Influence of recycled carbon fiber addition on the microstructure and creep response of extruded AZ91 magnesium alloy

In this study,the recycled short carbon fiber(CF)-reinforced magnesium matrix composites were fabricated using a combination of stir casting and hot extrusion.The objective was to investigate the impact of CF content(2.5 and 5.0 wt.%)and fiber length(100 and 500μm)on the microstructure,mechanical properties,and creep behavior of AZ91 alloy matrix.The microstructural analysis revealed that the CFs aligned in the extrusion direction resulted in grain and intermetallic refinement within the alloy.In comparison to the unreinforced AZ91 alloy,the composites with 2.5 wt.%CF exhibited an increase in hardness by 16-20%and yield strength by 5-15%,depending on the fiber length,while experiencing a reduction in ductility.When the reinforcement content was increased from 2.5 to 5.0 wt.%,strength values exhibited fluctuations and decline,accompanied by decreased ductility.These divergent outcomes were discussed in relation to fiber length,clustering tendency due to higher reinforcement content,and the presence of interfacial products with micro-cracks at the CF-matrix interface.Tensile creep tests indicated that CFs did not enhance the creep resistance of extruded AZ91 alloy,suggesting that grain boundary sliding is likely the dominant deformation mechanism during creep.

A Sustainable Strategy for Spent Cathode Carbon Blocks Hazardous Waste Recycling Using Binary Molten Salt Thermal Treatment

Waste-to-Energy treatment is a promising path to environment and energy management in the future.This work detailed a binary molten salt thermal treatment methodology for the detoxification of spent cathode carbon block(SCCB)waste and the recycling of carbonaceous materials.The thermal behavior of SCCB and SCCB blended with molten salts was investigated.It was found that the NaCl-Na_(2)CO_(3)binary molten salts significantly contributed to reducing pyrolysis onset temperature by 334.3 K compared to that of SCCB itself(i.e.,activation energy of pyrolysis reaction was reduced from 4.24×10^(5)to 2.30×10^(5)J/mol),thus helping to lower thermal treatment energy consumption.With the addition of binary molten salts,the residue after thermal treatment in a horizontal tube furnace experiment was separated into two layers.The bottom-layer residue was mainly composed of molten salts.The fluorine content in the form of NaF and CaF_(2)of top-layer residue was reduced significantly while the carbon content remained unchanged.Specifically,the leaching concentration of fluoride ion was decreased from 4620 mg/L to 856 mg/L.It is noted that the NaF and CaF_(2)can be removed through water-leaching and hydrothermal acid-leaching methods and thus the carbonaceous materials with a calorific value of 17.5 MJ/kg were obtained.

Recycled carbon degassed from the Emeishan plume as the potential driver for the major end-Guadalupian carbon cycle perturbations

Massive gas emissions(e.g.,CO_(2),CH_(4) and SO_(2))during the formation of large igneous provinces(LIPs)have been suggested as the primary cause of dramatic climatic change and the consequent ecological collapses and biotic crises.Thermogenic carbon of crustal sediments induced by intrusive magmatism throughout the LIPs is considered as the primary trigger for environmental catastrophe including mass extinction,as illustrated in the case of the Emeishan LIP in Southwest China.Herewe evaluate the Emeishan LIP to address the causal link between carbon degassing and environmental crises during the end-Guadalupian of Middle Permian.An assessment of the carbon flux degassed from recycled oceanic crust in the Emeishan plume shows that recycled oceanic crust contributed significantly to the carbon flux.Using evidence fromcarbonate carbon isotopic records at the Gualupian-Lopingian(G-L)boundary stratotype at Penglaitan of South China,our study suggests that carbon degassed from massive recycled components in the Emeishan plume served as a major end-Guadalupian(Middle Permian)carbon isotope excursion.The model based on the Emeishan LIP also offers new insights into the important role of recycled carbon released from other LIPs in climatic change and mass extinctions,as in the cases of the end-Permian Siberian and end-Cretaceous Deccan Traps.Our work highlights that carbon released from subducted slabs is returned to the atmosphere via upwelling mantle plumes,which could drive global climatic change and mass extinction.

Mechanical Properties and ITZ Microstructure of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using Carbonated Recycled Coarse Aggregate

The effect of carbonation treatment and mixing method on the mechanical properties and interfacial transition zone（ITZ） properties of recycled aggregate concrete（RAC） was investigated. Properties of recycled concrete aggregate（RCA） were tested firstly. Then, five types of concretes were made and slump of fresh concrete was measured immediately after mixing. Compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of hardened concrete were measured at 28 d. Meanwhile, the microstructure of RAC was analyzed by backscattered electron（BSE） image. It was found that the water absorption ratio of carbonated recycled concrete aggregate（CRCA） was much lower when compared to the untreated RCA. Comparatively, the apparent density of CRCA was not significantly modified. The concrete strength results indicate that the mix CRAC-2 prepared with CRCA by adopting two-stage mixing approach shows the highest compressive strength value compared to the other mixes. The microstructural analysis demonstrate that the mix CRAC-2 has a much denser old ITZ than the untreated RAC because of the chemical reaction between CO2 and the hydration products of RCA. This study confirms that the ITZ microstructure of RAC can be efficiently modified by carbonation treatment of RCA and encourages broadening the application of construction and demolition wastes.

High temperature tensile,compression and creep behavior of recycled short carbon fibre reinforced AZ91 magnesium alloy fabricated by a high shearing dispersion technique

The present study seeks the feasibility of using short carbon fibres recycled from polymer matrix composites as alternative to virgin carbon fibres in the reinforcement of magnesium alloys.The microstructures,high temperature mechanical and creep properties of AZ91 alloy and its composites with various recycled carbon fibre contents(2.5 and 5 wt.%)and lengths(100 and 500μm)were investigated in the temperature range of 25-200℃.The microstructural characterization showed that the high shear dispersion technique provided the cast composites with finer grains and relatively homogenous distribution of fibres.The materials tested displayed different behaviour depending on the type of loading.In general,while enhancements in the mechanical properties of composites is attributed to the load bearing and grain refinement effects of fibres,the fluctuations in the properties were discussed on the basis of porosity formation,relatively high reinforcement content leading to fibre clustering and interlayer found between the matrix and reinforcement compared to those of AZ91 alloy.The compressive creep tests revealed similar or higher minimum creep rates in the recycled carbon fibre reinforced AZ91 in comparison to the unreinforced AZ91.

Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Hybrid-Interlayer Ramie and Recycled Carbon Fibres

The growing environmental concerns have led to attention on bio-based composite materials, such as the natural fibres, recycled carbon fibres and bio-based resins. Herein, the bio-based epoxy composites were reinforced with ramie fibre (RF) and recycled carbon fibre (rCF) via inter-layer hybridisation. The dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile, flexural and impact properties characterisation were conducted to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the specimens. Also, the morphology of fractured surface after mechanical tests was studied under a scanning electron microscope. When the volume ratio between RF and rCF was varied from 100/0 to 0/100, the flexural and tensile strength of composites was significantly increased, while the impact strength was reduced. Thus the maximum values of flexural strength (182 MPa) and tensile strength (165 MPa) were observed for rCF reinforced composite, whilst impact strength of 24 kJ/m2 was found for RF reinforced composite. Furthermore, the values of storage and loss modulus were increased with the rCF incorporation due to a greater degree of restriction with the addition of rCF into the matrix. The hybridisation was able to combine the specific properties of RF and rCF and optimise the mechanical performance of composites. Therefore, the alternative low-cost green composites are prepared which can replace synthetic materials for semi-structural applications.

In-Situ Growing of Branched CNFs on Reusable RCFs to Construct Hierarchical Cross-Linked Composite for Enhanced Microwave Absorption

The recycling of carbon fibers and protection from unwanted microwave radiation are two important environmental issues that need to be addressed in modern society.Herein,branched carbon nanofibers(CNFs)were grown in-situ on recycled carbon fibers(RCFs)through the chemical vapor deposition method using nickel as catalysts and thiophene as aided-catalysts.The effect of thiophene on the growth morphology of CNFs was investigated.Correspondingly,branched CNFs-RCFs and straight CNFs-RCFs were respectively obtained in the presence and absence of thiophene.The microstructure and electromagnetic behaviour investigations have shown that the branched CNFs possess a typical multi-branched structure,with more defects,pores and a larger specific surface area than the straight CNFs,which lead to better impedance matching and adequate dielectric loss ability for the branched CNFs-RCFs.The reflection loss(RL)results show that the branched CNFs-RCFs exhibit an optimum RL of -23.6 dB at 1.5 mm and a best effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 7.5 GHz at 2.0 mm.This research provides an innovative microwave absorbing material with adequate absorbing strength and outstanding EAB,while also promoting the sustainable reuse of the RCFs resources.

Chloride diffusion in concrete with carbonated recycled coarse aggregates under biaxial compression

Chloride attack on concrete structures is affected by the complex stress state inside concrete,and the effect of recycled aggregates renders this process more complex.Enhancing the chloride resistance of recycled concrete in a complex environment via carbonization facilitates the popularization and application of recycled concrete and alleviates the greenhouse effect.In this study,the chloride ion diffusion and deformation properties of recycled concrete after carbonization are investigated using a chloride salt load-coupling device.The results obtained demonstrate that the chloride ion diffusivity of recycled concrete first decreases and then increases as the compressive load increases,which is consistent with the behavior of concrete,in that it first undergoes compressive deformation,followed by crack propagation.Carbonation enhances the performance of the recycled aggregates and reduces their porosity,thereby reducing the chloride diffusion coefficient of the recycled concrete under different compressive load combinations.The variation in the chloride ion diffusivity of the carbonized recycled aggregate concrete with the load is consistent with a theoretical formula.

Medium oxygen enriched blast furnace with top gas recycling strategy

Top gas recycling oxygen blast furnace（TGR-OBF）process is a promising ironmaking process.The biggest challenge of the TGR-OBF in operation is the dramatic decrease of top gas volume（per ton hot metal）,which once led to hanging-up and shutdowns in practice of the Toulachermet.In order to avoid this weakness,the strategy of medium oxygen blast furnace was presented.The maneuverable zone of the TGR-OBF was determined by the top gas volume,which should not be far from the data of the traditional blast furnace.The deviation of ±12.5% was used,and then the maneuverable blast oxygen content is from 0.30 to 0.47 according to the calculation.The flame temperature and the top gas volume have no much difference compared to those of the traditional blast furnace.The minimum carbon consumption of 357 kg per ton hot metal in the maneuverable zone occurs at the oxygen content of 0.30（fuel saving of 14%）.In the unsteady evolution,the N2 accumulation could approach nearly zero after the recycling reached 6 times.Thus far,some TGR-OBF industrial trials have been carried out in different countries,but the method of medium oxygen enriched TGR-OBF has not been implemented,because the accumulation of N2 was worried about.The presented strategy of medium oxygen enriched TGR-OBF is applicable and the strategy with good operational performance is strongly suggested as a forerunner of the full oxygen blast furnace.