Curing Kinetics, Mechanical Properties and Thermal Stability of Epoxy/Graphene Nanoplatelets(GNPs) Powder Coatings

Epoxy/graphene nanoplatelets（GNPs） powder coatings were fabricated using ultrasonic predispersion of GNPs and melt-blend extrusion method. The isothermal curing kinetics of epoxy/GNPs powder coating were monitored by means of real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） with a heating cell. The mechanical properties of the epoxy/GNPs cured coatings had been investigated, by evaluating their fracture surfaces with field-emission scanning electron microscopy（FE-SEM） after three-point-bending tests. The thermal stability of the epoxy/GNPs cured coatings was studied by thermo-gravimetric analysis（TGA）. The isothermal curing kinetics result showed that the GNPs would not affect the autocatalytic reaction mechanism, but the loading of GNPs below 1.0 wt % additive played a prompting role in the curing of the epoxy/GNPs powder coatings. The fracture strain, fracture toughness and impact resistance of the epoxy/GNPs cured coatings increased dramatically at low levels of GNPs loading（1 wt %）, indicating that the GNPs could improve the toughness of the epoxy/GNPs powder coatings. Furthermore, from FE-SEM studies of the fracture surfaces, the possible toughening mechanisms of the epoxy/GNPs cured coatings were proposed. TGA result showed that the incorporation of GNPs improved the thermal stability of the cured coatings. Hence, the GNPs modified epoxy can be an efficient approach to toughen epoxy powder coating along with improving their thermal stability.

Microstructure,mechanical properties and multiphase synergistic strengthening mechanisms of a novel laser additive manufactured AlNi6TiZr alloy

In this work,selective laser melting(SLM)process is used to prepare the AlNi6TiZr alloy.By analyzing the printing quality and mechanical properties of the printed specimens with different process parameters,the SLM forming window of AlNi6TiZr is obtained.The relative density of the sample printed with 270 W-1100 mm/s(laser energy density:82 J/mm3)reaches 99.7%,exhibiting excellent mechanical properties(yield strength(YS):421.7 MPa;ultimate tensile strength(UTS):480.4 MPa).After an aging treatment of 325 ℃-12 h,the YS and UTS of the sample increased to 494 MPa and 550.7 MPa,respectively.Adding Ni,Ti,and Zr components promoted the generation of multi-phase precipitates in the Al alloy and improved the synergistic strengthening effect of multi-phases.The hard-shell structure(HSS)formed by the Al_(3)Ni phase at the grain boundary significantly strengthened the grain boundary strength.The precipitated Al_(3)(Ti,Zr)phases at the grain boundaries prevent grain growth and dislocation movement.The Al_(3)Ni and Al_(3)(Ti,Zr)phases have good thermal stability that can still maintain excellent enhancement effects at high temperature.AlNi6TiZr alloy has great application prospects in medium and high-temperature environments.

Modification of Liquid Silicone Rubber by Octavinyl-polyhedral Oligosilsesquioxanes and Silicon Sol

To develop an efficient and bio-compatible way to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of addition type liquid silicone rubber（LSR）, a series of modified LSR samples were prepared by introducing octavinyl-polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes（VPOSS） and high purity silicon sol singly or in combination before vulcanization. Significant correlation was found between the loading rate of VPOSS and thermal properties. However, mechanical properties were negatively correlated with VPOSS content within the range experimented, which may be ascribed to material defect caused by uneven distribution and aggregation. Furthermore, test results approved that the introducing of silicon sol indeed affected the stabilities of the polymer by restraining the material defect caused by the aggregation of POSS molecules and improving cross link density. For example, adding 10%-20% of silicon sol into VPOSS（1.0%） modified LSR will increase tear resistance by 43.9%-85.7%, elongation at break by 31.7%-57.3%, residue at 800 ℃ in N2 atmosphere by 32.0%-37.9%, residue at 650 ℃ in air atmosphere by 70.9%-91.6%, respectively. This work proves that, to incorporate VPOSS into LSR by hydrosilylation, and to use silicon sol as dispersant and reinforce filler can become an efficient way to improve the mechanical property, thermal stability and bio-compatibility of LSR in the future.

Preparation of Al_(72)Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 amorphous powders and bulk materials

Amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were successfully fabricated by mechanical alloying. The microstructure, glass-forming ability, and crystallization behavior of amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, and differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. In the results, the supercooled liquid region of the amorphous alloy is as high as 81 K, as determined by-non-isothermal DSC curves. The activation energy for crystallization is as high as 312.6 kJ ·mol1 obtained by Kissinger and Ozawa analyses. The values of Avrami exponent（n） imply that the crystallization is dominated by interface-controlled three-dimensional growth in the early stage and the end stage and by diffusion-controlled two- or three-dimensional growth in the middle stage. In addition, the amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were sintered under 2 GPa at temperatures of 673 K and 723 K. The results show that the Vickers hardness of the compacted powders is as high as Hv 1215.

In situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Diagnostic for Characterization and Performance Test of Catalysts

The present work establishes a systematic approach based on the application of in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） for the investigation of the crystal structure, thermal stability, redox behavior （temperature-programmed reduction/temperatureprogrammed re-oxidation） as well as the catalytic properties of Co3O4 thin films. The syntheses of Co3O4 were achieved by chemical vapor deposition in the temperature range of 400-500℃. The structure analysis of the as-prepared material revealed the presence of two prominent IR bands peaking at 544 cm-1 （υ1） and 650 cm-1 （υ2） respectively, which originate from the stretching vibrations of the Co-O bond, characteristic of the Co3O4 spinel. The lattice stability limit of Co3O4 was estimated to be above 650℃. The redox properties of the spinel structure were determined by integrating the area under the emission bands υ1 and υ2 as a function of the temperature. Moreover, Co3O4 has been successfully tested as a catalyst towards complete oxidation of dimethyl ether below 340 ℃. The exhaust gas analysis during the catalytic process by in situ absorption FTIR revealed that only CO2 and H2O were detected as the final products in the catalytic reaction. The redox behavior suggests that the oxidation of dimethyl ether over Co3O4 follows a Mars-van Krevelen type mechanism. The comprehensive application of in situ FTIR provides a novel diagnostic tool in characterization and performance test of catalysts.

The role of microstructure and its stability in performance of wheels in heavy haul service

Thermal or thermo-mechanical loading is one of the major causes of wheel surface damage in Australian heavy haul operations.In addition,multi-wear wheels appear to be particularly sensitive to thermo-mechanical damage during their first service life.Such damage can incur heavy machining penalties or even premature scrapping of wheels.The combination of high contact stresses as well as substantial thermal loading(such as during prolonged periods of tread braking) can lead to severe plastic deformation,thermal fatigue and microstructural deterioration.For some high-strength wheel grades,the increased sensitivity to thermo-mechanical damage observed during the first service period may be attributed to the presence of a near-surface region in which the microstructure is more sensitive to these loading conditions than the underlying material.The standards applicable to wheels used in Australian heavy haul operations are based on the Association of American Railroads(AAR) specification M-107/M-208,which does not include any requirements for microstructure.The implementation of acceptance criteria for the microstructure,in particular that in the near-surface region of the wheel,may be necessary when new wheels are purchased.The stability of wheel microstructures during thermo-mechanical loading and the effects of alloying elements commonly used in wheel manufacturing are reviewed.A brief guide to improving thermal/mechanical stability of the microstructure is also provided.

Synthesis of lanthanum ricinoleate and its effect on thermal stability and mechanical properties in PVC

The lanthanum ricinoleate（abbreviated as Lari3） of rare earth heat stabilizer was synthesized by the reaction of ricinoleic acid, lanthanum nitrate and sodium hydroxide. The IR and fluorescence spectra methods confirmed the structure of the product. The thermal stability of PVC in the presence of Lari3 was studied by the Congo method and using TG analysis. The results showed that Lari3 could be used as a thermal stabilizer for PVC. When the ratio of Lari3/pentaerythritol was 3：1, the complex exhibited better synergistic effect. Incorporation of Lari3 to PVC resulted in a marked increase of maximum and onset degradation temperature as well as elongation and impact strength of PVC. Lari3 might replace the labile chlorine atoms to interrupt the formation of conjugated double bonds in PVC chains and act as HCl scavenger to restrain the self-catalyticdehydrochlorination.

Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorinated Polyurethane Containing Carborane in the Main Chain: Thermal, Mechanical and Chemical Resistance Properties

In this study, two fluorinated polyurethanes（FPU） containing carborane groups in the main chains were firstly designed and synthesized via the reaction of hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer（HDI trimer） with fluorinated polyesters（CFPETs） having hydroxyl-terminated carborane groups at room temperature. The structures of carborane fluorinated polyesters（CFPETs） and polyurethanes（CFPUs） were characterized by gel permeation chromatography（GPC）, Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） measurements. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, Shore A hardness, solvent resistance and acid-alkali resistance of the carborane fluorinated polyurethane films were also studied. Thermogravimetric analysis（TGA） tests manifested that the introduction of carborane groups into the main chain of fluorinated polyurethane endowed the obtained fluorinated polyurethane with excellent thermal stability. The thermal decomposition temperature of carborane fluorinated polyurethane（CFPU） increased by 190 °C compared with that of the carborane-free fluorinated polyurethane（FPU）. Even at 800 °C, CFPU showed the char yield of 66.5%, which was higher than that of FPU（34.3%）. The carborane-containing fluorinated polyurethanes also showed excellent chemical resistance and prominent mechanical property even after the cured films being immersed into Jet aircraft oil or 37% HCl for 168 h or at high temperature（700 °C）. It is found that the structural characteristics of carborane group and the compacted structure of CFPU effectively improve the thermal stability, mechanical property, solvent resistance and acid-alkali resistance of the carborane-free fluorinated polyurethane. These excellent properties make CFPU as the useful raw materials to prepare the high temperature resistant coatings or adhesives for automotive engines, engine or fuel tank of aircraft and other equipment working in high-temperature or high concentrations of acid-alkali environments.

Structural Modification of Al65Cu16.5Ti18.5 Amorphous Powder through Annealing and Post Milling： Improving Thermal Stability

To improve thermal stability of the Al65Cu16.5Ti18.5 amorphous powder,structural modification of the amorphous powder was performed through annealing and post milling.Annealing above the crystallization temperature（Tx） not only induced nanoscale intermetallics to precipitate in the amorphous powder,but also increased Cu atomic percentage within the residual amorphous phase.Post milling induced the amorphization of the nanocrystal intermetallics and the formation of Cu9Al4 from the residual amorphous phase.Thus,a mixed structure consisting of amorphous phase and Cu9Al4 was obtained in the powder after annealing and post milling（the APMed powder）.The phase constituent in the APMed powder did not change during the post annealing,which exhibited significantly improved thermal stability in comparison with the as-milled amorphous powder.

2D Carbon Fiber Reinforced High Density Polyethylene Multi-Layered Laminated Composite Panels:Structural,Mechanical,Thermal,and Morphological Profile

Carbon fiber reinforced high density polyethylene multi-layered laminated composite panels（HDPE/CF MLCP） with excellent in-plane properties along transverse direction have been formulated. Composite architectures with carbon fiber（CF） designed in 2D layout in conventional composites can alleviate their properties in thickness direction, but all attempts so far developed have achieved restrained success. Here,we have exposed an approach to the high strength composite challenge, without altering the 2D stack design on the basis of concept of fiber reinforced laminated composites that would provide enhanced mechanical and thermal properties along transverse direction. CF sheets allowed the buckling of adjoining plies in 2D MLCP. We fabricated 2D MLCP by stacking the alternative CF and HDPE layers under different loading conditions, which resulted in high strength composites. These plies of CF and HDPE served as unit cells for MLCP, with CF offering much-needed fracture toughness and hardness to these materials.For 2D HDPE/CF MLCP, we demonstrated noteworthy improvement in physical and chemical interaction between CF and HDPE, in-plane fracture strain, flexural strength（30.684 MPa）, bending modulus（7436.254 MPa）, thermal stability（40.94%）, and surface morphology, upon increasing the CF layers up to twenty, enabling these composites truly for high temperature and high strength applications.

Solid-state lithium batteries: Safety and prospects

Solid-state lithium batteries are flourishing due to their excellent potential energy density.Substantial efforts have been made to improve their electrochemical performance by increasing the conductivity of solid-state electrolytes(SEs)and designing a compatible battery configuration.The safety of a solid lithium battery has generally been taken for granted due to the nonflammability and strength of SEs.However,recent results have shown the release of dangerous gases and intense heat due to the formation of lithium dendrites,indicating the safety of solid-state lithium batteries may have been overestimated.In this review,we introduce a safety evaluation methodology,then focus on the garnet Li_(7)La_(3)Zr_(2)O_(12)(LLZO)and sulfide-based SEs,summarizing their structure,conductivity,compatibility with a lithium metal anode,electrochemical/chemical stability,and mechanical/thermal stability,which correlate closely with battery safety.We also evaluate the safety of all-solid-state lithium batteries,then conclude by discussing future avenues for improving the safety of SE-based batteries.