Corrosion resistance of Pb–Sn composite coatings reinforced by carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes/Pb–Sn composite coatings were prepared by electrodeposition technology. The polarization curves and electrochemical impedance of the Pb–Sn coatings and carbon nanotube/Pb–Sn composite coatings were studied in 3.0 wt% HCl, 10 wt% NaOH, and 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte solutions, respectively. The results show that the corrosion potential of carbon nanotubes/Pb–Sn composite coatings were improved in the three kinds of corrosive medium, especially in 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte solution, where it increased significantly from −0.592 V (vs SCE) to −0.535 V (vs SCE). In addition, composite coatings have higher electrochemical impedance. Carbon nanotubes can improve the corrosion resistance of lead–tin electroplated coatings.     

Influence of adding multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the adhesive strength of composite epoxy/sol–gel materials

The tensile shear strength of a composite epoxy/sol–gel system modified with different ratios of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was evaluated using a mechanical testing machine. The experimental results showed that the shear strength increased when lower than ~0.07 wt% of MWCNTs were added in the composite solution. The increase of the shear strength was attributed to both the mechanical load transfer from the matrix to the MWCNTs and the high specific surface area of this material that increased the degree of crosslinking with other inorganic fillers in the formulation. However, a decrease in the adhesive shear strength was observed after more than ~0.07 wt% MWCNTs were added to the composite. The reason for this may be related to the high concentration of MWCNTs within the matrix leading to excessively high viscosity, dewetting of the substrate surfaces, and reduced bonding of MWCNTs with the matrix, thereby limiting the strength. SEM observation of the fracture surfaces for composite epoxy/sol–gel adhesive materials with 0.01 wt% MWCNTs showed a mixed interfacial/cohesive fracture mode. This fracture mode indicated strong links at the adhesive/substrate interface, and interaction between CNTs and the matrix was achieved; therefore, adhesion performance of the composite epoxy/sol–gel material to the substrate was improved. An increase of a strong peak related to the C–O bond at ~1733 cm^?1 in the FTIR spectra was observed. This peak represented crosslinking between the CNT surface and the organosilica nanoparticles in the MWCNTs-doped composite adhesive. Raman spectroscopy was also used to identify MWCNTs within the adhesive material. The Raman spectra exhibit peaks at ~1275 cm^?1 and in the range of ~1549–1590 cm^?1. The former is the graphite G-band, while the latter is the diamond D-band. The D-band and G-band represent the C–C single bond and C=C double bond in carbon nanotubes, respectively.     

Synthesize of polyaniline–multi walled carbon nanotubes composite on the glass and silicon substrates and methane gas sensing behavior of them at room temperature

In this study, fabrication of methane gas sensor using composites of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and polyaniline (PANI) on glass and silicon substrates is reported. In this respect, 8 wt% of purified MWCNT by acid washing procedure, was combined with PANI by solution mixing method. The MWCNT–PANI composite was deposited on the surface of glass and Si substrates using spin coating technique. The methane gas sensing of composite films were evaluated by measuring the change of electrical resistance in the presence of methane gas at room temperature. It is observed that the MWCNT–PANI film on the Si substrate shows a higher sensitivity to methane gas in comparison to pure PANI on the glass substrate. The characterization of samples has also been investigated by Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses.     

Immobilization of β-Glucosidase on carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are demonstrated as a good support for the immobilization of -Glucosidase. This is an enzyme with high molecular weight (ca. 135 kDa). A high enzyme loading of 630 mg per gram of support was achieved in 12 h. The link between the enzyme and the carbon nanotubes surface was by electrostatic interactions due to the different charges of the enzyme and the support at the pH of the immobilization. Immobilized -Glucosidase showed a catalytic activity above 400 U/g on the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl--D-glucopyranoside (p-NPG).     

A high-performance three-dimensional micro supercapacitor based on ripple-like ruthenium oxide–carbon nanotube composite films

A micro-supercapacitor with a three-dimensional configuration has been fabricated using an inductively coupled plasma etching technique. A ruthenium oxide–carbon nanotube (CNT) composite with a ripple-like morphology is successfully synthesized using a cathodic deposition technique while using silica-based three-dimensional microstructures as a template. The desired network of carbon nanotubes in the composite facilitates electrolyte penetration and proton exchange/diffusion. A single three dimensional microelectrode is studied using cyclic voltammetry, and a specific capacitance of 272 mF·cm⁻² is observed at 5 mV s⁻¹ in a neutral Na₂SO₄ solution. The accelerated cycle life is tested at 80 mV s⁻¹, and a satisfactory cyclability is observed. When placed on a chip, the symmetric cell exhibits good supercapacitor properties, the specific capacitance up to 37.23 mF cm⁻² and specific power density up to 19.04 mW cm⁻² were obtained at 50 mA cm⁻².     

Warpage of carbon–epoxy composite channels

Abstract

Finite element models have been developed of the warpage occurring during the cure of unidirectional carbon fibre-epoxy resin channels. These were based on equivalent experimental channels that were formed on a male mould, with the distortions determined separately after cure and post-cure. To quantify the warpage, the decrease in enclosed angle, or spring forward, of the two corners of the U-shaped cross-sections were calculated; values were determined using displacements from both the finite element predictions and measurements of the experimental channels. The experimental channels were fabricated so that several different factors affecting the distortions could be investigated. These included: fibre orientation; cured or post-cured state; conditions of post-cure; fillet radius of the channel corners; and channel thickness, width and depth. Results across the different channels showed predictions of 1° spring forward where the fibres followed the cross-section profile (0° channels), which were fairly accurate, at 75-85% of the experimental values. However, for the channels that had the fibres aligned parallel to the channel length (90° channels), negligible values were predicted, which were considerably lower in magnitude than the experimental values of 0° to-5° (spring back). Subsequent inhomogeneous models and optical microscopy work indicated that the unpredicted spring back in the more flexible 90° channels was caused by a thin (<0·1 mm) resin layer on the outer surface of all the channels. The small underprediction of spring forward in the stiffer 0° channels was attributed to unmodelled cure shrinkage, which was moderated by some reduced spring back due to the presence of a resin layer.     

Evaluation of corrosion resistance of polypyrrole/functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite coatings on 60Cu–40Zn brass alloy

Polypyrrole/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPy/MWCNT) and its carboxylic functionalized (PPy/MWCNT-COO⁻) composite films were successfully electropolymerized by cyclic voltammetry as protective coating against corrosion on 60Cu–40Zn brass alloy surface. It yielded to strongly adherent and smooth nanocomposite films. Kinetics of the corrosion protection was investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The results showed that the presence of MWCNT in PPy coat considerably reduces the corrosion rate of 60Cu–40Zn brass alloy. The enhanced inhibition is most likely due to interaction between MWCNT and PPy. This in turn, improves the alloy passivation improvement and alters the permselectivity of the coating from anionic selectivity to the cationic selectivity. Moreover, PPy/MWCNT-COO⁻ functionalized nanocomposite provided higher corrosion resistance coating than PPy/MWCNT alone.     

Electro-deposition and characterizations of nickel coatings on the carbon–polythene composite

Nickel coating on the carbon–polythene composite plate was prepared by electrodeposition in a nickel sulfate solution in this work. The morphology and cross-sectional microstructure of the nickel coating were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope (OM), respectively. The influence of bath temperature on the nickel deposition rate was investigated experimentally. The adhesion between the coating and the substrate was evaluated by the pull-off test. The corrosion behavior of the coating in an aqueous solution of NaCl was studied by electrochemical methods. The results showed that the nickel electrodeposition rate could reach up to 0.68 μm min⁻¹ on average under conditions of cathodic current density of 20 mA cm⁻² and bath temperature of 60 °C. It was confirmed that increasing the bath temperature up to 50 °C had a positive effect on the nickel deposit rate, while an adverse effect was observed beyond 60 °C. The adhesion strength between the nickel coating and the substrate can be more than 2.3 MPa. The corrosion potential of the bright coating in the NaCl solution was more positive than that of the dull coating, and the anodic dissolution rate of the bright coating was also far lower at the same polarization potential compared with the dull coating.     

Effect of carbon nanotubes on sintering behavior of alumina prepared by sol–gel method

Alumina (Al2O3)/carbon nanotube (CNT) (99/1 by weight) composite was prepared by mixing CNT dispersion with AlCl₃-based gel, followed by high temperature sintering at a temperature up to 1150 °C in argon. Composite alumina precursor showed phase transition order from amorphous to γ-Al₂O₃ after sintered at 900 °C for 2 h, partially to θ-Al₂O₃ after sintered at 1000 °C for 2 h, and then partially to α-Al₂O₃ after sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h. By comparison, control alumina precursor directly transformed from amorphous to α-Al₂O₃ after sintered at a relatively low temperature of 600 °C for 2 h. Composite alumina showed porous structure with pore diameter ranging from 100 nm to 2 µm, whereas control alumina was relatively pore-free. The elevated alumina-crystal phase transition temperatures and the formation of porous structure were ascribed to the presence of CNTs in alumina precursor. The composite alumina sintered at 900 °C for 2 h containing only γ-Al₂O₃ had a BET surface area of 138 m²/g, which was significantly higher than that of control alumina sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h containing only α-Al₂O₃, ~15 m²/g.     

Preparation of carbon nanotubes/hydrogenated nitrile rubber composite by ultrasonic technique

将低相对分子质量的液体氢化丁腈橡胶(HNBR)溶于丙酮溶剂中,加入碳纳米管,用超声波技术制备了液体HNBR与碳纳米管的复合母料,然后再与HNBR混炼、硫化,获得碳纳米管/HNBR复合材料.结果表明,碳纳米管在HNBR中分散性好,对HNBR有较好的增强性,但在后期机械加工中产生了断裂.     

A review of the catalytic oxidation of carbon–carbon composite aircraft brakes

The use of de-icing chemicals at airport runways has been shown to produce oxides and carbonates of sodium, potassium and calcium which catalyse the oxidation of carbon–carbon composite aircraft brakes leading to an increase of the oxidation rate by an order of magnitude. This review reports on studies that have characterised the catalytic oxidation and discusses the mechanism of the catalytic reaction based on investigations that were carried out with both C–C composites and carbon as a fossil fuel. The alkali metal oxides/carbonates are more active catalysts and in their case, the redox reaction between the monoxides and the peroxides has been identified as the most likely catalysis mechanism. In order to reduce or eliminate the problem of catalysis, doping with boron or phosphorus compounds has been investigated by a number of researchers. The effect of these along with the use of protective coatings is also reviewed.     

Catalytic CVD-growth of array of multiwall carbon nanotubes on initially amorphous film Co–Zr–N–O

The possibility of formation of arrays of multiwall carbon nanotubes on catalyst-containing amorphous thin film Co–Zr–N–O with low content of Co (~ 15 at.%) by chemical vapor deposition has been demonstrated. On heating the amorphous alloy crystallizes, whereby the faceted crystal clusters of cobalt are formed on the surface. The rest of the film is cobalt depleted. The growth of CNT occurs on cobalt clusters. When using acetylene at the substrate temperature of 650 °C the array of 12 μm high CNT is formed after 2 min of growing. The diameter of CNT in the array varies in the range 3–11 nm. CNTs with the diameter of 5–8 nm prevail. CNT growth process on a thin film of Co–Zr–N–O is low sensitive to the thickness of the film, making it technically attractive.     

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes over nickel–iron catalysts supported on alumina under controlled conditions

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by catalytic decomposition of acetylene over Fe, Ni and Fe–Ni catalysts supported on alumina. The growth of CNTs was carried out at various reaction conditions. The growth density and diameter of CNTs could be controlled by varying the catalyst composition and the growth parameters. The growth density of CNTs increased with increasing the activation time of catalysts in H₂ atmosphere and/or decreasing acetylene concentration. At 600°C, higher density of CNTs was observed at 60 min for higher Fe containing catalyst, whereas at 90 min for higher Ni containing catalyst. The growth density of CNTs highly increased with increasing reaction time from 30 to 60 min. For all the catalysts, the diameter of CNTs decreased with increasing growth time further mainly due to hydrogen etching. Bimetallic catalysts produced narrower diameter CNTs than single metal catalysts. The growth of CNTs followed the tip growth mode and the CNTs were multi-walled CNTs.     

Effect of pH and carbon nanotube content on the corrosion behavior of electrophoretically deposited chitosan–hydroxyapatite–carbon nanotube composite coatings

In the first stage, chitosan (CH)–hydroxyapatite (HA)-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite coatings were synthesized by electrophoretic deposition technique (EPD) on 316L stainless steel substrates at different levels of pH and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A smooth distribution of HA and MWCNT particles in a chitosan matrix with strong interfacial bonding was obtained. In the next stage, effects of pH and MWCNT content of the suspension on the corrosion behavior and deposition mechanism were studied. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) curves revealed that increasing pH level of the suspension increases the corrosion protection properties of the deposited composite coating in simulated body fluid (SBF). Furthermore, Nyquist plots showed that increasing MWCNT content of the suspension resulted in higher amounts of R_p, but because of the capillary properties of MWCNTs and degradability of the chitosan matrix, corrosion protection level of the coatings containing HA–CH–MWCNT was lower than those of coatings containing solely HA–CH. Amperometric curves in different pH levels of the suspension revealed that the system is diffusion controlled at elevated pH values.     

Selective synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes on Fe–MgO catalyst by chemical vapor deposition of methane

The selective synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with narrow chirality and diameter distribution by methane decomposition over Fe–MgO catalyst is reported. The catalyst was examined by nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and chemical state of the species responsible for SWCNT growth. High resolution electron microscopy, Raman and optical absorption spectroscopy, temperature programmed oxidation, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and nitrogen physisorption were used to probe reaction selectivity, SWCNT chirality and diameter distribution, carbon yield and effectiveness of purification protocols. The yield of carbon increased with an increase in temperature, although SWCNTs selectivity decreased above the optimum synthesis temperature. Results established a clear link between the degree of dispersion of iron oxide species inside the MgO lattice and the catalyst selectivity for SWCNT growth.     

Cathode materials based on carbon nanotubes for high-energy-density lithium–sulfur batteries

The rational integration of conductive nanocarbon scaffolds and insulative sulfur is an efficient method to build composite cathodes for high-energy-density lithium–sulfur batteries. The full demonstration of the high-energy-density electrodes is a key issue towards full utilization of sulfur in a lithium–sulfur cell. Herein, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that possess robust mechanical properties, excellent electrical conductivities, and hierarchical porous structures were employed to fabricate carbon/sulfur composite cathode. A family of electrodes with areal sulfur loading densities ranging from 0.32 to 4.77 mg cm⁻² were fabricated to reveal the relationship between sulfur loading density and their electrochemical behavior. At a low sulfur loading amount of 0.32 mg cm⁻², a high sulfur utilization of 77% can be achieved for the initial discharge capacity of 1288 mAh g_S⁻¹, while the specific capacity based on the whole electrode was quite low as 84 mAh g_{C/S+binder+Al}⁻¹ at 0.2 C. Moderate increase in the areal sulfur loading to 2.02 mg cm⁻² greatly improved the initial discharge capacity based on the whole electrode (280 mAh g_{C/S+binder+Al}⁻¹) without the sacrifice of sulfur utilization. When sulfur loading amount further increased to 3.77 mg cm⁻², a high initial areal discharge capacity of 3.21 mAh cm⁻² (864 mAh g_S⁻¹) was achieved on the composite cathode.     

Electronic properties of carbon nanotubes with pentagon–heptagon pair defects

Introduction of a pentagon–heptagon pair defect in the perfect hexagonal network of two carbon nanotubes can change the helicity of the tube and alter its electronic structure. Using a tight binding method to calculate the electronic structure of such a system, we show that this pentagon–heptagon pair defect in the nanotube structure is not only responsible for the change in nanotube diameter, but also governs the electronic behavior around the Fermi level. This configuration is explored in order to understand the influence of the defect on the electronic properties of the system. Topological aspects associated with the presence of the defect are also discussed.     

Properties of cement–sand-based piezoelectric composites with carbon nanotubes modification

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in a cement–sand-based piezoelectric composite as conductive fillers to improve its poling efficiency. Specimens were prepared by mixing PZT powders, cement and sand with CNTs. The effect of CNTs ranging from 0 to 0.9 vol% on properties of the composite, including its piezoelectric coefficient, dielectric constant and loss, and sensing characteristic, were characterized. It was found that the addition of CNTs facilitated effective poling under a low electric field of 1 MV/m at room temperature and improved the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composite. The composite modified by CNTs achieved optimal properties when the CNTs content was 0.6 vol% and this was verified by the investigation of sensing effects of the composite through compressive tests.     

Additive manufacturing of Ca–Mg silicate scaffolds supported by flame-synthesized glass microspheres

Novel manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing also referred to as 3D printing hold a critical role in the preparation of novel bioactive three-dimensional glass-ceramic scaffolds. The present paper focuses on the use of Ca–Mg silicates microspheres (Ca₂MgSi₂O₇, i.e. 40 mol% CaO, 20% MgO and 40% SiO₂) for the fabrication of 3D structures by additive manufacturing. In the first step, the crystallization of the åkermanite system was avoided, by feeding nearly fully crystallized precursor powders prepared by conventional melt quenching into oxygen-methane (O₂/CH₄) torch, and solid glass microspheres (SGMs) with diameters bellow 63 μm were prepared. In the second step, the crystallization was utilized to control the viscous flow of SGMs during firing of reticulated scaffolds, obtained by digital light processing (DLP) of the SGMs suspended in a photocurable acrylate binder. The spheroidal shape facilitated a high solid content, up to 77 wt% of the SGMs in the suspension. After burn-out of the organic binder, a fast sintering treatment at 950 °C, for 30 min, led to scaffolds preserving the macro-porosity from 3D printing model (diamond cell lattice) but with well densified struts. The crystallization of 3D scaffolds during the sintering process led to 3D structures with adequate strength-to-density ratio.