The effect of intragranular microstress in Al₂O₃-SiC nanocomposites

A theoretical model is established to investigate the intragranular particle residual stress in Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites.Using this model,we calculate the average compressive stress on the Al2O3 grain boundary(GB) and the average tensile stress within Al2O3 grains caused by SiC nanoparticles.The normal compressive stress strengthens the GB,and the average tensile stress weakens the grains.The model gives a reasonable interpretation of the strength changes of Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites with the number of SiC particles.     

The effect of intragranular microstress in A1203-SiC nanocomposites

A theoretical model is established to investigate the intragranular particle residual stress in A1203-SiC nanocom-posites. Using this model, we calculate the average compressive stress on the A1203 grain boundary （GB） and the average tensile stress within A1203 grains caused by SiC nanoparticles. The normal compressive stress strengthens the GB, and the average tensile stress weakens the grains. The model gives a reasonable interpretation of the strength changes of A1203-SiC nanocomposites with the number of SiC particles.     

Influence of Ytterbia Content on Residual Stress and Microstructure of Y2O3--ZrO2 Thin Films Prepared by EB-PVD

Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 （YSZ） thin films with different Y2O3 molar contents （0, 3, 7, and 12 mol%） are deposited on BK7 substrates by electron-beam evaporation technique. The effects of different Y2O3 contents on residual stresses and structures of YSZ thin films are studied. Residual stresses are investigated by means of two different techniques： the curvature measurement and x-ray diffraction method. It is found that the evolution of residual stresses of YSZ thin films by the two different methods is consistent. Residual stresses of films transform from compressive stress into tensile stress and the tensile stress increases monotonically with the increase of Y2O3 content. At the same time, the structures of these films change from the mixture of amorphous and monoclinic phases into high temperature cubic phase. The variations of residual stress correspond to the evolution of structures induced by adding of Y2O3 content.     

Influences of Y2O3 dopant content on residual stress,structure, and optical properties of ZrO2 thin films

Four kinds of Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 （YSZ） thin films with different Y2O3 contents （from 0 to 12 mol%） are deposited on BK7 glass substrates by electron-beam evaporation method. The effects of different Y2O3 dopant contents on residual stress, structure, and optical properties of ZrO2 thin films are investigated. The results show that residual stress in YSZ thin films varies from tensile to compressive with the increase of Y2O3 molar content. The addition of Y2O3 is beneficial to the crystallization of YSZ thin film and transformation from amorphous to high temperature phase, and the refractive index decreases with the increase of Y2O3 molar content. Moreover, the variations of residual stress and the shifts of refractive index correspond to the evolution of structures induced by the addition of Y2O3.     

Experimental investigation of electrode cycle performance and electrochemical kinetic performance under stress loading

Lithium-ion batteries suffer from mechano–electrochemical coupling problems that directly determine the battery life. In this paper, we investigate the electrode electrochemical performance under stress conditions, where seven tensile/compressive stresses are designed and loaded on electrodes, thereby decoupling mechanics and electrochemistry through incremental stress loads. Four types of multi-group electrochemical tests under tensile/compressive stress loading and normal package loading are performed to quantitatively characterize the effects of tensile stress and compressive stress on cycle performance and the kinetic performance of a silicon composite electrode. Experiments show that a tensile stress improves the electrochemical performance of a silicon composite electrode, exhibiting increased specific capacity and capacity retention rate, reduced energy dissipation rate and impedances, enhanced reactivity, accelerated ion/electron migration and diffusion, and reduced polarization. Contrarily, a compressive stress has the opposite effect, inhibiting the electrochemical performance. The stress effect is nonlinear, and a more obvious suppression via compressive stress is observed than an enhancement via tensile stress. For example, a tensile stress of 675 k Pa increases diffusion coefficient by 32.5%, while a compressive stress reduces it by 35%. Based on the experimental results, the stress regulation mechanism is analyzed. Tensile stress loads increase the pores of the electrode material microstructure, providing more deformation spaces and ion/electron transport channels. This relieves contact compressive stress, strengthens diffusion/reaction, and reduces the degree of damage and energy dissipation. Thus, the essence of stress enhancement is that it improves and optimizes diffusion, reaction and stress in the microstructure of electrode material as well as their interactions via physical morphology.     

Annealing effects on residual stress of HfO_2/SiO_2 multilayers

HfO_2/SiO_2 multilayer films were deposited on BK7 glass substrates by electron beam evaporation method. The effects of annealing at the temperature between 200 and 400℃on residual stresses have been studied. It is found that the residual stress of as-deposited HfO_2/SiO_2 multilayers is compressive.It becomes tensile after annealing at 200℃,and then the value of tensile stress increases as annealing temperature increases. And cracks appear in the film because tensile stress is too large when the sample is annealed at 400℃. At the same time,the crystallite size increases and interplanar distance decreases with the increase of annealing temperature.The variation of residual stresses is corresponding with the evolution of structures.     

Study of nanocrystalline Fe－Al－N soft magnetic thin films

Fe－Al－N films were fabricated by reactive sputtering using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system. The effects of Al and N content and annealing temperature on microstructure and magnetic properties were investigated. The Fe－Al－N films, which have good soft magnetic properties, consist of nanocrystalline α-Fe grains and a small amount of other phases in the boundaries of α-Fe grains. The average α-Fe grain size is about 10－15nm. A slight amount of Fe－N and Al－N compounds precipitate in the boundaries of α-Fe grains and suppress their growth. Annealing improves the soft magnetic properties slightly by releasing the residual stress and reducing defects.     

Charge trapping behavior and its origin in Al_2O_3/SiC MIS system

Charge trapping behavior and its origin in Al2O3/SiC MOS structure are investigated by analyzing the capacitance–voltage(C–V) hysteresis and the chemical composition of the interface. The C–V hysteresis is measured as a function of oxide thickness series for an Al2O3/SiC MIS capacitor. The distribution of the trapped charges, extracted from the C–V curves, is found to mainly follow a sheet charge model rather than a bulk charge model. Therefore, the electron injection phenomenon is evaluated by using linear fitting. It is found that most of the trapped charges are not distributed exactly at the interface but are located in the bulk of the Al2O3 layers, especially close to the border. Furthermore, there is no detectable oxide interface layer in the x-ray photoelectron spectroscope(XPS) and transmission electron microscope(TEM)measurements. In addition, Rutherford back scattering(RBS) analysis shows that the width of the Al2O3/SiC interface is less than 1 nm. It could be concluded that the charge trapping sites in Al2O3/SiC structure might mainly originate from the border traps in Al2O3 film rather than the interface traps in the interfacial transition layer.     

Effect of amorphous lamella on the crack propagation behavior of crystalline Mg/amorphous Mg–Al nanocomposites

The effects of amorphous lamella on the crack propagation behavior in crystalline/amorphous(C/A) Mg/Mg–Al nanocomposites under tensile loading are investigated using the molecular dynamics simulation method. The sample with an initial crack of orientation(1210) [0001] is considered here. For the nano-monocrystal Mg, the crack growth exhibits brittle cleavage. However, for the C/A Mg/Mg–Al nanocomposites, the ‘double hump' behavior can be observed in all the stress–strain curves regardless of the amorphous lamella thickness. The results indicate that the amorphous lamella plays a critical role in the crack deformation, and it can effectively resist the crack propagation. The above mentioned crack deformation behaviors are also disclosed and analyzed in the present work. The results here provide a strategy for designing the high-performance hexagonal-close-packed metal and alloy materials.     

Effects of processing parameters on fatigue properties of LY2 Al alloy subjected to laser shock processing

We address the effects of processing parameters on residual stresses and fatigue properties of LY2 Al alloy by laser shock processing (LSP). Results show that compressive residual stresses are generated near the surface of samples due to LSP. The maximum compressive residual stress at the surface by two LSP impacts on one side is higher than that by one LSP impact. The maximum value of tensile residual stress is found at the mid-plane of samples subjected to two-sided LSP. Compared with fatigue lives of samples treated by single-sided LSP, lives of those treated by two-sided LSP are lower. However, these are higher than untreated ones.     

Preparation and characterization of the electrodeposited Cr-Al2O3/SiC composite coating

To increase the SiC content in Cr-based coatings, Cr-Al₂O₃/SiC composite coatings were plated in Cr(VI) baths which contained Al₂O₃-coated SiC powders. The Al₂O₃-coated SiC composite particles were synthesized by calcining the precursor prepared by heterogeneous deposition method. The transmission electron microscopy analysis of the particles showed that the nano-SiC particle was packaged by alumina. The zeta potential of the particles collected from the bath was up to +23 mV, a favorable condition for the co-deposition of the particles and chromium. Pulse current was used during the electrodeposition. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated that the coating was compact and combined well with the substrate. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis of Cr-Al₂O₃/SiC coatings demonstrated that the concentration of SiC in the coating reached about 2.5 wt.%. The corrosion behavior of the composite coating was studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The data obtained suggested that the Al₂O₃/SiC particles significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the composite coating in 0.05 M HCl solution.     

Fracture and debonding behavior of coated brittle alumina layer on ductile aluminum substrate wire

The fracture and debonding behavior of the Al₂O₃ layer coated on a ductile aluminum substrate wire was studied experimentally and analytically. When tensile strain was applied, the brittle Al₂O₃ coating layer showed multiple cracking perpendicular to the tensile axis. After the multiple cracking, compressive fracture of the Al₂O₃ layer arose in the circumferential direction when the layer was thinner than around 30 μm, while interfacial debonding between the Al₂O₃ layer and aluminum substrate arose when it was thicker. Such a difference in behavior between thin and thick layers could be accounted for by the difference in the layer thickness-dependence of the tensile radial stress at the interface and the compressive hoop stress of the Al₂O₃ layer calculated by the finite element method; the former stress increases while the latter one decreases with increasing layer thickness.     

Effects of CeO2-ZrO2 present in Pd/Al2O3 catalysts on the redox behavior of PdOx and their combustion activity

The ceria-zirconium-modified alumina-supported palladium catalysts are prepared using impregnation method with H₂PdCl₄ as Pd source, hydrazine hydrate as reducing agent. The physicochemical properties of these catalysts are characterized by BET surface area (BET), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) and temperature programmed oxidation (O₂-TPO) techniques, and their catalytic activities for the combustion of methane are examined. The results show that the palladium mainly exist in a highly dispersed PdO species on Ce-Zr-rich grains as well as Al₂O₃-rich grains surfaces, and a stable PdO species due to the strong interaction between PdO and CeO₂-ZrO₂ on the Ce-Zr/Al₂O₃ surfaces. The catalytic activity is strongly related to the redox behavior of PdO species highly dispersed on Ce-Zr-rich grains and Al₂O₃-rich grains surfaces, and the higher the reducibility of the PdO species, the higher the catalytic activity. The presence of Ce-Zr in Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst would inhibit the site growth of PdO_x particles and decomposition of PdO to Pd⁰, and the reoxidation property of Pd⁰ to PdO_x is significantly improved, which obviously increases thermal stability and catalytic activity of Pd/Ce-Zr/Al₂O₃ catalyst for the methane combustion.     

Effect of Al2O3 on the electrical properties of ZnO-Pr6O11-based varistor ceramics

The effect of Al₂O₃ on the electrical properties of ZnO-Pr₆O₁₁-based ceramics is investigated in this work. The average grain size of ZnO increased as the Al₂O₃ content increased from 10.3 to 13.5 μm. It was found that a sample doped with Al₂O₃ of 0.005 mol% showed the highest nonlinear current-voltage characteristics with a nonlinear exponent of 43.8 and a leakage current of 0.66 μA. When the Al₂O₃ content was increased, the donor concentration was increased from 0.51×10¹⁸/cm³ to 1.59×10¹⁸/cm³, but the barrier height was decreased from 1.01 to 0.87 eV. The best electrical stability against aging stress was obtained by doping Al₂O₃ of 0.001 mol%.     

The structure and optical characters of the ZnO film grown on GaAs/Al2O3 substrate

In this paper ZnO films are grown on GaAs/Al₂O₃ substrates at different temperature by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The GaAs/Al₂O₃ substrates are formed by depositing GaAs layer (∼35 nm) on the Al₂O₃ substrate. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrate that most of the Ga and As atoms form Ga-As bond and the GaAs layer does not present any orientation. The characters of the ZnO films grown on GaAs/Al₂O₃ substrates are investigated by XRD, photoluminescence (PL), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman scattering. Compared with ZnO film grown on Al₂O₃ substrate, ZnO film prepared by our fabrication scheme has good crystal and optical quality. Meanwhile its grain size becomes bigger according to the AFM image. Raman analysis indicates that the intrinsic defects and the in-plane tensile stress are obviously reduced in ZnO/GaAs/Al₂O₃ samples.     

Physical studies on composites Ag7I4VO4-Al2O3

The electrical properties of the solid electrolytes Ag₇I₄VO₄-Al₂O₃ (0-40 mol% Al₂O₃) are investigated. The electrical conductivity, dielectric constant and dielectric loss are increased by increasing the concentration of Al₂O₃; showing a maximum at 30 mol% Al₂O₃. The conductivity is found to be increased by decreasing the particle size of Al₂O₃. The results are explained using the random resistor network model (RRN). This is due to the formation of a highly conducting interface layer along the matrix-particle interface. This layer is destroyed at concentrations higher than 30 mol% Al₂O₃.     

Effect of TiO2/Al2O3 film coated diamond abrasive particles by sol-gel technique

The diamond abrasive particles were coated with the TiO₂/Al₂O₃ film by the sol-gel technique. Compared with the uncoated diamonds, the TiO₂/Al₂O₃ film was excellent material for the protection of the diamonds. The results showed that the incipient oxidation temperature of the TiO₂/Al₂O₃ film coated diamonds in air atmosphere was 775 °C, which was higher 175 °C than that of the uncoated diamonds. And the coated diamonds also had better the diamond's single particle compressive strength and the impact toughness than that of uncoated diamonds after sintering at 750 °C. For the vitrified bond grinding wheels, replacing the uncoated diamonds with the TiO₂/Al₂O₃ film coated diamonds, the volume expansion of the grinding wheels decreased from 6.2% to 3.4%, the porosity decreased from 35.7% to 25.7%, the hardness increased from 61.2H_RC to 66.5H_RC and the grinding ratio of the vitrified bond grinding wheels to carbide alloy (YG8) increased from 11.5 to 19.1.     

Interfacial reactions and oxidation behavior of Al2O3 and Al2O3/Al coatings on an orthorhombic Ti2AlNb alloy

The uniform and dense Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃/Al coatings were deposited on an orthorhombic Ti₂AlNb alloy by filtered arc ion plating. The interfacial reactions of the Al₂O₃/Ti₂AlNb and Al₂O₃/Al/Ti₂AlNb specimens after vacuum annealing at 750 °C were studied. In the Al₂O₃/Ti₂AlNb specimens, the Al₂O₃ coating decomposed significantly due to reaction between the Al₂O₃ coating and the O-Ti₂AlNb substrate. In the Al₂O₃/Al/Ti₂AlNb specimens, a γ-TiAl layer and an Nb-rich zone came into being by interdiffusion between the Al layer and the O-Ti₂AlNb substrate. The γ-TiAl layer is chemically compatible with Al₂O₃, with no decomposition of Al₂O₃ being detected. No internal oxidation or oxygen and nitrogen dissolution zone was observed in the O-Ti₂AlNb alloy. The Al₂O₃/Al/Ti₂AlNb specimens exhibited excellent oxidation resistance at 750 °C.     

Mechanical stress in ALD-Al2O3 films

Mechanical stress in atomic-layer deposition (ALD)-Al₂O₃ films was investigated at room temperature and during thermal cycling up to 870 °C. The films were generally under tensile stress. Thicker films (25-60 nm) showed a sharp stress increase at about 780-790 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD)-, X-ray reflectance (XRR)- and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)-measurements indicate an irreversible phase transition from amorphous AlO(OH) to a mixture of different crystalline Al₂O₃-phases. Annealing at higher temperatures leads to a stress reduction as a result of diffusion and recovery processes. The stress behaviour of thinner films (<20 nm) during thermal cycling is quite different. Tensile stress increases with increasing temperature and decreases to nearly the same value during cooling down. The process is continuous and reversible.