AN INCREMENTAL METHOD OF X-RAY DIFFRACTION QUANTITATIVE PHASE ANALYSIS OF SAMPLESCONTAINING AMORPHOUS MATERIAL

A new method for quantitative X-ray diffraction phase analysis of a powder misture has been developed according to Popovic's doping method. The weight fraction of amorphous material in the analysed sample is obtained. For a multicomponent system in which (n-2) pure phases are added into an n-phase compnent sample and theweight fractions of all n phases can be determined by the method. The test results of confirmation agree well with the theory.

The disorder effect on the performance of novel waveguides constructed in two-dimensional amorphous photonic materials

On the basis of two-dimensional amorphous photonic materials, we have designed a novel waveguide by inserting thinner cylindrical inclusions in the centre of basic hexagonal units of the amorphous structure along a given path. This waveguide in amorphous structure is similar to the coupled resonator optical waveguides in periodic photonic crystals. The transmission of this waveguide for S-polarized waves is investigated by a multiple-scattering method. Compared with the conventional waveguide by removing a line of cells from amorphous photonic materials, the guiding properties of this waveguide, including the transmissivity and bandwidth, are improved significantly. Then we study the effect of various types of positional disorder on the functionality of this device. Our results show that the waveguide performance is quite sensitive to the disorder located on the boundary layer of the waveguide, but robust against the disorder in the other area in amorphous structure except the waveguide border. This disorder effect in amorphous photonic materials is similar to the case in periodic photonic crystals.

Amorphous phosphorus chalcogenide as an anode material for lithiumion batteries with high capacity and long cycle life

The ever-increasing demands for modern energy storage applications drive the search for novel anode materials of lithium(Li)-ion batteries(LIBs) with high storage capacity and long cycle life, to outperform the conventional LIBs anode materials. Hence, we report amorphous ternary phosphorus chalcogenide(aP_(4)SSe_(2)) as an anode material with high performance for LIBs. Synthesized via the mechanochemistry method, the a-P_(4)SSe_(2) compound is endowed with amorphous feature and offers excellent cycling stability(over 1500 mA h g^(-1) capacity after 425 cycles at 0.3 A g^(-1)), owing to the advantages of isotropic nature and synergistic effect of multielement forming Li-ion conductors during battery operation. Furthermore,as confirmed by ex situ X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscope(TEM), the a-P_(4)SSe_(2)anode material has a reversible and multistage Li-storage mechanism, which is extremely beneficial to long cycle life for batteries. Moreover, the autogenous intermediate electrochemical products with fast ionic conductivity can facilitate Li-ion diffusion effectively. Thus, the a-P_(4)SSe_(2)electrode delivers excellent rate capability(730 mA h g^(-1)capacity at 3 A g^(-1)). Through in situ electrochemical impedance spectra(EIS) measurements, it can be revealed that the resistances of charge transfer(R_(SEI)) and solid electrolyte interphase(R_(Ct)) decrease along with the formation of Li-ion conductors whilst the ohmic resistance(R_(Ω)) remains unchanged during the whole electrochemical process, thus resulting in rapid reaction kinetics and stable electrode to obtain excellent rate performance and cycling ability for LIBs. Moreover, the formation mechanism and electrochemical superiority of the a-P_(4)SSe_(2)phase, and its expansion to P_(4)S_(3-x)Se_(x)(x = 0, 1, 2, 3) family can prove its significance for LIBs.

Magnetothermal Analysis of Nanocrystallization of Amorphous and Relaxations of Nanocrystalline Materials

For a few years it has been realized that nanocrystalline phases can be formed during crystallization of amorphous alloys annealed isothermally below the crystallization temperature of usual heating experiments. Data of this transformation monitored by the measurement of magnetic susceptibility are presented. A method using a magnetic balance with electronic stabilisation and combined computer facilities is applied. Constant heating and cooling rates as well as isothermal heat treatments are used. Magnetic measurements are able to detect the onset of the transformation of amorphous NI-P alloys much earlier than was possible with differential scanning calorimetry. The transformation kinetics can be analyzed by means of the Avrami plot based on the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. The kinetics of solid state reactions in the nanostructured material can be investigated similarly. Formation of a Ni-phase in a nanostructured Hf-Ni alloy could be detected in a very early stage, where calorimetric methods are not sensitive. Segregation phenomena could be detected from the experiments even after long time. The sensitivity of the applied method is not dependent on the heating rate as the sensitivity of scanning calorimetry is.

Synthesis and Photoluminescence of Amorphous Silicon Oxycarbide Nanowires

Synthesis of amorphous SiCO nanowires was carried out by means of direct current are discharge. Free-standing SiCO nanowires were deposited on the surface of a graphite crucible without any catalyst and template. The SiCO nanowires were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and FTIR. The SiCO nanowires were typically 20-100 gm in length and 10-100 nm in diameter as measured by SEM and TEM. The XPS and FTIR spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the Si atoms share bonds with O and C atoms in mixed SiCO units. The PL spectrum of the SiCO nanowires showed strong and stable white emissions at 454 and 540 nm. A plasma-assisted vapor-solid growth mechanism is proposed to be responsible for the formation of the SiCO nanowires.

Amorphous MoS_(3) enriched with sulfur vacancies for efficient electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction

Developing low-priced,yet effective and robust catalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR) is of vital importance for scalable and renewable electrochemical NH3 synthesis.Herein,we provide the first demonstration of MoS_3 as an efficient and durable NRR catalyst in neutral media.The prepared amorphous MoS_3 naturally possessed enriched S vacancies and delivered an NH3 yield of 51.7 μg h^(-1) mg^(-1)and a Faradaic efficiency of 12.8% at-0.3 V(RHE) in 0.5 M LiClO_4,considerably exceeding those of MoS_2 and most reported NRR catalysts.Density functional theory calculations unraveled that S vacancies involved in MoS_3 played a crucial role in activating the NRR via a consecutive mechanism with a low energetics barrier and simultaneously suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Crystallization kinetics of (Ni_(0.75)Fe_(0.25)_(78-x)Nb_xSi_(10)B_(12)(x=0,5)amorphous alloys

Amorphous ribbons of （Ni0.75Fe0.25）78-xNbxSi10B12 （x = 0, 5） were prepared by a single roller melt-spinning technique in air atmosphere. The crystallization kinetics of the alloys were investigated by means of continuous heating, and the activation energies of the alloys were calculated using Kissinger plot method and Ozawa plot method on the basis of differential thermal analysis data. The crystallization products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. After the （Ni0.75Fe0.25）78Si10B12 amorphous alloy was annealed at the temperatures 715 and 745 K, a single phase of γ-（Fe, Ni） solid solution with grain sizes of about 10.3 and 18.5 nm, respectively, precipitates in the amorphous matrix. The crystallized phases are γ-（Fe, Ni） solid solution, Fe2Si, Ni2Si, and Fe3B after annealing at 765 K. The （Ni0.75Fe0.25）73NbsSi10 B12 amorphous alloy was annealed at 720, 750, and 800 K; and the crystallization phases, γ（Fe, Ni） solid solution, （Fe, Ni）23B6. Ni31Si12 and Nb2NiB0.16 form simultaneously.

MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION FOR ATOMIC DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS ELECTROLESS Ni_(80)P_(20) COATING

Atomic growth process and structure of Amorphous Electroless Coating have been studied, using Monte-Carlo simulation method. The simulation results of amorphous Ni80P20 coating show that PDFs are in accordance with practical values. The migrations of adatoms in coating's growth are different from that of solidification of amorphous materials. In some cases, the migrated adatoms in the process of growth of amorphous coating are not enough to occupy all vacancies and traps, so the amorphous coating is micro-porous. The immovable probability k and the largest migration distance of adatoms, which lie on the electroless bath components, affect the PDF, volume density and microporosity remarkably.

Accurate prediction method for the microstructure of amorphous alloys without non-metallic elements

A new structural parameter of amorphous alloys called atomic bond proportion was proposed, and a topological algorithm for the structural parameter was proven feasible in the previous work. In the present study, a correction factor, λ,is introduced to optimize the algorithm and dramatically improve the calculation accuracy of the atomic bond proportion.The correction factor represents the ability of heterogeneous atoms to combine with one another to form the metallic bonds and it is associated with the uniformity of the master alloy, mixing enthalpy, cooling rate during preparation, and annealing time. The correction factor provides a novel pathway for researching the structures of the amorphous alloys.

CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS OF Al83Y10Ni7(at％) AMORPHOUS ALLOYS

Crystallization kinetics of Al83Y10Ni7(at%) amorphous alloys prepared bymelt spinning was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Three or fourstages of transforniation from amorphous to equilibrium state can be distinguished atheating rate 1 ￣ 40K / min. Apparent activation energies are calculated according to themethods of Kissinger, Ozawa and Arrhernius equation. An amoaphous phase with highstructural and heat stability was obtained in the vicinity of Al83Y10,Ni7. The isotheimalcrystallization kinetics of the first peak, in the range of 0. 15￣ 0.85, was found to be inagreement with John-Mell-Avrami equation with n = 2.5. Nucleation and growth dur-ing isothennal crystallization of the first stage for Al83Y10Ni7 amorpohous were ap-proached by introducing the concept of local Avrami exponent and local activation en-ergy.

Amorphous Electrode:From Synthesis to Electrochemical Energy Storage

Electrochemical batteries and supercapacitors are considered ideal rechargeable technologies for next-generation energy storage systems.The key to further commercial applications of electrochemical energy storage devices is the design and investigation of electrode materials with high energy density and significant cycling stability.Recently,amorphous materials have attracted a lot of attention due to their more defects and structure flexibility,opening up a new way for electrochemical energy storage.In this perspective,we summarize the recent research regarding amorphous materials for electrochemical energy storage.This review covers the advantages and features of amorphous materials,the synthesis strategies to prepare amorphous materials,as well as the application and modification of amorphous electrodes in energy storage fields.Finally,the challenges and prospective remarks for future development in amorphous materials for electrochemical energy storage are concluded.

Curie Temperature of Amorphous Fe-Si-B and Fe-W-Si-B Alloys

オhe effects of composition, annealing temperature and time, annealing heating rate on the Curie temperature of amorphous FeSiB and FeWSiB alloys were studied. The results indicate that the Curie temperature of these alloys increases with the increase of the metalloid content when it is <25 at%, then decreases with the further increase of the metalloid content. For amorphous FeSiB and FeWSiB alloys with the low metalloid content, the Curie temperature increases with the annealing temperature and the annealing time. However, for the amorphous FeWSiB alloys with the high metalloid content, the Curie temperature increases at low annealing temperature and with short annealing time, and decreases at high annealing temperature and with long annealing time. The heating rate in measuring Curie temperature also influences the Curie temperature of the alloys. The Curie temperature is higher at lower heating rates.

Microstructure and properties of mullite-based porous ceramics produced from coal fly ash with added Al_2O_3

Using coal fly ash slurry samples supplemented with different amounts of Al2O3, we fabricated mullite-based porous ceramics via a dipping-polymer-replica approach, which is a popular method suitable for industrial application. The microstructure, phase composition, and compressive strength of the sintered samples were investigated. Mullite was identified in all of the prepared materials by X-ray diffraction analysis. The microstructure and compressive strength were strongly influenced by the content of Al2O3. As the Al/Si mole ratio in the starting materials was increased from 0.84 to 2.40, the amount of amorphous phases in the sintered microstructure decreased and the compressive strength of the sintered samples increased. A further increase in the Al2O3content resulted in a decrease in the compressive strength of the sintered samples. The mullite-based porous ceramic with an Al/Si molar ratio of 2.40 exhibited the highest compressive strength and the greatest shrinkage among the investigated samples prepared using coal fly ash as the main starting material. © 2017, University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability and mechanical properties of Cu_(46)Zr_(47-x)Al_7M_x(M = Ce,Pr,Tb,and Gd) bulk metallic glasses

Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx （M = Ce, Pr, Tb, and Gd） bulk metallic glassy （BMG） alloys were prepared by copper-mold vacuum suction casting. The effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability （GFA）, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx were investigated. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx （M = Ce, Pr） alloys is dependent on the content of Ce and Pr, and the optimal content is 4 at.%. Cu46Zr47-xA17Thx（X = 2, 4, and 5） amorphous alloys with a diameter of 5 mm can be prepared. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Gdx（x = 2, 4, and 5） increases with increasing Gd. Tx and Tp of all decrease. Tg is dependent on the rare-earth element and its content. ATx for most of these alloys decreases except the Cu46Zra2Al7Gd5 alloy. The activation energies △Eg, △Ex, and △Ep for the Cu46Zr42A17Gd5 BMG alloy with Kissinger equations are 340.7, 211.3, and 211.3 kJ/mol, respectively. These values with Ozawa equations are 334.8, 210.3, and 210.3 kJ/mol, respec- tively. The Cu46Zr45Al7Tb2 alloy presents the highest microhardness, Hv 590, while the Cu46Zr43A17Pr4 alloy presents the least, Hv 479. The compressive strength （at.f.） of the Cu46Zra3A17Gd4 BMG alloy is higher than that of the Cu46Zr43Al7Tb4 BMG alloy.

High performance of multi-layered alternating Ni-Fe-P and Co-P films for hydrogen evolution

Judiciously engineering the electrocatalysts is attractive and challenging to exploit materials with high electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction.Herein,we successfully perform the interface engineering by alternately depositing Co±P and Ni±Fe±P films on nickel foam,via facile electroless plating and de-alloying process.This work shows that there is a significant effect of de-alloying process on alloy growth.The electronic structure of layered alloys is improved by interface engineering.The multilayer strategy significantly promotes the charge transfer.Importantly,the Co±P/Ni±Fe±P/NF electrode fabricated by interface engineering exhibits excellent electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity with an overpotential of 43.4 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and long-term durability for 72 h in alkaline medium(1 mol L^(-1)KOH).The innovative strategy of this work may aid further development of commercial electrocatalysts.

Amorphous MnO2 as Cathode Material for Sodium-ion Batteries

Amorphous MnO2 has been prepared from the reduction of KMnO4 in ethanol media by a facile one-step wet chemical route at room temperature. The electrochemical properties of amorphous MnO2 as cathode material in sodium-ion batteries （SIBs） are studied by galvanostatic charge/discharge testing. And the structure and morphologies of amorphous MnO2 are investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and Raman spectra. The results reveal that as-synthesized amorphous MnO2 electrode material exhibits a spherical morphology with a diameter between 20 and 60 nm. The first specific discharge capacity of the amorphous MnO2 electrode is 123.2 mAh-g 1 and remains 136.8 mAh·g^-1 after 100 cycles at the current rate of 0.1 C. The specific discharge capacity of amorphous MnO2 is maintained at 139.2, 120.4, 89, 68 and 47 mAh·g^-1 at the current rate of 0.1 C, 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C and 2 C, respectively. The results indicate that amorphous MnO2 has great potential as a promising cathode material for SIBs.

Upconversion luminescence properties of Er^(3+) doped GeS_2-Ga_2S_3-KCl chalcohalide glasses

Er^3＋ ions doped chalcohalide glasses with the composition of 56GeS2-24Ga2S3-20KCl were fabricated by a melt-quenching method.Under 800 nm laser excitation,strong green emissions centered at 525 nm and 550 nm and weak red emission centered at 660 nm were observed,which were assigned to ^2H11/2→^4I15/2,^4S3/2→^4I15/2,and ^4F9/2→^4I15/2 transitions,respectively.The intensity reached maximum when the Er^3＋ ions concentration was 0.1 mol%.The possible upconversion luminescence mechanism was proposed from the discussion on the above results as well as the results of lifetimes of the metastable ^4I13/2 level and local environment of Er^3＋ ions.It is found that chalcohalide glass can be good host materials for upconversion luminescence.

An amorphous FeMoO_(4) nanorod array enabled high-efficiency oxygen evolution electrocatalysis in alkaline seawater

The development of highly efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction(OER)catalysts for seawater electrolysis is of great importance for applications.Here,an amorphous FeMoO_(4) nanorod array on Ni foam is reported as a highly active OER electrocatalyst in alkaline seawater,requiring only overpotentials of 303 and 332 mV to achieve 100 and 300 mA·cm^(-2),respectively.Moreover,it shows strong long-term electrochemical durability for at least 50 h.

Effect of cooling rate on the magnetic properties of Fe_(53)Nd_(37)Al_(10) alloy

The effect of cooling rate on the magnetic properties of the Fe53Nd37Al10 alloy prepared by different methods, i.e., suction casting and melt spinning at different rates, was investigated. The Fe53Nd37Al10 ribbon at the wheel speed of 5 m.s-1 exhibits the highest coercivity in the samples. Two hard magnetic phases are detected from the hysteresis loops of the 5 m.s-1 ribbon at all temperatures below room temperature. Their appearance is associated with different exchange coupling interactions, which are between the two kinds of hard magnetic phases or between the hard magnetic phase and the soft magnetic phase.

The increasing of localized free volume in bulk metallic glass under uniaxial compression

Using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction, we have investigated the microstructure of a Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 bulk metallic glass under a uniaxial compression until a failure occurs at room temperature. It is shown that the amorphous structure has changed locally in the vicinity of the failure plane after the plastic deformation. An increase in free volume is observed within the localized areas due to the concentration of plastic flow, suggesting that the increasing of local free volume dominates the deformation mechanism of the metallic glass. The effect of free volume on the ＇serrated flow＇ behaviour in the stress-strain curves during the uniaxial compression is discussed.