Gd2Zr2O7 ceramics synthesized by solid-state reactive sintering: Effects of starting powders with different-scale particle sizes

In this work, the effects of starting oxide powders with different-scale particle sizes on the synthesis of gadolinium zirconate pyrochlore (Gd₂Zr₂O₇, GZO) and its physical properties were studied. Micron Gd₂O₃ (μG), micron ZrO₂ (μZ), nano Gd₂O₃ (nG), and nano ZrO₂ (nZ) powders were used. GZO ceramics were prepared by employing solid-state reactive sintering at 1300 °C, 1400 °C, 1500 °C and 1600 °C with mixed powders of different sizes (μGμZ, μGnZ, nGμZ and nGnZ). X-ray diffraction and Raman analyses of the ceramics revealed that nG has a more significant impact on the crystallization process than nZ. All ceramics synthesized with different sized oxide powders crystallized into pyrochlore phases except for those synthesized with μGnZ mixed powders, which resulted in a fluorite phase. The results indicated that decreasing the particle size of only ZrO₂ to synthesize pyrochlore-phase Gd₂Zr₂O₇ with high crystallinity may not be effective. Samples obtained at 1500 °C were further analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed that all four ceramics have a non-homogeneous grain size and that the average grain size ranges from 5.40 to 8.30 μm. In addition, the density and Vickers hardness measurements showed that the use of nanopowders significantly improves the mechanical properties.     

Novel nanometer alumina-silica insulation board with ultra-low thermal conductivity

Advanced nano-porous super thermal insulation materials are widely used in spacecraft, soler-thermal shielding, heat exchangers, photocatalytic carriers due to their low thermal conductivity. In this work, adopting dry preparation technology, nano-Al₂O₃, nano-SiO₂, SiC and glass fibers as raw materials, novel nanometer alumina-silica insulation board (NAIB) were prepared. The preparation process was simple, safe, and reliable. In addition, the NAIB exhibited a high porosity (91.3–92.3%), small pore size (39.83–44.15 nm), low bulk density (0.22–0.26 g/cm³), better volumetric stability, and low thermal conductivity (0.031–0.050 W/(m·K) (200–800 °C)), respectively. The as-prepared NAIB could render them suitable for application as high-temperature thermal insulation materials.     

Effects of particle size distribution and sintering temperature on properties of alumina mold material prepared by stereolithography

Alumina mold materials prepared by stereolithography usually have considerable sintering shrinkage, and their properties related to casting have been rarely studied. In this study, alumina molds materials were prepared by stereolithography, and the effects of particle size distribution and sintering temperature on the properties of the materials were investigated. Results show that the viscosity of the slurries decreases as the fraction of fine powder increases, and the particle size distribution affects the curing behaviors slightly. Sintering shrinkage increases as the fraction of fine powder or the sintering temperature increases. Although lower sintering shrinkage can be achieved by sintering at 1350 °C or 1450 °C, the mold materials sintered at lower temperatures would continue to shrink under the service temperature of 1550 °C, and thus 1550 °C is determined as the optimal sintering temperature. As the fraction of fine powder increases, the creep resistance first increases and then decreases, and specimens prepared with 0.1 fraction of fine powder exhibit the best creep resistance with the droop distance of 4.44 ± 0.45 mm. Specimens prepared with 0.1 fraction of fine powder and sintered at 1550 °C exhibit linear shrinkage of 6.36% along the X/Y direction and 11.39% along the Z direction, and have a flexural strength of 78.15 ± 3.50 MPa and porosity of 30.12 ± 0.08%. The resulting material possesses relatively low sintering shrinkage, proper mechanical strength, porosity and high-temperature properties that meet the requirements for casting purposes.     

Implication of Size-Controlled Graphite Nanosheets as Building Blocks for Thermal Conductive Three-Dimensional Framework Architecture of Nanocarbons

Preparation of three-dimensional (3D) networks has received significant attention as an effective approach for applications involving transport phenomena, such as thermal management materials, and several nanomaterials have been examined as potential building blocks of 3D networks for the improvement of heat conduction in polymer nanocomposites. For that purpose, nanocarbons such as graphene and graphite nanoplatelets have been spotlighted as suitable filler materials because of their excellent thermal conductivities (ca. 10²–10³ W·(m·K)^?1 along their lateral axes) and morphological merits. However, the implications of morphological features such as the lateral length and thickness of graphene or graphene-like materials have not yet been identified. In this study, a controlled dissociation of bulk graphite to graphite nanosheets (GNSs) using a low-cost, ecofriendly bead mill process was extensively examined and, when configured in a 3D framework architecture formation, the size-controlled GNSs demonstrated that the thermal conductivities of a 3D interconnected framework of GNSs and the corresponding polymer nanocomposite were intimately correlated with the size of the GNSs, thus demonstrating the successful preparation of an efficient thermal management material without highly sophisticated efforts. The capability of controlling the lateral size and thickness of the GNSs as well as the use of a 3D interconnected framework architecture should greatly assist the commercialization of high-quality graphene-based thermal management materials in a scalable production process.     

Natural food mastication capability in preschool children according to their oral condition: A preliminary study

This study investigated, for the first time, the masticatory capability of preschool children using natural foods, and the impact of an early oral health alteration (early childhood caries: ECC) on the granulometry of ready-to-swallow food boluses. Thirteen children with ECC were compared to 13 preschool children with a healthy oral condition. Oral health criteria and NOT-S scores (Nordic Orofacial dysfunction Test-Screening) were recorded. For each child, number of masticatory cycles (Nc), chewing time (Ti), and frequency (Fq = Nc/Ti) were recorded during mastication of raw carrot (CAR), cheese (CHS) and breakfast cereals (CER) samples. Food boluses were collected by stopping children at their food-dependent individual swallowing threshold (Nc), and the median food bolus particle size value (D50) was calculated. Correlations were sought between oral health and masticatory criteria. In the ECC group, mean Fq values were significantly decreased for all three foods (p ≤ .001) and mean D50 values were significantly increased (p ≤ .001) compared to the control group (i.e., D50 CAR = 4,384 μm ± 929 vs. 2,960 μm ± 627). These alterations were related to the extent of ECC. The NOT-S mean global score was significantly increased in children with ECC (2.62 ± 1.37 vs. 1 ± 0.91 in the control group, p ≤ .01), due to “Mastication and swallowing” domain impairment. This study gives granulometric normative values for three foods in preschool children and shows the impact of ECC on D50 values. The progression of children's masticatory capability after dental treatment, and the impact of such modifications of sensory input on future eating habits should be explored.     

Effect of ultrasound on the true flotation of lignite and its entrainment behavior

In this study, the ultrasound was fixed in the pulp zone of flotation cell and its effect on the true flotation of lignite was analyzed. Flotation results indicated that the simultaneous ultrasound treatment increased the concentrate yield and decreased the concentrate ash content. Screening analysis of flotation products revealed that the ultrasound could crush coarse coal to fine coal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests indicated that the ultrasound could reduce the coverage of high-ash coal fines on the coarse particle surface. Thus, the flotation recovery of coarse lignite particle was increased. In addition, the true flotation and entrainment of ?0.074 mm fine particles were studied by the sink-float test and the method of Trahar. It was found the ultrasound significantly enhanced the true flotation of fine particles and improved the overall water recovery in lignite flotation.     

On the thermal conductivity of bimodal SiC/A356 composites fabricated via powder metallurgy route

The present study investigates the thermal conductivity of bimodal SiC particulate distribution in aluminum matrix composites fabricated via powder metallurgy route. The effects of the SiC_p reinforcement size distribution and processing parameters such as sintering time and temperature on the thermal conductivity have been examined. The Box–Behnken experimental array was employed to identify the effects of selected variables on the thermal conductivity of the composite. A reasonable augmentation in the thermal conductivity was observed with an increase in sintering time and %volume fraction of fine SiC particulates. It has been demonstrated that the matrix doped with fine SiC particulates (37?µm) occupied interstitial positions and formed continuous SiC–matrix network resulting in minimizing the micropores that contributed for good thermal conductivity, that is, 235?W/mK. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were conducted to evaluate the microstructure architecture and interfacial phase formation.     

The control of paracetamol particle size and surface morphology through crystallisation in a spray dryer

The parameters governing the crystallisation of paracetamol using various conventional techniques has been extensively studied, however the factors influencing the drug crystallisation using spray drying is not as well understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the crystallisation of an active pharmaceutical ingredient through evaporative crystallisation using a spray dryer to study the physicochemical properties of the drug and to use semi-empirical equations to gain insight into the morphology and particle size of the dried powder. Paracetamol solutions were spray dried at various inlet temperatures ranging from 60 °C to 120 °C and also from a series of inlet feed solvent compositions ranging from 50/50% v/v ethanol/water to 100% ethanol and solid-state characterisation was done. The size and morphology of the dried materials were altered with a change in spray drying parameters, with an increase in inlet temperature leading to an increase in particle Sauter mean diameter (from 3.0 to 4.4 µm) and a decrease in the particle size with an increase in ethanol concentration in the feed (from 4.6 to 4.4 µm) as a result of changes in particle density and atomised droplet size. The morphology of the dried particles consisted of agglomerates of individual crystallites bound together into larger semi-spherical agglomerates with a higher tendency for particles having crystalline ridges to form at higher ethanol concentrations of the feed.     

夹杂物对工程机械用钢Q345FCA疲劳寿命的影响

采用QBWP-6000J型简支梁旋转弯曲疲劳试验机测定了高疲劳寿命工程机械用钢Q345FCA的疲劳寿命;采用扫描电镜(SEM)对疲劳断口形貌进行了观察,并用附带的能谱仪(EDS)寻找断口上的夹杂物;借助夹杂物自动分析系统对钢中的夹杂物进行了分析。通过对试验数据的分析,计算得出了Q345FCA钢和Q345钢夹杂物的表面临界尺寸、次表面临界尺寸和内部临界尺寸。结果表明,Q345FCA钢的疲劳极限为273 MPa,Q345钢的疲劳极限为266 MPa。Q345FCA钢和Q345钢中夹杂物尺寸均小于临界夹杂物尺寸,且断口形貌显示所有疲劳断裂均不是由夹杂物所引起,夹杂物不是疲劳源。     

激光散射法测定大方无烟煤粒度的测试条件的选择

利用激光粒度分布仪对大方无烟煤进行了测试，目的是为了选取测量过程中最佳测试条件。结果发现测试条件对试验结果的影响较大，特别是分散剂、超声时间、搅拌池泵转速对测试结果的影响尤为显著。最终确定了激光粒度分布仪测试样品的合理测试条件，即分散剂为无水乙醇，无烟煤折射率为1.66，吸收率为0.46，在搅拌池中的超声时间为180 s，搅拌池泵转速为1 600 r·min^-1。另外，取样方法中，试管法和四分法均具有良好的代表性。