Non-coalescence and chain formation of droplets under an alternating current electric field

The dynamic behaviors of two droplets and droplet cluster under an alternating current (AC) electric field are investigated. Two droplets generally undergo transformation from complete coalescence to partial coalescence and finally to non-coalescence as the electric capillary number Ca_p increases. The critical electric capillary number Ca_pc for complete coalescence in the AC electric field remains unchanged and is twice as large as that in the direct current (DC) electric field when the frequency f ≥ 250 Hz. Charge transfer and reversal of electric field result in the reversal of the direction of electric force, which is the fundamental mechanism of non-coalescence of two droplets and chain formation in droplet cluster. The number of rebounds dramatically increases as f increases, promoting the stability of droplet chain. The droplet chains in the high-frequency AC electric field are longer and more stable than those in the low-frequency AC electric field.     

Full color white light,temperature self-monitor,and thermochromatic effect of Cu+ and Tm3+ codoped germanate glasses

Lighting sources with full-color visible output are widely preferred in practical applications. In addition, modern lighting sources also tend to be intelligentized, and the intelligentization asks for smart luminescence materials. In this work, we attempt to develop novel full-color emitting material with temperature sensing and thermochromatic ability. To this end, the Cu²⁺ is successfully reduced to Cu⁺ which is incorporated into the germanate glasses. The glasses are prepared via a melt-quenching technique using graphite powders as reducing reagent. The supper-broadening of the excitation and the emission spectra of Cu⁺ in the germanate glasses are observed. Full-color emission is realized by introducing Tm³⁺ as co-dopant to provide the blue component in the spectra. The energy transfer behavior between Cu⁺ and Tm³⁺ is investigated, and it is found that these two luminescence centers are independently existent without energy transfer between them. The chromatic properties of the Cu⁺/Tm³⁺ co-doped glasses are tuned by Tm³⁺ concentration and excitation wavelength. The temperature sensing based on the fluorescence intensity ratio technique is demonstrated, and a constant sensitivity for the temperature detection is obtained. Moreover the thermochromatic property is also investigated, and it is found that the studied Cu⁺/Tm³⁺-doped glasses exhibit excellent thermochromatic performance.     

Preparation of ZrO2 beads by an improved micro-droplet spray forming process

Monodisperse ZrO₂ ceramic beads with size larger than 1 mm have been prepared by an improved micro-droplet spray forming process, through which a compressor and a dispenser were employed to produce droplets continuously. Furthermore, the slurry recipe and drying temperature have been optimized to enhance the sphericity and smoothness of the beads. The sintered ZrO₂ ceramic beads present promising mechanical performance, including a relative density of 84.6%, a crush strength of 256.2 ± 36.6 N as well as a Vickers hardness of 1344.4 ± 58.3 HV. Such procedure reveals great potential in mass production of ceramic beads.     

Solution growth of millimeter-scale Na2SiF6 single crystals for Mn4+-doping as red phosphor

The cation exchange method has been demonstrated to be efficient in doping Mn⁴⁺ ions into various fluorides to synthesize the red-emitting LED phosphors. This paper, however, reports the challenge in using this method to dope Mn⁴⁺ into the Na₂SiF₆ single crystals, to prepare the fluoride phosphor in single-crystal form, a state-of-the-art study in the white LED lighting field. The millimeter-sized Na₂SiF₆ single crystals with a uniform columnar morphology (2–3 mm in length) were successfully grown in solution by a slow cooling process after optimizing the precursors. Then, the crystals were soaked in the HF solution dissolved with K₂MnF₆ to implement Mn⁴⁺-doping via the cation exchange process. Evaluation of the Mn⁴⁺-doping behavior reveals that the Mn⁴⁺ ↔ Si⁴⁺ cation exchange is less efficient in the case of single crystal host compared with the polycrystalline powdery ones and by-reactions also occur which generates new phases. The Na₂SiF₆ single crystals doped with Mn⁴⁺ exhibit a series of discrete sharp peaks with intense zero phonon line emission at 617 nm under 450 nm blue irradiation. This study may trigger the exploration of new single crystal fluoride phosphor.     

Effect of poling on piezocatalytic removal of muti-pollutants using BaTiO3

The BaTiO₃ powder was prepared via a solid-state reaction route. It was studied for the degradation of bacterial cells, dye, and pharmaceuticals waste using ultrasonically driven piezocatalytic effect. The bacterial catalytic behavior of poled BaTiO₃ was remarkably increased during ultrasonication (10% E coli survival in 60 minutes). The structural damages were illustrated using scanning electron micrographs of bacterial cells which demonstrated morphological manifestations under different conditions. Methylene blue (MB dye), ciprofloxacin and diclofenac were also cleaned using the piezocatalytic effect associated with the poled BaTiO₃ powder. Around 92, 85, and 78% of degradations were observed within 150 minutes duration for methylene blue, ciprofloxacin, and diclofenac, respectively.     

Theoretical study on composition-dependent properties of ZnO·nAl2O3 spinels. Part II: Mechanical and thermophysical

Knowledge on the mechanical and thermophysical properties of ZnO·nAl₂O₃ is essential for practical applications. Based on the first-principles calculations and the bond valence method, the disordered spinel-type structure of ZnO·nAl₂O₃ (n = 1–4) was constructed to investigate the composition-dependent mechanical and thermophysical properties. The effects of cation substitution on the hardness, elastic modulus, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity were revealed from the insights into the chemical bonds. At a higher n, the tetrahedral bond is stronger, manifested as its higher hardness and bulk modulus as well as smaller thermal expansion coefficient. Meanwhile, the octahedral bond is weaker, leading to the lower hardness and bulk modulus, along with the larger expansion coefficient. In consequence, the hardness and elastic moduli of ZnO·nAl₂O₃ are improved moderately while the expansion coefficient is decreased with the rise of n. Due to the different vibration characteristics of Zn^IV and Al^IV, the cation disorder in the 8a site provides the primary source of phonon scattering, resulting in the dramatic reduction of thermal conductivity as n increases. The understanding offers guidance on the application-oriented design of new oxide spinels.     

The effect of washing process on the cracking of ZrO2 microspheres by internal gelation

ZrO₂ microspheres are widely used as a simulant of UO₂ in the development of nuclear fuel. However, the cracking of ZrO₂ microspheres prepared by internal gelation is still a challenge during drying and sintering processes. To address this issue, we designed and optimized the washing process for obtaining crack-free ZrO₂ microspheres. Through thermogravimetric, infrared, Raman, BET, and SEM analysis, it is shown that the cracking of the microspheres is mainly related to the pores in microspheres. The washing solvent with low surface tension is used to reduce the effect of capillary force on pore shrinkage. Therefore, the optimal washing process was designed as trichloroethylene (TCE)—0.5 M NH₃.H₂O—Propylene glycol methyl ether (PM) and gel microspheres with a high specific surface area of 315.3 m²/g and pore volume of 0.4125 cm³/g were obtained. The characterizations also further showed that when the microspheres were dried and sintered, the water vapor and the decomposition gas of organic matter were completely released from the pores in the microspheres. Our new washing process could be directly extended for preparing crack-free ceramic microspheres by internal gelation.     

Cold Plasma Treatment of Soybean Oil with Hydrogen Gas

High-voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) treatment generates reactive gas species that induce inter- and intramolecular reactions in soybean oil. The goal of this study is to analyze the effect of HVACP treatment on the chemical structure of soybean oil in a hydrogen gas environment at atmospheric pressure. HVACP was used to treat soybean oil (15 g) for up to 6 hours by triplicate. Plasma-generated reactive gas species interact with the sample, producing three distinct fractions identified as a liquid, gel, and solid. Fatty acid profile, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, size-exclusion chromatography, thermal properties, and peroxide value were used to characterize the chemical structure. Results indicated a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, increased content of saturated fatty acids, and the presence of isomers. An insoluble portion was observed in the solid fraction and increased with treatment time up to 42% in the 6-h treated samples. Plasma species may cause two main reactions: polymerization and hydrogenation.     

Ti4+ modified MgZrNb2O8 microwave dielectric ceramics with an ultra-high quality factor

Ti⁴⁺-modified MgZrNb₂O₈ (MgZr_1-xTi_xNb₂O₈, x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) ceramics were synthesized using the traditional solid-state reaction method. Pure MgZr_1–xTi_xNb₂O₈ was detected without any secondary phase via the X-ray diffraction patterns. According to the sintering behavior and the surface morphology results, the introduction of Ti⁴⁺ reduced the sintering temperature and promoted the grain growth. The correlations between the dielectric properties and the crystal structure were analyzed through the Rietveld refinement and Raman spectroscopy. The slight shifts of the Raman peaks, corresponding to different vibration modes, were induced by the substitution of Ti⁴⁺ for Zr⁴⁺ and related to the improved quality factor. In general, the sample of MgZr_0.9Ti_0.1Nb₂O₈ sintered at 1320°C for 4 h exhibited promising microwave dielectric properties with an ultra-high Q × f value of 130 123 GHz (at 7.308 GHz, 20°C), which is potential for 5G communication applications.     

High extinction-ratio microstructure fiber based on chalcogenide glasses

Extinction ratio (ER) is one of the important parameters to characterize the polarization-maintaining (PM) performance of the fiber. In this paper, we report the preparation and properties of a novel chalcogenide microstructure fiber with a high ER. We fabricate a preform using a peeled-off extrusion method. The core and cladding material of the fiber are Ge₉As₂₃Se₆₈ and Ge₁₀As₂₂Se₆₈. The preform was drawn into a fiber with an average ER of −17.08 dB. The loss of the fiber is less than 2 dB over 5.20–8.55 μm, and the minimum loss of the fiber is 0.57 dB/m at 6.2 μm. Moreover, a flat mid-infrared supercontinuum spectrum spanning from 1.53 to 12.50 μm is generated by pumping an 18-cm-long PM fiber for the first time.