Spectroscopic Study of the Effect on an EHD Contact of Trichloroethane Addition to a Traction Fluid

Addition of trichloroethane to a traction fluid was studied in a ball/diamond plate EHD apparatus by infrared emission spectroscopy of the radiation transmitted through the plate. Small concentrations of an organic chloride at first increased infrared radiance, then decreased it. Large concentrations caused a rapid decrease. During running, the infrared spectrum showed an increase of aromatics and olefins. A polymeric deposit formed on the plate. X-ray examination of the ball surface showed the presence of chlorine. Reuse of the same ball with fresh fluid resulted in similar chain of events, indicating that adsorbed chloride could promote fluid deterioration.     

Unambiguous classification of complex microstructures by their three-dimensional parameters applied to graphite in cast iron

Three-dimensional (3D) quantitative analysis is indispensable for the unambiguous characterization and objective classification of complex microstructures. Focused ion beam (FIB) nanotomography provides complete information of the spatial arrangement, chemistry and orientation of different phases of real microstructures on scales especially important in materials science (10 nm–100 μm). Complex graphite particles were analyzed in three-dimensions. Whereas nodular, vermicular and temper graphite particles can be characterized individually, the whole network of flake graphite has to be considered due to the high spatial interconnection of particles. The characterization method was verified in comparison to established two-dimensional stereological methods. The influence of anisotropy and image resolution was discussed. Basic stereological characteristics (volume, surface area, integrals of mean and total curvature) as well as 3D connectivity (Euler number) and shape parameters objectively differentiate these graphite morphologies and contribute to the understanding of their growth mechanisms and the properties of the cast iron.     

Electrochemical and thermal properties of graphite electrodes with imidazolium- and piperidinium-based ionic liquids

The electrochemical and thermal properties of graphite electrodes with electrolytes containing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMITFSI) and N-methyl,N-propylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (MPPpTFSI) ionic liquids are investigated. The ionic liquids undergo extensive reductive decomposition on a graphite electrode during the first charge. The effect of a fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive on the reductive decomposition of the ionic liquids is examined by electrochemical, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Thermal reactions between a lithiated graphite electrode and an ionic liquid-containing electrolyte are investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The introduction of an ionic liquid can effectively reduce the exothermic heat evolution from the thermal reactions between a lithiated graphite electrode and an electrolyte.     

Lithium insertion into new graphite-antimony composites

Metal-based composites are under investigation as possible negative-electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, we present a new composite material constituted of antimony particles dispersed on graphite. The antimony-graphite compound is prepared by antimony pentachloride reduction with KC₈ in tetrahydrofuran. The high reversible capacity of 420 mAh g⁻¹ and the good stability suggest that the association of antimony with graphite allows not only to improve reversible capacity but also to prevent the metal from particle pulverisation generally occurring during lithium alloying.     

Synthesis and characteristics of carbon-coated iron and nickel nanocapsules produced by arc discharge in ethanol vapor

Fe(C) and Ni(C) nanocapsules with low carbon content have been produced via an arc discharge process in ethanol vapor. It is clarified by X-ray diffraction that the core of the Fe(C) nanocapsules consists of γ-Fe, α-Fe and Fe₃C phase, while that of the Ni(C) nanocapsules contains only nickel. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging confirms that these particles have a broad size distribution and the core/shell structure. Besides mutually independent nanocapsules with segregate graphitic shells, those with sharing shells are also observed in the Fe(C) nanocapsules. The remanence and the coercivity at room temperature of both the nanocapsules are higher than those of the corresponding microcrystallines, while the saturation magnetization is lower.     

Thermal desorption of gases and solvents from graphite and carbon nanotube surfaces

The interaction of 23 gases and solvents with the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and with single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) samples is studied using thermal desorption spectroscopy. Pre-exponential frequency factors used for analysis of desorption traces are obtained from vapor pressure data. Activation energies for desorption at monolayer coverage are determined using the Redhead peak-maximum method. Binding energies of non-polar adsorbates to the HOPG surface are found to scale with the adsorbate polarizability providing clear evidence for the van der Waals character of the interaction. Low coverage desorption temperatures on SWCNT samples are found to be 50-100% higher than on HOPG. Such increase has previously been attributed to physisorption in higher coordinated sites such as grooves on the external SWCNT rope surfaces. Polar adsorbates on the other hand typically desorb at much higher temperatures from SWCNT samples which is here tentatively attributed to stronger interaction with defect sites.     

电离法测量~(60)Coγ射线在石墨体内吸收剂量的扰动修正

本文主要介绍用改变空腔体积的直线外推法测量指形石墨电离室在石墨模体内的扰动修正因子 k_p 的方法和结果。采用一组形状和外径(φ=13.5mm)完全相同、空腔有效体积υ分别为0.4923、0.6832、0.9060、1.2092、1.4713和1.8818cm~3的6个指形石墨电离室,放置在距离模体表面深度 h为5.13g/cm~2的石墨模体内,在准直~(60)Co γ射线束照射下,测量了空腔内单位质量空气中的电离电荷 J_(?)随υ的变化曲线;由该曲线外推得到υ=0时的 J_a 值,即(J_a)_0;再求得 k_p=(J_a)_0/(J_a)_v)值及其随υ的变化曲线。得到回归方程为 k_p=1.000—8.24×10~(-3)υ。所得 k_p 值,可用于指形石墨电离室测量石墨模体内吸收剂量时的扰动修正。     

Effects of boron doping in low- and high-surface-area carbon powders

Two distinctive carbon materials (Saran char and SP-1 graphite) were doped with B at different loading to clarify the intrinsic effect of substitutional B on carbon reactivity. The carbon precursors would be affected in different style by substitutional B due to different important properties (crystallinity and surface area). The B retentivity depended on the nature of B dopant and carbon substrate; a less ordered carbon has higher B loading than its counterpart. Graphitization was enhanced by substitutional B, as expected. Furthermore, the B incorporation was still beneficial for SP-1 although it already had high crystallinity. An interesting behavior was noticed; the increase in L_a was greater than L_c. The intrinsic effect of substitutional B in carbon oxidation was proved to be a catalytic one. Unlike highly ordered SP-1 graphite, Saran char showed both a catalytic effect at low B loading and low conversion, and an inhibiting effect at high B loading and high conversion. The inductive effect was proposed to explain this catalytic effect on different crystallite size. Different sizes of carbon clusters were calculated by Gaussian 98W; the extent of the effect of substitutional B did get smaller to the carbon in bigger size of carbon cluster.