Preparation and tribological properties of Sol-Gel TiO_2-ZrO_2 composite thin films

High oriented TiO_2-ZrO_2 composite thin films on Si (100) and glass sheet were suc- cessfully prepared by sol-gel process followed by dip-coating the ethanol solution of zirconium oxychloride and titanium tetrachloride. The sol-gel process, microstructure, morphology and tri- bological properties of TiO_2 -ZrO_2 films were investigated using TGA, DSC, XPS, XRD, AFM and dynamic-static tribometer. The results show that the TiO_2-ZrO_2films are dense, homogeneous and at a complete tetragonal phase with an excellent antiwear and friction reduction performance. Un- der 0.5N applied load, the friction coefficient is 0.14-0.20 and the antiwear life is more than 5000 sliding cycles for both TiO_2-ZrO_2/ AISI 52100 steel and TiO_2-ZrO_2/ Si_3N_4. SEM observation sug- gests that wear mechanism of TiO_2 -ZrO_2 composite film under low load was fatigue wear, and under high load was adhesive wear. The TiO_2 -ZrO_2 films show potential applications as coatings for antiwear and friction reduction under the harsh condition.

Preparation of bilayer/three-layer PEO-carbon nanotube composite thin films and their toluene-sensing application

The bilayer poly(ethylene oxide)/multiple-walled carbon nanotubes(PEO/MWCNTs) and three-layer PEO/MWCNTs/PEO composite thin films were fabricated with the spraying process on the interdigitated transducers(IDTs) as gas sensors for toluene-sensing application.Compared with the bilayer thin film sensor,the sensor with three-layer thin films exhibited higher response values and better recovery property.The microstructures of sensing films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) to indicate that the better sensing response of three-layer thin films might be ascribed to the sufficient adsorption of toluene molecules on the surfaces of upper and bottom PEO films.The selectivity of the three-layer film sensor was further investigated by comparing responses upon exposure to different interference vapors with the response to toluene exposure,and much higher response was observed in the case of toluene.Good repeatability of the three-layer film sensor was also observed.

Electrophoretic Deposition of TiO2/Nb2O5 Composite Electrode Thin Films for Photovoltaic Application

Nano sized powders of TiO2 （titanium dioxide） and Nb2O5 （Niobium （V） oxide） were used to fabricate TiO2/Nb2O5 composites thin films by EPD （electrophoretic deposition） technique. The metal oxide powders, together with magnesium nitrate hexahydrate pellets, were suspended in propan-2-ol inside an EPD cell. The electrodes, placed 1.2 cm apart, were partially immersed in the suspension and a DC potential applied across them. Key EPD process parameters, which include applied DC electric field, deposition time and solid concentration in suspension, were optimized through visual inspection and from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer spectra. The highest （55%） transmittance was obtained for films with deposition time of 90 s, powder concentration of 0.01 g/40 mL, and 35 V DC （direct current） voltage. XRD micrographs confirmed that TiO2 and Nb2O5 particles were presented in the composite film. SEM （scanning electron microscope） micrographs of the composite electrode thin films showed that porous films of high quality with well controlled morphology were deposited by using the EPD technique.

Grain Size and Wettability of TiO_2/SiO_2 Photocatalytic Composite Thin Filing

The uniform transparent TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films are prepared by sol-gel method on the soda lime glass substrates, and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the addition of SiO2 to TiO2 thin films can suppress the grain growth of TiO2 crystal, increase the hydroxyl content on the surface of TiO2 films, lower the contact angle for water on TiO, films and enhance the hydrophilic property of TiO2 films. The super-hydrophilic TiO2/SiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films with the contact angle of 0((o) under bar) are obtained by the addition of 10%-20% SiO2 in mole fraction.

Influence of microstructure on the corrosion resistance of Fe–44Ni thin films

An Fe–44Ni nanocrystalline（NC） alloy thin film was prepared through electrodeposition. The relation between the microstructure and corrosion behavior of the NC film was investigated using electrochemical methods and chemical analysis approaches. The results show that the NC film is composed of a face-centered cubic phase（γ-（Fe,Ni）） and a body-centered cubic phase（α-（Fe,Ni）） when it is annealed at temperatures less than 400℃. The corrosion resistance increases with the increase in grain size, and the corresponding corrosion process is controlled by oxygen reduction. The NC films annealed at 500℃ and 600℃ do not exhibit the same pattern, although their grain sizes are considerably large. This result is attributed to the existence of an anodic phase, Fe0.947Ni0.054, in these films. Under this condition, the related corrosion process is synthetically controlled by anodic dissolution and depolarization.