Boosting thermoelectric efficiency of Ag_(2)Se through cold sintering process with Ag nano-precipitate formation

Silver selenide(Ag_(2)Se)stands out as a promising thermoelectric(TE)material,particularly for applications near room temper-atures.This research presents a novel approach for the fabrication of bulk Ag_(2)Se samples at a relatively low temperature(170℃)using the cold sintering process(CSP)with AgNO_(3)solution as a transient liquid agent.The effect of AgNO_(3)addition during CSP on the micro-structure and TE properties was investigated.The results from phase,composition and microstructure analyses showed that the introduc-tion of AgNO_(3)solution induced the formation of Ag nano-precipitates within the Ag_(2)Se matrix.Although the nano-precipitates do not af-fect the phase and crystal structure of orthorhombicβ-Ag_(2)Se,they suppressed crystal growth,leading to reduced crystallite sizes.The samples containing Ag nano-precipitates also exhibited high porosity and low bulk density.Consequently,these effects contributed to sig-nificantly enhanced electrical conductivity and a slight decrease in the Seebeck coefficient when small Ag concentrations were incorpor-ated.This resulted in an improved average power factor from~1540μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for pure Ag_(2)Se to~1670μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for Ag_(2)Se with additional Ag precipitates.However,excessive Ag addition had a detrimental effect on the power factor.Furthermore,thermal conductiv-ity was effectively suppressed in Ag_(2)Se fabricated using AgNO_(3)-assisted CSP,attributed to enhanced phonon scattering at crystal inter-faces,pores,and Ag nano-precipitates.The highest figure-of-merit(zT)of 0.92 at 300 K was achieved for the Ag_(2)Se with 0.5wt%Ag dur-ing CSP fabrication,equivalent to>20%improvement compared to the controlled Ag_(2)Se without extra Ag solution.Thus,the process outlined in this study presents an effective strategy to tailor the microstructure of bulk Ag_(2)Se and enhance its TE performance at room temperature.

Ore-blending optimization model for sintering process based on characteristics of iron ores

An ore-blending optimization model for the sintering process is an intelligent system that includes iron ore characteristics, expert knowledge and material balance. In the present work, 14 indices are proposed to represent chemical composition, granulating properties and high temperature properties of iron ores. After the relationships between iron ore characteristics and sintering performance are established, the ＂two-step＂ method and the simplex method are introduced to build the model by distinguishing the calculation of optimized blending proportion of iron ores from that of other sintering materials in order to improve calculation efficiency. The ore-blending optimization model, programmed by Access and Visual Basic, is applied to practical production in steel mills and the results prove that the present model can take advantage of the available iron ore resource with stable sinter yield and quality performance but at a lower cost.

Basic characteristics of Australian iron ore concentrate and its effects on sinter properties during the high-limonite sintering process

The basic characteristics of Australian iron ore concentrate (Ore-A) and its effects on sinter properties during a high-limonite sintering process were studied using micro-sinter and sinter pot methods. The results show that the Ore-A exhibits good granulation properties, strong liquid flow capability, high bonding phase strength and crystal strength, but poor assimilability. With increasing Ore-A ratio, the tumbler index and the reduction index (RI) of the sinter first increase and then decrease, whereas the softening interval (Delta T) and the softening start temperature (T (10%)) of the sinter exhibit the opposite behavior; the reduction degradation index (RDI+3.15) of the sinter increases linearly, but the sinter yield exhibits no obvious effects. With increasing Ore-A ratio, the distribution and crystallization of the minerals are improved, the main bonding phase first changes from silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) to kirschsteinite, silicate, and SFCA and then transforms to 2CaO center dot SiO2 and SFCA. Given the utilization of Ore-A and the improvement of the sinter properties, the Ore-A ratio in the high-limonite sintering process is suggested to be controlled at approximately 6wt%.

Research on sintering process of YSZ electrolyte

Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has widely been used as electrolyte in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The microstructure of YSZ related to the fabrication process was discussed in the paper. With YSZ nano-powders about 40-100 nm as raw material, the YSZ adobe was manufactured by tape calendering process. The named three-step sintering process was performed at 1000 ℃ for 2 h, then raised the temperature with normal rate and as soon as up to 1400 ℃, the furnace was controlled at 1250-1300 ℃ for 10-20 h. The high dense YSZs with the relative density of 96%-99% were obtained; the grain size of YSZ could be reduced to 0.5-3 μm. The above result is benefited to co-fired in the electrode-supported SOFCs.

Preparation of β-Sialon/ZrN bonded corundum composites from zircon by nitridation reaction sintering process

β-Sialon/ZrN bonded corundum composites were synthesized using fused white corundum,alumina micro powder,zircon and carbon black by nitridation reaction sintering process. Phase composition and microstructure of the synthesized composites were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electronic microscope,and the formation process of the composites was discussed. The results show that the composites with different compositions can be obtained by controlling the heating temperature and contents of zircon and carbon black. The proper temperature to synthesize the composites is 1773 K.

Effect of sintering process on microstructure and magnetic properties of high frequency power ferrite

An oxide ceramic process was adopted to prepare high frequency manganese-zinc(MnZn)power ferrite.In combination with the microstructure analysis of material,the influences of sintering process on initial permeability(μ_(i))and high frequency loss in unit volume(P_(cv))of MnZn power ferrite were investigated.The results show that in order to obtain fine microstructure and high frequency properties,the preferable sintering temperature and atmosphere are 1230℃and oxygen partial pressure(P_(O_(2)))of 4%,respectively.

One-time sintering process to modify xLi2MnO3(1-x)LiMO2 hollow architecture and studying their enhanced electrochemical performances

To solve the critical problems of lithium rich cathode materials, e.g., structure instability and short cycle life, we have successfully prepared a ZrO2-coated and Zr-doping xLi2MnO3·(1–x)LiMO2 hollow architecture via one-time sintering process. The modified structural materials as lithium-ion cathodes present good structural stability and superior cycle performance in LIBs. The discharge capacity of the ZrO2-coated and Zr-doped hollow pristine is 220 mAh g-1 at the 20th cycle at 0.2 C(discharge capacity loss, 2.7%)and 150 m Ah g-1 at the 100 th cycle at 1 C(discharge capacity loss, 17.7%), respectively. However, hollow pristine electrode only delivers 203 m Ah g-1 at the 20 th cycle at 0.2 C and 124 mAh g-1 at the 100 th cycle at 1 C, respectively, and the corresponding to capacity retention is 92.2% and 72.8%, respectively.Diffusion coefficients of modified hollow pristine electrode are much higher than that of hollow pristine electrode after 100 cycles(approach to 1.4 times). In addition, we simulate the adsorption reaction of HF on the surface of ZrO2-coated layer by the first-principles theory. The calculations prove that the adsorption energy of HF on the surface of ZrO2-coated layer is about-1.699 e V, and the ZrO2-coated layer could protect the hollow spherical xLi2MnO3·(1–x)LiMO2 from erosion by HF. Our results would be applicable for systematic amelioration of high-performance lithium rich material for anode with the respect of practical application.

Preparation of ZrN(ZrON)-SiAION Composite Ceramics via a Pressureless Sintering Process

ZrN-SiAlON composite materials were synthesized at 1 550 ℃ for 6 h via a carbothermal reduction nitridation route using fly ash （≤74 μm）,zircon （≤ 44 μm） and active carbon as starting materials.The processed ZrN-SiAlON composite micropowders were mixed with polyvinyl alcohol as binder to prepare ZrN （ZrON）-SiAlON composite ceramics by carbon-embedded pressureless firing at 1 450,1 500 and 1 550 ℃ for 1 h,respectively.Influences of firing temperature on the phase compositions,microstructure and sintering properties of the ceramics were investigated.The results show that：（1） β-SiAlON based composite ceramics with different compositions can be prepared by controlling firing temperature,and the main crystalline phases of the specimen fired at 1 550 ℃ for 1 h involve ZrN,ZrON and β-SiAlON （z =2,Si4Al2O2N6）; （2） ZrN （ZrON）,β-SiAlON and a Fe-Si based compound can be observed in the microstructures of the specimens fired at different temperatures.ZrN （ZrON） particles distribute homogeneously in the β-SiAlON matrix; （3） raising firing temperature can increase the shrinkage ratio of the ceramics,and the volume shrinkage ratio increases from 19.4％ to 40.3％ when the firing temperature rises from 1 450 to 1 550 ℃.

Effects of Activated Sintering Process on Properties and Microstructure of W-15Cu Alloy

The effects of activated sintering technology of H2 atmosphere sintering on the microstructure and properties of W-15Cu alloy using ultrafine W-15Cu composite powder fabricated by spray drying calcining-continuous reduction technology were investigated.The experimental results showed that W-15Cu alloy,consolidated by activated sintering technology of H2 atmosphere sintering for 1 h at 1300 ℃,with 98.5 % relative density,transverse rupture strength 1218 MPa,Vickers hardness HV0.5 378,average grain size about 1.2 μm and thermal conductivity 192 W/m·K,was obtained.In comparison to the normal sintering process,activated sintering process to W-15Cu alloy could be achieved at lower sintering temperature.Furthermore,better properties in activated sintered compacts were obtained,and activated sintering process resulted in finer microstructure and excellent properties.

Real-time operation guide system for sintering process with artificial intelligence

In order to optimize the sintering process, a real-time operation guide system with artificial intelligence was developed, mainly including the data acquisition online subsystem, the sinter chemical composition controller, the sintering process state controller, and the abnormal conditions diagnosis subsystem. Knowledge base of the sintering process controlling was constructed, and inference engine of the system was established. Sinter chemical compositions were controlled by the strategies of self-adaptive prediction, internal optimization and center on basicity. And the state of sintering was stabilized centering on permeability. In order to meet the needs of process change and make the system clear, the system has learning ability and explanation function. The software of the system was developed in Visual C++ programming language. The application of the system shows that the hitting accuracy of sinter compositions and burning through point prediction are more than 85%; the first-grade rate of sinter chemical composition, stability rate of burning through point and stability rate of sintering process are increased by 3%, 9% and 4%, respectively.

Research and industrial testing of dioxin emission reduction technology in the sintering process

Based on an analysis of the chlorine elements in each component of the sintering mixture,industrial tests of the use of dioxin reduction techniques in the sintering process were found to reduce the chlorine sources and inhibit the formation of dioxins.The dioxin reduction effect obtained in the industrial experiment was better than that in the sintering pot experiment,but their patterns were consistent.When urea is used as an inhibitor,the dioxins can be significantly reduced.When a 0.02%ratio of urea was added,a maximum dioxin emission reduction of 79%was obtained.Reducing the chlorine sources also had an obvious dioxin reduction effect,enabling a 69.49%reduction.In addition,when these two technologies were applied simultaneously,a significant emission reduction rate of 92.23%was achieved.The concentration of dioxins in flue gas dropped to 0.2421 ng TEQ/m^(3) before desulfurization,which meets the emission standard for dioxins in the final exhaust gas.

Fabrication of superhydrophilic surface on copper substrate by electrochemical deposition and sintering process

Superhydrophilic surfaces were fabricated on copper substrates by an electrochemical deposition and sintering process. Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared by constructing micro/nano-structure on copper substrates through an electrochemical deposition method. Conversion from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic was obtained via a suitable sintering process. After reduction sintering, the contact angle of the superhydrophilic surfaces changed from 155° to 0°. The scanning electron microscope （SEM） images show that the morphology of superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces looks like corals and cells respectively. The chemical composition and crystal structure of these surfaces were examined using energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that the main components on superhydrophobic surfaces are Cu, Cu2O and CuO, while the superhydrophilic surfaces are composed of Cu merely. The crystal structure is more inerratic and the grain size becomes bigger after the sintering. The interracial strength of the superhydrophilic surfaces was investigated, showing that the interfacial strength between superhydrophilic layer and copper substrate is considerably high.

Application of deep learning in iron ore sintering process:a review

In the wake of the era of big data,the techniques of deep learning have become an essential research direction in the machine learning field and are beginning to be applied in the steel industry.The sintering process is an extremely complex industrial scene.As the main process of the blast furnace ironmaking industry,it has great economic value and environmental protection significance for iron and steel enterprises.It is also one of the fields where deep learning is still in the exploration stage.In order to explore the application prospects of deep learning techniques in iron ore sintering,a comprehensive summary and conclusion of deep learning models for intelligent sintering were presented after reviewing the sintering process and deep learning models in a large number of research literatures.Firstly,the mechanisms and characteristics of parameters in sintering processes were introduced and analysed in detail,and then,the development of iron ore sintering simulation techniques was introduced.Secondly,deep learning techniques were introduced,including commonly used models of deep learning and their applications.Thirdly,the current status of applications of various types of deep learning models in sintering processes was elaborated in detail from the aspects of prediction,controlling,and optimisation of key parameters.Generally speaking,deep learning models that could be more effectively implemented in more situations of the sintering and even steel industry chain will promote the intelligent development of the metallurgical industry.

Optimal proportioning of iron ore in sintering process based on improved multi-objective beluga whale optimisation algorithm

Proportioning is an important part of sintering,as it affects the cost of sintering and the quality of sintered ore.To address the problems posed by the complex raw material information and numerous constraints in the sintering process,a multi-objective optimisation model for sintering proportioning was established,which takes the proportioning cost and TFe as the optimisation objectives.Additionally,an improved multi-objective beluga whale optimisation(IMOBWO)algorithm was proposed to solve the nonlinear,multi-constrained multi-objective optimisation problems.The algorithm uses the con-strained non-dominance criterion to deal with the constraint problem in the model.Moreover,the algorithm employs an opposite learning strategy and a population guidance mechanism based on angular competition and two-population competition strategy to enhance convergence and population diversity.The actual proportioning of a steel plant indicates that the IMOBWO algorithm applied to the ore proportioning process has good convergence and obtains the uniformly distributed Pareto front.Meanwhile,compared with the actual proportioning scheme,the proportioning cost is reduced by 4.3361¥/t,and the TFe content in the mixture is increased by 0.0367%in the optimal compromise solution.Therefore,the proposed method effectively balances the cost and total iron,facilitating the comprehensive utilisation of sintered iron ore resources while ensuring quality assurance.

The role ofγ-C_(2)H_(5)NO_(2) as a new transient liquid phase in cold sintering process of BaTiO_(3) composites

Dielectric materials,such as barium titanate(BT)-based materials,have excellent dielectric properties but require high temperatures(above 1300℃)for ceramic fabrication,leading to high costs and energy loss.The cold sintering process(CSP)offers a solution to these issues and is gaining worldwide attention as an innovative fabrication route.In this work,we proposed an alternative organic ferroelectric phase,gamma-glycine(γ-GC),which acts as a transient liquid phase to fabricate high-density composites with barium titanate(BT)at low temperatures through CSP.Our findings show that the density of 15γ-GC/85BT reached 96.7%±1.6%when it was sintered at 120℃for 6 h under 10 MPa uniaxial pressure.Scanning electron microscopy‒energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(SEM‒EDS)mappings of the composite suggested thatγ-GC completely underwent the precipitation-dissolution process and,therefore,filled between BT particles.Moreover,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)confirmed the preservation ofγ-GC without undesired phase transformation.In addition,the ferroelectric and dielectric properties ofγ-GC/BT composites have been reported.The high dielectric constant(ε_(r))was 3600,and the low dielectric loss(tanδ)was 1.20 at 200℃and 100 kHz for the 15γ-GC/85BT composite.The hysteresis loop showed a remanent polarization(P_(r))of 0.55µC·cm^(−2)and a coercive field(E_(c))of 7.25 kV·cm^(−1).Our findings reaffirmed that an organic ferroelectric material(γ-GC)can act as a transient liquid phase in a CSP that can successfully and sustainably fabricateγ-GC/BT composites at low temperatures while delivering outstandingly high performance.

Cold sintering process for fabrication of a superhydrophobic ZnO-polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)ceramic composite

Composite coatings or films with polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)are typically utilized to offer superhydrophobic surfaces.However,the superhydrophobic surfaces usually have limited durability and require complicated fabrication methods.Herein,we report the successful integration of PTFE with ZnO ceramics to achieve superhydrophobicity via a one-step sintering method,cold sintering process(CSP),at 300℃.(1–x)ZnO–x PTFE ceramic composites with x ranging from 0 to 70 vol%are densified with relative density of over 97%.Micro/nano-scale PTFE polymer is dispersed among ZnO grains forming polymer grain boundary phases,which modulate surface morphology and surface energy of the ZnO–PTFE ceramic composites.For the 60 vol%ZnO–40 vol%PTFE ceramic composite,superhydrophobic properties are optimized with static water contact angles(WCAs)and sliding angles(SAs)of 162°and 7°,respectively.After abrading into various thicknesses(2.52,2.26,and 1.99 mm)and contaminating with graphite powders on the surface,WCA and SA are still maintained with a high level of 157°–160°and 7°–9.3°,respectively.This work indicates that CSP provides a promising pathway to integrate polymers with ceramics to realize stable superhydrophobicity.

Fabrication of form stable NaCl-Al2O3 composite for thermal energy storage by cold sintering process

A form stable NaCl-Al2O3(50-50 wt-%)composite material for high temperature thermal energy storage was fabricated by cold sintering process,a process recently applied to the densification of ceramics at low temperature 300℃ under uniaxial pressure in the presence of small amount o f transient liquid.The fabricated composite achieved as high as 98.65% of the theoretical density.The NaCl-Al2O3 composite also retained the chloride salt without leakage after 30 heating-cooling cycles between 750℃-850℃ together with a holding period o f 24h at 850℃.X-ray diffraction measurements indicated congruent solubility o f the alumina in chloride salt,excellent compatibility o f NaCl with Al2O3,and chemical stability at high temperature.Structural analysis by scanning electron microscope also showed limited grain growth,high density,uniform NaCl distribution and clear faceted composite structure without inter-diffusion.The latent heat storage density o f 252.5J/g was obtained from simultaneous thermal analysis.Fracture strength test showed high sintered strength around 5 GPa after 50 min.The composite was found to have fair mass losses due to volatilization.Overall,cold sintering process has the potential to be an efficient,safe and cost-effective strategy for the fabrication of high temperature thermal energy storage materials.

Simulation and Prediction of Alkalinity in Sintering Process Based on Grey Least Squares Support Vector Machine

The prediction of the alkalinity is difficult during the sintering process. Whether or not the level of the alkalinity of sintering process is successful is directly related to the quality of sinter. There is no very good method for predicting the alkalinity by now owing to the high complexity, high nonlinearity, strong coupling, high time delay, and etc. Therefore, a new technique, the grey squares support machine, was introduced. The grey support vector machine model of the alkalinity enabled the development of new equation and algorithm to predict the alkalinity. During modelling, the fluctuation of data sequence was weakened by the grey theory and the support vector machine was capable of processing nonlinear adaptable information, and the grey support vector machine has a combination of those advantages. The results revealed that the alkalinity of sinter could be accurately predicted using this model by reference to small sample and information. The experimental results showed that the grey support vector machine model was effective and practical owing to the advantages of high precision, less samples required, and simple calculation.

Current understanding and applications of the cold sintering process

In traditional ceramic processing techniques,high sintering temperature is necessary to achieve fully dense microstructures.But it can cause various problems including warpage,overfiring,element evaporation,and polymorphic transformation.To overcome these drawbacks,a novel processing technique called“tcold sintering process(CSP)”has been explored by Randall et al.CSP enables densification of ceramics at ultra-low temperature(<300℃)with the assistance o f transient aqueous solution and applied pressure.In CSP,the processing conditions including aqueous solution,pressure,temperature,and sintering duration play critical roles in the densification and properties of ceramics,which will be reviewed.The review will also include the applications of CSP in solid-state rechargeable batteries.Finally,the perspectives about CSP is proposed.

Research and Application of Expert System Skeleton for Controlling Sintering Process

An expert system skeleton tool of sintering process was constructed using object-oriented method, which can actualize two functions, i. e. , the shell function and the program function. The skeleton tool offered a platform to build a prototype system, to program class code, and to develop the expert system. Four branch expert systems were developed using the skeleton tool including the control of chemical composition, the control of sintering process state, the control of expended energy, and the diagnosis of abnormity. It is found that the performance of all systems is satisfactory in practice.