Synthesis of crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) with rock/molten salts for efficient photocatalysis and piezocatalysis

Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))is emerging as a promising visible-light photocatalyst while the low crystallinity with sluggish charge separation/migration dynamics significantly restricts its practical applications.Currently,synthesizing highly crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) with sufficient surface activities still remains challenging.Herein,different from using alkali molten salts which is commonly reported,we propose an approach for synthesis of highly crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) with FeCl3/KCl rock/molten mixed salts.The rock salt can serve as the structure-directing template while molten salt provides the required liquid medium for re-condensation.Intriguingly,the synthesized photocatalyst showed further enhanced crystallinity and improved surface area along with high p/p*excitation compared with crystalline C_(3)N_(4) prepared from conventional molten-salt methods.These catalytically advantageous features lead to its superior photocatalytic and piezocatalytic activities with a high reactivity for overall water splitting that is not commonly reported for C_(3)N_(4).This work provides an effective strategy for structural optimization of organic semiconductor based materials and may inspire new ideas for the design of advanced photocatalysts.

Effect of high-energy Ne ions irradiation on mechanical properties difference between Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5)metallic glass and crystalline W

In this paper,high-energy Ne ions were used to irradiate Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5) metallic glass(MG)and crystalline W to investigate their difference in mechanical response after irradiation.The results showed that with the irradiation dose increased,the tensile micro-strain increased,nano-hardness increased from 7.11 GPa to 7.90 GPa and 8.62 GPa,Young’s modulus increased,and H3/E2 increased which indicating that the plastic deformability decreased in crystalline W.Under the same irradiation conditions,the Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5) MG still maintained the amorphous structure and became more disordered despite the longer range and stronger displacement damage of Ne ions in Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5) MG than in crystalline W.Unlike the irradiation hardening and embrittlement behavior of crystalline W,Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5) MG showed the gradual decrease in hardness from 6.02 GPa to 5.89 GPa and 5.50 GPa,the decrease in modulus and the increase in plastic deformability with the increasing dose.Possibly,the irradiation softening and toughening phenomenon of Zr_(63.5)Cu_(23)Al_(9)Fe_(4.5) MG could provide new ideas for the design of nuclear materials.

Shock-induced energy localization and reaction growth considering chemical-inclusions effects for crystalline explosives

Chemical inclusions significantly alter shock responses of crystalline explosives in macroscale gap experiments but their microscale dynamics origin remains unclear.Herein shock-induced energy localization,overall physical responses,and reactions in a-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane(a-RDX)crystal entrained various chemical inclusions were investigated by the multi-scale shock technique implemented in the reactive molecular dynamics method.Results indicated that energy localization and shock reaction were affected by the intrinsic factors within chemical inclusions,i.e.,phase states,chemical compositions,and concentrations.The atomic origin of chemical-inclusions effects on energy localization is dependent on the dynamics mechanism of interfacial molecules with free space volume,which includes homogeneous intermolecular compression,interfacial impact and shear,and void collapse and jet.As introducing various chemical inclusions,the initiation of those dynamics mechanisms triggers diverse decay rates of bulk RDX molecules and hereby impacts on growth speeds of final reactions.Adding chemical inclusions can reduce the effectiveness of the void during the shock impacting.Under the shockwave velocity of 9 km/s,the parent RDX decay rate in RDX entrained amorphous carbon decreases the most and is about one fourth of that in RDX with a vacuum void,and solid HMX and TATB inclusions are more reactive than amorphous carbon but less reactive than dry air or acetone inclusions.The lessdense shocking system denotes the greater increases in local temperature and stress,the faster energy liberation,and the earlier final reaction into equilibrium,revealing more pronounced responses to the present intense shockwave.The quantitative models associated with the relative system density(RD_(sys))were proposed for indicating energy-localization mechanisms and evaluating initiation safety in the shocked crystalline explosive.RD_(sys)is defined by the density ratio of defective RDX to perfect crystal after dynamics relaxation and reveals the global density characteristic in shocked systems filled with chemical inclusions.When RD_(sys)is below 0.9,local hydrodynamic jet initiated by void collapse dominates upon energy localization instead of interfacial impact.This study sheds light on novel insights for understanding the shock chemistry and physical-based atomic origin in crystalline explosives considering chemical-inclusions effects.

Constructing long-cycling crystalline C_(3)N_(4)-based carbonaceous anodes for sodium-ion battery via N configuration control

Carbon nitrides with two-dimensional layered structures and high theoretical capacities are attractive as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries while their low crystallinity and insufficient structural stability strongly restrict their practical applications.Coupling carbon nitrides with conductive carbon may relieve these issues.However,little is known about the influence of nitrogen(N)configurations on the interactions between carbon and C_(3)N_(4),which is fundamentally critical for guiding the precise design of advanced C_(3)N_(4)-related electrodes.Herein,highly crystalline C_(3)N_(4)(poly(triazine imide),PTI)based all-carbon composites were developed by molten salt strategy.More importantly,the vital role of pyrrolic-N for enhancing charge transfer and boosting Na+storage of C_(3)N_(4)-based composites,which was confirmed by both theoretical and experimental evidence,was spot-highlighted for the first time.By elaborately controlling the salt composition,the composite with high pyrrolic-N and minimized graphitic-N content was obtained.Profiting from the formation of highly crystalline PTI and electrochemically favorable pyrrolic-N configurations,the composite delivered an unusual reverse growth and record-level cycling stability even after 5000 cycles along with high reversible capacity and outstanding full-cell capacity retention.This work broadens the energy storage applications of C_(3)N_(4) and provides new prospects for the design of advanced all-carbon electrodes.

Preparation and Performance Study of Cementitious Capillary Crystalline Waterproof Materials

Cementitious capillary crystalline waterproof materials(CCCW for short)offer durability and excellent waterproofing properties,making them a popular option for building waterproofing.Some scholars have studied the proportioning of such materials.However,these studies lack the relationship between the impermeability pressure of mortar and the components,and the mechanism of action is somewhat debatable.Therefore,we adopted a two-step method in our experiments.Firstly,we screened out the components that significantly impact impermeability from a variety of active components by orthogonal test.We then optimized the design of the active group ratio using the simplex lattice method.Lastly,we conducted a performance test of the optimal ratio and explored the waterproofing mechanism of homemade CCCW.

Constructing Crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4)/g-C_(3)N_(4-x)S_(x)Isotype Heterostructure for Efficient Photocatalytic and Piezocatalytic Performances

Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))is viewed as a promising visible-light photocatalyst for industrialization due to its low processing temperature and high chemical stability.However,serious charge recombination caused by incomplete polymerization during direct calcination of nitrogen-rich precursors significantly limits its photocatalytic performances.To boost charge separation,herein,we propose a rational strategy by constructing a crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4)/g-C_(3)N_(4-x)S_(x) isotype heterostructure through the molten salt method.Theoretical calculation reveals that apparent charge-transfer channels are formed between g-C_(3)N_(4) and S-doped g-C_(3)N_(4) layers in the heterostructure.Owing to high crystallinity for decreasing charge recombination and isotype heterostructure for efficient charge transfer,the as-prepared g-C_(3)N_(4)/g-C_(3)N_(4-x)S_(x) showed remarkable photocatalytic performances with the hydrogen production rate elevated by up to 12.3 times of its singular components.Another novelty of this work is we investigated for the first time the piezocatalytic activity of crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) by characterizing its performance for H2O2 generation and KMnO4 reduction.Strikingly,its superior piezocatalytic performance over components can be further improved by NaBH4 treatment,which is uncovered to enhance the asymmetric structure of crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) by introducing extra cyano groups and removing partial NHx species in its tri-s-triazine layer structure.This work opens up new strategies for the design of highly efficient polymeric photocatalysts and highlights the piezocatalytic studies of g-C_(3)N_(4).

Transformation of Hexagonal Lu to Cubic LuH_(2+x)Single-Crystalline Films

With the recent report of near ambient superconductivity at room temperature in the N-doped lutetium hydride(Lu-H-N)system,the understanding of cubic Lu-H compounds has attracted worldwide attention.Generally,compared to polycrystals with non-negligible impurities,the single-crystalline form of materials with high purity can provide an opportunity to show their hidden properties.However,the experimental synthesis of single-crystalline cubic Lu-H compounds has not been reported so far.Here,we develop an easy way to synthesize highly pure LuH_(2+x)single-crystalline films by the post-annealing of Lu single-crystalline films(purity of 99.99%)in H_(2)atmosphere.The crystal and electronic structures of films were characterized by x-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,and electrical transport.Interestingly,Lu films are silver-white and metallic,whereas their transformed LuH_(2+x)films become purple-red and insulating,indicating the possible formation of an unreported electronic state of Lu-H compounds.Our work provides a novel route to synthesize and explore more singlecrystalline Lu-H compounds.

Influence of substituting B_(2)O_(3) with Li_(2)O on the viscosity,structure and crystalline phase of low-reactivity mold flux

The low-reactivity mold flux with low SiO_(2)content is considered suitable for the continuous casting of high-aluminum steel since it can significantly reduce the reaction between Al in steel and SiO_(2)in mold flux.However,the traditional low-reactivity mold flux still presents some problems such as high viscosity and strong crystallization tendency.In this study,the co-addition of Li_(2)O and B_(2)O_(3)in CaO–Al_(2)O_(3)–10wt%Si O_(2)based low-reactivity mold flux was proposed to improve properties of mold flux for high-aluminum steel,and the effect of Li_(2)O replacing B_(2)O_(3)on properties of mold flux was investigated.The viscosity of the mold flux with 2wt%Li_(2)O and 6wt%B_(2)O_(3)reached a minimum value of 0.07 Pa·s.The break temperature and melting point showed a similar trend with the viscosity.Besides,the melt structure and precipitation of the crystalline phase were studied using Raman and X-ray diffraction spectra to better understand the evolution of viscosity.It demonstrated that with increasing Li_(2)O content in the mold flux from 0 to 6 wt%,the degree of polymerization of aluminate and the aluminosilicate network structure increased because of increasing Li+released by Li_(2)O,indicating the added Li_(2)O was preferentially associated with Al^(3+)as a charge compensator.The precipitation of LiAlO_(2)crystalline phase gradually increased with the replacement of B_(2)O_(3)by Li_(2)O.Therefore,Li_(2)O content should be controlled below 2wt%to avoid LiAlO_(2)precipitation,which was harmful to the continuous casting of highaluminum steels.

Crystalline framework nanosheets as platforms for functional materials

The integration of organic and inorganic materials has been widely used in various applications to generate novel functional nanomaterials characterized by unique properties.Functional crystalline framework nanosheets and their synergistic effects have been studied recently for possessing the advantages of functional species as well as crystalline framework nanosheets.Hence,we have focused on the preparation methods and applications of functional crystalline framework nanosheets in this review.We introduced crystalline framework nanosheets and discussed the importance of integrating functional species with nanosheets to form functional crystalline framework nanosheets.Then,two aspects of the preparation methods of functional crystalline framework nanosheets were reviewed:in situ synthesis and post-synthesis modification.Subsequently,we discussed the properties of the crystalline framework nanosheets combined with various functional species and summarized their applications in catalysis,sensing,separation,and energy storage.Finally,we have shared our insights on the challenges of functional crystalline framework nanosheets,hoping to contribute to the knowledge base for optimizing the preparation methods,expanding categories,improving stability,and exploring potential applications.

Effects of Pore-forming Agents on Properties of Silicon Carbide Porous Ceramics Prepared from Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC powder was rapidly synthesized in an induction furnace with crystalline silicon cutting waste and active carbon as raw materials,and then SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1600 t for 4 h with carbon embedded using the powder as raw material,the starch and the graphite as pore-forming agents.Effects of additions of different pore-forming agents on the phase composition,microstructures,physical properties,and cold crushing strength of the porous ceramics were investigated.The results show that the main crystalline phases of the synthetic powder areα-S iC(6H-SiC)andβ-SiC(3C-SiC).The phase composition of the porous ceramics includesα-S iC(6H-SiC),β-SiC(3C-SiC),FeSi,quartz and Si2N20.The apparent porosity and closed porosity of the porous ceramics prepared by adding starch are higher,and the cold compressive strength of the porous ceramics added with graphite is higher.As increasing the additions of the starch,the apparent porosity,closed porosity and linear shrinkage ratio of the porous ceramics increase,and the bulk density decreases correspondingly.When 20 mass%starch is added,the apparent porosity,closed porosity,linear shrinkage ratio and cold compressive strength are 57.05%,2.03%,5.10%and 10.20 MPa,respectively.

Transient vacuolar changes of the crystalline lens in patients using a dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device

AIM:To report the clinical prognosis and pathological findings of accidental lens vacuolar changes in eyes with intraoperative exposure to a dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device(OVD).METHODS:Two patients who developed transient lens vacuolar changes during uneventful persistent pupillary membrane(PPM)removal surgery were presented and followed up.This event was speculated to be associated with an intraoperative dispersive OVD DisCoVisc(hyaluronic acid 1.6%-chondroitin sulfate 4.0%)exposure.Then,to provide the pathological basis for our speculation,another four cataract patients were randomly exposed to different OVDs,and their anterior lens capsules were investigated with transmission electron microscopy(TEM).RESULTS:After months,the subcapsular vacuoles in both PPM cases were gradually disappeared without visual deterioration.For the cataract patients,similar lens changes were observed intraoperatively in those exposed to a dispersive DisCoVisc but not a cohesive OVD IVIZ(sodium hyaluronate gel 1.0%).In addition,marked ultrastructural changes,including chromatin condensation,extensive cytoplasmic vacuoles,and obvious intercellular space between lens epithelial cells in the anterior lens capsules of all eyes exposed to DisCoVisc,were observed by TEM.CONCLUSION:The lens vacuolar changes may be associated with a dispersive OVD exposure.Therefore,it is not preferable to use dispersive OVDs in patients with transparent lenses or without the intention of lens extraction.In addition,close follow-ups instead of immediate lens extraction are recommended for the occurrence of similar lens lesions.

Tuning the crystallinity of titanium nitride on copper-embedded carbon nanofiber interlayers for accelerated electrochemical kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries

The development of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries is hindered by the disadvantages of shuttling of polysulfides and the sluggish redox kinetics of the conversion of sulfur species during discharge and charge.Herein,the crystallinities of a titanium nitride(TiN)film on copper-embedded carbon nanofibers(Cu-CNFs)are regulated and the nanofibers are used as interlayers to resolve the aforementioned crucial issues.A low-crystalline TiN-coated Cu-CNF(L-TiN-Cu-CNF)interlayer is compared with its highly crystalline counterpart(H-TiN-Cu-CNFs).It is demonstrated that the L-TiN coating not only strengthens the chemical adsorption toward polysulfides but also greatly accelerates the electrochemical conversion of polysulfides.Due to robust carbon frameworks and enhanced kinetics,impressive highrate performance at 2 C(913 mAh g^(-1)based on sulfur)as well as remarkable cyclic stability up to 300 cycles(626 mAh g^(-1))with capacity retention of 46.5%is realized for L-TiN-Cu-CNF interlayer-configured Li-S batteries.Even under high loading(3.8 mg cm^(-2))of sulfur and relatively lean electrolyte(10μL electrolyte per milligram sulfur)conditions,the Li-S battery equipped with L-TiN-Cu-CNF interlayers delivers a high capacity of 1144 mAh g^(-1)with cathodic capacity of 4.25 mAh cm^(-2)at 0.1 C,providing a potential pathway toward the design of multifunctional interlayers for highly efficient Li-S batteries.

Petrology and Geochemical Features of Crystalline Rocks in Ora-Ekiti,Southwestern Nigeria

This research investigates and reports on the petrology and geochemical characteristics of crystalline basement rocks in Ora-Ekiti,Southwestern Nigeria.Exhaustive geological investigation reveals migmatite,banded gneiss,gran­ite gneiss and biotite gneiss underlie the area.In reducing order of abundance,petrographic examination reveals that migmatite contains quartz,muscovite and opaque minerals.Banded geniuses contain quartz,biotite,plagioclase,and opaque minerals.Granite geniuses contain quartz,plagioclase,biotite,microcline and opaque;while biotite geniuses contain biotite,plagioclase,opaque minerals,and quartz.Silica contents in migmatite(69.50%-72.66%;ca.71.23%),banded gneiss(71.66%-77.1%;ca.75.23%),biotite gneiss(72.32%-76.18%;ca.73.83%)and granite gneiss(69.82%-73.15%;ca.71.95%)indicate the rocks are siliceous.High alumina contents in migmatite(12.18%),banded gneiss(10.28%),biotite gneiss(11.46%)and granite gneiss(9.97%)are comparable to similar rocks in the basement com­plex.All the rocks show Ba,Sr and Rb enrichment.Harker diagrams of Al_(2)O_(3)versus SiO_(2)and CaO versus SiO_(2)show negative trends while Na_(2)O versus SiO_(2),K_(2)O versus SiO_(2)and TiO_(2)versus SiO_(2)plots showed positive trends.This var­iation probably depicts extensive crystal fractionation in the magmatic systems that produced the rocks prior to meta­morphism or partial melting of the precursor rock.SiO_(2)versus(Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)classifies the rocks as granite to granodi­orite.The rocks are high K-calc-alkaline and calc-alkalic on SiO_(2)-K_(2)O plot.This shows the rocks are potassic meaning that they are formed from a potassium-rich source.The plot of Al_(2)O_(3)/(Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)versus Al_(2)O_(3)/(CaO+Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)reveals the crystalline rocks are orogenic and originated from granitoid with meta luminous affinity.The rocks consist of gneisses of no economic minerals,but the petrology reveals them as common rocks typical of metamorphic terrains and geochemical features of the rocks reveal they are felsic and of granitic composition.

Crystallinity-defect matching relationship of g-C_(3)N_(4): Experimental and theoretical perspectives

Good crystallinity can reduce the charge recombination centers caused by defects,whilst structures with strong polycondensation have high charge mobility,leading to more charge transfer to the material surface for reaction.Much effort has been put into the preparation of a highly efficient g-C_(3)N_(4) with defects to improve its application potential under the premise in high crystallinity.Hence,this review paper emphasizes the importance to balance the defect and crystallinity of g-C_(3)N_(4).In addition,detailed discussion on the relationship between defects and activity of g-C_(3)N_(4) was carried out based on its applications in environmental purification(e.g.,VOCs oxidation,NO_(x) oxidation,H_(2)O_(2) evolution,sterilization,pesticide oxidation)and energy conversion(H_(2) evolution,N_(2) fixation and CO_(2) reduction).Lastly,the challenge in developing more efficient defective g-C_(3)N_(4) photocatalytic materials is summarized.

Reinforcement of Lignin-Based Phenol-Formaldehyde Adhesive with Nano-Crystalline Cellulose (NCC): Curing Behavior and Bonding Property of Plywood

The curing behavior of lignin-based phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resin with different contents of nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different heating rates (5, 10 and 20&degC/min) and the bonding property was evaluated by the wet shear strength and wood failure of two-ply plywood panels after soaking in water (48 hours at room temperature and followed by 1-hour boiling). The test results indicated that the NCC content had little influence on the peak temperature, activation energy and the total heat of reaction of LPF resin at 5 and 10&degC/min. But at 20&degC/min, LPF0.00% (LPF resin without NCC) showed the highest total heat of reaction, while LPF0.25% (LPF resin containing 0.25% NCC content) and LPF0.50% (LPF resin containing 0.50% NCC content) gave the lowest value. The wet shear strength was affected by the NCC content to a certain extent. With regard to the results of one-way analysis of variance, the bonding quality could be improved by NCC and the optimum NCC content ranged from 0.25% to 0.50%. The wood failure was also affected by the NCC content, but the trend with respect to NCC content was not clear.

Crystalline Silica Promotes Rat Fibrocyte Differentiation in Vitro,and Fibrocytes Participate in Silicosis in Vivo

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Si O2 on fibrocytes and whether fibrocytes participate in silicosis in vivo. Methods A macrophagocyte（AM）/fibrocyte coculture system was established, and AMs were treated with 100 μg/mL SiO 2. Flow cytometry was used to detect the number of fibrocytes. Real‐time PCR was performed to measure the expression of collagen I, collagen III, and α‐SMA mR NA. The levels of collagen I, collagen III, and TGF‐β1 protein were determined by ELISA. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to measure α‐SMA protein expression. A rat silicosis model was induced by intratracheal instillation of SiO 2. Lung histopathological evaluation was conducted using HE and Masson＇s trichrome staining after 1 and 9 weeks. The number of fibrocytes in peripheral blood or lung tissue of rat was detected by flow cytometry. Double‐color immunofluorescence was applied to identify fibrocytes in the lung tissue. Results Peripheral blood monocytes were found to differentiate into fibrocytes in vitro in a time‐dependent manner, and exposure to crystalline silica might potentiate fibrocyte differentiation. In addition, fibrocytes were able to migrate from peripheral blood to the lung tissue, and the number of fibrocytes was increased after SiO 2 exposure. Conclusion Silica exposure potentiates fibrocyte differentiation, and fibrocytes may participate in silicosis in vivo.

Self-Healing Concrete with Crystalline Admixture——A Review

The scope of the present paper is to understand the effects of crystalline admixture on the selfhealing capacity of the cementitious composites. Previous studies were examined and a conclusion was drawn to the effect that different additives to crystalline admixture tend to improve self-healing of concrete for larger cracks. It is recommended that initial treatment with chemical admixture can stimulate and heal further cracks and it has the better repeatability trend in mixing with the concretes and mechanical recovery is possible even under repetitive preloading. Effective self-healing with chemical admixtures even under open-air exposure, leads to study the importance of a service ability design parameter including the maximum allowable crack width by repeatability analysis as a function of the exposure with the concept of sealable crack width.

Microwave Absorption of Crystalline Fe/MnO@C Nanocapsules Embedded in Amorphous Carbon

Crystalline Fe/MnO@C core–shell nanocapsules inlaid in porous amorphous carbon matrix(FMCA)was synthesized successfully with a novel confinement strategy.The heterogeneous Fe/MnO nanocrystals are with approximate single-domain size which gives rise to natural resonance in 2–18 GHz.The addition of MnO2 confines degree of graphitization catalyzed by iron and contributes to the formation of amorphous carbon.The heterogeneous materials composed of crystalline–amorphous structures disperse evenly and its density is significantly reduced on account of porous properties.Meanwhile,adjustable dielectric loss is achieved by interrupting Fe core aggregation and stacking graphene conductive network.The dielectric loss synergistically with magnetic loss endows the FMCA enhanced absorption.The optimal reflection loss(RL)is up to−45 dB,and the effective bandwidth(RL<−10 dB)is 5.0 GHz with 2.0 mm thickness.The proposed confinement strategy not only lays the foundation for designing high-performance microwave absorber,but also offers a general duty synthesis method for heterogeneous crystalline–amorphous composites with tunable composition in other fields.

Fabrication of high strength conductivity submicron crystalline Cu 5%Cr alloy by mechanical alloying

Cu 5%Cr alloy bulk material with submicron grains were fabricated by mechanical alloying and subsequent hot hydrostatic extrusion. The microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the alloy were experimentally investigated, and the influence of the extrusion temperature on its microstructure and properties was made clear. Also, the strengthening mechanism of the alloy was discussed. It was revealed that the microstructure of the alloy is very fine, with an average grain size being about 100～120 nm, and thus possesses significant fine grain strengthening effect, leading to very high mechanical strength of 800～1 000 MPa. Meanwhile, the alloy also possesses quite good electrical conductivity and moderate tensile elongation, with the former in the range of 55%～70%(IACS) and the latter about 5% respectively.

Crystalline texture evolution, control of the tribocorrosion behavior, and significant enhancement of the abrasion properties of a Ni-P nanocomposite coating enhanced by zirconia nanoparticles

This paper describes an investigation of the effect of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the abrasive properties,crystalline texture developments,and tribocorrosion behavior of Ni-P nanostructured coatings.In the investigation,Ni-P and Ni-P-ZrO2 nanostructured coatings are deposited on St52 steel via the electroless method.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),cyclic-static polarization tests in 3.5wt%NaCl solution,the tribocorrosion test(by back-and-forth wear in electrochemical cell),and the microhardness test using the Vickers method were performed to characterize and analyze the deposited coatings.The results of this study showed that the addition of ZrO2 nanoparticles to the Ni-P electroless bath produced the following:a sharp increase in wear and hardness resistance,the change of the wear mechanism from sheet to adhesive mode,the reduction of pitting corrosion resistance,significant reduction in the tribocorrosion protective properties,change in the preferred orientation of the crystalline texture coating from(111)to(200),increase in the sedimentation rate during the deposit process,and a sharp increase in the thickness of the Ni-P nanostructured coatings.