Laser powder bed fusion of a Ni3Al-based intermetallic alloy with tailored microstructure and superior mechanical performance

Ni3Al-based alloys are excellent candidates for the structural materials used for turbine engines due to their excellent high-temperature properties.This study aims at laser powder bed fusion and post-hot isostatic pressing(HIP)treatment of Ni3Al-based IC^(-2)21 M alloy with a highγ0 volume fraction.The as-built samples exhibits unavoidable solidification cracking and ductility dip cracking,and the laser parameter optimization can reduce the crack density to 1.34 mm/mm^(2).Transmission electron microscope(TEM)analysis reveals ultra-fine nanoscaleγ0 phases in the as-built samples due to the high cooling rate during rapid solidification.After HIP treatment,a fully dense structure without cracking defects is achieved,which exhibits an equiaxed structure with grain size~120-180μm and irregularly shapedγ0 precipitates~1-3μm with a prominently high fraction of 86%.The room-temperature tensile test of as-built samples shows a high ultimate tensile strength(σUTS)of 1039.7 MPa and low fracture elongation of 6.4%.After HIP treatment,a significant improvement in ductility(15.7%)and a slight loss of strength(σUTS of 831.7 MPa)are obtained by eliminating the crack defects.Both the as-built and HIP samples exhibit retained highσUTS values of 589.8 MPa and 786.2 MPa,respectively,at 900C.The HIP samples exhibita slight decrease in ductility to~12.9%,indicating excellent high-temperature mechanical performance.Moreover,the abnormal increase in strength and decrease in ductility suggest the critical role of a highγ0 fraction in cracking formation.The intrinsic heat treatment during repeating thermal cycles can induce brittleness and trigger cracking initiation in the heat-affected zone with notable deteriorating ductility.The results indicate that the combination of LPBF and HIP can effectively reduce the crack density and enhance the mechanical properties of Ni_(3)Al-based alloy,making it a promising material for high-temperature applications.

A review of Al-based material dopants for high-performance solid state lithium metal batteries

As the world transitions to green energy, there is a growing focus among many researchers on the requirement for high-efficient and safe batteries. Solid-state lithium metal batteries(SSLMBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), offering higher energy density, enhanced safety, and longer lifespan. The rise of SSLMBs has brought about a transformation in energy storage, with aluminum(Al)-based material dopants playing a crucial role in advancing the next generation of batteries. The review highlights the significance of Al-based material dopants in SSLMBs applications, particularly its contributions to solid-state electrolytes(SSEs), cathodes, anodes,and other components of SSLMBs. Some studies have also shown that Al-based material dopants effectively enhance SSE ion conductivity, stabilize electrode and SSE interfaces, and suppress lithium dendrite growth, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of SSLMBs. Despite the above mentioned progresses, there are still problems and challenges need to be addressed. The review offers a comprehensive insight into the important role of Al in SSLMBs and addresses some of the issues related to its applications, endowing valuable support for the practical implementation of SSLMBs.

Hot corrosion of modified Ti_3Al-based alloy coated with thin Na_2SO_4 film at 910 and 950℃ in air

The hot corrosion behaviour of a modified Ti3Al-based alloy under thin Na2SO4deposit film was investigated at910and950°C in air.The corrosion product was identified by XRD and its morphologies on the surface and cross-section were observed bySEM.The alloy suffered from considerable hot corrosion attack.The mass gain versus time curves obtained by TGA exhibited tworegions of different kinetics.The whole corroded layer consisted of loose and porous mixture oxides of TiO2,Nb2O5and Al2O3.Numerous small nodules of corrosion product were observed.An illustrative schematic was established to describe the formationprocess of such nodules.It seemed that the refractory oxides played a significantly important role in determining the development ofhot corrosion attack.

Correlation between pre-peak in structure factor and physical properties in Al-based amorphous alloys

To study the influence of Fe addition on the Al-based amorphous alloys,the structure and properties of Al84Ni10La6 and Al84Ni9Fe1La6 alloys were investigated through various techniques.The results show that 1% Fe（molar fraction） addition increases the area of the pre-peak in the structure factor and decreases the thermal expansion coefficient difference between the crystalline and amorphous states.1% Fe addition also improves the glass forming ability（GFA）,micro-hardness,fracture toughness,electric resistivity,absolute diamagnetism and corrosion resistance of Al-Ni-La alloys,which is related to the changes of medium-range order and quench-in free volume caused by 1% Fe addition.

TEM Specimen Preparation for Al-based Amorphous Alloys

Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） is usually used to identify the amorphicity. However, some artifacts may be introduced due to improper TEM foil preparation. In this paper, three Al-rich metallic glasses with and without a glass transition were selected for characterizing the effect of the electropolishing condition on the as-quenched structure during TEM specimen preparation. It is shown that the occurrence of the modulated bright-dark structure under TEM observation is closely sensitive to the electropolishing condition, which suggests us being careful about the possible artifacts induced by specimen preparation when examining amorphous alloys under TEM.

Evolution of V-containing phases during preparation of Al-based Al−V master alloys

Al-based Al−V master alloys were prepared by both the stepwise heating melting experiment and stepwise melting cooling experiment with rapid solidification to investigate the transformation of V-containing phases which gave different effects on microstructures and properties of commercial Al alloys and Ti alloys,as both melting and solidification processes affect the evolution of V-containing phases largely.The results showed that the raw Al−50wt.%V alloy consisted of needle-like Al_(3)V phase and Al8V5 phase(matrix),while petal-like Al_(3)V,needle-like Al_(7)V and plate-like Al_(10)V phase were present in the Al−V master alloys.The metastable Al_(7)V phase was evolved from Al_(3)V phase and then evolved into Al_(10)V phase during melting process.The number of Al_(10)V phase increased with the decrease of temperature in the range of 800−1000℃.Petal-like Al_(3)V phases could be transformed from Al_(8)V_(5) phase,pre-precipitated from Al−V molten liquid during melting process and precipitated directly during rapid solidification,respectively.

Rare Earth Application in Sealing Anodized Al-Based Metal Matrix Composites

A new method for corrosion protection of Al-based metal matrix composites (MMC) was developed using two-step process, which involves anodizing in H2SO4 solution and sealing in rare earth solution. Corrosion resistance of the treated surface was evaluated with polarization curves. The results showed that the effect of the protection using rare earth sealing is equivalent to that using chromate sealing for Al6061/SiCp. The rare earth metal salt can be an alternative to the toxic chromate for sealing anodized Al MMC.

Laser patterning of large-scale perovskite single-crystal-based arrays for single-mode laser displays

Lead halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention as potential candidates for high-performance nano/microlasers,owing to their outstanding optical properties.However,the further development of perovskite microlaser arrays(especially based on polycrystalline thin films)produced by the conventional processing techniques is hindered by the chemical instability and surface roughness of the perovskite structures.Herein,we demonstrate a laser patterning of large-scale,highly crystalline perovskite single-crystal films to fabricate reproducible perovskite single-crystal-based microlaser arrays.Perovskite thin films were directly ablated by femtosecond-laser in multiple low-power cycles at a minimum machining line width of approximately 300 nm to realize high-precision,chemically clean,and repeatable fabrication of microdisk arrays.The surface impurities generated during the process can be washed away to avoid external optical loss due to the robustness of the single-crystal film.Moreover,the high-quality,large-sized perovskite single-crystal films can significantly improve the quality of microcavities,thereby realizing a perovskite microdisk laser with narrow linewidth(0.09 nm)and low threshold(5.1µJ/cm2).Benefiting from the novel laser patterning method and the large-sized perovskite single-crystal films,a high power and high color purity laser display with single-mode microlasers as pixels was successfully fabricated.Thus,this study may offer a potential platform for mass-scale and reproducible fabrication of microlaser arrays,and further facilitate the development of highly integrated applications based on perovskite materials.

Performance and microstructure of Al-based grinding wheel

Diamond grinding wheel were prepared with Al-based bonding agent.The microstructure of Al-based diamond grinding wheel was observed by SEM.The fracture morphology,interface between bonding agent and diamond,and the elemental distribution in bonding agent were studied.The results showed that there were some Al-based agents retained on the diamond surface.Ti,Ni formed intermetallurgy phase with Al in the agent and reduced the plasticity of bonding agent.The service life of this Al-based diamond grinding wheel is proved by the grinding experiments to be three times as long as that of resin-bonded grinding wheel.

Significantly Improved High-Temperature Energy Storage Performance of BOPP Films by Coating Nanoscale Inorganic Layer

Biaxially oriented polypropylene(BOPP)is one of the most commonly used commercial capacitor films,but its upper operating temperature is below 105℃due to the sharply increased electrical conduction loss at high temperature.In this study,growing an inorganic nanoscale coating layer onto the BOPP film's surface is proposed to suppress electrical conduction loss at high temperature,as well as increase its upper operating temperature.Four kinds of inorganic coating layers that have different energy band structure and dielectric property are grown onto the both surface of BOPP films,respectively.The effect of inorganic coating layer on the high-temperature energy storage performance has been systematically investigated.The favorable coating layer materials and appropriate thickness enable the BOPP films to have a significant improvement in high-temperature energy storage performance.Specifically,when the aluminum nitride(AIN)acts as a coating layer,the AIN-BOPP-AIN sandwich-structured films possess a discharged energy density of 1.5 J cm^(-3)with an efficiency of 90%at 125℃,accompanying an outstandingly cyclic property.Both the discharged energy density and operation temperature are significantly enhanced,indicating that this efficient and facile method provides an important reference to improve the high-temperature energy storage performance of polymer-based dielectric films.

EFFECT OF ELONGATED GRAIN STRUCTURE ON THEMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AN Fe_3Al-BASEDALLOY

The effect of hot-rolling processing on microstructure as well as the relationship between the elongated grain structure and tensile properties are investigated. The results indicate that the elongated grain structure influences the tensile properties and creep rupture life of Fe3Al alloy significantly. For the better strength and ductility at RT,a thinner elongated grain structure is desirable. When the elongated grain size is increased, the tensile properties will be decreased. On the other hand, the creeP rupture life at 600℃ is increased with the increase of elongated grain size.

The Kinetics of Hydrogen Diffusion in Ti_3Al-Based Alloy

The Proccss of gascous hydrogcn charging into a Ti_3Al- based alloy in the temperature range of 500-650℃isinvcstigatcd. The rcsnlls snoxvc that in rclatiollshil, between the average hydrogen concentration at constant tempreature and charging time reveals a parabolie rate law Applying the theory of lattice constant tcnlpcralurc and hrgillg tin rcvcals a parabolic riltc laiv. Applyillg tbcthcoly oftatticc dillbsio to allalyzc the hydrogcll diethesioll they andthat cncrgy of hydrogcn diffusion is 90.40 kJ/mol. and the equilibrium hydrogen content in the alloy depends on the temperature of the gaseous hydrogen charging process

Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra‑High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,achieving a flexible EMI shielding film,while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge.Herein,a flexible,transparent,and conductive copper(Cu)metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique.The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18Ω□^(-1)),high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm),and ultra-high figure of merit(>13,000).It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3%after 1,000 bending cycles.As a stretchable heater(ε>30%),the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110°C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage.Moreover,the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5μm.As a demonstration,it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves.Therefore,the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.

Suppression of Co(Ⅱ)ion deposition and hazards:Regulation of SEI film composition and structure

Despite the presence of Li F components in the solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)formed on the graphite anode surface by conventional electrolyte,these Li F components primarily exist in an amorphous state,rendering them incapable of effectively inhibiting the exchange reaction between lithium ions and transition metal ions in the electrolyte.Consequently,nearly all lithium ions within the SEI film are replaced by transition metal ions,resulting in an increase in interphacial impedance and a decrease in stability.Herein,we demonstrate that the SEI film,constructed by fluoroethylene carbonate(FEC)additive rich in crystalline Li F,effectively inhibits the undesired Li^(+)/Co^(2+)ion exchange reaction,thereby suppressing the deposition of cobalt compounds and metallic cobalt.Furthermore,the deposited cobalt compounds exhibit enhanced structural stability and reduced catalytic activity with minimal impact on the interphacial stability of the graphite anode.Our findings reveal the crucial influence of SEI film composition and structure on the deposition and hazards associated with transition metal ions,providing valuable guidance for designing next-generation electrolytes.

OptoGPT: A foundation model for inverse design in optical multilayer thin film structures

Optical multilayer thin film structures have been widely used in numerous photonic applications.However,existing inverse design methods have many drawbacks because they either fail to quickly adapt to different design targets,or are difficult to suit for different types of structures,e.g.,designing for different materials at each layer.These methods also cannot accommodate versatile design situations under different angles and polarizations.In addition,how to benefit practical fabrications and manufacturing has not been extensively considered yet.In this work,we introduce OptoGPT(Opto Generative Pretrained Transformer),a decoder-only transformer,to solve all these drawbacks and issues simultaneously.

Numerical and experimental study on the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in hydrogen liquefaction process

Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation is an effective method for large-scale transportation and utilization of hydrogen energy. Revealing the flow mechanism of cryogenic working fluid is the key to optimize heat exchanger structure and hydrogen liquefaction process(LH2). The methods of cryogenic visualization experiment, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation are conducted to study the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in LH2spiral wound heat exchanger.The results show that the flow rate of mixed refrigerant has a great influence on liquid film spreading process, falling film flow pattern and heat transfer performance. The liquid film of LH2mixed refrigerant with column flow pattern can not uniformly and completely cover the tube wall surface. As liquid flow rate increases, the falling film flow pattern evolves into sheet-column flow and sheet flow, and liquid film completely covers the surface of tube wall. With the increase of shear effect of gas-phase mixed refrigerant in the same direction, the liquid film gradually becomes unstable, and the flow pattern eventually evolves into a mist flow.

Highly Flexible Graphene-Film-Based Rectenna for Wireless Energy Harvesting

Herein,we report the design,fabrication,and performance of two wireless energy harvesting devices based on highly flexible graphene macroscopic films(FGMFs).We first demonstrate that benefiting from the high conductivity of up to 1×10^(6)S m^(-1)and good resistive stability of FGMFs even under extensive bending,the FGMFs-based rectifying circuit(GRC)exhibits good flexibility and RF-to-DC efficiency of 53%at 2.1 GHz.Moreover,we further expand the application of FGMFs to a flexible wideband monopole rectenna and a 2.45 GHz wearable rectenna for harvesting wireless energy.The wideband rectenna at various bending conditions produces a maximum conversion efficiency of 52%,46%,and 44%at the 5th Generation(5G)2.1 GHz,Industrial Long-Term Evolution(LTE)2.3 GHz,and Scientific Medical(ISM)2.45 GHz,respectively.A 2.45 GHz GRC is optimized and integrated with an AMC-backed wearable antenna.The proposed 2.45 GHz wearable rectenna shows a maximum conversion efficiency of 55.7%.All the results indicate that the highly flexible graphene-film-based rectennas have great potential as a wireless power supplier for smart Internet of Things(loT)applications.

Metal-Halide Perovskite Submicrometer-Thick Films for Ultra-Stable Self-Powered Direct X-Ray Detectors

Metal-halide perovskites are revolutionizing the world of X-ray detectors,due to the development of sensitive,fast,and cost-effective devices.Self-powered operation,ensuring portability and low power consumption,has also been recently demonstrated in both bulk materials and thin films.However,the signal stability and repeatability under continuous X-ray exposure has only been tested up to a few hours,often reporting degradation of the detection performance.Here it is shown that self-powered direct X-ray detectors,fabricated starting from a FAPbBr_(3)submicrometer-thick film deposition onto a mesoporous TiO_(2)scaffold,can withstand a 26-day uninterrupted X-ray exposure with negligible signal loss,demonstrating ultra-high operational stability and excellent repeatability.No structural modification is observed after irradiation with a total ionizing dose of almost 200 Gy,revealing an unexpectedly high radiation hardness for a metal-halide perovskite thin film.In addition,trap-assisted photoconductive gain enabled the device to achieve a record bulk sensitivity of 7.28 C Gy^(−1)cm^(−3)at 0 V,an unprecedented value in the field of thin-film-based photoconductors and photodiodes for“hard”X-rays.Finally,prototypal validation under the X-ray beam produced by a medical linear accelerator for cancer treatment is also introduced.

Multifunctional MXene/Carbon Nanotube Janus Film for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Harsh Environments

Multifunctional,flexible,and robust thin films capable of operating in demanding harsh temperature environments are crucial for various cutting-edge applications.This study presents a multifunctional Janus film integrating highly-crystalline Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene and mechanically-robust carbon nanotube(CNT)film through strong hydrogen bonding.The hybrid film not only exhibits high electrical conductivity(4250 S cm^(-1)),but also demonstrates robust mechanical strength and durability in both extremely low and high temperature environments,showing exceptional resistance to thermal shock.This hybrid Janus film of 15μm thickness reveals remarkable multifunctionality,including efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 72 dB in X band frequency range,excellent infrared(IR)shielding capability with an average emissivity of 0.09(a minimal value of 0.02),superior thermal camouflage performance over a wide temperature range(−1 to 300℃)achieving a notable reduction in the radiated temperature by 243℃ against a background temperature of 300℃,and outstanding IR detection capability characterized by a 44%increase in resistance when exposed to 250 W IR radiation.This multifunctional MXene/CNT Janus film offers a feasible solution for electromagnetic shielding and IR shielding/detection under challenging conditions.

Al-based Assistants

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