Superhydrophobicity of Bionic Alumina Surfaces Fabricated by Hard Anodizing

Bionic alumina samples were fabricated on convex dome type aluminum alloy substrate using hard anodizing technique. The convex domes on the bionic sample were fabricated by compression molding under a compressive stress of 92.5 MPa. The water contact angles of the as-anodized bionic samples were measured using a contact angle meter （JC2000A） with the 3μL water drop at room temperature. The measurement of the wetting property showed that the water contact angle of the unmodi- fied as-anodized bionic alumina samples increases from 90° to 137° with the anodizing time. The increase in water contract angle with anodizing time arises from the gradual formation of hierarchical structure or composite structure. The structure is composed of the micro-scaled alumina columns and pores. The height of columns and the depth of pores depend on the ano- dizing time. The water contact angle increases significantly from 96° to 152° when the samples were modified with self-assembled monolayer of octadecanethiol （ODT）, showing a change in the wettability from hydrophobicity to su- per-hydrophobicity. This improvement in the wetting property chemical modification. is attributed to the decrease in the surface energy caused by the

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY ANODIZING ON AZ91D MAGNESIUM ALLOYS AND COATING CHARACTERISTICS

An environmental friendly anodizing treatment (Anomag) from a phosphate-based so lution without heavy metals on AZ91D magnesium alloy was studied. The characteri stics of the coatings, such as structure, composition and corrosion resistance w ere investigated. The effects of this anodizing treatment on the mechanical prop erties were examined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the structu re of the coatings is amorphous or glassy. In salt spray tests coatings with an average thickness of 10μm had an anticorrosive performance of over 1000 hours. Fatigue tests revealed that anodizing onto AZ91D magnesium alloy does not affect the fatigue strength. These results demonstrate the utility of this anodizing t reatment on magnesium alloy for application as a structural material, such as in the automotive field.

Improvement of Bonding Strength of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy by Anodizing and Chromium-free Conversion Treatments

The influences of chromium-free chemical conversion treatment and anodizing treatment on bonding strength of AZ31 magnesium alloy were studied by lap-shear test, SEM and electrochemical methods. Both chemical conversion treatment and anodizing can increase the bonding strength. The anodizing treatment gives higher bonding strength and better corrosion resistance than chemical conversion treatment. The increase of bonding strength by the treatmetlts may be attributed to the uneven surface structures with micro-pores, resulting in increased bonding areas and the embedding effect.

AZ91 Magnesium Alloys: Anodizing of Using Environmental Friendly Electrolytes

An anodizing process, based on environmental friendly electrolyte solutions has been studied on AZ 91 magnesium alloys by using three types of electrolytes: the first is based on sodium silicate, the second on sodium hydroxide-boric acid-borax and the third on sodium silicate- potassium hydroxide-sodium carbonate-sodium tetra borate. A pretreatment including fluoride activation was applied before the anodizing process. It was found that the anodic film thickness increases as current density or anodizing voltage increases. It is also increased with deposition time until the deposition stops due to the formation of a thick anodic film. Optimization of the anodizing conditions - current density and deposition time- was made for each electrolyte. Characterization of anodizing layer was achieved by determination of surface morphology, microstructure, phase analysis, coat thickness, adhesion and corrosion resistance. In all cases, excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance was obtained. A corrosion efficiency ranging from 94% to 97% was reached;the highest value corresponding to the third electrolyte.

Effects of Anodizing Parameters in Tartaric-Sulphuric Acid on Coating Thickness and Corrosion Resistance of Al 2024 T3 Alloy

2024 T3 is one of aluminium alloys which are widely used in the aircraft structures. Anodizing of alluminium alloy in tartaric-sulphuric acid (TSA) electrolyte is developed to obtain more environmentally-friendly process and to produce anodize layer with better corrosion resistance. In this research work, the influences of anodizing parameters of Al 2024 T3 in TSA on the thickness, weight and corrosion resistance of the anodize layer are studied. Corrosion resistance test was carried out by conducting salt spray test for 336 hours and anodic polarization measurements using potentiostat. Results of three-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that the most influencing factor that determines the thickness and weight of the anodize layer is temperature, followed by applied voltage, duration of anodizing, voltage-temperature interaction, interaction of temperature-duration of anodizing, interaction of voltage-temperature-duration of anodizing, and interaction of voltage and duration of anodizing. The pit density and corrosion current density (icorr) were found to be dependent on the coating thickness. The anodize layer with a thickness of higher than 3 μm was not experienced to pitting corrosion during 336 hours of salt spray test.

New development of anodizing process of magnesium alloys

Magnesium alloy, a kind of environment-friendly material with promising and excellent properties, is a good choice for a number of applications. The research and development of anodizing on magnesium alloys and its application situation are reviewed, and the anodizing development trend on magnesium alloys is summarized.

Evolution of insoluble eutectic Si particles in anodic oxidation films during adipic–sulfuric acid anodizing processes of ZL114A aluminum alloys

The effects of insoluble eutectic Si particles on the growth of anodic oxide films on ZL114A aluminum alloy substrates were in- vestigated by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The anodic oxidation was performed at 25℃ and a con- stant voltage of 15 V in a solution containing 50 g/L sulfuric acid and 10 g/L adipic acid. The thickness of the formed anodic oxidation film was approximately 7.13 μm. The interpore distance and the diameters of the major pores in the porous layer of the film were within the ap- proximate ranges of 10~20 nm and 5-10 nm, respectively. Insoluble eutectic Si particles strongly influenced the morphology of the anodic oxidation films. The anodic oxidation films exhibited minimal defects and a uniform thickness on the ZL114A substrates; in contrast, when the front of the oxide oxidation films encountered eutectic Si particles, defects such as pits and non-uniform thickness were observed, and pits were observed in the films.

Effects of Film Thickness and Anodizing Potential on the Characteristics of Micro-porous Structure on 316L Stainless Steel Surface

A novel process for fabricating an in-situ micro-porous on 316 L stainless steel was described.Aluminum films about 0.7-1.4 m in thickness were deposited on 316 L stainless steel surface by magnetron sputtering.The films were then anodized in 0.3 M oxalic acid.Through appropriate chemical dissolution,the alumina film was removed and the underlying micro-porous 316 L with diameters ranging from 500 nm to 2.4m was obtained.The morphology of the porous 316 L surface was examined by scanning electron microscope.The results indicate that the thickness of aluminum films and the anodizing potential have a combined action on the formation of porous structure on 316 L surface.Then anodic current density could be affected evidently by the film thickness.The pores size increases obviously with the increasing of the anodizing potential,when the thickness of aluminum film was about 1.4m.

Fabrication of independent nickel microstructures with anodizing of aluminum, laser irradiation, and electrodeposition

Independent microstructures made of Ni metal were fabricated by fivesequential processes: porous anodic oxide film formation, pore sealing, laser irradiation, Nielectroplating, and removal of the aluminum substrate and anodic oxide films. Aluminum plates androds were anodized in an oxalic acid solution to form porous type anodic oxide films, and thenimmersed in boiling distilled water for pore sealing. The anodized and pore-sealed specimens wereirradiated with a pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) laser beam in a Ni platingsolution to remove anodic oxide film locally by rotating and moving up I down with anXYZ(theta)-stage. Nickel was deposited at the area where film had been removed by cathodicpolarization in the solution before removing the aluminum substrate and anodic oxide films in NaOHsolutions. Cylindrical or plain network structures were fabricated successfully.

The effect of anodizing temperature on the structure and electrical properties of Al-Ti composite oxide film

The Al-Ti composite oxide films with high dielectric constant were prepared by hydrolysis precipitation and anodizing. The growth, structure and electrical properties of the Al-Ti composite oxide films formed at different anodizing temperatures from 25℃ to 85℃ have been studied by dissolution of anodic oxide films, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and electrical measurements. With the anodizing temperature increasing, the film growth rate increases, the structure of two layers in the Al-Ti composite oxide film converts into three layers, I-V characteristics change evidently, and the specific capacitance achieves a peak value at about 75℃. The local breakdown in the composite oxide films formed at 50℃ occurs obviously, which may be contributed to the lowest leakage current and the highest withstanding voltage.

Microstructure design of advanced magnesium-air battery anodes

Metal-air battery is an environmental friendly energy storage system with unique open structure.Magnesium(Mg)and its alloys have been extensively attempted as anodes for air batteries due to high theoretical energy density,low cost,and recyclability.However,the study on Mg-air battery(MAB)is still at the laboratory level currently,mainly owing to the low anodic efficiency caused by the poor corrosion resistance.In order to reduce corrosion losses and achieve optimal utilization efficiency of Mg anode,the design strategies are reviewed from microstructure perspectives.Firstly,the corrosion behaviors have been discussed,especially the negative difference effect derived by hydrogen evolution.Special attention is given to the effect of anode micro-structures on the MAB,which includes grain size,grain orientation,second phases,crystal structure,twins,and dislocations.For further improvement,the discharge performance,long period stacking ordered phase and its enhancing effect are considered.Meanwhile,given the current debates over Mg dendrites,the potential risk,the impact on discharge,and the elimination strategies are discussed.Microstructure control and single crystal would be promising ways for MAB anode.

Recent advances and perspectives of zinc metal-free anodes for zinc ion batteries

Zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) are recognized as potential energy storage devices due to their advantages of low cost, high energy density, and environmental friendliness. However, zinc anodes are subject to unavoidable zinc dendrites, passivation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reactions during the charging and discharging of batteries, becoming obstacles to the practical application of ZIBs. Appropriate zinc metal-free anodes provide a higher working potential than metallic zinc anodes, effectively solving the problems of zinc dendrites, hydrogen evolution, and side reactions during the operation of metallic zinc anodes. The improvement in the safety and cycle life of batteries creates conditions for further commercialization of ZIBs. Therefore, this work systematically introduces the research progress of zinc metal-free anodes in “rocking chair” ZIBs. Zinc metal-free anodes are mainly discussed in four categories: transition metal oxides,transition metal sulfides, MXene(two dimensional transition metal carbide) composites, and organic compounds, with discussions on their properties and zinc storage mechanisms. Finally, the outlook for the development of zinc metal-free anodes is proposed. This paper is expected to provide a reference for the further promotion of commercial rechargeable ZIBs.

Recycled graphite for more sustainable lithium-ion batteries

The demand for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)is driven largely by their use in electric vehicles,which is projected to increase dramatically in the future.This great success,however,urgently calls for the efficient recycling of LIBs at the end of their life.Herein,we describe a froth flotation-based process to recycle graphite—the predominant active material for the negative electrode—from spent LIBs and investigate its reuse in newly assembled LIBs.It has been found that the structure and morphology of the recycled graphite are essentially unchanged compared to pristine commercial anode-grade graphite,and despite some minor impurities from the recycling process,the recycled graphite provides a remarkable reversible specific capacity of more than 350 mAh g^(−1).Even more importantly,newly assembled graphite‖NMC532 cells show excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 80%after 1000 cycles,that is,comparable to the performance of reference full cells comprising pristine commercial graphite.

From 0D to 3D:Hierarchical structured high-performance free-standing silicon anodes based on binder-induced topological network architecture

Free-standing silicon anodes with high proportion of active materials have aroused great attention;however,the mechanical stability and electrochemical performance are severely suppressed.Herein,to resolve the appeal issues,a free-standing anode with a"corrugated paper"shape on micro-scale and a topological crosslinking network on the submicron and nano-scale is designed.Essentially,an integrated three-dimensional electrode structure is constructed based on robust carbon nanotubes network with firmly anchored SiNPs via forming interlocking junctions.In which,the hierarchical interlocking structure is achieved by directional induction of the binder,which ensures well integration during cycling so that significantly enhances mechanical stability as well as electronic and ionic conductivity of electrodes.Benefiting from it,this anode exhibits outsta nding performance under harsh service conditions including high Si loading,ultrahigh areal capacity(33.2 mA h cm^(-2)),and high/low temperatures(-15-60℃),which significantly extends its practical prospect.Furthermore,the optimization mechanism of this electrode is explored to verify the crack-healing and structure-integration maintaining along cycling via a unique self-stabilization process.Thus,from both the fundamental and engineering views,this strategy offers a promising path to produce high-performance free-standing electrodes for flexible device applications especially facing volume effect challenges.

Powering the future: A comprehensive review on calcium-ion batteries

Due to concerns regarding the future availability,cost,and safety of lithium in Li-ion batteries(LIBs),researchers are exploring alternative chemistries such as Na-ion,Li-S,Li-air,and multivalent ion technologies.Multivalent ion technologies,which utilize divalent or trivalent ions,like Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),and Al^(3+),show promise in achieving greater energy densities than LIBs due to their ability to deposit uniformly on anodes and intercalate into cathodes.While magnesium-ion batteries(MIBs) have been the primary area of research for multivalent ion batteries,the cost-effectiveness and abundance of calcium have sparked a growing interest in calcium-ion batteries(CIBs) in recent years.Compared to LIBs,CIBs have the potential to provide longer cycle life,enhanced safety,and increased energy densities.However,the development of CIBs comes with several challenges,such as finding suitable electrode and electrolyte materials that ensure the stability and safety of the battery.The primary hurdle in CIBs lies in the plating/stripping process.There is a significant hindrance preventing the occurrence of plating/stripping in CIBs,which lies in the formation of a passive layer resulting from the decomposition of the electrolyte.The objective of this article is to examine the advancements made in CIBs.Additionally,it aims to comprehensively assess the mechanisms and materials employed in various battery components,as well as the obstacles encountered in CIBs.This includes recent advancements in electrode materials,electrolytes,cell configurations,and the challenges and opportunities for enhancing the performance and commercial viability of CIBs.

Layered Potassium Titanium Niobate/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite as a Potassium‑Ion Battery Anode

With graphite currently leading as the most viable anode for potassium-ion batteries(KIBs),other materials have been left relatively underexamined.Transition metal oxides are among these,with many positive attributes such as synthetic maturity,longterm cycling stability and fast redox kinetics.Therefore,to address this research deficiency we report herein a layered potassium titanium niobate KTiNbO5(KTNO)and its rGO nanocomposite(KTNO/rGO)synthesised via solvothermal methods as a high-performance anode for KIBs.Through effective distribution across the electrically conductive rGO,the electrochemical performance of the KTNO nanoparticles was enhanced.The potassium storage performance of the KTNO/rGO was demonstrated by its first charge capacity of 128.1 mAh g^(−1) and reversible capacity of 97.5 mAh g^(−1) after 500 cycles at 20 mA g^(−1),retaining 76.1%of the initial capacity,with an exceptional rate performance of 54.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Furthermore,to investigate the attributes of KTNO in-situ XRD was performed,indicating a low-strain material.Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectra further investigated the mechanism of charge storage,with the titanium showing greater redox reversibility than the niobium.This work suggests this lowstrain nature is a highly advantageous property and well worth regarding KTNO as a promising anode for future high-performance KIBs.

Anode surface engineering of zinc-ion batteries using tellurium nanobelt as a protective layer for enhancing energy storage performance

Over the years,zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have attracted attention as a promising next-generation energy storage technology because of their excellent safety,long cycling performance,eco-friendliness,and high-power density.However,issues,such as the corrosion and dissolution of the Zn anode,limited wet-tability,and lack of sufficient nucleation sites for Zn plating,have limited their practical application.The introduction of a protective layer comprising of tellurium(Te)nanobelts onto the surface of Zn anode has emerged as a promising approach to overcome these limitations and improve the electrochemical behav-ior by enhancing the safety and wettability of ZIBs,as well as providing numerous nucleation sites for Zn plating.In the presence of a Te-based protective layer,the energy power density of the surface-engineered Zn anode improved significantly(ranging from 310 to 144 W h kg^(-1),over a power density range of 270 to 1,800 W kg^(-1)),and the lifespan capability was extended.These results demonstrate that the proposed strategy of employing Te nanobelts as a protective layer holds great promise for enhancing the energy storage performance of zIBs,making them even more attractive as a viable energy storage solution forthefuture.

Recent Progress in Improving Rate Performance of Cellulose-Derived Carbon Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Cellulose-derived carbon is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for high-performance anode materials in sodium-ion batteries;however,its poor rate performance at higher current density remains a challenge to achieve high power density sodium-ion batteries.The present review comprehensively elucidates the structural characteristics of cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials,explores the limitations in enhancing rate performance arising from ion diffusion and electronic transfer at the level of cellulose-derived carbon materials,and proposes corresponding strategies to improve rate performance targeted at various precursors of cellulose-based materials.This review also presents an update on recent progress in cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials,with particular focuses on their molecular,crystalline,and aggregation structures.Furthermore,the relationship between storage sodium and rate performance the carbon materials is elucidated through theoretical calculations and characterization analyses.Finally,future perspectives regarding challenges and opportunities in the research field of cellulose-derived carbon anodes are briefly highlighted.

The etching strategy of zinc anode to enable high performance zinc-ion batteries

Zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)are considered to be one of the most promising candidates to replace lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to the high theoretical capacity,low cost and intrinsic safety.However,zinc dendrites,hydrogen evolution reaction,surface passivation and other side reactions will inevitably occur during the charging and discharging process of Zn anode,which will seriously affect the cycle stability of the battery and hinder its practical application.The etching strategy of Zn anode has attracted wide attention because of its simple operation and broad commercial prospects,and the etched Zn anode can effectively improve its electrochemical performance.However,there is no comprehensive review of the etching strategy of Zn anode.This review first summarizes the challenges faced by Zn anode,then puts forward the etching mechanisms and properties of acid,salt and other etchants.Finally,based on the above discussion,the challenges and opportunities of Zn anode etching strategy are proposed.

Edge and lithium concentration effects on intercalation kinetics for graphite anodes

Graphite interfaces are an important part of the anode in lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),significantly influencing Li intercalation kinetics.Graphite anodes adopt different stacking sequences depending on the concentration of the intercalated Li ions.In this work,we performed first-principles calculations to comprehensively address the energetics and dynamics of Li intercalation and Li vacancy diffusion near the no n-basal edges of graphite,namely the armchair and zigzag-edges,at high Li concentration.We find that surface effects persist in stage-Ⅱ that bind Li strongly at the edge sites.However,the pronounced effect previously identified at the zigzag edge of pristine graphite is reduced in LiC_(12),penetrating only to the subsurface site,and eventually disappearing in LiC_(6).Consequently,the distinctive surface state at the zigzag edge significantly impacts and restrains the charging rate at the initial lithiation of graphite anodes,whilst diminishes with an increasing degree of lithiation.Longer diffusion time for Li hopping to the bulk site from either the zigzag edge or the armchair edge in LiC_(6) was observed during high state of charge due to charge repulsion.Effectively controlling Li occupation and diffusion kinetics at this stage is also crucial for enhancing the charge rate.