Thermodynamic modelling of the ternary Bi-Ga-Te system for potential application in thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric materials have drawn widespread attention because they can enable the direct conversion between electric and thermal energy. Over the years, different materials such as skutterudites, clathrates, intermetallic alloys, eutectic alloys, chalcogenides have been explored for Thermoelectric (TE) applications. Amongst the eutectic alloys, the Bi-Ga-Te system exhibits promising potential as a TE material. Accordingly, in this study, we performed the thermodynamic optimization and critical evaluation of binary Bi–Ga, Bi–Te, Ga–Te, and ternary Bi-Ga-Te systems using the CALPHAD method. It is observed that the Ga–Te system shows asymmetric liquid solution properties with strong negative enthalpy of mixing, whereas the Bi–Te liquid exhibits the symmetric regular solution behavior. Moreover, the Bi–Ga liquid solution has a positive enthalpy of mixing. Therefore, Modified Quasichemical Model (MQM) using pair approximation was utilized to describe the diversified thermodynamic properties of liquid solution in sub-binaries by taking into account the Short-Range Ordering (SRO). By merging the binary optimization results with a proper interpolation method, the liquid solution properties and phase diagram information in the Bi-Ga-Te ternary system were also reproduced successfully without any adjustable ternary parameter. Several ternary eutectic compositions were suggested for designing TE alloy with enhanced properties using the developed database.     

Superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface with excellent universality,corrosion resistance,and antifouling performance prepared without prepolishing

It is urgently necessary to seek more simple and effective methods to construct superhydrophobic metal surfaces to improve the corrosion resistance and antifouling performance. Herein, a facile method for fabricating superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface is developed via boiling water treatment and stearic acid modification. It is noteworthy that no prepolishing on aluminum alloy is required and no caustic reagents and typical equipments are used during the preparation procedure. Therefore, the fabrication method is quite a simple and environment-friendly technique. Both micro- and nano-scaled binary structure forms at the resultant aluminum alloy surface while long alkyl chains are grafted onto the rough aluminum alloy surface chemically. Consequently, the resultant aluminum alloy exhibits outstanding superhydrophobicity. More importantly, the superhydrophobicity has excellent universality, diversity, stability, excellent corrosion resistance, and antifouling performance. The facile preparation, excellent superhydrophobic durability, and outstanding performance are quite in favor of the practical application.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties in the TLP joint of FeCoNiTiAl and Inconel 718 alloys using BNi2 filler

High entropy alloy(HEA) of Fe Co Ni Ti Al and Inconel 718 superalloy were firstly transient liquid phase(TLP) bonded by BNi2 filler due to the diffusion of Si and B in the filler to the base metals. The effects of bonding time on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the TLP joints were investigated.Owing to the complete isothermal solidification of the joints bonded for 30 min 120 min at 1100°C,no athermally solidified zones(ASZs) formed by eutectic phases were observed in the welded zone. Thus the TLP joints were only composed by the isothermally solidified zone(ISZ) and two diffusion affected zone(DAZ) adjacent to the dissimilar base metals and the negative effect of the ASZ on joint properties can be avoided. In addition, the increase of the bonding time can also make the Ti B2 borides precipitated in the DAZ near HEA and the brittle borides or carbides in the DAZ near IN718 alloy decrease and reduce the possibility of the stress concentration happened in the joints under loading. Therefore, the highest shear strength(632.1 MPa) of the TLP joints was obtained at 1100°C for 120 min, which was higher than that of the joint bonded for 30 min, 404.2 MPa. Furthermore, the extension of the bonding time made the fracture mechanism of the joint be transformed from the intergranular fracture to the transgranular fracture. However, as the brittle borides in the DAZ near IN718 can not be eliminated completely and refining of grains also happened in such region, all the TLP joints fractured inner the DAZ near IN718 alloy.     

多级深度还原法制备Ti6Al4V合金粉体的基础研究

目前Ti6Al4V合金粉体的生产方法主要有雾化法、机械合金法和氢化脱氢法,它们都以Kroll法生产海绵钛为基础。使用钛的氧化物作为原料的熔盐电解法和金属热还原法仍处于研究阶段。本文依据变价金属Ti和V的氧化物在还原过程中逐级还原的特性,提出使用金属氧化物(TiO₂, V₂O₅)作为原料的多级深度还原法制备Ti6Al4V合金粉体的新思路。首先计算了TiO₂-V₂O₅-Mg-Ca体系的吉布斯自由能变,结果表明先进行镁热自蔓延反应,后进行钙热深度还原反应制备Ti6Al4V合金粉体在热力学上具备可行性。然后通过实验进行了的验证。镁热自蔓延反应产物酸浸后除去MgO可得到氧含量为15.84%的多孔Ti-Al-V-O前驱体。配入金属Ca后进行深度脱氧可得到低氧Ti6Al4V合金粉体(Al: 6.2wt.%, V: 3.64wt.%, O: 0.24wt.%, Mg: 0.01wt.%, Ca: < 0.01wt.%)。     

Composition and structure of arsenic–antimony alloy electrodeposited from acidic chloride solution

AsSb alloy (0.70–95.81 wt.% As) was prepared by electrodeposition in As(III) and Sb(III) contained electrolytes. The influence of electrolyte composition, hydrochloric acid concentration, and temperature on the composition and structure of AsSb deposits was studied. The electroreduction mechanism of As(III) and Sb(III) in hydrochloric acid solution was revealed via thermodynamic analysis. The results show that the increase of H⁺ concentration promotes the reduction of As(III), while the increase of Cl⁻ concentration significantly inhibits the reduction of Sb(III). As a result, the As content in deposits increases gradually with the increase of hydrochloric acid concentration. Simultaneously, the phase structure of AsSb deposits evolves from crystalline to amorphous. When the As content is 24.55–33.75 wt.%, AsSb mixed crystal is obtained. The electrolysis temperature has little effect on the deposits composition, but the structure of deposits evolves from crystalline to amorphous with decreasing the temperature.     

Condition based maintenance of the two-beam laser welding in high volume manufacturing of piezoelectric pressure sensor

Two-beam laser welding (TBLW) is an advanced process for precise, low distortion joining of cylindrical miniature parts. The process is composed of a laser source, optics and various actuators, which form a sophisticated system for control and maintenance in high volume manufacturing. A well-established method for identifying welding defects and ensuring welding quality is the monitoring of plasma light emission in TBLW. Although such monitoring systems can detect a change in process status, they are not able to diagnose the nature of the fault. The main challenge in this research was to extend the use of quality-based monitoring systems to measure additional deterioration-related parameters and to estimate system deterioration from them by using expert knowledge.This paper shows a novel condition-based maintenance (CBM) for the TBLW system, which performs condition identification using online monitoring of plasma light emission in combination with offline inspection of the seam macrographs. A combination of quality parameters derived from seam macrographs of defective parts is used to identify process deterioration, such as contamination of the optics, misalignment of the optomechanical system, or reduced laser power. The information obtained is used to make predefined process adjustments based on expert domain knowledge. The implementation of the developed CBM in high volume manufacturing of piezoelectric pressure sensors resulted in more predictable TBLW by reducing system failures as well as shorter diagnosis times.     

Influence of aluminum phosphate on the tribocorrosion performance of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coatings

In this study, chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coatings (CBPCCs) with different contents of aluminum phosphate (AP) are prepared on stainless steel (AISI 304L). Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, contact angle test, and a tribocorrosion experiment are carried out to clarify the role of AP in the tribocorrosion performance of CBPCCs. The results show that, with the increase in the AP content, the enthalpy of curing increases because of the greater formation of the bonding phase AlPO₄. Both in static corrosion and in tribocorrosion, the corrosion current density of CBPCCs achieves the lowest value when the weight ratio of AP to polytetrafluoroethylene is about 0.78. Additionally, the influence mechanism of AP on tribocorrosion is clarified. AlPO₄ from the reaction between AP and Al₂O₃ has excellent mechanical properties and can enhance the wear resistance of CBPCCs by reducing the mechanical wear and the increased wear due to corrosion. The alumina particles wrapped by AlPO₄ can form a dense and smooth surface and change the direction of electrolyte propagation, which leads to the increase in the tribocorrosion resistance of CBPCCs.     

In vitro and in vivo degradability,biocompatibility and antimicrobial characteristics of Cu added iron-manganese alloy

In recent years,iron(Fe)based degradable metal is explored as an alternative to permanent fracture fixation devices.In the present work,copper(Cu)is added in Fe-Mn system to enhance the degradation rate and antimicrobial properties.Fe-Mn-xCu(x=0.9,5 and 10 wt.％)alloys are prepared by the melting-casting-forging route.XRD analysis confirms austenite phase stabilization due to the presence of Mn and Cu.As predicted by Thermo-Calc calculations,Cu rich phase precipitations are noticed along the austen-ite grain boundaries.Degradation behaviours of Cu added Fe-Mn alloys are investigated through static immersion and electrochemical polarization where enhanced degradation is found for higher Cu added alloys.When challenged against E.Coli bacteria,the Fe-Mn-Cu alloy media extract shows a significant bac-tericidal effect compare to the base alloy.In vitro cytocompatibility studies,as determined using MG63 and MC3T3-E1 cell lines,indicate increased cell density as a function of time for all the alloys.When implanted in rabbit femur,the newly developed alloy does not show any kind of tissue necrosis around the implants.Better osteogenesis and higher new bone formation are observed with Fe-Mn-10Cu alloy as evident from micro-computed tomography(μ-CT)and fluorochrome labelling.     

冷轧变形量及再结晶对TC4合金组织与性能的影响

通过XRD、OM、EDS、SEM和万能试验机等方法,研究了不同冷变形量对TC4合金微观组织及力学性能的影响以及相同再结晶处理对不同冷变形量合金再结晶程度的影响。结果表明,冷轧制使得TC4合金产生加工硬化,相较固溶试样,35%和48%冷变形量试样的抗拉强度分别提高451 MPa和228 MPa。再结晶工艺相同时,随着变形量的增大,合金的抗拉强度逐渐降低。     

机械活化对粉煤灰提铝影响研究

为提高粉煤灰中铝提取率, 采用机械活化对粉煤灰进行预处理, 探讨了机械活化对粉煤灰焙烧-酸浸效果的影响。结果表明: 机械活化能提高粉煤灰比表面积、增加反应活性点, 促进活化反应的进行; 通过机械活化, 在Na₂CO₃与Al₂O₃物质的量比1.6、850 ℃下焙烧50 min后酸浸, 铝浸出率达到91.58%。