Plasma-assisted aerogel interface engineering enables uniform Zn^(2+)flux and fast desolvation kinetics toward zinc metal batteries

The poor reversibility of Zn anodes induced by dendrite growth,surface passivation,and corrosion,severely hinders the practical applicability of Zn metal batteries.To address these issues,a plasmaassisted aerogel(PAG)interface engineering was proposed as efficient ion transport modulator that can simultaneously regulate uniform Zn^(2+)flux and desolvation behavior during battery operation.The PAG with ordered mesopores acted as an ion sieve to homogenize Zn deposition and accelerate Zn^(2+)flux,which is favorable for corrosion resistance and dendrite suppression.Importantly,the plasma-assisted aerogel with abundant hydrophilic groups can facilitate the desolvation kinetics of Zn^(2+)due to the multiple hydrogen-bonding interaction with the activated water molecules,thus accelerating the Zn^(2+)migration kinetics.Consequently,the Zn/Zn cell assembled with PAG-modified separator demonstrates stable plating and stripping behavior(over 1400 h at 1 mA cm^(-2))and high Coulombic efficiency(99.8%at1 mA cm^(-2)after 1100 cycles),and the Zn‖MnO_(2)full cell shows excellent long-term cycling stability and maintains a high capacity of 154.9 mA h g^(-1)after 1000 cycles at 1 A g^(-1).This study provides a feasible approach for the large-scale fabrication of aerogel functionalized separators to realize ultra-stable Zn metal batteries.

Post Cryopreservation Growth Kinetic and Photosynthetic Assessment of an Acid Tolerant Strain of Stichococcus bacillaris

Preserving microbial diversity has become a strategic undertaking. Thus, ex situ microalgal culture conservation results in strategic and functional resource in both biodiversity protection and application domains. Cryopreservation of microalgae has been practiced since the 1960s and is now considered the optimal preservation strategy. Furthermore, the overall monitoring during growth of cultures after freezing/thawing protocols was hardly investigated and there is poor evaluation related to preserve especially the photosystem apparatus. The present study focuses on Stichococcus bacillaris as case study for short-term cryopreservation at −80 °C storage. Various freezing pretreatments using cryoprotective agents, and two thawing methods were compared introducing a novel variable to evaluate viability recovery and assessing growth kinetics of cultures immediately after thawing and after a series batch cultivation. Photosynthetic rate and pigments assessment were proposed to evaluate hidden metabolic cell damage. Results underline cryoprotective agents can increase the kinetic recovery of preserved cells in terms of reduction of lag phase during batch cultivation tests: the use of dimethyl sulfoxide and glycerol granted a growth comparable to unpreserved cells when sudden thawing occurs after 24 hours of storage, but recovery after preservation is less sensitive to cryoprotective agents when gradual thawing and 1 month of storage is considered. However, cells are always able to restore their physiological pathways even without agents, so their kinetic effect has been proved and quantified. Interestingly, both the photosynthetic efficiency and the ratio between total chlorophyll and carotenoids are comparable (0.75 Fv/Fm, 2.2 ± 0.25 g/g) to unpreserved cells and they are unsensitive to chosen agents, but the ratio between chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b was clearly altered (up to 10 times), suggesting that photoactive pigments relative proportions can result in similar growth kinetic performances. Long-term studies will be carried out to assess whether the differences found could cause chronic damage to photosystem efficiency of S. bacillaris cultures.

Microstructure,Properties,and Grain Growth Kinetics of Mo-5Ta Refractory Sputtering Targets Prepared by SPS

Mo-5Ta targets were prepared by the spark plasma sintering(SPS)technology under the sintering temperatures of 1400-1600℃,the holding times of 0-20 min,and the axial pressure of 30 MPa.The microstructure,performance,and grain growth kinetics of Mo-5Ta sputtering targets were studied.With the increase of sintering temperatures and times,Ta can more dissolve in Mo and form a Mo(Ta)solid solution.The grain sizes of Mo-5Ta targets remain unchanged at low temperatures(1400-1500℃)while increasing significantly at high temperature(1600℃)with the extension of the holding time.In addition,the densities and Vickers hardness(HV_(0.5))first ascend and then decrease with sintering proceeding.The thermal conductivity is positively correlated with the grain size and density,as a result of their joint action.Based on the comprehensive analysis,the grain growth is dominated by the combination of boundary diffusion and volume diffusion.When n=2,the activation energies of grain growth under holding times of 5,10,20 min are calculated as 762.70,617.86,and 616.52 kJ/mol,respectively.

Effect of Si on growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds during reaction between solid iron and molten aluminum

The effect of Si on the growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds during the reaction of solid iron and molten aluminum was investigated with a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, and hot-dip aluminized experiments. The results show that the intermetallic layer is composed of major Fe2Al5 and minor FeAl3. The Al-Fe-Si ternary phase, rl/rg, is formed in the Fe2Al5 layer. The tongue-like morphology of the Fe2Als layer becomes less distinct and disappears finally as the content of Si in aluminum bath increases. Si in the bath improves the prohibiting ability to the growth of Fe2Als and FeAl3. When the contents of Si are 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 3.0%, the activation energies of Fe2Al5 are evaluated to be 207, 186, 169, 168, 167 and 172 kJ/mol, respectively. The reduction of the activation energy might result from the lattice distortion caused by Si atom penetrating into the Fe2Al5 phase. When Si atom occupies the vacancy site, it blocks easy diffusion path and results in the disappearance of tongue-like morphology.

Impact of anisotropic growth on kinetics of solid-state phase transformation

Based on the statistical analysis of blocking effect arising from anisotropic growth,the anisotropic effect on the kinetics of solid-state transformation was investigated.The result shows that the blocking effect leads to the retardation of transformation and then a regular behavior of varying Avrami exponent.Following previous analytical model,the formulations of Avrami exponent and effective activation energy accounting for blocking effect were obtained.The anisotropic effect on the transformation depends on two factors,non-blocking factor γ and blocking scale k,which directly acts on the dimensionality of growth.The effective activation energy is not affected by the anisotropic effect.The evolution of anisotropic effect with the fraction transformed is taken into account,showing that the anisotropic effect is more severe at the middle stage of transformation.

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.

GROWTH KINETICS OF SINGLE INCLUSION PARTICLE IN MOLTEN MELTS

On the basis of the single-particle framework, a new theory on inclusion growth in metallurgical melts is developed to study the kinetics of inclusion growth on account of reaction and collision. The studies show that the early growth of inclusion depends on reaction growth and Brawnian motion collision, and where the former is decisive, the late growth depends on turbulence collision and Stokes＇ collision, and where the former is dominant; collision growth is very quick during the smelting process, lessened in the refining process, but nearly negligible in the continuous casting process.

Isothermal Growth Kinetics of Ultra-fine Austenite Grains in a Nb-V-Ti Microalloyed Steel

Ultra-fine austenite grains with size of i-3 μm were prepared in a Nb-V-Ti steel through repetitive treatment of rapid heating and quenching. A model for the growth kinetics of these ultra-fine austenite grains was successfully created through successive 2 processes, and the activation energy Q for growth was estimated to be about 693.2 kJ/mol, which directly shows the inhibition effect of microalloy elements on the growth of ultra-fine austenite grains.

Effect of Mg on Microstructure and Growth Kinetics of Zn-22.3Al-1.1Si Coating

The effects of Mg on the microstructure and growth kinetics of the hot-dip Zn-22.3 Al-1.1 Si-x Mg(x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) coatings were investigated in detail. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of η-Zn, α-Al, Zn/Al eutectoid,(Si), Al/Si eutectic, and Zn/Al/Mg_2 Zn11 ternary eutectic on the top surface of these Mg-containing coatings. Especially, a small amount of MgZn2 phase appears in top surface of Zn-22.3 Al-1.1 Si-0.6 Mg coating. Five phases are found in the alloy layers, i e, Fe_2 Al_5, FeAl_3, τ_(5C), τ_(5H), and τ_1. The addition of 0.2% Mg can delay the emergence of FeAl_3 phase. When the Mg content is more than 0.2%, the outer layers of coating change from τ_(5C) to τ_(5H) phase. The growth of the inhibition layer is diffusion controlled for various Mg content baths. Mg improves the corrosion resistance of the Mg-containing coatings, and the Zn-22.3 Al-1.1 Si-0.6 Mg coating possesses the highest protective properties.

Growth kinetics and mechanism of microarc oxidation coating on Ti-6Al-4V alloy in phosphate/silicate electrolyte

Microarc oxidation(MAO)is an effective surface treatment method for Ti alloys to allow their application in extreme environments.Here,binary electrolytes consisting of different amounts of sodium phosphate and sodium silicate were designed for MAO.The surface morphology,composition,and properties of MAO coatings on Ti-6Al-4V alloy treated in 0.10 mol/L electrolyte were investigated to reveal the effect of PO_(4)^(3-)and SiO_(3)^(2-)ray diffraction,and potentiodynamic polarization.The results showed that PO_(4)^(3-)is beneficial for generating microarcs and forming pores within the coating,resulting in a thick but porous coating.SiO_(3)^(2-)eration of microarcs,resulting in a thin dense coating.The thickness,density,phases content,and polarization resistance of the MAO coatings are primarily affected by the intensity of microarcs for low SiO_(3)^(2-)ciently high.The thickness of MAO coatings obtained in P/Si electrolytes shows a piecewise linear increase with increasing process time during the three stages of microarc discharge.SiO_(3)^(2-)discharge,but slows down the growth of the coating formed in the next stage.

Growth Kinetics of Nanocrystals and Nanorods by Employing Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Other Techniques

In this article, we report the results of our detailed investigations of the growth kinetics of zero-dimensional nanocrystals as well as one-dimensional nanorods by the combined use of small angel X-ray scattering （SAXS）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） along with other physical techniques. The study includes growth kinetics of gold nanocrystals formed by the reduction of HAuCl4 by tetrakis（hydroxymethyl） phosphonium chloride in aqueous solution, of CdSe nanocrystals formed by the reaction of cadmium stearate and selenium under solvothermal conditions, and of ZnO nanorods formed by the reaction of zinc acetate with sodium hydroxide under solvothermal conditions in the absence and presence of capping agents. The growth of gold nanocrystals does not follow the diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening, and instead follows a Sigmoidal rate curve. The heat change associated with the growth determined by isothermal titration calorimetry is about 10 kcal·mol^-1 per I nm increase in the diameter of the nanocrystals. In the case of CdSe nanocrystals also, the growth mechanism deviates from diffusion-limited growth and follows a combined model containing both diffusion and surface reaction terms. Our study of the growth kinetics of uncapped and poly（vinyl pyrollidone） （PVP）-capped ZnO nanorods has yielded interesting insights. We observe small nanocrystals next to the ZnO nanorods after a lapse of time in addition to periodic focusing and defocusing of the width of the length distribution. These observations lend support to the diffusion-limited growth model for the growth of uncapped ZnO nanorods. Accordingly, the time dependence on the length of uncapped nanorods follows the L3 law as required for diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening. The PVP-capped nanorods, however, show a time dependence, which is best described by a combination of diffusion （L^3） and surface reaction （L^2） terms.

Influence of anions in phosphate and tetraborate electrolytes on growth kinetics of microarc oxidation coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy

The growth kinetics of microarc oxidation(MAO)coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy was studied by designing an electrolyte with low PO_(4)^(3−)content and high B_(4)O_(7)^(2−)content,using scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and potentiodynamic polarization.The results showed that B_(4)O_(7)^(2−)increased the spark intensity and dissolved most of the oxides at high temperatures.Then,a thicker barrier layer at the coating/substrate interface was produced,which increased the polarization resistance of the coating.PO_(4)^(3−)at a low concentration also promoted the uniform growth of the MAO coating and the formation of hat-shaped holes in the outer deposition layer.The thickness of the MAO coatings obtained in Na_(2)B_(4)O_(7) electrolytes exhibited an exponential increase with time at spark discharge stage,while that of the MAO coating obtained in phosphate–tetraborate electrolytes showed a linear trend as the PO_(4)^(3−)content increased.

Formation mechanism and growth kinetics of TiAl_(3) phase in cold-rolled Ti/Al laminated composites during annealing

Cold-rolled Ti/Al laminated composites were annealed at 525−625℃for 0−128 h,and the interfacial microstructure evolution was investigated.The results indicate that only the TiAl_(3) phase was formed at the Ti/Al interface;most of TiAl_(3) grains were fine equiaxed with average sizes ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several microns and the TiAl_(3) grain size increased with increasing annealing time and/or temperature,but the effect of annealing temperature on the TiAl_(3) grain size was far greater than that of annealing time.The growth of the TiAl_(3) phase consisted of two stages.The initial stage was governed by chemical reaction with a reaction activation energy of 195.75 kJ/mol,and the reaction rate constant of the TiAl_(3) phase was larger as the Ti/Al interface was bonded with fresh surfaces.At the second stage,the growth was governed by diffusion,the diffusion activation energy was 33.69 kJ/mol,and the diffusion growth rate constant of the TiAl_(3) phase was mainly determined by the grain boundary diffusion owing to the smaller TiAl_(3) grain size.

Growth Characteristics and Kinetics of Niobium Carbide Coating Obtained on AISI 52100 by Thermal-reactive Diffusion Technique

Niobium carbide coating was produced by thermal-reactive diffusion technique on AISI 52100 steel in salt bath at 1 123 K, 1 173 K, and 1 223 K for 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours. The salt consisted of borax, sodium fl uoride, boron carbide, and niobium pentoxide. The presence of NbC phase on the steel surface was confi rmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Microscopic observation showed that niobium carbide coating formed on the substrate was smooth and compact. There was a distinct and fl at interface between the coating and substrate. The micro-hardness of niobium carbide coating was 2892±145HV. The thickness of coating ranged from 1.6 μm to 14μm. The forming kinetics of niobium carbide coating was revealed. Moreover, a contour diagram derived from experimental data was graphed for correct selection of process parameters. Some mathematical equations were built for predicting the coating thickness with predetermined processing temperature and time. The results showed that these mathematical equations are very practical as well as the kinetics equation.

Comparative Studies on Phosphorus Uptake and Growth Kinetics of the Microalga Tetraselmis subcordiformis and the Macroalga Ulva pertusa

Short term uptake experiments and long term semicontinuous culture experiments were performed under the condition of phosphorus (P) limitation to estimate and compare the P uptake and growth kinetics of the microalga Tetraselmis subcordiformis and the macroalga Ulva pertusa. Two new parameters, the maximum specific uptake rate ( V sp m) and the maximal growth efficiency ( β ), are introduced to achieve uniformity for the comparison of nutrient uptake and growth efficiency between microalgae and macroalgae. T. subcordiformis possesses 3 times lower half saturation uptake constant, 4 times higher maximal growth rate and 20 times higher maximum specific uptake rate than U. pertusa, while U. pertusa possesses 4 times higher maximal growth efficiency than T. subcordiformis.

A Study of Grain Growth Kinetics in Sintered NdFeB Magnets

The Nd2Fe14 B grain growth kinetics in sintered NdFeB magnets with nominal compositions of Nd30+xDy1.5Fe67.08-xAl0.4B1.02 (%, x = 0, 3) was studied. The grain size parameters were determined by means of the linear intercept method on SEM secondary electron images. It is observed that the grain growth process is more sensitive to sintering temperature than to sintering time although the grain size rises with both sintering temperature and time. It is also found that magnets prepared from the pre-alloy powder with a higher oxygen content exhibit a lower grain growth rate and magnets made from the pre-alloy powder with a broader particle size distribution demonstrate a higher grain growth rate. It is believed that the presence of appropriate amounts of Nd oxides effectively impedes the grain growth process and a larger difference in sizes between pre-alloy powder particles significantly accelerates the grain growth process. On the basis of experimental results, the grain growth exponent and the corresponding activation energy were obtained. A possible grain growth mechanism in NdFeB magnets during sintering was briefly discussed.

Crystal Growth Kinetics of Nanocrystalline ZnS under Surface Adsorption

The crystal growth mechanism, kinetics, and microstructure development play a fundamental role in tailoring the materials with controllable size and morphology. In this study, by introducing the strong surface adsorption of the concentrated NaOH, two-stage crystal growth kinetics of ZnS nanoparficles was observed. In the first stage, the primary particles grow into a size over a hundred times of the original volume and the growth is controlled by the crystallographically specific oriented attachment. The first stage data were fitted by the ＂multistep OA kinetic model＂ built based on the molecular collision and reaction. In the second stage, following the dispersal of nanoparficles, an abrupt transition from asymptotic to parabola growth kinetics occurs, which can be fitted by a standard Ostwald ripening volume diffusion model. The presence of surface adsorption causes the two-stage growth kinetics and permits an almost exclusive OA-based growth to dominate in the first stage.

Formation and Growth Kinetics of Intermediate Phases in Ni-Al Diffusion Couples

Formation and growth of the intermediate phases in the Ni-Al diffusion couples prepared by pouring technique were investigated. Electron probe microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the product phases in the joints. The results show that two intermediate phases form in the sequence of NiAl3 and Ni2Al3 during solidification. After annealed, Ni2Al3 and NiAl3 still exist in the joints of the couples. The reasons for the formation of Ni2Al3 and NiAl3, as well as the absence of NiAl, Ni5Al3 and Ni3Al were discussed, respectively. The growth kinetics of both product phase layers indicates that their growth obeys the parabolic rate law. The activation energies and frequency factors for NiAl3 and Ni2Al3 phases were also calculated according to the Arrhenius equation.

Model of apparent crystal growth rate and kinetics of seeded precipitation from sodium aluminate solution

Based on the population balance equation in a batch crystallizer characteristic of seeded precipitation, a model to calculate the rate of apparent crystal growth of aluminum hydroxide from the size distribution was deve- loped. The simulation results indicate that the rate of apparent crystal growth during seeded precipitation exhibits a manifest dependence on the crystal size. In general, there is an obvious increase in the apparent crystal growth rate with the augment in crystal size. The apparent activation energy increases with the increase of characteristic crystal size, which indicates that the growth of small crystals is controlled by surface chemical reaction; it is gradually controlled by both the surface reaction and diffusion with the augment in crystal size.

Liquid State Undercoolability and Crystal Growth Kinetics of Ternary Ni-Cu-Sn Alloys

The liquid state undercoolability and crystal growth kinetics of ternary Ni-5%Cu-5%Sn and Ni-10%Cu-10%Sn alloys are investigated by the glass fluxing method. In these two alloys, experimental maximum undercoolings of 304 K （0.18TL ） and 286K （0.17TL ） are achieved and the dendritic growth velocities attain 39.8 and 25.1 m/s, respectively. The transition of morphology from coarse dendrite into equiaxed structure occurs and the grain size of the a （Ni） phase decreases remarkably when the undercooling increases. Both the lattice constant and microhardness increase obviously with the enhancement of undercooling. The enrichment of Cu and Sn solute contents reduces the dendritic growth velocity, while enhances the lattice constant and microhardness of a （Ni） phase.