Hydrothermal synthesis of spindle-like Li_2FeSiO_4-C composite as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper,we report on the preparation of Li2FeSiO4,sintered Li2FeSiO4,and Li2FeSiO4-C composite with spindle-like morphologies and their application as cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries.Spindle-like Li2FeSi04 was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with（NH4）2Fe（SO4）2 as the iron source.The spindle-like Li2FeSiO4 was sintered at 600 ℃ for 6 h in Ar atmosphere.Li2FeSiO4-C composite was obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of spindle-like Li2FeSiO4 in glucose solution at 190 ℃ for 3 h.Electrochemical measurements show that after carbon coating,the electrode performances such as discharge capacity and high-rate capability are greatly enhanced.In particular.Li2FeSiO4-C with carbon content of 7.21 wt%delivers the discharge capacities of 160.9 mAh·g-1 at room temperature and 213 mAh·g-1 at45℃（0.1 C）,revealing the potential application in lithium-ion batteries.

WEAR TRANSITIONS OF C/Cu COMPOSITE MATERIALS

An unlubricated sliding friction test on C/Cu composite materials is described. The result of the test proves that adhesive wear is the domination. At a certain speed, when the load upon the test block is light, the wear rate remains low level and the friction pair has a good antifriction performance. But when the load increases to a certain value, the wear transitions happen, the wear becomes severe.

Experimental Investigation of the Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity of C/SiC Composite Thin Slab

Fiber-reinforced composites possess anisotropic mechanical and heat transfer properties due to their anisotropic fibers and structure distribution.In C/Si C composites,the out-of-plane thermal conductivity has mainly been studied,whereas the in-plane thermal conductivity has received less attention due to their limited thickness.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Multiscale SiC_p Hybrid Reinforced 6061 Aluminum Matrix Composites

The performance of solid solution aging treatment on aluminum matrix composites prepared by powder metallurgy and reinforced with 6061 aluminum alloy powder as matrix;meanwhile, nano silicon carbide particles(nm Si Cp), submicron silicon carbide particles(1 μm Si Cp) and Ti particles were studied. The Al/Si Cp composite powder was prepared by high-energy ball milling, and then cold-pressed, sintered, hotextruded, and then heat-treated with different solution temperatures and aging times for the extruded composites. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and extrusion testing were used to analyze and test the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites. The results show that after the multi-stage solid solution at 530 ℃×2 h+535 ℃×2 h+540 ℃×2 h, the particles are mainly equiaxed grains and uniformly distributed. There is no reinforcement agglomeration, and the surface is dense and the insoluble phase is basically dissolved. In the matrix, the strengthening effect is good, and the hardness and compressive strength are 179.43 HV and 680.42 MPa, respectively. Under this solution process, when the aluminum matrix composites are aged at 170 ℃ for 10 h, the hardness and compressive strength can reach their peaks and increase to 195.82 HV and 721.48 MPa, respectively.

Effect of baking processes on properties of TiB_2/C composite cathode material

Pitch and TiB2/C green composite cathode material were respectively analyzed with simultaneous DSC-TGA, and effects of three baking processes of TiB2/C composite cathode material, i.e. K25, K5 and M5, on properties of TiB2/C composite cathode material were investigated. The results show that thermogravimetrie behavior of pitch and TiB2/C green composite cathode is similar, and appears the largest mass loss rate in the temperature range from 200 to 600 ℃. The bulk density variation of sample K5 before and after baking is the largest （11.9%）, that of sample K25 is the second, and that of sample M5 is the smallest （6.7%）. The crushing strength of sample M5 is the biggest （51.2 MPa）, that of sample K2.5 is the next, and that of sample K5 is the smallest （32.8 MPa）. But, the orders of the electrical resistivity and electrolysis expansion of samples are just opposite with the order of crushing strength. The heating rate has a great impact on the microstructure of sample. The faster the heating rate is, the bigger the pore size and porosity of sample are. Compared with the heating rate between 200 and 600℃ of samples K25 and K5, that of sample M5 is slower and suitable for baking process of TiB2/C composite cathode material.

AN IN SITU SURFACE COMPOSITE AND GRADIENT MATERIAL OF Al-Si ALLOY PRODUCED BY ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCE

Because of the different conductivities between the primary phase (low electric conduc tivity) and the metal melt, electromagnetic force scarcely acts on the primary phase. Thus, an electromagnetic repulsive force applied by the metal melt exerts on the pri mary phase when the movement of the melt in the direction of electromagnetic force is limited. As a result, the repulsive force exerts on the primary phase to push them to move in the direction opposite to that of the electromagnetic force when the metal melt with primary phase solidifies under an electromagnetic force field. Based on this, a new method for production of in situ surface composite and gradient material by electromagnetic force is proposed. An in situ primary Si reinforced surface composite of Al-15wt%Si alloy and gradient material of Al-l9wt%Si alloy were produced by this method. The microhardness of the primary Si is HV1320. The reinforced phase size is in the range from 40μm to 100μm. The wear resistance of Al-Si alloy gradient material can be more greatly increased than that of their matrix material.

The mitigation of pitch-derived carbon with different structures on the volume expansion of silicon in Si/C composite anode

The microstructures of carbon precursors significantly affect the electrochemical performance of Si/C composite anodes.However,the interaction between Si and carbon materials with different structures is still unclear.Pitch-based materials undergoing different thermal treatments are superior sources for synthesizing carbons with different structures.Herein,different types of mesophase pitch(domain,flow-domain and mosaic structure) obtained from controllable thermal condensation are utilized to prepare Si/C composite materials and the corresponding models are established through finite element simulation to explore the correlation between the lithium storage properties of Si/C composites and the structures of carbon materials.The results indicate that the flow-domain texture pitch P2 has a better ability to buffer the volume expansion of silicon particles for its highly ordered arrangement of carbon crystallites inside could disperse the swelling stress uniformly alongside the particle surface.The sample Si@P2 exhibits the highest capacity of 1328 mA h/g after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g as well as the best rate performance and stability.While sample Si@P3 in which the mosaic texture pitch P3 composed of random orientation of crystallites undergoes the fastest capacity decay.These findings suggest that highly ordered carbon materials are more suitable for the synthesis of Si/C composite anodes and provide insights for understanding the interaction between carbon and silicon during the charging/discharging process.

Silicon/flake graphite/carbon anode materials prepared with different dispersants by spray-drying method for lithium ion batteries

Silicon/flake graphite/carbon （Si/FG/C） composites were synthesized with different dispersants via spray drying and subsequent pyrolysis, and effects of dispersants on the characteristics of the composites were investigated. The structure and properties of the composites were determined by X-ray diffractometry （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and electrochemical measurements. The results show that samples have silicon/flake graphite/amorphous carbon composite structure, good spherical appearances, and better electrochemical performance than pure nano-Si and FG/C composites. Compared with the Si/FG/C composite using washing powder as dispersant, the Si/FG/C composite using sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate （SDBS） as dispersant has better electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 602.68 mA·h/g, and a capacity retention ratio of 91.58 % after 20 cycles.

Fabrication,characterization and electrochemical properties of porous coral-structured Si/C composite anode for lithium ion battery

A porous coral-structured Si/C composite as an anode material was fabricated by coating Si nanoparticles with a carbon layer from polyvinyl alcohol（PVA）, erosion of hydrofluoric（HF） acid, and secondary coating with pitch. Three samples with different pitch contents of 30%, 40% and 50% were synthesized. The composition and morphology of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, respectively, and the properties were tested by electrochemical measurements. The results indicated that the composites showed obviously enhanced electrochemical performance compared with that without secondary carbon coating. The second discharge capacity of the composite was 773 m A·h/g at a current density of 100 m A/g, and still retained 669 m A·h/g after 60 cycles with a small capacity fade of less than 0.23%/cycle, while the content of secondary carbon source of pitch was set at 40%. Therefore, the cycle stability of the composite could be excellently improved by regulating carbon content of secondary coating.

Yolk-shell Si/C composites with multiple Si nanoparticles encapsulated into double carbon shells as lithium-ion battery anodes

The conceptual design of yolk-shell structured Si/C composites is considered to be an effective way to improve the recyclability and conductivity of Si-based anode materials. Herein, a new type of yolk-shell structured Si/C composite (denoted as TSC-PDA-B) has been intelligently designed by rational engineering and precise control. In the novel structure, the multiple Si nanoparticles with small size are successfully encapsulated into the porous carbon shells with double layers benefiting from the strong etching effect of HF. The TSC-PDA-B product prepared is evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The TSC-PDA-B product exhibits an excellent lithium storage performance with a high initial capacity of 2108 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 100 mA g^-1 and superior cycling performance of 1113 mAh g^-1 over 200 cycles. The enhancement of lithium storage performance may be attributed to the construction of hybrid structure including small Si nanoparticles, high surface area, and double carbon shells, which can not only increase electrical conductiv让y and intimate electrical contact with Si nanoparticles, but also provide built-in buffer voids for Si nanoparticles to expand freely without damaging the carbon layer. The present findings can provide some scientific insights into the design and the application of advanced Si-based anode materials in energy storage fields.

Synthesis and electrochemical performances of spherical LiFePO_4 cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Spherical LiFePO4 and LiFePO4/C composite powders for lithium ion batteries were synthesized by a novel processing route of co-precipitation and subsequent calcinations in a nitrogen and hydrogen atmosphere. The precursors of LiFePO4, LiFePO4/C composite and the resultant products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the electrochemical performances were investigated by galvanostatic charge and discharge tests. The precursors composed of amorphous Fe3(PO4)2·xH2O and crystalline Li3PO4 obtained in the co-precipitation processing have a sphere-like morphology. The spherical LiFePO4 derived from the calcinations of the precursor at 700 ℃ for 10 h in a reduction atmosphere shows a discharge capacity of 119 mAh·g-1 at the C/10 rate, while the LiFePO4/C composite with 10wt.% carbon addition exhibits a discharge capacity of 140 mAh·g-1. The electrochemical performances indicate that the LiFePO4/C composite has a higher specific capacity and a more stable cycling performance than the bare olivine LiFePO4 due to the carbon addition enhancing the electronic conductivity.

Machine learning technique for prediction of magnetocaloric effect in La(Fe,Si/Al)_(13)-based materials

Data-mining techniques using machine learning are powerful and efficient for materials design, possessing great potential for discovering new materials with good characteristics. Here, this technique has been used on composition design for La（Fe,Si/Al）（13）-based materials, which are regarded as one of the most promising magnetic refrigerants in practice. Three prediction models are built by using a machine learning algorithm called gradient boosting regression tree（GBRT） to essentially find the correlation between the Curie temperature（TC）, maximum value of magnetic entropy change（（？SM）（max））,and chemical composition, all of which yield high accuracy in the prediction of TC and（？SM）（max）. The performance metric coefficient scores of determination（R^2） for the three models are 0.96, 0.87, and 0.91. These results suggest that all of the models are well-developed predictive models on the challenging issue of generalization ability for untrained data, which can not only provide us with suggestions for real experiments but also help us gain physical insights to find proper composition for further magnetic refrigeration applications.

DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF NANO Si/C/N COMPOSITE POWDER AND NANO SiC POWDER AT HIGH FREQUENCIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE CHARACTERIZATION

The dielectric properties of nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder at high frequencies have been studied. The nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder were synthesized from hexamethyldisilazane ((Me 3Si) 2NH) (Me:CH 3) and SiH 4 C 2H 2 respectively by a laser induced gas phase reaction. The complex permittivities of the nano Si/C/N composite powder and nano SiC powder were measured between 8 2GHz and 12 4GHz. The real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivities of nano Si/C/N composite powder are much higher than those of nano SiC powder. The SiC microcrystalline in the nano Si/C/N composite powder dissolved a great deal of nitrogen. The local structure around Si atoms changed by introducing N into SiC. Carbon atoms around Si were substituted by N atoms. So charged defects and quasi free electrons moved in response to the electric field, diffusion or polarization current resulted from the field propagation. The high ε″and loss factor tgδ(ε″/ε′) of Si/C/N composite powder were due to the dielectric relaxation.

Microstructure and abrasive wear behaviour of anodizing composite films containing Si C nanoparticles on Ti6Al4V alloy

Anodized composite films containing Si C nanoparticles were synthesized on Ti6Al4 V alloy by anodic oxidation procedure in C4O6H4Na2 electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) were employed to characterize the morphology and composition of the films fabricated in the electrolytes with and without addition of Si C nanoparticles. Results show that Si C particles can be successfully incorporated into the oxide film during the anodizing process and preferentially concentrate within internal cavities and micro-cracks. The ball-on-disk sliding tests indicate that Si C-containing oxide films register much lower wear rate than the oxide films without Si C under dry sliding condition. Si C particles are likely to melt and then are oxidized by frictional heat during sliding tests. Potentiodynamic polarization behavior reveals that the anodized alloy with Si C nanoparticles results in a reduction in passive current density to about 1.54×10-8 A/cm2, which is more than two times lower than that of the Ti O2 film(3.73×10-8 A/cm2). The synthesized composite film has good anti-wear and anti-corrosion properties and the growth mechanism of nanocomposite film is also discussed.

Effect of infiltrating Si on friction properties of C/C composites

In order to improve the friction-wear properties of the C/C composites for aircraft brake pairs, the fric-tion behavior of samples with infiltrating Si was investigated. The influence of Si smearing thickness on frictionproperties was studied in detail. The results show that with the increase of Si smearing thickness and β-SiC content,the friction coefficient reduces from 0.40 to 0.30; the linear wear of stators increases from 2.0 μm to 18.9 μm percycle, and that of rotors increases from 1.4 μm to 22.6 μm per cycle; mass wear of stators increases from 20.6 mgto 126.9 mg per cycle, and that of rotors increases from 13.7 mg to 166.2 mg per cycle. On the other hand, whena large number of inhomogeneous β-SiC particulates are performed, friction surfaces of the samples flake off layer bylayer and many nicks are observed.

A Review: On Smart Materials Based on Some Polysaccharides;within the Contextual Bigger Data, Insiders, “Improvisation” and Said Artificial Intelligence Trends

Smart Materials are along with Innovation attributes and Artificial Intelligence among the most used “buzz” words in all media. Central to their practical occurrence, many talents are to be gathered within new contextual data influxes. Has this, in the last 20 years, changed some of the essential fundamental dimensions and the required skills of the actors such as providers, users, insiders, etc.? This is a preliminary focus and prelude of this review. As an example, polysaccharide materials are the most abundant macromolecules present as an integral part of the natural system of our planet. They are renewable, biodegradable, carbon neutral with low environmental, health and safety risks and serve as structural materials in the cell walls of plants. Most of them are used, for many years, as engineering materials in many important industrial processes, such as pulp and papermaking and manufacture of synthetic textile fibres. They are also used in other domains such as conversion into biofuels and, more recently, in the design of processes using polysaccharide nanoparticles. The main properties of polysaccharides (e.g. low density, thermal stability, chemical resistance, high mechanical strength…), together with their biocompatibility, biodegradability, functionality, durability and uniformity, allow their use for manufacturing smart materials such as blends and composites, electroactive polymers and hydrogels which can be obtained 1) through direct utilization and/or 2) after chemical or physical modifications of the polysaccharides. This paper reviews recent works developed on polysaccharides, mainly on cellulose, hemicelluloses, chitin, chitosans, alginates, and their by-products (blends and composites), with the objectives of manufacturing smart materials. It is worth noting that, today, the fundamental understanding of the molecular level interactions that confer smartness to polysaccharides remains poor and one can predict that new experimental and theoretical tools will emerge to develop the necessary understanding of the structure-property-function relationships that will enable polysaccharide-smartness to be better understood and controlled, giving rise to the development of new and innovative applications such as nanotechnology, foods, cosmetics and medicine (e.g. controlled drug release and regenerative medicine) and so, opening up major commercial markets in the context of green chemistry.

High thermal stability of diamond-cBN-B_4C-Si composites

Improving the thermal stability of diamond and other superhard materials has great significance in various applications. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of bulk diamond–cBN–B4C–Si composites sintered at high pressure and high temperature（HPHT, 5.2 GPa, 1620–1680 K for 3–5 min）. The results show that the diamond, cBN, B4C,BxSiC, SiO2 and amorphous carbon or a little surplus Si are present in the sintered samples. The onset oxidation temperature of 1673 K in the as-synthesized sample is much higher than that of diamond, cBN, and B4C. The high thermal stability is ascribed to the covalent bonds of B–C, C–N, and the solid-solution of BxSiC formed during the sintering process. The results obtained in this work may be useful in preparing superhard materials with high thermal stability.

THE EFFECT OF SILICON ADDITIVE ON THESTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OFC－B_4C－SiC COMPOSITE

A Preliminary study of the effect of silicon additive on the structure and properites of C-B_4C-SiC composite was conducted. A liquid Phase has formed and the liquid Si reacts with C to form SiC at the grain boundary when sintering, which accelerates the sintering process and retards the grain growth. Consequently, the density and strength of the composite increase markedly. And the increase in the density increases the oxidation resistance and decreases the specific resistance of the composite. Furthermore,the C-B_4 C-SiC composite has good heat-shock resistance. The phenomena may be dueto the strengthening and toughening of microcracks.

C/SiC复合材料数据库及机器学习性能预测平台的设计与开发

以MySQL Workbench 8.0为数据库平台,采用三层浏览器/服务器架构,利用PyCharm 2022开发了一套基于Web界面和机器学习技术的C/SiC复合材料数据库系统,该系统包括材料数据库和机器学习模型2部分,具有对材料组分结构、制备工艺、试验性能等材料研发各阶段的信息查询、添加、修改、删除、搜索以及支持信息管理、设计分析视图、案例推理辅助设计、用户与系统管理等功能。基于神经网络回归算法训练机器学习模型,利用材料微观结构参数预测材料力学性能,对不同微观结构参数的影响权重进行评价,并部署在系统平台中;通过Web用户界面调用机器学习模型,对预留的验证集数据进行拉伸模量和弯曲模量预测。结果表明:机器学习模型预测材料力学性能的精度达到95%左右,训练出来的预测模型具有良好的精度与泛化能力。