Effect of transformation pH on performance of nano-scale β-Ni（OH）2

The influence of transformation pH value on the performance of nano-scale Ni（OH）2 was analyzed. The measurement results of XRD and TEM indicate that the samples are composed of β-Ni（OH）2 with crystal size of 20-50 nm, and the crystal lattice parameters of nano-scale Ni（OH）2 prepared at different transformation pH values are different. With the increase of transformation pH value, the agglomeration of nano-scale Ni（OH）2 becomes obvious. Cyclic voltammograms（CV） and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） measurement results show that transformation pH value affects the proton diffusion coefficient（D） and charge-transfer resistance（Rot） of the material. The specific capacity is up to 327.8 mA·h/g, and the discharge performance of electrodes depends on both D and Rct, so the kinetic characteristics that electrodes reaction is controlled by both mass-transfer step and charge-transfer step was put forward.     

Influence of annealing temperature on electrochemical properties of rapidly quenched LPC （NiAlMn） 4.25 Co0. 75 hydrogen storage alloy electrodes

The influence of annealing temperature on the electrochemical properties and structure of the rapidly quenched LPC(NiAIMn)4.25 Co0.75 hydrogen storage alloys was investigated, in which LPC represents the abbreviation of Nd-free La-Ce-Pr mischmetal after the extraction of most of Ce and Nd. After the annealing treatment between 700-900℃ for rapidly quenched alloys, their discharge capacity becomes larger and the P-C-T plateau tends to be flatter and lower. The alloy annealed at 700 *C has the highest discharge capacity and flattest plateau. The analyses by X-ray diffraction (XRD), different thermal analysis(DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that the microstructure reversion and recrystallization occur during the heating, and their feature temperatures are 477℃ and 696℃ respectively. The annealing treatments make cell volume increase, dislocations and strain decrease, and the distribution of alloy composition become homogeneous.     

Synthesis and high-temperature performance of Ti substituted α-Ni（OH）2

1 INTRODUCTION The development of electric and hybrid vehi- cles is proceeding against the backdrop of environ- mental problems ,and nickel-metal hydride batter- ies( MH/Ni) with high output ,high energy densi- ty ,low cost and long durability are being consid- ered the alternative cardinal components for these vehicles .In recent years , synthesis of Ni(OH)2 powder with perfect high-temperature electrochem- ical properties has gotten more and more attention since the lowcharge acceptanc…     

Electrochemical properties of CeMgu Ni＋x% Ni composites （x=0, 50, 100 and 200） prepared by ball-milling

The electrochemical properties of the as-cast CeMg11 Ni and ball-milled CeMg11 Ni x%Ni(x=0, 50,100 and 200, mass fraction) composites were investigated. The results show that homogeneous amorphous phase of CeMg11 Ni x% Ni composite can be obtained by ball-milling, and discharge capacity of the ball-milled CeMg11 Ni x% Ni composites differs greatly depending on the amount of Ni introduced during milling. The CeMg11 Ni 200% Ni composite after 90 h ball-milling was found to exhibit a large discharge capacity of about 1 012 mAh/g at 303 K,and it also shows better charge-discharge cycling stability than those with lower Ni content. This remarkable improvement in electrochemical properties of the ball-milled composites seems to be attributed to the formation of an amorphous composite as well as the improvement of the surface state of the ball-milled particles.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Li[NixCoyMn1-x-y]O2 （x, y= 2/8, 3/8） cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

The uniform layered Li(Ni_2/8Co_3/8Mn_3/8)O₂, Li(Ni_3/8Co_2/8Mn_3/8)O₂, and Li(Ni_3/8Co_3/8Mn_2/8)O₂ cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were prepared using the hydroxide co-precipitation method. The effects of calcination temperature and transition metal contents on the structure and electrochemical properties of the Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O were systemically studied. The results of XRD and electrochemical performance measurement show that the ideal preparation conditions were to prepare the Li(Ni_3/8Co_3/8Mn_2/8)O₂ cathode material calcined at 900°C for 10 h. The well-ordered Li(Ni_3/8Co_3/8Mn_2/8)O₂ synthesized under the optimal conditions has the I ₀₀₃/I ₁₀₄ ratio of 1.25 and the R value of 0.48 and delivers the initial discharge capacity of 172.9 mA·h·g⁻¹, the discharge capacity of 166.2 mA·h·g⁻¹ after 20 cycles at 0.2C rate, and the impedance of 558 Ω after the first cycle. The decrease of Ni content results in the decrease of discharge capacity and the bad cycling performance of the Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O cathode materials, but the decreases of Mn content and Co content to a certain extent can improve the electrochemical properties of the Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O cathode materials.     

Effect of Ti content on the hydrogen storage properties of Zr_（1-x）Ti_xMn_2Ce_（0.015） alloys

The effect of Ti content on the hydrogen storage properties of Zr1-xTixMn2 Ce0.015(x = 0,0.2,0.3,0.5) alloys was studied by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and pressure-composition(p-c) isotherm measurement.All of the alloys mainly consist of C14-type Laves and CeO2 phases.As the Ti content increases,the lattice parameters of the Laves phase decrease and the unit cell shrinks anisotropically,the total hydrogen absorption capacity decreases but the reversible hydrogen desorption capacity of the alloys increases,and the equilibrium pressure of the alloys increases but the plateau becomes sloping.The changes of hydrogen storage properties of Zr1-xTixMn2 Ce0.015 alloys are related to the differences in both atomic radius and hydrogen affinity between Ti and Zr elements.     

Effect of （Ba＋Sr）/Ti ratio on dielectric and tunable properties of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin film prepared by sol-gel method

Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 （BST） thin films were fabricated on Pt coated Si （100） substrates by sol-gel techniques with molar ratio of （Ba＋Sr） to Ti changing from 0.76 to 1.33. The effect of （Ba＋Sr）/Ti ratio deviating from the stoichiometry on microstructure, grain growth, dielectric and tunable properties of BST thin films were investigated. TiO2 and （Ba,Sr）RTiO4 were found as a second phase at the ratios of 0.76 and 1.33, respectively. The variation of the ratio reveals more significant effect on the grain size in B-site rich samples than that in A-site rich samples. The dissipation factor decreases rapidly from 0.1 to 0.01 at 1 MHz with decreasing （Ba＋Sr）/Ti ratio. The tunability increases with decreasing ratio from 1.33 to 1.05, and then decreases with decreasing ratio from 1.05 to 0.76. The film with （Ba＋Sr）/Ti ratio of 1.05 has a maximum tunability of 32% and a dissipation factor of 0.03 at 1 MHz.     

Effect of α-Al2O3 coatings on the interface of Ni/SiC composites prepared by electrodeposition

This paper describes an investigation on the effect of α-Al₂O₃ coating on the interface between nickel and SiC particle. Uniform, dense and well-adhered α-Al₂O₃ coatings were obtained on the surface of SiC particles by sol–gel technology. The nickel-based composites reinforced with α-Al₂O₃-coated SiC particles (CS_p) or uncoated SiC particles (UCS_p) prepared by composite electrodeposition were heated at 600 °C to study the reactivity and the resulting interfaces. The results showed that the Ni/CS_p composites presented excellent thermal stability without interfacial reaction, while nickel silicide formed in the Ni/UCS_p composites. It indicated that high-temperature interfacial reaction between SiC particles and nickel matrix was efficiently inhibited by the α-Al₂O₃ coatings. Moreover, great differences of the local mechanical properties of interfaces were observed by the nanoindentation characterization.     

Effect of Ni content on corrosion behavior of Ni/（10NiO-90NiFe2O4） cermet inert anode

Ni/（10NiO-90NiFe2O4） cermet inert anodes with metal Ni content of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 （mass fraction, %） were prepared and their corrosion behavior in Na3AlF6-Al2O3 melts was investigated in laboratory electrolysis tests. The results indicate that the content of metal Ni in anodes has little effect on the steady-state concentration of impurities Ni and Fe in electrolyte and the values range in （114-173）×10^-6 and （287-385）×10^-6, but the content of impurities in the metal aluminum manifolds. There is preferential corrosion for metal Ni in NiO-NiFe2O4 based cermet anodes. Considering the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, the cermet containing 5%Ni （mass fraction） behaves best among NiO-NiFe2O4 based cermet anodes studied, and should be further studied.     

Effect of second introduced phase on magnetotransport properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/0.33（CuO,ZnO, Al2O3） composites

The structure, magnetic and magnetotransport properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3（LSMO）/0.33（CuO, ZnO, Al2O3） composites were investigated to explore the role of second introduced phase. The microstructural analysis shows two kinds of grain boundaries： LSMO/LSMO and LSMO/second phase/LSMO. Two maximal resistivities appear in LSMO/0.33CuO and LSMO/0.33ZnO composites while the resistivity of LSMO/0.33Al2O3 decreases monotonically with increasing the temperature from 200 K to 400 K. Moreover, the temperature dependence of magnetoresistance（MR） of LSMO/0.33A1203 that decreases monotonically with increasing the temperature is different from that of LSMO/0.33CuO and LSMO/0.33ZnO. A developed two-channel model consisting of scattering model and tunneling model was proposed to fit the resistivity—temperature curves of these composites. The role of second introduced phase and the magnetotransport mechanism of these composites were elucidated.     

Effect of rare earth Pr on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3-SiO2（sf）/Al-Si composites

The Al₂O₃-SiO₂(sf) (volume fraction, 20%)/Al-12.6Si metal matrix composites(MMCs) with or without rare earth Pr addition were fabricated by infiltration squeeze method. Effect of Pr addition on microstructures and fractographs of Al-Si MMCs was investigated by SEM and TEM. Tensile properties at room temperature and 200 °C were tested. It is shown that the addition of Pr is favorable to produce uniform microstructures and modify the eutectic Si crystal effectively. Compounds/intermetallics with high content of Pr are formed at the interface between short fiber and matrix. Yield strength(σ_0.2), ultimate tensile strength(σ_b) and fracture elongation of Al-Si MMCs are improved by adding suitable amount of Pr. Compared with those values of Al-Si based MMC at 200 °C, σ_0.2 and σ_b of MMC with 0.29% Pr are increased by 33% and 55%, respectively. The tensile fracture surface of Al-Si MMCs with Pr addition presents ductile fracture features.     

Effect of metallic phase content on mechanical properties of （85Cu- 15Ni）/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

（85Cu-15Ni）/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermets were prepared with Cu-Ni mixed powders as toughening metallic phase and 10NiO-NiFe2O4 as ceramic matrix. The phase composition, microstructure of composite and the effect of metallic phase content on bending strength, hardness, fracture toughness and thermal shock resistance were studied. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the coexistence of （Cu-Ni）, NiO and NiFe2O4 phases in the cermets. Within the content range of metallic phase from 0% to 20% （mass fraction）, the maximal bending strength （176.4 MPa） and the minimal porosity （3.9%） of composite appear at the metallic phase content of 5%. The fracture toughness increases and Vickers＇ hardness decreases with increasing metal content. When the thermal shock temperature difference （At） is below 200 ℃, the loss rate of residual strength for 10NiO-NiFe2O4 ceramic is only 8%, but about 40% for （85Cu-15Ni）/（10NiO-NiFe2O4）cermets. As At is above 200 ℃, the residual strength sharply decreases for sample CN0 and falls slowly for samples CN5-CN20.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Sm2Fe17-xNbx （x = 0-4） alloys prepared by HDDR processes and their nitrides

Sm2Fe17-xNbx （x = 0-4） powder was synthesized by HDDR treatment and nitrogenation. The effects of partial Nb substitution for Fe on the structural and magnetic properties of Sm2Fe17-xNbx alloys and their nitlides were investigated. It was seen that Sm2（Fe,Nb）17 phase exists in both annealed and HDDR-treated Sm2Fe17-xNbx alloys. However, its content is decreased with the increase in Nb substitution. In annealed alloys, Sm2（Fe,Nb）17 phase becomes unstable and will dissociate into SmFe2 and Fe-rich phases when x 〉 1.5. With HDDR-treatment, the Nb concentration in recombined Sm2（Fe,Nb）17 phase is decreased, and the content of Fe-rich phases is increased. Sm2Fe17-xNbx powder exhibits dendritic cracks and fine particles with a size of less than 300 nm. In nitrogenated alloys, N atoms mainly enter 2：17-type phase to form Sm2（Fe,Nb）17Ny. Partial Nb atoms in Sm2（Fe,Nb）17Ny phase will be released or excluded by nitrogen atoms. Fe-rich phases increase, and are followed by the amorphous Sm2（Fe,Nb）17Ny phase. Nb substitution for Fe with x = 0.5 and 1.0 in Sm2Fe17-xNbxNy powders increases the coercivity and remanence. But when x is greater than 2.0, Nb substitution will deteriorate the magnetic properties.     

Influence of addition of Cu（OH）2 to KOH alkaline electrolyte on electrochemical properties of La2Mg0.9Al0.1Ni7.5Co1.5 hydrogen storage alloy electrode

The influence of the addition of Cu（OH）2 to 6 mol/L KOH alkaline electrolyte on the electrochemical properties of La2Mg0.9Al0.1Ni7.5Co1.5 hydrogen storage alloy electrode was investigated by electron probe X-ray microanalysis（EPMA）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and electrochemical measurements. EPMA micrographs and XRD patterns show that the surface of the hydride electrode is plated by metal copper film. The thickness and compactness of Cu film increase with the increment of charge-discharge cycle number. The copper film of the hydride electrode surface can keep the hydrogen storage alloy particle in the electrode interior from oxidizing availably. The addition of Cu（OH）2 to alkaline electrolyte lowers the activation property and the high rate dischargeability of the La2Mg0.9Al0.1Ni7.5Co1.5 hydride electrode, but has no negative effect on the maximum discharge capacity of the hydride electrode. Moreover, it is effective to improve the cyclic stability of the hydride electrode utilizing electrodeposit Cu film on theLa2Mg0.9Al0.1Ni7.5Co1.5 hydride electrodes surface.     

Magnetic properties and structure of Ni80Fe20/Ni48Fe12Cr40 bilayer films deposited on SiO2/Si（100） by electron beam evaporation

Ni80Fe20/Ni48Fe12Cr40 bilayer films and Ni80Fe20 monolayer films were deposited at room temperature on SiO2/Si（100） substrates by electron beam evaporation. The influence of the thickness of the Ni48Fe12Cr40 underlayer on the structure, magnetization, and magnetoresistance of the Ni80Fe20/Ni48Fe12Cr40 bilayer film was investigated. The thickness of the Ni48Fe12Cr40 layer varied from about 1 nm to 18 nm while the Ni80Fe20 layer thickness was fixed at 45 nm. For the as-deposited bilayer films the introducing of the Ni48Fe12Cr40 underlayer promotes both the （111） texture and grain growth in the Ni80Fe20 layer. The Ni48Fe12Cr40 underlayer has no significant influence on the magnetic moment of the Ni80Fe20/Ni48Fe12Cr40 bilayer film. However, the coercivity of the bilayer film changes with the thickness of the Ni48Fe12Cr40 undedayer. The optimum thickness of the Ni48Fe12Cr40 underlayer for improving the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect of the Ni80Fe20/Ni48Fe12Cr40 bilayer film is about 5 nm. With a decrease in temperature from 300 K to 81 K, the anisotropic magnetoresistance ratio of the Ni80Fe20 （45 nm）/Ni48Fe12Cr40 （5 nm） bilayer film increases linearly from 2.1% to 4.8% compared with that of the Ni80Fe20 monolayer film from 1.7% to 4.0%.