Tubular graphene architectures at the macroscopic scale: fabrication and properties

Specific graphene architectures at the macroscopic scale are paramount for exploring new functions and practical uses of graphene. In this study, macroscopic, freestanding, and tubular graphene (TG) architectures were successfully fabricated through a versatile and robust process based on the annealing of cellulose acetate (CA) on Ni templates. These TG architectures can be obtained as woven tubes with diameters of approximately 50 μm; they possess high graphitic crystallinity, strong electrical conductivity, and favorable corrosion resistance. The effects of processing parameters, such as annealing temperature, annealing time, and amount of CA, on the graphene properties of these architectures were investigated and are discussed in this paper. The graphene properties were characterized through field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, four-point probe resistivity, and electrochemical measurements.     

Installation and commissioning of a cryogen distribution system for the TPS project

A cryogen distribution system was installed and commissioned to transfer liquid nitrogen (LN₂) and liquid helium (LHe) from storage dewars to superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities for the 3-GeV Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) project. The cryogen distribution system comprises one distribution valve box (DVB), four control valve boxes (CVB) and seven sections of multichannel transfer line (MCL). The DVB distributes the LHe and LN₂ to the CVB, and then to the SRF cavities through independent vacuum-jacketed transfer lines. The vaporized GHe and GN₂ from the cryomodules are collected via the MCL. The cryogen distribution system was installed and commissioned from October 2014 to the end of March 2015. This paper presents the installation, pre-commissioning and commissioning of the cryogen distribution system, and describes the heat load test. Thermal acoustic oscillation (TAO) was found in the GHe process line; this phenomenon and its solution are also presented and discussed.     

Young׳s modulus,hardness and thermal expansion of sintered Al2W3O12 with different porosity fractions

Owing to their unusual thermal expansion properties ceramic phases from A₂M₃O₁₂ family have potential for applications as thermal expansion controlling fillers inside soft matrices or as materials with high thermal shock resistance when prepared in monolithic forms. In spite of this, the consolidation routes for achieving bulk forms with adequate microstructure and their mechanical and thermal properties are scarcely known and rarely studied. A prelaminar study on sinterability of Al₂W₃O₁₂, a low thermal expansion phase, was accomplished for the temperature range between 850 °C and 1000 °C. Sintered samples with the porosity fraction between 0.1 and 0.25 were produced and their Young׳s moduli, hardness and thermal expansion studied through nanoidentation and dilatometry. Acoustic emission was employed for studying of microcrack formation during heating and cooling of sintered samples. Sintering study showed that the temperatures higher than 1150 °C may lead to the decomposition of tungstate due to WO₃ evaporation, while the sintering at the temperature of 850 °C provokes only small changes over grain size distribution. Hardness and Young׳s modulus decrease linearly in porosity range between 0.1 and 0.25. Young׳s modulus for fully dense Al₂W₃O₁₂ was calculated to be 70 GPa, illustrating that the phases from A₂M₃O₁₂ family are considerable softer than traditional ceramics. Microcrack formation was observed on cooling and heating, as well, causing the discrepancy between the intrinsic coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), measured in powder form, and the CTE measured in bulk form. The key feature for future development of A₂M₃O₁₂ phases for thermal shock resistance applications is the better understanding of sintering processes in order to improve microstructure and reduce influence of microcracks over mechanical and thermal properties.     

The role played by dopant ions for the production of broadband white light emission from metal oxide nano-powders under laser diode excitation

We report on the role played by dopant ions to create broadband white light emission from metal oxide nano-powders. Y₂O₃ was doped with different rare earth ions (Nd³⁺, Er³⁺, Yb³⁺) and Cr³⁺ ion to investigate their role on the production of white light emission. We have determined that the dopant ions have a facilitator but not a decisive role on the production of the white light emission by doing measurements such as reflectance, white light emission, excitation power dependency and color quality parameters. All measurements showed that the production of white light does not depend on the amount and the type of the dopant ions.     

Microstructure and thermal properties of a promising thermal barrier coating: YTaO4

High temperature gas turbine sealing can increase the thermal efficiency of a gas turbine. In this paper, monoclinic phase YTaO₄ ceramics were fabricated via solid-state reaction. Phase composition and microstructures of the high-temperature-sintered YTaO₄ ceramics were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman Spectroscopy. Specific heat capacity rose gradually as temperature increased, due to volumetric expansion and phonon excitations. The thermal diffusivities and conductivities decreased significantly due to the effects of the porosity and phonon scattering. However, the thermal conductivities of the specimens were lower than that of 7–8 wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia (7-8YSZ), and YTaO₄ ceramics have better thermal stability than current (TBCs) material. The Vickers hardnesses of YTaO₄ ceramics as a function of sintering temperature were lower than that of 8YSZ, indicating YTaO₄ has better fracture toughness and thermal tolerance. The results demonstrate that YTaO₄ ceramics would be an excellent candidate for use as a thermal barrier coating material for high temperature gas turbines.     

Valorisation of alumino-silicate stone muds: From wastes to source materials for innovative alkali-activated materials

Impressive amounts of wastes are produced yearly by extraction and transformation of natural stones. This work addresses the finest fraction of these wastes, named stone muds, and particularly those with a siliceous composition. The disposal in dump of these muds implies high costs, whereas their surface landing poses serious challenges, since they can damage the environment, create necrotic conditions for flora and fauna, and endanger human health. Therefore, the reemployment of these wastes is today an urgent need. In this work, a mud (QM) composed by quartz, feldspars, biotite and dolomite, is used for producing dense and foamed alkali-activated materials through an innovative and simple process, in which a mixture of mud and alkaline solution (plus foaming agent, when needed) is produced, cast in moulds and cured at 80 °C for 48 h. Another mineral powder (SRM), having a similar composition but carbonates-free, was also used, to prove the key role of alumino-silicates in producing dense alkali-activated materials, with excellent mechanical properties. Also, the foamed samples showed good mechanical properties, plus low thermal conductivity. These results demonstrate that alumino-silicate wastes could serve as source materials for producing materials suitable to be used for dense and cellular building elements, providing an effective alternative to mud disposal and related issues.     

Structural,electronic, elastic,mechanical and thermal behavior of RESn3(RE = Y,La and Ce) compounds: A first principles study

The structural, electronic, elastic, mechanical and thermal properties of the isostructural and isoelectronic nonmagnetic RESn₃ (RE = Y, La and Ce) compounds, which crystallize in AuCu₃-type structure, are studied using first principles density functional theory based on full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The calculations are carried out within PBE-GGA, WC-GGA and PBE-sol GGA for the exchange correlation potential. Our calculated ground state properties such as lattice constant (a₀), bulk modulus (B) and its pressure derivative (B′) are in good agreement with the experimental and other available theoretical results. We first time predict the elastic constants for these compounds using different approximations of GGA. All these RESn₃ compounds are found to be ductile in nature in accordance with Pugh's criteria. The computed electronic band structures and density of states show metallic character of these compounds. The elastic properties including Poisson's ratio (σ), Young's modulus (E), shear modulus (G_H) and anisotropy factor (A) are also determined using the Voigt–Reuss–Hill (VRH) averaging scheme. The average sound velocities (v_m), density (ρ) and Debye temperature (θ_D) of these RESn₃ compounds are also estimated from the elastic constants. We first time report the variation of elastic constants, elastic moduli, Cauchy's pressure, sound velocities and Debye temperatures of these compounds as a function of pressure.     

A study on the synthesis,characterization and properties of polyaniline/magnesium boride nanocomposites

The present paper reports the novel synthesis of polyaniline/magnesium boride (PAni/MgB₂) nanocomposites. Nanowires 50–100 nm in diameter grown by the sol–gel technique were incorporated in the PAni to prepare PAni/MgB₂ nanocomposites, which yielded an enhancement of conductivity by 5 orders of magnitude. PAni was synthesized through the chemical oxidative polymerization method. The composition of the prepared nanocomposites was tunable, i.e. the amount of dopant was varied and the effects on various parameters were observed by different techniques. The morphology of PAni/MgB₂ nanocomposites was determined using SEM. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of all composites was measured in the temperature range 300–450 K and it was observed that samples having a high concentration of MgB₂ show the highest conductivity. The molecular structure of the nanocomposites was further characterized by Fourier Transform IR spectroscopy which showed small structural changes in the backbone of PAni. I?V measurements showed that the current increases on increasing MgB₂ content. UV?visible spectra exposed the occurrence of an indirect optical transition in the composite. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Novel anhydrous composite membranes based on sulfonated poly (ether ketone) and aprotic ionic liquids for high temperature polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications

Novel composite membranes were prepared using imidazolium type aprotic ionic liquids and sulfonated poly (ether ketone) (SPEK) as polymer matrix by solution casting process. All the prepared membranes were characterized for their thermal stability, mechanical properties, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity and leaching out of ionic liquids in presence of water. Ionic liquid based membranes were more flexible than neat SPEK membrane due to the plasticization effect of ionic liquids. The interactions and compatibility occurring among components were investigated by vibration spectroscopy (FTIR ATR) and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The thermal stability of composite membranes was higher than unmodified membranes. The ion conductivity of composite membranes under anhydrous conditions was found to be dependent on temperature, type and concentration of ionic liquid in SPEK matrix. Ion conductivities of composite membranes under anhydrous condition were found to be up to two orders (∼100 times) higher than neat SPEK membrane and it was found to be ∼5 mS/cm at 140 °C for SPEK/OTf-70. These composite membranes can be successfully operated at temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 140 °C under anhydrous conditions.     

Thermal analysis of 9977 radioactive material package

The 9977 package is a certified type B transportation packaging that was designed to transport radioactive materials with a decay heat load of up to 19?W. The packaging was recently modified to accommodate increased content heat load (up to 38?W) by employing an aluminium heat dissipating sleeve outside the containment vessel (CV), as well as an aluminium spacer inside the CV holding two 3013 containers. This paper provides highlights of thermal analyses of the modified 9977 package that were performed to evaluate its compliance with the 10 CFR 71 regulatory safety requirements. Parametric studies were also performed to examine effects of (i) surface properties, e.g. light absorptivity and emissivity, of the packaging; (ii) total decay heat loads, ranging from 18 to 38?W; and (iii) distribution of decay heat load inside the CV on the temperature of the Viton O-ring seal. The results of thermal analyses show that for the normal condition of transport with insolation, increasing absorptivity and decreasing emissivity increase the temperature of the O-ring; decreasing heat load decreases the temperature of the O-ring, whereas changing heat load distribution has little effect on the temperature of the O-ring. Likewise, changing the thermal conductivity of the spacer inside the CVhas little effect on the temperature of the O-ring. Briefly discussed is the possible extension of the annual maintenance interval of the 9977 package, based on previous work and the data obtained in the long-term leak performance tests conducted by the Savannah River National Laboratory.