Effects of SiC content on the densification,microstructure, and mechanical properties of HfB2–SiC composites

To investigate the effects of SiC on microstructure, hardness, and fracture toughness, 0, 10, 20, and 30 vol% SiC were added to HfB₂ and sintered by SPS. Upon adding SiC to 30 vol%, relative density increased about 4%; but HfB₂ grain growth had a minimum at 20 vol% SiC. This may be due to grain boundary silicate glass, responsible for surface oxide wash out, enriched in SiO₂ with higher fraction of SiC. By SiO₂ enrichment, the glass viscosity increased and higher HfO₂ remained unsolved which subsequently lead to higher grain growth. Hardness has increased from about 13 to 15 GPa by SiC introduction with no sensible variation with SiC increase. Residual stress measurements by Rietveld method indicated high levels of tensile residual stresses in the HfB₂ Matrix. Despite the peak residual stress value at 20 vol% SiC, fracture toughness of this sample was the highest (6.43 MPa m^0.5) which implied that fracture toughness is mainly a grain size function. Tracking crack trajectory showed a mainly trans-granular fracture, but grain boundaries imposed a partial deflection on the crack pathway. SiC had a higher percentage in fracture surface images than the cross-section which implied a weak crack deflection.     

C/C-SiC component for metallic phase change materials

Thanks to their high energy density and thermal conductivity, metallic Phase Change Materials (mPCM) have shown great potential to improve the performance of thermal energy storage systems. However, the commercial application of mPCM is still limited due to their corrosion behavior with conventional container materials. This work first addresses on a fundamental level, whether carbon-based composite-ceramics are suitable for corrosion critical components in a thermal storage system. The compatibility between the mPCM AlSi₁₂ and the Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI)-based carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) composite is then investigated via contact angle measurements, microstructure analysis, and mechanical testing after exposure. The results reveal that the C/C-SiC composite maintains its mechanical properties and microstructure after exposure in the strongly corrosive mPCM. Based on these results, efforts were made to design and manufacture a container out of C/C-SiC for the housing of mPCM in vehicle application. The stability of the component filled with mPCM was proven nondestructively via computer tomography (CT). Successful thermal input- and output as well as thermal storage ability were demonstrated using a system calorimeter under conditions similar to the application. The investigated C/C-SiC composite has significant application potential as a structural material for thermal energy storage systems with mPCM.     

烟气多污染物协同处理催化陶瓷过滤管的研究进展

燃烧烟气中各污染物的排放是大气污染的最主要来源，针对烟气多污染物的治理意义重大。本文综述了国内外目前关于烟气多污染物脱除的两种技术，即传统串联脱除技术和一体化协同脱除技术。相比于传统串联脱除工艺，多污染物一体化协同脱除技术具有占地面积小、运行费用低、应用领域广的优点，是烟气多污染物治理的发展趋势。而陶瓷过滤管催化剂技术以其独有的非对称、孔径梯度变化的结构特性，成为一种极具应用前景的一体化协同脱除新技术。国内外关于陶瓷过滤管催化剂的研究主要从过滤管元件的选材和负载脱硝催化剂的工艺方法这两方面，围绕过滤管催化剂的催化活性、过滤压降及性能稳定性的进行研究，取得了一定的成果。结合当前陶瓷过滤管催化剂的研究现状，对今后烟气多污染物陶瓷过滤管催化剂技术的发展提出了建议。     

Effect of strontium and zirconium doped barium cerate on the performance of proton ceramic electrolyser cell for syngas production from carbon dioxide and steam

Syngas has been produced from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and steam using a proton ceramic electrolyser cell. Proton-conducting electrolytes which exhibit high conductivity can suffer from low chemical stability. In this study, to optimize both proton conductivity and chemical stability, barium cerate and doped barium cerate are synthesized using solid state reaction method: BaCeO₃ (BC), Ba_0.6Sr_0.4CeO_3-α (BSC), Ba_0.6Sr_0.4Ce_0.9Y_0.1O_3-α (BSCY), and BaCe_0.6Zr_0.4O_3-α (BCZ). The BC, BSC, and BSCY are calcined at 1100 °C for 2 h and BCZ is calcined at 1300 °C for 12 h, respectively. All samples exhibit 100% perovskite and crystallite sizes equal 37.05, 28.46, 23.65 and 17.46 nm for BC, BSC, BSCY and BCZ, respectively. Proton conductivity during steam electrolysis as well as catalytic activity toward the reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS) is tested between 400 and 800 °C. The conductivity increases with temperature and the values of activation energy of conduction are 64.69, 100.80, 103.78 and 108.12 kJ mol⁻¹ for BSCY, BC, BSC, and BCZ, respectively. It is found that although BCZ exhibits relatively low conductivity, the material provides the highest CO yield at 550–800 °C, followed by BSCY, BSC, and BC, correlating to the crystallite size and BET surface area of the samples. Catalytic activity toward RWGS of composited Cu and electrolytes is also measured. Additional Cu (60 wt%) significantly increases catalytic activity. The CO yield increases from 3.01% (BCZ) to 43.60% (Cu/BCZ) at 600 °C and CO can be produced at temperature below 400 °C. There is no impurity phase detected in BCZ sample after exposure to CO₂-containing gas mixture (600 °C for 5 h) while CeO₂ phase is detected in BSC and BSCY and both CeO₂ and BaO are observed in BC sample.     

Modification of glass network and crystallization of CaO–Al2O3–MgO–SiO2 based glass ceramics with addition of iron oxide

Modification of glass network and crystallization process of a CaO–Al₂O₃–MgO–SiO₂ (CAMS) based glass ceramic to form diopside through addition of iron oxide were investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA), Raman spectrum, X-ray diffraction, SEM and EBSD techniques. The experimental results showed that addition of Fe₂O₃ led to remarkable reductions in both the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallization temperature (Tp) of the CAMS glass ceramic. At addition level below 5 wt%, the Tg and Tp temperatures were 651°C and 903°C, respectively, and the crystallization only occurred on the surface of the glass ceramic samples. Increasing the addition level to 10 wt% and 15 wt%, not only led to reduction in the Tg and Tp temperatures to 643-641°C and 892-876°C, respectively, but also promoted the formation of crystalline diopside throughout the CAMS samples. Based on the results of Raman spectrums, it was confirmed that Fe₂O₃ addition reduced the strength of glass connection as a result of chemical reactions between the isolated Si–O tetrahedron and Fe³⁺ ion, forming Fe³⁺O₄–SiO₄, which can be regarded as Q₂ unit. And this is the first experimental evidence that proving the approach of Fe³⁺ mending glass network. Microstructural examination also identified the formation of large numbers of spherical Fe-enriched regions within the CAMS glass matrix as a result of the amorphous phase separation due to the Fe₂O₃ addition. The interfaces between the Fe-enriched regions and the glass matrix acted as preferred nucleation sites for the diopside, facilitating the crystallization. Crystallographic analysis using EBSD technique determined the <001> as the most favorite growth direction for the diopside crystals in the CAMS based glass ceramic.     

Development of novel refractory ceramic continuous fibers of fly ash and comparison of mechanical properties with those of E-glass fibers using the Weibull distribution

This study aimed to develop manufacturing technology for high-strength refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) using fly ash, which is a highly promising material for the exterior and thermal insulation industry. The technology also contributes to reducing the environmental pollution caused by landfilling fly ash after coal is burned. Fly ash discharged from a thermal power plant, which had aluminosilicate chemical compositions, was used as the main material. As auxiliary materials, basalt, anorthite, feldspar, dolomite, and calcite were used to adjust the melt flowability, and frit, silica sand, and burr stone were used to lower the melting temperature. Moreover, the development of aluminosilicate fly ash fiber has the advantages of lower cost for raw materials and processing. Fly ash and natural rocks are inexpensive, and most of all, unlike the case for glass fiber production, the high cost of B₂O₃ is not a necessary expense. Fly ash is retrieved in powder form, which is advantageous compared to the starting materials for glass; the grinding process of raw materials can be skipped. From the fibrilization index calculation, we showed that the spinnability was influenced by the chemical composition of the salt-forming oxides in the fly ash compounds. We also found a correlation between the winding speed and the fiber diameter. The mechanical properties of a series of fly ash fibers were assessed by the Weibull distribution and then compared with those of the E-glass fibers that were melt-spun under an analogous condition.     

SiO2颗粒增强酚醛树脂基摩擦材料力学性能研究

为探讨陶瓷颗粒对树脂基摩擦材料力学性能的影响,以SiO_2颗粒增强酚醛树脂基摩擦材料为例,利用三点弯曲实验研究颗粒特征对弯曲强度的影响,建立材料内部弹性应力场分布模型,并从细观力学角度进行分析。实验结果表明:添加二氧化硅陶瓷颗粒后,复合材料的弯曲强度降低、弹性模量升高;复合材料弯曲断裂截面显示脆性断裂特征,断裂过程中裂纹遇到颗粒贯穿通过;复合材料弯曲强度随颗粒含量增加而降低,随颗粒弹性模量增加先减小后增大。理论分析表明:陶瓷复合树脂基摩擦材料内部最大应力值位于颗粒边缘处;最大应力值随颗粒与基体弹性模量比值增大而增大;复合材料的平均应力与颗粒的含量成正相关。实验和理论研究表明,陶瓷颗粒添加引起材料内部应力集中,且与颗粒弹性模量和颗粒含量成正相关。     

Synthesis and characterization of Ce/SiOC nanocomposites through the polymer derived ceramic method and evaluation of their catalytic activity

Cerium oxide and silicon oxycarbide (Ce/SiOC) porous nanocomposites have been synthesized through the polymer derived ceramic route. In the synthesis of the preceramic precursors, the addition of urea facilitates the deposition of Cerium atoms on the surface of SiO₂ nanoparticles since it prevents the SiO₂ from agglomeration. Both Ce and urea affects the structural and textural parameters of the obtained ceramics. Less crosslinked structures are formed when the urea concentration increases and it also provokes a reduction of the carbon crystallite size. Cerium, on the other hand, induces an increase of the carbon size as well as the number of SiOC units. Pore anisotropy and smoothness of the surface are also dependent on the composition of the material. As expected, the better thermocatalytic behavior against CO₂ decomposition is found at the largest Ce amounts but also, smooth surfaces and low pore anisotropies favor the accessibility of the gases to the thermocatalytic centers.     

Co-enhancement of oxidation resistance and mechanical properties of Cf/LAS composites: The effects of h-BN addition

Carbon fiber reinforced lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic composites have been extensively studied and widely used in industry applications, because of its good mechanical properties and low thermal expansion coefficient. However, further investigation is also need to improve its oxidation resistance and mechanical performance to meet higher requirements. In this work, C_f/LAS glass-ceramic composites were fabricated by a slurry impregnation and hot-pressing method with different amounts of h-BN. Results indicate that composites with 2 wt.% h-BN addition exhibit excellent flexural strength and fracture toughness, reaching 910 ± 22 MPa and 21 ± 1 MPa·m^1/2, respectively, and that after oxidation at 600, 800 and 1000 °C for 1 h, their strength residual ratio can reach 47%, 35% and 32%, respectively. TEM analyses suggest the improvement of oxidation resistance and mechanical properties should be attributed to the unique interface of composites caused by h-BN addition.     

Application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma packed with glass and ceramic pellets for SO2 removal at ambient temperature: optimization and modeling using response surface methodology

Air pollution is a major health problem in developing countries and has adverse effects on human health and the environment. Non-thermal plasma is an effective air pollution treatment technology. In this research, the performance of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor packed with glass and ceramic pellets was evaluated in the removal of SO₂ as a major air pollutant from air in ambient temperature. The response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of three key parameters (concentration of gas, gas flow rate, and voltage) as well as their simultaneous effects and interactions on the SO₂ removal process. Reduced cubic models were derived to predict the SO₂ removal efficiency (RE) and energy yield (EY). Analysis of variance results showed that the packed-bed reactors (PBRs) studied were more energy efficient and had a high SO₂ RE which was at least four times more than that of the non-packed reactor. Moreover, the results showed that the performance of ceramic pellets was better than that of glass pellets in PBRs. This may be due to the porous surface of ceramic pellets which allows the formation of microdischarges in the fine cavities of a porous surface when placed in a plasma discharge zone. The maximum SO₂ RE and EY were obtained at 94% and 0.81 g kWh⁻¹, respectively under the optimal conditions of a concentration of gas of 750 ppm, a gas flow rate of 2 l min⁻¹, and a voltage of 18 kV, which were achieved by the DBD plasma packed with ceramic pellets. Finally, the results of the model's predictions and the experiments showed good agreement.