Preparation of UO2/TiO2 composite ceramic fuel by sol gel-press forming method

This paper studies the preparation of UO₂/TiO₂ composite ceramic fuel through sol gel-press forming. The research shows that at 1200–1300 °C, UO₂/TiO₂ composite ceramic grains are small, uniform and compact. Among them, UO₂–0.5 wt%TiO₂ has the highest density and good mechanical strength at 1250 °C.     

Composite Ni/Al2O3 coatings and their corrosion resistance

Composite coatings Ni/Al₂O₃ were electrochemically deposited from a Watts bath. Al₂O₃ powder with particle diameter below 1 μm was codeposited with the metal. The obtained Ni/Al₂O₃ coatings contained 5-6% by weight of corundum. The structure of the coatings was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found that the codeposition of Al₂O₃ particles with nickel disturbs the nickel coating's regular surface structure, increasing its microcrystallinity and surface roughness. DC and AC electrochemical tests were carried out on such coatings in a 0.5 M solution of Na₂SO₄ in order to evaluate their corrosion resistance. The potentiodynamic tests showed that the corrosion resistance of composite coating Ni/Al₂O₃ is better than that of the standard nickel coating. After 14 days of exposure the nickel coating corrodes three times faster than the Ni/Al₂O₃ coating. The electrochemical behaviour of the coatings in the corrosive solution was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An equivalent circuit diagram consisting of two RC electric circuits: one for electrode, nickel corrosion processes and the other for processes causing coating surface blockage, were adopted for the analysis of the impedance spectra. The changes in the charge transfer resistance determined from the impedance measurements are comparable with the changes in corrosion resistance determined from potentiodynamic measurements.     

The preparation of Cu-coated Al2O3 composite powders by electroless plating

Cu-coated Al₂O₃ composite powders were synthesized by using the electroless plating method. The influence of the components proportion and the pH value of the plating solution on the Cu layer were analyzed with XRD and SEM. The results showed that the proportion of the plating solution components plays an important role for synthesizing the Al₂O₃/Cu composite powders. The content of copper in the composite powders could be effectively controlled by adjusting the content of copper sulfate and formaldehyde in the plating solution. Furthermore, the pretreatment of the Al₂O₃ powders is also a key factor to form a uniform Cu layer coating Al₂O₃ particles. The optimum technical parameters for producing Al₂O₃/Cu composite powders with uniform Cu coat were obtained.     

Synthesis and electrochemiluminescence of the CeO2/TiO2 composite

CeO₂/TiO₂ composite with kernel–shell structure was synthesized by a sol–gel process. The characterization results show that the composite is made up of anatase phase TiO₂ and cubic system CeO₂. The electrochemiluminescence (ECL) behavior of the CeO₂/TiO₂ composite was studied by a cyclic voltammetry in the presence of persulfate, and the effect factors on ECL emission were discussed. Based on a series of experiments, it is proposed that the strong dual ECL emission produced by the CeO₂/TiO₂ composite resulted from the benefit ECL effect of interface heterojunction in composite.     

Preparation of ZrO2/Gd2O3 composite ceramic materials by coprecipitation method

High burnup is a goal for further development of advanced nuclear power in the future. However, along with the increase of burnup, it becomes more diffidult to control reactor reactivity, which affects the operation safety of the nuclear reactor. Al₂O₃/B₄C burnable poison materials widely used in pressurized water reactor currently will not meet the requirements of burnable poison materials in high burnup nuclear power. Because of the better performance of ZrO₂/Gd₂O₃ burnable poison materials than that of Al₂O₃/B₄C, this paper studies the preparation of ZrO₂/Gd₂O₃ composite ceramic materials by the coprecipitation method. The experimental results show that at the sintering temperature of 1500–1650 °C, ZrO₂/Gd₂O₃ composite ceramic grains are small, compact and uniform with the generation of homogeneous solid solution. At 1600 °C, ZrO₂–10%Gd₂O₃ has the highest density and mechanical strength.     

TiO2, TiO2/Ag and TiO2/Au photocatalysts prepared by spray pyrolysis

TiO₂, TiO₂/Ag and TiO₂/Au photocatalysts exhibiting a hollow spherical morphology were prepared by spray pyrolysis of aqueous solutions of titanium citrate complex and titanium oxalate precursors in one-step. Effects of precursor concentration and spray pyrolysis temperature were investigated. By subsequent heat treatment, photocatalysts with phase compositions from 10 to 100% rutile and crystallite sizes from 12 to 120 nm were obtained. A correlation between precursor concentration and size of the hollow spherical agglomerates obtained during spray pyrolysis was established. The anatase to rutile transformation was enhanced with metal incorporations and increased precursor concentration. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by oxidation of methylene blue under UV-irradiation. As-prepared TiO₂ particles with large amounts of amorphous phase and organic residuals showed similar photocatalytic activity as the commercial Degussa P25. The metal incorporated samples showed comparable photocatalytic activity to the pure TiO₂ photocatalysts.     

Fabrication of SiO2-ZrO2 composite fiber mats via electrospinning

(1 − x)SiO₂-(x)ZrO₂ (x = 0.1, 0.2) composite fiber mats were prepared by electrospinning their sol-gel precursors of zirconium acetate and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) without using a polymer binder. The electrospun composite fibers were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and mercury porosimetry. The composite fibers having a tetragonal crystalline ZrO₂ were obtained by calcining the electrospun composite fibers at high temperatures. The results show that the structure and crystallization of ZrO₂ in the composite fibers can be controlled by sintering temperature, while the porosity and morphology of the fiber mats did not depend on the sintering temperature.     

Laser machining of Al2O3-ZrO2 (3%Y2O3) eutectic composite

In this work we present the study of the interaction between NIR pulsed laser and Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ (3%Y₂O₃) eutectic composite. The effect produced by modifying the reference position as well as the working conditions and laser beam features has been studied when the samples are processed by means of pulse bursts.The samples were obtained by the laser floating zone technique using a CO₂ laser system. The laser machining was carried out with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at its fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm with pulse-widths in the nanosecond range.Geometric dimensions, i.e. ablated depth, machined width and removed volume as well as ablation yield of the resulting holes have been studied. We have described and discussed the morphology, composition and microstructure of the processed samples.     

Influence of TiO2 and CeO2 on the hydrogenation activity of bulk Ni2P

TiO₂- and CeO₂-promoted bulk Ni₂P catalysts were prepared by impregnation and in-situ H₂ temperature-programmed reduction method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD and XPS. The hydrogenation activities of the catalysts were studied using 1.5 wt.% 1-heptene in toluene and 1.0 wt.% phenylacetylene in ethanol as the model feeds. The results indicate that bulk Ni₂P possesses low hydrogenation activity but is tunable by simply controlling the content of the additives (TiO₂ or CeO₂), suggesting that TiO₂ and CeO₂ are effective promoters to enhance the hydrogenation activity of Ni₂P.     

Al2O3-coated SnO2/TiO2 composite electrode for the dye-sensitized solar cell

A novel Al₂O₃-coated SnO₂/TiO₂ composite electrode has been applied to the dye-sensitized solar cell. In such an electrode, two kinds of energy barriers (SnO₂/TiO₂ and TiO₂/Al₂O₃) were designed to suppress the recombination processes of the photo-generated electrons and holes. After the SnO₂ was modified by colloid TiO₂, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the SnO₂/TiO₂ composite cell increased to 2.08% by a factor of 2.8 comparing with that of the SnO₂ cell. The Al₂O₃ layer on the SnO₂/TiO₂ composite electrode further suppressed the generation of the dark current, resulting in 37% improvement in device performance comparing with the SnO₂/TiO₂ cell.     

Nafion-TiO2 composite DMFC membranes: physico-chemical properties of the filler versus electrochemical performance

TiO₂ nanometric powders were prepared via a sol-gel procedure and calcined at various temperatures to obtain different surface and bulk properties. The calcined powders were used as fillers in composite Nafion membranes for application in high temperature direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The powder physico-chemical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and pH measurements. The observed characteristics were correlated to the DMFC electrochemical behaviour. Analysis of the high temperature conductivity and DMFC performance reveals a significant influence of the surface characteristics of the ceramic oxide, such as oxygen functional groups and surface area, on the membrane electrochemical behaviour. A maximum DMFC power density of 350 mW cm⁻² was achieved under oxygen feed at 145 °C in a pressurized DMFC (2.5 bar, anode and cathode) equipped with TiO₂ nano-particles based composite membranes.     

Characterisation of PEO-Al2O3 composite polymer electrolytes

The behaviour of PEO₈LiClO₄ with different quantities of α-Al₂O₃ or γ-Al₂O₃ was investigated using DSC, AC conductivity and ⁷Li NMR experiments. DSC results showed that the presence of the filler does not change the glass transition temperature of the electrolyte but, on the other hand, modifies the quantity of its crystalline phase. From the AC impedance measurements, it was observed that the sample with the highest conductivity at room temperature is PEO₈LiClO₄ 5.3 wt.% α-Al₂O₃. The change in the quantity of crystalline phase cannot alone explain the conductivity data, and it is suggested that the space charge contribution in the interphase of the filler particles and the polymeric chains influences the behaviour of the samples. The ⁷Li NMR results showed that line width narrowing begins at temperatures close to T_g. From the hydrogen decoupling experiments it was possible to estimate the LiH average distances as 2.7 Å. The LiLi distance was calculated as being between 2.6 and 3.5 Å depending on the number of near neighbours lithium nuclei used in the model.     

Electro-assisted preparation of dodecyltrimethoxysilane/TiO2 composite films for corrosion protection of AA2024-T3 (aluminum alloy)

Thin films of organosilanes have been successfully used as the alternative to toxic chromate coatings for surface pretreatment of metals and alloys. To further improve their corrosion performance, in the present work nano-scaled TiO₂ particles were added to the dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) films coated onto AA2024-T3 substrates, by using either the dip-coating or the cathodically electro-assisted deposition process. The obtained composite films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle measurements, Fourier transform reflection-absorption IR (FTRA-IR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that these two techniques (nanoparticles incorporation and the electro-assisted deposition) both facilitate the deposition process of silane films, giving thicker deposit and higher coverage surface along with higher roughness and hydrophobicity, and thereby improve their corrosion resistance. Moreover, the corrosion performance of silane films is further improved by the combined use of nanoparticles modification and electro-assisted deposition.     

Photocatalytic activity of water-based acrylic coatings containing fluorosilane treated TiO2 nanoparticles

In this study, TiO₂ nanoparticles were treated with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (fluorosilane) in an alkaline condition. The treated nanoparticles were added to a water-base acrylic coating to introduce photocatalytic activity. Dispersion of the nanoparticles and also Ti element wt% on the coatings’ surface were evaluated using atomic force microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses, respectively. Photocatalytic activity of the coatings was investigated via study of the decomposition – under UVA irradiation – of Rhodamine B, as a pollutant model deposited on the coatings’ surface. Durability of the coatings in short-term was investigated using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy observations.     

Preparation of nano-TiO2 from TiCl4 by dialysis hydrolysis

The hydrolysis of TiCl₄ was achieved by using a dialysis membrane to make H⁺ and Cl⁻ penetrate out slowly, which produced hydrogel. By this method, no reactant is required and no by-product occurs. The hydrogel was dried by different methods and calcined to obtain nano-TiO₂ powder. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area and pore size distribution. For comparison, TiCl₄ was also hydrolyzed to prepare nano-TiO₂ by other methods such as heating and adding ammonia. The experiments indicate that hydrolysis and drying have important effects on the properties of product. The hydrogel obtained by dialysis hydrolysis is anatase with a higher phase transformation temperature in calcination and the gel washed with ethanol has better porosity and bigger specific area than the products prepared by other hydrolysis methods and the same washing. In this paper, the drying methods of washing with ethanol and azeotropic distillation with n-butanol were improved by an ensuing rewashing with cyclohexane containing a little of surfactant Span-80 and chemical dehydration with acetic oxide, which further improve the porosity and surface area of nano-TiO₂ powder.     

Preparation and characterization of CeO2/TiO2 nanoparticles by flame spray pyrolysis

Nanocrystalline TiO₂, CeO₂ and CeO₂-doped TiO₂ have been successfully prepared by one-step flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). Resulting powders were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂-physisorption, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The TiO₂ and CeO₂-doped TiO₂ nanopowders were composed of single-crystalline spherical particles with as-prepared primary particle size of 10-13 nm for Ce doping concentrations of 5-50 at%, while square-shape particles with average size around 9 nm were only observed from flame-made CeO₂. The adsorption edge of resulting powder was shifted from 388 to 467 nm as the Ce content increased from 0 to 30 at% and there was an optimal Ce content in association with the maximum absorbance. This effect is due to the insertion of Ce^3+/4+ in the TiO₂ matrix, which generated an n-type impurity band.     

Direct synthesis of CeO2/SiO2 mesostructured composite materials via sol–gel process

A series of CeO₂/SiO₂ mesostructured composite materials was synthesized by sol–gel process using Pluronic P123 as template, tetraethylorthosilicate as silica source and hexahydrated cerium nitrate as precursor under acid condition. The as-synthesized materials with Ce/Si molar ratio ranging from 0.03 to 0.3 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), and N₂ adsorption. Characterization revealed that all samples possess ordered hexagonal mesoporous structure similar to SBA-15 and possess high surface area, large pore volume and uniform pore size. The fact that cerium species are present as highly dispersed CeO₂ nanocrystals in hexagonal matrix was confirmed by XRD combined with high-resolution TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis. Introduction of ceria to silica matrix can cause a distortion of hexagonal ordering structure and decrease pore diameter and increase the wall thickness of mesopores. Moreover, it can be found that this sol–gel route is a feasible, effective and simple method for templating synthesis of CeO₂/SiO₂ composite materials.     

A study on the N-, S- and Cl-modified nano-TiO2 coatings for corrosion protection of stainless steel

Nano-titania coatings doped with anions of nitrogen, sulfur and chlorine have been supplied on the surface of 316L stainless steel by a sol-gel process and dip-coating technique. The measurements of XRD, SEM, ATR-IR, Raman and XPS were carried out to characterize the chemical composition and structure for the prepared samples. The corrosion performances of the coating in 0.5 M NaCl were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization measurements. According to the measurements of EIS and electrochemical polarization, the N-modified TiO₂ nano-coatings show a highest corrosion resistance among the prepared coatings. It is revealed, from the SEM, XRD and Raman characterizations, that the surface of N-modified TiO₂ nano-coatings are more compact and uniform, relatively well-crystallized and able to act as an optimal barrier layer to metallic substrates. The XPS analysis confirms the presence of low concentration of N element in two forms, atomic β-N (interstitial state) and chemisorbed γ-N₂ on the surface of TiO₂ nano-coatings. It is suggested that the addition of nitrogen is beneficial to improve the compact structure and enhance the hydrophobic property.     

Investigation of surface modification of rutile TiO2 nanoparticles with SiO2/Al2O3 on the properties of polyacrylic composite coating

Surface modification and characterization of TiO₂ nanoparticles as an additive in a polyacrylic clear coating were investigated. For the improvement of nanoparticles dispersion and the decreasing of photocatalytic activity, the surface of nanoparticles was modified with binary SiO₂/Al₂O₃. The surface treatment of TiO₂ nanoparticles was characterized with FTIR. Microstructural analysis was done by AFM. The size, particle size distribution and zeta potential of TiO₂ nanoparticles in water dispersion was measured by DLS method. For the evaluation of particle size and the stability of nanoparticles in water dispersions with higher solid content the electroacoustic spectroscopy was made. To determine the applicability and evaluate the transmittance of the nano-TiO₂ composite coatings UV–VIS spectroscopy in the wavelength range of 200–800 nm was employed. The results showed that surface treatment of TiO₂ nanoparticles with SiO₂/Al₂O₃ improves nanoparticles dispersion and UV protection of the clear polyacrylic composite coating.