Inside Front Cover: Fabrication of Ideally Ordered Nanoporous Alumina Films and Integrated Alumina Nanotubule Arrays by High‐Field Anodization (Adv. Mater. 17/2005)

A simple, low‐cost approach to fabricating large‐area highly ordered nanoporous alumina films in sulfuric acid solutions through a single‐step high‐field anodization, without the assistance of any additional process, is reported on p. 2115 by Chu and co‐workers. The critical high anodizing potential in the adopted electrolyte system increases with the ageing of solutions after a long period of anodization. Correspondingly, the applicable current density for stable anodization rises significantly, thus leading to high‐speed film growth. Uniform porous anodic alumina films in sulfuric acid solutions under a high electric field of 40–70 V and 1600–2000 A m^–2 are achieved.     

氧化铝超细粉末中团聚产生的原因及消除机理

应用胶体和表面化学的基本原理对用Ｓｏｌ－Ｇｅｌ法制备氧化铝超细粉末过程团聚现象产生的原因和消除机理进行了研究；采用无水乙醇洗涤和冰冻－干燥两种方法来消除粉末中的团聚体，获得了较好的效果。其中用无水乙醇洗涤剂，可以有效地减少可消除粉末的团聚体；用冰冻－干燥法也起到了减少或消除粉末团聚的作用。     

提高焙烧炉气力输送能力的措施

介绍了气力输送的类型，浓相输送的基本原理，经验公式局限性以及通过对成品氧化铝输送装置的改造，使气力输送装置的能力达到最佳经济状态。     

高铝质陶瓷蓄热材料的研究开发

按蓄热式热交换器使用性能的要求和高铝质耐火材料的特殊性能和优点，选择适当的原料配方、特殊的成型和烧结工艺，研制开发出性能较为优越的陶瓷球蓄热材料。     

Internal oxidation of dilute Cu–Al alloy powers with oxidant of Cu2O

The mechanisms responsible for the nucleation, growth and coarsening of Al₂O₃ particles in dilute Cu–Al alloys during internal oxidation have been investigated, and the alumina morphologies produced have been studied by electron microscopy using two-stage preshadowed carbon replica method. The alumina particle size has been observed to increase with increasing temperature of oxidation, with increasing time of oxidation, and with decreasing oxygen resource coefficient over the experimental range. These results indicate that the alumina particle size is determined by a competition between the rate of nucleation as the internal oxidation front passes and the subsequent growth and coarsening rates of the particles.     

Processing of alumina and zirconia nano-powders and compacts

Magnesia–doped alumina and yttria–doped zirconia nano-powders were synthesized using sucrose as a chelating agent and template material from the aqueous solutions of aluminium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, ytrrium nitrate and zirconyl nitrate, respectively. Synthesis parameters were optimized with varying sucrose to metal ion ratio, calcinations time, and temperature to produce these nano-powders. As-synthesized powders were characterized by room temperature X-ray diffraction, BET surface area analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. Y₂O₃–ZrO₂ nano-powders had particle size in the range of 80–200 nm with specific average surface area of 119 m²/g and for MgO–Al₂O₃ powders, particle sizes were 30–200 nm with the specific average surface area of 250 m²/g. Our results indicate that this synthesis method is a versatile one and can be applied to a variety of oxide-based materials to form nano-powders. Nano-powders were compacted uniaxially and densified in a muffle furnace. Sintered discs were used for hardness testing and density measurements, as well as for microstructural characterization.     

Relationship between particle erosion and lamellar microstructure for plasma-sprayed alumina coatings

The lamellar structure determines mechanical properties of a thermal spray coating. A model for the erosion of thermally sprayed ceramic coatings resulting from the debonding of flattened ceramic particles is proposed based on the examination of the erosion mechanism. The relationship between erosion rate and microstructural parameters is established both experimentally and theoretically to reveal main lamellar structural parameters controlling erosion of thermally sprayed ceramic coating. The microstructural parameters include the mean bonding ratio between lamellae and thickness of the lamellae. The erosion rate of plasma-sprayed Al₂O₃ coatings was measured at impact angle of 90° under the fixed erosion test conditions. The correlation of theoretical model with the observed structural parameters and erosion data of alumina coatings was examined. It is revealed that the theoretical relationship agreed well with the observed relation. The results clearly revealed that the erosion of plasma-sprayed ceramic coating was inversely proportional to the mean lamellar bonding ratio. The influences of spray parameters on erosion effected mainly through their influences on the lamellar bonding. The erosion resistance of a thermally sprayed ceramic coating was controlled by coating fracture toughness.     

Effect of particle morphology on viscoelastic and flexural properties of epoxy–alumina polymer nanocomposites

Nanocomposites were synthesised by dispersing two different types of alumina nanoparticles in epoxy matrix by ultrasonication. Alumina nanoparticles of two shapes, rod and spherical were selected to investigate the effect of particle morphology on viscoelastic and flexural properties of nanocomposites. Specific surface area of both the selected nanoparticles was kept in the similar range. Good dispersion of nanoparticles was observed through transmission electron microscopy. The addition of nanoparticles in epoxy had significant enhancement in the viscoelastic properties and moderate improvement in flexural properties of composites. Composites having alumina nanorods showed higher improvement both in storage modulus as well as in flexural properties in comparison to composites having spherical alumina nanoparticles. Efficacy of Mori-Tanaka method was explored in modelling storage modulus of nanocomposites. Assorted size of alumina nanorods based on particle size distribution was used to model composites with nanorods to see the effect of size assortment on storage modulus.     

热轧加热炉内步进梁及立柱耐火材料粘渣原因分析

分析了热轧加热炉内步进梁与立柱粘渣的原因,认为所用耐火材料荷重软化温度低、变形大是主要原因之一。从侵蚀结构分析看,氧化铝溶解进入炉衬的粘接渣相中,增加了渣的黏度,可能导致炉衬的严重挂渣,不利于生产的正常顺行。常规的加热炉耐火材料控制标准没有荷重软化温度等指标,不利于控制炉衬实物质量。     

Thermo-mechanical test rig for experimental evaluation of thermal conductivity of ceramic pebble beds

The experimental determination of mechanical and thermal properties of ceramic pebble beds, such as the lithium orthosilicate or lithium metatitanate, is a key issue in the framework of fusion power technology, for the reason that they are possible candidates in the design of breeder blankets.The paper deals with an experimental method for the evaluation of the thermal conductivity of ceramic pebble beds versus the temperature and compressive strain, based on a steady state heat flux through a material (alumina) of known conductivity. The alumina thermal conductivity is determined by means of the hot wire method. To assess the experimental method, a thermo-mechanical characterization of alumina pebble beds (a material largely available), having different diameters, considering a wide range of temperatures and compression forces has been carried out.Moreover preliminary tests have been performed on lithium orthosilicate and lithium metatitanate pebble beds.