Effects of chemical coating with Ni on electrochemical properties of Mg_2Ni hydrogen storage alloys

The effects of nickel coating on the electrochemical properties of Mg2Ni hydrogen storage alloys are presented in this paper. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） techniques were employed to examine the crystal structure and surface morphologies of the bare and Ni-coated Mg2Ni alloys. The electrochemical properties of alloys were characterized by cyclic voltammetry （CV） and dectrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. The results showed that Ni coating not only decreased the charge transfer resistance, but also decreased the H atom diffusion resistance for Mg2Ni alloys. It was also found that Ni coating effectively improved the discharge capacity, but decreased the cycling performance of the as-synthesized Ni-coated MgzNi alloys. The discharge current has a great impact on the cycling perform- ance of the as-synthesized Ni-coated Mg2Ni alloys.

Corrosion resistance of cerium-doped zinc calcium phosphate chemical conversion coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy

Zinc calcium phosphate （Zn-Ca-P） coating and cerium-doped zinc calcium phosphate （Zn-Ca-Ce-P） coating were prepared on AZ31 magnesium alloy. The chemical compositions, morphologies and corrosion resistance of coatings were investigated through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, electron probe micro-analysis （EPMA） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） together with hydrogen volumetric and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that both coatings predominately contain crystalline hopeite （Zn3（PO4）2·4H2O）, Mg3（PO4）2 and Ca3（PO4）2, and traces of non-crystalline MgF2 and CaF2. The Zn-Ca-Ce-P coating is more compact than the Zn-Ca-P coating due to the formation of CePO4, and displays better corrosion resistance than the Zn-Ca-P coating. Both coatings protect the AZ31 Mg substrate only during an initial immersion period. The micro-galvanic corrosion between the coatings and their substrates leads to an increase of hydrogen evolution rate （HER） with extending the immersion time. The addition of Ce promotes the homogenous distribution of Ca and formation of hopeite. The Zn-Ca-Ce-P coating has the potential for the primer coating on magnesium alloys.

Chemical conversion coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy and its corrosion tendency

The morphology change of the magnesium matrix after pre-treatment and the morphology as well as the phase composition of chemical conversion coating formed by phosphate were studied using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The corrosion resistance of the coating was studied by salt spray and damp test, and the corrosion tendency during salt immersion test was analyzed. The results show that the phase composition before and after pre-treatment is almost changeless, and the deep microflaw appears between a andβ phases during acidic pickling. The phosphate conversion coating is mainly composed of Mg, MgO, and some amorphous phase, and it can provide a good protection for the AZ31B alloy. Results from corrosive morphology indicate that the growth and the corrosion resistance of the phosphate conversion coating are related to the forming process of the AZ31B matrix.

Cerium Chemical Conversion Coating on a Novel Mg-Li Alloy

A novel Mg-Li alloy was treated in a cerium nitrate solution and cerium chemical conversion coating was obtained on the alloy. Then the forming process, structure and corrosion resistance of the coating were investigated. The influential factors of cerium conversion coating were discussed through orthogonal experiments, and the optimum processing parameters were confirmed. XPS spectra displayed that the conversion coating consisted of cerium compounds, and the major component of the protective layer was a mixture of Ce （IV） oxide and Ce （IV） hydroxide. In addition, XRD pattern illustrated that there was crystalline CeO2 in the conversion coating. Analysis by SEM showed that the cerium conversion coating was uniform with a fiber-like morphology. The thickness of the conversion coating was 12 μm. The results of electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization and hydrogen evolution measurement indicated that the cerium conversion coating provided effective protection to the novel Mg-Li alloy.

Development of Electrospray Laser Chemical Vapour Deposition for Homogenous Alumina Coatings

Electrospray,as a liquid source supply system,has been applied to chemical vapour deposition（CVD）.In thermal CVD,the microstructure of the obtained films changes from dense to coarse granular because of the decreasing surface temperature during deposition.Using the electrospray laser chemical vapour deposition method,we prepared homogenous alumina coatings.We found that laser irradiation was effective in compensating the surface temperature decrease,and an alpha-alumina coating with dense columnar microstructures was obtained at a deposition rate of 200 μm/h using 200 W Nd：YAG laser irradiation.

Surface Modification of a-Fe Metal Particles by Chemical Surface Coating

The structure of a-Fe metal magnetic recording particles coated with silane coupling agents have been studied by TEM, FT-IR, EXAFS, Mossbauer. The results show that a close, uniform, firm and ultra thin layer, which is beneficial to the magnetic and chemical stability, has been formed by the cross-linked chemical bond Si-O-Si. And the organic molecule has chemically bonded to the particle surface, which has greatly affected the surface Fe atom electronic structure. Furthermore, the covalent bond between metal particle surface and organic molecule has obvious effect on the near edge structure of the surface Fe atoms.

Characteristic comparison of metal films coated onto the cenosphere by chemical and magnetron sputtering methods

Metal-coated cenospheres have been widely used in industries. Different coating methods result in different characteristic metal films. The metal film on the cenosphere by chemical coating does not appear to be very smooth, exhibiting metal piled up and pin holes on the surface and leaving some spots uncoated. Meanwhile, the metal film is not tightly absorbed onto cenospheres and is easy to peel off. However, the metal film prepared by magnetron sputtering is compact, smooth and without pin holes. The film has good affinity to the cenosphere surface. Such films do not separate with it even when the cenosphere is crushed. Both the metal t＇rims give the same XRD patterns, indicating that the crystal structure of the metal films by these two methods is the same. Chemical coating is a complex process and harmful to the environment, but it fits ultrafine powder coating （the particle size can be less than 2 μm）. The magnetron sputtering method is environmental friendly and works quickly, but this method requires specially designed equipment and does not work for ultrafine powders. If the particle size is less than 30 μm, the coating process is hard to carry on.

Fluorite Ce_(0.8)Sm_(0.2)O_(2-δ) porous layer coating to enhance the oxygen permeation behavior of a BaCo_(0.7)Fe_(0.2)Nb_(0.1)O_(3-δ) mixed conductor

Fluorite Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-δ（SDC） nanopowder with a crystallite size of 15 nm was synthesized by a co-precipitation method. An SDC porous layer was coated onto a BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-δ（BCFN） mixed conductor to improve its oxygen transport behavior. The results show that the SDC-coated BCFN membrane exhibits a remarkably higher oxygen permeation flux（JO2） than the uncoated BCFN in the partial oxidation of coke oven gas（COG）. The maximum JO2 value of the SDC-coated BCFN is 18.28 mL ·min^-1·cm^-2 under a COG/air flux of 177 mL ·min^-1/353 mL ·min^-1 at 875℃ when the thickness of the BCFN membrane is 1 mm; this JO2 value is 23% higher than that of the uncoated BCFN membrane. This enhancement is likely because of the higher oxygen ionic conductivity of SDC, which supplies oxygen vacancies and accelerates oxygen exchange on the membrane/coating layer/gas three-phase boundary.

Preparation and microstructure characterization of a nano-sized Ti^(4+)-doped AgSnO_2 electrical contact material

A Ti^4＋-doped nano-structured AgSnO2 material was prepared using sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that Ti^4＋ cations are successfully doped into the crystal lattice of SnO2, and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity of the sample. Furthermore, the coating of Ag on Ti^4＋-doped SnO2 nano-sized particles enhances the surface wettability and enables the resulting AgSnO2 material to have better mechanical properties.

Progress of electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloy

The current research processes of electroplating and electroless Ni-P alloy plating on magnesium alloys were reviewed. Theoretically,the reason for difficulties in electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys was given.The zinc immersion, copper immersion,direct electroless Ni-P alloy plating and electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys prepared by chemical conversion coating were presented in detail.Especially,the research development of magnesium alloy AZ91 and AZ31 was discussed briefly.Based on the analysis,the existing problems and future research directions were then given.

Self-catalytic degradation of iron-bearing chemical conversion coating on magnesium alloys — Influence of Fe content

A number of industrial and biomedical fields,such as hydraulic fracturing balls for gas and petroleum exploitation and implant materials,require Mg alloys with rapid dissolution.An iron-bearing phosphate chemical conversion(PCC)coating with self-catalytic degradation function was fabricated on the Mg alloy AZ31.Surface morphologies,chemical compositions and degradation behaviors of the PCC coating were investigated through FE-SEM,XPS,XRD,FTIR,electrochemical and hydrogen evolution tests.Results indicated that the PCC coating was characterized by iron,its phosphates and hydroxides,amorphous Mg(OH)2 and Mg3-n(HnPO4)2.The self-catalytic degradation effects were predominately concerned with the Fe concentration,chemical composition and microstructure of the PCC coating,which were ascribed to the galvanic corrosion between Fe in the PCC coating and the Mg substrate.The coating with higher Fe content and porous microstructure exhibited a higher degradation rate than that of the AZ31 substrate,while the coating with a trace of Fe and compact surface disclosed a slightly enhanced corrosion resistance for the AZ31 substrate.

Synthesis and characterization of carbon-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles（CFNPs） were prepared via a reverse micelle method. The CFNPs were subsequently coated with carbon shells by means of thermal chemical vapor deposition（TCVD）. In this process, acetylene gas（C2H2） was used as a carbon source and the coating was carried out for 1, 2, or 3 h at 750℃. The Ar/C2H2 ratio was 10：1. Heating during the TCVD process resulted in a NP core size that approached 30 nm; the thickness of the shell was less than 10 nm. The composition, structure, and morphology of the fabricated composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, simultaneous thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected-area diffraction. A vibrating sample magnetometer was used to survey the samples＇ magnetic properties. The deposited carbon shell substantially affected the growth and magnetic properties of the CFNPs. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to study the carbon coating and revealed that the deposited carbon comprised graphite, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and diamond-like carbon. With an increase in coating time, the intensity ratio between the amorphous and ordered peaks in the Raman spectra decreased, which indicated an increase in crystallite size.

Chemical synthesis and characterization of SmCo_(5)/Co magnetic nanocomposite particles

Magnetic nanocomposite material has been widely focused for the potential to become the next generation of magnetic material.In this paper,two kinds of chemical coating methods were used to prepare SmCo_(5)/Co nanocomposite particles which were further characterized and compared.The two methods were carried out by using different materials and at different temperatures.In Method I,oleylamine(OAm),oleic acid and Ca(acac)2 were used and the reaction was carried out at the temperature of 300℃.In MethodⅡ,anhydrous isopropanol,polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP),N_(2)H_(4)·H_(2)O and CoCl_(2)·6 H_(2)O were used and the reaction temperature was~55℃.It was found that by using the two methods,the growth and the crystal structure of the Co nanoparticles(NPs)are different.In Method I,epitaxial growth on the surface of SmCo_(5) NPs was observed and the Co NPs were in a facecentered close packing crystal structure.While in Method II,the coated Co NPs were self-nucleated with a crystal structure of hexagonal close packing.Using MethodⅡwith the addition of surfactant,anisotropic nanocomposite particles were achieved with an enhanced saturated magnetization of 84.2 A·m^(2)·kg^(-1).And the coercivity change of the NPs illustrates that a nonmagnetic interlayer between the hard and soft magnetic phase is beneficial to maintain the coercivity.

A novel coated-particle design and fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition preparation method for fuel-element identification in a nuclear reactor

Particle coating is an important method that can be used to expand particle-technology applications. Coated-particle design and preparation for nuclear fuel-element trajectory tracing were focused on in this paper. Particles that contain elemental cobalt were selected because of the characteristic gamma ray spectra of 60Co. A novel particle-structure design was proposed by coating particles that contain elemental cobalt with a high-density silicon-carbide （SiC） layer. During the coating process with the high-density SiC layer, cobalt metal was formed and diffused towards the coating, so an inner SiC–CoxSi layer was designed and obtained by fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition coupled with in-situ chemical reaction. The coating layers were studied by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The chemical composition was also determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The novel particle design can reduce the formation of metallic cobalt and prevent cobalt diffusion in the coating process, which can maintain safety in a nuclear reactor for an extended period. The experimental results also validated that coated particles maintain their structural integrity at extremely high temperatures （～1950 °C）, which meets the requirements of next-generation nuclear reactors.

Blast response of full-size concrete walls with chemically reactive enamel （CRE）-coated steel reinforcement

In this study, two full-size concrete wails were tested and analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a chemically reactive enamel （CRE） coating in improving their mechanical behavior under blast loading： one with CRE-coated rebar and the other with uncoated rebar. Each wall was subjected in sequence to four explosive loads with equivalent 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene （TNT） charge weights of 1.82, 4.54, 13.6, and 20.4 kg. A finite element model of each wall under a close-in blast load was developed and validated with pressure and strain measurements, and used to predict rebar stresses and concrete surface sWain distributions of the wall. The test results and visual inspections consistently indicated that, compared with the barrier wall with uncoated reinforcement, the wall with CRE-coated rebar has fewer concrete cracks on the front and back faces, more effective stress transfers from concrete to steel rebar, and stronger connections with its concrete base. The concrete surface strain distributions predicted by the model under various loading conditions are in good agreement with the crack patterns observed during the tests.