Oil consumption and economic growth: Evidence from Pakistan

This study attempts to look into the causal relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in Pakistan where oil consumption and real gross domestic product (GDP) have increased rapidly in recent years. To this end, the study employs annual data covering the period 1965–2015. Tests for unit roots, co-integration, and Granger causality based on the error-correction models (ECMs) are presented. The overall results support the existence of bidirectional causality between oil consumption and economic growth in Pakistan. This means that an increase in oil consumption directly affects economic growth. Thus, in order not to cause an adverse effect on economic growth, Pakistan should endeavor to overcome the constraints on oil consumption. Moreover, it appears that economic growth induces increased oil consumption.     

Systematic study of Ce3+ on the structural and magnetic properties of Cu nanosized ferrites for potential applications

Ce~(3+) substituted Cu-spinel nanoferrites CuCe_xFe_(2-x)O_4(x=0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10) were synthesized via sol-gel self-combustion hybrid route. Single phase spinel ferrite of Cu nanoferrites were examined using X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis whereas the multiphase structure was observed as Ce contents increased from x=0.06. Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis(TGA and DTA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) were used to find out the morphology phase and metal stretching vibrations of Ce~(3+) substituted nanocrystalline ferrites. The crystallite size was increased and found in the range of 25-91 nm. The agglomerations in Cu ferrite samples increase as the Ce~(3+) concentration increases. The magnetic properties such as remanence, saturation magnetization, coercivity, Bohr magneton and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant(K) were determined using M-H loops recorded from a vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM). Saturation magnetization, remanence and coercivity are increased as the Ce~(3+)contents increase in Cu nanocrystalline samples. Moreover, law of approach to saturation(LoA) was used to calculate the maximum value of saturation for Ce-doped Cu nanoferrites. The soft magnetic behaviour of the Cu nanoferrite is observed as compared to the samples substituted with the increased Ce contents in Cu nanocrystalline ferrite. Bohr magneton and magnetocrystalline anisotropy are found to increase with the substitution of rare earth Ce~(3+) contents in Cu spinel nanocrystalline ferrite. Cedoped Cu nanocrystalline ferrites with excellent properties may be suitable for potential applications in sensing, security, switching, core, multilayer chip inductor, biomedical and microwave absorption applications.     

Two-step growth of high-quality nano-diamond films using CH4/H2 gas mixture

Diamond films with fine grain size and good quality were successfully deposited on pure titanium substrate using a novel two-step growth technique in microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MWPCVD) system. The films were grown with varying the methane (CH₄) concentration at the stage of bias-enhanced nucleation (BEN) and nano-diamond film deposition. It was found that nano-diamond nuclei were formed at a relatively high methane concentration, causing a secondary nucleation at the accompanying growth step. Nano-diamond film deposition on pure titanium was always very hard due to the high diffusion coefficient of carbon in Ti, the big difference between thermal expansion coefficients of diamond and Ti, the complex nature of the interlayer created during diamond deposition, and the difficulty in achieving very high nucleation density. A smooth and well-adhered nano-diamond film was successfully obtained on pure Ti substrate. Detailed experimental results on the synthesis, characterization and successful deposition of the nano-diamond film on pure Ti are discussed.     

Natural fibers and zinc hydroxystannate 3D microspheres based composite paper sheets for modern bendable energy storage application

For modern high-tech flexible energy storage devices, it becomes important to synthesize micro-/nanostructures as per the required shape and morphology with superior physical and electro-active characteristics. This work shares the fabrication and characterization of ZnSn(OH)₆ (Zinc hydroxystannate [ZHS]) prepared by facile microwave-assisted technique and furthermore converted into flexible sheets by employing lignocelluloses (LC) known as natural fibers, collected from Carica papaya leaf petiole as a substrate to provide the flexible matrix. X-ray diffraction measurements confirm the successful crystalline structure of ZHS. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed the solid spherical structure of ZHS microspheres. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the composite formation of ZHS and LC-based composite sheets (ZHS/LC sheets). Electrochemical measurements that is, cyclic voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance (EIS) spectroscopy revealed the electroactive behavior of ZHS/LC paper sheets as working electrode for energy storage applications. CV measurements revealed the specific capacitance of 100 F/g and EIS measurements confirmed the decrease in the resistance of LC fiber after the growth of ZHS microspheres. Presented flexible ZHS based paper sheets will be highly feasible for the modern bendable/flexible/disposable energy storage applications.     

Inhibitor and Activator: Dual Role of Subsurface Sulfide Enables Selective and Efficient Electro-Oxidation of Methanol to Formate on CuS@CuO Core-Shell Nanosheet Arrays

Selective electro-oxidation of aliphatic alcohols into value-added carboxylates at lower potentials than that of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an environmentally and economically desirable anode reaction for clean energy storage and conversion technologies. However, it is challenging to achieve both high selectivity and high activity of the catalysts for the electro-oxidation of alcohols, such as the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Herein, a monolithic CuS@CuO/copper-foam electrode for the MOR with superior catalytic activity and almost 100% selectivity for formate is reported. In the core-shell CuS@CuO nanosheet arrays, the surface CuO directly catalyzes MOR, while the subsurface sulfide not only serves as an inhibitor to attenuate the oxidative power of the surface CuO to achieve selective oxidation of methanol to formate and prevent over-oxidation of formate to CO₂ but also serves as an activator to form more surface O defects as active sites and enhances the methanol adsorption and charge transfer to achieve superior catalytic activity. CuS@CuO/copper-foam electrodes can be prepared on a large scale by electro-oxidation of copper-foam at ambient conditions and can be readily utilized in clean energy technologies.     

The Synergistic Effects of Boron and Impression Creep Testing during Paced Controlling of Temperature for P91 Steels

This article induces the quadruple knowledge on effects of 100 ppm (P91B) and 22 ppm (P91) boron in as-received 9Cr steels in normalized and tempered conditions (NT) and impression crept conditions (ICC). Herein, impression creep testing is improved through paced temperature to fast evaluate creep performance. P91B performs the utmost by advancing activation energy and 30% better creep life, leading to same targeted creep life to 574 °C than P91 at 550 °C. Further, it incisively discusses variations in microstructure, precipitate size, geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs), pseudo-rocking curve, grain size (GS), several types of grain boundaries (GBs), effective GB energy, and elastic stiffness. Novel phenomenological mechanisms like GB hardening/softening; antithetical mechanisms; boron-dependent mosaicity; grain refinement/fragmentation/coarsening/homogenization; interaction among various types of GBs, triggering re/degeneration of dislocations and Σ boundaries as Σ reactions; super-continuous and geometric dynamic recrystallizations; enhanced creep immunity of like-oriented GBs than unlike oriented GBs; primary/secondary recrystallization; specialness; boron/NT/ICC-dependent stiffness; high stiffness is dependent on low GNDs and big GS, and vice versa are observed. The synergistic effects of [100 ppm boron in NT/ICC] and ICC in manifestation of 22/100 ppm boron are ascertained. However, dependency [proportionally and antithetically] and independency of GB character on creep-microstructural reciprocity discourse and converse into the mathematical relationship.