Electrophoretic deposition of hybrid organic-inorganic PTFE/Al/CuO energetic film

Thermite films are typical energetic materials(EMs)and have great value in initiating explosive devices.However,research in thermite film preparation is far behind that of research in thermite powders.Electrophoretic deposition(EPD)is an emerging,rapid coating method for film fabrication,including of energetic composite films.In this work,a polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)/Al/CuO organic-inorganic hybrid energetic film was successfully obtained using the above method for the first time.The addition of lithocholic acid as a surfactant into the electroplating suspension enabled PTFE to be charged.The combustion and energy release were analyzed by means of a high-speed camera and differential scanning calorimetery(DSC).It was found that the combustion process and energy release of PTFE/Al/CuO were much better than that of Al/CuO.The main reason for the excellent combustion performance of the hybrid PTFE/Al/CuO system was that the oxidability of PTFE accelerated the redox reaction between Al and CuO.The prepared PTFE/Al/CuO film was also employed as ignition material to fire a B-KNO_3 explosive successfully,indicating considerable potential for use as an ignition material in micro-ignitors.This study sheds light on the preparation of fluoropolymer-containing organic-inorganic hybrid energetic films by one-step electrophoretic deposition.

Effect of TbF_(3)diffusion on the demagnetization behavior and domain evolution of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets by electrophoretic deposition

We studied the magnetic properties and domain evolution of annealed and TbF3-diffused sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets using the electrophoretic deposition method.After TbF_(3)diffusion,the coercivity increased significantly by 9.9 kOe and microstructural analysis suggested that Tb favored the formation of the(Nd,Tb)_(2)Fe_(14)B shell phase in the outer region of the matrix grains.The first magnetization reversal and the dynamic successive domain propagation process were detected with a magneto-optical Kerr microscope.For the TbF_(3)-diffused magnet,the magnetization reversal appeared at a larger applied field and the degree of simultaneous magnetization reversal decreased compared with an annealed magnet.During demagnetization after full magnetization,the occurrence of domain wall motion(DWM)in the reproduced multi-domain regions was observed by the step method.The maximum polarization change resulting from the reproduced DWM was inversely related to the coercivity.The increased coercivity for the diffused magnet was mainly attributed to the more difficult nucleation of the magnetic reversed region owing to the improved magneto-crystalline anisotropy field as a result of Tb diffusion.

Flexible free-standing graphene-like film electrode for supercapacitors by electrophoretic deposition and electrochemical reduction

Electrophoretic deposition in conjunction with electrochemical reduction was used to make flexible free-standing graphene-like films. Firstly, graphene oxide （GO） film was deposited on graphite substrate by electrophoretic deposition method, and then reduced by subsequent electrochemical reduction of GO to obtain reduced GO （ERGO） film with high electrochemical performance. The morphology, structure and electrochemical performance of the prepared graphene-like film were confirmed by SEM, XRD and FT-IR. These unique materials were found to provide high specific capacitance and good cycling stability. The high specific capacitance of 254 F/g was obtained from cyclic voltammetry measurement at a scan rate of 10 mV/s. When the current density increased to 83.3 A/g, the specific capacitance values still remained 132 F/g. Meanwhile, the high powder density of 39.1 kW/kg was measured at energy density of 11.8 W-h/kg in 1 mol/L H2SO4 solution. Furthermore, at a constant scan rate of 50 mV/s, 97.02% of its capacitance was retained for 1000 cycles. These promising results were attributed to the unique assembly structure of graphene film and low contact resistance, which indicated their potential application to electrochemical capacitors.

Preparation of YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) superconducting thick film on Ni-W tapes via electrophoretic deposition

The preparation of La0.4Sr0.6TiO3 （LSTO） buffer layer and YBa2Cu3O7-δ（YBCO） superconducting thick film by a low cost technology was studied. The crystal orientation of LSTO and YBCO films was detected by X-ray diffraction, the conductivity of LSTO film and superconductivity of YBCO coating were investigated by standard four-probe method. Excellent in-plane alignment, smooth and dense LSTO buffer layer was successfully prepared on textured Ni-W taps by metal organic deposition （MOD）. YBCO thick film was fabricated by electrophoretic deposition （EPD）. The effects of applied voltage and deposition time on the YBCO coatings properties were studied. The results show that the critical current density of the YBCO coating deposited under 138 V for 35 min was about 600 A/cm2 （0 T, 77 K）.

Thermo-Electrochemical Cells Based on Carbon Nanotube Electrodes by Electrophoretic Deposition

Drawbacks of low efficiency and high cost of the electrode materials have restricted the wide applications of the thermo-electrochemical cells(TECs). Due to high specific areas and electrical conductivities, the low cost multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWNTs) are promising alternative electrode materials. In this work, the MWNT films of up to 16 cm^2 were synthesized on stainless steel substrates by the electrophoretic deposition(EPD) to make the thermo-electrochemical electrodes. MWNT electrodes based on TECs were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and the long-term stability tests with the potassium ferri/ferrocyanide electrolyte. The TECs reached the current density of 45.2 A m^(-2) and the maximum power density of 0.82 W m^(-2). The relative power conversion efficiency of the MWNT electrode is 50 % higher than that for the Pt electrode. Meanwhile, the TECs was operated continuously for 300 h without performance degradation. With the priorities of low cost and simple fabrication, EPD-based MWNT TECs may become commercially viable.

Micro arc oxidation and electrophoretic deposition effect on damping and sound transmission characteristics of AZ31B magnesium Alloy

Micro arc oxidation(MAO) and electrophoretic deposition(EPD) process are employed to fabricate a dense coating on magnesium alloy to protect it from corrosion in engineering application. The EPD film changes the damping characteristic of magnesium alloy, and both the MAO and EPD process change the bending stiffness of samples being treated. Damping loss factor(DLF) test and sound transmission experiments were carried out for AZ31 B magnesium alloy with coating fabricated by MAO and EPD processes. The results indicate that DLF is improved in frequency range from 0-850 Hz. Bending stiffness of the samples is improved with MAO and EPD treatment. As a result, the sound transmission loss(LST) is improved in the stiffness control stage of the sound transmission verse frequency curve. To the samples by electrophoresis process, the LST is improved in frequency range from 2500-3200 Hz, because the damping loss factor is improved with EPD process. The results are useful for the surface treatment to enhance the damping loss factor, LST and widespread application of magnesium alloy while improving the corrosion resistance.

Electrophoretic Deposition of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticle Films for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Applications

Films of titanium oxide nanocrystalline particles (P25) were deposited using an electrophoretic deposition. The film’s characteristics were tuned for applications in dye-sensitized solar cells. Electrophoretic deposition allows control of film characteristics such as porosity and thickness by changing deposition parameters, such as the electric field and deposition time. To increase the efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells with films created using electrophoretic deposition, the problem of an electrolyte contamination in the film, which occurred during deposition, was addressed. With the proper chemical post treatment, efficiency of 2.93% with fill factor of 0.55 was obtained when the films were annealed at 450℃. A low annealing temperature of 150℃ resulted in efficiencys of 1.99% with fill factor of 0.68. When the P25 was replaced by hydrothermally fabricated titanium oxide nanocrystalline particles, efficiency of 4.91% with fill factor of 0.55 was obtained.

Optimizing electrophoretic deposition conditions for enhancement in electrical conductivity of carbon fiber/carbon nanotube/epoxy hybrid composites

The effectiveness of optimizing electrical conductivity of carbon fiber/carbon nanotube （CNT）/epoxy hybrid composites via Taguchi method was demonstrated. CNTs were induced on carbon fabric by electrophoretic deposition （EPD） technique. The essential deposition parameters were identified as l） the deposition time, 2） the deposition voltage, 3） the mass fraction of CNTs in suspension, and 4） the distance between the electrodes. An experimental design was then performed to establish the appropriate levels for each factor. An orthogonal array of L9 （34） was designed to conduct the experiments. Electrical conductivity results were collected as the response. The relative influences of design parameters on the response were discussed. Using the model, signal to noise （S/N） ratio and response characteristics for the optimized deposition parameter combination were predicted. The results show clearly that the optimum condition of electrophoretic deposition （EPD） process improves the electrical conductivity of carbon/epoxy hybrid composites.

Electrophoretic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite Coating

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) coatings were deposited onto titanium substrates by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) fromethanol. The results indicated that the addition of very small amount of HCI resulted in a decrease in the aging timeas well as the suspension concentration required to obtain a coating. In addition, the results revealed the existenceof a critical saturated voltage (Vsat), which had significant effect on the quality of deposition. The mean interfacialshear strengths of HAP coatings after sintering were found to be greater than 13 MPa.

Cathodic electrophoretic deposition of α-Fe_2O_3 coating

Submicro α-Fe2O3 coatings were formed using electrophoretic deposition(EPD) technique in aqueous media. The zeta potentials of different α-Fe2O3 suspensions with different additives were measured as a function of p H to identify the optimum suspension condition for deposition. Electrophoretic depositions of α-Fe2O3 coatings under different applied electric fields and deposition time were studied and the effects of applied voltages and deposition time on deposition rates and thicknesses were investigated. The particle packing densities of the deposits at various applied voltages and deposition time were also analyzed by a scanning electron microscope(SEM). The results show that crack-free α-Fe2O3 coatings with uniform microstructure and good adherence to the nickel substrates are successfully obtained. Electrophoretic deposited α-Fe2O3 coating from aqueous suspension is a feasible, low-cost and environmental friendly method.

High specific strength MWCNTs/Mg-14Li-1Al composite prepared by electrophoretic deposition, friction stir processing and cold rolling

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes reinforced Mg-14Li-1Al composite(MWCNTs/Mg-14Li-1Al) was prepared by the processes of electrophoretic deposition, friction stir processing, and cold rolling. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. The results show that, the microhardness of the composite is up to HV 84.4, which is 91.38% higher than that of the as-cast matrix alloy(HV 44.1). The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the composite are 259 and 313 MPa, which are 135.45% and 115.86% higher than those of the as-cast matrix alloy, respectively, and a high specific strength of 221.98 k N·m/kg is obtained. In the composite, the MWCNTs serve as nucleation particles during the friction stir processing and cold rolling, causing dynamic recrystallization and grain refinement. Furthermore, MWCNTs hinder the movement of dislocations and transfer the load from the matrix alloy, thus improving the strength.

Fabrication of Titanate Barium Films by Electrophoretic Deposition Technique

EPD （electrophoretic deposition） technique has been shown as an effective method to produce thin ore thick layers at voltage 5-100 V onto Ni conductive substrate. The aim of this study is to use the EPD method to fabricate films from suspensions BaTiO3. The effects of the EPD process parameters such as the suspension concentration, deposition time, electrical field strength on the specific EPD deposited weight, morphology particles were used. The surface microstructures of the as-deposited films were investigated by SEM （scanning electron microscopy）. A homogeneous microstructure was obtained at applied electric field of 100 V and I min of deposition time at an electrode distance of 1.0 cm.

Electrophoretic Deposition of TiO2/Nb2O5 Composite Electrode Thin Films for Photovoltaic Application

Nano sized powders of TiO2 （titanium dioxide） and Nb2O5 （Niobium （V） oxide） were used to fabricate TiO2/Nb2O5 composites thin films by EPD （electrophoretic deposition） technique. The metal oxide powders, together with magnesium nitrate hexahydrate pellets, were suspended in propan-2-ol inside an EPD cell. The electrodes, placed 1.2 cm apart, were partially immersed in the suspension and a DC potential applied across them. Key EPD process parameters, which include applied DC electric field, deposition time and solid concentration in suspension, were optimized through visual inspection and from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer spectra. The highest （55%） transmittance was obtained for films with deposition time of 90 s, powder concentration of 0.01 g/40 mL, and 35 V DC （direct current） voltage. XRD micrographs confirmed that TiO2 and Nb2O5 particles were presented in the composite film. SEM （scanning electron microscope） micrographs of the composite electrode thin films showed that porous films of high quality with well controlled morphology were deposited by using the EPD technique.

Effect of Hydroxide Ion Concentration on the Morphology of the Hydroxyapatite Nanorods Synthesized Using Electrophoretic Deposition

The effect of OH- concentration on the morphology of the hydroxyapatite (HA) nanorod synthesized using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method has been investigated. The growth of HA nanorods was achieved on polished titanium substrates. The electrolyte used in this study was prepared by dissolving calcium acetate (Ca (CH3COO)2H)2O), and Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4) in distilled water without any surfactant, and was maintained at 80-130°C. Two electrolytes with OH- concentration of 10-4 and 10-10 were prepared. A highly homogeneous HA nanorods deposited on the titanium substrates were obtained after 1 h in the electrolytes with higher OH- concentration of 10-4. On the other hand, a flower-shaped HA nanostructures composed of needle-like HA crystals were obtained in the electrolyte of lower OH- concentration of 10-10. The deposits were identified as HA crystal rods grown along the c axis and perpendicular to the substrate. The HA deposits were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while detailed structural characterization was done using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns.

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes by Electrophoretic Deposition on Interlaminar Properties of Two Dimensional Carbon/carbon Composites

Carbon nanotubes（CNTs） were deposited uniformly on carbon cloth by electrophoretic deposition（EPD）. Thereafter, CNT-doped clothes were stacked and densified by pyrocarbon via chemical vapor infiltration to fabricate two-dimensional（2 D） carbon/carbon（C/C） composites. Effects of EPD CNTs on interlaminar shear performance and mode Ⅱ interlaminar fracture toughness（GⅡc） of 2 D C/C composites were investigated. Results showed that EPD CNTs were uniformly covered on carbon fibers, acting as a porous coating. Such a CNT coating can obviously enhance the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites. With increaing EPD CNTs, the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites increase greatly and then decrease, both of which run up to their maximum values, i e, 13.6 MPa and 436.0 J·m-2, when the content of EPD CNTs is 0.54 wt%, 2.27 and 1.45 times of the baseline. Such improvements in interlaminar performance of 2 D C/C composites are mainly beneficial from their increased cohesion of interlaminar matrix, which is caused not only by the direct reinforcing effect of EPD CNT network but also by the capacity of EPD CNTs to refine pyrocarbon matrix and induce multilayered microstructures that greatly increase the crack propagation resistance through ＂crack-blocking and-deflecting mechanisms＂.

Coating of calcium phosphate on biometallic materials by electrophoretic deposition

Although biometallic materials have been used as bone implant materials for a long time, they are still detected as foreign bodies by human immune system. Calcium phosphate coating, especially hydroxyapatite(HA) coating attracts special attention due to its good biocompatibility. Being one of the effective methods used to deposit HA coating onto the metallic implant, the electrophoretic deposition(EPD) was reviewed in detail, including the process of EPD, the advantages and disadvantages, the important processing factors and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the coating. Research results on the processing and the coating show potential application of EPD process to the biomedical materials surface modification. In addition, the nanoparticulate HA coating as a new trend in HA coating was also introduced.

Study of preparation of BG/HA gradient coating on titanium alloy by electrophoretic deposition method

In this paper, a gradient bioactive coating made from modified bioglass(BG) and hydroxyapatite(HA) was prepared by electrophoretic deposition method(EPD)on the surface of titanium alloy. Strong bonding between the matrix and BG/HA gradient coating was got by sintering. Crystal composition of the coating was analyzed by XRD. The characteristics of surface and cross section of the coating were observed by SEM. Adhesive strength of the coating was tested by pull method. The optimizing technological parameters were determined.

Effect of ball peening of substrate on microstructure, phase evolution and properties of electrophoretically deposited YSZ/(Ni,Al) composite coatings

YSZ/（Ni, Al） composite coatings were deposited on Inconel600 superalloy with ball peening （BP） and without （non BP）treatment using the electrophoretic deposition （EPD） technique, followed by vacuum sintering method. The structures and phaseevolution of the coatings were studied with X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersivespectrometry （EDS）. The relation between microstructures and properties of the BPs-coated samples was discussed. The results showthat the adhesion strength and gain mass of the BPs-coated samples with isothermal oxidation at 1100℃ for 100 h are 3.3 N and0.00817 mg/cm^2, respectively, while those of the non-BPs-coated sample are 2.6 N and 0.00559 mg/cm^2, respectively. The EDSmapping analysis indicates that an obvious outward diffusion of Cr from the substrate to BPs coated samples occurs after isothermaloxidation. The BPs-coated sample shows the superior adhesion and oxidation resistance compared with non-BPs-coated samples.

Effects of Al and Ni doping on oxidation and corrosion resistance of electrophoretic deposited YSZ coatings

Yttria-stablized zirconia(YSZ)/(Ni,Al)coatings were deposited on Inconel600alloy substrate by the electrophoreticdeposition combined with vacuum sintering technique.The effects of isothermal oxidation at1100°C on the composition of thecoatings and the crack healing were investigated,and the corrosion resistance of the coatings in3.5%NaCl(mass fraction)solutionwas also studied.The results showed that the cracks on the coating gradually healed up with the increase of the isothermal oxidationtime.During isothermal oxidation process,the coating composed of Ni3Al was transformed toα-Al2O3particulates.Theα-Al2O3particulates can seal the defects such as pores and cracks,and meanwhile prevent the oxygen diffusion into the coatings.Thepolarization curves and EIS results indicated that the coatings oxidized for40h had a more positive corrosion potential,higherbreakdown potential,higher impedance module at low frequency and much lower corrosion current density compared with YSZcoated and uncoated Inconel600alloys.

Electrophoretically deposited binder-free 3-D carbon/sulfur nanocomposite cathode for high-performance Li–S batteries

In the present study,the electrophoretic deposition method was successfully applied as a binder-free and scalable approach to deposit carbonaceous nanomaterials on carbon fiber paper(CFP)for cathode applications in Li-S batteries.The microstructural studies of the EPD-CNT film using scanning electron microscopy(SEM)revealed the formation of a crack-free and porous layer of CNTs being uniformly distributed on the CFP surface.The EPD:CFP/CNT/S cathode delivered a capacity around 2.2 times higher than that obtained in the absence of the EPD-CNT film(CFP/S cell)after 50 cycles and a capacity of935 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C.The EPD method was then employed to fabricate layer-by-layer structures where the EPD-CNT film was decorated with carbon black particles.The initial capacity as well as the reversible capacity after 100 cycles was further increased by the EPD:CFP/CNT/KB/S layer-by-layer structure to 1473 and 1033 mAh g^-1,respectively,indicating effective suppression of the shuttle effect.In addition,the rate performance of CFP/S was improved by depositing the EPD-CNT and EPD-CNT/carbon black architectures on CFP surface,and even further enhanced through the co-deposition of CNT and Pt nanoparticles by EPD,delivering a specific capacity of around 730 mAh g^-1 at 1 C.Finally,the cathodes fabricated by EPD were observed to outperform those made by the conventional casting method in terms of cycling performance,internal resistance,and polarization.This difference was ascribed to the non-uniform microstructure of the Cast-CNT film,which resulted in poor interfacial connection between the CNT agglomerates,hindering uniform sulfide/sulfur deposition during cycling.The obtained results suggested that the binder-free C/S nanocomposite cathode made by EPD is key to further enhance the specific capacity and energy density of Li-S batteries.