A review of ultra-high temperature heat-resistant energetic materials

Heat-resistant energetic materials refer to a type of energetic materials that possess a high melting point,high stability and operational safety. By studying the structures of these energetic materials has showed that the thermal stability can be enhanced by introducing amino groups to form intra/inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, constructing conjugate systems and designing symmetrical structures. This article aims to review the physical and chemical properties of ultra-high temperature heat-resistant energetic compounds and provide valuable theoretical insights for the preparation of ultra-high temperature heatresistant energetic materials. We also analyze the selected 20 heat-resistant energetic materials with decomposition temperatures higher than 350℃, serving as templates for the synthesis of various highperformance heat-resistant energetic materials.

Achieving a high-strength dissimilar joint of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel via friction stir welding

The reliable welding of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel is a considerable issue for ensuring the safety in service of ultrasupercritical power generation unit and nuclear fusion reactor,but the high-quality dissimilar joint of these two steels was difficult to be obtained by traditional fusion welding methods.Here we improved the structure-property synergy in a dissimilar joint of T91 steel to 316L steel via friction stir welding.A defect-free joint with a large bonding interface was produced using a small-sized tool under a relatively high welding speed.The bonding interface was involved in a mixing zone with both mechanical mixing and metallurgical bonding.No obvious material softening was detected in the joint except a negligible hardness decline of only HV~10 in the heat-affected zone of the T91 steel side due to the formation of ferrite phase.The welded joint exhibited an excellent ultimate tensile strength as high as that of the 316L parent metal and a greatly enhanced yield strength on account of the dependable bonding and material renovation in the weld zone.This work recommends a promising technique for producing high-strength weldments of dissimilar nuclear steels.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a cast heat-resistant rare-earth magnesium alloy

Microstructure,mechanical properties and phase transformation of a heat-resistant rare-earth(RE)Mg-16.1Gd-3.5Nd-0.38Zn-0.26Zr-0.15Y(wt.%)alloy were investigated.The as-cast alloy is composed of equiaxedα-Mg matrix,net-shaped Mg5RE and Zr-rich phases.According to aging hardening curves and tensile properties variation,the optimized condition of solution treatment at 520℃for 8 h and subsequent aging at 204℃for 12 h was selected.The continuous secondary Mg5RE phase predominantly formed at grain boundaries during solidification transforms to residual discontinuousβ-Mg5RE phase and fine cuboid REH2particles after heat treatment.The annealed alloy exhibits good comprehensive tensile property at 350℃,with ultimate tensile strength of 153 MPa and elongation to fracture of 6.9%.Segregation of RE elements and eventually RE-rich precipitation at grain boundaries are responsible for the high strength at elevated temperature.

The skeleton of 5,7-fused bicyclic imidazole-diazepine for heat-resistant energetic materials

In light of the low yields and complex reaction routes of some well-known 5,5-fused and 5,6-fused bicyclic compounds,a series of 5,7-fused bicyclic imidazole-diazepine compounds were developed with high yields by only two efficient steps.Significantly,the seven-membered heterocyclic ring has a stable energetic skeleton with multiple modifiable sites.However,the 5,7-fused bicyclic energetic compounds were rarely reported in the area of energetic materials.Three neutral compounds 1,2 and 4 were synthesized in this work.To improve the detonation performances of the 5,7-fused neutral compounds,corresponding perchlorate 1a and 2a were further developed.The physicochemical and energetic performances of all newly developed compounds were experimentally determined.All newly prepared energetic compounds exhibit high decomposition temperatures(Td:243.8-336℃)and low mechanical sensitivities(IS:>15 J,FS:>280 N).Among them,the velocities performances of 1a(Dv=7651 m/s)and 4(Dv=7600 m/s)are comparable to that of typical heat-resistant energetic material HNS(Dv=7612 m/s).Meanwhile,the high decomposition temperature and low mechanical sensitivities(Td=336℃;IS=32 J;FS>353 N)of 4 are superior to that of HNS(Td=318℃;IS=5 J;FS=250 N).Hence,the 5,7-fused bicyclic compounds with high thermostability,low sensitivities and adjustable detonation performance have a clear tendency to open up a new space for the development of heat-resistant energetic materials.

Boehmeria nivea var. strigosa (Urticaceae), a new variety from Southwest China

Boehmeria nivea var.strigosa Zeng Y.Wu&Y.Zhao,a new variety of B.nivea(Urticaceae)from Southwest China,is here described based on evidence from morphology and molecular phylogeny.This new variety is mainly characterized by its green abaxial leaf blade,partly connate stipules,and densely patent strigose hairs on stems and potioles.The phylogenetic analysis based on rbc L,nrDNA and rbc L+nrDNA datasets,revealed that all individuals of B.nivea var.strigosa formed a monophyletic group.The conservation status of B.nivea var.strigosa is assessed as“Near Threatened”(NT)according to IUCN evaluation criteria.The discovery of this new variety is not only crucial for the taxonomy of ramie,but also provides reference for the exploration and utilization of ramie.

LociScan,a tool for screening genetic marker combinations for plant variety discrimination

To reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of plant genetic marker fingerprinting for variety discrimination,it is desirable to identify the optimal marker combinations.We describe a marker combination screening model based on the genetic algorithm(GA)and implemented in a software tool,Loci Scan.Ratio-based variety discrimination power provided the largest optimization space among multiple fitness functions.Among GA parameters,an increase in population size and generation number enlarged optimization depth but also calculation workload.Exhaustive algorithm afforded the same optimization depth as GA but vastly increased calculation time.In comparison with two other software tools,Loci Scan accommodated missing data,reduced calculation time,and offered more fitness functions.In large datasets,the sample size of training data exerted the strongest influence on calculation time,whereas the marker size of training data showed no effect,and target marker number had limited effect on analysis speed.

Determination and Quantification of Proximate and Mineral Composition for 20 Improved Sorghum Varieties Grown in Machache, Lesotho

Twenty varieties of improved sorghum were grown in Machache at the Department of Agricultural Research station, located (29˚22'60"S and 27˚52'0"E) in the central foothills of Lesotho in Maseru district. The varieties were planted in a randomized complete block design. At maturity, they were harvested, dried, threshed, milled and analyzed in the crop science laboratory at the National University of Lesotho. The proximate and mineral contents were analyzed from samples in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The proximate composition parameters measured were crude proteins, crude fiber, crude fat, moisture content, and carbohydrates. The minerals analyzed were, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium. The results showed the nutritional contents ranging from (4.7% - 16.16%), (0.35% - 2.10%), (1.25% - 4.00%), (71.60% - 84.06%), (5.53% - 10.18%), for protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrate, and moisture content, respectively. Mineral content ranged from (1342.96 - 3500.34 mg/kg), (25.97 - 185.25 mg/kg), (50.71 - 511.71 mg/kg), (29.35 - 4542.13 mg/kg), (577.19 - 3041.52 mg/kg), (0.25 - 4.07 mg/kg), (1.96 - 18.61 mg/kg), (67.14 - 122.96 mg/kg), (4.73 - 11.39 mg/kg) for phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese respectively. The following varieties were found to have the highest and appreciable amounts of nutrients and minerals that are crucial in the country diet;protein content was KARI Mtama 1, zinc, IESX 16 2533-SB-SSI-19, and iron IESX 16 2535-SB-SSI-34.

Effect of Variety and Plant Spacing on Growth and Yield of Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

A field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of variety and plant spacing on yield and growth of groundnuts. The field experiment was laid in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three (3) replications. The factor A included three (3) groundnut varieties (Nkatie Sari, Sum Nutt 22 and Yenyawoso) and Factor B was the three (3) spacing of 30 cm × 15 cm, 30 cm × 30 cm and 30 cm × 40 cm. All recommended agronomic practices were followed. Data was collected from eight (8) tagged plants. Growth data were recorded on plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, and the number of flowers while yield data were collected on the number of flowers, number of pods per plant, 100 seeds weight and the pod yield (kg/ha). The plant spacing significantly influenced (P < 0.05) the growth and yield parameters. Groundnut grown at a spacing of 30 cm × 15 cm produced the maximum plant height, whereas the maximum number of leaves, number of branches and number of flowers were produced from 30 cm × 40 cm. Yenyawoso variety with a wider plant spacing performed better vegetatively among all the varieties. The Yenyawoso variety produced the highest number of pods, 100 seeds weight and pod yield as compared to the other varieties. Also, Yenyawoso at 30 cm × 40 cm spacing and Nkatie Sari at 30 cm × 15 cm spacing produced the maximum pod yield.

The Influence of Gratering, Fermentation and Variety on the Physio-Chemical Quality of Cassava Starch

The study was conducted to determine the influence of gratering and fermentation parameters on the physicochemical quality of starch obtained from two cassava varieties in Sierra Leone (i.e., SLICASS 11 and SLICASS 6). Fresh cassava roots harvested from the Department of Agricultural Engineering were peeled, washed and grated before fermentation and starch extraction. Fermentation was carried out under separate aerobic and anaerobic conditions for a period of Seven days. Physicochemical analyses were conducted at the Postharvest Food and Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural and Bio-System Engineering, Njala University to determine the solubility, water absorption capacity and swelling power of starch extracts obtained from various experimental treatments. Fermentation method and duration had significant effects on the solubility, water absorption capacity (WAC) and swelling power (SP) of starch extracts. Maximum solubility and WAC were recorded on the fifth day, for both cassava varieties tested, with apparent significant difference resulting from the two gratering bands (i.e., with 1.5-inch nail hole and 4-inch nail hole sizes, respectively). While swelling power increased consistently with temperature for starch obtained from SLICASS-11 variety, an irregular pattern was observed for SLICASS-6 variety. A multiple correlation analysis proposes a significant and weak correlation between temperature, WAC (+0.150) and swelling power (+0.048). Also multiple correlation analyses suggest a significant correlation between fermentation period, the functional properties of starch extracts obtained from both fermentation methods and cassava varieties (i.e., solubility (−0.226), water absorption capacity (+0.301) and swelling power (+0.329)).

Subplanes of PG(2,qr), Ruled Varieties V2r-12 in PG( 2r,q), and Related Codes

In this note we consider ruled varieties V22r−1of PG(2r,q), generalizing some results shown for r=2,3in previous papers. By choosing appropriately two directrix curves, a V22r−1represents a non-affine subplane of order qof the projective plane PG(2,qr)represented in PG(2r,q)by a spread of a hyperplane. That proves the conjecture assumed in [1]. Finally, a large family of linear codes dependent on r≥2is associated with projective systems defined both by V22r−1and by a maximal bundle of such varieties with only an r-directrix in common, then are shown their basic parameters.

Subplanes of PG( 2, q 3 ) and the Ruled Varieties V 2 5 of PG( 6,q )

In this note we study subplanes of order q of the projective plane Π=PG( 2, q 3 ) and the ruled varieties V 2 5 of Σ=PG( 6,q ) using the spatial representation of Π in Σ, by fixing a hyperplane Σ ′ with a regular spread of planes. First are shown some configurations of the affine q-subplanes. Then to prove that a variety V 2 5 of Σ represents a non-affine subplane of order q of Π, after having shown basic incidence properties of it, such a variety V 2 5 is constructed by choosing appropriately the two directrix curves in two complementary subspaces of Σ. The result can be translated into further incidence properties of the affine points of V 2 5 . Then a maximal bundle of varieties V 2 5 having in common one directrix cubic curve is constructed.

Construction of apricot variety search engine based on deep learning

Apricot has a long history of cultivation and has many varieties and types. The traditional variety identification methods are timeconsuming and labor-consuming, posing grand challenges to apricot resource management. Tool development in this regard will help researchers quickly identify variety information. This study photographed apricot fruits outdoors and indoors and constructed a dataset that can precisely classify the fruits using a U-net model (F-score:99%), which helps to obtain the fruit's size, shape, and color features. Meanwhile, a variety search engine was constructed, which can search and identify variety from the database according to the above features. Besides, a mobile and web application (ApricotView) was developed, and the construction mode can be also applied to other varieties of fruit trees.Additionally, we have collected four difficult-to-identify seed datasets and used the VGG16 model for training, with an accuracy of 97%, which provided an important basis for ApricotView. To address the difficulties in data collection bottlenecking apricot phenomics research, we developed the first apricot database platform of its kind (ApricotDIAP, http://apricotdiap.com/) to accumulate, manage, and publicize scientific data of apricot.

Screening and identification of salt tolerance soybean varieties and germplasms

Soil salinization is a globally prevalent abiotic environmental stress.The imbalance of ions caused by high concentrations of sodium chloride results in a 40%reduction in soybean yield.Soybean,as an important crop for soil quality improvement,necessitates the identification of salt-tolerant varieties and germplasms to effectively utilize and enhance saline-alkali land.In this study,we assessed the salt tolerance of 435 soybean varieties and germplasms during the seedling stage.Among them,Qihuang34,You2104,Hongzhudou,Pamanheidou,and Osage exhibited grade 1 salt tolerance rates surpassing other tested materials.Furthermore,Hongzhudou and Qihuang34 demonstrated higher salt tolerance during germination and emergence stages based on their elevated rates of emergence,salt tolerance index,chlorophyll content,and shoot fresh weights.Overall findings provide valuable resources for molecular breeding efforts aimed at developing salt-tolerant soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in saline-alkali soils.

Screening of Long Cowpea[Vigna unguiculata(L.)Walp.ssp.sesquipedialis]Varieties in Autumn in Hunan and Comparison of Various Comprehensive Evaluation Methods

[Objectives]The paper was to screen new varieties of long cowpea that are suitable for autumn cultivation in Hunan,as well as to develop a comprehensive evaluation method to assess their adaptability and performance.[Methods]A total of 48 long cowpea varieties were introduced,and a range of comprehensive evaluation methods was employed to assess these varieties through the collection and analysis of field data.[Results]The square Euclidean distance of 14 allowed for the classification of all varieties into eight distinct groups.Groups II,III,and V belong to the autumn dominant group within this region,while groups I and VIII belong to the intermediate group.Additionally,groups IV,VI,and VII belong to the autumn inferior group in this area.Through a comparative analysis of various comprehensive evaluation methods,it was determined that the common factor comprehensive evaluation,grey correlation method,and fuzzy evaluation method were appropriate for application in the selection of long cowpea varieties.Furthermore,the evaluation outcomes were largely consistent with the cluster pedigree diagram.[Conclusions]Through comprehensive index method,ten varieties demonstrating superior performance in autumn cultivation have been identified,including C20,C42,C29,C40,C3,C14,C18,C25,C15,and C47.The selected varieties exhibit several advantageous traits,such as a reduced growth duration,a lower position of initial flower nodes,a decreased number of branches,predominantly green young pods,elongated pod strips,thicker pod structures,an increased number of pods per plant,and higher overall yields.These characteristics render them particularly valuable for extensive cultivation.

Variety Selection and Green Cultivation Technology of Courtyard Ornamental and Edible Peppers

In order to comply with the development trend of the multifunctional use of peppers,we conducted an investigation into the characteristics and features of varieties,potting management techniques,and the methods of extending the fruit ornamental period and other aspects of courtyard ornamental and edible peppers.A set of cultivation techniques suitable for courtyard ornamental and edible peppers has been developed,including timely sowing and seedling,nutrient soil preparation,water and fertilizer management,trimming and pruning,preservation of flowers and fruits,green prevention and control of diseases and pests,harvesting,and so on.

An Application of Machine Learning Methods to Detect Mango Varieties

The mango, a fruit of immense economic and dietary significance in numerous tropical and subtropical regions, plays a pivotal role in our agricultural landscape. Accurate identification is not just a necessity, but a crucial step for effective classification, sorting, and marketing. This study delves into the potential of machine learning for this task, comparing the performance of four models: MobileNetV2, Xception, VGG16, and ResNet50V2. These models were trained on a dataset of annotated mango images, and their performance was evaluated using precision, accuracy, F1 score, and recall, which are standard metrics for image classification. The Xception model, with its exceptional performance, outshone the other models on all performance indicators. It achieved a staggering accuracy of 99.47%, an F1 score of 99.43%, and a recall of 99.43%, showcasing its remarkable ability to accurately identify mango varieties. MobileNetV2 followed closely with performances of 98.95% accuracy, 98.85% F1 score, and 98.86% recall. ResNet50V2 also delivered satisfactory results with 97.39% accuracy, 97.08% F1 score, and 97.17% recall. VGG16, however, was the least effective, with a precision rate of 83.25%, an F1 score of 83.25%, and a recall of 85.47%. These results confirm the superiority of the Xception model in detecting mango varieties. Its advanced architecture allows it to capture more distinguishing features of mango images, leading to greater precision and reliability. Xception’s robustness in identifying true positives is another advantage, minimizing false positives and contributing to more accurate classification. This study highlights the promising potential of machine learning, particularly the Xception model, for accurately identifying mango varieties.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-Al-Sm series heat-resistant magnesium alloys

The microstructures and phase compositions of the as-cast and die-cast Mg-6.02Al-1.03 Sm, Mg-6.05Al-0.98Sm-0.56 Bi and Mg-5.95Al-1.01Sm-0.57 Zn alloys were investigated. Meanwhile, the tensile mechanical and flow properties were tested. The results show that the as-cast microstructure of Mg-6.02Al-1.03 Sm alloy is composed of δ-Mg matrix, discontinuous δ-Mg17Al12 phase and small block Al2 Sm phase with high thermal stability. Rod Mg3Bi2 phase precipitates when Bi is added, while the added metal Zn dissolves into δ-Mg matrix and δ-Mg17Al12 phase. The as-cast alloys exhibit the excellent tensile mechanical property. The tensile strength（δb） and elongation（δ） can reach 205-235 MPa and 8.5%-16.0% at ambient temperature, respectively. Meanwhile, they can also exceed 160 MPa and 14.0% at 423 K, respectively. The die-cast microstructures are refined obviously, and meanwhile the broken second phases distribute dispersedly. The die-cast alloys exhibit better tensile mechanical properties with the values of δb and δ of 240-285 MPa and 8.5%-16.5% at ambient temperature, respectively, and excellent flow property with the flow length of 1870-2420 mm. The die-cast tensile fractures at ambient temperature exhibit a typical character of ductile fracture.

Construction of Electrocatalytic and Heat-Resistant Self-Supporting Electrodes for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Boosting the utilization efficiency of sulfur electrodes and suppressing the“shuttle effect”of intermediate polysulfides remain the critical challenge for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs).However,most of reported sulfur electrodes are not competent to realize the fast conversion of polysulfides into insoluble lithium sulfides when applied with high sulfur loading,as well as to mitigate the more serious shuttle effect of polysulfides,especially when worked at an elevated temperature.Herein,we reported a unique structural engineering strategy of crafting a unique hierarchical multifunctional electrode architecture constructed by rooting MOF-derived CoS2/carbon nanoleaf arrays(CoS2-CNA)into a nitrogen-rich 3D conductive scaffold(CTNF@CoS2-CNA)for LSBs.An accelerated electrocatalytic effect and improved polysulfide redox kinetics arising from CoS2-CNA were investigated.Besides,the strong capillarity effect and chemisorption of CTNF@CoS2-CNA to polysulfides enable high loading and efficient utilization of sulfur,thus leading to high-performance LIBs performed not only at room temperature but also up to an elevated temperature(55°C).Even with the ultrahigh sulfur loading of 7.19 mg cm?2,the CTNF@CoS2-CNA/S cathode still exhibits high rate capacity at 55°C.

Effect of RE addition on solidification process and high-temperature strength of Al-12%Si-4%Cu-1.6%Mn heat-resistant alloy

The effect of RE addition on solidification process and high-temperature strength of Al-12%Si-4%Cu-1.6%Mn(in wt.%)heat-resistant alloy was investigated by microstructure observation and tensile test.A great number of fine needle-like RE-rich phases are observed in the alloys with RE addition. Solutionizing treatment does not change their morphologies and sizes, indicating that they have good thermal stability. The addition of RE totally alters the solidification process of eutectic CruAl2 phase, from network-like phase in the form of segregation at the final eutectic grain boundaries to discretely blocky phase growing on the hair-filamentous RE-rich needles. In the alloys with Ce addition, blocky CuAl2, particulate Al15Mn3Si2 and needle-like RE-rich needle phases grow together, but they did not occur in the alloy with only La addition. The addition of RE does not considerably improve the strength of the alloy at high temperatures. The formation of RE-rich phases also does not significantly alter the originating and propagating of micro-cracks in the alloy during tensile test.

Influence of Creep Strength of Weld on Interfacial Creep Damage of Dissimilar Welded Joint between Martensitic and Bainitic Heat-Resistant Steel

The mechanical properties, creep rupture strength, creep damage and failure characteristics of dissimilar metal welded joint （DMWJ） between martensitic （SA213T91） and bainitic heat-resistant steel （12Cr2MoWVTiB（G102）） have been investigated by means of pulsed argon arc welding, high temperature accelerated simulation, mechanical and creep rupture test, and scanning electronic microscope （SEM）. The results show that there is a marked drop of mechanical properties of undermatching joint, and low ductility cracking along weld/G102 interface is induced due to creep damage. Creep rupture strength of overmatching joint is the least. The mechanical properties of medium matching joint are superior to those of overmatching and undermatching joint, and creep damage and failure tendency along the interface of weld/G102 are lower than those of overmatching and undermatching joint after accelerated simulation for 500 h, 1 000 h, 1 500 h, and the creep rupture strength of medium matching joint is the same as that of undermatching joint. Therefore, it is reasonable that the medium matching material is used for dissimilar welded joint between martensitic and bainitic steel.