Mg gas infiltration for the fabrication of MgB2 pellets using nanosized and microsized B powders

MgB₂ superconductor pellets were synthesized through Mg gas infiltration method using nanosized- and microsized B powders. There was a marked difference in the superconducting properties of the two samples, particularly in the pinning force and dominant pinning mechanism. The microstructures of the samples were observed using HR-TEM and STEM-HAADF, and the results showed that the primary reason for the difference in the superconducting properties is the distribution of the nanosized second-phase particle MgO. Additionally, a feasible reaction model for the Mg gas infiltration method was established. Compared to the Mg liquid infiltration method, the gas infiltration showed better penetrability ability with a small amount of residual Mg. This study presents a novel synthesis process to fabricate an MgB₂ pellet with superior density and superconducting properties. This method can be used in multiple applications such as superconducting bearings, compact superconductor magnets, and magnetic shielding.     

Stability assessment of 3D reinforced soil structures under steady unsaturated infiltration

Internal stability assessment of geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures (GRSSs) has been commonly carried out assuming plane-strain conditions and dry backfills. However, failures of GRSSs usually show three-dimensional (3D) features and occur under unsaturated conditions. A procedure based on the kinematic limit-analysis method is proposed herein to assess 3D effects and the role of steady unsaturated infiltration on the required geosynthetic strength for GRSSs. A suction stress-based framework is used to describe the soil stress behavior under steady unsaturated infiltration. Based on the principle of energy-work balance, the required geosynthetic strength is determined. A comparison analysis with the prior research is conducted to verify the developed method. Two kinds of backfills, i.e., high-quality backfill and marginal backfill, are considered for comparison in this work. It is shown that accounting for 3D effects and the role of unsaturated infiltration considerably reduces the required geosynthetic strength. The 3D effects are primarily affected by the width-to-height ratio of GRSSs, and the contribution of unsaturated infiltration is mainly influenced by the soil type, flow rate, GRSS's height, and location of the water table.     

Effect of preparation method on the mechanism for oxidation of C/C-BN composites

C/C-BN composites and C_f/BN/PyC composites exhibiting different structures for pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and boron nitride (BN) were studied comparatively to determine their oxidation behavior. This study used five types of samples. Porous C/C composites were modified with silane coupling agents (APS) and then fully impregnated in water-based slurry of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN); the resulting C/C-BN preforms were densified by depositing PyC by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), resulting in three types of C/C-BN composites. The other two C_f/BN/PyC composites were obtained by depositing a BN interphase and PyC in carbon fiber preforms by CVI; one was treated with heat, and the other was not. This study was focused on determining how the PyC deposition mechanism, morphology and pore structure were affected by the method of BN introduction. In the 600–900 °C temperature range, the C_f/BN/PyC composites and C/C composites underwent oxidation via a mixed diffusion/reaction mode. The C/C-BN composites had a different pore structure due to the formation of nodules comprising h-BN particles; both interfacial debonding and cracking were reduced, resulting in higher resistance to gas diffusion, lower oxidation rate and larger activation energy (Ea) in the temperature range 600–800 °C. In addition, the mechanism for oxidation of C/C-BN composites gradually exhibited diffusion control at 800–900 °C because the formation of h-BN oxidation products healed the defects. The oxidation mechanism was more dependent on pore structure than on BN structure or content.     

Recent progress in integration of reforming catalyst on metal-supported SOFC for hydrocarbon and logistic fuels

The metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell (MS-SOFC) is of current research interest in the clean energy field due to its high performance, quick start-up, thermal cycle stability, and lower raw material cost compared to the conventional cermet-based SOFC. To efficiently operate a MS-SOFC using complex hydrocarbon and logistic fuels, it is required to introduce an internal reforming catalyst within the anode metal scaffold. This review article discusses some examples of the performance of MS-SOFCs under hydrocarbon and logistic fuels with and without an additional reforming catalyst. We also discuss the performance improvement of conventional cermet-based SOFCs by adding reforming catalysts via the infiltration method. This information can be directly applied to future MS-SOFC applications. Furthermore, this review article proposes possible novel methods such as direct precursor infiltration, catalyst-anode premixing, and atomic layer deposition methods to introduce the reforming catalyst into a MS-SOFC for improving its initial electrochemical performance and long-term stability under hydrocarbon and logistics fuel.     

Compressive strength and wear properties of SiC/Al6061 composites reinforced with high contents of SiC fabricated by pressure-assisted infiltration

Pressure-assisted infiltration was used to synthesize SiC/Al 6061 composites containing high weight percentages of SiC. A combination of PEG and glass water was used to fabricate SiC preforms and the effect of the presence of glass water on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the preforms was evaluated by performing compression tests on the preforms. Also, the compressive strength and the hardness of the SiC/Al composites were investigated. The results revealed that the glass water improved the compressive strength of the preforms by about five times. The microstructural characterization of the composites showed that the penetration of the aluminum melt into the preforms was completed and almost no porosity could be seen in the microstructures of the composites. Moreover, the composite containing 75 wt% SiC exhibited the highest compressive strength as well as the maximum hardness. The results of the wear tests showed that increasing the SiC content reduces the wear rate so that the Al-75 wt% SiC composite has a lower wear rate and a lower coefficient of friction than those of Al-67 wt% SiC composite. This indicated higher wear resistance in these composites than the Al alloy due to the formation of a tribological layer on the surface of the composites.     

Microstructure characterization and compressive performance of 3D needle-punched C/C–SiC composites fabricated by gaseous silicon infiltration

3D needle-punched C/C-SiC composites were fabricated from carbon fiber reinforced carbon (C/C) preforms, with densities of 1.05?g/cm³ and 1.28?g/cm³, by the gaseous silicon infiltration (GSI) method at fabrication temperatures from 1500?°C to 1800?°C. The compressive strengths and elastic moduli in transverse direction are larger than those measured under longitudinal compression except that samples fabricated from 1.28?g/cm³ density exhibit lower elastic moduli in transverse direction than in longitudinal direction. The compressive strength and modulus increase with fabrication temperature at 1500?°C and 1600?°C, and then decrease with higher fabrication temperature. Samples fabricated from the lower density C/C preforms have greater compressive strength and modulus. X-ray tomography was applied before and after the mechanical tests to characterize the microstructure and damage patterns, and the results indicated that for C/C-SiC composites fabricated at 1700?°C from 1.28?g/cm³ density C/C preform the matrix has a volume fraction (vol%) of 36.9%, and the initial intra-bundle cracks (0.6?vol%) display a space crossing structure while the inter-bundle pores (6.0?vol%) are special irregularly distributed.     

不同降雨入渗条件下预应力锚索加固边坡稳定性分析

为了研究不同降雨条件下边坡安全系数及预应力锚索轴力变化规律,以省道S303沿线某边坡为研究对象,考虑土体饱和-非饱和渗流与非饱和强度理论,基于有限元分析,对不同降雨工况下的孔隙水压分布、锚索轴力及采用强度折减法计算的边坡安全系数变化规律进行了研究。结果表明: 降雨量一定时,降雨入渗范围随雨强增大而减小,暂态饱和区域随雨强增加而增大; 边坡在加固前后的安全系数均随降雨量增加而不断减小,采用预应力锚索加固能有效提高边坡安全系数,并减小降雨对边坡稳定性的影响; 随着降雨量增加,各锚索轴力均增大,当降雨量一定时,雨强越小,对应的锚索轴力提升幅度越大,靠近底部的锚索轴力对降雨最为敏感。     

微裂隙中水泥浆液渗滤效应的可视化试验研究

在微裂隙岩体注浆过程中,水泥浆液的渗滤效应对注浆效果的影响显著。自主研制了一套微裂隙注浆可视化试验系统,该系统由注浆系统、微裂隙模型以及监测系统3个部分组成,监测系统又分为显微监测系统和压力流量监测系统。当水泥浆液进入微裂隙模型后,利用显微监测系统对裂隙入口处的渗滤效应进行实时观测。利用压力流量监测系统对注浆试验过程中的注浆压力以及累计流量进行自动记录。运用自主设计的微裂隙注浆可视化试验系统,对微裂隙中的水泥浆液渗滤过程进行试验研究。采用3种水泥浆材(超细水泥Ⅰ、超细水泥Ⅱ和普通水泥),研究在注浆压力2.0 MPa、水灰比1.0的条件下,不同水泥颗粒粒径大小在不同裂隙开度下的浆液渗滤效应。通过试验发现,当裂隙开度较小时,在裂隙入口处形成了完整的半圆拱形滤饼;随着裂隙开度的增加,在裂隙入口处形成断续分布状滤饼;当裂隙开度增加到无渗滤发生时,裂隙入口处仅残留少量水泥颗粒附着物。通过试验获得了3种水泥的最小可注入裂隙开度大小b min和最小无渗滤裂隙开度大小b crit:超细水泥Ⅰ的b min和b crit分别为80和280μm;超细水泥Ⅱ的b min和b crit分别为100和300μm;普通水泥的b min和b crit分别为140和310μm。研究结果发现水泥粒径的减小对最小可注入裂隙开度大小的影响较大,但对最小无渗滤裂隙开度大小的影响较小。结合渗滤趋势k值,发现随着水泥粒径的减小,相应的k min和k crit值会随之增加,水泥浆液更容易在裂隙入口处发生渗滤,这是因为超细水泥比表面积更大,水泥颗粒间易发生团聚。