In-situ building of multiscale porous NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni heterojunction for superior overall water splitting

The development of efficient nonprecious bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is crucial to enhance the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).A self-supporting,multiscale porous NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni catalyst with a triple interface heterojunction on nickel foam(NF)(NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni/NF)was in-situ fabricated using an electroplating-annealing-etching strategy.The unique multiinterface engineering and three-dimensional porous scaffold significantly modify the mass transport and electron interaction,resulting in superior bifunctional electrocatalytic performance for water splitting.The NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni/NF catalyst demonstrates low overpotentials of 187 m V for HER and 320 mV for OER at a current density of 600 mA/cm~2,along with high durability over 150 h in alkaline solution.Furthermore,an electrolytic cell assembled with NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni/NF as both the cathode and anode achieves the current densities of 600 and 1000 m A/cm2 at cell voltages of 1.796 and 1.901 V,respectively,maintaining the high stability at 50 mA/cm2 for over 100 h.These findings highlight the potential of NiFeZn/NiZn-Ni/NF as a cost-effective and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.

Electrorefining of aluminum in urea-imidazole chloride-aluminum chloride ionic liquids

The electrochemical behavior of Al(Ⅲ)in urea-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminum chloride(urea-BMIC-AlCl_(3))ionic liquids,and the effect of potential and temperature on the characterization of cathode products,current efficiency and energy consumption of aluminum electrorefining have been investigated.Cyclic voltammetry showed that the electrochemical reduction of Al(Ⅲ)was a one-step three-electron-transfer irreversible reaction,and the electrochemical reaction was controlled by diffusion.The diffusion coefficient of Al(Ⅲ)in urea-BMIC-AlCl_(3)ionic liquids at 313 K was 1.94×10^(−7)cm^(2)/s.The 7075 aluminum alloy was used as an anode for electrorefining,and the cathode products were analyzed by XRD,SEM and EDS.The results from XRD analysis indicated that the main phase of the cathode products was aluminum.The results from SEM and EDS characterization revealed that the cathode product obtained by electrorefining−1.2 V(vs.Al)was dense and uniform,and the mass fraction of aluminum decreased from 99.61%to 99.10%as the experimental temperature increased from 313 K to 333 K.In this work,the optimum experimental conditions were−1.2 V(vs.Al)and 313 K.At this time,the cathode current efficiency was 97.80%,while the energy consumption was 3.72 kW·h/kg.

Designing Conformal Electrode-electrolyte Interface by Semi-solid NaK Anode for Sodium Metal Batteries

Solid-state Na metal batteries(SSNBs),known for its low cost,high safety,and high energy density,hold a significant position in the next generation of rechargeable batteries.However,the urgent challenge of poor interfacial contact in solid-state electrolytes has hindered the commercialization of SSNBs.Driven by the concept of intimate electrode-electrolyte interface design,this study employs a combination of NaK alloy and carbon nanotubes to prepare a semi-solid NaK(NKC)anode.Unlike traditional Na anodes,the paintable paste-like NKC anode exhibits superior adhesion and interface compatibility with both current collectors and gel electrolytes,significantly enhancing the intimate contact of electrode-electrolyte interface.Additionally,the filling of SiO_(2)nanoparticles improves the wettability of NaK alloy on gel polymer electrolytes,further achieving a conformal interface contact.Consequently,the overpotential of the NKC symmetric cell is markedly lower than that of the Na symmetric cell when subjected to a long cycle of 300 h.The full cell coupled with Na_(3)V_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)cathodes had an initial discharge capacity of 106.8 mAh·g^(-1)with a capacity retention of 89.61%after 300 cycles,and a high discharge capacity of 88.1 mAh·g^(-1)even at a high rate of 10 C.The outstanding electrochemical performance highlights the promising application potential of the NKC electrode.

Leaching of heavy metals from Dexing copper mine tailings pond

AThe wastewater source of 4# tailing pond in Dexing copper mine consists of alkaline flotation pulp and acid mine drainage （AMD） from the nearby opencast mine. Therefore, the heavy metals in tailing ore are very likely to be released due to acidification from AMD. The leaching behaviors ofZn, Cu, Fe and Mn in mine tailings from Dexing copper mine were investigated by a series of laboratory batch experiments. The effectcs ofpH, temperature, particle size and contact time on the leachability of such heavy metals were examined. It was evident that Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn were major heavy metals in the tailings while gangue minerals like quartz were major constituents in examined tailings. The tailing dissolution reaction was controlled by the acid, whose kinetics could be expressed according to the heterogeneous reaction models and explained by a shrinking core model with the surface chemical reaction as the rate-controlling step. The leachability of all metals examined depended on pH and contact time. The batch studies indicated that the maximum leaching ratios ofZn, Cu, Fe and Mn at pH 2.0 were 5.4%, 5.8%, l 1.1% and 34.1%, respectively. The dissolubility of all metals examined was positively correlated to the temperatures. The particle size would not change dissolution tendency of those heavy metals, but decrease the concentrations of leached heavy metals.

Effect of additive BaO on corrosion resistance of xCu/(10NiO-NiFe_2O_4) cermet inert anodes for aluminum electrolysis

xCu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet and 1BaO-xCu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet（x=5,10,17） inert anodes were prepared as potential inert anodes for aluminum electrolysis and their corrosion resistance to traditional electrolyte was studied with anodic current density of 1.0 A/cm2 in laboratory electrolysis.The substantial corrosion of metal Cu was observed,many pores appeared on the surface of anode and electrolytes infiltrated inside anodes during the electrolysis.The wear rates of 5Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4）,10Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4）,17Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4）,1BaO-5Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4）,1BaO-10Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） and 1BaO-17Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） are 2.15,6.50,8.30,4.88,4.70 and 4.48 cm/a,respectively.The addition of BaO to 10Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet and 17Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet is advantageous because BaO can effectively promote densification and thus improve corrosion resistance.But the addition of BaO to 5Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet is unfavorable to corrosion resistance because additive BaO at the grain boundary of anode accelerates possibly the corrosion of cermet.

Effect of oxide and fluoride addition on electrolytic preparation of Mg-La alloy in chloride molten salt

Mg-La alloys were prepared by constant voltage electrolysis in the molten salt system of MgC12-LaC13-KC1 at 750℃, with a graphite crucible as the anode and a tungsten rod as the cathode. The effect of oxide and fluoride addition on the electrolysis was investigated comprehensively. X-ray diffraction （XRD） was used to characterize some of the Mg-La alloy products and the sludges. As the content of MgO or La203 in the electrolyte increased, both the current efficiency and the mass of alloy product decreased, indicating that both MgO and La203 may take part in the reactions in the electrolyte. When the same mass of the oxide was added, compared with La203, MgO had a more pronounced effect on both the current efficiency and the mass of alloy product. XRD studies confirmed the formation of LaOC1 when MgO or LazO3 was added into the electrolyte. The formation of LaOCl sludge would be the main reason for the negative effect of the oxide addition on both the current efficiency and the mass of alloy. In the electrolytic system, the addition of CaF2 was not helpful to suppress the negative effect of MgO on the electrolysis, probably due to the complex reactions of the La compounds in the electrolyte.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical properties and in vitro degradation behavior of as-extruded Mg-2.7Nd-0.2Zn-0.4Zr alloy

Mg-2.7Nd-0.2Zn-0.4Zr （mass fraction, %） alloy was designed for degradable biomedical material. The ingots of the alloy were solution treated and then hot extruded. The extruded rods were heat treated with aging treatment, solution treatment and solution＋aging treatment, respectively. Microstructures of the alloy were observed by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Mechanical properties at room temperature were tested. In vitro degradation behavior of the alloy immersed in simulated body fluid was measured by hydrogen evolution and mass loss tests. The degradation morphologies of the alloy with and without degradation products were observed by SEM. The results show that the grains grow apparently after solution treatment. Solution treatment improves the elongation of as-extruded alloy significantly and decreases the strength, while aging treatment improves the strength and reduces the elongation of the alloy. The yield ratio is reduced by heat treatment. The in vitro degradation results of the alloy show that solution treatment on the as-extruded alloy results in a little higher degradation rate and aging treatment on the alloy can reduce degradation rate slightly.

Calculation of hydrogen solubility in molten alloys

A thermodynamic model was developed to calculate the hydrogen solubility in molten alloys based on the hydrogen solubility in constitutional pure liquid metals and their interaction parameters. The calculated results have a good agreement with the documented experimental results. The closer the molten alloy to an ideal liquid is, the more accurate the calculated results are. The compound forming ability and molar mixing heat of the constitutional elements take important roles in influencing the hydrogen solubility in molten alloys.

Compound Chaijin Jieyu Tablets ameliorating insomnia complicated with depression by improving synaptic plasticity via regulating orexin A,melatonin,and acetylcholine contents

Objective To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of action of Compound Chaijin Jieyu Tablets(复方柴金解郁片,CCJJYT)in rats with insomnia complicated with depression.Methods Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into eight groups:the control,chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS),sleep deprivation(SD),CUMS+SD,positive drug(venlafaxine hydrochloride+diazepam),CCJJYT high-dose(CCJJYT˗2×),medium-dose(CCJJYT˗1×),and low-dose(CCJJYT˗0.5×)groups,with nine rats in each group.Depression-like behavior was evaluated by body weight,food intake,and behavioral tests such as the sucrose preference test(SPT),open field test(OFT),forced swimming test(FST),and pentobarbital-induced sleep test(PST).Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Golgi-Cox staining were used to observe changes in pathological tissue and synaptic morphology,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the contents of orexin-A and acetylcholine.The expression levels of orexin receptor 1(OXR1),melatonin receptor 1(MT1A),melatonin receptor 2(MT1B),acetylcholinesterase(AChE),and choline acetyltransferase(ChAT)were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.Results In the present study,rats in the model group showed significant behavioral changes as well as a reduction in hippocampal dendritic branch length and synaptic number,along with increasing the content of orexin A and acetylcholine(P<0.05),and altered expression levels of OX1R,MT1A,MT1B,ChAT,and AChE in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex after modeling(P<0.05).CCJJYT can improve depressive insomnia behavior and synaptic plasticity of rats(P<0.05),which is similar to that of the positive drug group.It can also decrease the content of orexin A and acetylcholine,and reduce the expression levels of OXR1 and ChAT in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex(P<0.05),and increase the expression levels of MT1A,MT1B,and AChE proteins(P<0.05).Conclusion CCJJYT has good antidepressant and insomnia effects,probably through the regulation of orexin-A,melatonin,and acetylcholine content in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of rats,improving synaptic plasticity and thus exerting antidepressant and insomnia effects.

Electrochemical mechanism of electrolysis codeposition of Mg-Sr alloy in molten salt

The electrochemical process of Mg-Sr codeposition was studied in MgCl2-SrCl2-KCl melts containing different MgCl2 concentrations at 700 ℃ by cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry. The results show that the actual precipitation potential of Sr reduces by nearly 0.5 V because of the depolarization effects of Sr activity reduced by forming Mg-Sr alloy. The codeposition potential condition of Mg and Sr to form Mg-Sr alloy is as follows： When electrode potential is more negative than -1.5 V, the magnesium will precipitate; when electrode potential is more negative than -2.0 V, the magnesium and strontium will both deposit. The control step of codeposition process of Mg and Sr is not diffusion control step. The codeposition current condition of Mg and Sr to form Mg-Sr alloy by chronoptentiometry is as follows： cathode current densities are higher than 0.71, 1.57 and 2.83 A/cm^2 in MgCl2-SrCl2-KCl melts with MgCl2 concentrations of 2%, 5% and 10% （mass fraction）, respectively. Key words：

Current efficiency of recycling aluminum from aluminum scraps by electrolysis

Extracting aluminum from aluminum alloys in AlCl3-NaCl molten salts was investigated. Al coating was deposited on the copper cathode by the method of direct current deposition using aluminum alloys as anode. The purity of the deposited aluminum is about 99.7% with the energy consumption of 3-9 kW＆#183;h per kg Al, and the current efficiency is 44%-64% when the deposition process is carried out under 100 mA/cm2 for 4 h at 170 ＆#176;C. The effects of experimental parameters, such as molar ratio of AlCl3 to NaCl, cathodic current density and electrolysis time, on the current efficiency were studied. The molar ratio of AlCl3 to NaCl has little effect on the current efficiency, and the increase of deposition temperature is beneficial to the increase of current efficiency. However, the increase of current density or electrolysis time results in the decrease of current efficiency. The decrease of current efficiency is mainly related to the formation of dendritic or powder deposit of aluminum which is easy to fall into the electrolyte.

Influence of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on degradation and preg-robbing capacity of activated carbon

The effect of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on degradation and preg-robbing capacity of activated carbon,which was used as a substitute of carbonaceous matter in carbonaceous gold ores,was studied.After 14 d treatment with Phanerochaete chrysosporium,the degradation rate of activated carbon reached 27.59%.The XRD and FTIR analyses indicate that Phanerochaete chrysosporium can distort the micro-crystalline structure of activated carbon,increase the number of oxygen-containing groups and aliphatics and make the aromatic structures be oxidized and exfoliated.The gold-adsorption tests show that Phanerochaete chrysosporium can reduce the preg-robbing capacity of activated carbon by 12.88%.This indicates that Phanerochaete chrysosporium is an available microorganism,and it can be employed to reduce the preg-robbing capacity of carbonaceous matter and improve the gold leaching rate.The combined effect of passivation,alkalization and oxidation of biological enzymes-free radicals of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on carbonaceous matter was also discussed.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of zircaloy-4 alloy with DC regime and properties of coatings

The plasma electrolytic oxidation（PEO） coatings on zircaloy？4 alloy were prepared in silicate,phosphate and pyrophosphate electrolyte systems or their combination by DC current regime.The proper processing parameters were determined and the coatings were evaluated by electrochemistry technique,micro-hardness,SEM and XRD.The results show that the coating prepared in pure silicate system is uneven and after the addition of phosphate solution,the homogeneity of the coating is still poor.The coating prepared in pure pyrophosphate electrolyte system is homogeneous,but its hardness value is low.After the addition of silicate into the pyrophosphate electrolytic system,both the uniformity and hardness of the coating are improved.The XRD results show that the phase compositions are m-ZrO2 and t-ZrO2,the addition of silicate is beneficial to the formation of t-ZrO2.The results of polarization curves show that the coatings prepared in pyrophosphate and the mixture of pyrophosphate and silicate have better corrosion resistance.

Microarc oxidation coating fabricated on AZ91D Mg alloy in an optimized dual electrolyte

Microarc oxidation （MAO） process was conducted on AZ91D magnesium alloy in an electrolyte composed of NazSiO3, NaAlO2, NaEB4O7, NaOH, C3H803 and C6H5Na307 by AC pulse electrical source. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies, film thickness, chemical composition and structure of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, layer thickness metry, energy disperse spectroscopy（EDS） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）. The corrosiofi resistances of the coatings in a 3.5% NaC1 neutral solution were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） and potentiodynamic polarization test. The results showed that an optimized electrolyte with a composition of 15 g/L NazSiO3, 9 g/L NaA102, 2 g/L NazB407, 3 g/L NaOH, 5 mL/L C3H803 and 7 g/LC,HsNa307 was developed by means of orthogonal experiment. The coating obtained in the optimized electrolyte had a dense structure and revealed a lower current density, decreased by two orders of magnitude as compared with the magnesium substrate. Meanwhile, the corrosive potentials of the coated samples increased nearly by 73 inV. EIS result showed that the corrosion resistance of the coating was mainly determined by the inner dense layer. The coating primarily contained elements Mg, Al, O and Si and XRD analyses indicated that the coating was mainly composed of MgO, Mg2SiO4 and MgAl204.

The Determination of Heavy Metal Elements in Sipunculs nudus by MWD-ICP-AES

In order to develop a method for measuring of elements in Sipunculus nudus, the contents of Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn, As, Hg and Ba were determined by actively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （MWD） and microwave digestion （ICP-AES）. The results showed that correlation coefficients al kept higher than 0.999 and the recovery rates of sample added standard solutions were in 98%-114%. The results indicated that the contents of Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn, As, Hg and Ba were 17.119, 3.781, 0.695, 7.351, 1997.982, 0.620, 0.144, 4.249 mg/kg respectively. The contents of Mn exceeded national limit by hundredfold, Cd sevenfold, Pd fourfold, Cd three-and-a-half-fold, and As onefold. Sipunculs nudus became seriously pol uted. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate robust policies to fol ow closely and pay close attention to coastal areas pol ution around Dongfang City.

Corrosion of NiFe_2O_4-10NiO-based cermet inert anodes for aluminium electrolysis

NiFe2O4-10NiO-based cermet inert anodes for aluminium electrolysis were prepared and their properties were investigated in a lab-scale electrolysis cell. The results show that the inert anodes exhibit good performance during electrolysis in molten salt cryolite at 960 °C, but according to the analyses of phase compositions and microstructures through XRD, SEM/EDX and metallographic analysis, the metal in the anodes is preferentially corroded and many pores are produced on the anode surface after electrolysis. The preferential dissolution of Fe in the NiFe2O4 phase may lead to the non-uniform corrosion of NiFe2O4 grains. Moreover, a dense protective layer of NiFe2O4-NiAl2O4-FeAl2O4 is formed on the anode surface, which originates from the reaction of Al2O3 dissolved in the electrolyte with NiO or FeO, the annexation of NiFe2O4-NiAl2O4-FeAl2O4 to NiO and volume expansion. Thus, the dense NiFe2O4-NiAl2O4-FeAl2O4 layer inhibits the metal loss and ceramic-phase corrosion on the surface of the cermet inert anodes.

Optimization of dual electrolyte and characteristic of micro-arc oxidation coating fabricated on ZK60 Mg alloy

Micro-arc oxidation （MAO） process was carried out in a dual electrolyte system of NaAlO 2 and Na 3 PO 4 to develop compact, smooth and corrosion-resistant coatings on ZK60 Mg alloy by single factor experiments. The microstructural characteristics of coatings were investigated by X-ray diffractometry （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）. Test of mass loss was conducted at a 3.5% NaCl solution to assess the resistance to corrosion. The effect of every element in the dual electrolyte system on voltage—time responses during MAO process and the coating characteristic were also analyzed and discussed systematically via single factor experiments. The results reveal that the main components of NaAlO 2 and Na 3 PO 4 as well as additives of NaOH, NaB4O7 and C6H5Na3O7 demonstrate different effects on MAO process and coating characteristics. By means of single factor experiments, an optimized dual electrolyte system was developed, containing 17.5 g/L NaAlO 2, 5.0 g/LNa3 PO4, 5.0 g/L NaOH, 3.0 g/L NaB4O7 and 4.2g/LC6H5Na3O7 .

Determination of Heavy Metals in Dendrobium candidium Wall.ex Lindl.by ICP-MS

[Objective] This research aimed to establish an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） method for determination of five kinds of heavy metals （Pb, Cd, Cu, As and Hg） in Dendrobium candidium Wall. ex Lindl. [Method] The samples were digested in HNO3-H202 acids system by closed vessel microwave di- gestion. At the same time, internal standard was added to avoid the matrix effect. [Result] The five kinds of heavy meals all showed good linear relationships, and the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.998 2 to 0.999 9. The detection limits of the five kinds of heavy metals were in the range of 0.008-0.750 μg/L, while the stan- dard recovery rates were in the range of 90.4%-96.9%. The relative standard devi- ations ranged from 1.6% to 8.2%. The heavy metals in the Ginseng and Astragalus national standard samples were determined by the established ICP-MS method, and the results were in conformity with the standard values. [Conclusion] The established method has simple and convenient operation and accurate and reliable results, and it meets the requirements by determination of heavy metals in Dendrobium candididium Wall. ex Lindl.

Effect of uniform magnetic field on crystallization of intermetallic compound layers between Cu and liquid SnZn alloys

Crystallization of intermetallic compound layer between Cu and SnZn alloy under uniform magnetic field was studied. The effect of magnetic field density on the growth behavior of the intermetallic layer such as microstructure, crystal orientation and composition was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron-probe microanalysis, respectively. Compared with the intermetallic layer without magnetic field, 0.1 T of magnetic flux density decreases the layer thickness. However, further increasing magnetic flux density promotes the layer growth. Application of magnetic field also changes the crystal orientation of intermetallic layer, but has no obvious influence on the layer composition. This phenomenon can be attributed to the role of thermo-electromagnetic convection and Lorentz force on the Cu dissolution as well as the accumulation of Cu solute at the interface front.

Hydrogen generation from coupling reactions of AlLi/NaBH_4 mixture in water activated by Ni powder

A novel composition of AlLi/NaBH4 mixture activated by common Ni powder in water for hydrogen generation was investigated. The composition presents good hydrogen generation performance and an optimized Al-10% Li-10% Ni/NaBH4 mixture （mass ratio of 3：1） generates 1540 mL/g hydrogen with 96% efficiency at 333 K. Ni powder exhibits dual catalytic effects on the hydrolysis of AlLi/NaBH4 mixture due to the formation of Ni2B in the hydrolysis process. The Ni2B deposited on aluminum surface could act as a cathode of a micro galvanic couple. Ni2B/Al（OH）3 also has a synergistic effect on NaBH4 hydrolysis. Good hydrogen generation performance with stable pH value of hydrolysis byproduct Al（OH）3/NaBO2-2H2O was obtained with successive additions of Al-Li-Ni /NaBH4 mixture into fixed water.