Synthesis and characterization of sol–gel derived calcium hydroxyapatite thin films spin-coated on silicon substrate

The goal of this study was to demonstrate that sol–gel processing route is suitable for the fabrication of calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂, CHA) thin films on Si substrate by spin-coating technique. The substrate was spin-coated by precursor sol solution 1, 5, 15 and 30 times. The samples were annealed after each spin-coating procedure at 1000 °C for 5 h in air. In the sol–gel process ethylendiamintetraacetic acid and 1,2-ethandiol, and triethanolamine and polyvinyl alcohol were used as complexing agents and as gel network forming agents, respectively. The coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, profilometry and the contact angle measurements (CAM). It was demonstrated, that properties of calcium hydroxyapatite thin films depend on spinning and annealing times.     

Oxygen permeation through dense La0.1Sr0.9Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ perovskite membranes: Catalytic effect of porous La0.1Sr0.9Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ layers

The oxygen permeation performance of a number of La_0.1Sr_0.9Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ (LSCF1982)-based membranes, consisting of dense LSCF1982 layer with/without porous LSCF1982 layer, was analyzed on the basis of the thickness of the dense layer and catalytic effect of the porous layer. A 0.27 mm thick dense membrane gives oxygen permeation flux ($J_{O_2}$) of 2.33 sccm min⁻¹ cm⁻² at 900 °C, which is increased to 3.55 sccm min⁻¹ cm⁻² on applying a porous layer of LSCF1982 onto the dense membrane. The membrane gives a stable flux for 300 h. The flux was further improved by reducing the thickness of the dense LSCF1982 layer and at 950 °C a flux of 4.47 sccm min⁻¹ cm⁻² is obtained with 0.012 mm thick membrane.     

Preparation of separated and open end TiO2 nanotubes

Separated and open end TiO₂ nanotubes with large surface area and through-hole structure exhibit exciting functionalities in energy and environmental applications. In this study, TiO₂ nanotube membranes are created using high purity titanium sheets as raw materials by anodic oxidation at 100 V for 12 h in ethylene glycol+0.25 wt% NH₄F+5 vol% H₂O. The pore size of the nanotubes is 215 nm with uniform diameters. Close-packed TiO₂ nanotube arrays are separated by immersion in a 0.15 wt% HF water solution. With further dissolution by 40% HF water solution for 10 min, the barrier layer at the back of the TiO₂ nanotubes completely disappears and the nanotubes become open at both ends. This study offers a facile approach of making separated and open-end nanotubes for electrocatalytic purposes.     

Transparent silica thin films prepared from sodium silicate and bovine serum albumin with petal effect

A variety of advanced functions such as hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity are required for transparent glass plates recently. This paper reports a new procedure to produce transparent silica thin films on glass plates obtained from sodium silicate as inexpensive silica source by its dip coating and subsequent deposition of silica with (NH₄)₂SO₄ solution. When the thin films were prepared using bovine serum albumin (BSA), the resulting transparent films became more hydrophobic than that obtained without BSA and had good adhesion with water droplet, the so-called “petal effect”. Water droplet on the silica thin film did not slide down even when the substrate turned vertically and upside down. Although no BSA was included in the silica thin film, BSA contributed to the formation of nano-sized asperity structures in the film, producing more hydrophobic (less hydrophilic) property and the petal effect.     

Enhancing CMAS corrosion resistance of PS-PVD Si/Yb2Si2O7 EBCs via Al-modification

Enhancing the resistance to molten silicate corrosion is crucial for the long service life of environmental barrier coatings (EBCs). In this study, we used the Al-modification technique to enhance the CMAS corrosion resistance of Si/Yb₂Si₂O₇ coatings prepared by plasma spray-physical vapor deposition. The results show that the Al-modified Yb₂Si₂O₇ coating had higher resistance to CMAS corrosion than the Yb₂Si₂O₇ coating annealed at 1300 ℃ for 100 h, which is related to the refractory mullite and Yb₂Mg(AlO₂)₂O₃ generated during the CMAS exposure of Al-modified Yb₂Si₂O₇ coating. The Al-modified Yb₂Si₂O₇ coating also exhibited excellent resistance to oxygen penetration. The Al-modification technology provides the direction for the corrosion resistance of Yb₂Si₂O₇ system to CMAS.     

Preparation of closed-pore MgO-MgFe2O4 aggregates with low thermal conductivity and high mechanical properties

MgO-MgFe₂O₄ refractory aggregates with high closed porosity were fabricated using MgO agglomerates and Mg(OH)₂ with introducing Fe₂O₃ additive. The evolutions of pores and microstructure and their relationship with the properties of the specimens were studied. The addition of Fe₂O₃ obviously promoted the MgO grain growth and conversion of large open pores into small closed pores, attributing to the formation of cationic vacancies and intergranular MgFe₂O₄ bonding phase. Owing to the presence of closed pores and networks of intergranular MgFe₂O₄, both thermal insulation and strength were enhanced significantly. Besides, the formed closed pores and MgFe₂O₄ phase could accommodate thermal stress and induce transgranular fracture and crack deflection, therefore effectively improving the thermal shock resistance. The specimen with 15 wt% Fe₂O₃ showed a apparent/closed porosity of 0.7%/10.1%, median pore diameter of 4.37 µm, thermal conductivity of 9.3 W/(m·K) (500 °C), flexural strength of 143.5 MPa, and residual flexural strength of 24.1 MPa after thermal shock.     

Effect of β to α phase transformation on microstructure and thermal conductivity of SiC ceramic densified with Y2O3-MgO additives in argon

SiC ceramic was fabricated by spark plasma sintering of β-SiC powder and Y₂O₃-MgO additives in argon. The effects of β→α phase transformation of SiC on microstructure and thermal conductivity of densified bulks were systematically investigated, in comparison to the counterparts using α-SiC as starting powder. The β→α phase transformation led to a “unimodal to bimodal” transition in grain size distribution. After sintering at 1850 ^oC, the incomplete β→α phase transformation induced the appearance of β/α heterophase boundary with strong effect of phonon-scattering. After sintering at 2050 ^oC, the completion of β→α phase transformation resulted in enlarged grains and disappearance of β/α heterophase boundary in SiC ceramic. The lattice oxygen content was decreased primarily by enhanced grain growth and oxygen picking-up of sintering additives, and possibly some contribution from β→α phase transformation. The optimized microstructure enabled SiC ceramic to obtain a remarkable increase in thermal conductivity from 126 to 204 W/mK after the replacement of α-SiC by β-SiC as starting powder and the accomplishment of β→α phase transformation.     

Additive manufacturing of SiC-Sialon refractory with excellent properties by direct ink writing

Additive manufacturing of SiC-Sialon refractory with complex geometries was achieved using direct ink writing processes, followed by pressureless sintering under nitrogen. The effects of particle size of SiC powders, solid content of slurries and additives on the rheology, thixotropy and viscoelasticity of ceramic slurries were investigated. The optimal slurry with a high solid content was composed of 81 wt% SiC (3.5 µm+0.65 µm), Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ powders, 0.2 wt% dispersant, and 2.8 wt% binder. Furthermore, the accuracy of the structure of specimens was improved via adjustment of the printing parameters, including nozzle size, extrusion pressure, and layer height. The density and flexural strength of the printed SiC-Sialon refractory sintered at 1600 °C were 2.43 g/cm³ and 85 MPa, respectively. In addition, the printed SiC-Sialon crucible demonstrated excellent corrosion resistance to iron slag. Compared to the printed crucible bottom, the crucible side wall was minimally affected by molten slag.     

Multi-objective optimal droop control of solid oxide fuel cell based integrated energy system

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based integrated energy system (IES) is promising in the future low-carbon power generation market, due to the high efficiency and flexibility. However, it is challenging for the dynamic control design in dealing with the conflicting objectives in terms of fast power tracking and overall efficiency during the transient process of load response. To this end, this paper develops a multi-objective optimal droop control strategy for the real-time power dispatch of the IES. Firstly, a nonlinear implicit dynamic model consisting of SOFC, lithium-ion battery, photovoltaic array and DC-DC converter is developed. Then, a multi-objective optimization is formulated to balance the power tracking performance and transient efficiency. Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) is adopted to search the optimal parameters for droop controller. Simulation results demonstrates that the electricity loss of the proposed method can be reduced by 96.26% with a slight compromise in power tracking performance.     

Silk fibroin fibers supported with high density of gold nanoparticles: fabrication and application as catalyst

Silk fibroin (SF) fibers were modified with sulfonated polyaniline and, via an in situ redox technique, a high density of gold (Au) nanoparticles were supported directly on the surface of the fiber. The morphology, formation, and application of the as-prepared product, Au/SPANI-modified SF composite fiber, were investigated. By controlling the concentration of HAuCl₄, the density of Au nanoparticles on the composite fiber could be effectively adjusted. It is suggested that sulfonated polyaniline contributes to the generation of a high density of Au nanoparticles supported on the SF fibers. The composite fiber exhibited good activity when taking the reduction of p-nitrophenol as a model reaction.