also reduces Li-ion transport in Li/electrolyte interface. In this work, we developed a solid polymer composite by adding the low-cost Si3N4 particles to protect the lithium anode in all-solid-state

The transformation behavior of precipitates in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys with and without Zn addition during artificial aging at 170 °C was investigated in this study. For Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys with and without Zn addition, two types of precipitates, needle-like β″ and lath-like L, are formed with the aging time increasing from 8 to 34 h. The needle-like β″ precipitate exhibits a Mg-to-Si atomic ratio of 1.31

Abstract The employment of lithium metal anode in rechargeable lithium batteries has been hindered by the safety concerns which are associated with the uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth and the unceasing side reactions with liquid electrolytes. In this work, we report that the use of Ti-containing solid electrolyte-coated separators can greatly enhance the cycle performances of lithium metal anode

Abstract Supercapacitors are favorable energy storage devices in the field of emerging energy technologies with high power density, excellent cycle stability and environmental benignity. The performance of supercapacitors is definitively influenced by the electrode materials. Nickel sulfides have attracted extensive interest in recent years due to their specific merits for supercapacitor application

Abstract The increase in zinc content in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys provides an effective method to enhance the strength. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tensile test were employed to analyze the microstructure and tensile properties, respectively, of Al–9.3Zn–2.0Mg–1.8Cu alloy (9.3Zn alloy) and Al–9.8Zn–2.0Mg–1.8Cu alloy (9.8Zn alloy) with single- and double-stage aging states. The results showed

Abstract Known as a weak topological insulator (TI), BiSe structurally exhibits alternating stacks of quantum spin Hall bilayer (“Bi2”) and three-dimensional TI layer (“Bi2Se3”). The low lattice thermal conductivity of BiSe due to the presence of Bi2 bilayers promises potentially good thermoelectric performance. Herein, the thermoelectric properties of nominal Bi1−xCuxSe samples were studied as the

The hot-deformed magnets processed from nanocrystalline/amorphous Nd–Fe–B powders were prepared under different hot-pressing temperatures (600–750 °C, at intervals of 25 °C) by the self-made hot-pressing equipment. The microstructure and magnetic properties of hot-deformed magnets prepared at different temperatures were also investigated. When the temperature is above 650 °C, the density of magnet

There is an urgent demand to explore new approaches of improving the electric breakdown strength of the ferroelectric thin-film capacitor without the degradation of the high dielectric constant. In this work, LaNiO3/Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 (LNO/BST) thin film and SrTiO3(STO)/LNO/BST/SrTiO3 (STO) were prepared by using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique and ultrathin STO insulator layers were

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the microstructure, high-temperature oxidation behaviour, and hardness of a seal coating under controlled exposures at 750 °C with different exposure times. The results reveal that the main phases in the coating are Ni, FeNi3, and hexagonal BN, with α-Al2O3 peaks appearing after 2-h oxidation. As the exposure time increases, the diffraction

Abstract The ADC12 aluminum alloy is prone to severe tool wear and high cutting heat during high-speed milling because of its high hardness. This study analyzes the high-speed milling process from the perspective of different chip morphologies. The influence of cutting temperature on chip morphology was expounded. A two-dimensional orthogonal cutting model was established for finite element analysis

Abstract For better performances of Ni-based catalysts at low temperatures, Ni/SiC catalyst doped with a little amount of additive La was successfully prepared. The catalytic CO methanation activity tests showed that 3%La–Ni/SiC catalyst was excellent at a low reaction temperature (95.9% CO conversion and 85.1% CH4 selectivity at 250 °C) with a superior stability compared with Ni/SiC (3.4% CO conversion

Abstract In order to attain high-quality Ti–Ni–Cu film, the surface morphologies, chemical compositions and mechanical properties of Ti–Ni–Cu thin films prepared by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at various processes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and tensile tests. The type of substrates, Ar pressure and sputtering power had significant

The microstructure and corrosion resistance of Mg–0.5Zn–0.2Ca–0.2Ce alloy with different processing conditions were investigated. The composition was detected by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and the microstructure was analyzed by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The corrosion behavior was investigated by hydrogen evolution

Ta–W alloys have unique properties but their applications at high temperatures are restricted due to their poor oxidation resistances. The addition of Al and Ti decreases the oxidation rate of the alloy, as Al-contained protective oxide layer could be formed. In this study, ternary and quaternary Ta–W alloys containing Al and Ti were prepared by hot press sintering. The microstructures and oxidation

Abstract The luminescence from lanthanide ions has potential applications in light emitting diodes, biomedical, solar cells, sensors, display, etc. However, the luminescence is suffered from the various problems, such as low luminescence efficiency and inharmonious wavelength for energy transfer. Magnetic field is an efficient method to modulate the wavelength and intensity of luminescence from lanthanide

The microstructure of 2624-T39 aluminum alloy was analyzed by means of metallographic (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The effects of different microstructure characteristics on the tensile properties and fatigue crack growth rate of 2624-T39 aluminum alloy were studied. Results showed that the grain size of the alloy was a typical fiber structure

Abstract Ni-rich cathode material is one of the most promising materials for Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. However, fading capacity, poor cyclic stability and high pH value are still major challenges, which suppress its practical application. In this study, spherical LiNi0.9Co0.08Al0.02O2 powders with 0.4 wt% TiO2 coating layer were prepared by impregnation–hydrolysis method. Scanning electron

Recent studies suggested that the interactions between particles can induce aggregative nucleation and growth processes beyond those predicted by the traditional LaMer model of nanoparticle formation, but their nucleation and growth processes are still unclear. Here, we report a simple way to control the interaction between nanoparticles by manipulating the oleylamine (OAm) adsorbed on the surface

Abstract A short process of Inconel 625 alloy tube was developed to solve the problems of the traditional extrusion process, and particular attention was paid on the hot deformation behavior of the as-cast Inconel 625 alloy. The hot compression experiments were performed to study the hot deformation behavior of Inconel 625 in the temperature range of 900–1200 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–10.00 s−1

Abstract Hard carbon is the most promising anode for sodium-ion battery applications due to the wide availability and low work voltage. However, it often delivers worse electrochemical performance in ester-based electrolytes. Herein, a hierarchically porous loose sponge-like hard carbon with a highly disordered phase, prepared from the biomass of platanus bark, exhibits superior rate performance with

Recently, CoCO3 has attracted enormous attention as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), benefiting from its high theoretical capacity and simple synthesis. However, the modest electronic conductivity and structural instability over cycling hinder its wider applications. To well address the intrinsic issues, we explored a precipitant-free hydrothermal methodology for mass production of spindle-like

Abstract Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are one of the most promising large-scale electric energy storage systems due to the high abundance and low redox potential of K. As the key component, anode determines their energy density and safety. Alloy-based anodes, such as P, Sn, Sb, and Bi, have attracted extensive attention due to their abundant resources, suitable working potentials, and large theoretical

Abstract The as-cast Cu-doped Fe83Ga17 alloys were prepared by arc-melting. The microstructures and magnetostrictions of (Fe83Ga17)100-xCux (x = 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15) alloys were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and strain gauge magnetostriction measurement. Vibrating sample magnetometer was employed to investigate the magnetic properties

Abstract The diamond-like compound Cu3PSe4 with low lattice thermal conductivity is deemed to be a promising thermoelectric material, which can directly convert waste heat into electricity or vice versa with no moving parts and greenhouse emissions. However, its performance is limited by its low electrical conductivity. In this study, we report an effective method to enhance thermoelectric performance

The test results of the automated mineral identification and characterization system (AMICS), including the mineral composition, particle size distribution, dissemination state and degree of liberation of the target minerals, could be used to improve the beneficiation process. Taking the Dalucao rare earth ore located in Dechang, Sichuan Province, China (with an average content of 2.40 wt%) as the

Solid-state electrolytes in rechargeable all-solid-state Li-metal batteries, which have better safety and higher specific capacity than conventional rechargeable Li-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes, are limited by the low Li-ion conductivity of the solid electrolyte and the large electrolyte/electrode interfacial resistance. Here, we report a new rhombohedral NASICON structure Li1.4Sr0.2Hf1.8(PO4)3

Owing to the importance of finding better methods and technologies for protecting against corrosion of aluminium alloys, research into the electrochemical characteristics of the corrosion is an ongoing concern. In this paper, the corrosion behaviour of Al–Mg–Si alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution was investigated using multiple methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron

Abstract Sn/Ni–Sn/Sn sandwich joining piece was developed and applied to fabricate segmented half-Heusler/skutterudite thermoelectric joints, and high-temperature service behavior of the joints was studied. The microstructure and contact resistance of the joint before and after aging were investigated. The joints are well bonded and no cracks appear at the interfaces of the joint before and after aging

A facile method was employed to in situ prepare hierarchical mesoporous Fe3O4@C nanofoams through pyrolysis of a post-treated MIL-53(Fe) precursor. Well-defined carbon network-encapsulated ultrasmall and uniform Fe3O4 octahedrons can be obtained by controlling the pyrolysis temperature. This unique artificial shows the excellent lithium storage performance. A reversible discharge capacity of 861.9 mAh·g−1

Abstract Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) have received much concern as emerging high-power energy storage system. Nevertheless, the low conductivity of sulfur and polysulfide shuttle results in low rate capability and rapid capacity decay, which seriously limit its commercial application. Here, facile, sustainable and cost-effective strategy for preparing heteroatom-doped porous activated carbon (PAC)

Abstract The electrochemical ammonia synthesis has attracted increasing attention due to its energy saving characteristics. However, developing novel electrocatalysts and their mechanism remain great challenges. Here, several transition metal (TM) atoms doped on phosphorene were studied as N2 fixation electrocatalysts by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results demonstrate that

Abstract The magnesium alloy has a unique advantage in 3C fields due to its high specific strength and excellent electromagnetic shielding characteristic. However, it is difficult to deform homogeneously because of hexagonal close-packed structure. In the present work, the microstructure, mechanical properties and stretch formability of magnesium alloy sheets with different alloying elements were investigated

Abstract The Fe-rich intermetallic compounds in Al–17Si–2Fe were modified via Al–Mn–Ti quasicrystal master alloy. The effect of master alloy content on the Fe-rich phase morphology was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermodynamic calculation. Results show that the microstructure of the Al–Mn–Ti master alloy consists of binary quasicrystal matrix and ternary AlMnTi secondary phase

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as a promising alternative to the commercialized lithium ion batteries (LIBs) in large-scale energy storage field for its rich reserve in the earth. Hard carbon has been expected to the first commercial anode material for SIBs. Among various of hard carbon materials, plant-derived carbon is prominent because of abundant source, low cost and excellent

An electrochemical method was used to examine Au surface absorption and passivation under the most commonly employed pH conditions in an alkaline Au leaching system. The polarization at different pH values was obtained through the current step curve. At pH 10, no absorption layer was formed. When the pH was increased to 11, an absorption layer was formed through the Au electrode reaction. At pH 12

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is considered as a promising alternative to the widely used lithium ion batteries in view of the abundant resources and uniform distribution of sodium on the earth. However, due to the lack of suitable anode and cathode materials, especially the anode materials with excellent performance, its practical application is trapped. In recent years, lots of attentions are devoted

Sodium-ion batteries have received a surge of interests for the alternatives to lithium-ion batteries due to their abundant reserves and low cost. The quest of reliable and high-performance cathode materials is crucial to future Na storage technologies. Herein, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was successfully introduced to NaV3O8 via in situ oxidation polymerization, which can effectively