Completely eliminating the metal barrier cracks on Nafion for suppressing methanol crossover with anodic aluminum oxide substrates

Methanol crossover is one of the main challenges for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Depositing a metal barrier on Nafion can reduce the crossover but usually faces the metal cracking issues. This study presents a new composite membrane in which an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate is impregnated with a Nafion solution and then coated with a layer of Au. The AAO/Nafion/Au composite membrane shows an ideal metal crack-free surface. Higher and more stable voltage has been achieved for the cell with the membrane, indicating an effectively suppressed methanol-crossover. Results reveal that there is a tradeoff between suppressing the methanol crossover and increasing the ion transmission. By optimizing the membrane, it can not only suppress the methanol crossover but also enhance the output performance of DMFCs. The current density and power density of the cells can be enhanced by 59% and 52.85%, respectively, compared to the cell with a commercial Nafion 117. Overall, this work provides a new approach to designing crack-free membranes for DMFCs.     

Anthocyanin-fortified konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba: characteristics of texture,microstructure, in vitro release behaviour and antioxidant capacity

Konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba (KGM/SA-boba) with good taste is very popular in China, and it is an outstanding carrier for health potential ingredients. In this work, KGM/SA-boba were fortified with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00% purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA), then characterised by the water distribution, texture, microstructure, in vitro release property of PSPA and antioxidant capacity. LF-NMR analysis demonstrated that the free water of KGM/SA-boba could transfer to tightly bound water with the addition of PSPA that made it with better water-binding ability, higher springiness and lower hardness. And the results of SEM and rheology showed that PSPA could stabilise the microstructure of KGM/SA-boba by forming more amorphous regions and hydrogen bonds proved by the results of DSC and FT-IR. Furthermore, 50% of PSPA in PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba can be released at the first hour in a simulated gastrointestinal environment. And the scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS of the PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba after digestion was higher than that of PSPA alone. Generally, PSPA could improve the texture while KGM/SA-boba in turn would make PSPA more stable in the gastrointestinal digestive system.     

Acidification of the electrolyte during the galvanic corrosion of AA7075: A numerical and experimental study

The electrochemical interactions between aluminum alloy 7075 and low-carbon steels under gelled electrolytes were studied. Such electrolytes provided the opportunity to investigate both thick and thin electrolyte systems. The electrolyte was chemically modified to visually track the acidic fronts during the anodic reaction and the subsequent hydrolysis process. Two mathematical models were validated for both thick and ultrathin electrolytes. The acidification of thick electrolytes was extended some millimeters beyond the aluminum alloy surface, whereas the acidic front was localized next to the metallic joint using ultrathin electrolytes. The combination of both numerical and experimental results allows proving (and explaining why) that the acidification process is more aggressive under dilute than under concentrated electrolytes.     

Synthesis,microstructures, and corrosion behaviors of multi-components rare-earth silicates

Multi-components and equimolar rare earth monosilicates, (Y_1/3Dy_1/3Er_1/3)₂SiO₅, (Y_1/3Dy_1/3Lu_1/3)₂SiO₅, (Y_1/4Dy_1/4Ho_1/4Er_1/4)₂SiO₅ and (Yb_1/4Dy_1/4Ho_1/4Er_1/4)₂SiO₅, were prepared by solid-state reactions and the following hot-pressing. Dense microstructures with uniform elemental distributions were obtained for all samples. These investigated multi-components monosilicates exhibit low thermal conductivities and similar coefficients of thermal expansion with SiC. Moreover, they exhibit high corrosion resistances in 1400 °C water vapor, especially, four-components (Y_1/4Dy_1/4Ho_1/4Er_1/4)₂SiO₅ and (Yb_1/4Dy_1/4Ho_1/4Er_1/4)₂SiO₅ experienced almost invariable weights after small weight losses during the initial 0.5 h. All those results indicate that multi-components rare earth monosilicates are promising candidates of environmental barrier coatings for SiC/SiC composites.     

Evaluation of atmospheric galvanic aluminum corrosion in electrical transmission towers at different sites in the Valparaíso region,Chile. Wire-on-Bolt Test (CLIMAT)

This study evaluates environmental aggressiveness and atmospheric galvanic corrosivity categories in Chile (Classification of Industrial and Marine ATmospheres test) by installing bolts in electrical transmission towers in the Valparaiso region across four exposure sites: Playa Ancha, San Sebastián, Las Vegas, and San Felipe. Classifications of marine corrosion index (MCI), industrial corrosion index (ICI), and atmospheric corrosion index (ACI) used different galvanic couples: aluminum/steel for MCI, aluminum/copper for ICI, and aluminum/polyethylene for ACI. Corrosion indices varied by season (summer, autumn, winter, and spring), for which couples were exchanged every 3 months. Intraseason variation depended mainly on the meteorochemical variables of the zone, the Cl⁻/SO₂ ratio, and the presence of general and pitting corrosion in the aluminum. The results indicate that, regardless of environmental condition, the aluminum in Al/steel (MCI) and Al/copper (ICI) couples presented a higher corrosion rate than when not forming a galvanic couple (ACI). Moreover, under higher environmental chloride, these differences increase. The Playa Ancha station presented the highest ACI.     

Synthesis and performance evaluation of a new drag reducer based on acrylamide/12-allyloxydodecyl acid sodium

Hydraulic fracturing with slickwater is a field-proven stimulation technology used in tight reservoirs. Because of the high pumping rate associated with slickwater fracturing, drag reduction (DR) is critical in minimizing pressure drop and the success of oilfield operations. In this paper, a new type of drag reducer (SPR) was synthesized with acrylamide and 12-allyloxydodecyl acid sodium, and its drag reduction performance was evaluated. The results showed that the new drag reducer features low molecular weight, fast-dissolving rate and low interfacial tension. The algorithm of estimating the drag reduction rate of non-Newtonian fluid SPR was proposed and validated. Empirical or semianalytical models for estimating the friction ratio (σ) or friction factor (λ or f) were used to simulate the turbulence behavior of the SPR drag reducer under different Reynolds numbers (Re). The modified Virk's correlation could accurately model the turbulent behavior of the SPR drag reducer. A unified calculation formula was established in this study for different pipe diameters.     

Effects of environmental factors on corrosion behavior of aluminum

Aluminum, used as a material for heat exchangers in air conditioners, often has problems of leakage of refrigerant on the Al surface due to corrosion. The problems originate from pitting corrosion of the Al in an external environment. To understand corrosion problems, it is necessary to study the corrosion behavior of Al in various environments. In this study, the effects of environmental factors on the corrosion behavior of Al were studied by the surface analysis and electrochemical testing in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions, with changes of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and concentration of Cl⁻ and S ions. Among the external environmental factors, the presence of oxygen and the increase of Cl⁻ ion concentration do not significantly affect the corrosion potential of Al, leading to an increase of only 1.1 and 6 times, respectively. There was a significant decrease in the corrosion resistance of Al, approximately 40 and 800 times, respectively, with the increase of concentration of S and temperature.     

Preparation and characterization of calcium phosphate cement with enhanced tissue adhesion for bone defect repair

Anti-washout and tissue adhesion properties are essential for the clinical application of injectable bone materials. In this study, we prepared calcium phosphate cement (CPC) with anti-washout and tissue adhesion properties and attempted to build covalent bonds between CPC and the amino groups in bone tissue under a self-regulating pH system in the CPC (acidic to basic). The results of push-out tests demonstrated that a significant enhancement (from 6.42 ± 0.76 N to 61.5 ± 4.09 N) in tissue adhesion was obtained with the addition of 6% (w/w) oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) in CPC. The FTIR, XRD, anti-washout test, XPS, pH test, and SEM results suggested that the synergistic effect of OSA-citric acid (CA) led to the formation of a three-dimensional gel network structure in the CPC, and the Schiff base reaction between aldehyde and amino groups induced adhesion between CPC and the bone tissue. Further, the addition of less OSA had no significant negative effect on the hydration properties of CPC. Our work aims to promote the development of injectable bone material in clinical applications.     

Enhanced dielectric and piezoelectric properties in potassium sodium niobate/polyvinylidene fluoride composites using nano-silicon carbide as an additive

Piezoelectric materials are an indispensable part of modern life. Yet the existing environmental issues with conventional lead-based piezoelectrics has motivated scientist to develop novel substitutes including lead-free piezoelectric polymer composites. Following this path, the present research has focused on the fabrication of ternary composites of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/Potassium Sodium Niobate (KNN)/nano-Silicon carbide (SiC) via hot compression molding and studying the effect of additives on the PVDF structure and the electrical properties of the composite. The obtained scanning electron micrographs and density measurements showed that the fabrication method provided dense samples. The activated polarization phenomena in the prepared samples enhanced dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss at a constant frequency with increasing KNN and SiC contents. Besides the expected dipole polarization, the presence of interfaces in the composites gave rise to the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars effect and its corresponding polarization phenomenon. The semiconductive nature of SiC also promoted space charge polarization. However, these properties were frequency-dependent because the first two polarization mechanisms are deactivated at high frequencies. XRD patterns showed that SiC addition can alter the primary crystalline structure of PVDF and promote β-phase formation in the poled samples. Piezoelectric measurements confirmed the significant role of SiC addition to PVDF-KNN composites. The most significant increase in the piezoelectric properties was observed in PVDF-60KNN-1SiC, with a 183% increase in d₃₃ value. The PVDF-80KNN-1SiC had the highest d₃₃ value of 30.5 pC/N. It also had the best piezoelectric voltage coefficient and hence the highest figure of merit. Higher SiC contents restrict the efficiency of poling by forming a conductive path across the sample which would deteriorate the piezoelectric performance of the material. The present findings show that PVDF-KNN-SiC composites can be considered as a potential flexible piezoelectric material for future applications.     

Performance of BaZrO3/Y2O3 dual-phase refractory applied to TiAl alloy melting

Vacuum induction melting is a potential process for the preparation of TiAl alloys with good homogeneity and low cost. But the crucial problem is a selection of high stability refractory. In this study, a BaZrO₃/Y₂O₃ dual-phase refractory was prepared and its performance for melting TiAl alloys was studied and compared with that of a Y₂O₃ refractory. The results showed the dual-phase refractory consisted of BaZr_1-xY_xO_3-δ and Y₂O₃(ZrO₂), exhibited a thinner interaction layer (30 μm) than the Y₂O₃ refractory (90 μm) after melting the TiAl alloy. Although the TiAl alloys melted in the dual-phase and Y₂O₃ refractory exhibited similar oxygen contamination (<0.1 wt%), the alloy melted in the dual-phase refractory had smaller Y₂O₃ inclusion content and size than that in the Y₂O₃ refractory, indicating that the dual-phase refractory exhibited a better melting performance than the Y₂O₃ refractory. This study provides insights into the process of designing highly stable refractory for melting TiAl alloys.