Preparation and applications of calcium ferrite as a functional material:A review

Calcium ferrite(CF)is recognized as a potential green and efficient functional material because of its advantages of magnetism,electrochemistry,catalysis,and biocompatibility in the fields of materials chemistry,environmental engineering,and biomedicine.There-fore,the obtained research results need to be systematically summarized,and new perspectives on CF and its composite materials need to be analyzed.Based on the presented studies of CF and its composite materials,the types and structures of the crystal are summarized.In addition,the current application technologies and theoretical mechanisms with various properties in different fields are elucidated.Moreover,the various preparation methods of CF and its composite materials are elaborated in detail.Most importantly,the advantages and disadvantages of the synthesis methods of CF and its composite materials are discussed,and the existing problems and emerging challenges in practical production are identified.Furthermore,the key future research directions of CF and its composite materials have been prospected from the potential application technologies to provide references for its synthesis and efficient utilization.

Atomic-level quantitative analysis of electronic functional materials by aberration-corrected STEM

The stable sub-angstrom resolution of the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope(ACSTEM)makes it an advanced and practical characterization technique for all materials.Owing to the prosperous advancement in computational technology,specialized software and programs have emerged as potent facilitators across the entirety of electron microscopy characterization process.Utilizing advanced image processing algorithms promotes the rectification of image distortions,concurrently elevating the overall image quality to superior standards.Extracting high-resolution,pixel-level discrete information and converting it into atomic-scale,followed by performing statistical calculations on the physical matters of interest through quantitative analysis,represent an effective strategy to maximize the value of electron microscope images.The efficacious utilization of quantitative analysis of electron microscope images has become a progressively prominent consideration for materials scientists and electron microscopy researchers.This article offers a concise overview of the pivotal procedures in quantitative analysis and summarizes the computational methodologies involved from three perspectives:contrast,lattice and strain,as well as atomic displacements and polarization.It further elaborates on practical applications of these methods in electronic functional materials,notably in piezoelectrics/ferroelectrics and thermoelectrics.It emphasizes the indispensable role of quantitative analysis in fundamental theoretical research,elucidating the structure–property correlations in high-performance systems,and guiding synthesis strategies.

Enhancement of the CO_(2)adsorption and hydrogenation to CH_(4)capacity of Ru–Na–Ca/γ–Al_(2)O_(3)dual function material by controlling the Ru calcination atmosphere

Integrated CO_(2)capture and utilization(ICCU)technology requires dual functional materials(DFMs)to carry out the process in a single reaction system.The influence of the calcination atmosphere on efficiency of 4%Ru-8%Na_(2)CO_(3)-8%CaO/γ-Al_(2)O_(3)DFM is studied.The adsorbent precursors are first co-impregnated onto alumina and calcined in air.Then,Ru precursor is impregnated and four aliquotes are subjected to different calcination protocols:static air in muffle or under different mixtures(10%H_(2)/N_(2),50%H_(2)/N_(2)and N_(2))streams.Samples are characterized by XRD,N_(2)adsorption-desorption,H_(2)chemisorption,TEM,XPS,H_(2)-TPD,H_(2)-TPR,CO_(2)-TPD and TPSR.The catalytic behavior is evaluated,in cycles of CO_(2)adsorption and hydrogenation to CH_(4),and temporal evolution of reactants and products concentrations is analyzed.The calcination atmosphere influences the physicochemical properties and,ultimately,activity of DFMs.Characterization data and catalytic performance discover the acccomodation of Ru nanoparticles disposition and basic sites is mostly influencing the catalytic activity.DFM calcined under N_(2)flow(RuNaCa-N_(2))shows the highest CH_(4)production(449μmol/g at 370℃),because a well-controlled decomposition of precursors which favors the better accomodation of adsorbent and Ru phases,maximizing the specific surface area,the Ru-basic sites interface and the participation of different basic sites in the CO_(2)methanation reaction.Thus,the calcination in a N_(2)flow is revealed as the optimal calcination protocol to achieve highly efficient DFM for integrated CO_(2)adsorption and hydrogenation applications.

Functionally gradient materials for sustainable and high-energy rechargeable lithium batteries:Design principles,progress,and perspectives

Rechargeable lithium batteries with high-capacity cathodes/anodes promise high energy densities for nextgeneration electrochemical energy storage.However,the associated limitations at various scales greatly hinder their practical applications.Functional gradient material(FGM)design endows the electrode materials with property gradient,thus providing great opportunities to address the kinetics and stability obstacles.To date,still no review or perspective has covered recent advancements in gradient design at multiple scales for boosting lithium battery performances.To fill this void,this work provides a timely and comprehensive overview of this exciting and sustainable research field.We begin by overviewing the fundamental features of FGM and the rationales of gradient design for improved electrochemical performance.Then,we comprehensively review FGM design for rechargeable lithium batteries at various scales,including natural or artificial solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)at the nanoscale,micrometer-scale electrode particles,and macroscale electrode films.The link between gradient structure design and improved electrochemical performance is particularly highlighted.The most recent research into constructing novel functional gradients,such as valence and temperature gradients,has also been explored.Finally,we discussed the current constraints and future scope of FGM in rechargeable lithium batteries,aiming to inspire the development of novel FGM for next-generation high-performance lithium batteries.

Transfer matrix method for free and forced vibrations of multi-level functionally graded material stepped beams with different boundary conditions

Functionally graded materials(FGMs)are a novel class of composite materials that have attracted significant attention in the field of engineering due to their unique mechanical properties.This study aims to explore the dynamic behaviors of an FGM stepped beam with different boundary conditions based on an efficient solving method.Under the assumptions of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory,the governing differential equations of an individual FGM beam are derived with Hamilton’s principle and decoupled via the separation-of-variable approach.Then,the free and forced vibrations of the FGM stepped beam are solved with the transfer matrix method(TMM).Two models,i.e.,a three-level FGM stepped beam and a five-level FGM stepped beam,are considered,and their natural frequencies and mode shapes are presented.To demonstrate the validity of the method in this paper,the simulation results by ABAQUS are also given.On this basis,the detailed parametric analyses on the frequencies and dynamic responses of the three-level FGM stepped beam are carried out.The results show the accuracy and efficiency of the TMM.

Sound Transmission Loss Analysis of a Double Plate-Acoustic Cavity Coupling System with In-Plane Functionally Graded Materials

In this paper, the isogeometric analysis (IGA) is employed to develop an acoustic radiation model for a double plate-acoustic cavity coupling system, with a focus on analyzing the sound transmission loss (STL). The functionally graded (FG) plate exhibits a different material properties in-plane, and the power-law rule is adopted as the governing principle for material mixing. To validate the harmonic response and demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of the isogeometric modeling, ANASYS is utilized to compare with numerical examples. A plane wave serves as the acoustic excitation, and the Rayleigh integral is applied to discretize the radiated plate. The STL results are compared with the literature, confirming the reliability of the coupling system. Finally, the investigation is conducted to study impact of cavity depth and power-law parameter on the STL.

A new electromagnetic functional material composed of metallic hollow micro-spheres

This paper presents a new electromagnetic functional material developed byelectron-less nickel deposition technique, with a single hollow micro-sphere as the core templateand a thin nickel layer as the shell. The micrograph taken by a scanning electron microscope showsthe microstructures of the materials in detail. Scattering parameters of the waveguide sample holderfilled with the materials have been obtained over X band. The electromagnetic parameters computedfrom the measured S parameters show that the material with metallic hollow spheres has as highrelative permeability μ'_r as 19.0 with about 0.6 magnetic loss tangent over the whole bandwidth.Compared to the material with non-metallic spheres, the permeability μ'_r and the magnetic losstangent μ'_r increase greatly, while the permittivity remains lower than 1.8.

DESIGN AND PROPERTIES OF A FUNCTIONALLY GRADIENT CERAMIC TOOL MATERIAL

Based on the analyses of the severity of cutting process as well as the failure mechanisms of ceramic tools, a model for designing functionally gradient ceramic tool materials with symmetrical distribution is presented, by which a Al 2O 3/(W,Ti)C ceramic tool material FG 2 was developed. Multi objective optimization method was employed in designing the compositional distribution of this ceramic tool material. The results of both continuous and intermittent cutting tests are indicative of the much better cutting behavior of the functionally gradient ceramic tool FG 2 than that of the common ceramic tool SG 4.

Functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries

The synthetic routes of porous carbons and the applications of the functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries are reviewed. The synthetic methods have made great breakthroughs to control the pore size and volume, wall thickness, surface area, and connectivity of porous carbons, which result in the development of functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials. The effects of porous carbons on the electrochemical properties are further discussed. The porous carbons as ideal matrixes to incorporate active materials make a great improvement on the electrochemical properties because of high surface area and pore volume, excellent electronic conductivity, and strong adsorption capacity. Large numbers of the composite electrode materials have been used for the devices of electrochemical energy conversion and storage, such as lithium-ion batteries （LIBs）, Li-S batteries, and Li-O2 batteries. It is believed that functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials will continuously contribute to the field of lithium secondary batteries.

Optimum Weight Design of Functionally Graded Material Gears

Traditional gear weight optimization methods consider gear tooth number, module, face width or other dimension parameters of gear as design variables. However, due to the complicated form and geometric features peculiar to the gear, there will be large amounts of design parameters in gear design, and the influences of gear parameters changing on gear trains, transmission system and the whole equipment have to be taken into account, which increases the complexity of optimization problem. This paper puts forward to apply functionally graded materials（FGMs） to gears and then conduct the optimization. According to the force situation of gears, the material distribution form of FGM gears is determined. Then based on the performance parameters analysis of FGMs and the practical working demands for gears, a multi-objective optimization model is formed. Finally by using the goal driven optimization（GDO） method, the optimal material distribution is achieved, which makes gear weight and the maximum deformation be minimum and the maximum bending stress do not exceed the allowable stress. As an example, the applying of FGM to automotive transmission gear is conducted to illustrate the optimization design process and the result shows that under the condition of keeping the normal working performance of gear, the method achieves in greatly reducing the gear weight. This research proposes a FGM gears design method that is able to largely reduce the weight of gears by optimizing the microscopic material parameters instead of changing the macroscopic dimension parameters of gears, which reduces the complexity of gear weight optimization problem.

Intercalation Assembly Method and Intercalation Process Control of Layered Intercalated Functional Materials

Layered intercalated functional materials of layered double hydroxide type are an important class of functional materials developed in recent years. Based on long term studies on these materials in the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering in Beiiing University of Chemical Technology, the orinciole for the design of controlled intercalation processes in the light of tuture production processing requirements has been developed. Intercalation assembly methods and technologies have been invented to control the intercalation process for preparing layered intercalated materials with various structures and functions.

Solution-based Chemical Strategies to Purposely Control the Microstructure of Functional Materials

Micro/nanostructured crystals with controlled architectures are desirable for many applications in optics, electronics, biology, medicine, and energy conversions. Low-temperature, aqueous chemical routes have been widely investigated for the synthesis of particles, and arrays of oriented nanorods and nanotubes. In this paper, based on the ideal crystal shapes predicted by the chemical bonding theory, we have developed some potential chemical strategies to tune the microstructure of functional materials, ZnS and Nb205 nanotube arrays, MgO wiskers and nestlike spheres, and cubic phase Cu2O microcrystals were synthesized here to elucidate these strategies. We describe their controlled crystallization processes and illustrate the detailed key factors controlling their growth by examining various reaction parameters. Current results demonstrate that our designed chemical strategies for tuning microstructure of functional materials are applicable to several technologically important materials, and therefore may be used as a versatile and effective route to the controllable synthesis of other inorganic functional materials.

The nonlocal solution of two parallel cracks in functionally graded materials subjected to harmonic anti-plane shear waves

In this paper, the dynamic interaction of two parallel cracks in functionally graded materials （FGMs） is investigated by means of the non-local theory. To make the analysis tractable, the shear modulus and the material density are assumed to vary exponentially with the coordinate vertical to the crack. To reduce mathematical difficulties, a one-dimensional non-local kernel is used instead of a twodimensional one for the dynamic problem to obtain stress fields near the crack tips. By use of the Fourier transform, the problem can be solved with the help of two pairs of dual integral equations, in which the unknown variables are the jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces. To solve the dual integral equations, the jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces are expanded in a series of Jacobi polynomials. Unlike the classical elasticity solutions, it is found that no stress singularity is present at the crack tips. The non-local elastic solutions yield a finite hoop stress at the crack tips. The present result provides theoretical references helpful for evaluating relevant strength and preventing material failure of FGMs with initial cracks. The magnitude of the finite stress field depends on relevant parameters, such as the crack length, the distance between two parallel cracks, the parameter describing the FGMs, the frequency of the incident waves and the lattice parameter of materials.

Interface microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted multilayer functionally graded materials

Functionally graded material(FGM)can tailor properties of components such as wear resistance,corrosion resistance,and functionality to enhance the overall performance.The selective laser melting(SLM)additive manufacturing highlights the capability in manufacturing FGMs with a high geometrical complexity and manufacture flexibility.In this work,the 316L/CuSn10/18Ni300/CoCr four-type materials FGMs were fabricated using SLM.The microstructure and properties of the FGMs were investigated to reveal the effects of SLM processing parameters on the defects.A large number of microcracks were found at the 316L/CuSn10 interface,which initiated from the fusion boundary of 316L region and extended along the building direction.The elastic modulus and nano-hardness in the 18Ni300/CoCr fusion zone decreased significantly,less than those in the 18Ni300 region or the CoCr region.The iron and copper elements were well diffused in the 316L/CuSn10 fusion zone,while elements in the CuSn10/18Ni300 and the 18Ni300/CoCr fusion zones showed significantly gradient transitions.Compared with other regions,the width of the CuSn10/18Ni300 interface and the CuSn10 region expand significantly.The mechanisms of materials fusion and crack generation at the 316L/CuSn10 interface were discussed.In addition,FGM structures without macro-crack were built by only altering the deposition subsequence of 316L and CuSn10,which provides a guide for the additive manufacturing of FGM structures.

The Influence of Mineral Functional Materials on Chloride Ion Penetration of Concrete

The mechanism of chloride ion penetration in high performance concrete was analy zed. The experimental results indicate that there are two important reasons that influence the anti-chloride penetration of high performance concrete. One is the function effect of mineral functional material, so that it increases conc rete's capability to resist chloride ion penetration. The other is combined acti on of mineral functional material's original capability of binding the chloride ion (physical adsorption) and physicochemical adsorption after hydration.

NVESTIGATION OF PRODUCTOPN OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADIENT MATERIAL BY ELECTROLESS PLATING

Thispaper proposed a new methodof producing Ceramic/ Metalfunctionally gradient mate rialby electroless platingtechnique. The experimentof producing SiC/ Ni PFGM wascar ried out with self made electroless plating facilities. The results show that the thickness of FGMcoating andthegradientdistribution ofcompositioncanbecontrolled byoptimizingelec trolessplating technology and changing the parameters such as plating time, the additionspeed and concentration of SiCparticles. Analysisdemonstratesthatthereisastrongrelation ship amongthe SiCcontent,the microstructureandthe mechanicalproperty ofthe FGM.

Pure bending of simply supported circular plate of transversely isotropic functionally graded material

This paper considers the pure bending problem of simply supported transversely isotropic circular plates with elastic compliance coefficients being arbitrary functions of the thickness coordinate. First, the partial differential equation, which is satisfied by the stress functions for the axisymmetric deformation problem is derived. Then, stress functions are obtained by proper manipulation. The analytical expressions of axial force, bending moment and displacements are then deduced through integration. And then, stress functions are employed to solve problems of transversely isotropic functionally graded circular plate, with the integral constants completely determined from boundary conditions. An elasticity solution for pure bending problem, which coincides with the available solution when degenerated into the elasticity solutions for homogenous circular plate, is thus obtained. A numerical example is finally presented to show the effect of material inhomogeneity on the elastic field in a simply supported circular plate of transversely isotropic functionally graded material (FGM).

Free vibration of functionally graded material beams with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers in thermal environment

Free vibration of statically thermal postbuckled functionally graded material （FGM） beams with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers subject to both temperature rise and voltage is studied. By accurately considering the axial extension and based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, geometrically nonlinear dynamic governing equations for FGM beams with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers subject to thermo-electro- mechanical loadings are formulated. It is assumed that the material properties of the middle FGM layer vary continuously as a power law function of the thickness coordinate, and the piezoelectric layers are isotropic and homogenous. By assuming that the amplitude of the beam vibration is small and its response is harmonic, the above mentioned non-linear partial differential equations are reduced to two sets of coupled ordinary differential equations. One is for the postbuckling, and the other is for the linear vibration of the beam superimposed upon the postbuckled configuration. Using a shooting method to solve the two sets of ordinary differential equations with fixed-fixed boundary conditions numerically, the response of postbuckling and free vibration in the vicinity of the postbuckled configuration of the beam with fixed-fixed ends and subject to transversely nonuniform heating and uniform electric field is obtained. Thermo-electric postbuckling equilibrium paths and characteristic curves of the first three natural frequencies versus the temperature, the electricity, and the material gradient parameters are plotted. It is found that the three lowest frequencies of the prebuckled beam decrease with the increase of the temperature, but those of a buckled beam increase monotonically with the temperature rise. The results also show that the tensional force produced in the piezoelectric layers by the voltage can efficiently increase the critical buckling temperature and the natural frequency.

DIRECT AND ADAPTIVE SLICING ON CAD MODEL OF IDEAL FUNCTIONAL MATERIAL COMPONENTS (IFMC)

A brand new direct and adaptive slicing approach is proposed, which canapparently improve the part accuracy and reduce the building time. At least two stages are includedin this operation: getting the crossing contour of the cutting plane with the solid part anddetermining the layer thickness. Apart from usual SPI algorithm, slicing of the solid model has itsspecial requirements. Enabling the contour line segments of the cross-section as long as possible isone of them, which is for improving manufacturing efficiency and is reached by adaptively adjustingthe step direction and the step size at every crossing point to obtain optimized secant height. Thelayer thickness determination can be divided into two phases: the geometry-based thicknessestimation and the material-based thickness verifying. During the former phase, the geometrytolerance is divided into two parts: a variety of curves are approximated by a circular arc, whichintroduces the first part, and the deviation error between the contour line in LM process and thecircular arc generates the second part. The latter phase is mainly verifying the layer thicknessestimated in the former stage and determining a new one if necessary. In addition, an example usingthis slicing algorithm is also illustrated.

Development of Mathematical Model on Preparation of Functionally Graded Material by Co-sedimentation

From the process of sedimentation the mathematical relationships among deposition Volume and powder properties as well as sedimentation parameters were deduced. Based on the formula a mathematical model was set up and simulated through the computer. At last the validity of mathematical model was supported by the representative experiment on Ti-Mo system FGM prepared by co-sedimentation.