EIS studies the effect of Zinc to Al-Zn alloy used for cathodic protection in 3% NaCl solution

Electrochemical impendence spectroscopy （EIS） is applied to investigate the dissolution behavior of Al-Zn alloys in 3% NaCl solution at different polarization potentials. A new reaction model is proposed, and the activation mechanism of zinc in Al-Zn alloys is achieved. There are three intermediates in the dissolution process： Znad^＋, Znad^2＋ and Alad^＋, ,of which only Zni can activate Al-Zn alloys. Most Znnd^＋ is produced by β-phase,and the alloys with 2. 3% - 3. 8% （wt） Zn dissolve rapidly. The Al-Zn alloys of heart-shaped EIS are active in 3% NaCl solution, thus EIS characteristic can be used to distinguish the activa-tion of Al-Zn alloys.

Electrochemical Performance and EIS Analysis of Commercial Lithium-Ion Battery

Degradation behavior is the main technical problem in the field of commercial application of lithiumion batteries. According to the characteristics of voltage, discharge capacity and inner resistance during the charge/discharge process of commercial lithium-ion batteries of mobile telephone, degradation analysis and related mechanisms are put forward and discussed in the paper. The impedance spectra of prismatic commercial lithium-ion batteries are measured at various state of charge after different charge/discharge cycles. The incastared impedance spectra are discussed with a proposed equivalent circuit. Results indicated that the structure change of electrode materials or swell and shrink of crystal lattice, decompose of electrolyte, dissolution of active materials and solid electrolyte interphase film formation are the main reasons leading to the capacity degradation.

Through-thickness inhomogeneity of localized corrosion in 7050-T7451 Al alloy thick plate

The through-thickness corrosion inhomogeneity of 7050-T7451 Al alloy thick plate was studied using immersion tests, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), slow strain rate testing(SSRT) technique combined with optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The results show that the through-thickness corrosion resistance is ranked in the order of T/2>surface>T/4. And the 75 mm-thick 7050 alloy plate presents better corrosion resistance than the 35 mm-thick plate. The results are discussed in terms of the combined effect of recrystallization and cooling rate in quenching. Alloy with lower volume fraction of recrystallization and smaller grain aspect ratio displays better corrosion resistance. The lower corrosion resistance caused by the slower cooling rate results from the higher coverage rate of grain boundary precipitates and larger width of precipitate free zone.

Preparation of IrO_2+MnO_2 coating anodes and their application in NaClO production

To improve the durability as well as to reduce the cost of anodes, the IrO2＋MnO2 composite coating anodes for NaCIO production were prepared by thermal decomposition. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, and X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD） were carried out to investigate the morphologies, element distribution, and microstructure. The anodic polarization curves were employed to study the effect of sintering temperature on the Cl2 evolution reaction （CER） of the electrodes. The accelerated life tests （ALT） and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement （EIS） were utilized to investigate the stability. The rules of NaCIO production were also studied by the static electrolysis experiment. The results indicate that sintering temperature has a significant influence on the CER properties as well as the ALT values of the electrodes. The electrode prepared at 400℃ has the best CER properties and the longest ALT value.

Electrochemical and corrosion behaviors of pure Mg in neutral 1.0% NaCl solution

The corrosion behaviors and corresponding electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and polarization curves of pure Mg in neutral 1.0% NaCl solution were investigated.The fractal dimension of EIS at different time was studied.The corrosion process and EIS evolution are divided into three stages.In the initial stage,EIS is composed of two overlapped capacitive arcs,the polarization resistance and charge transfer resistance increase rapidly with immersion time,and the corrosion rate decreases.Then,two well-defined capacitive arcs appear,and the charge transfer resistance and corrosion rate remain stable.After a long immersion time,inductive component appears in a low frequency range,the charge transfer resistance decreases and the corrosion rate increases with the immersion time.The fractal dimension obtained from the time records of EIS seems to be a promising tool for the analysis of corrosion morphology because of its direct relationship with the metal surface.

鲁棒PID参数整定方法

在PID参数整定中充分考虑被控对象的不确定性信息,提出了基于MiniMax原则和EISE指标的鲁棒PID参数整定方法。根据PID闭环控制系统的特性,在MiniMax求解中,采用空间分隔的方法解决了SQP存在的局部极值问题。仿真表明鲁棒PID在被控对象动态特性发生很大变化时仍可以保持较好的控制品质。

The Beginnings of Higher Learning and Experimental Research in Brno

This article is written to celebrate the 95th anniversary of Laboratory of Water Management Research, Department of Water Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic. Short trip to the history, a few words about the founder Prof. Smrcek and the laboratory works - education, projects, physical and mathematical modelling today.

地震及次生突发灾害下公路桥梁网络韧性评估

为明确地震作用和地震引发的次生突发灾害(EISE)对公路桥梁网络韧性的影响,首先,提出综合考虑区域地震危险性、EISE特性、桥梁易损性和交通流特性等因素的公路桥梁网络韧性分析方法;然后,分析EISE的响应机制,建立EISE对公路桥梁网络影响的模型,并发展地震及EISE作用下公路桥梁网络功能状态分析方法;最后,建立公路桥梁网络应对地震及EISE韧性评估指标,通过美国旧金山部分公路桥梁网络在地震及EISE作用下的韧性评估算例,验证该方法的实用性和有效性。结果表明:与单体桥梁相比,桥梁网络性能受地震动和EISE的相互作用,不仅受地震强度的影响,还受到地震位置的影响。所提方法能够合理评估桥梁网络应对地震EISE韧性。

Surface modification of ZrO_2 nanoparticles with styrene coupling agent and its effect on the corrosion behaviour of epoxy coating

The surface of ZrO2 nanoparticles was modified by styrene coupling grafting method to improve the dispersion and interaction of the nanoparticles with the epoxy coating in which the modified ZrO2 nanoparticles were used as an additive. The grafting performance and microstructure of the nano- ZrO2/epoxy coating were analyzed by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion behavior of the nano-ZrO2/epoxy coating on mild steel was evaluated in neutral 3.5 wt% NaC1 solution using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. Both the coating capacitance and coating resistance fitted by the equivalent circuit from EIS were used to evaluate the protective performance of the coating towards the mild steel. The results show a superior stability and efficient corrosion protection by the modified ZrO2 nanoparticles. The epoxy coating containing 2 wt% modified ZrO2 nanoparticles exhibited the best corrosion performance among all the coating specimens. This research may provide an insight into the protection of mild steel using modified epoxy coatings.

Effectiveness of inhibitors in increasing chloride threshold value for steel corrosion

This investigation was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors in increasing the chloride threshold value for steel corrosion. Three types of corrosion inhibitors, calcium nitrite （Ca（NO2）2）, zinc oxide （ZnO）, and N,N＇-dimethylaminoethanol （DMEA）, which respectively represented the anodic inhibitor, cathodic inhibitor, and mixed inhibitor, were chosen. The experiment was carried out in a saturated calcium hydroxide （Ca（OH）2） solution to simulate the electrolytic environment of concrete. The inhibitors were initially mixed at different levels, and then chloride ions were gradually added into the solution in several steps. The open-circuit potential （Ecorr） and corrosion current density （lcorr） determined by electrochemical impedance spectra （EIS） were used to identify the initiation of active corrosion, thereby determining the chloride threshold value. It was found that although all the inhibitors were effective in decreasing the corrosion rate of steel reinforcement, they had a marginal effect on increasing the chloride threshold value.

Corrosion performance of high pressure die-cast Al-6Si-3Ni and Al-6Si-3Ni-2Cu alloys in aqueous NaCl solution

The corrosion performance of high pressure die-cast Al？6Si？3Ni （SN63） and Al-6Si-3Ni-2Cu （SNC632） alloys in 3.5%（mass fraction） NaCl solution was investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and microstructural studies revealed the presence of singlephase Si and binary Al3Ni/Al3Ni2 phases along the grain boundary. Besides, the single Cu phase was also identified at the grainboundaries of the SNC632 alloy. Electrochemical corrosion results revealed that, the SNC632 alloy exhibited nobler shift incorrosion potential （φcorr）, lower corrosion current density （Jcorr） and higher corrosion resistance compared to the SN63 alloy.Equivalent circuit curve fitting analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） results revealed the existence of twointerfaces between the electrolyte and substrate. The surface layer and charge transfer resistance （Rct） of the SNC632 alloy was higherthan that of the SN63 alloy. Immersion corrosion test results also confirmed the lower corrosion rate of the SNC632 alloy andsubstantiated the electrochemical corrosion results. Cu addition improved the corrosion resistance, which was mainly attributed to theabsence of secondary Cu containing intermetallic phases in the SNC632 alloy and Cu presented as single phase.

Effects of Nano Pigments on the Corrosion Resistance of Alkyd Coating

Alkyd coatings embedded with nano-TiO2 and nano-ZnO pigments were prepared. The effects of nano pigments on anticorrosion performance of alkyd coatings were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectrum （EIS）. For the sake of comparison, the corrosion protection of alkyd coatings with conventional TiO2 and ZnO was also studied. It was found that nano-TiO2 pigment improved the corrosion resistance as well as the hardness of alkyd coatings. The optimal amount of nano-TiO2 in a colored coating for corrosion resistance was 1%. The viscosities of alkyd coatings with nanometer TiO2 and ZnO and conventional TiO2 and ZnO pigments were measured and the relation between viscosity and anticorrosion performance was discussed.

Corrosion Behavior of Anodic Oxidized TiO_2 Film in Seawater

TiO2 films were formed on metallic titanium substrates by the anodic oxidation method in H2SO4 solution under the 80V D.C..Phase component and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Water contact angles on titanium oxide film surface were measured under both dark and sunlight illumination conditions.Corrosion tests were carried out in seawater under different illumination conditions by electrochemistry impedance spectrum (EIS) and polarization curves.The result showed that the TiO2 film prepared by the anodic oxidation method was anatase with a uniform structure and without obvious pores or cracks on its surface.The average water contact angle of the film was 116.4? in dark, in contrast to an angle of 42.7? under the UV illumination for 2 hours, which demonstrates good hydrophobic property.The anti-corrosion behavior of the TiO2 film was declining with the extended immersion time.Under dark conditions, however, the hydrophobic TiO2 film retarded the water infiltrating into the substrate.The impedance changed slowly and the corrosion current density was 2 orders of magnitude lower than that with the film illuminated by sunlight.All of those mentioned above indicate that the TiO2 film possesses much better performance under dark condition, and it can be applied as an engineering material under dark seawater environment.

On-line Measurement for Ohmic Resistance in Direct Methanol Fuel Cell by Current Interruption Method

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is widely used in fuel cell impedance analysis. However, for ohmic resistance (R Ω), EIS has some disadvantages such as long test period and complex data analysis with equivalent circuits. Therefore, the current interruption method is explored to measure the value of RΩ in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) at different temperatures and current densities. It is found that RΩ decreases as temperature increase, and decreases initially and then increases as current density increases. These results are consistent with those measured by the EIS technique. In most cases, the ohmic resistances with current interruption (R iR ) are larger than those with EIS (R EIS ), but the difference is small, in the range from –0.848% to 5.337%. The errors of R iR at high current densities are less than those of R EIS . Our results show that the R iR data are reliable and easy to obtain in the measurement of ohmic resistance in DMFC.

Electrodeposition mechanism of Ni-Al composite coating

Ni-Al composite coatings were electrodeposited from a modified Watts solution. The electrochemical behavior of the coatings was studied by means of zeta potential analysis, voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS）. It was found that the zeta potential of Al particles was-4 m V which is very close to that of Al2O3. Moreover, addition of conductive Al particles into the electrolyte shifted the polarization curve to more negative potentials and loop size of EIS curve increased. It was also demonstrated that the co-deposition behavior of Ni-Al composite coatings obeys the Guglielmi’s model. The results indicate that conductive Al particles behave as the inert particles and confirm the existence of a thin aluminum oxide layer on the surface of aluminum particles.

Physical Properties and Electrochemical Performance of Solid K_2FeO_4 Samples Prepared by Ex-situ and in-situ Electrochemical Methods

K2FeO4 powders were synthesized by the ex-situ and in-situ electrochemical methods, respectively, and characterized by infrared spectrum （IR）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray powder diffraction （XRD） and BET. Their electrochemical performances were investigated by means of galvanostatic discharge and electrochemi-cal impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. The results of physical characterization showed that the two samples have simi-lar structural features, but their surface morphologies and oriented growth of the crystals are different, which results in smaller specific surface area and lower solubility of the ex-situ electrosynthesized K2FeO4 sample. The results of discharge experiments indicated that the ex-situ electrosythesized K2FeO4 electrode has much larger discharge ca-pacity and lower electrode polarization than the in-situ electrosynthesized K2FeO4 electrode. It was found from the results of EIS that lower electrochemical polarization might be responsible for the improvement on the discharge performance of the ex-situ electrosynthesized K2FeO4 electrode.

Financial Constraints and Multilevel Perspective： The Case of the Italian Manufacturing Enterprises

Following a multi-level perspective （MLP）, a sustainability transition is the consequence of destabilization pressures from the landscape level that are exerted towards the current unsustainable regime contributing thus to the emergence of niche-level eco-innovations （El）. However, the existence of financial barriers to eco-innovative companies may hinder the development and diffusion of EIs at regime level, jeopardising the creation of windows of opportunity that are necessary for niche-level innovations to succeed. In this framework, the present paper investigates to what extent financial constraints are hampering the eco-innovative investments at regime level, by employing an ad hoc designed survey addressed to a sample of Italian manufacturing enterprises. Results reveal the existence of significant financial barriers to eco-innovative companies which are hindering the development and adoption of incremental technological EIs and organizational EIs at regime level, delaying the transition towards a more sustainable regime. Moreover, findings suggest that environmental reputation of companies can positively contribute to reducing asymmetric information in eco-innovative investments, relieving thus the financial constraints faced by eco-innovative enterprises.

Simple point contact WO_3 sensor for NO_2 sensing and relevant impedance analysis

A simple and new point contact tungsten trioxide （WO3） sensor, which can be prepared by the oxidation of tungsten filaments via in-situ induction heating, likely detects low concentration （ppm level） environmental pollutants such as NO2. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM） were applied to characterize the phase and the microstructure of the samples, respec-tively. It was found that the synthesized WO3 films exhibited a monoclinic phase and were composed of hierarchical microcrystals and nanocrystals. The point contact WO3 sensor （W-WO3-W） showed rectifying characteristics and an ideal sensing performance of about 110 C. A single semicircle in Nyquist plots was recorded by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） at a relatively low temperature of 150 C but faded away above 200 C, which revealed that the sensing process was governed by a determining factor, i.e., grain boundaries at the contact site.

Synthesis and Conducting Properties of La10-x（SiO4）6O3-1.5x

The synthesis of silicate oxyapatitesLa10-x（SiO4）6O3-1.5x（x=0. 0.17, 0.33, 0.50 and 0.67） via a sol-gel method at 800 ℃ was reported. The apatite phases were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and conducting properties were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. It is found that the conductivities are influenced by the amount of cation vacancies and interstitial oxygen. The conductivity of La9.33 （SiO4）6O2 with more cation vacancies is higher than that of La9.5 （SiO4）6O2.25. The conductivity of La10 （SiO4）6O3 with more interstitial oxygen is 7.98 ×10^-3 S·cm^-1, which is about 5 times higher than that of La9.33（SiO4）6O2 at 700℃. The electrical conductivity is almost independent of the oxygen partial pressure from 105 to 1 Pa, which suggests that the oxyapatites exhibit almost pure O^2- ion conduction over a wide range of oxygen partial pressure.

Investigation on a Sol-gel Coating Containing Inhibitors on 2024-T3 Aluminum Alloy

For a long time, chromate incorporated conversion coatings have been drawn special attention in corrosion protection of aircraft-used aluminum alloys. However, ever-increasing environmental pressures requires that non-chromate conversion coatings be developed because of the detrimental carcinogenic effects of the chromate compounds. In recent years, the sol-gel coatings doped with inhibitors were developed to replace chromate conversion coatings, and showed real promise; A sol-gel coating was prepared and its anti-corrosion behavior was investigated using the potentiodynamic scanning （PDS） and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. It is found that the sol-gel coating obtained by the hydrolysis and condensation of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane （GPTMS） and tetramethoxysilane （TMOS） is prone to form defects if cured at the room temperature, whereas if cured at a higher temperature （100℃）, these flaws can be avoided. Furthermore, it can be seen that addition of anti-foam agents and surfactants will reduce the faults if cured at the room temperature. Effects of the corrosion inhibitors, CeCl3 and mercaptobenzothiazole （MBT）, in the sol-gel coatings on 2024-T3 aluminum alloy were also investigated. Results show that the corrosion resistance of the sol-gel coatings containing CeCl3 proves to be better than that of the pure and MBT added sol-gel coatings by the electrochemical methods.