Additive manufacturing,quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviours of ceramic lattice structures

Ceramic lattice structures (CLSs) are used for construction in common and extreme environments because of the extraordinary properties of ceramics. In this study, we designed and additively manufactured CLSs with distinct structural parameters to explore their quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviours in detail. It was demonstrated that both the relative density (?ρ) and inclination angle (ω) had a significant impact on the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of the CLSs. Furthermore, the mathematical relationships between the quasi-static compressive properties, including quasi-static compressive strength (QS), quasi-static Young’s modulus (QY), and quasi-static energy absorption (QE), versus ?ρ and ω obeyed the Gibson–Ashby and Deshpande and Fleck models, respectively. It was revealed by experiment and simulation that as the stiffness increased, the quasi-static failure mode of the CLSs changed from a parallel-vertical-inclined mixed mode to a parallel-vertical mode. In addition, the relationship between the dynamic mechanical properties of the CLSs versus ?ρ and ω also followed the Gibson–Ashby and Deshpande and Fleck models. The exceptional dynamic increase factor indicated that CLSs are highly suitable for extreme environments. These findings will aid in the research and development of customised additively manufactured CLSs.     

LBM investigation of a Cu-water nanofluid over various configurations of pipes in the mixed convection flow

Increasing the heat capacity of heat exchangers is a crucial need for modern devices. The thermal conductivity of the usual fluids and the Nusselt (Nu) number of flows containing such fluids are two bottlenecks in the way of increasing heat delivery in the heat exchangers. For this reason, nanofluids have been introduced. The effect of utilizing a Cu-water nanofluid as a coolant of two hot pipes in a square cavity is investigated numerically with a two-component lattice Boltzmann method. The volume fraction of nanoparticles is assumed to be constant (0.03) while the Richardson (Ri) number varies from 0.02 to 20. Results show that the effectiveness of nanoparticles is better observed in the natural convection mode. However, sedimentation is also very probable at high Ri numbers, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the nanoparticles. Configurations which produce a natural convection stream similar to the forced convection one as well as the configurations with high spacing and hence, low heat stream interactions, are the best choices for a uniform heat rate from the pipes.     

Phase-change regulation criterion based on size-dependent lattice distortion rate and born theory for VO2 nanomaterials

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) is a promising thermally induced phase transition material because of the abrupt changes in electrical and optical properties. However, the high phase transition temperature of VO₂ and its unspecified modulation relationship need to be resolved urgently. Herein, we proposed a simple and precise regulation criterion for VO₂ materials based on size-dependent lattice distortion rate and Born theory. The results indicated that the application of a tensile stress changed the elastic properties of the VO₂, which promoted VO₂ phase transition, and regulated the phase transition temperature. Moreover, the specific modulation relationship between the stress and phase transition temperature of VO₂ was confirmed experimentally. These results show that our criterion provides theoretical guidance to regulate VO₂ thermally induced phase transition materials.     

A New NTRU-Type Public-Key Cryptosystem over the Binary Field

As the development of cloud computing and the convenience of wireless sensor netowrks, smart devices are widely used in daily life, but the security issues of the smart devices have not been well resolved. In this paper, we present a new NTRU-type public-key cryptosystem over the binary field. Specifically, the security of our scheme relies on the computational intractability of an unbalanced sparse polynomial ratio problem (DUSPR). Through theoretical analysis, we prove the correctness of our proposed cryptosystem. Furthermore, we implement our scheme using the NTL library, and conduct a group of experiments to evaluate the capabilities and consuming time of encryption and decryption. Our experiments result demonstrates that the NTRU-type public-key cryptosystem over the binary field is relatively practical and effective.     

What is a crystal to the new chemical crystallographer,after that first,automated structure analysis?

This educational review postulates the importance of maintaining an adequate level of crystallographic education among structure-dependent scientists whose interests are not primarily in crystallography, at a time when automation and validation have made it possible to obtain high-quality structure analyses in many cases with a minimum of crystallographic background. The topics addressed are intended to form a second round of crystallographic education for a novice user whose first round involved hands-on experience with structure solution and an introduction to elementary concepts. The specific topics, chosen for their relevance as basic knowledge and their lack of emphasis in many formal treatments, are (1) crystallographic reference frames and the utility of the reciprocal cell in geometrical calculations; (2) the relationship between the two concepts that constitute our model of the crystal, namely the unit cell and the lattice; (3) the manner in which an atom is represented in concept and in practice; (4) the importance of interleaved symmetry elements required by the presence of additional symmetry on a lattice; (5) the harnessing of the natural properties of the crystalline state for the potential manipulation of properties of synthetic crystals; and (6) useful terminology for navigating a crystal structure.     

Anionic Redox Chemistry as a Clue for Understanding the Structural Behavior in Layered Cathode Materials

The anionic redox chemistries of layered cathode materials have been in focus recently due to an intriguing phenomenon that cannot be described by the number of electrons of transition metal ions. However, even though several studies have investigated the anionic redox chemistry of layered materials in terms of the charge compensation, the relationship between the origin of the structural behavior and anionic redox chemistry in layered materials remains poorly understood. In addition, a simultaneous redox process of transition metal ions could occur through the d bands interaction. Here, it is demonstrated that the anionic redox chemistry is associated with the anisotropic structural behavior of the layered cathode materials albeit without providing additional capacities exceeding the theoretical values. These findings will provide a foundation of a new chapter in the understanding of the properties of materials.     

Ultrastrong Medium‐Entropy Single‐Phase Alloys Designed via Severe Lattice Distortion

Severe lattice distortion is a core effect in the design of multiprincipal element alloys with the aim to enhance yield strength, a key indicator in structural engineering. Yet, the yield strength values of medium‐ and high‐entropy alloys investigated so far do not substantially exceed those of conventional alloys owing to the insufficient utilization of lattice distortion. Here it is shown that a simple VCoNi equiatomic medium‐entropy alloy exhibits a near 1 GPa yield strength and good ductility, outperforming conventional solid‐solution alloys. It is demonstrated that a wide fluctuation of the atomic bond distances in such alloys, i.e., severe lattice distortion, improves both yield stress and its sensitivity to grain size. In addition, the dislocation‐mediated plasticity effectively enhances the strength–ductility relationship by generating nanosized dislocation substructures due to massive pinning. The results demonstrate that severe lattice distortion is a key property for identifying extra‐strong materials for structural engineering applications.     

镁钛复合处理对不锈钢凝固组织的影响及机制

摘要：TiN是铁素体不锈钢有效的异质形核剂，但钢中大尺寸的TiN颗粒会对不锈钢板材表面质量带来不利影响。为此，提出依靠镁钛复合处理来细化TiN颗粒及控制宏观晶粒的方法。通过良好气氛保护的电阻炉试验，研究了添加Mg和Ti元素对于铁素体不锈钢宏观铸态组织和TiN颗粒细化效果的影响规律，并对其细化机理进行了详细分析。经研究得知，向铁素体不锈钢中添加了微量Mg和Ti元素后试样宏观等轴晶比例由37%提高至50%，TiN颗粒平均尺寸由处理前的5μm细化至2μm。镁钛复合处理后，钢液中形成的MgO和MgAl2O4与TiN之间的晶格错配度很低，分别为1.14和5.29，均属于有效形核范围，可以成为TiN异质形核核心，促进在晶内均匀析出更多的TiN。同时基于TiN与铁素体相之间的良好的晶格匹配关系，其进一步促进了δ-Fe形核，从而有效细化了铁素体宏观组织，这将有利于提高铁素体不锈钢力学性能和表面质量。     

Influence of Y2O3 on the microstructure and tribological properties of Ti-based wear-resistant laser-clad layers on TC4 alloy

Multi-track Ti-based wear-resistant composite coatings were fabricated on TC4 alloy surfaces using laser-clad TC4 + Ni45 + Co–WC mixed powders with different Y₂O₃ contents (0, 1, and 3 wt%). The microstructure, microhardness, and tribological properties of the coatings were characterised using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, electron probe X-ray micro analyser, microhardness tester, and friction and wear testing apparatus. The results showed that the number of cracks on the coating surfaces gradually decreased with the addition of Y₂O₃ and that residual Co–WC powders existed in the coating subsurfaces. The phase composition of the coatings with different Y₂O₃ contents remained unchanged and was mainly composed of reinforcing phases of TiC, TiB₂, Ti₂Ni, and matrix α-Ti. With the addition of Y₂O₃, the coating microstructure was remarkably refined, the direction characteristic of the TiC dendrites obviously weakened, and the nucleation rate significantly increased. When the added Y₂O₃ was 3 wt%, a large amount of TiB₂–TiC-dependent growth composite phases precipitated in the coating. The two-dimensional lattice misfit between (0001)_TiB2 and (111)_TiC was 0.912%, which indicated that TiB₂ and TiC formed a coherent interface. When the amount of Y₂O₃ was increased, the microhardness of the coatings gradually decreased, and the wear volume of the coatings first increased and then decreased. Under the effect of the TiB₂–TiC composite phases, the wear resistance of the 3 wt% Y₂O₃ coating was optimal. The 3 wt% Y₂O₃ coating friction coefficient was the lowest, and the wear mechanism was abrasive wear.