Optical and magnetic properties of Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nano-composite films

Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ nano-composite films were prepared by sol-gel technique combining heat treatment in the range of 100–900 °C. The particle size was observed by FE-SEM. Optical properties of the films were investigated by UV-visible spectra. Structural and magnetic characteristics were investigated through FT-IR and VSM. The transparency of the Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ nano-composite films decreased with the content of the Fe₂O₃. Water and organic solvent in the films were evaporated with heat treatment, so the transparency of the films was enhanced under high temperature. It is also found that the saturation magnetization (M _s) of the films increases with the temperature. As the content of the Fe₂O₃ increases, when the content of the Fe₂O₃ is around 30wt%, the M _s of the films has a maximum value.     

Effect of ZnO-B<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> glass addition on the microwave dielectric properties of BaO-Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

The effect of ZnO-B₂O₃(ZB) glass addition on the sintering behavior, microstructures and microwave dielectric properties of BaO-Nd₂O₃-TiO₂-Bi₂O₃ (BNTB) system was investigated with the aid of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and capacitance meter. It is found that the ZB glass addition, acting as a sintering aid, can effectively lower the sintering temperature of BNTB system to 850 °C. The dielectric constant of BNTB-ZB ceramics increases with the increase of soaking time and the value of dielectric loss decreased with increasing soak time. The optical dielectric properties at 1 GHz of ɛ=74, tan δ=4×10⁻⁴, and TCC=25 ppm/°c were obtained for the BNTB system doped with 25 wt% ZB glass sintered at 850 °C for 2 h, representing that the BNTB-ZB ceramics could be promising for multilayer low temperature co-fired ceramics applications.     

Effects of NaNbO3-Co2O3 Co-additive on the Properties of PZN-PZT Ceramics

NaNbO3-Co2O3 co-added PZN-PZT （PZCNNT） ceramics were prepared using conventional solid state reaction. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties were measured. The experimental results show that the addition of 0.3mo1% Co2O3 leads to low dielectric loss （tgδ） in PZCNNT ceramics and the proper addition of NaNbO3 not only improves piezoelectric properties but also decreases intensively dielectric loss and mechanical loss. The optimal ceramic having d33=310 pC/N, kp=0.59, εr=985, tgδ=0.0034, Qm=1380 was obtained.     

Structure and dielectric properties of ZnO and Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> doped BaO-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> system microwave ceramics

The microwave dielectric properties and microstructure of BaTi4.3ZnyO9.6＋y ＋0.02 mol% SnO2＋0.01 mol% MnCO3＋x mol% Nb2O5（x=0-0.05, y=0-0.08） system ceramics were studied as a function of the amount of ZnO and Nb2O5 doped. Addition of （y=0-0.05） ZnO and （x=0-0.025） Nb2O5 enhanced the reactivity and decreased the sintering temperature effectively. It also increased the dielectric constant ε r and quality factor Q（=1/tan 8） of the system due to the substitution of Ti^4＋ ions with incorporating Zn^2＋and Nb^5＋ ions, which was analyzed by the reaction ZnO＋Nb2O5＋ 3 TiTxTi →ZnTi＋ 2NbTi＋3TiO2. When the system doped with （y=0.05） ZnO and （x=0.025） Nb205 were sintered at 1 160 ℃ for 6 h, the εr. Qf0 value and rfwere 36.5, 42 000 GHz, and＋1.8 ppm/℃, respectively, at 5 GHz.     

Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of Ba<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>18</Subscript> ceramics

The effects of CuO and H3BO3 additions on the low-temperature sintering,microstructure,and microwave dielectric properties of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics were investigated.The addition of less amount of CuO (< 1 wt%) considerably facilitated the densification of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics.Appropriate addition of H3BO3 (< 3.5 wt%) remarkably improved the microwave dielectric properties of ceramics.The addition of H3BO3 and CuO successfully reduced the sintering temperature of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics from 1300 to 1050 ℃.B...     

Phase structure and electrical properties of La<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-doped BiInO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-PbTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics with high curie temperature

The phase structure and electrical properties of pure and La2O3-doped Bi-InO3-PbTiO3 （BI-PT） ceramics were studied respectively. In （1 -x）BI-xPT （x=0.72-0.80） ceramics, the stability of tetragonal phase increased with increasing x, and pure perovskite structure was obtained for x=-0.80 ceramics. The phase transition temperature range was between 575 ℃ and 600 ℃ for x=0.72-0.80 ceramics, higher than that of PT （-490 ℃）. The c/a ratio almost linearly decreased with increasing La2O3 content in x-0.80 ceramics. It is believed that Pb^2＋ vacancies were formed by La^3＋ substituting Pb^2＋ in La2O3-doped BI-PT ceramics. Tc shifted to lower temperature by 30 ℃/mol% La2O3. The maximum dielectric constant 8557 around 559 ℃ was exhibited in 0.5mol%-doped BI-0.80PT ceramics. La2O3-doped ceramics could be poled resulting from decreasing of c/a ratio and improving of dielectric loss and resistivity. The maximum piezoelectric coefficient d33 was 12 pC/N for 2mol%-doped BI-0.80PT ceramics.     

Glass formation and optical band gap studies on Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-B<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-BaO ternary system

The glass forming region of Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-BaO ternary system was investigated. A serial of glass samples with high Bi₂O₃ content in Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-BaO system were prepared by using conventional melting and quenching meld, and the refractive indexes and absorption spectra of samples were measured. It is found that the refractive index of samples as well as the UV absorption increase with the increase of BaO content. According to the Tauc law, optical band gap E _opg which is assumed to be the effective energy band gap E _g is calculated and decreases with the increasing BaO content, and the ratio of E _g/E _opg is 1.3.     

Synthesis,characterization and catalytic application of H<Subscript>3</Subscript>PW<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>40</Subscript>/MCM-48 in the esterification of methacrylic acid with n-butyl alcohol

A novel environmental friendly catalyst, H3PW12O40/MCM-48, was prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD and FT-IR. The synthesis of n-butyl methacrylate catalyzed by H3PW12O40/MCM-48 was studied with methacrylic acid and n-butyl alcohol as reactants. H3PW12O40/MCM-48 is an excellent catalyst for synthesizing n-butyl methacrylate and Keggin structure of H3PW12O40 kept unchanged after being impregnated on surface of the molecular sieve support. Effects of n（methacrylic acid）：n（n-butyl alcohol）, catalyst dosage, cyclohexane（water-stripped reagent） and reaction time on yields of the product were investigated. The optimum conditions have been found, that is, molar ratio of acid to alcohol is 1：1.6, mass ratio of catalyst used to the reactants is 0.5% and reaction time is 2.0 h. Under these conditions, the yield of n-butyl methacrylate can reach 93.7%.     

Preparation and properties of crystallizable Glass/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> composites for LTCC material

The investigated low temperature Co fired ceramics(LTCC) composite of 60wt% CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glass and 40wt% α-Al2O3 as a filler is a non-reactive system, which is a critical part of the low temperature Co fired ceramics process. Through a study on densification process, the phase transformation and microstructure can be revealed. Its composites typically consist of CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glass and α-Al2O3 powders of average particle size (D50=3.49 mm). The sintering behavior, phase evaluation, sintered morphology, and microwave dielectric properties were investigated. In the fire range of 800 to 900 ℃, the composites were crystallized after completion of densification. It is found that the composites start to densify at 825 ℃, simultaneously, the dielectric constant (εr) reaches its maximum. With increasing heat-treatment temperatures, due to the loose microstructure of the material, tanδ increases slightly. The last of the sintered samples were identified as partly Anorthite at 850 ℃. At that temperature it has εr of 7.9 and tanδ less than 1×10-3, and can be used as a promising LTCC material.     

Preparation and characterization of nanocomposite MgFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Nanocomposites MgFe₂O₄/SiO₂ were successfully synthesized by the sol-gel method in the presence of N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The formation of pure MgFe₂O₄ was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction. The structural evolution of MgFe₂O₄ nanocrystals was followed by powder X-ray diffraction and IR absorption spectroscopy. The formation of spinel structure of MgFe₂O₄ started at 800 °C, and completed at 900 °C. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements suggest that the particle sizes increase with the increasing annealing temperature, and the mean particle sizes of the spherical samples annealed at 800 °C, 900 °C and 1 050 °C are ca. 3 nm, 8 nm and 11 nm, respectively. Magnetization measurements at room temperature and 78 K indicate superparamagnetic nature of these MgFe₂O₄ nanocrystals. Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 30771676), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20081842), and the Foundation of Nanjing Bureau of Personal for the Returned Overseas Chinese Excellent Scholars     

Hydrothermal preparation and photocatalytic water splitting properties of ZrW<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>8</Subscript>

ZrW₂O₈ was prepared by adjusting Zr:W mole ratio and HCl concentration in hydrothermal reaction processes. The obtained sample was crystallized in α-ZrW₂O₈ phase (cubic, P2₁3), with band gap energy of 4.0 eV. The properties of photocatalytic water splitting were examined under UV light irradiation. The average rate of H₂ evolution over 0.3wt% Pt/ZrW₂O₈ in the presence of CH₃OH as electron donor (ED) was 23.4 μmol/h, while the average rate of O₂ evolution over ZrW₂O₈ in the presence of AgNO₃ as electron scavenger (ES) was 9.8 μ mol/h. Moreover, H₂ was evolved over 0.3wt% Pt/ZrW₂O₈ from pure water splitting at a rate of 5.2 μ mol/h. The study indicated that the band structure of ZrW₂O₈ was suitable for reducing H⁺ to H₂ and oxidizing H₂O to O₂. The band structure and photocatalytic water splitting properties of ZrW₂O₈, different from either ZrO₂ (5.0 eV) or WO₃ (2.7 eV), were attributed to the hybridization of W5d and Zr4d in conduction band (CB) as well as the change in crystal structure.     

Crystallization and luminescence properties of Sm<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped SrO-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glass-ceramics

The Sm³⁺-doped SrO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ (SAS) glass-ceramics with excellent luminescence properties were prepared by batch melting and heat treatment. The crystallization behavior and luminescent properties of the glass-ceramics were investigated by DTA, XRD, SEM and luminescence spectroscopy. The results indicate that the crystal phase precipitated in this system is monocelsian (SrAl₂Si₂O₈) and with the increase of nucleation/crystallization temperature, the crystallite increases from 66 % to 79 %. The Sm³⁺-doped SAS glass-ceramics emit green, orange and red lights centered at 565, 605, 650 and 715 nm under the excitation of 475 nm blue light which can be assigned to the ⁴G_5/2→⁶ H _j/2 (j=5, 7, 9, 11) transitions of Sm³⁺, respectively. Besides, by increasing the crystallization temperature or the concentration of Sm³⁺, the emission lights of the samples located at 565, 605 and 650 nm are intensified significantly. The present results demonstrate that the Sm³⁺-doped SAS glass-ceramics are promising luminescence materials for white LED devices by fine controlling and combining of these three green, orange and red lights in appropriate proportion.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiB<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> composites

Effects of Al2O3 and Ni as the additives on the sinterability, microstructure and mechanical properties were systematic studied. The experimental results show that only a relative density about 96.2% of hot-pressing TiB2-30%Al2O3 can be attained due to the plate-like TiB2 particle and its random orientation and excessive Al2O3 grain growth. When sintering temperature is higher than 1 700 ℃, TiB2 grain growth can be found, which obvious improves flexural strength of TiB2 matrix but decreases toughness. It seems that mechanical properties of TiB2-Al2O3 composites are mainly depended on relative density besides grain growth. otherwise, they will be determined by relative density and TiB2 matrix strength together. Anyway, Al2O3 addition can weaken the grain boundary and thus improve the toughness of the materials. A flexural strength of 529 MPa, Vickers hardness of 24.8 GPa and indentation toughness of 4.56 MPa·m1/2 can be achieved inTiB2-30vol% Al2O3.     

Effect of temperature on polishing and flatting time of float-formed Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>O-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glass

Li₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glass prepared from traditional melting and cooling process was investigated. The surface characteristic of LAS glass was studied by simulating tin bath with different temperature and time, and the effect of surface tension/viscosity ratio on flatting time was analyzed. The results demonstrated that LAS glass can polish effectively when polishing at 1 300 for 8 °C min, and the optimum flatting and polishing temperature was 1 250–1 300 °C.     

Preparation of Fe-Al Intermetallie /TiC-Al2O3 Ceramie Composites from llmenite by SHS

Fe-Al intermetallic/TiC-Al2O3 ceramic composites were successfully prepared by selfpropagating high-temperature synthesis （SHS） from natural ilmenite, aluminium and carbon as the raw materials. The effects of carbon sources, preheating time and heat treatment temperature on synthesis process and products were investigated in detail, and the reaction process of the FeTiO3-Al-C system was also discussed. It is shown that the temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are higher when graphite is used as the carbon source, which can reflect the effect of the carbon source structure on the combustion synthesis; Prolonging the preheating time or heat treatment temperature is beneficial to the formation of the ordered intermetallics; The temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are improved, but the disordered alloys are difficult to eliminate with the preheating time prolonged. The compound powders mainly containing ordered Fe3Al intermetallic can be prepared through heat treatment at 750 ℃.     

Interaction of rare earth ions in Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>MgSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>: Eu<Superscript>2+</Superscript>, Dy<Superscript>3+</Superscript> material

To discuss the function of Eu and Dy and their interaction in Sr₂MgSi₂O₇: Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ long afterglow material, the Eu and Dy single doped and their co-doped Sr₂MgSi₂O₇: Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ were prepared. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), decay curves, photoluminescence (PL), and thermoluminescence (TL). The results indicate that Sr₂MgSi₂O₇: Eu has afterglow properties, and the doping of Eu ion in Sr₂MgSi₂O₇: Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ can lower the depth of traps. Eu ion can not only serve as luminescence center, but also produce traps in the matrix, meanwhile, it also exerts certain influences on the traps produced by Dy in Sr₂MgSi₂O₇: Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺. The Dy ion can not act as luminescence center but relates to the change of the traps in the Sr₂MgSi₂O₇ matrix.     

Preparation and microstructure of spinel zinc ferrite ZnFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> by Co-precipitation method

Spinel zinc ferrites ZnFe₂O₄, prepared by co-precipitation method using the zinc nitrate Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and ferric nitrate Fe(NO₃)₃·2H₂O as the raw materials, were characterized by the thermo gravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The influence of synthesis conditions, such as Zn/Fe molar ratio, pH value, the sintering temperature and time, on the microstructures was detailedly investigated. The relationships between the microstructures and the synthesis conditions were discussed. The results show that the pure spinel zinc ferrites ZnFe₂O₄ are formed when the Zn/Fe molar ratio is 1.05:2 at pH=8.5 or Zn/Fe molar ratio is 1:2 at Ph=9-10, and the precursors are sintered at 1100 °C for 4 h. Especially no other phases are observed when the Zn/Fe molar ratio is 1:2 at pH=10 and the precursor is sintered above 700 for 4 °C h. The higher sintering temperature and longer sintering time contribute to grain growth.     

Synthesis and Characterization of LiCoxMn2-xO4 Cathode Materials

LiCoxMn2.04 cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were synthesized by mechanical activation-solid state reaction at 750 ℃ for 24 h in air atmosphere, and their crystal structure, morphology, element composition and electrochemical performance were characterized with XRD, SEM, ICP-AES and charge-discharge test. The experimental results show that all samples have a single spinel structure, well formed crystal shape and uniformly particle size distribution. The lattice parameters of LiCo Mn2-xO4 decrease and the average oxidation states of manganese ions increase with an increase in Co content. Compared with pure LiMn2O4, the LiCo Mn2xO4 （x=0.03-0.12） samples show a lower special capacity, but their cycling life are improved. The capacity loss of LiCo009Mn191O4 and LiCo0.1Mn1.88O4 is only 1.85% and 0.95%, respectively, after the 20th cycle. The improvement of the cycle performance is attributed to the substitution of Co at the Mn sites in the spinel structure, which suppresses the Jahn-Teller distortion and improves the structural stability.     

Synthesis and luminescence of nano fluorescent powder of Y<Subscript>4</Subscript>Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>9</Subscript>: Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript>

Nano fluorescent powder of Y₄Al₂O₉: Eu³⁺ was synthesized by sol-gel method. The XRD shows that the product prepared at 900°C is pure-phase Y₄Al₂O₉: Eu³⁺. The Y₄Al₂O₉ powder is nano-size crystal testified by BF and ED analysis of TEM. The grain diameter of Y₄Al₂O₉ is in the range between 20 and 50nm, and its average is 30 nm. The luminescent spectra show that Eu³⁺ ious occupy two kinds of sites in Y₄Al₂O₉ crystal lattice. One is in the strict inversion center, and the other is in off lying inversion center. When excited with UV light (λ=254nm), Y₄Al₂O₉: Eu³⁺ exhibits an orange emission bond at λ=590 nm due to the⁵D_o→⁷F₁ transition and a red emission band at λ=610 nm due to⁵D_o→⁷F₂ transition. YUAN Xi-ming: Born in 1951 Funded by Key Scientific and Technological Project of Hubei Province (2001 AA102A03)     

Microstructure refinement and magnetic properties enhancement of nanocrystalline Nd<Subscript>12.3</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>81.7</Subscript>B<Subscript>6.0</Subscript> ribbons by addition of Zr

Effects of Zr addition and annealing treatment on the formation, microstructure and magnetic properties of Nd_12.3Fe_81.7−x Zr _x B_6.0 (x=0−3.0) ribbons melt-spun and annealed have been systematically investigated by means of vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM). Phase analysis reveals that Nd₂Fe₁₄B is single-phase material. It has been found that the intrinsic coercivity H _ci of the optimally processed Nd_12.3Fe_81.7−x Zr _x B_6.0 ribbons increases monotonically from 751.7 kA/m for x=0 to 1005.3 kA/m for x=3.0. The remanence polarization J _r and maximum energy product (BH)_max increase first with Zr addition, then slightly decrease with further increasing Zr content. Optimum magnetic properties with J _r=1.041 T, H _ci=887.5 kA/m and (BH)_max=175.2 kJ/m³ have been achieved for the ribbons with x=1.5. The significant improvement of magnetic properties originates from the finer grains of the ribbons by introducing Zr.