Grain-scale Stress and GND Density Distributions around Slip Traces and Phase Boundaries in a Titanium Alloy

For TA15 titanium alloy, slip is the dominant plastic deformation mechanism because of relatively high Al content. In order to reveal the grain-scale stress field and geometrically necessary dislocation（GND） density distribution around the slip traces and phase boundaries where the slip lines are blocked due to Burgers orientation relationship（OR） missing. We experimentally investigated tensile deformation on TA15 titanium alloy up to 2.0% strain at room temperature. The slip traces were observed and identified using high resolution scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and electron backscatter diffraction（EBSD） measurements. The grain-scale stress fields around the slip traces and phase boundaries were calculated by the cross-correlationbased method. Based on strain gradient theories, the density of GND was calculated and analyzed. The results indicate that the grain-scale stress is significantly concentrated at phase/grain boundaries and slip traces. Although there is an obvious GND accumulation in the vicinity of phase and subgrain boundaries, no GND density accumulation appears near the slip traces.

Perovskite solid solutions with multiferroic morphotropic phase boundaries and property enhancement

Recently,large phase-change magnetoelectric response has been anticipated by a first-principles investigation of phases in the BiFeO_(3)–BiCoO_(3)perovskite binary system,associated with the existence of a discontinuous morphotropic phase boundary(MPB)between multiferroic polymorphs of rhombohedral and tetragonal symmetries.This might be a general property of multiferroic phase instabilities,and a novel promising approach for room temperature magnetoelectricity.We review here our current inves-tigations on the identification and study of additional material systems,alternative to BiFeO_(3)–BiCoO_(3)that has only been obtained by high pressure synthesis.Three systems,whose phase diagrams were,in principle,liable to show multiferroic MPBs have been addressed:the BiMnO_(3)–PbTiO_(3)and BiFeO_(3)–PbTiO_(3)binary systems,and the BiFeO_(3)–BiMnO_(3)–PbTiO_(3)ternary one.A compre-hensive study of multiferroism across different solid solutions was carried out based on electrical and magnetic characterizations,complemented with mechanical and electromechanical measurements.An in-depth structural analysis was also accomplished when necessary.

Phase-separated bimetal enhanced sodium storage:Dimer-like Sn-Bi@C heterostructures with high capacity and long cycle life

Phase boundaries facilitate the charge transportation and alleviate the intrinsic stress upon cycles.Therefore,how to achieve regular phase boundaries is very attractive.Herein,dimer-like Sn-Bi@C nanostructures,where is a well-defined phase boundary between Sn and Bi,have been prepared by a two-step process for the first time.The phase boundary not only provides additional and fast transportation for Na+,but also mitigates the structure stress/strain upon cycling.Therefore,Sn-Bi@C exhibits a high capacity(472.1 m A h g^(-1)at 2 A g^(-1)for 200 cycles),an ultra-long cyclic life(355.6 mA h g^(-1)at 5 A g^(-1)for 4500cycles)and an excellent rate performance(372 mA h g^(-1)at 10 A g^(-1))for sodium storage,much higher than those of Sn@C,Bi@C,and Sn@C+Bi@C.Notably,the full cells of Sn-Bi@C//Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)/rGO(SnBi@C//NVP/rGO)demonstrate impressive performance(323 mA h g^(-1)at 2 A g^(-1)for 300 cycles).The underlying mechanism for such an excellent performance is elucidated by in-situ X-ray diffraction,exsitu scanning electron microscopy/high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy,revealing the good electrode stability and improved mechanical properties of Sn-Bi@C.The synthetic method is extended to dimer-like Sn-Pb@C and Sn-Ag@C heterostructures,which also exhibit the good cycle stability for sodium storage.

Precise Determination of the MgAlON/(AlN+MgAlON) Phase Bound- ries in the MgO-AlN-Al_2O_3 Ternary System at 1600℃ and 1700℃

The accurate phase boundary of MgAION/(AIN+MgAION) in MgO-AIN-Al2O3 ternary system, has not been determined precisely so far. In the present study, the lattice parameters of MgAION solid solution with various compositions were determined precisely with X-ray powder diffraction. According to the relationship between the lattice parameters of MgAION solid solution and the contents of AIN and MgO, the phase boundaries of MgAION/(AIN+MgAION) in MgO-AIN-AI2O3 ternary system at 1600℃ and 1700℃ were precisely determined.

Microstructure,crystalline phase and electrical properties of Li_(0.06)(Na_(0.5)K_(0.5))_(0.94)Nb_(1-2x/5)Mg_xO_3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

MgO-modified Li0.06（Na0.5K0.5）0.94NbO3O3 （L6NKN） lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized by normal sintering at a rela- tively low temperature of 1000℃. The crystalline phase, microstructure, and electrical properties of the ceramics were investigated with a special emphasis on the influence of MgO content. The addition of MgO effectively improves the sintembility of the L6NKN ceramics. X-my diffr cfion analysis indicates that the morphotropic phase boundary （MPB） separating orthorhombic and tetragonal phases for the ceramics lies in the range of Mg doping content （x） from 0.3at% to 0.7at%. High electrical properties of the piezoelectric constant （d33=238 pC/N）, planar electromechanical coupling coefficient （kp=41.5%）, relative dielectric constant （εr=905）, and remanent polarization （Pr=38.3 μC/cm2） are obtained from the specimen with x=0.5at%, which suggests that the Li0.06（Na0.5K0.5）0.94Nb（1-2x/5）MgxO3 （x=0.5at%） ceramic is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material.

Effects of Na/K ratio on the phase structure and electrical properties of Na_xK_(1-x)NbO_3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric NaxK1-xNbO3（x = 0.3-0.8）（NKN） ceramics were fabricated by normal sintering at 1060°C for 2 h.Microstructures and electrical properties of the ceramics were investigated with a special emphasis on the influence of Na content.The grain size of the produced dense ceramic was decreased by increasing Na content.A discontinuous change in the space distance was found at the composition close to Na0.7K0.3NbO3 ceramic, which indicates the presence of a transitional composition between two different orthorhombic phases, which is similar to the behavior of morphotropic phase boundary（MPB） in NaxK1-xNbO3 ceramics.Such MPB-like behavior contributes to the enhanced piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 122 pC/N, planar-mode electromechanical coupling coefficient kP of 28.6%, and dielectric constant εr of 703, respectively for the Na0.7K0.3NbO3 ceramic.Cubic temperature TC and the transitional temperature TO-T from orthorhombic to tetragonal phase are observed at around 420°C and 200°C, respectively.

First-Principles Study of the High-Temperature Behaviors of the Willemite-Ⅱ and Post-Phenacite Phases of Silicon Nitride

The structural and elastic properties of the recently-discovered wⅡ- and δ-Si3N4 are investigated through the plane-wave pseudo-potential method within ultrasoft pseudopotentials.The elastic constants show that wⅡ- and δ-Si3N4 are mechanically stable in the pressure ranges of 0-50 GPa and 40-50 GPa,respectively.The α→wⅡ phase transition can be observed at 18.6 GPa and 300 K.The β→δ phase transformation occurs at pressures of 29.6,32.1,35.9,39.6,41.8,and 44.1 GPa when the temperatures are100,200,300,400,500,and 600 K,respectively.The results show that the interactions among the N-2s,Si-3s,3p bands（lower valence band） and the Si-3p,N-2p bands（upper valence band） play an important role in the stabilities of the wⅡ and S phases.Moreover,several thermodynamic parameters（thermal expansion,free energy,bulk modulus and heat capacity） of δ-Si3N4 are also obtained.Some interesting features are found in these properties.δ-Si3N4 is predicted to be a negative thermal expansion material.The adiabatic bulk modulus decreases with applied pressure,but a majority of materials show the opposite trend.Further experimental investigations with higher precisions may be required to determine the fundamental properties of wⅡ- andδ-Si3N4.

^(57)Fe Mössbauer spectrometry: A powerful technique to analyze the magnetic and phase characteristics in RE–Fe–B permanent magnets

This review summarizes the recent advances on the application of ^(57)Fe Mössbauer spectrometry to study the magnetic and phase characteristics of Nd–Fe–B-based permanent magnets. First of all, the hyperfine structures of the Ce_(2)Fe_(14)B,(Ce,Nd)_(2)Fe_(14)B and MM_(2)Fe_(14)B phases are well-defined by using the model based on the Wigner-Seitz analysis of the crystal structure. The results show that the isomer shift δ and the quadrupole splitting öEQ of those 2:14:1 phases show minor changes with the Nd content, while the hyperfine field Bhfincreases monotonically with increasing Nd content and its value is influenced by the element segregation and phase separation in the 2:14:1 phase. Then, the hyperfine structures of the low fraction secondary phases are determined by the ^(57)Fe Mössbauer spectrometry due to its high sensitivity. On this basis,the content, magnetic behavior, and magnetization of the REFe_(2) phase, the amorphous grain boundary(GB) phase, and the amorphous worm-like phase, as well as their effects on the magnetic properties, are systematically studied.

PHASE BOUNDARY OF α_2 PRECIPITATION IN Ti-Al-La TERNARY SYSTEM

The phase boundary,of α_2 precipitation at 600℃ in Ti-AI-La ternary system has been de- termined by TEM examination,which shows three kinds of phase regions,namely the single α phase region,the transitional phase region where there is superlattice reflection but no α_2 precipitation,and the α+α_2 region.A point of maximum aluminium content was found to exist on the α/(α+α_2)boundary and the track of the boundary was explained in terms of the internal oxidation of lanthanum and the electron concentration rule for α_2 formation.

Global structure stability of impact-induced tensile waves in phase-transforming materials

The global structure stability of the impact-induced tensile waves mentioned by Huang （Huang, S. J. Impact-induced tensile waves in a kind of phase-transforming materials. IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics, 76, 847-858 （2011）） is considered. By introducing Riemann invariants, the governing equations of motion are reduced into a 2 ~ 2 diagonally strictly hyperbolic system. Then, with the aid of the theory on the typical free boundary problem and maximally dissipative kinetics, the global structure stability of the impact-induced tensile waves propagating in a phase-transforming material is proved.

Abnormal magnetic behaviors induced by the antisite phase boundary in La_2NiMnO_6

The ferromagnetic semiconductor La2NiMnO6 （LNMO） has recently received much attention due to its high Curie temperature （Tc 280 K）, which is close to room temperature. We prepared single-phase LNMO polycrystaUine samples and investigated the temperature- and field-dependent magnetic behaviors of bulk LNMO. Between Tc and T＊ = 300 K, we observed upward and downward deviations from the Curie-Weiss law for high and low magnetic fields, respectively. From the electron spin resonance results, we can exclude the existence of the Griffiths phase. On the contrary, our results indicate that the abnormal magnetic behaviors might be induced by antisite phase boundaries with antiferromagnetic interaction.

HREM STUDY OF GRAIN BOUNDARY PHASES IN Fe-Ni-Co-Nb-Ti SUPERALLOY

The microstructures of the grain boundary phases in Fe-Ni-Co-Nb-Ti superalloy have been studied by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM).Besides the Laves phase,three other grain boundary phases have been found and analyzed. The ε phase particles are needle-like with some stacking faults along the(0001) direction. The dominant phase at the grain boundaries is the orthorhombic phase that is also rod-like. High reselution image also confirms the existence of the triclinic phase at the grain boundaries that is irregular and scarce.

High Order Relaxation Schemes on Phase Transition Equations

Formal analysis of the bubble phenomena of the second order relaxation scheme is presented when this method is applied to phase transition equations. The reason of oscillations is that the second order scheme can’t find the discontinuities on the phase boundary. Based on this realization, a second order relaxation scheme is derived to eliminate it. This new method finds all components and characteristic discontinuities, thus the phase boundary is found exactly. The difference of presented new method and the well-known Nessyahu-Tadmor(NT) scheme is also studied. From the numerical experiment, the new derived scheme is shown much better to compute the phase transition equations.

Fabrication and performance of La(0.8)Sr(0.2)MnO3/YSZ graded composite cathodes for SOFC

The performance of multi-layer （1 -x）La0.8Sr0.2MnO3/xYSZ graded composite cathodes was studied as electrode materials for intermediate solid oxide fuel cells （SOFC）. The thermal expansion coefficient, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical performance of multi-layer composite cathodes were investigated. The thermal expansion coefficient and electrical conductivity decreased with the increase in YSZ content. The （1 -x）Lao.sSr0.EMnO3/xYSZ composite cathode greatly increased the length of the active triple phase boundary line （TPBL） among electrode, electrolyte, and gas phase, leading to a decrease in polarization resistance and an increase in polarization current density. The polarization current density of the triple-layer graded composite cathode （0.77 A/cm2） was the highest and that of the monolayer cathode （0.13 A/cm2） was the lowest. The polarization resistance （Rp） of the triple-layer graded composite cathode was only 0.182 Ω·cm2 and that of the monolayer composite cathode was 0.323 Ω·cm2. The power density of the triple-layer graded composite cathode was the highest and that of the monolayer composite cathode was the lowest. The triple-layer graded composite cathode had superior performance.

Effects of CeO_2 doping on the structure and properties of PSN-PZN-PMS-PZT piezoelectric ceramics

Quinary system piezoelectric ceramics PSN-PZN-PMS-PZT were prepared by using a two-step method. The effects of CeO2 doping on piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the system were investigated at morphotropic phase boundary （MPB）. The results reveal that the relative dielectric constant ε33^T｜ε0, the Curie temperature To, the piezoelectric constant d33, the mechanical quality factor Qm, and the electromechanical coupling coefficient Kp are changed with the increase of CeO2 content. On the other hand, the effects of CeO2 doping on the dielectric properties of PSN-PZN-PMS-PZT piezoelectric ceramics at high electric field are consistent with the change at weak electric field. The values of dielectric constant and dielectric loss are enhanced with the increasing of electric field.

BiScO_(3)-BiFeO_(3)-PbTiO_(3)-BaTiO_(3) high-temperature piezoelectric ceramic and its application on high-temperature acoustic emission sensor

Piezoelectric ceramic based high-temperature acoustic emission(AE)sensor is required urgently in the structural health monitoring of high-temperature fields.In this research,a series of 0.45(BiSc_(x)O_(3)-BiFe_(1-x)O_(3))-0.48PbTiO_(3)-0.07BaTiO_(3)(BSc_(x)Fe_(1-x)-PT-BT,n(Sc)/n(Fe)=0.4/0.6-0.6/0.4)ceramics with both high Curie temperature and large piezoelectric constant were presented.The structure and electrical properties of BSc_(x)Fe_(1-x)-PT-BT ceramics as a function of n(Sc)/n(Fe)have been systematically investigated.All the ceramics possess a perovskite structure,and the phase approaches from the rhombohedral toward the tetragonal phase with the decrease of n(Sc)/n(Fe).The BSc_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)-PT-BT and BSc_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)-PT-BT piezoelectric ceramics exhibit good piezoelectricity(d_(33)=250-281 pC/N),high Curie temperature(T_(C)=430-450℃)and excellent temperature stability.These improvements are greatly attributed to the balance between rhombohedral and tetragonal phase near morphotropic phase boundary with dense microstructure of ceramics.AE sensor based BSc_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)-PT-BT piezoelectric ceramic was designed,prepared and tested.The high-temperature stability of AE sensor was characterized through pencil-lead breaking with in situ high-temperature test.The noise of AE sensor is less than 40 dB,and the acoustic signal is up to 90 dB at 200℃.As a result,AE sensors based on BSc_(x)Fe_(1-x)-PT-BT piezoelectric ceramics are expected to be applied into the structural health monitoring of high temperature fields.

Fabrication of a model specimen for understanding micro-galvanic corrosion at the boundary ofα-Mg andβ-Mg17Al12

A model specimen with a single boundary of theα/βphase simulating Mg-Al alloys was successfully fabricated by spark plasma sintering.A small electrode area ofαphase orβphase was prepared using the model specimen,and the OCPs(open-circuit potentials)of each phase and a small electrode area containing theα/βphase boundary in 0.1 M NaCl at pH 8.0 were compared:theβphase exhibited a higher potential,and theαphase showed a lower potential.The OCP of the small area containing theα/βphase boundary was the intermediate value of these phases.In a small area containingα/βphase boundary,discoloration and gas bubbles were observed on theαphase,but no bubble generation was detected on theβphase.The gas bubbles were initially generated on theαphase near theβphase,but as the discoloration(corrosion)of theαphase approached theβphase,the bubbles were generated on theβphase.In micro-galvanic corrosion of theαandβphases,theβphase did not always function as the preferred cathode.Theαphase partially corroded(or discolored)and became the anodes,so that the surrounding areas were most likely to be the cathodes.When corroded areas(anodes)in theαphase approached theβphase,theβphase would become cathodes.In addition to the micro-galvanic corrosion mechanism,the role of Al in corrosion resistance at theα/βphase boundary was determined by surface analysis.

Nanoscale control of low-dimensional spin structures in manganites

Due to the upcoming demands of next-generation electronic/magnetoelectronic devices with low-energy consumption,emerging correlated materials（such as superconductors,topological insulators and manganites） are one of the highly promising candidates for the applications.For the past decades,manganites have attracted great interest due to the colossal magnetoresistance effect,charge-spin-orbital ordering,and electronic phase separation.However,the incapable of deterministic control of those emerging low-dimensional spin structures at ambient condition restrict their possible applications.Therefore,the understanding and control of the dynamic behaviors of spin order parameters at nanoscale in manganites under external stimuli with low energy consumption,especially at room temperature is highly desired.In this review,we collected recent major progresses of nanoscale control of spin structures in manganites at low dimension,especially focusing on the control of their phase boundaries,domain walls as well as the topological spin structures（e.g.,skyrmions）.In addition,capacitor-based prototype spintronic devices are proposed by taking advantage of the above control methods in manganites.This capacitor-based structure may provide a new platform for the design of future spintronic devices with low-energy consumption.

Piezoelectric Properties of(Na0.5K0.5-xLix)NbO3 Ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics （Na0.5K0.5-xLix）NbO3 （x=0.057-0.066） were synthesized by an ordinary sin-tering technique. Substituting Li for K can lead to structural distortion, which improves the Curie temperature （To） greatly. By adding appropriate LiNbO3 content, piezoelectric constant d33 values reach 202-212 pC/N. Electromechanical coefficients of the planar mode reach 44.4%-46.8%. The dielectric loss is below 2.6%, which is much lower than reported （about 50%）. The To of （Na0.5K0.5-xLix）NbO3 （x=0.057-0.066） is in the range of 490-510℃, at least 70℃ higher than that of pure （Na0.5K0.5）NbO3 ceramics. The results show that （Na0.5K0.5-xLix）NbO3 ceramic is a kind of good lead-free high-temperature piezoelectric material.