The chance of sodium titanate anode for the practical sodium-ion batteries

Supporting sustainable green energy systems,there is a big demand gap for grid energy storage.Sodiumion storage,especially sodium-ion batteries(SIBs),have advanced significantly and are now emerging as a feasible alternative to the lithium-ion batteries equivalent in large-scale energy storage due to their natural abundance and prospective inexpensive cost.Among various anode materials of SIBs,beneficial properties,such as outstanding stability,great abundance,and environmental friendliness,make sodium titanates(NTOs),one of the most promising anode materials for the rechargeable SIBs.Nevertheless,there are still enormous challenges in application of NTO,owing to its low intrinsic electronic conductivity and collapse of structure.The research on NTOs is still in its infancy;there are few conclusive reviews about the specific function of various modification methods.Herein,we summarize the typical strategies of optimization and analysis the fine structures and fabrication methods of NTO anodes combined with the application of in situ characterization techniques.Our work provides effective guidance for promoting the continuous development,equipping NTOs in safety-critical systems,and lays a foundation for the development of NTO-anode materials in SIBs.

Effect of solvents on the morphology and structure of barium titanate synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method

Tetragonal barium titanate was synthesized from barium hydroxide octahydrate and titanium tetrachloride through a simple one-step hydrothermal method.The effect of different solvents on the crystal structure and morphology of barium titanate nanoparticles during the hy-drothermal process was investigated.Except for ethylene glycol/water solvent,impurity-free barium titanate was synthesized in pure water,methanol/water,ethanol/water,and isopropyl alcohol/water mixed solvents.Compared with other alcohols,ethanol promotes the formation of a tetragonal structure.In addition,characterization studies confirm that particles synthesized in methanol/water,ethanol/water,and isopropyl al-cohol/water mixed solvents are smaller in size than those synthesized in pure water.In the case of alcohol-containing solvents,the particle size decreases in the order of isopropanol,ethanol,and methanol.Among all the media used in this study,ethanol/water is considered the optimum reaction media for barium titanate with high tetragonality(defined as the ratio of two lattice parameters c and a,c/a=1.0088)and small aver-age particle size(82 nm),which indicates its great application potential in multilayer ceramic capacitors.

Effect of additives on properties of aluminium titanate ceramics

The influence of some additives on bulk density,phase composition,mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of aluminium titanate （AT） ceramics was investigated.AT ceramics with different additives of MgO,SiO2 and Fe2O3 were prepared by reaction sintering.Properties of AT ceramics were tested by using Archimedes,three-point bending and thermal cycling tests.It was found that additives of MgO,SiO2 and Fe2O3 or their compound additives are favorable to reduce the porosities of AT,enhance mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance.The role of additives can be rationalized in terms of promotion of sintering process,formation of new phases and influence on lattice constant c of AT ceramics.

Preparation and electrochemical performance of tantalum-doped lithium titanate as anode material for lithium-ion battery

The electrochemical performance of Ta-doped Li4Ti5O12 in the form of Li4Ti4.95Ta0.05O12 was characterized.X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of Li4Ti4.95Ta0.05O12.Ta-doping does not change the phase composition and particle morphology,while improves remarkably its cycling stability at high charge/discharge rate.Li4Ti4.95Ta0.05O12 exhibits an excellent rate capability with a reversible capacity of 116.1 mA·h/g at 10C and even 91.0 mA·h/g at 30C.The substitution of Ta for Ti site can enhance the electronic conductivity of Li4Ti5O12 via the generation of mixing Ti4＋/Ti3＋,which indicates that Li4Ti4.95Ta0.05O12 is a promising candidate material for anodes in lithium-ion battery application.

Dielectric properties and phase transitions of La_2O_3- and Sb_2O_3-doped barium strontium titanate ceramics

The dielectric properties and phase transition characteristics of La2O3- and Sb2O3-doped barium strontium titanate ceramics prepared by solid state route were investigated. The microstructure was identified by X-ray diffraction method and scanning electron microscope was also employed to observe the surface morphologies. It is found that （La,Sb）-codoped barium strontium titanate ceramics exhibit typical perovskite structure and the average grain size decreases dramatically with increasing the content of Sb2O3. Both La3＋ ions and Sb3＋ ions occupy the A-sites in perovskite lattice. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of barium strontium titanate based ceramics are obviously influenced by La2O3 as well as Sb2O3 addition content. The tetragonal-cubic phase transition of La2O3 modified barium strontium titanate ceramics is of second order and the Curie temperature shifts to lower value with increasing the La2O3 doping content. The phase transition of （La,Sb）-codoped barium strontium titanate ceramics diffuses and the deviation from Curie-Weiss law becomes more obvious with the increase in Sb2O3 concentration. The temperature corresponding to the dielectric constant maximum of （La,Sb）-codoped barium strontium titanate ceramics decreases with increasing the Sb2O3 content, which is attributed to the replacement of host ions by the Sb3＋ ions.

Synthesis of platy potassium magnesium titanate and its application in removal of copper ions from aqueous solution

Platy potassium magnesium titanate (K0.8Mg0.4Ti1.6O4, KMTO) was synthesized by a flux method. The potential application of KMTO in removing copper ions from water pollutants was investigated. The crystal phases of specimens were identified by XRD. The morphology and structural information were characterized by SEM and TEM. The adsorption behavior under different conditions was investigated, including different pH values and different initial copper ion concentrations. The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) ions is 290.697 mg/g, and almost 99.9% of Cu(II) ions can be removed, which is much higher than that of other sorbents reported. The kinetics of KMTO for the adsorption of Cu(II)ions was studied and the best fit can be obtained by the pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption isothermal data can be well interpreted by the Freundlich equation (R2=0.991). In conclusion, this study highlights that KMTO is a potential material for the efficient removal of heavy metal ions in polluted water. It also opens up a new opportunity for the applications of platy KMTO.

New method for measuring high field electrostrictive response of barium titanate/polyurethane elastomer

A new method for measuring the characteristic of electrostriction by a digital speckle correlation method （DSCM） is presented. The in-plane displacement is obtained by using the DSCM, and the out-plane displacement is obtained by the geometrical relation of the triangle theory. In this application, high field electrostrictive strains of barium titanate/polyurethane elastomer composite materials are measured. The electrostrictive strain is evaluated when the application of an electric field is repeated, and then the electrostrictive coefficient of the sample is obtained. To improve the measuring accuracy, the bilinear interpolation of gray value is used to obtain the sub-pixel gray value. The results are compared with those obtained from the surface fitting algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the electrostrictive response of polyurethane increases with the introduction of barium titanate into polyurethane. And by using the DSCM, the measurement of the characteristic of electrostriction can be done quickly and accurately. The DSCM provides an effective tool for the evaluation of electrostrictive response.

Spinel lithium titanate (Li_4Ti_5O_(12)) as novel anode material for room-temperature sodium-ion battery

This is the first time that a novel anode material, spinel Li4Ti5O12 which is well known as a ＂zero-strain＂ anode material for lithium storage, has been introduced for sodium-ion battery. The Li4Ti5O12 shows an average Na storage voltage of about 1.0 V and a reversible capacity of about 145 mAh/g, thereby making it a promising anode for sodiumion battery. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction （XRD） is used to investigate the structure change in the Na insertion/deinsertion process. Based on this, a possible Na storage mechanism is proposed.

Preparation and performance of titanate nanotube by hydrothermal treatment

Titanate nanotubes were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment in concentrated NaOH solution followed by HCl washing. The as-prepared nanotubes were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements （BET）. The results displayed that the hydrothermal treatment temperature within 110-160℃ not only affected the structure of the nanotube, but also the anatase-to-rutile transformation temperature. The nanotube could be obtained only in an appropriate concentration of NaOH solution. The diameter of the nanotube was 6-10 nm. The surface area of the product initially increased with increasing treatment temperature, to reach a maximum of about 630 m^2/g at 130℃, and then decreased with a further increase in temperature.

Study on the In-situ Synthesis of Aluminum Titanate Sintered by Waste Aluminum Slag

Aluminum titanate was in-situ synthesized by using industrial waste-residue in the aluminum factory and TiO2 as the main raw materials and the influence of different reaction temperatures on the purity and microstructures of synthesized products were mainly discussed. The obtained Al2TiO5 was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and relevant analytical software. The results show that elevating the sintering temperature can increase the content of aluminum titanate; and at 1420 ℃, it reaches the highest in the synthesized ceramic. When the sintering temperature continues to increase, the produced aluminum titanate will decompose resulting in the drop of its content. Therefore, the optimum sintering temperature of in-situ synthesis of aluminum titanate is determined as 1420 ℃, at which the grains of aluminum titanate grow completely, the purity of aluminum titanate is 89.3wt%., the highest density is 2.75 g/cm^3, and the porosity is 9%.

Burning rate and other characteristics of strontium titanate （SrTiO3） supplemented AP/HTPB/Al composite propellants

In a quest of search for a new burning rate modifier for composite propellant, strontium titanate (SrTiO3), a perovskite oxide has been chosen for evaluation in a composite propellant formulation based on its other catalytic applications. Initially, SrTiO3 was characterized for particle size, morphology and material/ phase identification (using XRD). By varying SrTiO3 content in a standard composite propellant, different compositions were prepared and their performance and processing parameters like the end of mix (EOM) viscosity, mechanical properties, density, burning rate, pressure exponent (n-value), etc. were measured. The results reveal that 2% SrTiO3 causes more than 12% enhancement in propellant burning rate (at 70 ksc pressure) in comparison to the standard propellant composition. The pressure exponent also increases to 0.46, whereas the standard composition was having its value as 0.35.

Preparation and Tribological Properties of Ni-P Electroless Composite Coating Containing Potassium Titanate Whisker

Nickel-phosphorus （Ni-P） composite coatings containing potassium titanate （K2Ti6O13） whiskers （PTWs） were prepared by electroless plating. The surface morphology and component of coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, respectively before and after wear test. The tribological performance was evaluated using a pin-on-disk wear tester under dry conditions. It is found that the Ni-P-PTWs composite coatings exhibit higher wear resistance than Ni-P and Ni-P-SiC electroless coatings. The favorable effects of PTWs on the tribological properties of the composite coatings are attributed to the super-strong mechanical properties and the specific tunneling structures of PTWs. The PTWs greatly reinforce the structure of the Ni-P-based composite coatings and thereby greatly reduce the adhesive and plough wear of Ni-P-PTWs composite coatings.

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Pyrochlore Titanate R_2Ti_2O_7(R=Gd^(3+),Tb^(3+),Dy^(3+))

Pyrochlore titanate oxides, R2Ti2O7（R=Gd3＋, Tb3＋, Dy3＋）, were synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions. The crystal growth of pyrochlore titanate oxides and taking place of chemical reaction in the hydrothermal processing were sensitive to the alkalinity, temperature, reaction time, the nature of the rare earth ion and the composition of initial reaction mixture. The as-prepared samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectrum and variable temperature dc magnetic susceptibility（Superconductivity quantum interference device, SQUIDS）. The magnetic studies gave 7.29×10-23 A·m2/Gd3＋ and -8.28 K, 8.75×10-23 A·m2/ Tb3＋ and -19.7 K, and 8.85×10-23 A·m2/Dy3＋ and 0.84 K effective moments and Weiss constants for Gd2Ti2O7, Tb2Ti2O7 and Dy2Ti2O7, respectively.

Dopant Behaviours of Sm_2O_3 on Microstructure and Properties of Barium Zirconium Titanate Ceramics

The effect of Sm 2O 3 dopant on the sintering characteristics and dielectric properties of barium zirconium titanate ceramics (BaZr x Ti 1- x O 3) was investigated. It is shown that trace amount of Sm 2O 3 can greatly affect the grain growth and densification of barium zirconium titanate ceramics during sintering. At the same time, the dielectric peak at high temperature shifts to lower temperature and that at low temperature shifts to higher temperature. The two dielectric peaks overlap with each other when the Sm 2O 3 dopant content varies from 0 25% to 1%, and the maximum relative dielectric constant is greatly enhanced. These effects may be attributed to the substitution actions of the rare earth element in perovskite lattice. At the doping content of 0 75%, the dielectric constant maximum of 23570 can be obtained. By adopting some proper additives, an excellent Y5V dielective material is obtained, and the room temperature properties are as follows: relative dielectric constant ε RT ≥23,000, dielectric loss tgδ≤0 0075 and the breakdown strength under alternating field E b≥5 kV·mm -1 .

Novel thermal expansion of lead titanate

Lattice parameters of lead titanate were precisely re-determined in thetemperature range of-150-950 deg C by high precision XRPD measurements. It was clarified that therewas no any evidence for a new phase transition at low tempera-lures. Tetragonal distortion straindecreases with temperature increasing. A novel thermal expansion was observed, positive thermalexpansion from -150 deg C to room temperature (RT) and above 490 deg C, and the negative thermalexpansion in the temperature range of RT-490 deg C. A big jump of thermal expansion coefficient isattributed to the tetragonal-cubic phase transition. A rationalization for the negative thermalexpansion of PbTiO_3 is due to the decrease of anion-anion repulsion as polyhedra become moreregular at heating. The mechanisms of positive and negative thermal expansions were elucidated asthe same nature in the homogenous tetragonal phase at present case.

Optimized growth and dielectric properties of barium titanate thin films on polycrystalline Ni foils

Barium titanate（BTO） thin films were deposited on polycrystalline Ni foils by using the polymer assisted deposition（PAD） technique.The growth conditions including ambient and annealing temperatures were carefully optimized based on thermal dynamic analysis to control the oxidation processing and interdiffusion.Crystal structures,surface morphologies,and dielectric performance were examined and compared for BTO thin films annealed under different temperatures.Correlations between the fabrication conditions,microstructures,and dielectric properties were discussed.BTO thin films fabricated under the optimized conditions show good crystalline structure and promising dielectric properties with εr～ 400 and tan δ 〈 0.025 at 100 kHz.The data demonstrate that BTO films grown on polycrystalline Ni substrates by PAD are promising in device applications.

Scalable Preparation of SrTiO_3 Submicro-wires from Layered Titanate Nanowires

SrTiO3 submicro-wires were prepared by the reaction of layered titanatc nanowircs with Sr（OH）2 powder in an autoclave. The wires were investigated using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, Ultra-violet visible （UV-vis）, photoluminescence （PL） and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD measurement shows that the prepared SrTiO3 submicro-wircs hardly have impurity phases. The SEM and TEM images demonstrate that the scalable wires, which need to be processed at the reaction temperature of 180℃ for about 48 hours, are not composed of single crystals. The PL shows that the wire-like SrTiO3 has emission peaks at the wavelengths of 568 and 585 nm. Further, the Raman spectroscopy reveals structural changes in the products through different reaction time.

Crystalline Phase and Decomposition Dynamics of Aluminum Titanate at Different Temperature

The crystalline phase formed during aluminum titanate at 750-1300 ℃ as well as the relationship between its content change and decomposition dynamics was mainly discussed in this paper.Dynamical equation was established for calculating the reaction activation energy.It aimed at providing dynamics basic data for taking up necessary measures to inhibit the decomposition of aluminum titanate.Experimental results showed that aluminum titanate would decompose into TiO2 and corundum at 750-1300 ℃.Content of aluminum titanate would reduce with the increase of decomposition time,and the order of decomposition rates at different temperature was 1100 1200 1000 900 ℃.The decomposition was a chemical reaction with control steps,and could meet the first order reaction dynamic equation-F（G） = [（1-G）-2/3-1] = Kt.According to the calculation,rate constants of different decomposition reaction dynamic equations were K900 = 2.2×10-3,K1000 = 1.2×10-2,K1100 = 4×10-1 and K1200 = 1.5×10-1,and the reaction activation energy ΔGave = 203.21 KJ/mol.

Effects of Dysprosium Oxide Doping on Microstructure and Properties of Barium Titanate Ceramic

Different amounts of dysprosium oxide were incorporated into barium titanate powders synthesized by hydrothermal method. Relations of substitution behaviors and lattice parameters with solid-solubility were studied. Furthermore, the influences of dysprosium oxide doping fraction on grain size and dielectric properties of barium titanate ceramic, including dielectric constant and breakdown electric field strength , were investigated via scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and electric property tester. The results show that dysprosium oxide can restrain abnormal grain growth during sintering and that fine-grained and high density of barium titanate ceramic can result in excellent dielectric properties. As mass fraction of dysprosium oxide is 0.6%, the lattice parameters of grain increase to the maximum because of the lowest vacancy concentration. The electric property parameters are cited as following： dielectric constant （25 ℃ ） reaches 4100, the change in relative dielectric constant with temperature is - 10% to 10% within the range of - 15 - 100 ℃, breakdown electric field strength （alternating current） achieves 3.2 kV·mm^-1, which can be used in manufacturing high voltage ceramic capacitors

Enhanced Biocompatibility and Osseointegration of Calcium Titanate Coating on Titanium Screws in Rabbit Femur

This study aimed to examine the biocompatibility of calcium titanate(CaTiO3) coating prepared by a simplified technique in an attempt to assess the potential of CaTiO3coating as an alternative to current implant coating materials. CaTiO3-coated titanium screws were implanted with hydroxyapatite(HA)-coated or uncoated titanium screws into medial and lateral femoral condyles of 48 New Zealand white rabbits. Imaging, histomorphometric and biomechanical analyses were employed to evaluate the osseointegration and biocompatibility 12 weeks after the implantation. Histology and scanning electron microscopy revealed that bone tissues surrounding the screws coated with CaTiO3were fully regenerated and they were also well integrated with the screws. An interfacial fibrous membrane layer, which was found in the HA coating group, was not noticeable between the bone tissues and CaTiO3-coated screws. X-ray imaging analysis showed in the CaTiO3coating group, there was a dense and tight binding between implants and the bone tissues; no radiation translucent zone was found surrounding the implants as well as no detachment of the coating and femoral condyle fracture. In contrast, uncoated screws exhibited a fibrous membrane layer, as evidenced by the detection of a radiation translucent zone between the implants and the bone tissues. Additionally, biomechanical testing revealed that the binding strength of CaTiO3coating with bone tissues was significantly higher than that of uncoated titanium screws, and was comparable to that of HA coating. The study demonstrated that CaTiO3coating in situ to titanium screws possesses great biocompatibility and osseointegration comparable to HA coating.