Effect of sintering temperature on the structural and magnetic properties of MgFe2O4 ceramics prepared by spark plasma sintering

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a powerful technique to produce fine grain dense ferrite at low temperature. This work was undertaken to study the effect of sintering temperature on the densification, microstructures and magnetic properties of magnesium ferrite (MgFe₂O₄). MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized via sol–gel self-combustion method. The powders were pressed into pellets which were sintered by spark plasma sintering at 700–900 °C for 5 min under 40 MPa. A densification of 95% of the theoretical density of Mg ferrite was achieved in the spark plasma sintered (SPSed) ceramics. The density, grain size and saturation magnetization of SPSed ceramics were found to increase with an increase in sintering temperature. Infrared (IR) spectra exhibit two important vibration bands of tetrahedral and octahedral metal-oxygen sites. The investigations of microstructures and magnetic properties reveal that the unique sintering mechanism in the SPS process is responsible for the enhancement of magnetic properties of SPSed compacts.     

自组织分层金属掺杂类金刚石薄膜的研究进展

近年来,研究学者发现在沉积过程中,某些金属元素掺杂类金刚石薄膜时能够形成一种特殊的自组织分层纳米结构,这种纳米结构克服了人为调控多层薄膜的工艺复杂性及局限性,同时赋予了薄膜更加优异的性能。主要综述了国内外对金属掺杂类金刚石薄膜中自组织分层结构的影响因素、形成机理等方面的研究现状。详细阐述了金属类型及含量、沉积条件(脉冲频率、基体偏压、气流比、沉积温度、沉积时间)、沉积方法等参数对自组织分层结构的生成及富金属层厚、富碳层厚、层数等尺寸的作用规律。重点介绍了离子重排机理、金属催化机理、强离子辐照诱导机理和靶中毒机理四种自组织分层结构形成机理的特点,并探讨了目前研究工作中存在的一些不足,如自组织分层结构的形成机理尚不清晰。上述四种机理模型均具有一定的局限性,且如何设计工艺参数实现自组织分层结构的内在调控仍是一个科学难点。针对这些问题,提出了自组织分层结构碳基薄膜的未来研究方向。     

Low-temperature diffusion bonding of Ti3Si(Al)C2 ceramic with Au interlayer

Herein, a reliable diffusion bonding of Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ ceramic is achieved by applying Au foil as an interlayer at 650 °C for 30 min with an axial pressure of 20 MPa. This novel method significantly decreases the bonding temperature, which is about 150 °C lower than the lowest bonding temperature from current research to the best of our knowledge. Maximum shear strength of 58 MPa is achieved at 650 °C among the bonding temperature range of 600 °C~800 °C. The microstructure evolution mechanism and the relationship between microstructure and mechanical property are discussed. The facile mutual diffusion of Au with de-intercalated Al and Si from Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ is considered critical in achieving sound interfacial bonding.     

Microwave Sintering of Ti3Si(Al)C2 Ceramic

In this work, microwave sintering (MWS) method was successfully applied for fabrication of dense layered ternary Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ ceramic. Compared to conventional pressureless approaches, MWS could significantly decrease preparation temperature from 1600°C to 1400°C. The activation energy of the MWS process was estimated as 233 ± 18 kJ/mol, which was much lower than those in previous sintering techniques. The low sintering temperature likely originates from the low activation energy during MWS process. Such low temperature do not only make the as‐received Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ ceramic much smaller grain size and better mechanical properties, but also indicate higher energy converting efficiency during the sintering processes. Wide application of MWS techniques in MAX phases is expected to promote the practical applications of these materials and contribute to the energy saving during sintering process.     

Rapid Bonding of Ti3SiC2 and Ti3AlC2 by Pulsed Electrical Current Heating

Inspired by pressure resistance welding of metallic materials, herein we describe how two MAX phases—Ti₃SiC₂ and Ti₃AlC₂—were successfully joined by a rapid electric current heating method in a pulsed electric current sintering furnace. No welding agent was employed and the total processing time was less than 6 min. When the bulk temperature of the joint couple exceeded 1070°C, good joints, with shear strength above 50 MPa, were achieved in both homo‐ and heterojunction joints.     

The effect of ethyl-lactate and ethyl-acetate plasticizers on PCL and PCL–HA composites foamed with supercritical CO2

The present study reports foaming of polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL nano- and micro-composites with dispersed hydroxyapatite (HA) particles by means of binary mixtures of supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) and either ethyl lactate (EL) or ethyl acetate (EA) as plasticizer. The effect of the size and concentration of HA particles, as well as the effects of the plasticizer type and the incorporation route were investigated aiming to fabricate porous scaffolds with uniform morphology and controlled pore size distribution. For this purpose, foaming experiments were carried out by selecting two operating temperatures, 40 and 45 °C, and two soaking times, 1 and 17 h. Furthermore, a double step of depressurization was used to promote the development of a double-scale pore size structure in porous scaffolds useful for tissue engineering.The results of this study indicated that supercritical foaming of PCL and PCL–HA composites is enhanced when the selected operating temperature and time are 45 °C and 17 h, respectively. Furthermore, although both EL and EA plasticizers enhanced the low temperature foaming of the materials, we demonstrated that the route of incorporation of the plasticizer is a critical aspect for enhancing composite foaming and scaffold fabrication. From this point of view, the best results were achieved when EA was pre-mixed with the polymeric powder for preparing a dough for the foaming process.     

Impact of microwave sintering on dielectric properties of screen printed Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thick films

The influence of 30 GHz microwave sintering compared to conventional sintering has been investigated on polycrystalline Ba_0.6Sr_0.4TiO₃ (BST60) thick films with respect to an application as tunable dielectrics. The BST thick films were prepared as metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors on alumina substrates. The average grain size (440 nm) and the porosity (approx. 30%) of the sintered films are only little affected by the sintering method. However, permittivity, dielectric loss and tunability have been influenced substantially. The dielectric improvement by microwave sintering is interpreted in terms of an increased crystal quality (ξ_S) and/or a decrease of defect concentrations. It is assumed that microwave sintering preferably heats up parts of the film where an increased defect density exists and therefore causes a selective heating process. This may heal up charged defects, inhomogeneities, and structural defects.     

The superlattice structure and self-adaptive performance of C–Ti/MoS2 composite coatings

To improve the self-adaptability of MoS₂ coating in different environments, the coatings were doped with functional C and Ti by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The clear superlattice structure with minimal modulation period was investigated by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM). The co-doped coatings have better mechanical properties due to the special structure and the formation of C–Mo, Ti–S and Ti–O bonds, and better lubrication performance in both high humidity and vacuum than those of the single-doped ones. The doped Ti not only facilitates the formation of the MoS₂ (002) basal plane, but also improves the oxidation resistance of the composite film. The degree of friction-induced graphitization on the wear tracks and the quality of transfer films on the wear scars are key factors affecting the lubrication performance of the composite film. In the high-humidity environment, the reasonable doping elements can promote the formation the high-quality transfer film by interacting with H₂O water molecules, which will benefit the lubrication of the coating better. Our findings deepen the understanding of MoS₂ composite coating and provide a new solution for improving the self-adaptability of the coating.     

The influence of fibre pretreatmert on the mechanical properties of epoxy-asbestos composites

This study is devoted to the mechanical properties of asbestos-epoxy composites. Chrysotile fibres were first pretreated by means of an interfacial polymerization technique effecting eventually a poly (hexamethylene adipamide) coating on the asbestos surface. The interface characteristics were significantly altered and due to the well-known compatibility between epoxy and polyamide phase considerable deviation from the behaviour encountered when using untreated fibres was confirmed. Accordingly, while varying pretreated fibre content and also concentration of the polyamide coating, the tensile properties of the resulted composites were examined.