This work investigated effects of silver (Ag) content on the microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of magnesium–silver–calcium alloys by a combined experimental and numerical approach. With that purpose, a series of ternary magnesium–silver–calcium alloys with Ag concentrations between 0.3 and 12 wt% were prepared by hot-extrusion, hot-rolling followed by annealing. As-rolled sheets showed

Spinel LiMn2O4 has been gaining more attention for supercapacitor applications due to its abundance, low cost, environmental friendliness, and high energy density as well as good rate capability. In this work nanostructured multimetal oxide LiMn2O4 was synthesized using expeditious, eco-friendly, glucose mediated simple microwave irradiation method. A detailed study has been performed to correlate

Vanadium dioxide VO2 is an important thermochromic material with useful applications in smart energy devices. This paper describes the synthesis of high-quality vanadium dioxide thermochromic thin films directly on glass substrate without any barrier layer prepared using a simple solution method. We demonstrate that 50 nm thick VO2 films displayed excellent visible transmittance (76.9% on glass, 69

Based on the principle of additive manufacturing in a layer-by-layer manner, a new electron beam smelting layered solidification technology (EBS-LST) was curried out to fabricated Inconel 718 superalloy. The microsegregation coefficient and the redistribution were calculated. A well-recognized model associated with secondary dendrite arm spacing was used to investigate the cooling rate during the solidification

Multilayer capacitors (MLCs) represent promising electrocaloric (EC) cooling elements because they operate at low voltages, they possess large breakdown fields, they contain inner electrodes that facilitate heat transfer, and they exhibit a macroscopic volume of active EC material. However, almost ten years after they were first suggested as EC elements, the internal heat flow has not been well studied

The effect of thermal treatment on zirconium carbide (ZrC) layers deposited by chemical vapour deposition process was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, nanoindention and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ZrC layers deposited at 1400 °C (composed of 96% ZrC and 4% C) were annealed at 1500, 1600, 1700 and 1800 °C for 2 h under high vacuum of 2.6 × 10−7 mbar. After

Nanocrystalline Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 (NCM layered oxide) was synthesized through the solution combustion route to use as the cathode material in the Li-ion battery. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was employed as the additive to improve electrochemical performance of the battery. Graphene oxide was reduced by microwave irradiation. The RGO was wrapped around the NCM when added in different weight fractions

It remains a great challenge to overcome the problems of poor conductivity and rapid charge recombination in bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr). Herein, for the first time we report the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies (Ov) and p-n heterojunction to improve photoelectrochemical performance of BiOBr. Benefitting from the new electron donor level caused by oxygen vacancies, the visible-light absorption

A novel MgZnO/ZnS heterojunction-based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) with high performance is fabricated by a facile sol-gel process and a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. ZnS is coated onto the MgZnO film as an interface modification layer, which overcomes the drawbacks of the pristine MgZnO photosensitive layer, such as lower carrier mobility and more traps in

We report on the synthesis of Be and Cd co-substituted ZnO (BexCdyZn1−x−yO) quaternary alloy films on c-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The results show that all deposited films exhibit single-phase wurtzite structure with a surface roughness less than 1.5 nm. By adjusting the O2 pressure during growth, the optical bandgap of the film is tuned from ∼3.3 to ∼3.52 eV. At 5 V bias

A peanut-like hierarchical nano/micro architecture LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode material has been successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method combined with a high-temperature calcination process. The characterization results show that the H-NCM has high crystallinity, smaller particle size, uniform particle size distribution, higher specific surface area, lower charge transfer resistance and

Exploration of non-noble metal electrocatalysts for efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly desirable but still remains a great challenge. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of heterostructured ZnCo2O4/FeOOH hollow polyhedrons (ZnCo2O4/FeOOH HPs) as a high-efficient electrocatalyst for OER in alkaline condition. ZnCo2O4 hollow polyhedrons (ZnCo2O4 HPs), which

Kinetic properties of compacted LiNH2–LiH developed by doping with TiF4 and multi-walled nanotubes (MWCNTs) as well as upscaling to small hydrogen storage tank are proposed. During de/rehydrogenation, transition metal-based catalyst (TiF4) provides the catalytic effects on hydrogen dissociation/recombination, while MWCNTs benefit thermal conductivity and hydrogen permeability. Enhanced dehydrogenation

Fe-based metallic glasses are known to have excellent soft magnetic properties, but restricted to the disastrous annealing embrittlement. A novel class of Fe84-xB14+x Zr2 (x = 0, 3, 6) metallic glasses with extraordinary annealing bending ductility and excellent soft magnetic properties were developed. The metallic glasses exhibit a high BS of 1.54–1.64 T and a low HC of 4.1–5.8 A/m. It is noteworthy

CdS quantum dots (QDs) are excellent visible-light-driven photocatalysts due to their unique small size (<10 nm), suitable band energy structure, and short charge transportation length. Unfortunately, the easy aggregation of CdS QDs to form larger particles results in a higher recombination rate for photoinduced electron-hole pairs, which deteriorates the photocatalytic activity. Here, we report in

In this work, we present characterization of surface oxidation and crystallization behavior of Metal Amorphous Nanocomposite (MANC) (Fe70Ni30)80Nb4Si2B14 alloys via complementary x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. An adherent amorphous oxide of roughly 15–20 nm in thickness is observed on the wheel side of the ribbon, enriched in Fe relative to

A novel molten-salt silicothermic reduction method was developed to prepare ZrB2 powders from raw materials of ZrO2, Na2B4O7 and silicon powders with the assistance of sodium orthosilicate in the reaction system. The influences of reaction temperature and quantity of silicon on the phase composition and morphology of final products were investigated. The results showed that the silicothermic reduction

A Cu alloy with high strength and conductivity, which are trade off characteristics, was developed using discontinuous precipitates as the hardening agent. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed that a considerable internal strain and geometrically necessary dislocations were generated in the alloy because of discontinuous precipitation. Furthermore, nanotwins

Surface treatments such as shot peening to inhibit fatigue crack initiation are essential processes when designing gas turbine components for aerospace applications. It is therefore crucial to understand the effects of shot peening in representative service environments. Here, the influence of surface treatment on the high temperature corrosion fatigue response of a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy

Calcium (Ca) added bismuth iron oxide (Bi1-xCaxFeO3) nanoparticles are synthesized using sol-gel method and studied under as-synthesized conditions. Calcium (Ca) concentration (x) is varied as 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. XRD results verify the formation of phase pure BiFeO3 at dopant concentration x = 0.0–0.3. Raman analysis and EDX spectrum also confirm the formation and incorporation of Ca in

In this study, we chose to synthesize new sugar based glucose derivatives as ecological corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in acidic medium. The products obtained in the form of syrupy liquids, and the purity of obtained compounds was characterized by NMR spectroscopy analysis. The corrosion inhibition activities for both compounds were evaluated by electrochemical and rheological methods. Thus

Electrocatalysts of NiCoFe hydroxides have been prepared successfully by a simple hydrothermal method, which show excellent electrocatalytic properties. (delivering 10 mA cm−2 current density at 230 mV, with a Tafel slope of 72.7 mV·dec−1). Furthermore, in order to further improve its electrocatalysis properties, the NiCoFe hydroxide is reprocessed by vulcanizing and acid etching, respectively. The

Nanosized particles of cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4 incorporated into multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been studied as anode material for Li-ion batteries. In order to evaluate the benefits of CNT shells, the results are compared to bare CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. Electrochemical measurements by means of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic cycling show typical redox activity associated with the ferrite

The influence of the various content of the multilayered graphene (MLG) on the structural and mechanical properties of the final bulk porous silicon nitride-zirconia (Si3N4-ZrO2) based ceramics was investigated. The ceramic composites were prepared in the form of the laminated structure with different (5-30-5 wt% and 30-5-30 wt%) MLG content by hot isostatic pressing. Homogeneous distribution of the

A systematic investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of Ni electrodeposit on the microstructure evolution and electrical resistance of the P-type Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric (TE) joint. In this study, two systems (SAC305/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 and SAC305/Ni/(Bi,Sb)2Te3) were set up. The intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were mainly detected by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer

A new temperature measurement strategy based on the luminescence of Ce3+ and Tb3+ doped YBO3 was proposed. Dual emissions of Ce3+ and Tb3+ have different thermal dependencies, which can be used to overcome those limitations such as low signal discriminability and large measurement error. A series of Ce3+ and/or Tb3+ doped YBO3 samples were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and the influences of temperature

Spinel sulfide NiCo2S4 (NCS) is one of the ternary metal sulfides, used as a promising electrode for hybrid capacitor, which is beneficial from its multi-active sites and good conductivity. In this study, NCS with sulfur vacancies was obtained through a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The morphology of NCS was regulated by adding a certain content of urea. Additionally, flower-like NCS was obtained

Nanostructured Cu–Ta alloys show great potential as high strength nanocrystalline materials due to their excellent mechanical properties and limited grain growth at high temperatures. This report describes the fabrication of nanostructured immiscible Cu–Ta alloys in bulk by high-pressure torsion (HPT) using a stack of Cu/Ta/Cu discs at room temperature. A microstructural study after HPT processing

In this study, the effect of Ta, V and Ti in W matrix on characteristics and synthesis of the model alloys were investigated. The secondary ball milling method and in-situ Y dispersed oxides were used to further improve material properties. The results showed that the model alloys adding with the V element could facilitate the grain refinement and microstructure homogeneity of the tungsten alloys.

The implementation of GaAs0.8Sb0.2 as CL to obtain type-II strain-coupled InAs MQD structures has been examined and compared to similar structures without Sb or without strain coupling. First, it has been demonstrated that capping with GaAsSb prevents the formation of In-rich agglomerations that hampered the QD formation as it has been observed in the sample without Sb. Instead, it promotes the vertical

In this paper, crystal structure, porosity, bond characteristics, Raman spectra and microwave dielectric properties of Li3Mg2-xZnxSbO6 ceramics were investigated. The phase information of salt structure was determined via X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement. The dielectric constant and loss of the ceramic under complete densification were obtained by excluding the porosity. Based on P-V-L theoretical

The effects of Ni content and sintering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC-Ni composites prepared by selective carburization of Ti-Ni alloys were investigated. It was found that coherent boundaries between TiC and Ni were formed after sintering because Ni was attached to TiC in the powdered form. Grain growth by dissolution and precipitation of TiC in Ni was limited

Although perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have received considerable attention, defects in PQDs can significantly degrade the properties and device performance. In this study, we report on an effective strategy for synthesizing highly luminescent CH3NH3PbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) by a simple doping. To remove such defects, guanidinium bromide (GuBr) was doped into the CH3NH3PbBr3 QDs synthesized by the

Directional composite microstructures have successfully been prepared with directional columnar crystal forms at the center and equiaxed crystals with Ti2AlC particles at the edge of sample. Microstructure evolution, influenced by different solidification rates, is discussed and forming mechanisms of this composite microstructure have been revealed. Results show that the primary phase of α is observed

In the present work, martensitic stainless steel (MSS) coatings with niobium (Nb) contents of 0–1.0 wt%, combining high strength and ductility with improved corrosion resistance, have been developed and fabricated by a laser cladding technique. The effects of Nb-microalloying on the microstructure and properties of the laser-cladded MSS coatings have been carefully investigated. The results show that

Sr-doped ZnO powders were precipitated from a citrate-modified zinc precursor solution. The phase formation, morphology and optical properties of the powders were studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectrometry, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation

A systematic investigation based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and quantitative analysis was carried out to gain insights into the structural evolution and deformation behaviors of 57 wt%Cu - 43 wt%Cr dual-phase alloys deformed by high pressure torsion (HPT). Nanometer-sized grains were obtained, with Cu and Cr grain size reduced from 33.7 nm to 17.4 nm and 35.6 nm–18

Optically transparent MgAl2O4 ceramics was functionalized by Cu2+-ions employing various implantation fluences. Depending on ion beam exposure, both radiation stimulated annealing and formations of intrinsic defects occur in the cation-anion sublattices of the used host-matrix. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena were observed in optical absorption and Raman spectra of the samples irradiated

Hot tensile tests are performed on an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy at larger temperature and strain rate ranges. The influences of deformation parameters and stress triaxiality on hot tensile fracture characteristics, fracture mechanisms and microstructural evolution are discussed. It is found that the maximum tensile load increases with raising stress triaxiality. The fracture strain rises with increasing strain

A self-composite ceramic of Li4MgSn2O7 (L4MS) and Li2Mg3SnO6 (L2MS) phases with compositions Li2/3(1-x)Sn1/3(1-x)MgxO (x = 1/6)-y wt.%LiF was for the first time prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The XRD results indicate that L4MS and L2MS((MgO)ss) phases can stably coexist only as sintering temperature is below 1200 °C, and their relative contents can be regulated by changing