Influence of iron on phase and magnetic property of the LaFe_（11.6）Si_（1.4） compound

The phase relation, microstructure, Curie temperatures, hysteresis, and magnetocaloric effects of LaFex*11.6Si1.4 (x=0.96, 0.98, 1.0, and 1.02) compounds prepared by arc-melting and then annealed at 1423 K (1.5 h)+1523 K (4.5 h) were investigated. The main phase was NaZn13-type phase, the impurity phases included a small amount of α-Fe and LaFeSi phase in four samples. The crystal cell parameters of 1:13 phase increased from 1.1433(5) to 1.1454(4) nm with x increasing from 0.96 to 1.02, respectively. All samples kept the typical first-order magnetic transition. The increase of Fe strengthened IEM behavior, and led to the remarkable enhancement of MCE effect and negative slopes in Arrott plots around TC. The maximum ΔSM (T, H) under a low magnetic field (0-2 T) was 15.3, 16.8, 17.9, and 24.7 J/kg K with increasing of Fe content from x=0.96 to 1.02, respectively.     

Surface modification of （Tb,Dy）Fe_2 alloy by nitrogen ion implantation

Effects of nitriding modification on surface phase structure, morphology, corrosion resistance and magnetostriction of (Tb,Dy)Fe2 alloy were investigated by nitrogen ion implantation. Results showed that the surface REFe2 phase gradually decomposed and transformed into REN, α-Fe and Fe8N phases with the increase of nitrogen ion implantation dose. The surface morphology of the alloy had an obvious change after nitrogen ion implantation. The corrosion resistance properties of the alloy in acidic, alkaline and chloridion environment were also greatly improved. In addition, the magnetostriction performance of the alloy was almost not affected by ion implantation as the nitrided layer was quite thin and the operating temperature was very low. The results proved that nitrogen ion implantation was an effective method for surface modification of (Tb,Dy)Fe2 alloy.     

Phase,microstructure, and magnetocaloric effect of the large disc LaFe11.6Si1.4 alloy

The large disc LaFe11.6Si1.4 alloy, which was prepared by medium-frequency induction furnace, was annealed at 1503 K for different time. The main phases were 1:13 phase in the edge parts of the large discs alloy; the impurity phases included α-Fe phase, LaFeSi phase, and even very small amount of La5Si3 phase. The amounts of impurity phases reduced with increasing in annealing time. The magnetic properties in the edge parts of the large discs LaFe11.6Si1.4 alloy were investigated. The magnetic susceptibility had an abrupt change at Curie temperature(TC) as the magnetization in M-T curves. The alloys had almost the same TC(191 K), the magnetocaloric effect(MCE) and relative cooling power(RCP) increased with increasing in annealing time. In addition, for the same alloy, the magnetic hysteresis decreased with the increase in temperature.     

Investigation of Pt-Dy co-doping effects on isothermal oxidation behavior of （Co,Ni）-based alloy

A Co32Ni21Cr8Al0.6Y (wt.%) alloy with and without doping 3 wt.% platinum, or co-doping 3 wt.% platinum and 0.1 wt.% dysprosium was produced by arc melting. The hardness of both base alloy and composition-modified alloy was measured by using a Vickers hardness tester. Isothermal oxidation tests at 1000 ℃ in static air atmosphere were conducted to assess the isothermal oxidation behavior of the alloys. The microstructure and composition of the tested alloys before and after oxidation were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and back scatter detector. Results showed that platinum had significant influence on microstructure of the tested alloy by the formation of β-(Ni,Pt)Al phase. Addition of 3 wt.% platinum could slightly increase the hardness of the tested alloy. Platinum accelerated phase transformation of alumina from metastable θ-Al 2 O 3 to stable α-Al 2 O 3 and suppressed the consumption of β-phase. Co-doping both 3 wt.% platinum and 0.1 wt.% dysprosium induced the fastest transformation of θto αalumina and the formation of a fine-grained oxide scales. The most effective reduction of oxidation rate was achieved by the Pt-Dy co-doping effects.     

Effect of a magnetic field on magnetic entropy change in LaFe_（11.7）Si_（1.3） compound

The magnetocaloric effect of LaFe11.7Si1.3 compound was investigated under an external magnetic field up to 9 T.The magnetization changed drastically at the Curie temperature TC under different fields and TC increased with the applied fields.The magnetic entropy change |?SM| vs temperature peak consisted of a spike and a plateau.The spike was a spurious result,while the plateau part resulted from the field-induced itinerant-electron metamagnetic(IEM) transition above TC,which went up with magnetic fields increasing.The width of the magnetic entropy change increased with magnetic fields at a rate of dL?S /dT~4 K/T.     

Magnetocaloric effect and magnetic properties of La_（0.9）Ce_（0.1）（Fe_（0.99）Mn_（0.01））_（11.6）Si_（1.4）H_（1.6） compound

Magnetocaloric effect and magnetic properties of La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4 and its hydride La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4H1.6 were investigated. The Curie temperature of La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4 was increased by hydrogen absorption. XRD patterns showed that the structure of La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4H1.6 remained NaZn13-type. The Curie temperature (TC) of the sample was increased from 174 K to 331 K. The homogeneity of the hydrogen absorption for La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4H1.6 was proven very well by the random measurement of DSC. The magnetic entropy △SM of La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4H1.6 had peak at 326 K. The peak value of-△SM-was 12.3 and 7.8 J/(kg.K) under magnetic field change of 0-2 T and 0-1 T,respectively,which was comparable with Gd5Si2Ge2. The negative slope and inflection point of the Arrott curve indicated that the first-order magnetic transition of La0.9Ce0.1(Fe0.99Mn0.01)11.6Si1.4 was reserved after hydrogen absorption.     

Effects of manganese doping on magnetocaloric effect in Ge-rich Gd_5Ge_（2.05）Si_（1.95） alloy

The structure, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of the Ge-rich Gd5Ge2.05-xSi1.95-xMn2x (x=0.01 and 0.03) alloys were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and magnetization measurements. The results of energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the composition and crystal structure of the alloys were desired. DSC measurements were performed to determine the transformation temperatures for each alloy. Both alloys exhibited the first order phase transition around room temperature. The alloys showed an anti-ferromagnetic transition around 60 K. The isothermal magnetic entropy changes of the alloys were determined from the isothermal magnetization measurements by using the Maxwell relation. The maximum values of isothermal magnetic entropy change of the Gd5Ge2.05-xSi1.95-xMn2x alloy with x=0.01 was found to be -12.1 and -19.8 J/(kg·K) using Maxwell equation around 268 K in applied fields of 2 and 5 T, respectively.     

Structure and high-temperature electrochemical properties of La_（0.60）Nd_（0.15）Mg_（0.25）Ni_（3.3）Si_（0.10） hydrogen storage alloys

The structure and high-temperature electrochemical properties of the as-cast and annealed (940 °C, 8 h) La0.60Nd0.15Mg0.25Ni3.3Si0.10 hydrogen storage alloys were investigated. The X-ray diffraction revealed that the multiphase structure of the as-cast alloy with LaNi5 phase as the main phase was converted into a double-phase structure with La2Ni7 phase as the main phase after annealing. The surface morphology studied by scanning electronic microscope (SEM) showed that the annealed alloy had a much higher anti-corrosion ability than the as-cast alloy. Both alloys presented excellent activation characteristics at all test temperatures. The maximum discharge capacity of the as-cast alloy decreased when the test temperature increased, while the temperature almost had no effect on the annealed alloy. As the test temperature increased, the cyclic stability and charge retention of both alloys decreased, and these properties were improved significantly by annealing.     

A study on hydrogen storage and electrochemical properties of La_（0.55）Pr_（0.05）Nd_（0.15）Mg_（0.25）Ni_（3.5） （Co_（0.5）Al_（0.5））_x （x=0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5） alloys

The La0.55Pr0.05Nd0.15Mg0.25Ni3.5(Co0.5Al0.5)x(x=0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) alloys were prepared by magnetic levitation melting under an Ar atmosphere, and the effects of Co and Al on the hydrogen storage and electrochemical properties were systematically investigated by pressure composition isotherms, cyclic voltammetry, Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy testing. The results showed that the alloy phases were mainly consisted of (La,Pr)(Ni,Co)5, LaMg2Ni9, (La,Nd)2Ni7 and LaNi3 phases, and the cell volumes of (La,Pr)(Ni,Co)5, LaMg2Ni9, (La,Nd)2Ni7 and LaNi3 phases expanded with Co and Al element added. The hydrogen storage capacity initially increased from 1.36 (x=0) to 1.47 wt.% (x=0.3) and then decreased to 1.22 wt.% (x=0.5). The discharge capacity retention and cycle stability of the alloy electrodes were improved with the increase of Co and Al contents. The La0.55Pr0.05Nd0.15Mg0.25Ni3.5(Co0.5Al0.5)0.3 alloy electrode possessed better electrochemical kinetic characteristic.     

Effect of chromium on magnetic properties and corrosion resistance of LaFe11.5Si1.5 compound

Effects of Cr addition on magnetic and corrosion properties of LaFe11.5-xCrxSi1.5 (x=0.1, 0.3, 0.4) magnetic refrigerants were investigated. It was found that the addition of Cr slightly decreased the magnetic entropy change, but it was effective in increasing corrosion resistance of La-Fe-Si compounds within the composition range examined. Corrosion measurements showed that corrosion current density of these La-Fe-Si compounds in distilled water decreased from 2.6×10-6 to 8.7×10-7 A/cm2, with x increasing from 0 to 0.3, while magnetic entropy change in LaFe11.5-xCrxSi1.5 compounds did not change significantly (-ΔSmax was 18.0, 17.0, 13.6, 11.1 J/(kg·K)) under 2 T for x=0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.4, respectively). Surface optical microstructures of compounds after corroded showed that corrosion took place at grains and grain boundaries simultaneously and surface concentration of corroded points on LaFe11.5-xCrxSi1.5 (x=0.1, 0.3, 0.4) compounds reduced obviously.     

Effect of samarium on microstructure and corrosion resistance of aged as-cast AZ92 magnesium alloy

The effects of samarium（Sm） on microstructure and corrosion resistance of AZ92 magnesium alloy were characterized and analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, mass loss test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and potentio-dynamic polarization test. The results showed that the added Sm could promote continuous precipitation of β-Mg17Al12 phase in grains, and meanwhile restrain discontinuous precipitation of the same phase along the grain boundaries. Thus, the precipitations distributed more uniformly in the aged AZ92 magnesium alloys. When the content of Sm was 0.5 wt.%, the corrosion resistance of aged AZ92 alloy tended to be the best, which was due to the β-phase distributes more homogeneous reducing the galvanic corrosion. The corrosion product film had more integrality and compactness than AZ92 alloys without Sm. However, it resulted in worse corrosion resistance of AZ92 alloy because of the formation of mass cathodic Al2 Sm phase coming from excess Sm in AZ92 alloy.     

Luminescence properties of Mn2） ions doped Lu2CaMg2Si3O1） garnet phosphors

Yttrium aluminum garnet structure phosphors Lu2CaMg2Si3O12:Mn2+ were synthesized by conventional high temperature solid-state reaction in reductive atmosphere. The structure and optical properties of samples were characterized by application of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the phosphors mainly presented garnet structure with a few weak peaks of impurity phases. Lu2-xCaMg2Si3O12:xMn2+ (x=0.01-0.8) phosphors showed a broad emission band peaking at around 590 nm under ultraviolet (UV) light of 408 nm when Mn2+ concentration was less than 0.08 mol. With an increase in the Mn2+ concentration (above 0.08), another broad emission band peaking at 720 nm besides 590 nm was observed, which may be due to manganese ion having different valence and occupying different host lattice. The critical quenching concentrations of manganese ion in the wavelength of 590 and 720 nm were about 0.06 and 0.2 mol, respectively. With 408 nm excitation wavelength, emission color of the samples had a red shift trend as the Mn2+ concentration increased. All the results indicated that the Lu2CaMg2Si3O12:Mn2+ phosphors could be applicable to n-UV based white LEDs.     

Composition and corrosion resistance of cerium conversion films on 2195Al-Li alloy

The Ce conversion films on 2195Al-Li alloy without and with post-treatment were studied and the corrosion resistance was evalu-ated as well. The surface morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the chemical composition was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The corrosion behaviors of 2195Al-Li alloy and conversion coating were assessed by means of potentiodynamic polarization curves. The experimental results indicated that after post-treatment the surface quality was improved signifi-cantly. According to XPS, the conversion coating after post-treatment was mainly composed of CeO2, Ce2O3, Ce-OH and a little MoO3 and MoO2. The results of potentiodynamic polarization curves revealed that the conversion coating with post-treatment possessed better corrosion resistance than bare alloy and Ce conversion coating without post-treatment.     

Preparation of La（OH）3 and La2O3 with Rod Morphology by Simple Hydration of La2O3

Lanthanum hydroxide with rod-like morphology was synthesized with simple hydration processing via the hydration of its bulk oxide in normal water solution at boiling temperature. An XRD pattern shows the formation of the hexagonal phase of La（OH）3, indicating that the hydration process is very rapid. The as-prepared La（OH）3 is almost entirely with a needle- or rod-like shape with a width of 2 - 3 μm and a length of 5 - 8 μm. The mechanism of the formation of La（OH）3 with rod-like morphology was preliminarily presented. It is easier to expand the simple hydration process on a large scale than the hydrothermal process.     

Preparation and properties of Al-Mn alloy coatings in NaCl-KCl-AlCl3-CeCl3 molten salts

Al-Mn alloy coatings were electrodeposited on an iron substrate from AlCl3-NaCl-KCl molten salts with anhydrous MnCl2 enhanced by the addition of CeCl3. The microstructure and properties of the Al-Mn alloy coatings were investigated, and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and polarization curves were used to determine the composition, surface morphology, phase structure, and corrosion resistance of the obtained deposits. The results showed that the surface coatings were smooth, and that the crystallites were dense and uniform when 0.22 wt.% CeCl3 was added to the molten salt. An amorphous mixture of Al and Al6Mn was obtained. CeCl3 enhanced the corrosion resistance and increased the hardness of the single amorphous phase alloys. The pitting potential of the coating was approximately -1.1239 V, and its hardness was 390 kgf/mm2.