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.     

Fabrication of barium titanate ceramics via digital light processing 3D printing by using high refractive index monomer

A digital light processing (DLP) technology has been developed for 3D printing lead-free barium titanate (BTO) piezoelectric ceramics. By comparing the curing and rheological properties of slurries with different photosensitive monomer, a high refractive index monomer acryloyl morpholine (ACMO) was chosen, and a design and preparation method of BTO slurry with high solid content, low viscosity and high curing ability was proposed. By further selecting the printing parameters, the single-layer exposure time was reduced and the forming efficiency has been greatly improved. Sintered specimens were obtained after a nitrogen-air double-step debinding and furnace sintering process, and the BTO ceramics fabricated with 80 wt% slurry shows the highest relative density (95.32 %) and piezoelectric constant (168.1 pC/N). Furthermore, complex-structured BTO ceramics were prepared, impregnated by epoxy resin and finally assembly made into hydrophones, which has significance for the future design and manufacture of piezoelectric ceramic-based composites that used in functional devices.     

Tuning of shear thickening behavior and elastic strength of polyvinylidene fluoride via doping of ZnO-graphene

ZnO rice like nonarchitects are grafted on the graphene carbon core via a rapid microwave synthesis route. The prepared grafted systems are characterized via XRD, SEM, RAMAN, and XPS to examined the structural and morphological parameters. Zinc oxide grafted graphene sheets (ZnO-G) are further doped in β-phase of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to prepare the polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) via mixed solvent approach (THF/DMF). β-phase confirmation of PVDF PNCs is done by FTIR studies. It is observed that ZnO-G filler enhances the β-phase content in the PNCs. Non-doped PVDF and PNCs are further studied for rheological behavior under the shear rate of 1–100 s⁻¹. Doping of ZnO-G dopant to the PVDF matrix changes its discontinuous shear thickening (DST) behavior to continues shear thickening behavior (CST). Hydrocluster formation and their interaction with the dopant could be the reason for this striking DST to CST behavioral change. Strain amplitude sweep (10⁻³% -10%) oscillatory test reveals that the PNCs shows extended linear viscoelastic region with high elastic modulus and lower viscous modulus. Effective shear thickening behavior and strong elastic strength of these PNCs present their candidature for various fields including mechanical and soft body armor applications.     

Maskless Preparation of Spatially-Resolved Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Polydimethylsiloxane via In Situ Fluoride-Assisted Synthesis

Here, a fluoride-assisted route for the controlled in-situ synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) (i.e., AgNPs, AuNPs) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is reported. The size and coverage of the NPs on the PDMS surface are modulated with time and over space during the synthetic process, leveraging the improved yield (10×) and faster kinetics (100×) of NP formation in the presence of F⁻ ions, compared to fluoride-free approaches. This enables the maskless preparation of both linear and step gradients and patterns of NPs in 1D and 2D on the PDMS surface. As an application in flexible plasmonics/photonics, continuous and step-wise spatial modulations of the plasmonic features of PDMS slabs with 1D and 2D AgNP gradients on the surface are demonstrated. An excellent spatially resolved tuning of key optical parameters, namely, optical density from zero to 5 and extinction ratio up to 100 dB, is achieved with AgNP gradients prepared in AgF solution for 12 minutes; the performance are comparable to those of commercial dielectric/interference filters. When used as a rejection filter in optical fluorescence microscopy, the AgNP-PDMS slabs are able to reject the excitation laser at 405 nm and retain the green fluorescence of microbeads (100 µm) used as test cases.     

Experimental study of crystal anisotropy based on ultra-precision cylindrical turning of single-crystal calcium fluoride

To realize ultimately efficient signal processing, it is necessary to replace electrical signal processing circuits with optical ones. The optical micro-resonator, which localizes light at a certain spot, is an essential component in optical signal processing. Single-crystal calcium fluoride (CaF₂) is the most suitable material for a highly efficient optical micro-resonator. The CaF₂ resonator can only be manufactured by ultra-precision machining processes, because its crystal anisotropy does not allow the application of chemical etching. However, the optical micro-resonator's performance depends definitely on the surface integrity.This study investigated the relationship between surface quality after ultra-precision machining and crystal anisotropy. Firstly, crack initiation was investigated on the (1 0 0), (1 1 0), and (1 1 1) planes using the micro-Vickers hardness test. Secondly, brittle-ductile transition was investigated by orthogonal cutting tests. Finally, cutting performance of cylindrical turning was evaluated, which could be a suitable method for manufacturing the CaF₂ resonator. The most difficult point in cylindrical turning of CaF₂ is that the crystalline plane and cutting direction vary continuously. In order to manufacture the CaF₂ optical micro-resonator more efficiently, analysis was conducted on crack initiation and surface quality of all crystallographic orientations from the perspective of slip system and cleavage.     

Effects of corrosion in liquid fluoride salt on the tensile strength of domestic SiC fibers

The relationship between the tensile strength of corroded domestic second-generation (2ed-gen) SiC fibers at various temperatures for 500 h in 46.5LiF-11.5NaF-42.0KF (mol. %) eutectic salt and the typical microstructure was studied. Weibull theory was used to analyze the critical defects that caused the tensile fracture, and the microstructure of fibers before and after corrosion was characterized. It is concluded that the decrease of tensile strength after corrosion at 800 °C is caused by the surface injury of fibers, which led to the shift of critical defects from the internal defects of virgin fibers to surface defects. Moreover, corrosion at higher temperature accelerates the corrosion process and dissolve the surface O-contained layer thoroughly. This shifts the critical defects back to the internal defects and will be helpful for the recovery of tensile strength of corroded fibers at the higher temperature.     

Manufacturing and characterization of mechanical,biological and dielectric properties of hydroxyapatite-barium titanate nanocomposite scaffolds

In this research, hydroxyapatite (HA)-based ceramics were produced as suitable ceramic implants for orthopedic applications. To improve the physical, mechanical, electrical and biological properties of pure HA, we developed composite scaffolds of HA-barium titanate (BT) by cold isostatic pressing and sintering. Microstructure, crystal phases, and molecular structure were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. Bulk density values were measured using the Archimedes method. The effect of different percentages of BT on cell proliferation, viability, and ALP activity of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) was assessed by ProstoBlue assay, Live/Dead staining, and p-NPP assay. The obtained results indicate that the HA-BT scaffolds possess higher compressive strength, toughness, density, and hardness compared with pure HA scaffolds. After immersing the scaffold in SBF solution, more deposited apatite appeared on the HA-BT, which results in rougher surface on this scaffold thanpure HA. Electrical properties of HA in the presence of BT are improved. Based on the results of cell culture experiments, composites containing 40, 50 and 60 %wt of BT have excellent biocompatibility, with the best results occurring for the sample with 50 %wt BT.     

Performance improvement of conventional and inverted polymer solar cells with hydrophobic fluoropolymer as nonvolatile processing additive

The morphology of the photoactive layer critically affects the performance of the bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs). To control the morphology, we introduced a hydrophobic fluoropolymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as nonvolatile additive into the P3HT:PCBM active layer. The effect of PVDF on the surface and the bulk morphology were investigated by atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Through the repulsive interactions between the hydrophilic PCBM and the hydrophobic PVDF, much more uniform phase separation with good P3HT crystallinity is formed within the active layer, resulting enhanced light harvesting and improved photovoltaic performance in conventional devices. The PCE of the conventional device can improve from 2.40% to 3.07% with PVDF additive. The PVDF distribution within the active layer was investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, confirming a bottom distribution of PVDF. Therefore, inverted device structure was designed, and the PCE can improve from 2.81% to 3.45% with PVDF additive. Our findings suggest that PVDF is a promising nonvolatile processing additive for high performance polymer solar cells.     

钡盐法处理六价铬电镀废水及最优工艺参数研究

使用钡盐法对铬废水处理,对p H值在废水中的初值、反映温度计量结果、重铬酸钾的浓度等,在回收六价铬的影响效果进行了分析。对废水中的六价铬使用了源自吸收的分光光度法回收。经过处理后,废水中的p H为8~9的时候,六价铬的回收在9%。废水中的六价铬随着其浓度不断上升增加。超过10℃的时候,六价铬的反应没有非常大的影响,但是当温度降低到10℃以下的时候,回收率就逐步下降了。经过处理之后,六价铬的浓度达到了0.276 7 mg/L,达到了相关规定的标准。