Structural regulation and polishing performance of dendritic mesoporous silica (D-mSiO2) supported with samarium-doped cerium oxide composites

Ceria (CeO₂) particles are prevalent polishing abrasive materials. Trivalent lanthanide ions are the popular category of dopants for enriched surface defects and thus improved physicochemical properties, since they are highly compatible with CeO₂ lattices. Herein, a series of dendritic-like mesoporous silica (D-mSiO₂)-supported samarium (Sm)-doped CeO₂ nanocrystals were synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation method. The relation of the structural characteristics and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performances were investigated to explore the effect of Sm-doping amounts on the D-mSiO₂/Sm_xCe_1?xO_2?δ (x = 0–1) composite abrasives. The involved low-modulus D-mSiO₂ cores aimed to eliminate surface scratch and damage, resulting from the optimized contact behavior between abrasives and surfaces. The trivalent cerium (Ce³⁺) and oxygen vacancy (V_O) at CeO₂ surfaces were expected to be reactive sites for the material removal process over SiO₂ films. The optimal oxide-CMP performances in terms of removal efficiency and surface quality were achieved by the 40% Sm-doped composite abrasives. It might be attributed to the high Ce³⁺ and V_O concentrations and the enhancement of tribochemical reactivity between CeO₂SiO₂ interfaces. Furthermore, the relationship between the surface chemistry, polishing performance as well as the actual role in oxide-CMP of the D-mSiO₂/Sm_xCe_1?xO_2?δ abrasives were also discussed.     

Numerical study on laminar burning velocity of ammonia flame with methanol addition

The combustion characteristics of ammonia/methanol mixtures were investigated numerically in this study. Methanol has a dramatic promotive effect on the laminar burning velocity (LBV) of ammonia. Three mechanisms from literature and another four self-developed mechanisms constructed in this study were evaluated using the measured laminar burning velocities of ammonia/methanol mixtures from Wang et al. (Combust.Flame. 2021). Generally, none of the selected mechanisms can precisely predict the measured laminar burning velocities at all conditions. Aiming to develop a simplified and reliable mechanism for ammonia/methanol mixtures, the constructed mechanism utilized NUI Galway mechanism (Combust.Flame. 2016) as methanol sub-mechanism and the Otomo mechanism (Int. J. Hydrogen. Energy. 2018) as ammonia sub-mechanism was optimized and reduced. The reduced mechanism entitled ‘DNO-NH3’, can accurately reproduce the measured laminar burning velocities of ammonia/methanol mixtures under all conditions. A reaction path analysis of the ammonia/methanol mixtures based on the DNO-NH3 mechanism shows that methanol is not directly involved in ammonia oxidation, instead, the produced methyl radicals from methanol oxidization contribute to the dehydrogenation of ammonia. Besides, NO_x emission analysis demonstrates that 60% methanol addition results in the highest NO_x emissions. The most important reactions dominating the NO_x consumption and production are identified in this study.     

Nano TiC-Graphene-Cu composites fabrication by a modified ball-milling method followed by reactive sintering: Effects of reinforcements content on microstructure,consolidation, and mechanical properties

A two-step mechanical milling followed by a reactive sintering process was used to synthesize Nano TiC-Graphene-Cu composites from a mixture of Cu, Ti, and Graphene (GN) powders in four different compositions, and effects of reinforcements content on the microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. The results showed that a part of GN reacted with Ti atoms in the matrix, leading to the successful formation of hybrid nanocomposites. Uniform distribution of in-situ TiC with nanometer size and unreacted GN in the nanostructured Cu (Ti) solid solution were obtained. Addition of high percentage of the reinforcements led to an increase in the porosity and microhardness, coarsening of TiC nanoparticles, and decreasing the grain size of the matrix after sintering. The simultaneous presence of GN and TiC nanoparticles in the Cu matrix improved the hardness and wear resistance and reduced the friction coefficient by self-lubricating behavior. The nanocomposite with the nominal composition of Ti-40 vol % TiC showed the highest wear resistance and the lowest friction coefficient.     

Evaluation of oxy-acetylene flame angle effect on the erosion resistance of SiC/ZrB2–SiC/ZrB2 multilayer coatings fabricated by the shielding shrouded plasma spray technique

In the present study, the effect of oxy-acetylene flame angle on the erosion resistance of SiC/ZrB₂–SiC/ZrB₂ multilayer coatings with the gradient structure was investigated. To this aim, first, the SiC inner layer was applied by the reactive melt infiltration (RMI) technique; then ZrB₂ and ZrB₂–SiC layers with 10, 20 and 30%wt. SiC were applied on graphite by the plasma spraying technique. To prevent the oxidation of ZrB₂ and SiC particles, the plasma spraying process was performed by a solid protective shield. To evaluate the performance of the coatings in erosive environments, the samples were exposed to oxy-acetylene flame at the angles of 30°, 60° and 90° for 360 s; the destruction mechanism of SiC/ZrB₂–SiC/ZrB₂ multilayer coatings appeared to be controlled mechanically and chemically. The results of the erosion test showed that at the low flame angles of about 30°, due to the shear forces of oxy-acetylene flame, mechanical erosion overcame the chemical one. With increasing the flame angle, due to raising the surface temperature, chemical erosion overcame the mechanical one; so, most chemical destruction occurred at the flame angle of 90°. Also, the results of the erosion test showed that the total chemical and mechanical destruction at the angle of 60° was greater than that in other angles. Also, among the coatings tested, SiC/ZrB₂- 20% wt. SiC/ZrB₂ coatings had the best erosion resistance; so, the weight changes under the oxy-acetylene flame at the angles of 30° and 60°, respectively, were about ?0.038%. and ?0.355%; meanwhile, at the angle of 90°, it was about +4.3%.     

Experimental research on combined effect of obstacle and local spraying water fog on hydrogen/air premixed explosion

In order to reveal the mechanism of water fog explosion suppression and research the combined effect of water fog and obstacle on hydrogen/air deflagration, multiple sets of experiments were set up. The results show that the instability of thermal diffusion under lean combustion conditions is the main influencing factor of hydrogen/air flame surface instability, and the existence of water fog will aggravate the hydrogen/air flame surface instability. When obstacle is not considered, 8 μm, 15 μm, 30 μm water fog can significantly reduce the flame velocity and explosion overpressure of hydrogen/air, 45 μm fine water fog plays the opposite role. When considering the relative position of the water fog release position and the obstacle, the 8 μm, 15 μm, 30 μm water fog has almost no suppression effect when released near the obstacle, but a significant suppression effect occur, when using the 45 μm water fog. In the field of theoretical research, the research results not only provide an experimental basis for the fine water fog to reduce the consequences of hydrogen explosion accidents, and the optimal diameter range used by the water fog, but also provide experimental reference for the numerical simulation of hydrogen/air explosion suppression in semi-open space, and promote the development of hydrogen explosion suppression theory. In terms of engineering applications, this study can provide a theoretical basis for the layout of fire fighting equipment in the engine room of nuclear power plants or hydrogen-powered ships.     

Structural,electrical, and linear/nonlinear optical characteristics of thermally evaporated molybdenum oxide thin films

Homogeneous thin films of Molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) were grown on quartz and glass substrates using the thermal evaporation method. XRD results showed that the MoO₃ powder has a polycrystalline structure with an orthorhombic crystal system whereas the MoO₃ thin films have amorphous nature. SEM images showed that the MoO₃ thin films have a nearly uniform surfaces with worm-like shape grains. The film thickness influences on the linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of MoO₃ thin films that were examined using spectrophotometric measurements and from which, the linear optical constants of the MoO₃ thin films were estimated. The electronic transition type was determined as a direct allowed one. The values of the optical band gap were obtained to be in the range of 3.88–3.72 eV. The dispersion parameters, third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, and the nonlinear refractive index of the MoO₃ thin films were determined and interpreted in the light of the single oscillator model. The temperature dependence of the DC electrical conductivity and the corresponding conduction mechanism for the MoO₃ films were investigated at temperatures ranging from 303 to 463 K.     

Recent progress on low-cost ceramic membrane for water and wastewater treatment

Great progress in the development of low-cost ceramic membranes from alternative materials have been achieved recently towards various application especially water and wastewater treatment. However, their significance has not been fully recognized and understood especially in term of their microstructural analysis such as formation of grain growth and microcracks. This review paper summarizes fabrication method, alternative materials, microstructure, wettability, mechanical properties and application of low-cost ceramic membrane. The fabrication method including slip casting, tape casting, extrusion, pressing method and phase inversion technique are described. Alternative materials used in low-cost ceramic membrane fabrication are discussed and categorized into clays, agricultural waste, industrial waste and animal bone waste. The mechanisms of morphology formation, microstructure and wettability properties are analysed. Modification strategies for the surface of low-cost ceramic membrane are discussed, and classified into modification for separation application, modification for photocatalytic application and modification for membrane distillation and membrane contactor system. Modification improves the membrane structure by changing the pore size, porosity and wettability properties of low-cost ceramic membranes. Mechanical properties of low-cost ceramic membranes are also discussed in detail towards several mechanism, like grain growth phenomenon and formation of microcracks which also considered as membrane defects. Grain growth phenomenon can be divided into normal and abnormal grain growth. Meanwhile, formation of microcracks could be occurred in single-phase polycrystalline ceramics that have anisotropic grains or biphasic polycrystalline grains. The application of low-cost ceramic membrane in seawater desalination, oily wastewater treatment, heavy metal adsorption, textile separation and photocatalytic application are reviewed. Finally, some possible opportunities and challenges for further development of low-cost ceramic membrane are pointed out.     

High Q×f values of Zn-Ni co-modified LiMg0.9Zn0.1-xNixPO4 microwave dielectric ceramics for 5G/6G LTCC modules

In this work, Zn-Ni co-modified LiMg_0.9Zn_0.1-xNi_xPO₄ (x = 0–0.1) microwave dielectric ceramics were fabricated using a solid state synthesis route. Rietveld refinement of the XRD data revealed that all ceramic samples have formed a single phase with olivine structure. SEM images showed that the samples have a dense microstructure, that agrees with the measured relative density of 97.73 %. Based on the complex chemical bond theory, Raman and infrared reflectance spectra, we postulate that ε_r is mainly affected by the ionic polarizability, lattice and bond energy, while P-O bond plays a decisive role in Q×f and τ_f value. Optimum properties of Q×f ~ 153,500 GHz, ε_r ~ 7.13 and τ_f ~ ?59 ppm/°C were achieved for the composition LiMg_0.9Zn_0.06Ni_0.04PO₄ sintered at 875 ℃ for 2 h. This set of properties makes these ceramics an excellent candidate for LTCC, wave-guide filters and antennas for 5 G/6 G communication applications.     

Understanding on the hydrogen detection of plasma sprayed tin oxide/tungsten oxide (SnO2/WO3) sensor

The plasma spray technique was well proven in producing metal oxide based gas sensors in the last two decades using different powder feedstocks. However, limited research was made to fabricate hydrogen gas sensor from tin oxide layer coated over tungsten oxide layer. This paper attempts to interpret the hydrogen gas sensing performances of plasma sprayed coating derived by depositing tin oxide layer over tungsten oxide (SnO₂/WO₃) layer. Plasma sprayed SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed maximum response of 90% at 150 °C in contrast to stand-alone WO₃ (89% at 350 °C) and stand-alone SnO₂ (89% at 250 °C). The lower operating temperature of SnO₂/WO₃ sensor without compromising gas response was attributed to the WO₃–SnO₂ hetero-junction. SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed selective sensing towards hydrogen with respect to carbon monoxide and methane gases. This sensor also possessed repeatable characteristics after 39 days from the initial measurement. In a nut-shell, plasma spayed SnO₂/WO₃ sensor showed stability of base resistance, repeatability after successive response and recovery cycles, selective sensing towards 500 ppm H₂ with significant magnitude of gas response of 90%, response time of 35 s and recovery time of 269 s at a temperature of 150 °C.     

Manufacturing catalyst-coated membranes by ultrasonic spray deposition for PEMFC: Identification of key parameters and their impact on PEMFC performance

This study deals with the manufacturing of catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) for newcomers in the field of coating. Although there are many studies on electrode ink composition for improving the performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), there are few papers dealing with electrode coating itself. Usually, it is a know-how that often remains secret and constitutes the added value of scientific teams or the business of industrialists. In this paper, we identify and clarify the role of key parameters to improve coating quality and also to correlate coating quality with fuel cell performance via polarization curves and electrochemical active surface area measurements. We found that the coating configurations can affect the performance of lab-made CCMs in PEMFCs. After the repeatability of the performance obtained by our coating method has been proved, we show that: (i) edge effects, due to mask shadowing - cannot be neglected when the active surface area is low, (ii) a heterogeneous thickness electrode produces performance lower than a homogeneous thickness electrode, and (iii) the origin and storage of platinum on carbon powders are a very important source of variability in the obtained results.