Nano-scale Reinforcements and Properties of Al-Si-Cu Alloy Processed by High-Pressure Torsion

To improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu alloy,it was treated by a high-pressure torsion process,and the effect of the deformation degree on the microstructure and properties of the Al-Si-Cu alloy was studied.The results show that the reinforcements(β-Si andθ-CuAl_(2)phases)of the Al-Si-Cu alloy are dispersed in theα-Al matrix phase with finer phase size after the treatment.The processed samples exhibit grain sizes in the submicron or even nanometer range,which effectively improves the mechanical properties of the material.The hardness and strength of the deformed alloy are both significantly raised to 268 HV and 390.04 MPa by 10 turns HPT process,and the fracture morphology shows that the material gradually transits from brittle to plastic before and after deformation.The elements interdiffusion at the interface between the phases has also been effectively enhanced.In addition,it is found that the severe plastic deformation at room temperature induces a ternary eutectic reaction,resulting in the formation of ternary Al+Si+CuAl_(2)eutectic.

In-situ hydrocarbon formation and accumulation mechanisms of micro- and nano-scale pore-fracture in Gulong shale, Songliao Basin, NE China

By conducting experimental analyses, including thermal pyrolysis, micro-/nano-CT, argon-ion polishing field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR), the Gulong shale oil in the Songliao Basin was investigated with respect to formation model, pore structure and accumulation mechanism. First, in the Gulong shale, there are a large number of pico-algae, nano-algae and dinoflagellates, which were formed in brackish water environment and constituted the hydrogen-rich oil source materials of shale. Second, most of the oil-generating materials of the Qingshankou Formation shale exist in the form of organo-clay complex. During organic matter thermal evolution, clay minerals had double effects of suppression and catalytic hydrogenation, which expanded shale oil window and increased light hydrocarbon yield. Third, the formation of storage space in the Gulong Shale was related to dissolution and hydrocarbon generation. With the diagenesis, micro-/nano-pores increased, pore diameter decreased and more bedding fractures appeared, which jointly gave rise to the unique reservoir with dual media (i.e. nano-scale pores and micro-scale bedding fractures) in the Gulong shale. Fourth, the micro-/nano-scale oil storage unit in the Gulong shale exhibits independent oil/gas occurrence phase, and shows that all-size pores contain oils, which occur in condensate state in micropores or in oil-gas two phase (or liquid) state in macropores/mesopores. The understanding about Gulong shale oil formation and accumulation mechanism has theoretical and practical significance for advancing continental shale oil exploration in China.

Antibacterial Effect of Nano-scale TiO_2 on Parasitic Bacterium of Nanfeng Citrus in Storage Period

[Objective] The aim was to observe the antibacterial effect of nano-scale Titanium dioxide on parasitic bacterium of Nanfeng Citrus in storage period.[Method] Nano-scale Titanium dioxide was prepared by dibutyl phthalate through sol-gel method under anhydrous conditions,and orthogonal experiment was used to determine optimum conditions for nano-scale Titanium dioxide preparation,and structure characterization of nano-scale Titanium dioxide was carried out by X-Ray diffractometer.Oxford cup method was used to explore inhibition effect of nano-scale Titanium dioxide suspension on the activity of normal parasitic bacterium of Nanfeng Citrus.Simultaneously,the empirical preservation test was carried out.[Result] The average diameter of nano-scale Titanium dioxide powder attained to 14.6 nm,actual average yield could reach 90.83% with RSD（Relative Standard Deviation）of 0.86%.[Conclusion] Nano-scale Titanium dioxide had good antibacterial effect on the parasitic bacterium of Nanfeng Citrus in storage period.

Visual Object Tracking and Servoing Control of a Nano-Scale Quadrotor:System,Algorithms,and Experiments

There are two main trends in the development of unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)technologies:miniaturization and intellectualization,in which realizing object tracking capabilities for a nano-scale UAV is one of the most challenging problems.In this paper,we present a visual object tracking and servoing control system utilizing a tailor-made 38 g nano-scale quadrotor.A lightweight visual module is integrated to enable object tracking capabilities,and a micro positioning deck is mounted to provide accurate pose estimation.In order to be robust against object appearance variations,a novel object tracking algorithm,denoted by RMCTer,is proposed,which integrates a powerful short-term tracking module and an efficient long-term processing module.In particular,the long-term processing module can provide additional object information and modify the short-term tracking model in a timely manner.Furthermore,a positionbased visual servoing control method is proposed for the quadrotor,where an adaptive tracking controller is designed by leveraging backstepping and adaptive techniques.Stable and accurate object tracking is achieved even under disturbances.Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the high accuracy and stability of the whole tracking system.

Numerical Analysis of the Adhesive Forces in Nano-Scale Structure

Nanohairs, which can be found on the epidermis of Tokay gecko＇s toes, contribute to the adhesion by means of van der Waals force, capillary force, etc. This structure has inspired many researchers to fabricate the attachable nano-scale structures. However, the efficiency of artificial nano-scale structures is not reliable sufficiently. Moreover, the mechanical parameters related to the nano-hair attachment are not yet revealed qualitatively. The mechanical parameters which have influence on the ability of adhesive nano-hairs were investigated through numerical simulation in which only van der Waals force was considered. For the numerical analysis, finite element method was utilized and van der Waals force, assumed as 12-6 Lennard-Jones potential, was implemented as the body force term in the finite element formulation.

Nano-scale Interfacial Friction Behavior between Two Kinds of Materials in MEMS Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The aim of this article was to provide a systematic method to perform molecular dynamics simulotion or evaluation for nano-scale interfacial friction behavior between two kinds of materials in MEMS design. Friction is an important factor affecting the performance and reliability of MEMS. The model of the nano-scale interracial friction behavior between two kinds of materials was presented based on the Newton＇ s equations of motion. The Morse potential function was selected for the model. The improved Verlet algorithm was employed to resolve the model, the atom trajectories and the law of the interfacial friction behavior. Comparisons with experimental data in other paper confirm the validity of the model. Using the model it is possible to simulate or evaluate the importance of different factors for designing of the nano-scale interfacial friction behavior between two kinds of materials in MEMS.

Influence of the finite size effect of Si（001）/SiO2 interface on the gate leakage current in nano-scale transistors

With the device size gradually approaching the physical limit, the small changes of the Si(001)/SiO 2 interface in silicon-based devices may have a great impact on the device characteristics. Based on this, the bridge-oxygen model is used to construct the interface of different sizes, and the finite size effect of the interface between fine electronic structure silicon and silicon dioxide is studied. Then, the influence of the finite size effect on the electrical properties of nanotransistors is calculated by using the first principle. Theoretical calculation results demonstrate that the bond length of Si-Si and Si-O shows a saturate tendency when the size increases, while the absorption capacity of visible light and the barrier of the interface increase with the decrease of size. Finally, the results of two tunneling current models show that the finite size effect of Si(001)/SiO 2 interface can lead to a larger change in the gate leakage current of nano-scale devices, and the transition region and image potential, which play an important role in the calculation of interface characteristics of large-scale devices, show different sensitivities to the finite size effect. Therefore, the finite size effect of the interface on the gate leakage current cannot be ignored in nano-scale devices.

Novel Nano-scale Overlay Alignment Method for Room-temperature Imprint Lithography

A novel nano-scale alignment technique based on Moiré signal for room-temperature imprint lithography in the submicron realm is proposed. The Moiré signals generated by a pair of quadruple gratings on two templates respectively are optically projected onto a photodetector array, then the detected Moiré signals are used to estimate the alignment errors in x and y directions. The experiment result indicates that complex differential Moiré signal is sensitive to relative displacement of the pair of marks than each single Moiré signal, and the alignment resolutions obtained in x and y directions are ±20nm(3σ) and ±24nm(3σ). They can meet the requirement of alignment accuracy for submicron imprint lithography.

Oxygen-defects evolution to stimulate continuous capacity increase in Co-free Li-rich layered oxides

Though oxygen defects are associated with deteriorated structures and aggravated cycling performance in traditional layered cathodes,the role of oxygen defects is still ambiguous in Li-rich layered oxides due to the involvement of oxygen redox.Herein,a Co-free Li-rich layered oxide Li_(1.286)Ni_(0.071)Mn_(0.643)O_(2)has been prepared by a co-precipitation method to systematically investigate the undefined effects of the oxygen defects.A significant O_(2)release and the propagation of oxygen vacancies were detected by operando differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy(DEMS)and electron energy loss spectroscopy(EELS),respectively.Scanning transmission electron microscopy-high angle annular dark field(STEMHAADF)reveals the oxygen vacancies fusing to nanovoids and monitors a stepwise electrochemical activation process of the large Li_(2)MnO_(3)domain upon cycling.Combined with the quantitative analysis conducted by the energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS),existed nano-scale oxygen defects actually expose more surface to the electrolyte for facilitating the electrochemical activation and subsequently increasing available capacity.Overall,this work persuasively elucidates the function of oxygen defects on oxygen redox in Co-free Li-rich layered oxides.

316L Austenite Stainless Steels Strengthened by Means of Nano-scale Twins

By means of dynamic plastic deformation （DPD） followed by thermal annealing, a mixed structure of micro-sized austenite grains embedded with nano-scale twin bundles （of about 20% in volume） has been synthesized in a 316L stainless steel （SS）. Such a 316L SS sample exhibits a tensile strength as high as 1001 MPa and an elongation-to-failure of about 23%. The much elevated strength originates from the presence of a considerable number of strengthening nano-twin bundles, while the ductility from the recrystallized grains. The superior strength-ductility combination achieved in the nano-twins-strengthened austenite steel demonstrates a novel approach for optimizing the mechanical properties in engineering materials.

Wetting Characteristics of Insect Wing Surfaces

Biological tiny structures have been observed on many kinds of surfaces such as lotus leaves,which have an effect on the coloration of Morpho butterflies and enhance the hydrophobicity of natural surfaces.We investigated the micro-scale and nano-scale structures on the wing surfaces of insects and found that the hierarchical multiple roughness structures help in enhancing the hydrophobicity.After examining 10 orders and 24 species of flying Pterygotan insects,we found that micro-scale and nano-scale structures typically exist on both the upper and lower wing surfaces of flying insects.The tiny structures such as denticle or setae on the insect wings enhance the hydrophobicity,thereby enabling the wings to be cleaned more easily.And the hydrophobic insect wings undergo a transition from Cassie to Wenzel states at pitch/size ratio of about 20.In order to examine the wetting characteristics on a rough surface,a biomimetic surface with micro-scale pillars is fabricated on a silicon wafer, which exhibits the same behavior as the insect wing,with the Cassie-Wenzel transition occurring consistently around a pitch/width value of 20.

Preparation and Structural Investigation of CuCl_2 Graphite Intercalation Compounds

Superfine graphite powder was prepared by ball-milling exfoliated graphite containing anhydrous CuCl2 in planetary ball milling systems. Nano-scale CuCl2 graphite intercalation compounds were synthesized by heating a mixture of anhydrous CuCl2 and graphite nanosheets. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were performed to characterize the microstructures of stage-1 nano-scale CuCl2 graphite intercalation compounds. The structure and components of the domain wall and core in the nano-scale CuCl2 graphite intercalation compounds are described. The results show that the content of CuCl2 in the mixture plays a crucial role in the size of the nano-scale CuCl2 graphite intercalation compound.

The effect of doping and steam treatment on the catalytic activities of nano-scale H-ZSM-5 in the methanol to gasoline reaction

In the transformation of methanol to gasoline （MTG）, the selectivity to gasoline and the aromatic content in the produced gasoline are important factors. The catalytic activities of steam-treated and non-steam-treated nano-scale H-ZSM-5 （NHZ5） catalysts impregnated with Ag（I）, Zn（II） or P（V） have been investigated in a continuous flow fixed bed reactor. The NH3-TPD results showed that after impregnation, the Ag/NHZ5, Zn/NHZ5 and P/NHZ5 catalysts contained comparatively more strong, medium-strong and weak acid sites, respectively. Treatment with steam decreased the number of acid sites in all the catalysts, but the pore volumes in the catalysts were larger which improved carbon deposition resistance resulting in prolonged lifetimes. After 6 h of MTG reaction, the selectivity to gasoline for the steam-treated catalysts, Agrho/NHZ5, ZnH2o/NHZ5 and PH2o/NHZ5 were 70.5, 68.4 and 68.7 wt-%, respectively, whereas their respective aromatic contents in the produced gasoline were 61.9, 55.4 and 39.0 wt-%. Thus Pn2o/NHZ5 is the most promising catalyst for MTG applications which can meet the China IV gasoline standard that the amount of aromatics in gasoline should be less than 48 wt-%.

Fabrication and measurement of traceable pitch standard with a big area at trans-scale

Atom lithography with chromium can be utilized to fabricate a pitch standard, which is chrectly traceable to me wavelength of the laser standing waves. The result of a calibrated commercial AFM measurement demonstrates that the pitch standard is （212.8±0.1） nm with a peak-to-valley-height （PTVH） better than 20 nm. The measurement results show the high period accuracy of traceability with the standing laser wavelength （λ/2 = 212.78 nm）. The Cr nano-grating covers a 1000μm×500 μm area, with a PTVH better than 10 nm. The feature width broadening of the Cr nanostructure has been experimentally observed along the direction of the standing waves. The PTVH along the Gaussian laser direction is similar to a Gaussian distribution. Highly uniform periodic nanostructures with a big area at the millimeter scale, and the surface growth uniformity of the Cr nano-grating, show its great potential in the application of a traceable pitch standard at trans-scales.

CATALYST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FROM MACRO-,MICRO- DOWN TO NANO-SCALE

Catalyst and catalytic process technology has been an ever-growing field that involves chemical engineering, chemistry, and material science. A number of excellent review articles and books have been published on the subject. In this work, the author reviews the evolution and development of catalyst products with multi-scale methodology. The catalyst technologies are classified into three levels, macro-scale （reactor size）, mini-and micro-scale （catalyst unit）, and nano-scale （catalyst intrinsic structures）. Innovation at different scales requires different sets of expertise, method, and knowledge. Specific examples of significant impact to practical application are used to illustrate technology development at each scale. The multi-scale analysis enables clear delineation of technology components and their relationship for a catalyst product and catalytic process. Manipulation of catalyst structures at nano-scale to increase intrinsic activity and/or selectivity is considered of large potential for future catalyst product development. Recent research results on Cu-CeO2 and Au-CeO2 composite catalysts for air pollution control and hydrogen production are used to show how novel catalytic properties can be discovered by unique combination of different but common materials at the nano-scale.

A TEM Study on Fluid Inclusions in Coesite-bearing Jadeite Quartzite in Shuanghe in the Dabie Mountains

Fluid inclusions at a nano to sub-micron scale in quartz from jadeite quartzite at Shuanghe, Dabie Mountains, have been investigated by using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Most fluid inclusions are spherical or negative crystal shaped, forming wide swarm-like trails. The TEM reveals that the relationship between coesite and the host quartz is syntaxic and provides strong evidence of the occurrence of high-salty fluids at peak metamorphic conditions. The fluid inclusions are often connected to dislocations, which are undetected at the scale of optical microscopy. Non-decrepitation leakage of fluid inclusions may occur by pipe diffusion of molecule H2O or CO2 along dislocations from the inclusions into the host quartz, thus leading to original inclusion density and composition changes. It should be taken into full account for the correct petrological interpretation of micro-thermometric results.

Respirable nano-particulate generations and their pathogenesis in mining workplaces:a review

There is a growing concern in mining community about the contribution of nano-particulates to miner's health.Despite the health influence of respirable dusts and associated lung diseases have been recognized for decades in the mining industry,the nano-scale particulates accompanying with complicated physiochemical properties and their enor-mous contribution in quantity have been drawing attentions only in recent a few years because of the advancement of nano-science discipline.In this review,we examine the current regulations of dusts exposure and the dominant mass-based monitoring methods to point out the ignorance of nano-particulates in mining industry.The recognized mining-related nano-particulates sources are summarized to identify the mechanically generated finer particulates including particles and aerosols.In addition,the mechanism of adverse health impact on miner with exposure to nano-scale particulates is discussed in a detail to emphasize their substantial detriment as a potential respiratory hazard.Characterization of the complex physiochemical properties of nano-particulates are then summarized and discussed because these properties could be different from regular respirable dusts due to their dramatically increased surface area and particulate counts.The intent of this review is to demonstrate the potential of adverse health effect of nano-particulate on the mine personals throughout the mining cycle and to identify the research gaps of the mine nano-particulate characterization and quantification.We suggest that further understanding of the mining induced nano-particulate properties and their pathogenesis are critical for the future engineering control measure to mitigate the potential health threat for future miners.

Biased transportations in a spatially asymmetric system at the nano-scale under thermal noise

Under the theory of ratchet effect for mesoand macro-scale systems, the additional perturbation with a long time correlation and the breaking of spatial inversion symmetry are two main ingredients to bring unidirected transportations. With the help of a simple model system, we show that a spatially asymmetric system of the nano-scale length may induce biased transportations under thermal noise.

A New Method Searching for Concealed Mineral Resources: Geogas Prospecting Based on Nuclear Analysis and Accumulation Sampling

Geogas prospecting is a new method in the search for deep and/or concealed mineral deposits.The probing depth of the method comes to 300-500 m below the surface. The method, based on nuclear aualysis and accumulation sampling, has matured and become useful method of geogas prospecting, through authors' studies more than 10 years. The study of the mechanism for geogas prospecting has also been progressed. It bas been revealed that the geogas matter is in the form of nano-scale particles of the ores by the observation of scanning electron microscope (SEM). This paper summarizes the feature of the geogas anomaly, and describes its forming mechanism. A new example using geogas prospecting is given.

Experimental Study on Molecular Arrangement of Nanoscale Lubricant Films——A Review

In order to understand lubrication mechanism at the nanoscale, researchers have used many physical experimental approaches, such as surface force apparatus, atomic force microscopy and ball-on-disk tribometer. The results show that the variation rules of the friction force, film thicknessand viscosity of the lubricant at the nanoscale are different from elastohydrodynamic lubrication （EHL）. It is speculated that these differences are attributed to the special arrangement of the molecules at the nanoscale. However, it is difficult to obtain the molecular orientation and distribution directly from the lubricant molecules in these experiments. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to use new techniques to overcome the shortcomings of traditional experiments, including various spectral methods. The most representative achievements in the experimental research of molecular arrangement are reviewed in this paper： The change of film structure of a liquid crystal under confinement has been obtained using X-ray method. The molecular orientation change of lubricant films has been observed using absorption spectroscopy. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to measure the anisotropy of molecular orientation in the contact region when the lubricant film thickness is reduced to a few tens of nanometers. In situ Raman spectroscopy has been performed to measure the molecular orientation of the lubricant film semi-quantitatively. These results prove that confinement and shear in the contact region can change the arrangement of lubricant molecules. As a result, the lubrication characteristics are affected. The shortages of these works are also discussed based on practicable results. Further work is needed to separate the information of the solid-liquid interface from the bulk liquid film.