Preparation of In-doped Y2O3 ceramics through a sol-gel process: Effects on the structural and electronic properties

The Pechini-type sol-gel (PSG) process has been used for the preparation of doped oxides due to its capability to overcome most of the difficulties that frequently occur by using other producing methods. In this work we analyze the case of samples of pure and In-doped yttria (Y₂O₃) prepared by the PSG process. We experimentally characterize the synthesized samples by x-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and time-differential perturbed γ-γ angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy, and we compare these results with those obtained starting from commercial oxide powders. We found that the PSG process can be used to successfully produce doped yttria in the cubic phase, with the impurities substitutionally located at the cationic sites of the structure. By the proposed PSG route, the inclusion of impurities does not affect the particle size nor the resistivity. However, when we compare the PSG samples with other samples produced from commercial powder, we found that the first have lower resistivities at grain interiors. On the other hand, PAC spectroscopy in ¹¹¹In(→¹¹¹Cd)-doped yttria allows the study of the dynamic hyperfine interactions observed by the radioactive ¹¹¹Cd impurity-probe, which can be used to “sense” the host electron availability near the impurities after the electron-capture decay of ¹¹¹In. Differences between PAC spectra for PSG samples and the commercial powder suggest that the PSG process introduces additional donor defects into the yttria electronic structure, which is consistent with the lower resistivity observed in the PSG samples by EIS spectroscopy.     

MOF assisted synthesis of a Ho2O3/CNT nanocomposite photocatalyst for organic pollutants degradation

In this work, a holmium oxide (Ho₂O₃/CNT) photocatalysts were successfully synthesized through a MOF assisted route for the first time. The effects of the morphology and purity on the photocatalytic behavior of the products, were investigated by determining various physicochemical properties. The Ho₂O₃/CNT nanocomposite was systematically analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy studies. The Ho₂O₃ derived from a MOF assisted synthetic route using Ho(NO₃)₃·5H₂O and terephthalic acid with a 1:1 M ratio at a temperature of 750 °C for 3 h prove the most advantageous, 98% degradation of 20 mg/L aqueous tetracycline pollutant was observed within 60 min. The elevated photocatalytic activity was mainly attributable to the unique synthetic route, improved crystallinity, wide UV-light absorption rate and excellent adsorption capabilities of CNT, as well as enhanced oxygen deficiency. The photocatalytic results confirm that the Ho₂O₃/CNT nanocomposite is an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of toxic tetracycline pollutant and is thus suitable for use in environmental remediation.     

Strain properties of (1-x)Bi0.5Na0.4K0.1TiO3-xBi(Mg2/3Ta1/3)O3 electroceramics

A ternary solid solution of Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃–Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃–Bi(Mg_2/3Ta_1/3)O₃ (BNKT-xBMT) lead-free electroceramics was synthesized by a solid-state reactive sintering technique. The electrostrain, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties as well as the impedance characteristics and the microstructure were systematically assessed. With the increase of BMT, the BNKT-xBMT ceramics gradually transformed from non-ergodic relaxor phase to ergodic relaxor phase, manifested as the ferroelectric-to-relaxor temperature (T_F-R) shifts towards below room temperature. Additionally, the ferroelectric hysteresis curves became pinched, and the strain curve changed from butterfly-shaped into sprout-shaped. At the ergodic relaxor composition of x = 0.04, a large electrostrain value (S = 0.4%; under an electric field of 60 kV/cm, d₃₃* = 632 pm/V) was achieved, which is mainly attributed to the electric-field-induced transition from the ergodic relaxor phase to the ferroelectric phase.     

Polar nano-clusters in nominally paraelectric ceramics demonstrating high microwave tunability for wireless communication

Dielectric materials, with high tunability at microwave frequencies, are key components in the design of microwave communication systems. Dense Ba_0.6Sr_0.4TiO₃ (BST) ceramics, with different grain sizes, were prepared in order to optimise the dielectric tunability via polar nano cluster effects. Dielectric permittivity and loss measurements were performed at both high and low frequencies and were supported by results from X-ray powder diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, Raman spectroscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy. The concentration of polar nano clusters, whose sizes are found to be in the range 20–50 nm, and the dielectric tunability increase with increasing grain size. A novel method for measurement of the microwave tunability in bulk dielectrics is presented. The highest tunability of 32 % is achieved in ceramics with an average grain size of 10 μm. The tunability of BST ceramics with applied DC field is demonstrated in a prototype small resonant antenna.     

陶瓷材料与结构增材制造技术研究现状

增材制造技术在聚合物材料与结构、金属材料与结构制备中已经得到了大量应用。近年来,陶瓷材料与结构的增材制造技术得到了初步发展,受到了越来越多陶瓷工作者的关注。本文综述了目前几种常见的陶瓷材料与结构增材制造技术,并预测了未来陶瓷材料与结构增材制造技术发展的主要关注点,以期为陶瓷工作者提供关于增材制造技术一定的参考与思考。     

蓄热燃烧与陶瓷球蓄热式换热器

介绍了蓄热燃烧原理,并对蓄热燃烧用蓄热体的基本要求、陶瓷球蓄热体的材质、形状、大小等进行了较深入的研究分析;给出了陶瓷球蓄热式换热器的结构参数,换向控制和换向时间、低氧高温燃烧和低NOx排放等关键技术。面对当前工业窑炉的现状,提出实施蓄热燃烧技术可使工业窑炉的热效率提高到70％－80％,节省能耗54％,有效地减少了CO2和NOx的排放,降低了环境污染。     

陶瓷产品的清洁化生产

本文在给出陶瓷清洁化生产定义的基础上,从利用资源、节省能源、环境保护和劳动保护四个方面对陶瓷生产的全过程进行分析。结合我国现状,提出了陶瓷清洁化生产的途径。     

Voronoi cell finite element modelling of the intergranular fracture mechanism in polycrystalline alumina

The mechanisms of fracture in polycrystalline alumina were investigated at the grain level using both the micromechanical tests and finite element (FE) model. First, the bending experiments were performed on the alumina microcantilever beams with a controlled displacement rate of 10 nm s^–1 at the free end; it was observed that the intergranular fracture dominates the failure process. The full scale 3D Voronoi cell FE model of the microcantilever bending tests was then developed and experimentally validated to provide the insight into the cracking mechanisms in the intergranular fracture. It was found that the crystalline morphology and orientation of grains have a significant impact on the localised stress in polycrystalline alumina. The interaction of adjacent grains as well as their different orientations determines the localised tensile and shear stress state in grain boundaries. In the intergranular fracture process, the crack formation and propagation are predominantly governed by tensile opening (mode I) and shear sliding (mode II) along grain boundaries. Additionally, the parametric FE predictions reveal that the bulk failure load of the alumina microcantilever increases with the cohesive strength and total fracture energy of grain boundaries.     

Influence of Cd doping on the electro-strain of barium zirconate titanate ceramics

Cadmium doped barium zirconate titanate (Ba_1−xCd_x)(Zr_0.13Ti_0.87)O₃ (BCDZT) ferroelectric ceramic compositions with x=0, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06 have been prepared by solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction studies reveal a pseudocubic structure. For increasing Cd content, the bulk ceramic micro-structure reveals an increasing grain size and density. Variations in the dielectric, piezoelectric and unipolar electric field induced strain characteristics are discussed. Increasing Cd content reduces the coercive field, increases the remnant polarization and does not affect the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition temperature (~60 °C). An optimum Cd content x=0.06 produces highly resistive ceramics with low dielectric loss (tanδ=0.019), and a maximum value of piezoelectric charge constant d₃₃=114 pC/N and unipolar electro-strain of ~0.07%.