Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance of Hematite Photoanode by Decorating NiCoP Nanoparticles Through a Facile Spin Coating Method

Catalysis Letters - Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a potential photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, but its short hole diffusion length and low water oxidation kinetics...     

Multidisciplinary optimization of gas-quenching process

Distortion as a result of the quenching process is predominantly due to the thermal gradient and phase transformations within the component. Compared with traditional liquid quenching, the thermal boundary conditions during gas quenching are relatively simple to control. By adjusting the gas-quenching furnace pressure, the flow speed, or the spray nozzle configuration, the heat-transfer coefficients can be designed in terms of both the component geometry and the quenching time. The purpose of this research is to apply the optimization methodology to design the gas-quenching process. The design objective is to minimize the distortion caused by quenching. Constraints on the average surface hardness, and its distribution and residual stress are imposed. The heat-transfer coefficients are used as design variables. DEFORM-HT is used to predict material response during quenching. The response surface method is used to obtain the analytical models of the objective function and constraints in terms of the design variables. Once the response surfaces of the objective and constraints are obtained, they are used to search for the optimum heat-transfer coefficients. This process is then used instead of the finite-element analysis. A one-gear blank case study is used to demonstrate the optimization scheme.     

在Fe-Al-C系统中合成优质Ⅱa型宝石级金刚石单晶

和优质Ib型宝石级金刚石单晶生长相比，作为当今高温高压晶体生长的一种高精尖技术，优质1／a型宝石级金刚石单晶对合成技术提出了更高更苛刻的要求：枢研究从晶体的生长速度出发，发现一开始阶段（大约几个小时）的晶体生长速度对优质宝石级金刚石单晶的后期生长争关重要。埘Fe-Al-C系统（Al含量不大于2．5wt％）来说，采用多品种法将晶体开始阶段的晶体生长速度由1．5mg／h降至0．5mg／h后，对生长过程中金属包裹体的进入有了明显的抑制作用，晶体的质量有了很大提高。从晶体中包裹体的存任形式来看，为了获得优质Ⅱa型宝石级金刚石单晶，在触媒中人为地添加除氮剂给晶体生长过程中的排杂过程带来了很大的难度：为了更好的实现排杂，必须很好的处理晶体表面的径向平铺生长速度和晶体轴向的堆积生长速度之间的火系。     

Improved corrosion protection of aluminum alloys by electrodeposited silanes

Organofunctional silanes recently have emerged as outstanding, environmentally friendly corrosion protectors for metal substrates, compared with conventional chromate treatments. A simple immersion technique is typically used to coat the metal surface with silane films. However, the thickness and uniformity of the films are uncontrolled in this process. This paper proposes a new deposition technique for the silane films on the metal surface, i.e., by electrodeposition. Hydrolyzed silanes are water-soluble, ionized molecules, so they can be deposited on metals by electrodeposition. Various combinations of silane mixtures were tested at different voltages, pH values, bath concentrations, and exposure times on panels of alloy aluminum and mirror-polished ferro-plate. The surface structure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ellipsometry. The resistance of the film to corrosion was investigated by direct current (DC) polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Electrodeposition results in a more organized and uniform film with fewer pores, compared with immersed or dipped films. This paper was presented at the 2nd International Surface Engineering Congress sponsored by ASM International, on September 15–17, 2003, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and appears on pp. 320–26 of the Proceedings.     

The distribution of grain boundary planes in polycrystals

During the last ten years, techniques have been developed to measure the distribution of grain boundaries in polycrystals as a function of both lattice misorientation and grain boundary plane orientation. This paper presents a brief overview of the techniques used for these measurements and the principle findings of studies implementing these techniques. The most significant findings are that grain boundary plane distributions are anisotropic, that they are scale invariant during normal grain growth, that the most common grain boundary planes are those with low surface energies, that the grain boundary populations are inversely correlated with the grain boundary energy, and that the coincident site lattice number is a poor predictor of the grain boundary energy and population.     

SBTV铁电材料的制备和微观组织结构

采用固相反应法合成了SrBi2Ta2O9(简称SBT)和V掺杂SrBi2Ta2O9(简称SBTV)陶瓷,通过TG-DTA、XRD、SEM、TEM等技术手段研究了材料的烧结工艺、相组成和微观组织结构.研究表明V2O5是一种很好的助烧剂,掺杂后材料的烧结温度可降低200℃烧结后纯SBT均为单一的钙钛矿相SBT;掺杂后2种成型工艺所制备的SBTV除了生成少量Bi4(V2O11)外,仍主要由钙钛矿相组成;同时所有的材料都发生了一定程度的择优取向.掺杂后材料的晶粒形态发生变化棒状转化为片状.同时V掺杂后引起了晶格畸变,产生应变,SBTV材料在透射中观察到具有α-边界特征的90°畴.     

Preparation of Protein-Stabilized β-Carotene Nanodispersions by Emulsification–Evaporation Method

This work was initiated to prepare protein-stabilized β-carotene nanodispersions using emulsification–evaporation. A pre-mix of the aqueous phase composed of a protein and hexane containing β-carotene was subjected to high-pressure homogenization using a microfluidizer. Hexane in the resulting emulsion was evaporated under reduced pressures, causing crystallization and precipitation of β-carotene inside the droplets and formation of β-carotene nanoparticles. Sodium caseinate (SC) was the most effective emulsifier among selected proteins in preparing the nanodispersion, with a monomodal β-carotene particle-size distribution and a 17-nm mean particle size. The results were confirmed by transmission-electron microscopy analysis. SC-stabilized nanodispersion also had considerably high ζ-potential (−27 mV at pH 7), suggesting that the nanodispersion was stable against particle aggregation. Increasing the SC concentration decreased the mean particle size and improved the polydispersity of the nanodispersions. Nanodispersions prepared with higher β-carotene concentrations and higher organic-phase ratios resulted in larger β-carotene particles. Although increased microfluidization pressure did not decrease particle size, it did improve the polydispersity of the nanodispersions. Repeating the microfluidization process at 140 MPa caused the nanodispersions to become polydisperse, indicating the loss of emulsifying capacity of SC due to protein denaturation.     

Informational Entropy: a Failure Tolerance and Reliability Surrogate for Water Distribution Networks

Evolutionary algorithms are used widely in optimization studies on water distribution networks. The optimization algorithms use simulation models that analyse the networks under various operating conditions. The solution process typically involves cost minimization along with reliability constraints that ensure reasonably satisfactory performance under abnormal operating conditions also. Flow entropy has been employed previously as a surrogate reliability measure. While a body of work exists for a single operating condition under steady state conditions, the effectiveness of flow entropy for systems with multiple operating conditions has received very little attention. This paper describes a multi-objective genetic algorithm that maximizes the flow entropy under multiple operating conditions for any given network. The new methodology proposed is consistent with the maximum entropy formalism that requires active consideration of all the relevant information. Furthermore, an alternative but equivalent flow entropy model that emphasizes the relative uniformity of the nodal demands is described. The flow entropy of water distribution networks under multiple operating conditions is discussed with reference to the joint entropy of multiple probability spaces, which provides the theoretical foundation for the optimization methodology proposed. Besides the rationale, results are included that show that the most robust or failure-tolerant solutions are achieved by maximizing the sum of the entropies.     

Use of cascade reduction potential for selective precipitation of Au,Cu, and Pb in hydrochloric acid solution

Optimization of reduction potential for electroseparation was studied for the recovery of gold, copper, and lead from acidic solution. A linear sweep voltammetric method enabled us to determine characteristic reduction potentials for each metal and the kinetics of the metal deposition indicated by current-voltage curves. In order to precipitate the metal species sequentially, reduction potentials were examined for the individual and mixed solutions of Au(III), Cu(II), and Pb(II). The three metals were reasonably well isolated from the mixed solutions such as Cu(II)/ Pb(II) and Au(III)/Cu(II)/Pb(II) in the order of the corresponding reduction potentials, in particular, the mass transfer controlled reduction potentials, obtained from linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurement.