Transparent Electronic Skin Device Based on Microstructured Silver Nanowire Electrode

Transparent, flexible electronic skin holds a wide range of applications in robotics, humanmachine interfaces, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and health monitoring. Silver nanowire are mechanically flexible and robust, which exhibit great potential in transparent and electricconducting thin film. Herein, we report on a silver-nanowire spray-coating and electrodemicrostructure replicating strategy to construct a transparent, flexible, and sensitive electronic skin device. The electronic skin device shows highly sensitive piezo-capacitance response to pressure. It is found that micropatterning the surface of dielectric layer polyurethane elastomer by replicating from microstructures of natural-existing surfaces such as lotus leaf, silk, and frosted glass can greatly enhance the piezo-capacitance performance of the device. The microstructured pressure sensors based on silver nanowire exhibit good transparency, excellent flexibility, wide pressure detection range （0-150 kPa）, and high sensitivity （1.28 kPa-1）.

Effect of microstructure on the mechanical, thermal, and electronic property measurement of ceramic coatings

Ceramic materials were investigated as thermal barrier coatings and electrolytes. Electrophoretic deposition（EPD） and physical vapor deposition（PVD） were employed to fabricate samples, and the mechanical properties and microstructure were examined by nanoindentation and microscopy, respectively. Yttria-stabilized zirconia/alumina（YSZ/Al2O3） composite coatings, a candidate for thermal barrier coatings, yield a kinky, rather than smooth, load–displacement curve. Scanning electron microscope（SEM） examination reveals that the kinky curve is because of the porous microstructure and cracks are caused by the compression of the indenter. Li0.34La0.51 Ti O2.94（LLTO） on Si/Sr Ru O3（Si/SRO） substrates, an ionic conductor in nature, demonstrates electronic performance. Although SEM images show a continuous and smooth microstructure, a close examination of the microstructure by transmission electron microscopy（TEM） reveals that the observed spikes indicate electronic performance. Therefore, we can conclude that ceramic coatings could serve multiple purposes but their properties are microstructure-dependent.

Wear behavior of high strength and high conductivity Cu alloys under dry sliding

In order to study the wear behavior of different kinds of contact wires,the dry sliding wear behaviors of Cu-Sn,Cu-Ag and Cu-Mg alloys prepared by up-drawn continuous casting and followed continuous extrusion were studied.The research was tested on a block-on-ring wear tester.The results indicate that the friction coefficient is remarkably influenced by the formation of a continuous tribofilm,which consists of oxidation film.The abrasion,adhesion,oxidation and plastic deformation are observed.Oxidation and abrasion wear mechanisms dominate at the lower sliding velocity and load.The combination of oxidation and adhesion play leading roles with the increasing load and velocity.Plastic deformation is detected under higher applied load and sliding velocities.

Effect of dosage of expandable graphite,dimethyl methylphosphonate,triethanolamine,and isocyanate on fluidity,mechanical,and flame retardant properties of polyurethane materials in coal reinforcement

In this study,orthogonal experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of expandable graphite(EG),dimethyl methylphosphonate(DMMP),triethanolamine(TEA),and isocyanate content on the compressive and bonding strengths,oxygen index,and fluidity of rigid polyurethane foam(RPUF).The results revealed that EG significantly increased the oxygen index of RPUF,enlarged the diameter of foam cells,and decreased the cell-closed content in foam;thus,leading to a pressure drop in RPUF.However,excessive EG was capable of reducing the fluidity of polyurethane slurry.TEA exhibited significant influence on the compressive strength of RPUF,which dropped initially,and then increased.DMMP had a remarkable effect on the flame retardant property and compressive strength of RPUF.Compressive strength of RPUF initially displayed an increase followed by a decrease with increasing dosage of DMMP,and achieved the maximum value at DMMP dosage of 4%.DMMP could effectively reduce the diameter of RPUF cells leading to an increase in the percentage of close area in foam.DMMP displayed the flame-retardation effects mainly in the gas phase leading to a significant enhancement in the oxygen index of RPUF.Moreover,the compressive strength and bonding strength of RPUF decrease significantly with the increase of isocyanate content due to the increased blowing efficiency by the CO_2.The oxygen index and flowing length of foam increased with the increase in isocyanate dosage.

Electron Beam Melted Beta-type Ti–24Nb–4Zr–8Sn Porous Structures With High Strength-to-Modulus Ratio

Electron beam melting （EBM） has been used to manufacture β-type Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn porous compo- nents with 70% porosity, EBM-produced components have favorable structural features （i.e. smooth strut surfaces, fewer defects） and an （α ＋ β）-type microstructure, similar to that subjected to aging treat- ment. EBM-produced components exhibit more than twice the strength-to-modulus ratio of porous Ti- 6A1-4V components having the same porosity. The processing-microstructure-property relationship and deformation behavior of EBM-produced components are discussed in detail. Such porous titanium com- ponents composed of non-toxic elements and having high strength-to-modulus ratio are highly attractive for biomedical applications.

Microstructure evolution of ultra-high-strength twinning-induced plasticity(TWIP)steel under dynamic loading

To prepare ultra-high-yield strength twinning-induced plasticity(TWIP)steel and reveal its work hardening mechanism at different strain rates from the microcosmic range,the microstructure evolution mechanism of Fe–20Mn–0.6C TWIP steel was investigated at strain rates of 10^(-4)–10^(3)s^(-1)using a high-speed tensile testing machine and a transmission electron microscope.The results show that the strain rate and deformation had a significant effect on the twin morphology of TWIP steels.At a strain rate of 10^(2)s^(-1),secondary deformation twins were developed,which intersected with the initial deformation twins and increased the resistance of dislocation movement,as well as the plasticity.TWIP steel at a strain rate of 10^(2)s^(-1)had a higher twin formation speed than that at 10^(0)s^(-1).At the same amount of deformation,the twin boundary fraction was higher and increased linearly at a strain rate of 10^(2)s^(-1),while the rule of twin growth at 10^(0)s^(-1)was conformed to S-curve change of DoseResp model.

Surface alloying of Al films/Ti substrate based on high-current pulsed electron beams irradiation

Ti–Al surface alloy was fabricated using a cyclic pulsed liquid-phase mixing of predeposited 100 nm Al film with a-Ti substrate by low-energy high-current electron beam. Electron probe micro-analysis（EPMA）,grazing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis（GIXRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, and nanoindentation were used to investigate the characterization of Ti–Al surface alloy. The experimental results show that the thickness of alloy layer is ＊3 lm, and the content of Al in the ＊1 lm thickness surface layer is ＊60 at%. The tetragonal TiAl and TiAl2intermetallics were synthesized at the top surface, which have nanocrystalline structure.The main phase formed in the ＊2.5 lm thick surface is TiAl, and there are few TiAl2and Ti3Al phase for the alloy.Dislocation is enhanced in the alloyed layer. The nanohardness of Ti–Al surface alloy increased significantly compared with a-Ti substrate due to the nanostructure and enhanced dislocation. Since the e-beam remelted repeatedly, the Ti–Al surface alloy mixed sufficiently with Ti substrate. Moreover, there is no obvious boundary between the alloyed layer and substrate.

Microstructure and secondary phases in epitaxial LaBaCo_2O_(5.5 + δ) thin films

Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy was employed to investigate the microstructures and secondary phases in LaBaCo2O5.5＋δ（LBCO） thin films grown on SrTiO3 （STO） substrates. The as-grown films showed an epitaxial growth on the substrates with atomically sharp interfaces and orientation relationships of [100]LBCO//[100]STO and （001）LBCO//（001）STO. Secondary phases were observed in the films, which strongly depended on the sample fabrication conditions. In the film prepared at a temperature of 900 ℃, nano-scale CoO pillars nucleated on the substrate, and grew along the [001] direction of the film. In the film grown at a temperature of 1000 ℃, isolated nano-scale C0304 particles appeared, which promoted the growth of {111 } twinning structures in the film. The orientation relationships and the interfaces between the secondary phases and the films were illustrated, and the growth mechanism of the film was discussed.

Crystallization of a Ti-based Bulk Metallic Glass Induced by Electropulsing Treatment

The effect of electropulsing treatment（EPT）on the microstructure of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass（BMG）has been studied.The maximum current density applied during EPT can exert a crucial role on tuning the microstructure of the BMG.When the maximum current density is no more than 2 720A/mm^2,the samples retains amorphous nature,whereas,beyond that,crystalline phases precipitate from the glassy matrix.During EPT,the maximum temperature within the samples EPTed at the maximum current densities larger than 2 720A/mm^2 is higher than the crystallization temperature of the BMG,leading to the crystallization event.

Microstructural characteristics of cold-rolled Zr-2.5Nb alloy annealed near the monotectoid temperature

A dual-phase Zr-2.5 Nb alloy was rolled at room temperature to 50% reduction and then annealed at two temperatures(560 and580°C) near the monotectoid temperature. X-ray diffraction, electron channeling contrast imaging and electron backscatter diffraction techniques were jointly used to characterize microstructural characteristics developed in the as-rolled and annealed specimens. Results show that plastic deformation occurs in both bulk α-Zr grains and thin β-Zr films during rolling, allowing large lattice strains to be accumulated in β-Zr and active dislocation slip(especially the prismatic áa?slip) to be initiated in α-Zr. During subsequent annealing at 580°C, the prior β-Zr films are transformed into submicron β-Zr particles, which lose coherency(the Burgers orientation relationship) with surrounding α grains. In the specimen annealed at 560°C, however, the prior β-Zr films are found to be decomposed into nanoscale β-Nb particles. In both the annealed specimens, the β-Zr and the β-Nb particles appeared to be linearly distributed along the rolling direction. Two types of α structures, i.e., small equiaxed crystallites formed by recovery of dislocation structures and coarse bamboo-like recrystallized grains, are revealed in the annealed specimens. Effective boundary pinning due to the dense β-phase particles is demonstrated to play a key role in forming such unusual bamboo-like grains.