Exceptional micromachining performance of silicon carbide ceramics by adding graphene nanoplatelets

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) performance of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics containing graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) is investigated for the first time. Under fine machining conditions, the material removal rate (MRR) dramatically increases up to 186% when 20 vol.% of GNPs are added to SiC ceramics, leading to reductions on the electrode wear rate of 132%. The EDMed nanocomposites exhibit surface roughness ≤ 0.8 μm. This outstanding EDM response of the graphene nanocomposites as compared to monolithic SiC is explained by their enhanced transport properties, establishing a direct dependence of MRR with the electrical conductivity. EDM performance of the nanocomposites also depends on the testing direction for materials with low GNPs connectivity (≤ 10 vol.%). Melting/evaporation are the main removal mechanisms, thermal spalling also operating for low thermal conducting materials. The employ of EDM on SiC/graphene nanocomposites allows machining microparts with a fine dimensional precision, opening new opportunities for SiC-based microcomponents.     

Graphene nanoplatelet/silicon nitride composites with high electrical conductivity

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) processed with up to 25 vol.% of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) gives conductive composites with the highest electrical conductivity (40 Scm^?1) reported for these ceramics with added conductive particles. During compaction and pressure-assisted densification of the composites in the spark plasma sintering (SPS), a preferred orientation of GNPs occurs. Consequently, the electrical conductivity measured along the direction perpendicular to the SPS pressing axis is more than one order of magnitude higher than the one measured along the parallel direction.Percolation in the composites is observed for 7–9 vol.% of GNPs, depending on the measuring direction, perpendicular or parallel to the pressing axis. Different conduction mechanisms are apparent for the two orthogonal orientations. Charge transport along the direction defined by the graphene ab-plane (perpendicular direction) may be explained by a two dimensional variable range hopping mechanism, whereas conduction in the parallel direction shows a more complex behavior, with a metallic-type transition (dσ/dT < 0) for high GNP contents. A thin amorphous layer was identified at the Si₃N₄/GNPs interface that may affect the conduction for the parallel configuration.     

Polymer-derived mesoporous Ni/SiOC(H) ceramic nanocomposites for efficient removal of acid fuchsin

In this paper, magnetic porous Ni-modified SiOC(H) ceramic nanocomposites (Ni/SiOC(H)) were successfully prepared via a template-free polymer-derived ceramic route, which involves pyrolysis at 600 °C of nickel-modified allylhydridopolycarbosilane (AHPCS-Ni) precursors synthesized by the reaction of allylhydridopolycarbosilane (AHPCS) with nickel(II)acetylacetonate (Ni(acac)₂). The resultant Ni/SiOC(H) nanocomposites are comprised of in-situ formed nanoscaled Ni socialized with small amounts of NiO and nickel silicides embedded in the amorphous SiOC(H) matrix. The materials show ferromagnetic behavior and excellent magnetic properties with the saturation magnetization in the range of 1.71–7.08 emu g⁻¹. Besides, the Ni/SiOC(H) nanocomposites are predominantly mesoporous with a high BET surface area and pore volume in the range of 253–344 and 0.134–0.185 cm³ g⁻¹, respectively. The measured porosity features cause an excellent adsorption capacity towards a template dye acid fuchsin with the adsorption capacity Q_t at 10 min of 80.7–85.8 mg g⁻¹ and the Q_e at equilibrium of 123.8–129.8 mg g⁻¹.     

Electrical/dielectric properties and conduction mechanism in melt processed polyamide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composites

The electrical and dielectric properties of polyamide 6 (PA6)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanocomposites prepared by melt mixing were investigated by employing dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in broad frequency (10^?2–10⁶ Hz) and temperature ranges (from ?150 to 150 °C). Transmission electron microscopy revealed a good state of CNT dispersion in the polymeric matrix. The percolation threshold (p_c) was found to be 1.7 vol.% by using the dependence of both dc conductivity and critical frequency (f_c) from dc to ac transition on vol.% concentration in MWCNT. The actual aspect ratio of the nanotubes in the nanocomposites was calculated using a theoretical model (proposed by Garboczi et al.) and the obtained value was correlated with the p_c value according to the excluded volume theory. Additionally, the contact resistance (R_c) between the conductive nanotubes was found to be ～10⁵ Ω. Investigation of the temperature dependence of conductivity revealed a charge transport which is controlled by thermal fluctuation-induced tunneling for temperatures up to the glass transition. Finally, it was shown that the addition of nanotubes has no significant influence on the relaxation mechanisms of the PA6 matrix.     

Porous nickel disulfide/reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids with improved electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution

Single porous nickel disulfide (NiS₂) nanoballs and nanohybrids of NiS₂ with reduced graphene oxide (NiS₂/rGO) were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal process in the absence or presence of graphene oxide. NiS₂/rGO nanocomposites exhibit remarkable electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution from water splitting due to the plentiful active sites in the porous NiS₂, the improved conductivity and the positive synergetic effect between NiS₂ and rGO. The nanocomposites displayed superior activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (10 mA cm^− 2 vs. − 200 mV, Tafel slope of 52 mV dec^− 1) and an excellent electrocatalytic stability.     

Nano-graphene/polyimide composites with extremely high rubbery plateau modulus

Nano-graphene sheets (NGS) were dispersed in a high performance polyimide (PI) matrix by in situ condensation polymerization. The viscoelastic behavior of PI and NGS/PI composite was investigated by using dynamic mechanical spectrometry (DMS) and extraordinary modulus enhancement was observed in the rubbery plateau region (>400 °C) compared to the glassy region (<400 °C). A modulus enhancement of 11,000%, 52,000% and 400,000% was obtained in the rubbery plateau region for NGS/PI composite at 1.18, 6.12 and 28.08 vol.%, respectively, compared to a modulus enhancement of 100%, 108% and 500%, respectively, in the glassy region. The disparity in the modulus enhancement between the glassy region and the rubbery plateau region is due to the pronounced stiffening effect of hard fillers in a soft and flexible matrix such as rubber. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) was used to study dispersion of nano-graphene in the PI matrix, and graphene aggregates containing up to 46 single graphene sheets were obtained at about 0.29 vol.%. WAXD pattern show the presence of graphitic peak at a diffraction angle of 26.5^o. Raman spectroscopy show the presence of amorphous carbon (D band) and graphitic carbon (G band), at 1360 and 1537 cm^?1, respectively.     

An ultra clean self-aligned process for high maximum oscillation frequency graphene transistors

Owing to its ultra high carrier mobility, graphene transistor shows great application potential as high-frequency electronics. Intrinsic cutoff frequency (f_T) of 427 GHz has been reported. But the maximum oscillation frequency (f_max) remains low, limiting its use in practical radio-frequency (RF) circuits. Here, we report an ultra clean self-aligned graphene transistors fabrication by pre-deposition of gold film on graphene as protection layer. This improved self-aligned fabrication keeps graphene away from any possible contamination, which makes our graphene transistors show good gate coupling and less parasitics, thus good dc and RF performances. The 100 nm gate-length graphene transistor exhibits a f_max of 105 GHz. Our study shows a pathway to fabrication of high-performance graphene transistors for future application in RF circuits.     

One-step metal electroplating and patterning on a plastic substrate using an electrically-conductive layer of few-layer graphene

Few-layer graphene (FLG) was investigated as an electrically-conductive interleaf layer for one-step electroplating and patterning of metal on nonconductive polymer substrates without using multiple and toxic pretreatment processes in traditional electroplating. An individual FLG (5–10 nm of thickness with 6.4% of oxygen content) was obtained by expanding graphite with microwave followed by exfoliating the expanded graphite with sonication in N-methyl-pyrrolidone. Stacking FLG in the in-plane direction, a robust FLG film was obtained by the vacuum-assisted filtering and drying methods, and transferred to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate via an intermediate transfer to the water surface. The sheet resistance of the FLG film on the PET substrate was 0.9 kΩ/sq with a thickness of 80 nm and the root-mean-square roughness of 29 nm. In the electroplating of nickel on the FLG film, hemisphere-shape metal seeds appeared in the early stage of electroplating and they subsequently grew up to 200–480 nm, which became connected to form a continuous nickel layer. The thickness of the continuous nickel layer increased linearly with electroplating time. The developed electroplating method demonstrated its capability of selective patterning on nonconductive substrates using a simple masking technique.     

Extraordinary toughening enhancement and flexural strength in Si3N4 composites using graphene sheets

Two types of Si₃N₄ composites containing graphene nanostructures using two different graphene sources, pristine graphene nanoplatelets and graphene oxide layers were produced by Spark Plasma Sintering. The maximum toughness of 10.4 MPa m^1/2, measured by flexure testing of pre-cracked bars, was achieved for a composite (∼60β/40α-Si₃N₄, ∼300 nm grain size) with 4 vol.% of reduced graphene oxide, indicating a toughening enhancement of 135% when compared to a similar Si₃N₄. This was also accompanied by a 10% increase in flexure strength (1040 MPa). For the composites with thicker graphene nanoplateletes only a 40% of toughness increase (6.6 MPa m^1/2) without strength improvement was observed for the same filler content. The large difference in the maximum toughness values accomplished for both types of composites was attributed to variations in the graphene/Si₃N₄ interface characteristics and the extent of monolayer graphene exfoliation.     

Water-soluble polyaniline/graphene prepared by in situ polymerization in graphene dispersions and use as counter-electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells

Water-soluble polyaniline/graphene nanocomposites have been prepared via a simple in situ polymerization of aniline in graphene dispersion. TEM measurement confirmed that polyaniline was homogeneously coated on the graphene sheets. The nanocomposites solution can be used for film fabrication by common technology, such as drop coating. When these different polyaniline/graphene nanocomposites were applied as the counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells, the short-circuit current density and power-conversion efficiency of the devices were measured to be 12.19 mA cm⁻² and 4.46%, respectively, which was comparable to 5.71% for the cell with a Pt counter electrode under the same experimental conditions.     

The dependence of magnetic properties on temperature for rare earth ErCrO3 chromites

Multiferroic ErCrO₃ was synthesized and the detailed magnetic as well as ferroelectric properties were investigated. The dc magnetization shows that ErCrO₃ undergoes a antiferromagnetic ordering at T_N = 133 K due to the Cr³⁺–Cr³⁺ followed by weak ferromagnetic ordering. Around T_SR ≈ 22 K, ErCrO₃ exhibits a spin reorientation from Γ₄ to Γ₁. And the stability of the ferromagnetic Γ₄ phase increases with the applied magnetic field increasing. Furthermore, at lower temperature, it shows weak antiferromagnetic ordering of Er³⁺. We also present the low temperature polarization data for ErCrO₃ and find a remarkable decreasing of polarization around T_N = 133 K on increasing temperature, this effect might be due to the coupling between magnetic and ferroelectric order parameters, and the magnetic field suppresses the polarization which demonstrates convincingly the strong magnetoelectric (ME) coupling in ErCrO₃.     

The effect of homogeneously dispersed few-layer graphene on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3 nanocomposites

Fully dense few-layer graphene (FG)/Al₂O₃ nanocomposites with homogeneously dispersed FG in matrix are prepared by using a heteroaggregation method followed by spark plasma sintering. It is found that the two dimensional FG has great ability to restrain grain growth in comparison to other inclusions. In addition, the morphology of grain in composite is modified by the addition of FG during densification process compared with monolithic alumina. Thanks to the greatly decreased grain size, the composites are almost as hard as monolithic alumina at low sintering temperature (1573 K) even if graphene content is as high as 1.2 vol.%. However, at higher sintering temperature (1673 K), the hardness of composites decreases further but the change in elastic modulus is very limited. The decline of hardness and elastic modulus mainly arises from the sliding feature of FG, low modulus of reduced graphene oxide in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions.     

Raman Spectroscopy and Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy characteristics of the CVD suspended graphene

In this work we present combined Kelvin probe force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy studies of supported and suspended structures formed out of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene. Work function of both suspended and supported graphene was -4.81 ± 0.06eV and -4.92 ± 0.06eV respectively. By G and 2D modes correlation we showed, that CVD graphene was influenced by biaxial strain. Increased contact potential difference (CPD) on the suspended graphene in comparison with the areas of the supported graphene was the sign of increased strain (from 0.05% to ~ 0.12%) rather than decreased doping (p-doping decreased from ~ 5.5 × 10¹²cm^-2 to ~ 4.5 × 10¹²cm^-2).     

Tape casting of alumina/zirconia suspensions containing graphene oxide

The introduction of carbon derivatives (nanotubes, graphene, etc.) as a second phase in ceramic matrices has limitations arising from their difficult processing. This paper studies the colloidal stability and the rheological behaviour of concentrated suspensions of alumina with 5 vol.% Y-TZP (AZ) and the effect of the addition of 2 vol.% of graphene oxide (AZGO) on the suspension stability, rheological behaviour and tape casting performance. The colloidal stability was studied using zeta potential measurements in terms of concentration of deflocculants and pH and homogenisation was optimised adjusting the sonication mode and time. The best results were obtained for pulsed mode. The optimum rheological properties were obtained for solid loadings of 53 vol.% and 40 vol.% for AZ and AZGO. Homogeneous, flexible tapes with thickness of ∼120 μm were obtained reaching densities of >60% of theoretical density in which secondary phases are well dispersed.     

Promising graphene/carbon nanotube foam@π-conjugated polymer self-supporting composite cathodes for high-performance rechargeable lithium batteries

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene foam materials are highly favored due to large accessible surface and excellent conductive network, which can be commendably applied as self-supporting electrodes for advanced rechargeable lithium batteries (RLBs). Here, promising graphene nanosheets/acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (GNS/aMWCNT)-supported 1,5-diaminoanthraquinone (DAA) organic foams [oGCTF(DAA)] are prepared by organic solvent displacement method followed by solvothermal reaction. And then electrochemical polymerization is carried out to obtain 3D porous GNS/aMWCNT organic foam-supported poly(1,5-diaminoanthraquinone) (oGCTF@PDAA) nanocomposites, which achieves the ordered growth of homogeneous PDAA nanoparticles on GNS/aMWCNT surface due to the role of oGCTF(DAA). Such structure largely improves PDAA utilization, facilitates charge transportation and suppresses the dissolution of PDAA. As a result, the oGCTF@PDAA cathode for RLBs delivers a high discharge capacity of 289 mAh g⁻¹ at 30 mA g⁻¹ and still retains 122 mAh g⁻¹ at extreme 10 A g⁻¹ for rapid charging/discharging. Moreover, superior cycling stability is achieved with only 14.8% capacity loss after 2000 cycles even at a high current density of 1 A g⁻¹.     

Microstructure and multiferroic properties of BaTiO3/CoFe2O4 films on Al2O3/Pt substrates fabricated by electrophoretic deposition

BaTiO₃/CoFe₂O₄ bilayer films on high temperature resistant Al₂O₃/Pt substrates were fabricated using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. Powder synthesis, suspension preparation and kinetics of deposition were investigated in detail. Two different sintering temperatures were tested and the resultant microstructure and properties of ceramic films were investigated. The composite films sintered at a temperature of 1200 °C/2 h yielded optimal microstructures and properties. The obtained bilayer films had a dense structure with no phase diffusion or passive layer. Besides to ferroelectric and magnetic properties, magnetoelectric (ME) coupling properties were also confirmed by the magnetic anisotropy and magnetic field induced polarization investigation. The composite films showed a increased P_s from 16.2 to 16.85 μC/cm² with variations ΔP_s of 4% when the magnetic field was applied in parallel direction and a decreased P_s from 16.2 to 14.9 μC/cm² with variations ΔP_s of ?8% when a normal direction field was applied.     

Development of novel magnetic-dielectric ceramics for enhancement of reflection loss in X band

The purpose of this research was to develop BaFe_9.5Al_1.5CrO₁₉-xCaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ nanocomposites (x=10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%) and investigate their structural and magnetic features. The substituted barium hexaferrite (BaFe_9.5Al_1.5CrO₁₉) nanoparticles and calcium copper titanate (CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂) particles were synthesized by the auto-combustion sol-gel method. The structural, chemical composition and morphology of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) and the nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The magnetic and microwave properties of nanocomposites were also investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer and vector network analyzer, respectively. The results confirmed that 1100 °C is the optimum synthesis temperature for CCTO, the mean particles size of the CCTO particles changing from 220 nm (at 850 °C) to 2.18 µm (1250 °C). The SEM micrograph revealed that in all of the BaM-xCCTO nanocomposites (x=10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%), the CCTO dielectric particles were attached to the substituted barium hexaferrite nanoparticles, indicating the effectiveness of the adopted synthesis method. Due to the presence of a dielectric phase in the nanocomposites the saturation magnetization decreases from 22 emu/g to 12 emu/g. The coercive field was a slightly larger than substituted barium hexaferrite and increased from 5.558 kOe for substituted barium hexaferrite to 5.813 kOe for BaM-50CCTO due to hindered motion of the domain walls by the dielectric phase and also to the collective behavior of agglomerated barium ferrite nanoparticles. The BaM-30CCTO nanocomposite shows the highest value of reflection loss compared to other nanocomposites. The reflection dip frequency of BaM-30CCTO nanocomposite was −48.85 dB at 10.93 GHz.     

High resolution optical microprobe investigation of surface grinding stresses in Al2O3 and Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites

It has previously been suggested that Al₂O₃/SiC nanocomposites develop higher surface residual stresses than Al₂O₃ on grinding and polishing. In this work, high spatial resolution measurements of residual stresses in ground surfaces of alumina and nanocomposites were made by Cr³⁺ fluorescence microspectroscopy. The residual stresses from grinding were highly inhomogeneous in alumina and 2 vol.% SiC nanocomposites, with stresses ranging from ～ ?2 GPa within the plastically deformed surface layers to ～ +0.8 GPa in the material beneath them. Out of plane tensile stresses were also present. The stresses were much more uniform in 5 and 10 vol% SiC nanocomposites; no significant tensile stresses were present and the compressive stresses in the surface were ～ ?2.7 GPa. The depth and extent of plastic deformation were similar in all the materials (depth ～ 0.7–0.85 μm); the greater uniformity and compressive stress in the nanocomposites with 5 and 10 vol% SiC was primarily a consequence of the lack of surface fracture and pullout during grinding. The results help to explain the improved strength and resistance to severe wear of the nanocomposites.     

Polypropylene/carbon nanotube nano/microcellular structures with high dielectric permittivity,low dielectric loss,and low percolation threshold

Nano/microcellular polypropylene/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites exhibiting higher electrical conductivity, lower electrical percolation, higher dielectric permittivity, and lower dielectric loss are reported. Nanocomposite foams with relative densities (ρ_R) of 1.0–0.1, cell sizes of 70 nm–70 μm, and cell densities of 3 × 10⁷–2 × 10¹⁴ cells cm⁻³ are achieved, providing a platform to assess the evolution of electrical properties with foaming degree. The electrical percolation threshold decreases more than fivefold, from 0.50 down to 0.09 vol.%, as the volume expansion increases through foaming. The electrical conductivity increases up to two orders of magnitude in the nanocellular nanocomposites (1.0 > ρ_R > ∼0.6). In the proper microcellular range (ρ_R ≈ 0.45), the introduction of cellular structure decreases the dielectric loss up to five orders of magnitude, while the decrease in dielectric permittivity is only 2–4 times. Thus, microcellular composites containing only ∼0.34 vol.% MWCNT present a frequency-independent high dielectric permittivity (∼30) and very low dielectric loss (∼0.06). The improvements in such properties are correlated to the microstructural evolution caused by foaming action (biaxial stretching) and volume exclusion. High conductivity foams have applications in electromagnetic shielding and high dielectric foams can be developed for charge storage applications.     

Texturing of 3Y-TZP zirconia by electrophoretic deposition in a high magnetic field of 17.4 T

Ceramics can be textured during colloidal processing by aligning the suspended particles in a strong magnetic field and retaining this alignment in the green body. Attempts to align tetragonal zirconia particles however were not successful, not even in 12 T magnetic fields. In the current work, monoclinic zirconia was successfully aligned with its (1 0 0) plane perpendicular to the magnetic field direction by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in a 17.4 T field. Moreover, textured tetragonal zirconia was developed by reactive sintering of undoped pure monoclinic zirconia and co-precipitated 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia. The sintered tetragonal zirconia inherited the alignment of the monoclinic zirconia particle precursor and aligned with its (0 0 1) plane perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. The toughness of the (0 0 1)-oriented 3Y-TZP along the [0 0 1] direction of the textured zirconia was 65% higher than normal to it and 48% higher than the randomly oriented material.