Compression properties of cost-efficient porous expanded clay reinforced AA7075 syntactic foams fabricated by industrial-oriented die casting technology

In today’s manufacturing industries,hard competition between rival firms makes it compulsory for researchers to design lighter and cheaper machine components due to the megatrends of cost-effectiveness and anti-pollution.At this point,aluminum syntactic foams(ASFs)are new-generation engineering composites and come into the upfront as a problem-solver.Owing to their features like low density,sufficient elongation,and perfect energy absorption ability,these advanced foams have been considerably seductive for many industrial sectors nowadays.In this study,an industrial-oriented automatic die casting technology was used for the first time to manufacture the combination of AA7075/porous expanded clay(PEC).Micro evaluations(optical and FESEM)reveal that there is a homogenous particle distribution in the foam samples,and inspections are compatible with the other ASF studies.Additionally,T6 aging heat treatment was operated on one half of the produced foams to explore the probable impact of aging on the compressive responses.Attained results show that PEC particles can be an alternative to expensive hollow spheres used in the previous works.Besides,a favorable relationship is ascertained between the aging treatment and mechanical properties such as compression strength and plateau strength.

Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Experimental study on thermal and mechanical properties of tailings-based cemented paste backfill with CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O/expanded vermiculite shape stabilized phase change materials

CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O/expanded vermiculite shape stabilized phase change materials(CEV)was prepared by atmospheric impregnation method.Using gold mine tailings as aggregate of cemented paste backfill(CPB)material,the CPB with CEV added was prepared,and the specific heat capacity,thermal conductivity,and uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of CPB with different cement-tailing ratios and CEV addition ratios were tested,the influence of the above variables on the thermal and mechanical properties of CPB was analyzed.The results show that the maximum encapsulation capacity of expanded vermiculite for CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O is about 60%,and the melting and solidification enthalpies of CEV can reach 98.87 J/g and 97.56 J/g,respectively.For the CPB without CEV,the specific heat capacity,thermal conductivity,and UCS decrease with the decrease of cement-tailing ratio.For the CPB with CEV added,with the increase of CEV addition ratio,the specific heat capacity increases significantly,and the sensible heat storage capacity and latent heat storage capacity can be increased by at least 10.74%and 218.97%respectively after adding 12%CEV.However,the addition of CEV leads to the increase of pores,and the thermal conductivity and UCS both decrease with the increase of CEV addition.When cement-tailing ratio is 1:8 and 6%,9%,and 12%of CEV are added,the 28-days UCS of CPB is less than 1 MPa.Considering the heat storage capacity and cost price of backfill,the recommended proportion scheme of CPB material presents cement-tailing ratio of 1:6 and 12%CEV,and the most recommended heat storage/release temperature cycle range of CPB with added CEV is from 20 to 40℃.This work can provide theoretical basis for the utilization of heat storage backfill in green mines.

Study on Sustained-Release Pesticides Blended with Fosthiazate-Stearic Acid/Expanded Perlite

The low utilization rate of pesticides makes the migration of pesticides in water and soil,which brings great harm to the ecosystem.The development of pesticide carriers with good drug loading capacity and release control abil-ity is an effective method to realize effective utilization of pesticides and reduce pesticide losses.In this work,fosthiazate-stearic acid/expanded perlite sustained-release particles were successfully prepared by vacuum impregnation using expanded perlite(EP)as carrier,fosthiazate(FOS)as model pesticide and stearic acid(SA)as hydrophobic matrix.The structure and morphology of the samples were studied by BET,FT-IR,TGA,XRD,DSC and SEM.The effects of different mass ratios of FOS to SA on loading capacity and release rate at 24 h were investigated.The sustained release behavior of FOS-SA/EP at different temperatures and pH values was investigated by static dialysis bag method.The results showed that FOS and SA were adsorbed in EP pores by physical interaction.With the mass ratios of FOS to SA decreasing from 7:3 to 3:7,the 24 h release rate of FOS-SA/EP decreased from 18.77%to 8.05%,and the drug loading decreased from 461.32 to 130.99 mg/g.FOS-SA/EP showed obvious temperature response at 25℃,30℃ and 35℃,the cumulative release rate(CRR)of 200 h were 33.38%,41.50%and 51.17%,respectively.When pH=5,the CRR of FOS was higher than that of pH=7,and the CRR of FOS for 200 h were 49.01%and 30.12%,respectively.At different temperatures and pH=5,the release mechanism of FOS-SA/EP belongs to the Fickian diffusion mechanism;When pH=7,the diffusion mechanism is dominant,and the dissolution mechanism is complementary.

Experimental study on lightweight expanded clay at particle level:Breakage of isolated grains

In this study,more than 1500 particles of lightweight expanded clay aggregate(LECA)are individually loaded up to breakage,following different patterns of contact(from 2 to 7)using a purpose-built apparatus.Consequently,a statistical model for predicting the number of fragments into which a grain breaks as a function of the number of contacts and their diameter is proposed.The number of fragments is found to follow a statistical binomial-type distribution function that depends on the number of contacts.In addition,a model based on Bayesian networks,capable of assessing the number of fragments and their size(measured as normalized weight)as a function of the number of contacts,is implemented.The proposed method is applicable when performing discrete element method(DEM)simulations on granular media in which grain breakage plays a relevant role.

ZnO-Embedded Expanded Graphite Composite Anodes with Controlled Charge Storage Mechanism Enabling Operation of Lithium-Ion Batteries at Ultra-Low Temperatures

As lithium(Li)-ion batteries expand their applications,operating over a wide temperature range becomes increasingly important.However,the lowtemperature performance of conventional graphite anodes is severely hampered by the poor diffusion kinetics of Li ions(Li^(+)).Here,zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles are incorporated into the expanded graphite to improve Li^(+)diffusion kinetics,resulting in a significant improvement in lowtemperature performance.The ZnO-embedded expanded graphite anodes are investigated with different amounts of ZnO to establish the structurecharge storage mechanism-performance relationship with a focus on lowtemperature applications.Electrochemical analysis reveals that the ZnOembedded expanded graphite anode with nano-sized ZnO maintains a large portion of the diffusion-controlled charge storage mechanism at an ultra-low temperature of-50℃ Due to this significantly enhanced Li^(+)diffusion rate,a full cell with the ZnO-embedded expanded graphite anode and a LiNi_(0.88)Co_(0.09)Al_(0.03)O_(2)cathode delivers high capacities of 176 mAh g^(-1)at20℃ and 86 mAh g^(-1)at-50℃ at a high rate of 1 C.The outstanding low-temperature performance of the composite anode by improving the Li^(+)diffusion kinetics provides important scientific insights into the fundamental design principles of anodes for low-temperature Li-ion battery operation.

An Integrated Drive for Two PMSMs Involved Automotive Applications and Development of Current Reference Expanded Two Arm Modulation Technique

A five leg inverter (FLI) control is incorporated to drive two independent rated permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for automotive applications. Literature evidences many attempts of employing the FLI for controlling two general purpose/special motors, where variety of modulation techniques has been practiced for performance enhancement. Also in these cases one leg of inverter is common to both the motors. The expanded two arm modulation (ETAM) has been generally engaged in FLI. In ETAM the percentage voltage utilization factor (VUF) is calculated based on “αmax”, where “αmax” is the maximum modulation index and equal to and hence it restricts the VUF to 50%. This makes the FLI drives to use the dc link in inefficient way, which is due to the fact that conventional ETAM works with voltage reference. This paper modifies the ETAM in an ingenious way to improve the VUF further through current reference. In addition, the developed current reference expanded two arm modulation (CRETAM) minimizes the current harmonics and torque ripple as well. A detailed comparison of the CRETAM with the conventional ETAM and the competent digital counterpart, space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM), is also presented. The enhancement in VUF, torque ripple minimization and current total harmonic distortion (THD) reduction are found in the MATLAB based simulation results.

Alkali-Silica Reactivity and Strength of Mortars with Expanded Slate, Expanded Glass or Perlite

Lightweight aggregates are increasingly used in concrete construction. They reduce concrete selfweight furnishing a structural advantage. In contrast, the mechanical properties and durability of lightweight concrete can become the governing factor on lightweight aggregate replacement ratios. Alkali-Silica Reactison (ASR) and compressive strength of mortar samples with expanded slate, expanded glass or perlite, covering the spectrum of internal porosity and weight of lightweight aggregates, were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to evaluate the contribution of the aggregates’ porosity and chemical composition in inhibiting ASR. Perlite, owing to its highly porous microstructure and lower matter excelled in ASR expansion while chemical composition and denser microstructure of the heavier expanded slate resulted in more signified late ASR expansion and higher compressive strength. An attempt in visual inspection of ASR attack of alkali metal ions on silica-rich expanded glass using an ultra-accelerated exposure to sodium hydroxide solution was made.

Formation of NiFe_2O_4/Expanded Graphite Nanocomposites with Superior Lithium Storage Properties

A Ni Fe_2O_4/expanded graphite(Ni Fe_2O_4/EG)nanocomposite was prepared via a simple and inexpensive synthesis method. Its lithium storage properties were studied with the goal of applying it as an anode in a lithium-ion battery. The obtained nanocomposite exhibited a good cycle performance, with a capacity of 601 m Ah g^(-1)at a current of 1 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles. This good performance may beattributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and layered structure of the EG. Its high mechanical strength could postpone the disintegration of the nanocomposite structure,efficiently accommodate volume changes in the Ni Fe_2O_4-based anodes, and alleviate aggregation of Ni Fe_2O_4 nanoparticles.

Electrical Properties of Expanded Graphite Intercalation Compounds

The intercalation compounds of CuCl2 were synthesized with expanded graphite, whose magni-tude of the electrical conductivity is about 103S.cm1. Their electrical conductivity is 3-6 times as high as that of the expanded graphite, and about 10 times as high as that of GIC made of the non-expanded graphite. The microanalysis results of chemical compounds by X-ray energy spectrum scanning of TEM testified that the atomic ratio of chloride and cupric is nonstoichoi-metric. The multivalence and exchange of electrovalence of the cupric ion was confirmed by the XPS-ESCA. Vacancy of chlorine anion increases the concentration of charge carrier. The special stage structure, made of graphite and chloride, produces a weak chemical bond belt and provides a carrier space in the direction of GIC layer. These factors develop the electrical properties.

Highly safe and ionothermal synthesis of Ti3C2 MXene with expanded interlayer spacing for enhanced lithium storage

MXene is a rising star of two-dimensional(2D)materials for energy relative applications,however,the traditional synthesis of MXene etched by hazard HF acid or LiF+HCl mixed solution is highly dangerous with the risk of splashing or pouring liquid solutions.In this work,we developed a water-free ionothermal synthesis of 2D Ti3C2 MXene via etching pristine Ti3AlC2 MAX in low-cost choline chloride and oxalic acid based deep eutectic solvents(DES)with the presence of NH4F,thus it was highly safe and convenient to operate solid precursor and product materials at room temperature.Benefited from the low vapor pressure and solvating properties of DES,the prepared Ti3C2(denoted as DES-Ti3C2)possessed a high purity up to 98% compared with 95% for HF etched Ti3C2(denoted as HF-Ti3C2).Notably,an expanded interlayer spacing of 1.35 nm could be achieved due to the intercalation of choline cations in DES-Ti3C2,larger than that of HF-Ti3C2(0.98 nm).As a result,the DES-Ti3C2 anodes exhibited enhanced lithium storage performance,such as high reversible capacity of 208 m Ah g-1at 0.5 A g-1,and long cycle life over 400 times,outperforming most reported pure MXene anodes.The ionothermal synthesis of MXene developed here may pave a new way to safely prepare other MXene for various energy relating applications.

Boosting of reversible capacity delivered at a low voltage below 0.5 V in mildly expanded graphitized needle coke anode for a high-energy lithium ion battery

The rate performance and cycle stability of graphitized needle coke(GNC)as anode are still limited by the sluggish kinetics and volume expansion during the Li ions intercalation and de-intercalation process.Especially,the output of energy density for lithium ion batteries(LIBs)is directly affected by the delithiation capacity below 0.5 V.Here,the mildly expanded graphitized needle coke(MEGNC)with the enlarged interlayer spacing from 0.346 to 0.352 nm is obtained by the two-step mild oxidation intercalation modification.The voltage plateau of MEGNC anode below 0.5 V is obviously broadened as compared to the initial GNC anode,contributing to the enhancement of Li storage below the low voltage plateau.Moreover,the coin full cell and pouch full cell configured with MEGNC anode exhibit much enhanced Li storage ability,energy density and better cycling stability than those full cells configured with GNC and commercial graphite anodes,demonstrating the practical application value of MEGNC.The superior anode behaviors of MEGNC including the increased effective capacity at low voltage and superior cyclic stability are mainly benefited from the enlarged interlayer spacing,which not only accelerates the Li ions diffusion rate,but also effectively alleviates the volume expansion and fragmentation during the Li ions intercalation process.In addition,the above result is further confirmed by the density functional theory simulation.This work provides an effective modification strategy for the NC-based graphite to enhance the delithiation capacity at a low voltage plateau,dedicated to improving the energy density and durability of LIBs.

Effect of internal pressure on strength of hydraulically expanded joints

To analyze the effect of internal pressure on the connection strength of hydraulically expanded joints,a hydraulic expanding and push-out process of a joint of tube to sleeve was simulated by using FEM and validated by experiments at various internal pressure values.The stress and residual stress in the joined pair during the joining process illustrates that the contact pressure on the interface is not uniform along the longitudinal direction.The research reveals that if the sleeve does not experience any plastic deformation,the connection strength increases with the internal pressure linearly.For sleeve material with yield point elongation,if the sleeve experiences some degree of plastic deformation,there is an internal pressure interval in which the connection strength decreases slightly as internal pressure increases.Therefore,the internal pressure should be controlled depending on the deformation of the sleeve,but not as high as possible.The simulated results are in good agreement with those from experiments.

An H^1-Galerkin Expanded Mixed Element Method for Semi-linear Hyperbolic Wave Equation

An H1-Galerkin expanded mixed finite element method is discussed for a class of second order semi-linear hyperbolic wave equations. By using the mixed formulation, we can get the optimal approximation for three variables: the scalar unknown, its gradient and its flux(coefficient times the gradient), simultaneously. We also prove the existence and uniqueness of semi-discrete solution. Finally, we obtain some numerical results to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

Insights on the mechanism of Na-ion storage in expanded graphite anode

Currently,Na-ion battery(NIB) has become one of the most potential alternatives for Li-ion batteries due to the safety and low cost.As a promising anode for Na-ion storage,expanded graphite has attracted considerable attention.However,the sodiation-desodiation process is still unclear.In our work,we obtain expanded graphite through slight modified Hummer's method and subsequent thermal treatment,which exhibits excellent cycling stability.Even at a high current density of 1 A g^(-1),our expanded graphite still remains a high reversible capacity of 100 mA h g^(-1) after 2600 cycles.Furthermore,we also investigate the electrochemical mechanism of our expanded graphite for Na-ion storage by operando Raman technique,which illuminate the electrochemical reaction during different sodiation-desodiation processes.

SOLID MATRICES FOR EXPANDED BED ADSORPTION OF PROTEINS

Expanded bed adsorption (EBA) has been introduced as a primary recovery step for protein purification from a whole fermentation broth or unclarified cell homogenates. It can also be integrated with a fermentation or cell disruption process. Solid matrix is the principal pillar supporting the successful application of the EBA technology. This article summarizes the solid matrices employed in and developed for the EBA process to date. Further development of solid matrices for the expanded bed technique in the recovery of various biological substances from different sources has been addressed.

An Expanded Optimal Control Policy for a Coupled Tanks System with Random Disturbance

In this paper, an expanded optimal control policy is proposed to study the coupled tanks system, where the random disturbance is added into the system. Since the dynamics of the coupled tanks system can be formulated as a nonlinear system, determination of the optimal water level in the tanks is useful for the operation decision. On this point of view, the coupled tanks system dynamics is usually linearized to give the steady state operating height. In our approach, a model-based optimal control problem, which is adding with adjusted parameters, is considered to obtain the true operating height of the real coupled tanks system. During the computation procedure, the differences between the real plant and the model used are measured repeatedly, where the optimal solution of the model used is updated. On this basis, system optimization and parameter estimation are integrated. At the end of the iteration, the iterative solution approximates to the correct optimal solution of the original optimal control problem, in spite of model-reality differences. In conclusion, the efficiency of the approach proposed is shown.

Is Comprehension Adequate for a Reading Class: An Expanded View of Reading Instruction

A teaching activity usually found in English reading class is that teacher tells students to read a comprehension passage within a timeframe and then checks their comprehension by going through their answers. This teaching activity can be called comprehension-based instruction. Although it is favored by many English teachers, its effectiveness is open to question. This paper mainly evaluates this teaching activity critically by drawing on some reading theories and some research findings and discusses the inadequacy of it. what's more, this paper suggests an expanded view of reading instruction which not only emphasize comprehension but also help develop students' strategic competence and overall language proficiency.

Shear behavior of sand-expanded polystyrene beads lightweight fills

Through direct shear and triaxial compression tests, effects of expanded polystyrene (EPS) mass ratios in sand-EPS mixtures and stress status on materials' shear behavior were investigated. Hyperbolic curves were used to fit relationship between shear stress and shear displacement. The shear behavior is marginally associated with the EPS ratios and normal/confining stresses. Increases of EPS ratios and decreases of normal/confining stresses result in shear strength decreases. The shapes of Mohr-Coulomb's envelope include linear and piecewise linear types, which are basically determined by the EPS ratio. Such difference is thought related to the embedding or apparent cohesion effect under relatively high EPS ratio conditions. Shear strength parameters can be used for further modeling and design purposes.