Effect of solution treatment on the microstructure,phase transformation behavior and functional properties of NiTiNb ternary shape memory alloys fabricated via laser powder bed fusion in-situ alloying

Post-heat treatment is commonly employed to improve the microstructural homogeneity and enhance the mechanical performances of the additively manufactured metallic materials.In this work,a ternary(NiTi)91Nb9(at.%)shape memory alloy was produced by laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)using pre-alloyed NiTi and elemental Nb powders.The effect of solution treatment on the microstructure,phase transformation behavior and mechanical/functional performances was investigated.The in-situ alloyed(NiTi)91Nb9 alloy exhibits a submicron cellular-dendritic structure surrounding the supersaturated B2-NiTi matrix.Upon high-temperature(1273 K)solution treatment,Nb-rich precipitates were precipitated from the supersaturated matrix.The fragmentation and spheroidization of the NiTi/Nb eutectics occurred during solution treatment,leading to a morphological transition from mesh-like into rod-like and sphere-like.Coarsening of theβ-Nb phases occurred with increasing holding time.The martensite transformation temperature increases after solution treatment,mainly attributed to:(i)reduced lattice distortion due to the Nb expulsion from the supersaturated B2-NiTi,and(ii)the Ti expulsion from theβ-Nb phases that lowers the ratio Ni/Ti in the B2-NiTi matrix,which resulted from the microstructure changes from non-equilibrium to equilibrium state.The thermal hysteresis of the solutionized alloys is around 145 K after 20%pre-deformation,which is comparable to the conventional NiTiNb alloys.A short-term solution treatment(i.e.at 1273 K for 30 min)enhances the ductility and strength of the as-printed specimen,with the increase of fracture stress from(613±19)MPa to(781±20)MPa and the increase of fracture strain from(7.6±0.1)%to(9.5±0.4)%.Both the as-printed and solutionized samples exhibit good tensile shape memory effects with recovery rates>90%.This work suggests that post-process heat treatment is essential to optimize the microstructure and improve the mechanical performances of the L-PBF in-situ alloyed parts.

Hybrid argon plasma coagulation for the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus:A prospective,multicenter study

BACKGROUND The incidence of Barrett’s esophagus(BE)in China is lower compared to the Western populations.Hence,studies conducted in the Chinese population has been limited.The current treatment options available for BE treatment includes argon plasma coagulation(APC),radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation,all with varying degrees of success.AIM To determine the efficacy and safety of HybridAPC in the treatment of BE.METHODS The study cohort consisted of patients with BE who underwent HybridAPC ablation treatment.These procedures were performed by seven endoscopists from different tertiary hospitals.The duration of the procedure,curative rate,complications and recurrent rate by 1-year follow-up were recorded.RESULTS Eighty individuals were enrolled for treatment from July 2017 to June 2020,comprising of 39 males and 41 females with a median age of 54 years(range,30 to 83 years).The technical success rate of HybridAPC was 100%and the overall curative rate was 98.15%.No severe complications occurred during the operation.BE cases were classified as short-segment BE and long-segment BE.Patients with short-segment BE were all considered cured without complications.Thirty-six patients completed the one-year follow-up without recurrence.Twenty-four percent had mild dysplasia which were all resolved with one post-procedural treatment.The mean duration of the procedure was 10.94±6.52 min.CONCLUSION Treatment of BE with HybridAPC was found to be a simple and quick procedure that is safe and effective during the short-term follow-up,especially in cases of short-segment BE.This technique could be considered as a feasible alternative ablation therapy for BE.

Effect of substrate temperature and oxygen plasma treatment on the properties of magnetron-sputtered CdS for solar cell applications

Cadmium sulfide(CdS)is an n-type semiconductor with excellent electrical conductivity that is widely used as an electron transport material(ETM)in solar cells.At present,numerous methods for preparing CdS thin films have emerged,among which magnetron sputtering(MS)is one of the most commonly used vacuum techniques.For this type of technique,the substrate temperature is one of the key deposition parameters that affects the interfacial properties between the target film and substrate,determining the specific growth habits of the films.Herein,the effect of substrate temperature on the microstructure and electrical properties of magnetron-sputtered CdS(MS-CdS)films was studied and applied for the first time in hydrothermally deposited antimony selenosulfide(Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3))solar cells.Adjusting the substrate temperature not only results in the design of the flat and dense film with enhanced crystallinity but also leads to the formation of an energy level arrangement with a Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3)layer that is more favorable for electron transfer.In addition,we developed an oxygen plasma treatment for CdS,reducing the parasitic absorption of the device and resulting in an increase in the short-circuit current density of the solar cell.This study demonstrates the feasibility of MS-CdS in the fabrication of hydrothermal Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3)solar cells and provides interface optimization strategies to improve device performance.

Effect of Ti-Si-Mg-Al wire on microstructure and mechanical properties of plasma arc in-situ welded joint of SiC_p/Al composites

The influence of Ti-Si-Mg-AI wire on microstructure and mechanical properties of SiCp/A1 metal matrix composite joints produced by plasma arc in-situ weld-alloying was investigated. Argon-nitrogen mixture was used as plasma gas and Ti-Si-Mg-A1 flux-cored wires as filled composites. Weldments were submitted to tensile test. Meanwhile, the macro morphology and microstructure of the joints were examined. The result shows that the formation ofneedie-like harmful phase A14C3 is effectively inhibited and the wettability of molten pool is improved by adding Ti-Si-Mg-A1 flux-cored wires. With 15Ti-5Si-5Mg-A1 flux-cored wire as filled composite, the maximum tensile strength of the welded joint is 267 MPa, which is up to 83% that of the matrix composites under annealed condition.

Microstructural aspects of in-situ TiB reinforced Ti-6Al-4V composite processed by spark plasma sintering

Titanium-matrix composites have important and wide applications in the transport and aerospace industries. The current research was focused on powder metallurgy processing of in-situ reinforced titanium-matrix composite with Ti B whiskers. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy and B4 C additive powders were used as raw materials. Two different consolidation techniques, namely press-and-sintering and spark plasma sintering, were selected. It was observed that in-situ Ti B whiskers were formed during sintering in both methods. The changes in size, aspect ratio and distribution of in-situ whiskers in different composite samples were monitored. The effect of spark plasma sintering temperature on the synthesis of in-situ whiskers was also investigated. Based on the microstructural observations（optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy） and the energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis, it was concluded that increasing the spark plasma sintering temperature from 900 to 1100 °C would lead to the complete formation of in-situ Ti B whiskers and reduced porosity content.

Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment on Seed Germination and Growth of Wheat

This study investigated the effect of cold helium plasma treatment on seed germina- tion, growth and yield of wheat. The effects of different power of cold plasma on the germination of treated wheat seeds were studied. We found that the treatment of 80 W could significantly improve seed germination potential （6.0%） and germination rate （6.7%） compared to the control group. Field experiments were carried out for wheat seeds treated with 80 W cold plasma. Com- pared with the control, plant height （20.3%）, root length （9.0%） and fresh weight （21.8%） were improved significantly at seedling stage. At booting stage, plant height, root length, fresh weight, stem diameter, leaf area and leaf thickness of the treated plant were respectively increased by 21.8%, 11.0%, 7.0%, 9.0%, 13.0% and 25.5%. At the same time, the chlorophyll content （9.8%）, nitrogen （10.0%） and moisture content （10.0%） were higher than those of the control, indicating that cold plasma treatment could promote the growth of wheat. The yield of treated wheat was 7.55 t-ha-1, 5.89% more than that of the control. Therefore, our results show that cold plasma has important application prospects for increasing wheat yield.

Review on reactive species in water treatment using electrical discharge plasma:formation, measurement, mechanisms and mass transfer

In the electrical discharge plasma process, various chemical and physical processes can participate in the removal of contaminants. In this paper, the chemical and physical processes that occur as a result of the electrical discharge plasma are reviewed, and their possible roles in the degradation of contaminants are discussed. Measurement methods for the quantification of important reactive species and their advantages and shortcomings are presented. Approaches on how to enhance the diffusion of the reactive species in solution are examined. In addition, the formation of typical reactive species in different electrical discharge plasma is compared.

In-situ stabilisation followed by ex-situ composting for treatment and disposal of heavy metals polluted sediments

An innovative in-situ stabilisation treatment followed by ex-situ sediment composting was tested for its ability to treat and dispose of heavy-metal-polluted sediments in a river near the Chinese Pearl Delta. First, polluted sediments were treated in-situ to stabilise the heavy metals. Then the treated sediments were dredged, dewatered and sent for high temperature aerobic composting （HTAC） treatment. Finally, the compost products were used as a fertiliser for fiver bank plants. The stabilisation efficiency of heavy metals during the process was investigated and the results are as follows： （1） using in-situ stabilisation, the extraction concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb were reduced by 65.0%, 82.2% and 90.0%, respectively, which are much lower than the national standard given in the Identification Standard for Hazardous Waste （GB5085.3-1996）; （2） chemical fraction analysis showed that heavy metals were further stabilized during the HTAC treatment; （3） the concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb in rainwater leachate through the river bank met the level of class V in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water in China （GB3838-2002）. Therefore, using this new process, the toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were reduced markedly.

Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of RTM Composites

Cold plasma technology was used to treat the surface of carbon fibers braided by PET in this paper and SEM was used to analyze the fracture microstructure of composite interlaminar shear stress (ILSS). The result shows that the surface polarity of carbon fibers was modified by cold plasma treatment, which increases the impregnation of PET braided carbon fibers during the process of resin flowing, improves the interfacial properties of RTM composites, and therefore enhances the mechanical properties of the KTM composites.

Experiment and Analysis on the Treatment of Gaseous Benzene Using Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasma

An experiment and analysis on removal of gaseous benzene by pulse corona induced-plasma is presented in this article. Important parameters effecting removal efficiency have been investigated, such as pulse peak voltage, pulse frequency, gas inlet concentration, gas flow rate and reactor temperature. The result shows that the removal efficiency increases with the increase in pulse peak voltage, pulse frequency and reactor temperature, but decreases in the rise of gas inlet concentration and gas flow rate. On the condition of Vp= 36 kV, f= 80 Hz, C=1440 mg/m3 and Q=640 ml/min, the largest removal efficiency is 98%. Finally, the reacted products are qualitatively analysed and the reaction processes are deduced in combination with plasma-chemistry theory.

Catalytic Effect of Activated Carbon and Activated Carbon Fiber in Non-Equilibrium Plasma-Based Water Treatment

Catalysis and regeneration efficiency of granular activated carbon （GAC） and activated carbon fiber （ACF） were investigated in a non-equilibrium plasma water treatment reactor with a combination of pulsed streamer discharge and GAC or ACF. The experimental results show that the degradation efficiency of methyl orange （MO） by the combined treatment can increase 22% （for GAC） and 24% （for ACF） respectively compared to pulsed discharge treatment alone, indicating that the combined treatment has a synergetic effect. The MO degradation efficiency by the combined treatment with pulsed discharge and saturated GAC or ACF can increase 12% and 17% respectively compared to pulsed discharge treatment alone. Both GAC and ACF show catalysis and the catalysis of ACF is prominent. Meanwhile, the regeneration of GAC and ACF are realized in this process. When H202 is introduced into the system, the utilization efficiency of ozone and ultraviolet light is improved and the regeneration efficiency of GAC and ACF is also increased.

Fresh Frozen Plasma for the Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema Acute Attacks

Objective To determine the safety and efficacy of fresh frozen plasma （FFP） iniusion for the treat- ment of hereditary angioedema （FIAE）. Methods The medical records of patients with HAE admitted to Peking Union Medical College Fiospital who had received FFP infusion during 2004 and 2010 were reviewed and PubMed database iFom 1966 to the present were searched using the following key words： hereditary angioedema and fresh frozen plasma. The patient＇s age, sex, body location of HAE attacks, the dose of FFP infusion, time of beginning to improvenaent, time to complete remission, complication, C 1 inhibitor activity, and outcome were analyzed. Results A total of 13 enrolled patients （7 male and 6 female） received 16 times of FFP infusion, in- cluding 2 patients undergoing FFP infusion in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and 11 patients re- ported in the literature. The mean dosage of FFP infusion was 586±337 mL. Two cases suffered from wors- ening abdominal pain and one case experienced skin rash. Only I patient had no improvement in symptom owing to transfusion related reaction. There was a definite improvement in symptom 49± 19 minutes after beginning FFP infusion. The remission time decreased from 61.7±27.0 hours to 3.3 （2.0, 12.0） hours after FFP infusion. FFP infusion was effective for both type I and type Ⅱ HAE. Conclusion FFP seems to be safe and effective for acute attacks of HAE.

Effect of Low-Pressure Nitrogen DC Plasma Treatment on the Surface Properties of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) and Polyvinyl Chloride Films

In this study, commercial biaxially oriented polypropylene （BOPP）, polyvinyl chlo- ride （PVC） and poly （methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） films were treated with nitrogen plasma over different exposure times in a Pyrex tube surrounded by a DC variable magnetic field. The chemi- cal changes that appeared on the surface of the samples were investigated using Fourier transform infrared （FT4R） spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared （ATR- FTIR） spectroscopy after treatment for 2 min, 4 min and 6 rain in a nitrogen plasma chamber. Effects of the plasma treatment on the surface topographies and contact angles of the untreated and plasma treated films were also analyzed by atomic force microscopy （AFM） and a contact angle measuring system. The results show that the plasma treated films become more hydrophilic with an enhanced wettability due to the formation of some new polar groups on the surface of the treated films. Moreover, at higher exposure times, the total surface energy in all treated films increased while a reduction in contact angle occurred. The behavior of surface roughness in each sample was completely different at higher exposure times.

The Effect of Plasma Surface Treatment on a Porous Green Ceramic Film with Polymeric Binder Materials

To reduce time and energy during thermal binder removal in the ceramic process, plasma surface treatment was applied before the lamination process.The adhesion strength in the lamination films was enhanced by oxidative plasma treatment of the porous green ceramic film with polymeric binding materials.The oxygen plasma characteristics were investigated through experimental parameters and weight loss analysis.The experimental results revealed the need for parameter analysis,including gas material,process time,flow rate,and discharge power,and supported a mechanism consisting of competing ablation and deposition processes.The weight loss analysis was conducted for cyclic plasma treatment rather than continuous plasma treatment for the purpose of improving the film’s permeability by suppressing deposition of the ablated species.The cyclic plasma treatment improved the permeability compared to the continuous plasma treatment.

Changes of Plasma Membrane H^+-ATPase Activities of Glycine max Seeds by PEG Treatment

The soybean （Glycine max） Heihe No. 23 is sensitive to imbibitional chilling injury. Polyethylene glycol （PEG） treatment can improve chilling tolerance of soybean seeds to a certain extent. The changes of hydrolytic ATPase in plasma membranes and H^＋-pumping responses in soybean seeds were investigated during PEG treatments. Effects of exogenous calcium and exogenous ABA on the hydrolytic ATPase were also examined in order to understand the mechanism of chilling resistance. Highly purified plasma membranes were isolated by 6.0% aqueous two-phase partitioning from soybean seeds, as judged by the sensitivity of hydrolytic ATPase to sodium vanadate. PEG treatment resulted in a slight increase of the hydrolytic ATPase activity in 12 h. Then the activity decreased gradually, but still higher than the control. The H^＋-pumping activity increased steadily during PEG treatment. Exogenous calcium had both activating and inhibiting effects on the hydrolytic ATPase, but the activity was inhibited in soybean seeds treated with exogenous ABA. Results suggested that PEG treatment, not the exogenous calcium and ABA, up-regulated H^＋-ATPase activities in soybean seeds.

Plasma Treatment of Ni Catalyst for Partial Oxidation of Methane

The 10%Ni/Al_2O_3 catalyst for partial oxidation of methane was treated byDBD (dielectric barrier discharge) plasma in a continuous system under atmospheric pressure and roomtemperature by flowing He. It was found that 10%Ni/Al_2O_3 catalyst treated by plasma presents ahigher catalytic activity and an enhanced stability than the catalysts prepared without plasmatreatment. The methane conversion over the catalyst treated by plasma is 3%-5% higher than thecatalysts untreated by plasma. Moreover, the enhanced dispersion of the catalyst can be achieved byplasma treatment, which can improve the interaction between active species and supports, catalyticactivity and the resistance to carbon deposition.

Plasma Treatment of Aluminum Using a Surface Barrier Discharge Operated in Air and Nitrogen: Parameter Optimization and Related Effects

This paper presents the results of aluminum surface treatment by diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge. The goals are to study the effectiveness of the plasma treatment and the dependence of its efficiency on operation parameters, such as sample-to-electrode distance, treatment time or gas atmosphere. Three types of aluminum materials （bricks, sheets and thin films） were tested to ensure the reliability of the treatment. The changes in the surface properties were characterized by the surface free energy, atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR FTIR） and X-ray photoelectron spec- troscopy （XPS）. The influence of aging effect on the treatment was also measured and discussed.

Plasma Treatment of Natural Jute Fibre by RIE 80 plus Plasma Tool

Plasma treatment can be used to modify the structure of natural fibre like jute for a variety of applications. Environmentally friendly jute fibre was treated with argon and oxygen plasma. The treated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and optical microscope. The macromolecular and microstructural changes in cellulose confirmed the change by plasma treatment. The XRD results confirmed that the crystal size and the crystallinity of the plasma treated fibre increased. Argon plasma treated fibre had a smooth and compact surface, compared to oxygen plasma treated fibre. The maximum stain （i.e. stress） concentrated in the oxygen plasma treated fibre. Optical micrographs showed the oxygen plasma treated fibre tended to rupture due to higher strain （i.e., stress） compared to fibre with argon plasma treatment. FTIR results also provided the evidence of change in the chemical constituents with plasma treatment.

Surface Treatment of Polypropylene Powders Using a Plasma Reactor with a Stirrer

A radio frequency argon plasma reactor with a stirrer was employed for the surface treatment of polypropylene （PP） powders. The changes in the superficial contact angle and the superficial composition of the un-treated and treated PP powders were analyzed by means of water contact angle （WCA） measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR-FTIR）. The water contact angle changed from the original value of 130.2° before plasma treatment to the value of 73.6° after treatment for 5 minutes. With the increase in plasma treating time, there were a decrease in the water contact angle and an increase in the content of oxygen containing polar functional groups （i.e., C-O, C=O and O-C=O）. Both XPS and ATR-FTIR results indicated that the plasma treatment led to the formation of oxygen containing polar functional groups due to oxidation on the surface of the PP powders, and the trend of variation of the water contact angle with plasma treating time was related to the concentration of oxygen atom on the treated PP powders surface. Furthermore, the aging of the plasma-treated PP powders was investigated.

The Solubility of Natural Cellulose After DBD Plasma Treatment

Natural cellulose was treated by an atmospheidc DBD plasma. The solubility of cellulose in a diluted alkaline solution after the plasma treatment was investigated. The properties were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results indicated that the surface of cellulose treated by the argon DBD plasma was significantly etched, and the relevant force of hydrogen bonding was decreased. This might be the essential reason for the solubility improvement of natural cellulose in the diluted alkaline solution. Through a comparison of two discharge modes, the atmospheric DBD plasma gun and the parallel plate capacitively coupled DBD plasma, it was found that the atmospheric DBD plasma gun was more effective in fragmentizing the cellulose due to its production of a high energy plasma based on its special structure.