Preparation,Characterization and Photothermal Study of PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) Composite Films

In this work,flexible photothermal PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films with different amount(0 wt%,5 wt%,10 wt%,15 wt%)of Ti_(2)O_(3) particles modified by steric acid were prepared by a simple solution casting method.The microstructures,XRD patterns,FTIR spectra,UV-Vis-NIR spectra thermo-conductivity,thermo-stability and photothermal effects of these composite films were all characterized.These results indicated that Ti_(2)O_(3) particles were well dispersed throughout the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)matrix in the PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films.And Ti_(2)O_(3) particles could also effectively improve the photothermal properties of the composite films which exhibited high light absorption and generated a high temperature(about 57.4℃for film with 15 wt%Ti_(2)O_(3) amount)on the surface when it was irradiated by a simulated sunlight source(1 kW/m^(2)).

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.

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofibril-Waterborne Polyurethane Composite Films

To improve the performance of polyurethane films,small amounts of cellulose nanofibrils(CNF)were physically blended with a waterborne polyurethane(WPU)emulsion,and then CNF/WPU composite films were prepared by cast-coating and drying.The particle size of the emulsions and the chemical structure,micromorphology,thermal stability,mechanical properties,and water resistance of the composite films were characterized using a Malvern laser particle size analyzer,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),an electronic strength machine,water contact angle analysis(WCA),and water absorption tests,respectively.The results showed that at a low CNF content of 0.3 wt%,the particle size of the WPU emulsion and chemical structure of the film did not change significantly.In addition,the tensile strength of the composite film increased by up to 108%compared to the neat WPU film,and the thermal stability and water resistance were slightly improved.The addition of CNF greatly enhanced the tensile strength while maintaining the other original properties of the WPU film,which may greatly improve the service life and tear resistance of commercial coatings in the future.

Preparation and Properties of Vegetable-Oil-Based Thioether Polyol and Ethyl Cellulose Supramolecular Composite Films

Ethyl cellulose(EC),an important biomass-based material,has excellent film-forming properties.Nevertheless,the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC,which makes it too brittle to be used widely.The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer.In this study,an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC.Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol(DATP)was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films.The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose were designed using the newly-formed van der Waals force.The thermal stability,morphology,hydrophilicity,and mechanical properties of the composite films were all tested.Pure EC is fragile,and the addition of DATP makes the ethyl cellulose films more flexible.The elongation at the break of EC supramolecular films increased and the tensile strength decreased with the increasing DATP content.The elongation at the break of EC/DATP(60/40)and EC/DATP(50/50)was up to 40.3%and 43.4%,respectively.Noticeably,the thermal initial degradation temperature of the film with 10%DATP is higher than that of pure EC,which may be attributed to the formation of a better supramolecular system in this composite film.The application of bio-based material(EC)is environmentally friendly,and the novel DATP can be used as a special and effective plasticizer to prepare flexible EC films,making it more widely used in energy,chemical industry,materials,agriculture,medicine,and other fields.

Preparation and characterization of ZrO_2/TiO_2 composite photocatalytic film by micro-arc oxidation

ZrO2/TiO2 composite photocatalytic film was produced on the pure titanium substrate using in-situ Zr（OH）4 colloidal particle by the micro-arc oxidation technique and characterized by scanning electron microscope （SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray （EDX）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and ultraviolet-visible （UV-Vis） spectrophotometer. The composite film shows a lamellar and porous structure which consists of anatase, futile and ZrO2 phases. The optical absorption edge of film is shifted to longer wavelength when ZrO2 is introduced to TiO2. Furthermore, the photocatalytic reaction rate constants of degradation of rhodamine B solution with ZrO2/TiO2 composite film and pure TiO2 film under ultraviolet irradiation are measured as 0.0442 and 0.0186 h 1, respectively.

Properties of W/DLC/W-S-C composite films fabricated by magnetron sputtering

A kind of W/DLC/W-S-C composite film was fabricated by magnetron sputtering method.Effects of WSx content on the structure and the adhesion of the composite films were investigated.In addition,tribological behavior of the composite films was studied in the conditions of the ambient air and N2 gas atmosphere by ball-on-disk tester.The results indicate that the composite films show dense and amorphous microstructure.The WCx and WSx compounds are found in amorphous diamond like carbon matrix in the top layers of W-S-C.A proper WSx content is beneficial for improving the adhesion of the composite films.In air atmosphere,the composite films with high C content have better wear resistance and the friction coefficients range from 0.15 to 0.25.In N2 condition,high WSx content is benefit for the wear resistance and the friction coefficients of the composite films range from 0.03 to 0.1.

Preparation and characterization of diamond film on Cu substrate using Cu-diamond composite interlayer

Large area diamond films were fabricated on copper substrates by a multi-step process comprised of electroplating Cu-diamond composite layer on Cu substrate, plating a Cu layer to fix the protruding diamond particles, and depositing continuous diamond film on composite interlayer by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition （HFCVD）. The interface characteristics, internal stress and adhesion strength were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman analysis and indentation test. The results show that the continuous film without cracks is successfully obtained. The microstructure of the film is a mixture of large cubo-octahedron grains grown from homo-epitaxial growth and small grains with （111） apparent facets grown from lateral second nuclei. The improved adhesion between diamond film and substrate results from the deep anchoring of the diamond particles in the Cu matrix and the low residual stress in the film.

Application of ultra-smooth composite diamond film coated WC-Co drawing dies under water-lubricating conditions

A specific revised HFCVD apparatus and a novel process combining HFCVD and polishing technique were presented to deposit the micro-and nano-crystalline multilayered ultra-smooth diamond（USCD） film on the interior-hole surface of WC-Co drawing dies with aperture ranging from d1.0 mm to 60 mm.Characterization results indicate that the surface roughness values（Ra） in the entry zone,drawing zone and bearing zone of as-fabricated USCD coated drawing die were measured as low as 25.7,23.3 and 25.5 nm,respectively.Furthermore,the friction properties of USCD films were examined in both dry sliding and water-lubricating conditions,and the results show that the USCD film presents much superior friction properties.Its friction coefficients against ball-bearing steel,copper and silicon nitride balls（d4 mm）,is always lower than that of microcrystalline diamond（MCD） or WC-Co sample,regardless of the lubricating condition.Meanwhile,it still presents competitive wear resistance with the MCD films.Finally,the working lifetime and performance of as-fabricated USCD coated drawing dies were examined under producing low-carbon steel pipes in dry-sliding and water-lubricating conditions.Under the water-lubricating drawing condition,its production significantly increases by about 20 times compared with the conventional WC-Co drawing dies.

Magnetostatic Coupling in CoFe204/Pb（Zr0.53Ti0.47）O3 Magnetoelectric Composite Thin Films of 2-2 Type Structure

CoFe204/Pb（Zr0.53Ti0.47）O3 （CFO/PZT） magnetoelectric composite thin films of 2-2 type structure had been prepared onto Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by a sol-gel process and spin coat- ing technique. The structure of the prepared thin film is substrate/PZT/CFO/PZT/CFO. Two CFO ferromagnetic layers are separated from each other by a thin PZT layer. The upper CFO layer is magnetostatically coupled with the lower CFO layer. Subsequent scan- ning electron microscopy （SEM） investigations show that the prepared thin films exhibit good morphologies and compact structure, and cross-sectional micrographs clearly display a multilayered nanostructure of multilayered thin films. The composite thin films exhibit both good magnetic and ferroelectric properties. The spacing between ferromagnetic layers can be varied by adjusting the thickness of intermediate PZT layer. It is found that the strength of magnetostatic coupling has a great impact on magnetoelectric properties of composite thin films, i.e., the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient of composite thin film tends to increase with the decreasing of pacing between two neighboring CFO ferromagnetic layers as a result of magnetostatic coupling effect.

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Al-Doped nc-Si-SiO_2 Composite Films

The nonlinear optical properties of Al-doped nc-Si-SiO2 composite films have been investigated using the time-resolved four-wave mixing technique with a femtosecond laser. The off-resonant third-order nonlinear susceptibility is observed to be 1.0 × 10-10 esu at 800nm. The relaxation time of the optical nonlinearity in the films is as short as 60fs. The optical nonlinearity is enhanced due to the quantum confinement of electrons in Si nanocrystals embedded in the SiO2 films. The enhanced optical nonlinearity does not originate from Al dopant because there are no Al clusters in the films.

Electroless plating and growth kinetics of Ni-P alloy film on SiC_p/Al composite with high SiC volume fraction

After Sn/Pd activating, the SiCp/Al composite with 65% SiC (volume fraction) was coated by electroless Ni?P alloy plating. Surface morphology of the composite and its effect on the Ni?P alloy depositing process and bonding action of Ni and P atoms in the Ni?P alloy were studied. The results show that inhomogeneous distribution of the Sn/Pd activating points results in preferential deposition of the Ni?P alloy particles on the Al alloy and rough SiC particle surfaces and in the etched caves. The Ni?P alloy film has an amorphous structure where chemical bonding between Ni and P atoms exists. After a continuous Ni?P alloy film formed, electroless Ni?P alloy plating is not affected by surface morphology and characteristics of the SiCp/Al composite any longer, but by the electroless plating process itself. The Ni?P alloy film follows linear growth kinetics with an activation energy of 68.44 kJ/mol.

Lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behavior of a composite Sn/C thin film fabricated by magnetron sputtering

A tin film of 320 nm in thickness on Cu foil and its composite film with graphite of-50 nm in thickness on it were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The surface morphology, composition, surface distributions of alloy elements, and lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behaviors of the fabricated films were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, electron probe microanalyzer （EPMA）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP）, cyclic voltammetry （CV）, and galvanostatic charge/discharge （GC） measurements. It is found that the lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behavior of the Sn film can be significantly improved by its composite with graphite. With cycling, the discharge capacity of the Sn film without composite changes from 570 mAh/g of the 2nd cycle to 270 mAh/g of the 20th cycle, and its efficiency for the discharge and charge is between 90% and 95%. Nevertheless, the discharge capacity of the composite Sn/C film changes from 575 mAh/g of the 2nd cycle to 515 mAh/g of the 20th cycle, and its efficiency for the discharge and charge is between 95% and 100%. The performance improvement of tin by its composite with graphite is ascribed to the retardation of the bulk tin cracking from volume change during lithium intercalation and de-intercalation, which leads to the pulverization of tin.

Large-scale fabrication of re duce d graphene oxide-sulfur composite films for flexible lithium-sulfur batteries

The rapid development of flexible electronic devices requires the design of flexible energy-storage devices. Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries are attracting much interest due to their high energy density. Therefore, flexible Li-S batteries with high areal capacity are desired. Herein, we fabricated freestanding reduced graphene oxide-sulfur(RGO@S) composite films with a cross-linked structure using a blade coating technique, followed by a subsequent chemical reduction. The porous cross-linked structure endows the composite films with excellent electrochemical performance. The batteries based on RGO@S composite films could exhibit a high discharge capacity of 1381 m Ah/g at 0.1 C and excellent cycle stability. Furthermore, the freestanding composite film possesses excellent conductivity and high mechanical strength. Therefore, they can be used as the cathodes of flexible Li-S batteries. As a proof of concept, soft-packaged Li-S batteries were assembled and remained stable electrochemical performance under different bending states.

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange over ITO/CdS/ZnO interface composite films

ITO/CdS/ZnO interface composite films were successfully prepared by subsequent electrodeposition of CdS and ZnO onto indium tin oxide （ITO） glass substrates. The obtained ITO/CdS/ZnO composite films were characterized with X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of ITO/CdS/ZnO composite films were investigated using methyl orange （MO） as a model organic compound under UV light irradiation. The influence of operating parameters on MO degradation including initial concentration of MO, pH value of solution, and inorganic anion species over the composite films were examined. A blue shift of absorption threshold was observed for the ITO/CdS/ZnO film in comparison with ITO/ZnO film. ITO/CdS/ZnO composite films prepared under specific conditions showed a higher photocatalytic activity than that of ITO/ZnO films. It was also found that the photocatalytic degradation of MO on the composite films followed pseudo-first order kinetics.

Ni nanocomposite films formed by Ni nanowires embedded in Ni matrix using electrodeposition

Ni nanocomposite films formed by Ni nanowires embedded in Ni matrix(Ni nanowire/Ni composite films)were fabricated by electrodeposition combined with supersonic stirring in a conventional Watts'bath containing Ni nanowires with diameter about 30 nm.The deposition temperature-dependent microstructure,crystal orientation,lattice constant and corrosion behavior of the Ni nanowire/Ni composite films were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope,X-ray diffraction and potentiodynamic polarization tests,respectively.And the possible mechanism was discussed.It is found that to some extent,the deposition temperature has an impact on the microstructure,crystal orientation,lattice constant and corrosion property of the Ni nanowire/Ni composite films.The Ni nanowire/Ni composite films prepared at 50℃exhibit a novel inter-twisted-nanowire microstructure and have the best corrosion resistance.

PREPARATION AND CORROSION RESISTANCE OF NiP/TiO_2 COMPOSITE FILM ON CARBON STEEL IN SULFURIC ACID SOLUTION

A NiP/TiO2 composite film on carbon steel was prepared by electroless plating and sol-gel composite process. An artificial neural network was applied to optimize the prepared condition of the composite film. Corrosion behavior of the NiP/TiO2 composite film was investigated by polarization resistance measurement, anode polarization, ESEM （environmental scanning electron microscopy） and EIS （electrochemical impedance spectroscopy） measurements. Results showed that the NiP/ TiO2 composite film has a good corrosion resistance in 0.5mol/L H2SO4 solution. The element valence of the composite film was characterized by XPS （X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy） spectrum, and an anticorrosion mechanism of the composite film was discussed.

Fabrication and Characterization of FeNiCr Matrix-TiC Composite for Polishing CVD Diamond Film

Dynamic friction polishing （DFP） is one of the most promising methods appropriate for polishing CVD diamond film with high efficiency and low cost. By this method CVD diamond film is polished through being simply pressed against a metal disc rotating at a high speed utilizing the thermochemical reaction occurring as a result of dynamic friction between them in the atmosphere. However, the relatively soft materials such as stainless steel, cast iron and nickel alloy widely used for polishing CVD diamond film are easy to wear and adhere to diamond film surface, which may further lead to low efficiency and poor polishing quality. In this paper, FeNiCr matrix-TiC composite used as grinding wheel for polishing CVD diamond film was obtained by combination of mechanical alloying （MA） and spark plasma sintering （SPS）. The process of ball milling, composition, density, hardness, high-temperature oxidation resistance and wear resistance of the sintered piece were analyzed. The results show that TiC was introduced in MA-SPS process and had good combination with FeNiCr matrix and even distribution in the matrix. The density of composite can be improved by mechanical alloying. The FeNiCr matrix-TiC composite obtained at 1273 K was found to be superior to at 1173 K sinterin8 in hardness, high-temperature oxidation resistance and wearability. These properties are more favorable than SUS304 for the preparation of high-performance grinding wheel for polishing CVD diamond film.

Nonlinear dynamic characteristics and optimal control of a giant magnetostrictive film-shaped memory alloy composite plate subjected to in-plane stochastic excitation

The nonlinear dynamic characteristics and optimal control of a giant magnetostrictive film （GMF）-shaped memory alloy （SMA） composite plate subjected to in-plane stochastic excitation are studied. GMF is prepared based on an SMA plate, and combined into a GMF-SMA composite plate. The Van der Pol item is improved to explain the hysteretic phenomena of GMF and SMA, and the nonlinear dynamics model of a GMF-SMA composite cantilever plate subjected to in-plane stochastic excitation is developed. The stochastic stability of the system is analyzed, and the steady-state probability density function of the dynamic response of the system is obtained. The condition of stochastic Hopf bifurcation is discussed, the reliability function of the system is provided, and then the probability density of the first-passage time is given. Finally, the stochastic optimal control strategy is proposed by the stochastic dynamic programming method. Numerical simulation shows that the stability of the trivial solution varies with bifurcation parameters, and stochastic Hopf bifurcation appears in the process; the system＇s reliability is improved through stochastic optimal control, and the first- passage time is delayed. A GMF-SMA composite plate combines the advantages of GMF and SMA, and can reduce vibration through passive control and active control effectively. The results are helpful for the engineering applications of GMF-SMA composite plates.

Characterization and tribological investigation of self-assembled MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films

γ-mercapto-propyl trimethoxysilane （MPTS） and γ-methacryloxy propyltrimethoxysilane （MPTES） were self-assembled on a hy- droxylated glass substrate to form a two-dimensional organic monolayer （MPTS-MPTES SAM）. The terminal thiol groups （-SH） in the MPTS-MPTES SAM were in-situ oxidized into sulfonic acid groups （-SO3H） to endow the film with good chemisorption ability. Then rare earth （RE） （lanthanum-based） composite thin films were prepared by self-assembly technique based on the as-prepared SAM, taking advantage of the chemisorption ability of the sulfonic acid groups. Automatic force microscope （AFM）, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry （XPS）, contact angle measurement and ellipsometer were used to characterize MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films. The macrofriction and wear behaviors of the films sliding against an AISI-52100 steel ball were examined on a unidirectional friction and wear tester, and the worn surface morphologies were observed on an AFM. The results showed that MPTS-MPTES/RE films had a low friction coefficient （0.09） and a long wear life （5980 sliding pass） at a light load （50 mN）. It indicated that the superior tribological properties of the MPTS-MPTES/RE composite films were attributed to the special characteristic of RE elements, the mobility of the films and good bonding strength.

Asymmetric magnetoimpedance effect and dipolar interactions of FINEMET/SiO_(2)/FePd composite ribbons

The dipolar interactions are investigated through the asymmetric magneto-impedance in FINEMET/SiO_(2)/FePd composite ribbons.The interface between the hard(FePd layer)phase and soft(FINEMET ribbon)phase is coherent by SiO_(2)layer in FINEMET/SiO_(2)/FePd composite ribbons,which effectively induces dipolar interactions.The contribution of dipolar interaction to the bias field(Hb)by asymmetrical giant magneto-impedance and magnetic properties is analyzed.The results show that Hb response decreases with the increase of the SiO_(2)layer thickness,indicating that the linear region near-zero field can be tuned by the thickness of SiO_(2)layer.These results allow the GMI ratio(58%)and characteristic frequency(500 kHz)to be optimized.The transverse and longitudinal magnetic domain structures of FINEMET ribbon and FePd film are confirmed,respectively.The composite ribbons with high GMI ratio and low frequency can be applied to linear magnetic sensors.