Cobalt oxide nanopowder synthesis using cellulose assisted combustion technique

Cobalt oxides nanopowders were prepared using novel cellulose assisted combustion synthesis and solution combustion synthesis techniques. The synthesis conditions were optimized to produce high surface area cobalt oxide nanopowders. Effect of precursors ratio on product properties (such as crystalline structure, nanoparticle size, surface area etc.) were studied and compared for the two methods. Thermodynamic calculations along with TGA/DTA studies were used to understand the synthesis mechanism leading to cobalt oxide formation. The synthesized nanopowders were characterized using various materials characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM and TEM.     

Effect of transition layer on the performance of hydroxyapatite/titanium nitride coating developed on Ti-6Al-4V alloy by magnetron sputtering

A gradient transition multilayer hydroxyapatite/titanium nitride (HA/TiN) coating was prepared on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy by magnetron sputtering. The composition, surface topography, microstructure, adhesion strength and electrochemical properties of the as-deposited coatings were characterized by SEM/EDS, AFM, XRD, FT-IR and electrochemical workstation. The experimental results showed that the single TiN coating deposited at a partial pressure of nitrogen (N₂) of 0.08?Pa had the best internal stress and tribological performance, and its volume loss was only 0.89% of that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The introduction of the TiN transition layer greatly improved the wear resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and the adhesion strength of the HA layer to the substrate increased from 6.50?±?0.5?N to 11.70?±?1.2?N, an increase of 56%. The HA/TiN coating surface consisted of uniform hemispherical particles with dense structure and invisible defects (micro-cracks and pores). For the HA surface layer, the crystal structure and active hydroxyl (-OH) group was restored after heat treatment. Potentiodynamic polarization experiments indicated that the HA/TiN coating achieved the lowest corrosion current density and the most positive corrosion potential compared to the single TiN layer and Ti-6Al-4V alloy. In summary, it can be conclude that the gradient transition layer can well improve the mechanical properties and electrochemical behavior of the titanium alloy, and largely ensuring the stability of the surface bioactive coating.     

Use of tree pruning wastes for manufacturing of wood reinforced cement composites

Tree pruning wastes from six woody species, namely Acacia salicina, Conocarpus erectus, Ficus altissima, Leucaena glauca, Pithecellobium dulce and Tamarix aphylla, were used to manufacture high-quality wood reinforced cement composites (WRCCs). Hydrations experiments were conducted to screen the compatibility of the selected tree pruning wastes with cement. Additionally, various particle pretreatments and chemical additives were applied to enhance the compatibility of wood with cement. The best treatment for each species was selected and used to manufacture the WRCCs. The panels were produced under specific manufacturing variables and the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the panels were determined. The results indicated that both board density and wood/cement (W/C) ratio had significant effects on the properties of WRCCs. With few exceptions, a W/C ratio of 1/2 and either 1200 kg m⁻³ or 1300 kg m⁻³ produced the optimal strength properties. The tree pruning wastes are suitable for use as raw materials in the manufacturing of WRCCs after pre-treatment of the wood particles with either cold or hot water and with addition 3% of CaCl₂, Al₂(SO₄)₃ or MgCl₂. Therefore, these wastes could be used as an alternative wood source for WRCCs.     

Investigating fuel-cell transport limitations using hydrogen limiting current

Reducing mass-transport losses in polymer-electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is essential to increase their power density and reduce overall stack cost. At the same time, cost also motivates the reduction in expensive precious-metal catalysts, which results in higher local transport losses in the catalyst layers. In this paper, we use a hydrogen-pump limiting-current setup to explore the gas-phase transport losses through PEFC catalyst layers and various gas-diffusion and microporous layers. It is shown that the effective diffusivity in the gas-diffusion layers is a strong function of liquid saturation. In addition, it is shown how the catalyst layer unexpectedly contributes significantly to the overall measured transport resistance. This is especially true for low catalyst loadings. It is also shown how the various losses can be separated into different mechanisms including diffusional processes and mass-dependent and independent ones, where the data suggests that a large part of the transport resistance in catalyst layers cannot be attributed to a gas-phase diffusional process. The technique is promising for deconvoluting transport losses in PEFCs.     

Numerical simulation and verification of gas transport during an atomic layer deposition process

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a process used to deposit nanometer scale films for use in semiconductor electronics. The reactor consists of a warm wall horizontal flow tube, a substrate mounted on a disk downstream from the inlet, and cyclic flow between a reactant gas, a purging gas and a gas that preps the surface of the substrate. The objective is to achieve a uniform coating on the substrate layer by layer in minimal time. It is possible to use in situ monitoring of the gas phase and deposition to modify layer formation. Process improvement is currently accomplished experimentally by monitoring the precursor delivery and the growth of the film and adjusting the parameters: flow rates, temperature, pressure, concentrations, etc. Accurate simulation and optimization can decrease processing time and cost and increase control during product development. In addition, increased accuracy of gas transport simulation can be used to analyze reaction and diffusion rates, reaction mechanisms and other physical properties. In this paper we introduce the first comprehensive numerical solution of the Dusty-Gas Model including the complete binary diffusion term. We derive a concentration dependent Damkohler number relevant to the purge step of the process. The simulation matched the experimental data at a specific Damkohler number and further variation of the parameter confirmed existing experimentally observed phenomena.     

FRC板力学性能分析和材性结构设计

本文采用预测FRC板的复合材料模型,从表面层到夹芯层进行力学性能分析,并根据工程使用的关键力学性能—抗弯强度进行材性结构设计。     

An antimonene modified hole extraction layer for high efficiency PEDOT:PSS-free nonfullerene organic solar cells

In this paper, a bilayer hole extraction layer (HEL) with solution-processed molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) and two-dimensional (2D) material of antimonene was developed to achieve high performance nonfullerene organic solar cells (NF–OSCs). The application of antimonene facilitates effective charge extraction and lowered recombination loss, achieving improved photovoltaic performance. By inserting the antimonene layer, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices with MoO₃ HEL was increased from 8.92% to 11.30% in OSCs with non-fullerene systems of PBDB-T-2F:IT-4F, which was even much higher than that of the devices with PEDOT:PSS HEL (10.59%). Results make it clear that the solution-processed bilayer MoO₃/antimonene HEL shows great potential for application in high performance PEDOT:PSS-free NF–OSCs.     

Post-combustion of mazut with CO2 capture using aspen hysys

There is a wide range of resources for CO₂ emissions. The net amount of CO₂ emissions in the cement industry due to the consumption of fossil fuels and the chemical processes of cement production under heating raw materials is reported to be in the range of 15–25%; this industry, among all the industries and after the power plants and refineries, is the largest CO₂ gas producer throughout the world. Using CO₂ capture and storage (CCS), it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a short time. In this study, the technical feasibility study of recycling CO₂ in Abyek Cement Company, with a cement production capacity of about 12,500 tons per day in two production lines, has been studied as one of the largest cement industries throughout the world. Fuel oil (Mazut) is used as the primary fuel for furnaces in this industry. Affected by combustion, the emissions emitted from the five-stage preheater contain 5/24% vol% of CO₂, 7.6% H₂O, 4.8% vol% of O₂, and 63.1% N₂.     

An Equalization Time Reduction Method Using a Pseudo‐Random Number Sequence for a Cell Voltage Equalization Circuit with an LC Series Circuit

When the cells of energy storage devices such as electric double‐layer capacitors are connected in series, it results in voltage imbalance in each cell because of the nonuniform properties of the individual cells. In a previous research, the authors proposed a novel cell voltage equalization circuit using an LC series circuit, and they examined the effectiveness of this circuit. However, the characteristics of the cell voltage equalization operation depend on each cell voltage difference. Therefore, the proposed circuit has a disadvantage that the equalization time tends to be longer than other cell voltage equalization circuits with a boosting circuit. This paper proposes an equalization time reduction method that uses a pseudo‐random number sequence generated by the linear congruential generators. The proposed method can reduce the average equalization time without adding any other active or passive elements. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the experimental results. According to the experimental results, the proposed equalization time reduction method reduces the equalization time to 86.5% of the conventional method.