Performance of BaZrO3/Y2O3 dual-phase refractory applied to TiAl alloy melting

Vacuum induction melting is a potential process for the preparation of TiAl alloys with good homogeneity and low cost. But the crucial problem is a selection of high stability refractory. In this study, a BaZrO₃/Y₂O₃ dual-phase refractory was prepared and its performance for melting TiAl alloys was studied and compared with that of a Y₂O₃ refractory. The results showed the dual-phase refractory consisted of BaZr_1-xY_xO_3-δ and Y₂O₃(ZrO₂), exhibited a thinner interaction layer (30 μm) than the Y₂O₃ refractory (90 μm) after melting the TiAl alloy. Although the TiAl alloys melted in the dual-phase and Y₂O₃ refractory exhibited similar oxygen contamination (<0.1 wt%), the alloy melted in the dual-phase refractory had smaller Y₂O₃ inclusion content and size than that in the Y₂O₃ refractory, indicating that the dual-phase refractory exhibited a better melting performance than the Y₂O₃ refractory. This study provides insights into the process of designing highly stable refractory for melting TiAl alloys.     

Preparation of Pt/Ce–Zr–Y mixed oxide/anodized aluminium oxide catalysts for hydrogen passive autocatalytic recombination

The use of a Pt-based catalyst was evaluated for autocatalytic hydrogen recombination. The Pt was supported on a mixture of Ce-, Zr- and Y-oxides (CZY) to yield nanosized Pt particles. The Pt/CZY/AAO catalyst was then prepared by the spray-deposition of the Pt/CZY intermediate onto an anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) layer on a metallic aluminum core. The Pt/CZY/AAO catalyst (3 × 1 cm) was evaluated for hydrogen combustion (1–8 vol% hydrogen in the air) in a recombiner section testing station. The thermal distribution throughout the catalyst surface was investigated using an infrared camera. The maximum temperature gradient (ΔT) for the examined hydrogen concentrations did not exceed 36 °C. The Pt/CZY/AAO catalyst was also evaluated for prolonged hydrogen combustion duration to assess its durability. An average combustion temperature of 239.0 ± 10.0 °C was maintained for 53 days of catalytic hydrogen combustion, suggesting that there was limited, or no, catalyst deactivation. Finally, a Pt/CZY/AAO catalytic plate (14.0 × 4.5 cm) was prepared to investigate the thermal distribution. An average surface temperature of 212.5 °C and a maximum ΔT of 5.4 °C was obtained throughout the catalyst surface at a 3 vol% hydrogen concentration.     

Determination of optical and structural properties of lithium silicate ceramics with different ratios of Sm doped

In this study, the synthesis and luminescence characterization of Samarium (Sm³⁺) doped lithium metasilicate (Li₂SiO₃) phosphor ceramic were investigated. It was presented and discussed the results obtained on the luminescence and other optical studies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption and luminescence properties of Li₂SiO₃:Sm³⁺ phosphor ceramic. The Li₂SiO₃ compound was shown a characteristic phase in XRD. The doping in the lithium compound was not having a significant effect on the basic crystal structure of the material. The maximum photoluminescence (PL) emission for Sm³⁺ doped Li₂SiO₃ was observed at 554, 583, 641, 725 nm and bore resemblance to the visible region of the spectrum. The glow curves of all synthesized materials have a complex peak structure after being irradiated with a ⁹⁰Sr–⁹⁰Y beta source. In addition, the peak between 400 and 600 nm was seen in the radioluminescence (RL) spectrum because of a wide peak thought to be caused by silicate.     

Preparation and antifouling performance of thin inorganic ultrafiltration membrane via assisted sol-gel method with different composition of dual additives

A novel TiO₂ thin film was prepared on the ceramic hollow fiber by the sol-gel method using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as additives. SEM images verified the formation of TiO₂ layer with various thickness using different composition of titania sols. The effect of the PVP and PVA contents on the TiO₂ sol properties, the separation and the antifouling performance of the ultrafiltration membranes were investigated thoroughly. When the contents of PVP and PVA were 1.0 wt% and 0.8 wt%, respectively, the resultant membrane showed a thickness of 0.55 μm with a pure water flux of 255 L m^?2 h^?1. In addition, the adherent foulant bovine serum albumin was applied to evaluate the antifouling performance. During the three fouling-recovery cycles, the flux recovery ratio and the flux decay ratio maintained about 99% and 30%. The BSA flux and rejection were still 169 L m^?2 h^?1 and 96.9% after the cycles, indicating a superior antifouling property.     

基于蜻蜓翅脉结构的连续碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料仿生设计与增材制造

以具有轻质高强优异性能的蜻蜓翅脉结构为设计灵感，在分析翅脉网格结构抗冲击原理的基础上，设计了传统和仿生两类对比结构。采用熔融挤出3D打印机成功制备了具有不同结构的连续碳纤维增强聚乳酸复合材料试样，并对不同结构复合材料试样的拉伸性能和抗冲击性能进行了测试和对比分析。研究分析结果表明：由于拉伸力方向上的连续碳纤维含量相对较少，限制了仿生结构复合材料抗拉强度的提高，但仿生结构的平均抗拉强度为传统结构的1.18倍；当仿生结构复合材料试样受到冲击力时，其内部六边形结构的连接角度会发生变化，从而极大消耗冲击能量，同时具有六边形网格结构的连续碳纤维可以有效阻碍裂纹的扩展，因此仿生结构的平均冲击韧性可以达到传统结构的2.46倍；仿生蜻蜓翅脉结构可以显著提高增材制造复合材料的综合力学性能，且对于抗冲击性能的提高具体突出效果。连续碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料的有效可行的仿生蜻蜓翅脉结构设计和增材制造，可极大扩展其在高冲击载荷领域中的相应应用。     

Piezoresistive in-situ strain sensing of composite laminate structures

Various methods have been developed to monitor the health and strain state of carbon fiber reinforced polymers, each with a unique set of pros and cons. This research assesses the use of piezoresistive sensors for in situ strain measurement of carbon fiber and other composite structures in multidirectional laminates. The piezoresistive sensor material and the embedded circuitry are both evaluated. For the piezoresistive sensor, a conductive nickel nanocomposite sensor is compared with the piezoresistivity of the carbon fiber itself. For the circuit, the use of carbon fibers already present in the structure is compared with the use of nickel coated carbon fiber. Successful localized strain sensing is demonstrated for several sensor and circuitry configurations. Numerous engineering applications are possible in the ever-growing field of carbon-composites.     

Physical characteristics of AFEX-pretreated and densified switchgrass,prairie cord grass,and corn stover

The goal of the study was to evaluate and compare the physical properties of control, pretreated and densified corn stover, switchgrass, and prairie cord grass samples. Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) pretreated switchgrass, corn stover, and prairie cord grass samples were densified by using the comPAKco device developed by Federal Machine Company of Fargo, ND. The densified biomass were referred as “PAKs” in this study. All feedstocks were ground into three different grind size of 2, 4 and 8 mm prior to AFEX pretreatment and the impact of grinding on pellet properties was studied. The results showed that the physical properties of AFEX-PAKed material were not influenced by the initial grind size of the feedstocks. The bulk density of the AFEX-PAKed biomass increased by 1.2–6 fold as compared to untreated and AFEX-pretreated materials. The durability of the AFEX-PAKed materials were between 78.25 and 95.2%, indicating that the AFEX-PAKed biomass can be transported easily. To understand the effect of storage on the physical properties of these materials, samples were stored in the ambient condition (20 ± 2 °C and 70 ± 5% relative humidity) for six months. After storage, thermal properties of the biomass did not change but glass transition temperature decreased. The water absorption index and water solubility index of AFEX-treated and AFEX-PAKed biomass showed mixed trends after storage. Moisture content decreased and durability increased upon storage.