Effects of Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) Raw Material Types on Properties of Anorthite Based Insulation Refractories

To optimize their Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw materials,anorthite based insulation refractories were prepared by the in-situ sintering process combined with the foaming method after sintering at 1350℃for 3 h,using green and pollution-free kaolin,kyanite,andalusite and sillimanite as Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw materials,respectively,and industrial CaCO_(3) as the CaO source.Effects of Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw material types on the physical properties,phase composition and microstructure were investigated.The results are as follows.All samples prepared by different Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw materials have hexagonal flake anorthite and a small amount of mullite and corundum.Their bulk density and thermal conductivity decrease in the order of using kaolin,andalusite,kyanite and sillimanite as the Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw material,but their apparent porosity increases.Moreover,in the sample with kaolin,the bonding between anorthite crystals on the pore walls is closer than that of the other samples,which is conducive to increasing the cold crushing strength.The bonding between anorthite crystals on pore walls gradually decreases in the order of using kyanite,andalusite and sillimanite as the Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2) raw material,thus their cold crushing strength decreases accordingly.In comprehensive consideration,the properties of the sample from kyanite are the optimal.Its apparent porosity,thermal conductivity and cold crushing strength are 84.6%,0.141 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1) and 1.89 MPa,respectively.

Physical and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Composite Materials Based on Raw Earth and Crushed Palm Leaf Fibers (Borassus aethiopum)

The objective of this study is to seek solutions to reduce the impact of buildings on climate change and to promote the use of local bio-sourced or geo-sourced materials for sustainable construction. Different samples of raw earth from 3 sites were taken in the commune of Mlomp. Geotechnical tests showed that the raw earth samples from sites 2 and 3 have more clay fraction while site 1 contains more sand. The fact of integrating fibers from crushed palm leaves (Borassus aethiopum) (2%, 4% and 6%) into the 3 raw earth samples reduced the mechanical resistance to compression and traction of the 3 raw earths. The experimental results of thermal tests on samples of earth mixtures with crushed Palma leaf fibers show a decrease in thermal conductivity as well as thermal effusivity as the percentages increase (2%, 4% and 6%) of fibers in raw earth for the 3 sites. This shows that this renewable composite material can help improve the thermal insulation of building envelopes.

The establishment of Boron nitride@sodium alginate foam/polyethyleneglycol composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity, shape stability, and reusability

Adopting organic phase change materials(PCMs) for the management of electronic devices is restricted by low thermal conductivity. In this paper, the composite PCMs are established by freeze-drying and vacuum impregnation. Herein, polyethylene glycol(PEG) is induced as heat storage materials, boron nitride(BN) is embedded as filler stacking in an orderly fashion on the foam walls to improve thermal conductivity and sodium alginate(SA) is formed as supporting material to keep the shape of the composite stable. X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer, thermal gravimetric analysis, thermal conductivity meter, differential scanning calorimeter, and Fourier transform infrared were used to characterize the samples and thermal cycles were employed to measure the shape stability. The results exhibit the BN@SA/PEG composite PCMs have good chemical compatibility, stable morphology, and thermal stability. Due to the high porosity of foam, PEG endows the composite PCMs with high latent heat(149.11 and 141.59 J·g^(-1)). Simultaneously, BN@SA/PEG shows an excellent heat performance with high thermal conductivity(0.99 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)), reusability, and shape stability, contributing the composite PCMs to application in the energy storage field. This study provides a strategy to manufacture flexible, long-serving, and shape-stable PCMs via introducing BN@SA foam as a storage framework, and these PCMs have great potential in thermal management in the electronic field.

Surface contact behavior of functionally graded thermoelectric materials indented by a conducting punch

The contact problem for thermoelectric materials with functionally graded properties is considered.The material properties,such as the electric conductivity,the thermal conductivity,the shear modulus,and the thermal expansion coefficient,vary in an exponential function.Using the Fourier transform technique,the electro-thermoelastic problems are transformed into three sets of singular integral equations which are solved numerically in terms of the unknown normal electric current density,the normal energy flux,and the contact pressure.Meanwhile,the complex homogeneous solutions of the displacement fields caused by the gradient parameters are simplified with the help of Euler’s formula.After addressing the non-linearity excited by thermoelectric effects,the particular solutions of the displacement fields can be assessed.The effects of various combinations of material gradient parameters and thermoelectric loads on the contact behaviors of thermoelectric materials are presented.The results give a deep insight into the contact damage mechanism of functionally graded thermoelectric materials(FGTEMs).

Conducting Polymers Meet Lithium-Sulfur Batteries:Progress,Challenges,and Perspectives

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries have attracted increased interest because of the high theoretical energy density,low cost,and environmental friendliness.Conducting polymers(CPs),as one of the most promising materials used in Li-S batteries,can not only facilitate electron transfer and buffer the large volumetric change of sulfur benefiting from their porous structure and excellent flexibility,but also enable stronger physical/chemical adsorption capacity toward polysulfides(LiPSs)when doped with abundant heteroatoms to promote the sulfur redox kinetics and achieve the high sulfur loading.This review firstly introduces the properties of various CPs including structural CPs(polypyrrole(PPy),polyaniline(PANi),polyethylene dioxothiophene[PEDOT])and compound CPs(polyethylene oxide(PEO),polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)and poly(acrylic acid)[PAA]),and their application potential in Li-S batteries.Furthermore,the research progress of various CPs in different components(cathode,separator,and interlayer)of Li-S batteries is systematically summarized.Finally,the application perspective of the CPs in Li-S batteries as a potential guidance is comprehensively discussed.

Impact of Morphology of Conductive Agent and Anode Material on Lithium Storage Properties

In this study,the impact of morphology of conductive agent and anode material(Fe3O4)on lithium storage properties was throughly investigated.Granular and belt-like Fe3O4active materials were separately blended with two kinds of conductive agents(i.e.,granular acetylene black and multi-walled carbon nanotube)as anodes in lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),respectively.It was found that the morphology of conductive agent is of utmost importance in determining LIBs storage properties.In contrast,not as the way we anticipated,the morphology of anode material merely plays a subordinate role in their electrochemical performances.Further,the morphology-matching principle of electrode materials was discussed so as to render their utilization more rational and effective in LIBs.

Influence of Water Content on Conductivity and Piezoresistivity of Cement-based Material with both Carbon Fiber and Carbon Black

The influence of water content on the conductivity and piezoresistivity of cement-based material with carbon fiber （CF） and carbon black （CB） was investigated. The piezoresistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB was compared with that of cement-based material with CF only, and the changes in electrical resistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB under static and loading conditions in different drying and soaking time were studied. It is found that the piezoresistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB has better repeatability and linearity than that of cement-based material with CF only. The conductivity and the sensitivity of piezoresistive cement-based material with both CF and CB are enhanced as the water content in piezoresistive cement-based material increases.

Prediction of the thermal conductivity of Mg–Al–La alloys by CALPHAD method

Mg-Al alloys have excellent strength and ductility but relatively low thermal conductivity due to Al addition.The accurate prediction of thermal conductivity is a prerequisite for designing Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity.Thus,databases for predicting temperature-and composition-dependent thermal conductivities must be established.In this study,Mg-Al-La alloys with different contents of Al2La,Al3La,and Al11La3phases and solid solubility of Al in the α-Mg phase were designed.The influence of the second phase(s) and Al solid solubility on thermal conductivity was investigated.Experimental results revealed a second phase transformation from Al_(2)La to Al_(3)La and further to Al_(11)La_(3)with the increasing Al content at a constant La amount.The degree of the negative effect of the second phase(s) on thermal diffusivity followed the sequence of Al2La>Al3La>Al_(11)La_(3).Compared with the second phase,an increase in the solid solubility of Al in α-Mg remarkably reduced the thermal conductivity.On the basis of the experimental data,a database of the reciprocal thermal diffusivity of the Mg-Al-La system was established by calculation of the phase diagram (CALPHAD)method.With a standard error of±1.2 W/(m·K),the predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental data.The established database can be used to design Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity and provide valuable guidance for expanding their application prospects.

Thermal transport in semiconductor nanostructures, graphene,and related two-dimensional materials

We review experimental and theoretical results on thermal transport in semiconductor nanostructures（multilayer thin films, core/shell and segmented nanowires）, single-and few-layer graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, and black phosphorus. Different possibilities of phonon engineering for optimization of electrical and heat conductions are discussed. The role of the phonon energy spectra modification on the thermal conductivity in semiconductor nanostructures is revealed. The dependence of thermal conductivity in graphene and related two-dimensional（2 D） materials on temperature, flake size, defect concentration, edge roughness, and strain is analyzed.

Unsteady Heat Transfer in Bilayer,and Three-Layer Materials

The heat transfer equation is used to determine the heat flow by conduction through a composite material along the real axis.An analytical dimensionless analysis is implemented in the framework of a separation of variables method(SVM).This approach leads to an Eigenvalues problem that is solved by the Newton’s method.Two types of dynamics are found:An unsteady condition(in the form of jumps or drops in temperatures depending on the considered case),and a permanent equilibrium(tending to the ambient temperature).The validity and effectiveness of the proposed approach for any number of adjacent layers is also discussed.It is shown that,as expected,the diffusion of the temperature is linked to the ratio of the thermo-physical properties of the considered layers and their number.

THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS FOR FILLING MATERIALS FOR SLIDING GATES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON FREE- TAPPING PERFORMANCE OF STEEL LADLE

The thermal conductivities of different typical species filling materials for sliding gate systems for steel ladles were measured using a hot wire technique, and the relationships between thermal conductivity and temperature were regressed. The factors affecting thermal conductivity were analyzed by using variance analysis for a perpendicular experiment. The effects of thermal conductivity on sliding gate free tapping were studied, and it was revealed that decreasing the thermal conductivity of the filling materials is beneficial in enhancing the rate of free tapping for sliding gates.

Analysis of the Performances of a New Type of Alumina Nanocomposite Structural Material Designed for the Thermal Insulation of High-Rise Buildings

The sol-gel method is used to prepare a new nano-alumina aerogel structure and the thermal properties of this nanomaterial are investigated comprehensively using electron microscope scanning,thermal analysis,X-ray and infrared spectrometer analysis methods.It is found that the composite aerogel alumina material has a multi-level porous nano-network structure.When employed for the thermal insulation of high-rise buildings,the alumina nanocomposite aerogel material can lead to effective energy savings in winter.However,it has almost no energy-saving effect on buildings where energy is consumed for cooling in summer.

A THEORY OF EFFECTIVE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY FOR MATRIX-INCLUSION-MICROCRACK THREE-PHASE HETEROGENEOUS MATERIALS BASED ON MICROMECHANICS

The effective thermal conductivity of matrix-inclusion-microcrack three-phase heterogeneous materials is investigated with a self-consistent micromechanical method (SCM) and a random microstructure finite element method(RMFEM). In the SCM, microcracks are assumed to be randomly distributed and penny-shaped and inclusions to be spherical, the crack effect is accounted for by introducing a crack density parameter, the effective thermal conductivity is derived which relates the macroscopic behavior to the crack density parameter. In the RMFEM, the highly irregular microstructure of the heterogeneous media is accurately described, the interaction among the matrix-inclusion-microcracks is exactly treated, the inclusion shape effect and crack size effect are considered. A Ni/ZrO2 particulate composite material containing randomly distributed, penny-shaped cracks is examined as an example. The main results obtained are: (1) the effective thermal conductivity is sensitive to the crack density and exhibits essentially a linear relationship with the density parameter: (2) the inclusion shape has a significant effect on the effective thermal conductivity and a polygon-shaped inclusion is more effective in increasing or decreasing the effective thermal conductivity than a sphere-shaped one; and (3) the SCM and RMFEM are compared and the two methods give the same effective property in the case in which the matrix thermal conductivity A, is greater than the inclusion one lambda(2). In the inverse case of lambda(1) < lambda(2), the two methods as the as the inclusion volume fraction and crack density are low and differ as they are high. A reasonable explanation for the agreement and deviation between the two methods in the case of lambda(1) < lambda(2) is made.

Hybrid graded element model for transient heat conduction in functionally graded materials

This paper presents a hybrid graded element model for the transient heat conduction problem in functionally graded materials （FGMs）. First, a Laplace transform approach is used to handle the time variable. Then, a fundamental solution in Laplace space for FGMs is constructed. Next, a hybrid graded element is formulated based on the obtained fundamental solution and a frame field. As a result, the graded properties of FGMs are naturally reflected by using the fundamental solution to interpolate the intra-element field. Further, Stefest＇s algorithm is employed to convert the results in Laplace space back into the time-space domain. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is assessed by several benchmark examples. The results demonstrate well the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor:roles of dielectric constant and thermal conductivity of packing materials

In this article,plasma-assisted NH;synthesis directly from N;and H;over packing materials with different dielectric constants(BaTiO_(2),TiO_(2) and SiO_(2))and thermal conductivities(Be O,Al N and Al_(2)O_(2))at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported.The higher dielectric constant and thermal conductivity of packing material are found to be the key parameters in enhancing the NH;synthesis performance.The NH;concentration of 1344 ppm is achieved in the presence of BaTiO_(2),which is 106%higher than that of SiO_(2),at the specific input energy(SIE)of 5.4 k J·l^(-1).The presence of materials with higher dielectric constant,i.e.BaTiO_(2) and TiO_(2)in this work,would contribute to the increase of electron energy and energy injected to plasma,which is conductive to the generation of chemically active species by electron-impact reactions.Therefore,the employment of packing materials with higher dielectric constant has proved to be beneficial for NH;synthesis.Compared to that of Al_(2)O_(3),the presence of Be O and Al N yields 31.0%and 16.9%improvement in NH;concentration,respectively,at the SIE of5.4 k J·l^(-1).The results of IR imaging show that the addition of Be O decreases the surface temperature of the packed region by 20.5%to 70.3℃ and results in an extension of entropy increment compared to that of Al_(2)O_(3),at the SIE of 5.4 k J·l^(-1).The results indicate that the presence of materials with higher thermal conductivity is beneficial for NH;synthesis,which has been confirmed by the lower surface temperature and higher entropy increment of the packed region.In addition,when SIE is higher than the optimal value,further increasing SIE would lead to the decrease of energy efficiency,which would be related to the exacerbation in reverse reaction of NH;formation reactions.

Numerical and experimental evaluation for density-related thermal insulation capability of entangled porous metallic wire material

Entangled porous metallic wire material(EPMWM)has the potential as a thermal insulation material in defence and engineering.In order to optimize its thermophysical properties at the design stage,it is of great significance to reveal the thermal response mechanism of EPMWM based on its complex structural effects.In the present work,virtual manufacturing technology(VMT)was developed to restore the physics-based 3D model of EPMWM.On this basis,the transient thermal analysis is carried out to explore the contact-relevant thermal behavior of EPMWM,and then the spiral unit containing unique structural information are further extracted and counted.In particular,the thermal resistance network is numerically constructed based on the spiral unit through the thermoelectric analogy method to accurately predict the effective thermal conductivity(ETC)of EPMWM.Finally,the thermal diffusivity and specific heat of the samples were obtained by the laser thermal analyzer to calculate the ETC and thermal insulation factor of interest.The results show that the ETC of EPMWM increases with increasing temperature or reducing density under the experimental conditions.The numerical prediction is consistent with the experimental result and the average error is less than 4%.

Preparation and characterization of ceramic materials with low thermal conductivity and high strength using high-calcium fly ash

High calcium-fly ash(HCFA)collected from the Mae Moh electricity generating plant in Thailand was utilized as a raw material for ceramic production.The main compositions of HCFA characterized by X-ray fluorescence mainly consisted of 28.55wt%SiO_(2),16.06wt%Al_(2)O_(3),23.40wt%CaO,and 17.03wt%Fe_(2)O_(3).Due to high proportion of calcareous and ferruginous contents,HCFA was used for replacing the potash feldspar in amounts of 10wt%-40wt%.The influence of substituting high-calcium fly ash(0-40wt%)and sintering temperatures(1000-1200℃)on physical,mechanical,and thermal properties of ceramic-based materials was investigated.The results showed that the in-corporation of HCFA in appropriate amounts could enhance the densification and the strength as well as reduce the thermal conductivity of ceramic samples.High proportion of calcareous and ferruginous constituents in fly ash promoted the vitrification behavior of ceramic samples.As a result,the densification was enhanced by liquid phase formation at optimum fly ash content and sintering temperature.In addition,these components also facilitated a more abundant mullite formation and consequently improved flexural strength of the ceramic samples.The op-timum ceramic properties were achieved with adding fly ash content between 10wt%-30wt%sintered at 1150-1200℃.At 1200℃,the max-imum flexural strength of ceramic-FA samples with adding fly ash 10wt%-30wt%(PSW-FA(10)-(30))was obtained in the range of 92.25-94.71 MPa when the water absorption reached almost zero(0.03%).In terms of thermal insulation materials,the increase in fly ash addi-tion had a positively effect on the thermal conductivity,due to the higher levels of porosity created by gas evolving from the inorganic decom-position reactions inside the ceramic-FA samples.The addition of 20wt%-40wt%high-calcium fly ash in ceramic samples sintered at 1150℃reduced the thermal conductivity to 14.78%-49.25%,while maintaining acceptable flexural strength values(~45.67-87.62 MPa).Based on these promising mechanical and thermal characteristics,it is feasible to utilize this high-calcium fly ash as an alternative raw material in clay compositions for manufacturing of ceramic tiles.

Non-Linear Effect of Volume Fraction of Inclusions on The Effective Thermal Conductivity of Composite Materials: A Modified Maxwell Model

In this paper, non-linear dependence of volume fraction of inclusions on the effective thermal conductivity of composite materials is investigated. Proposed approximation formula is based on the Maxwell’s equation, in that a non-linear term dependent on the volume fraction of the inclusions and the ratio of the thermal conductivities of the polymer continuum and inclusions is introduced in place of the volume fraction of inclusions. The modified Maxwell’s equation is used to calculate effective thermal conductivity of several composite materials and agreed well with the earlier experimental results. A comparison of the proposed relation with different models has also been made.

Study of the Thermal Characteristics of a Geomaterial:Case of SavèGranites in the Republic of Benin

This work focuses on the valorization of local materials.The rock that is granite,a material used in construction thanks to its mechanical resistance,is the subject of our study.The granite of the commune of Savè,made it possible to appreciate the thermal behavior of this rock studied with a view to its use as a building material.To this end,a thermal diffusivity measurement test was carried out on this material.Thus,we made samples which were then connected to a data acquisition box via thermocouples.A Python script is used to ensure the collection of temperature values over time.From this thermal diffusivity test carried out on the granite taken from the Savèbreasts,we obtained an average diffusivity a=5.84×10^(-6)m^(2)/s.As a result,the thermal effusivity and the heat capacity of the material were determined having respectively the value 1,351.09 J/(K·m^(2)·s^(1/2))and 547,945.21 J/(m^(3)·K).These different results highlight a thermal characterization of Savègranites as a relevant material in the design and construction of an energy-efficient eco-housing.

GaInX_3(X=S,Se,Te):Ultra-low thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric performance

Seeking intrinsically low thermal conductivity materials is a viable strategy in the pursuit of high-performance thermoelectric materials.Here,by using first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory,we systemically investigate the carrier transport and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te).It is found that the lattice thermal conductivities can reach values as low as 3.07 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),1.16 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)and 0.57 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively,at room temperature.This notably low thermal conductivity is attributed to strong acoustic-optical phonon coupling caused by the presence of low-frequency optical phonons in GaInX_(3) materials.Furthermore,by integrating the charac teristics of electronic and thermal transport,the dimensionless figure of merit ZT can reach maximum values of 0.95,2.37,and 3.00 for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively.Our results suggest that monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te)is a promising candidate for thermoelectric and heat management applications.