超高精度表面的塑性加工技术

本文论述了用塑性加工技术成形高精度表面的原理及工艺条件，其结论为在最佳成形条件下，塑性加工技术完全可以生产出和精密机械加工技术同等的高精度表面。     

有色合金用呋喃树脂砂溃散性的研究

呋喃树脂砂用于有色合金铸造时，由于浇注温度低，型芯的演散性较差。对于薄壁铝合金铸件和厚大型芯该问题尤其明显。为解决这个问题，作者以ＫＪＮ－Ⅲ型呋喃树脂自硬砂为对象，就其在不同加热温度下的温度场、残留强度及热强度进行了系统的研究。通过对树脂添加剂与残留强度之间关系的研究，得到几种较好的树脂添加剂。在合适的加入量下，可使呋喃树脂砂的残留强度下降４０％～８０％，取得了令人满意的结果。     

半固态金属流变成形模具失效与选材

半固态流变成形模具的研究是半固态成形技术的一个重要组成部分，目前还没有引起足够的重视。根据半固态流变成形模具的工作原理和黑色金属流变成形的工作条件，分析指出了其主要失效形式是热疲劳、熔蚀和变形，模具材料的关键性能指标是高温疲劳强度、抗氧化性以及较低的线膨胀系数等。通过对常用模具材料优缺点的分析，得出了以下结论：目前国内外还没有真正适合黑色金属半固态流变成形的模具材料，采用复合材料和表面处理技术是提高模具寿命的有效途径。     

利用余热生产金属型薄壁铁素体球铁件的研究

利用铸件余热，在金属型中生产薄壁铁素体球铁件．研究结果表明，当球化剂加入量为１．０％～１．１％，孕育剂为０．６％，型内孕育剂为０．１５％～０．２％时，可保证壁厚为６～４ｍｍ，带有坭芯的管道三通球铁铸件基体中不出现莱氏体．若铸件在开箱后本身温度高于８４０℃时进入６００℃的保温炉，保温３０ｍｉｎ，可使基体铁素体量最高达８５％     

Quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) as biomonitors of metal contamination: A case study in the upper St. Lawrence River

In this study, the utility of quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) as biomonitors was investigated by measuring total concentrations of three trace metals, cadmium, copper, and zinc, in soft tissues. Quagga mussels were sampled from five sites along the upper St. Lawrence River, including one industrially influenced site, from 1999 through 2007. Mussels were collected from near-shore areas, divided into 5 size classes based on maximum shell length, and tissues were pooled for analysis of each size group. Two-way analysis of variance and a posteriori range tests were used to test for differences among sites along a distance gradient from the outflow of Lake Ontario and to examine inter-annual variability within and among sites. Cadmium concentrations were higher nearer the outflow of the lake. Copper concentrations varied among sites and years, but were generally highest near the industrial site. Zinc concentrations were relatively uniform, possibly reflecting internal regulation. Animal size measured as shell length was not an important factor in this section of the river, but warrants further consideration in a wider range of ecosystems and contaminant exposure levels. In general, concentrations of the three metals were not high compared to reports in the published literature for dreissenid mussels in contaminated environments. However, few studies have utilized quagga mussels rather than zebra mussels. The two species may differ in bioaccumulation patterns and may not be interchangeable as biomonitors. Further studies of bioaccumulation of contaminants by quagga mussels in a wider range of contaminant exposures would be useful particularly as quagga mussels displace zebra mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.     

Optimal blank design based on finite element method for blades of large Francis turbines

Metal pressing process that is widely used in industries has advantages over casting process for producing large Francis turbine blades from thick plates. Prior to the pressing process, blank design is firstly performed to determine flat blanks. The traditional trial and error approach is not applicable to blade design for Francis turbines that are not standard due to hydraulic characteristics of power plant sites. The rapid development of computing technology makes it possible to obtain optimal flat blanks by numerical modelling and simulation. In this paper, inverse finite element approach is investigated for blank design and an elasto-plastic model has been built using the well-known commercial software ANSYS. Numerical simulations for blade unfolding models with thick shell elements, solid elements and shell elements have given results with negligible differences. Unfolding tests with simple geometries have been carried out and the numerical results agree well with the analytical solutions. A large and thick shape of a Francis turbine blade for a hydropower plant has been successfully unfolded by inverse FE model. Sensibility analysis shows that the middle surface of the flat blank is independent of blade thickness. For ensuring the machining of the blade after the pressing process, a new contour is obtained by extending the boundary of the flat blank provided by the numerical model. This research may provide a useful tool for optimal blank design of Francis turbine blades.     

High temperature field effect hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors based on SiC MOS devices

The growing need for reliable, efficient, high temperature hydrogen and hydrocarbon monitoring has fueled research into novel structures for gas sensing. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices employing a catalytic metal layer have emerged as one of the leading sensing platforms for such applications, owing to their high sensitivity and inherent capability for signal amplification. The limited operating temperature of such devices employing silicon as the semiconductor has led research efforts to focus on replacing them with devices based on silicon carbide (SiC). More recently, MOS devices having different oxide layers exhibiting improved sensing performance have emerged. Considering the amount of research that has been carried out in this area in recent times, it is important to elucidate the new findings and the gas interaction mechanisms that have been ascribed to such devices, and bring together several theories proposed by different research groups. In this paper we first highlight the needs which have driven research into SiC based field effect hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensors, illustrate the various structures being investigated, and describe the device evolution and current status. We provide several sensing examples of devices that make use of different oxide layers and demonstrate how their electrical properties change in the presence of the gases, as well as presenting the hydrogen gas interaction mechanisms of these sensors.     

Electron cryo-microscopy of biological specimens on conductive titanium-silicon metal glass films

Thin films of the metal glass Ti88Si12 were produced by evaporation and characterized by AFM and conductivity measurements. Thin Ti88Si12 support films for electron microscopy were prepared by coating standard EM grids with evaporated films floated off mica, and characterized by electron imaging and electron diffraction. At room temperature, the specific resistance of a thin TiSi film was 10(6) times lower than that of an amorphous carbon film. At 77K, the specific resistance of TiSi films decreased, whereas that of carbon became immeasurably high. The effective scattering cross-section of TiSi and amorphous carbon for 120 kV electrons is roughly equal, but TiSi films for routine use can be approximately 10 times thinner due to their high mechanical strength, so that they would contribute less background noise to the image. Electron diffraction of purple membrane on a TiSi substrate confirmed that the support film was amorphous, and indicated that the high-resolution order of the biological sample was preserved. Electron micrographs of TiSi films tilted by 45 degrees relative to the electron beam recorded at approximately 4 K indicated that the incidence of beam-induced movements was reduced by 50% compared to amorphous carbon film under the same conditions. The success rate of recording high-resolution images of purple membranes on TiSi films was close to 100%. We conclude that TiSi support films are ideal for high-resolution electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) of biological specimens, as they reduce beam-induced movement significantly, due to their high electrical conductivity at low temperature and their favorable mechanical properties.     

Sufficient Utilization of Mn2+/Mn3+/Mn4+ Redox in NASICON Phosphate Cathodes towards High-Energy Na-Ions Batteries

Na superionic conductor of Na₃MnTi(PO₄)₃ only containing high earth-abundance elements is regarded as one of the most promising cathodes for the applicable Na-ion batteries due to its desirable cycling stability and high safety. However, the voltage hysteresis caused by Mn²⁺ ions resided in Na⁺ vacancies has led to significant capacity loss associated with Mn reaction centers between 2.5–4.2 V. Herein, the sodium excess strategy based on charge compensation is applied to suppress the undesirable voltage hysteresis, thereby achieving sufficient utilization of the Mn²⁺/Mn³⁺ and Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ redox couples. These findings indicate that the sodium excess Na_3.5MnTi_0.5Ti_0.5(PO₄)₃ cathode with Ti⁴⁺ reduction has a lowest Mn²⁺ occupation on the Na⁺ vacancies in its initial composition, which can improve the kinetics properties, finally contributing to a suppressed voltage hysteresis. Based on these findings, it is further applied the sodium excess route on a Mn-richer phosphate cathode, which enables the suppressed voltage hysteresis and more reversible capacity. Consequently, this developed Na_3.6Mn_1.15Ti_0.85(PO₄)₃ cathode achieved a high energy density over 380 Wh kg⁻¹ (based on active substance mass of cathode) in full-cell configurations, which is not only superior to most of the phosphate cathodes, but also delivers more application potential than the typical oxides cathodes for Na-ion batteries.