Investigation of pitting corrosion monitoring using field signature method

The field signature method (FSM) is a nondestructive testing (NDT) method based on the potential drop (PD) technique and has been applied to online metal pipe corrosion monitoring for nearly three decades. The many advantages and benefits of the method have been reported in a number of studies, but few have reported on its limitations or shortcomings. However, the detection accuracy for pitting corrosion in FSM is very low. In this paper, the reasons for the low pitting corrosion detection accuracy of FSM were analyzed and it was found that different corrosion pits, which have different sizes, depths or positions, generally have differing influences on the potentials of nearby electrode pairs. Therefore, a new method using a subdivided resistor network to assess pitting corrosion is proposed and verified. When compared with the traditional method, the most important parameter, namely the pitting corrosion depth detection accuracy, can be significantly improved.     

Sandwiched structure of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets processed by Nd-Cu eutectic alloys diffusion

A series of sandwiched structures with different near-surface mass fractions x(x=3 wt%,4 wt%,5 wt%)was employed to develop high-coercivity hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets by the addition of 2 wt%Nd-Cu eutectic alloys via adjusting the middle thickness and near-surface thickness.The designed magnet with a pronounced composite structure shows a 23% increase in coercivity with a 6% loss of remanence by adjusting the sandwiched structure at 4 wt% Nd-Cu eutectic alloys in the near-surface regions.The results indicate that the near-surface Nd-Cu-rich "shell" structure can effectively suppress the magnetization reversal of overall magnets,enhancing the coercivity.With the help of loading stress,Nd-Cu liquid enriched at the near-surface regions of the sample is infiltrated into the Nd-Cu-lean middle region,resulting in a concentration gradient.Microstructure characterizations further demonstrate that the infiltrated Nd-Cu eutectic plays a critical role in inhibiting grain growth and intergranular magnetic interaction.The optimized microstructure features suppress the reversed magnetization process,which makes a positive contribution to coercivity.     

Luminescence and energy transfer of color-tunable Lu_2MgAl_4SiO_(12):Eu~(2+),Ce~(3+),Mn~(2+) phosphors

Energy transfer among the co-doped activators is an efficient route to achieve color-tunable emission in inorganic phosphors.Herein,photoluminescence tuning from blue to cyan has been achieved in the Lu_2MgAl_4 SiO_(12);Eu~(2+),Ce~(3+)phosphors by varying the Ce~(3+) concentration with a fixed Eu~(2+)content.With the further introduction of a Mn~(2+)-Si4+couple into the host lattice,the emission color can be tuned to red through the energy transfer of Eu~(2+)and Mn~(2+).The luminescence properties and the energy transfer mechanism were studied in detail.The energy transfer from Eu~(2+)to Ce~(3+)is certified as a dipolequadrupole interaction with the energy transfer efficiency of 41.4% and Eu~(2+)to Mn~(2+)belongs to a dipole-dipole interaction with the energy transfer efficiency of 94.3%.The results imply that this singlephased Lu_2MgAl4 SiO_(12):Eu~(2+),Ce~(3+),Mn~(2+)phosphor has a potential prospect for application in near-UV chip pumped white light emitting diodes.     

Effect of K2O content on breakdown strength and energy-storage density in K2O-BaO-Nb2O5-SiO2 glass-ceramics

Phase evolution, dielectric properties, breakdown strength, and energy-storage performance were studied by varying K₂O content in K₂O-BaO-Nb₂O₅-SiO₂ glass-ceramics. It was found that dielectric loss with the increase of K₂O content increases owing to the un-crystallized K₂O into the glass network, while dielectric breakdown strength firstly increases and then decreases due to the competition between two physical mechanisms, i.e., interfacial polarization and bridging-oxygen bond broken by the non-bridging oxygen ions. With the increase of K₂O content, energy-storage density firstly increased up to 12.06±0.69 J/cm³ with a high breakdown strength of 1973 kV/cm, and then decreased. Also, the discharged efficiency is obtained as a high value of 92% from P-E hysteresis loops.     

FeSiBPNbCu alloys with high glass-forming ability and good soft magnetic properties

Effects of Cu addition on the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, magnetic properties and crystallization process of (Fe_0.76Si_0.09B_0.1P_0.05)_99−xNb₁Cu_x (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) alloys were investigated. The introduction of Cu effectively stimulates the precipitation of the α-Fe(Si) without obvious deterioration of the GFA, and successfully modifies the simultaneous precipitation of α-Fe(Si), Fe₂B and Fe₃(B,P) phases in (Fe_0.76Si_0.09B_0.1P_0.05)₉₉Nb₁ alloy into separable precipitation of each phase at different temperatures during annealing, leading to the enhancement of soft magnetic properties. The saturation magnetic flux density of the representative (Fe_0.76Si_0.09B_0.1P_0.05)_98.25Nb₁Cu_0.75 alloy could be enhanced from 1.43 to 1.51 T after annealing at 530 °C for 10 min due to the precipitation of α-Fe(Si) nanoparticles with a diameter of about 22 nm dispersing randomly in the amorphous matrix. The integration of high GFA and excellent soft magnetic properties makes the FeSiBPNbCu alloys promising soft magnetic materials for industrial applications.     

Gaining knowledge on the processability of PLA-based short-fibre compounds – A comprehensive comparison with their PP counterparts

The present study provides a quantitative overview of bio-based compound processing compared to commonly used composites reinforced with short glass fibres (GF). Three reinforcing fibres were compounded with polylactide and polypropylene: abaca, man-made cellulose and conventional E-GF. The flow behaviour of corresponding melts was determined using melt flow rate (MFR) and online flow spiral test. The composite structures were analysed by means of SEM in order to investigate the fibre fracture during processing and the fibre/matrix bonding affinity. The fibre length distribution was correlated with the results from the melt flow experiments, and the structure–property relationships were determined using SEM images. It was confirmed that the fibre texture, interactions between fibres and fibre–matrix bonding are influenced by subsequent processing steps and have a substantial effect on the further composite melt processing.     

Investigation of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation of two different Pseudoalteromonas species: Comparison of different methods

Biological fouling in marine environments creates numerous problems for engineered structures. Microbial attachment to a solid surface and biofilm formation initiates the process of biofouling. Therefore, detecting the initial bacterial attachment and understanding the mechanism of biofilm formation are important for controlling biofouling. In the present study, the mechanisms of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation of two marine isolated bacteria, namely Pseudoalteromonas sp. and Pseudoalteromonas flavipulchra on Ti-coated samples were examined through different electrochemical, surface analysis and thermodynamic methods. The results revealed that the rate of bacterial attachment and mechanism of biofilm formation varied for different species of bacteria. The amount of exopolysaccharide production could affect the bacterial attachment rate. Open circuit potentiometry has been found to be a valid and simple technique for continuous real-time monitoring of the biofilm formation compared to other electrochemical and thermodynamic techniques. Finally, two different models have been suggested to explain initial adhesion and biofilm formation of bacteria of different species.     

The effect of CuO coatings on the electrokinetic properties of stone wool fibres determined by streaming potential measurements

Commercial stone wool fibres were modified with copper(II) oxide coatings. This oxide is widely used in processes of surface modification for filter materials to improve its bacterial retention. The microorganisms are already susceptible to low concentrations of copper in contrast to humans for which copper is an inert material in the concentration range. Additionally, the coatings changed the electrokinetic properties of the fibres. As a result, the isoelectric point (IEP) of the untreated fibres was shifted from acidic towards a more basic pH range. A positive or no charge on the surface of the fibres allows them to be a substrate for the positively charged adsorbents of negatively charged waterborne contaminants with the use of electrostatic adsorption. The coatings were prepared by dip coating with the use of two different coating precursors: the aqueous suspension of CuO nanoparticles and aqueous solutions of copper(II) nitrate trihydrate or copper(II) acetate or a mixture of thereof. The zeta potential of the modified fibres was determined by a streaming potential method. The adhesion of the coatings was tested by flushing and ultrasonication of the modified fibres. The isoelectric point of the fibres was shifted towards a more basic pH range for all precursors with the largest impact of the copper(II) nitrate trihydrate precursor. This coating changed the IEP of the fibres from 4.1 to 8.3 pH value. The highest calculated coverage of the coatings was in the range of 54% and was obtained by using copper(II) nitrate trihydrate/CuO nanoparticles precursor. Although, we do not predict such modified fibres to act as a standalone water filter, we believe they have the potential to be an excellent support material for active adsorbents.