Structural and mechanical stability of rare-earth diborides

Structural and mechanical properties of several rare-earth diborides were systematically investigated by first principles calculations. Specifically, we studied XB2 , where X=Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu in the hexagonal AlB2 , ReB2 , and orthorhombic OsB2 -type structures. The lattice parameters, bulk modulus, bond distances, second order elastic constants, and related polycrystalline elastic moduli （e.g., shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, Debye temperature, sound velocities） were calculated. Our results indicate that these compounds are mechanically stable in the considered structures, and according to ＂Chen’s method＂, the predicted Vickers hardness shows that they are hard materials in AlB2 - and OsB2 -type structures.

The strain rate sensitive and anisotropic behavior of rare-earth magnesium alloy ZEK100 sheet

To overcome the limitation in formability at room temperature,manufacturers have developed magnesium alloys with remarkable properties by adding rare-earth elements.The rare-earth magnesium alloys behave differently from the conventional alloys,especially with respect to their coupled anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior.In the current work,such behavior of the rare-earth Mg alloy ZEK100 sheet at room temperature is investigated with the aid of the elastic viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal plasticity model.Different strain rate sensitivities(SRSs)for various deformation modes are employed by the model to simulate the strain rate sensitive behaviors under different loading directions and loading rates.Good agreement between the experiments and simulations reveals the importance and necessity of using different SRSs for each deformation mode in hexagonal close-packed metals.Furthermore,the relative activities of each deformation mode and the texture evolution during different loadings are discussed.The anisotropic and strain rate sensitive behavior is ascribed to the various operating deformation modes with different SRSs during loading along different directions.

原位合成TiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料研究进展

原位合成TiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料具有密度小、比模量高、低热膨胀系数、热稳定性和导热性能良好,以及耐磨性能和耐有机液体和溶剂侵蚀优良等一系列优点,成为了近年来金属基复合材料的研究热点。本文从反应体系、显微组织、力学性能和强化机制四个方面,综述了近年来原位合成TiC/Al复合材料的研究进展,指出了其存在的问题并展望了其发展趋势,以期为研究和开发原位合成颗粒增强铝基复合材料提供参考。

熔盐辅助合成硼化铪工艺研究

这是一篇冶金工程领域的论文。以氧化铪和碳化硼为原料,采用氯化钠为熔盐介质,通过硼/碳热还原法合成了纯度较高的硼化铪粉体。研究了反应温度、保温时间等合成工艺参数以及原料配比对材料晶相组成和显微结构的影响。结果表明,以氯化钠为熔盐介质时,氧化铪在1300℃的合成温度下开始转化为硼化铪,其温度远低于传统的硼化铪合成所需温度。在硼过量20%,反应温度和保温时间分别为1400℃和2 h所制备的硼化铪粉体纯度较高,X射线衍射中可以明显观察到硼化铪结晶峰,且在扫描电镜中可以观察到紧密团聚形貌的硼化铪。

TiB_(2)增强乙烯基树脂自润滑复合材料的制备及性能

自润滑材料是影响自润滑关节轴承性能的关键因素,由于传统自润滑材料存在制造工艺复杂、成本较高等问题,所以目前聚合物自润滑复合材料的研究备受关注。热固性树脂因其优异的物理化学性质成为了聚合物自润滑复合材料研究的重点。采用注塑法制备了以乙烯基树脂(VER)为基体、聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)为润滑剂、二硼化钛(TiB_(2))为增强剂的聚合物自润滑复合材料,通过压缩试验与球-盘摩擦磨损试验研究了填料对复合材料摩擦学以及压缩性能的影响;通过扫描电子显微镜、能谱仪以及三维白光形貌分析仪等对其断面以及磨损表面进行了研究分析。结果表明,PTFE的加入改善了复合材料的摩擦学性能,使得摩擦系数和磨损率分别降低了61.14%和73.8%;PTFE添加质量分数为30%时,添加质量分数1.5%TiB_(2)的复合材料性能最优,压缩强度最大为102.35 MPa,摩擦系数最低为0.102,磨损率最低为1.593×10^(-15) m^(3)/(N·m)。同时,通过磨损面微观形貌观察发现复合材料内部填料分散均匀,磨损面光滑连续,此时主要磨损形式为疲劳磨损。断裂面微观形貌观察到复合材料受到裂纹钉扎机理的作用,力学性能显著提高。

Temperature-sensing array using the metal-to-insulator transition of Nd_(x)Sm_(1-x)NiO_(3)

Rare-earth nickelates(RENiO_(3))show widely tunable metal-to-insulator transition(MIT)properties with ignorable variations in lattice constants and small latent heat across the critical temperature(TMIT).Particularly,it is worth noting that compared with the more commonly investigated vanadium oxides,the MIT of RENiO_(3)is less abrupt but usually across a wider range of temperatures.This sheds light on their alternative applications as negative temperature coefficient resistance(NTCR)thermistors with high sensitivity compared with the current NTCR thermistors,other than their expected use as critical temperature resistance thermistors.In this work,we demonstrate the NTCR thermistor functionality for using the adjustable MIT of Nd_(x)Sm_(1-x)NiO_(3)within 200–400 K,which displays larger magnitudes of NTCR(e.g.,more than 7%/K)that is unattainable in traditional NTCR thermistor materials.The temperature dependence of resistance(R–T)shows sharp variation during the MIT of Nd_(x)Sm_(1-x)NiO_(3)with no hysteresis via decreasing the Nd content(e.g.,x≤0.8),and such a R–T tendency can be linearized by introducing an optimum parallel resistor.The sensitive range of temperature can be further extended to 210–360 K by combining a series of Nd_(x)Sm_(1-x)NiO_(3)with eight rare-earth co-occupation ratios as an array,with a high magnitude of NTCR(e.g.,7%–14%/K)covering the entire range of temperatures.

High-temperature corrosion of sintered RE_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)(RE=Yb and Ho)environmental barrier coating materials by volcanic ash

Rare-earth silicates are promising environmental barrier coatings(EBCs)that can protect SiC_(f)/Si C_(m)substrates in next-genera tion gas turbine blades.Notably,RE_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)(RE=Yb and Ho)shows potential as an EBC due to its coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)compatible with substrates and high resistance to water vapor corrosion.The target operating temperature for next-generation tur bine blades is 1400°C.Corrosion is inevitable during adhesion to molten volcanic ash,and thus,understanding the corrosion behavior o the material is crucial to its reliability.This study investigates the high-temperature corrosion behavior of sintered RE_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)(RE=Yb and Ho).Samples were prepared using a solid-state reaction and hot-press method.They were then exposed to volcanic ash at 1400°C for 224,and 48 h.After 48 h of exposure,volcanic ash did not react with Yb_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)but penetrated its interior,causing damage.Meanwhile Ho_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)was partially dissolved in the molten volcanic ash,forming a reaction zone that prevented volcanic ash melts from penetrating the interior.With increasing heat treatment time,the reaction zone expanded,and the thickness of the acicular apatite grains increased The Ca:Si ratios in the residual volcanic ash were mostly unchanged for Yb_(2)Si_(2)O_(7)but decreased considerably over time for Ho_(2)Si_(2)O_(7).Th Ca in volcanic ash was consumed and formed apatite,indicating that RE^(3+)ions with large ionic radii(Ho>Yb)easily precipitated apatit from the volcanic ash.

High-temperature mechanical properties of aluminium alloys reinforced with titanium diboride (TiB_2) particles

The physical and mechanical properties of metal matrix composites were improved by the addition of reinforcements. The mechanical properties of particulate-reinforced metal-matrix composites based on aluminium alloys （6061 and 7015） at high temperatures were studied. Titanium diboride （TiB2） particles were used as the reinforcement. All the composites were produced by hot extrusion. The tensile properties and fracture characteristics of these materials were investigated at room temperature and at high temperatures to determine their ultimate strength and strain to failure. The fracture surface was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. TiB2 particles provide high stability of the alumin- ium alloys （6061 and 7015） in the fabrication process. An improvement in the mechanical behaviour was achieved by adding TiB2 particles as reinforcement in both the aluminium alloys. Adding TiB2 particles reduces the ductility of the aluminium alloys but does not change the microscopic mode of failure, and the fracture surface exhibits a ductile appearance with dimples formed by coalescence.

Recent developments and applications on high-performance cast magnesium rare-earth alloys

During the past decades,with the increasing demands in lightweight structural materials,Mg alloys with low density and high performance have been extensively investigated and partly applied in some industries.Especially when rare earth(RE)elements are added as major alloying elements to Mg alloys,the alloy strength and creep resistance are greatly improved,which have promoted several series of Mg-RE alloys.This paper reviews the progress and developments of high-performance Mg-RE alloys in recent years with emphasis on cast alloys.The main contents include the alloy design,melt purification,grain refinement,castability,novel liquid casting and semisolid forming approaches,and the industrial applications or trials made of Mg-RE alloys.The review will provide insights for future developments of new alloys,techniques and applications of Mg alloys.

Advance in the chemical synthesis and magnetic properties of nanostructured rare-earth-based permanent magnets

Rare-earth-based permanent magnets are one of the most important magnets in both scientific and industrial fields. With the development of technology, nanostructured rarearth-based permanent magnets with high energy products are highly required. In this article, we will review the progress in chemical synthetic strategies of nanostructured rare-earth-based permanent magnets.

Component Content Soft-sensor Based on Neural Networks in Rare-earth Countercurrent Extraction Process

Throught fusion of the mechanism modeling and the neural networks modeling,a compo- nent content soft-sensor,which is composed of the equilibrium calculation model for multi-component rare earth extraction and the error compensation model of fuzzy system,is proposed to solve the prob- lem that the component content in countercurrent rare-earth extraction process is hardly measured on-line.An industry experiment in the extraction Y process by HAB using this hybrid soft-sensor proves its effectiveness.

Rare-earth element geochemistry reveals the provenance of sediments on the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep

The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science,and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question.Here,we examine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of a sediment core(core CD-1)that was recovered from the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench.Major element abundances and rare-earth element patterns from these sediments require inputs from both terrigenous dust and locally sourced volcanic debris.We exploit a two-endmember mixing model to demonstrate that locally sourced volcanic material dominates the sediment supply to the Challenger Deep(averaging^72%).The remainder,however,is supplied by aeolian dust(averaging^28%),which is consistent with adjacent studies that utilized Sr-Nd isotopic data.Building on a growing database,we strengthen our understanding of Asian aeolian dust input into the northwestern Pacific,which ultimately improves our appreciation of sedimentation in,and around,the hadal zone.

Electronic Structure and Chemical Bond of Titanium Diboride

Titanium diboride was calculated by the density function and discrete variational (DFT-DVM) method to study the relation between structure and properties.Titanium and its first-nearest boron atoms form a strong covalent bond,so TiB 2 has high melting point,hardness and chemical stability.Titanium atom releases two electrons to form Ti 2+ ions,and a boron atom gets one electron to come into B- ion.B- takes the sp2 hybrid and forms σ bonds to link other boron atoms in the same layer.The other one 2p z orbital of every B- ion in the same layer interacts each other to form the π molecular orbital,so TiB 2 has fine electrical property.The calculated density of state is close to the result of XPS experiment of TiB 2.Mainly Ti3d and B2p atomic orbitals contribute the total DOS near the Fermi level.

Unloading behaviors of the rare-earth magnesium alloy ZE10 sheet

Due to their low symmetry in crystal structure,low elastic modulus(~45 GPa)and low yielding stress,magnesium(Mg)alloys exhibit strong inelastic behaviors during unloading.As more and more Mg alloys are developed,their unloading behaviors were less investigated,especially for rare-earth(RE)Mg alloys.In the current work,the unloading behaviors of the RE Mg alloy ZE10 sheet is carefully studied by both mechanical tests and crystal plasticity modeling.In terms of the stress-strain curves,the inelastic strain,the chord modulus,and the active deformation mechanisms,the substantial anisotropy and the loading path dependency of the unloading behaviors of ZE10 sheets are characterized.The inelastic strains are generally larger under compressive Loading-Un Loading(L-UL)than under tensile L-UL,along the transverse direction(TD)than along the rolling direction(RD)under tensile L-UL,and along RD than along TD under compressive L-UL.The basal slip,twinning and de-twinning are found to be responsible for the unloading behaviors of ZE10 sheets.

Hydrogen production through diesel steam reforming over rare-earth promoted Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts

Rare-earth （La, Ce, Yb） promoted Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method. Activity and carbon formation resistance of the prepared catalysts were evaluated under various reaction conditions. Catalyst characterizations with TG, TPR and H2 chemisorption were carried out to investigate the promoting mechanism. Experimental results show that rare-earth promoters, especially Yb promoter, obviously improve the activity and carbon formation resistance of Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, and Yb-Ni catalyst shows even higher performance than several commercial catalysts. According to the characterization results, Yb promoter enhances the interaction between the active metal and support, thus increasing the active metal＇s dispersion and improving its performance. Furthermore, the obvious difference in diesel conversion between Yb-Ni catalyst and others was shown in the temperature range of 450-550 °C, which would be the reason for its excellent carbon resistance.

Corrosion rate determination of rare-earth Mg alloys in a Na_(2)SO_(4)solution by electrochemical measurements and inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy

The corrosion resistance of three Mg alloys containing rare-earth elements(WE43,EV31 and ZE41)was studied and compared to that of two Mg-Al alloys(AZ31 and AZ91)and of pure Mg(99.95 wt.%).Current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance measurements were performed with rotating disk electrodes in an aerated 0.1 M Na_(2)SO_(4)solution.For all the alloys,it was confirmed that the intermetallic particles acted as local cathodes and that more protective films were formed on the alloys surface by comparison with the pure Mg.Corrosion rates were determined from inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy measurements and from the electrochemical measurements.Higher corrosion rates were observed for the rare-earth Mg alloys compared to the AZ series alloys.These data allowed the corrosion mechanisms to be discussed.

Geochemical characteristics and their significances of rare-earth elements in deep-water well core at the Lingnan Low Uplift Area of the Qiongdongnan Basin

A geochemical analysis of rare-earth elements （REEs） in 97 samples collected from the core of deep-water Well LS-A located at the Lingnan Low Uplift Area of the Qiongdongnan Basin is conducted, with the pur-pose of revealing the changes of sedimentary source and environment in the study region since Oligocene and evaluating the response of geochemical characteristics of REEs to the tectonic evolution. In the core samples, both∑REE and∑LREE （LREE is short for light-group REEs） fluctuate in a relatively wide range, while∑HREE （HREE is short for heavy-group REEs） maintains a relatively stable level. With the stratigraphic chronology becoming newer, both∑REE and∑LREE show a gradually rising trend overall. The∑REE of the core is relatively high from the bottom of Yacheng Formation （at a well depth of 4 207 m） to the top of Ledong Formation, and the REEs show partitioning characteristics of the enrichment of LREE, the stable content of HREE, and the negative anomaly of Eu to varying degrees. Overall the geochemical characteristics of REEs are relatively approximate to those of China＇s neritic sediments and loess, with significant ＂continental ori-entation＂. The∑REE of the core is relatively low in the lower part of Yacheng Formation （at a well depth of 4 207-4 330 m）, as shown by the REEs partitioning characteristics of the depletion of LREE, the relative enrich-ment of HREE, and the positive anomaly of Eu; the geochemical characteristics of REEs are approximate to those of oceanic crust and basalt overall, indicating that the provenance is primarily composed of volcanic eruption matters. As shown by the analyses based on sequence stratigraphy and mineralogy, the provenance in study region in the early Oligocene mainly resulted from the volcanic materials of the peripheral uplift ar-eas; the continental margin materials from the north contributed only insignificantly; the provenance devel-oped to a certain extent in the late Oligocene. Since the Miocene, the provenance has ceaselessly expanded from proximal to distal realm, embodying a characteristic of multi-source sedimentation. In the core strata with 31.5, 28.4, 25.5, 23, and 16 Ma from today, the geochemical parameters of REEs and Th/Sc ratio have significant saltation, embodying the tectonic movement events in the evolution of the Qiongdongnan Basin. In the tectonic evolution history of the South China Sea, the South China Sea Movement （34-25 Ma BP, early expansion of the South China Sea）, Baiyun Movement （23 Ma BP）, late expansion movement （23.5-16.5 Ma BP）, expansion-settlement transition, and other important events are all clearly recorded by the geochemi-cal characteristics of REEs in the core.

Rare-earth and trace elements and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of Cretaceous kaolinitic sediments from the Lower Benue Trough, Nigeria: provenance and paleoclimatic significance

This study evaluated the Cretaceous(Campanian–Maastrichtian) kaolinitic sediments of the Ajali/Mamu and Enugu/Nkporo Formations from the Lower Benue Trough of Nigeria. A combined method of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry was used to investigate trace and rareearth element geochemistry and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions. These data were then used to infer the sediments' provenance and paleoclimatic conditions during their deposition. The sediments contained low concentrations of most trace elements, with the exceptions of Zr(651–1352 ppm), Ba(56–157 ppm), V(38–90 ppm),and Sr(15.1–59.6 ppm). Average values of Co and Ni were1.5 and 0.7 ppm, respectively. Trace and rare earth element values were lower than corresponding values for upper continental crust and Post-Archean Australian Shale, with the exception of Zr. The samples showed only slight light rare-earth enrichment and nearly flat heavy rare-earth depletion patterns, with negative Eu and Tm anomalies,typical of felsic sources. Geochemical parameters such as La/Sc, Th/Sc, and Th/Co ratios support that the kaolinitic sediments were derived from a felsic rock source, likely deposited in an oxic environment.^(18 )O values ranged from+ 15.4 to + 21.2% for the investigated samples, consistent with a residual material derived from chemicalweathering of felsic rock and redeposited in a sedimentary basin(typical values of + 19 to + 21.2%). While in the basin, the sediments experienced extended interactions with meteoric water enriched in d D and d16 O. However,the variation in d D and d16 O values for the investigated samples is attributed to the high temperature of formation(54–91 °C). The d D and d^(18 )O values suggest that the sediments, although obtained from different localities within the Lower Benue Trough, formed under similar hot,tropical climatic conditions.

Mechanism of interaction relation between the rare-earth element Ce and impurity elements Pb and Bi in Ag-based filler metal

The mechanism of interaction relation between the rare-earth element Ce and elements Pb and Bi in Ag-based filler metal has been studied. The results show that the compounds CePb and CeBi with high melting point can be easily produced between these three elements in the filler metal, which greatly limited the formation of the isolated phase Pb or Bi and also eliminated the bad effect of impurity elements Pb and Bi on the spreading property of Ag-based filler metal. The metallurgical and quantum-mechanical bond formation analysis show that a strong chemical affinity was existed between the rare-earth element Ce and impurity elements Pb and Bi, which was proved by the XRD analysis results.

Structure and Properties of a New Rare-earth Borate LiSrY_2(BO_3)_3

The structure of LiSrY2（BO3）3 has been solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis at 298 and 113 K on different diffractometers.It crystallizes in trigonal with space group P-3m1（No.164）.The cell parameters at room temperature are as follows：a = 10.3345（9）,c = 6.4049（11） ,V = 592.41（13） 3,Z = 3,Mr = 448.81,F（000） = 618,μ = 21.327 mm-1 and Dc = 3.774 g/cm3.The crystal structure consists of gear-like [BY6O33] groups which are linked together by corner-sharing to form a two-dimensional layer parallel to the ab plane.These layers are connected one after another by sharing oxygen atoms with B（2） atoms along the c direction to construct a three-dimensional framework.Li and Sr atoms just occupy the cavities formed by oxygen atoms.In addition,the vibrational spectroscopy of LiSrY2（BO3）3 and photoluminescence properties of the Eu3＋ doped LiSrY2（BO3）3 were also studied.