Investigations on grinding process of woven ceramic matrix composite based on reinforced fiber orientations

Fiber orientations play the decisive role in grinding process of woven ceramic matrix composites, but the influence of woven fibers in grinding process is not clear. This paper studies the surface quality and grinding force by comparing different woven surfaces. Through a series of experiments in optimized sampling conditions, we analyze characteristics of the material surface topography height, wave distribution and surface support properties in details. And we find some outstanding characteristics of the surface microstructure. We also study the influence of grinding processing parameters on surface microstructure. The results show that machining surface which contains more parallel fibers is rougher and more keenness than gauss surface. Grinding wheel speed and depth of cut have great influence on surface topography and surface support properties. And it is discovered that grinding forces are also highly dependent on fiber orientations. The mechanism of the grinding phenomena is also analyzed in this paper according to knowledge of fracture mechanics and mechanical damage phenomenology. The research obtained will be an important technical support on improving the processing quality of woven ceramic matrix composites.     

A software tool for translating deterministic model results into probabilistic assessments of water quality standard compliance

Most assessments of whether a water body will comply with pollutant standards after modification of land use, loading, or climate change are based on the results of deterministic simulation models. These models, including those used to support the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) total maximum daily load (TMDL) program, typically do not account for common sources of assessment uncertainty. Instead, model results are typically represented by a time series of predicted pollutant concentration values or the parameters of a frequency-based distribution of these values over a specified time period. The rate of exceedance of relevant pollutant limits is then assessed directly from this time series or distribution to determine standard compliance. In this way, sampling and analysis-based variability and model uncertainty are typically ignored, although they may substantially influence the probability of non-compliance. To help address this problem, we introduce ProVAsT (Probabilistic Water Quality Standard Violation Assessment Tool), a software tool encoded in the graphical model-based package Analytica^®. Here, we present a version of ProVAsT which translates model-predicted in situ fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) pollutant concentrations into the expected frequency of water quality standard violations and provides a Bayesian measure of the degree of confidence in this assessment. We call this version ProVAsT-FIB. Along with inputting their own simulation model results, users can specify the particular water quality analysis methods employed (e.g. the analytic procedure used and the number and volume of sample aliquots) as well as the numeric limits pertaining to local water quality standards. It is our hope that ProVAsT will encourage the rational consideration of uncertainty and variability in water quality assessments by reducing the burden of complex statistical calculations.     

Vapor Phase Dealloying Derived Nanoporous Co@CoO/RuO2 Composites for Efficient and Durable Oxygen Evolution Reaction (Adv. Funct. Mater. 17/2023)

The development of low-cost and effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts to expedite the slow kinetics of water splitting is crucial for increasing the efficiency of energy conversion from electricity to hydrogen fuel. Herein, 3D bicontinuous nanoporous Co@CoO/RuO₂ composites with tunable sizes and chemical compositions are fabricated by introducing vapor phase dealloying of cobalt-based alloys. The influence of physical parameters on the formation of nanoporous Co substrates with various feature ligament sizes is systematically investigated. The CoO/RuO₂ shell is constructed by integrating a thin layer of RuO₂ on the inner surface of nanoporous Co, where the CoO interlayer is formed by annealing oxidization. The composite catalyst delivers an ultralow overpotential of 198 mV at 10 mA cm⁻², Tafel slope of 57.1 mV dec⁻¹, and long-term stability of 50 h. The superior OER activity and fast reaction kinetics are attributed to charge transfer through the coupling of Co O Ru bonds at the interface and the excellent nanopore connectivity, while the durability originates from the highly stable CoO/RuO₂ interface.     

A Visible and Near-Infrared Light-Fueled Omnidirectional Twist-Bend Crawling Robot

In recent years, although light-driven soft actuators have attracted intense scientific attention and achieved remarkable progress, the design and construction of an intelligent robotic system with maneuverability, self-adaptability, untethered control, and greater freedom of action, in particular the omnidirectional motion capability on a plane, remains challenging. Herein, four types of photo-thermal fillers and an unprecedented twist-bend actuation mode is introduced into a liquid crystal elastomer-based soft robot. The obtained twist-bend crawling robot not only exhibits in situ rotation, four-way turning, and four-way linear motion under light irradiation with four wavelength bands (520, 655, 808, and 980 nm), but also demonstrates the ability to avoid obstacles in complex geographical environments. This work may bring a new perspective for fabrication and development of soft robots that can adapt to dynamic and complex environmental conditions.     

Vapor Phase Growth of Centimeter-Sized Band Gap Engineered Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Single-Crystal Thin Films with Color-tunable Stimulated Emission

Single crystal metal halide perovskites thin films are considered to be a promising optical, optoelectronic materials with extraordinary performance due to their low defect densities. However, it is still difficult to achieve large-scale perovskite single-crystal thin films (SCTFs) with tunable bandgap by vapor-phase deposition method. Herein, the synthesis of CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs with centimeter size (1 cm × 1 cm) via vapor-phase deposition is reported. The Br composition of CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs can be gradually tuned from x = 0 to x = 1, leading the corresponding bandgap to change from 2.29 to 2.91 eV. Additionally, an low-threshold (≈23.9 µJ cm⁻²) amplified spontaneous emission is achieved based on CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs at room temperature, and the wavelength is tuned from 432 to 547 nm by varying the Cl/Br ratio. Importantly, the high-quality CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs are ideal optical gain medium with high gain up to 1369.8 ± 101.2 cm⁻¹. This study not only provides a versatile method to fabricate high quality CsPbCl_3(1–x)Br_3x SCTFs with different Cl/Br ratio, but also paves the way for further research of color-tunable perovskite lasing.     

Assessment of mechanical properties of concrete incorporating carbonated recycled concrete aggregates

An accelerated carbonation technique was employed to strengthen the quality of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) in this study. The properties of the carbonated RCAs and their influence on the mechanical properties of new concrete were then evaluated. Two types of RCAs, an old type of RCAs sourced from demolished old buildings and a new type of RCAs derived from a designed concrete mixture, were used. The chosen RCAs were firstly carbonated for 24 h in a carbonation chamber with a 100% CO₂ concentration at a pressure level of 0.1 Bar and 5.0 Bar, respectively. The experimental results showed that the properties of RCAs were improved after the carbonation treatment. This resulted in performance enhancement of the new concrete prepared with the carbonated RCAs, especially an obvious increase of the mechanical strengths for the concrete prepared with the 100% carbonated new RCAs. Moreover, the replacement percentage of natural aggregates by the carbonated RCAs can be increased to 60% with an insignificant reduction in the mechanical properties of the new concrete.     

Facile synthesis of rutile TiO2/carbon nanosheet composite from MAX phase for lithium storage

Titanium oxide (TiO₂), with excellent cycling stability and low volume expansion, is a promising anode material for lithium-ion battery (LIB), which suffers from low electrical conductivity and poor rate capability. Combining nano-sized TiO₂ with conductive materials is proved an efficient method to improve its electrochemical properties. Here, rutile TiO₂/carbon nanosheet was obtained by calcinating MAX (Ti₃AlC₂) and Na₂CO₃ together and water-bathing with HCl. The lamellar carbon atoms in MAX are converted to 2D carbon nanosheets with urchin-like rutile TiO₂ anchored on. The unique architecture can offer plentiful active sites, shorten the ion diffusion distance and improve the conductivity. The composite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 247 mA h g⁻¹, excellent rate performance (38 mA h g⁻¹ at 50 C) and stable cycling performance (0.014% decay per cycle during 2000 cycles) for lithium storage.     

A new insight into promotion action of Co2+ in Ni-diamond composite electrodeposition

A new insight into the promotion action of Co²⁺ on both particle and metal deposition in Ni-diamond composite electrodeposition system was analyzed according to electrochemical measurements. The results showed that the addition of Co²⁺ made particles content in deposits increased remarkably. The change of particles content in deposits was related inversely to the change of cathodic zero potential with the increase of the concentration of cobalt sulfate. Zero charge potential of cathode was shifted to much more negative region. The negative shift of the zero potential, combining with positive shift of the zeta potential, increased the electrostatic force between the particle-adsorbed metallic cations and the cathode. It not only benefits to the transportation of particles in solution towards cathode, but also shortens their residence time on cathodic surface. Meanwhile, entry of particles is also promoted. For metals deposition, reduction resistance of metallic cations rises greatly and deposition current at cathodic potentiodynamic polarization decreases after cobalt sulfate has been added into electrolyte. These factors are favorable for increasing particles content in deposits. In addition, physical model of diamond particles deposition state before and after the addition of Co²⁺ has been discussed.     

Assessment methodology for software process improvement in small organizations

ContextDiagnosing processes in a small company requires process assessment practices which give qualitative and quantitative results; these should offer an overall view of the process capability. The purpose is to obtain relevant information about the running of processes, for use in their control and improvement. However, small organizations have some problems in running process assessment, due to their specific characteristics and limitations.ObjectiveThis paper presents a methodology for assessing software processes which assist the activity of software process diagnosis in small organizations. There is an attempt to address issues such as the fact that: (i) process assessment is expensive and typically requires major company resources and (ii) many light assessment methods do not provide information that is detailed enough for diagnosing and improving processes.MethodTo achieve all this, the METvalCOMPETISOFT assessment methodology was developed. This methodology: (i) incorporates the strategy of internal assessments known as rapid assessment, meaning that these assessments do not take up too much time or use an excessive quantity of resources, nor are they too rigorous and (ii) meets all the requirements described in the literature for an assessment proposal which is customized to the typical features of small companies.ResultsThis paper also describes the experience of the application of this methodology in eight small software organizations that took part in the COMPETISOFT project. The results obtained show that this approach allows us to obtain reliable information about the strengths and weaknesses of software processes, along with information to companies on opportunities for improvement.ConclusionThe assessment methodology proposed sets out the elements needed to assist with diagnosing the process in small organizations step-by-step while seeking to make its application economically feasible in terms of resources and time. From the initial application it may be seen that this assessment methodology can be useful, practical and suitable for diagnosing processes in this type of organizations.