A Generalized Gibbs Potential Model for Materials Degradation

It is well known that work done on a material by conservative forces (electrical, mechanical, chemical) will increase the Gibbs Potential of the material. The increase in Gibbs Potential can be stored in the material and is free/available to do work at some later time. However, it will be shown in this paper that while in this state of higher Gibbs potential, the material is metastable and the material will degrade spontaneously/naturally with time in an effort to reach a lower Gibbs Potential. A generalized Gibbs Potential Model is developed herein to better understand its impact on a materials degradation rate. Special attention will be given to dielectrics degradation.

Optimal Selection of Raw Material Forest Species for Edible Fungi in Guizhou Province

A comprehensive evaluation system,which focused on optimal selection of raw material forest species for edible fungi,was established by combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)and Experts Grading Method(EGM).The evaluation system had 4 indices of grade I and 12 indices of grade II.Among the 12 indices of grade II,the weighted values of production quality of edible fungi P2(0.2874),usable time P7(0.1873),annual average increment P8(0.1873),edible fungi production suitability P1(0.0958)were larger than the values of others.Based on the comprehensive evaluation system,this study analyzed and screened 47 broadleaf species of 40 genera of 25 families.There were 16 broadleaf species having the comprehensive evaluation scores of equal to or greater than2.4000,which were available as major tree species for edible fungi development of Guizhou Province,especially species such as Liriodendron chinense,Quercus acutissima,Alnus cremastogyne,Betula luminfera,Elaeocarpus duclouxii,Elaeocarpus sylvestris,Choerospondias axillaris.The 10 broadleaf tree species with comprehensive evaluation score of 2.1000≤Y 2.4000 were recommended as candidates for edible fungi production,while the 21 broadleaf species with the comprehensive evaluation score of less than 2.1000 were not recommended.

Modification strategies improving the electrochemical and structural stability of high-Ni cathode materials

With the increasing spotlight in electric vehicles,there is a growing demand for high-energy-density batteries to enhance driving range.Consequently,several studies have been conducted on high-energy-density LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(z)O_(2)cathodes.However,there is a limit to permanent performance deterioration because of side reactions caused by moisture in the atmosphere and continuous microcracks during cycling as the Ni content to express high energy increases and the content of Mn and Co that maintain structural and electrochemical stabilization decreases.The direct modification of the surface and bulk regions aims to enhance the capacity and long-term performance of high-Ni cathode materials.Therefore,an efficient modification requires a study based on a thorough understanding of the degradation mechanisms in the surface and bulk region.In this review,a comprehensive analysis of various modifications,including doping,coating,concentration gradient,and single crystals,is conducted to solve degradation issues along with an analysis of the overall degradation mechanism occurring in high-Ni cathode materials.It also summarizes recent research developments related to the following modifications,aims to provide notable points and directions for post-studies,and provides valuable references for the commercialization of stable high-energy-density cathode materials.

Passivity Degradation of Nuclear Materials in Reduced Sulfur Environments:A Review

This paper reviews sulfur-induced passivity degradation of nuclear materials with emphasis on steam generator(SG)alloys. The state of arts on this topic concerning thermodynamic calculation and experimental data has been reviewed. Thermodynamic calculation results indicate that the distribution of sulfur species strongly depends on p H and temperature. Experimental data show that solution p H, temperature and solution chemistries can significantly affect the electrochemical behaviors of SG materials and the underlying degradation mechanisms. Some issues when conducting corrosion tests at high temperature should be paid attention to, such as the dissolution of the autoclave, which may affect the facticity of the experimental results.

Degradation analysis of nickel/metal hydride battery and its electrodes materials

The results indicate that during charge and discharge, the expansion of Ni（OH）2 crystal, pulverization of MH alloy particles and falling off from current collector are identified as the main causes for deterioration of Ni/MH batteries. Meanwhile, the contact resistance of inner battery increases due to the deterioration of the negative and positive electrode, and these changes lead to increasing battery body temperature and damaging its electrode and separator. The fibre’s expansion and hole’s diminishment of battery’s separator after degradation will affect the electrochemical performance and cycle life of Ni/MH batteries.

On the degradation of granular materials due to internal erosion

A new state-based elasto-plastic constitutive relationship along with the discrete element model is established to estimate the degradation of granular materials due to internal erosion.Four essential effects of internal erosion such as the force network damage and relaxation are proposed and then incorporated into the constitutive relationship to formulate internal erosion impacts on the mechanical behavior of granular materials.Most manifestations in the degradation of granular materials,such as reduction of peak strength and dilatancy are predicted by the modified constitutive relationship in good agreement with the discrete element method（DEM）simulation.In particular,the sudden reduction of stress for conspicuous mass erosion in a high stress state is captured by force network damage and the relaxation mechanism.It is concluded that the new modified constitutive relationship is a potential theory to describe the degradation of granular materials due to internal erosion and would be very useful,for instance,in the prediction and assessment of piping disaster risk during the flood season.

Investigation on electrocatalytic performance and material degradation of an N-doped grapheneMOF nanocatalyst in emulated electrochemical environments

To develop graphene-based nanomaterials as reliable catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems(e.g.PEM fuel cells,metal–air batteries,etc.),it is imperative to critically understand their performance changes and correlated material degradation processes under different operational conditions.In these systems,hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))is often an inevitable byproduct of the catalytic oxygen reduction reaction,which can be detrimental to the catalysts,electrodes,and electrolyte materials.Here,we studied how the electrocatalytic performance changes for a heterogeneous nanocatalyst named nitrogen-doped graphene integrated with a metal–organic framework(N-G/MOF)by the effect of H_(2)O_(2),and correlated the degradation process of the catalyst in terms of the changes in elemental compositions,chemical bonds,crystal structures,and morphology.The catalyst samples were treated with five different concentrations of H_(2)O_(2) to emulate the operational conditions and examined to quantify the changes in electrocatalytic performances in an alkaline medium,elemental composition and chemical bonds,crystal structure,and morphology.The electrocatalytic performance considerably declined as the H_(2)O_(2) concentration reached above 0.1 M.The XPS analyses suggest the formation of different oxygen functional groups on the material surface,the breakdown of the material's C–C bonds,and a sharp decline in pyridinic-N functional groups due to gradually harsher H_(2)O_(2) treatments.In higher concentrations,the H_(2)O_(2)-derived radicals altered the crystalline and morphological features of the catalyst.

A novel biodegradable Mg-1Zn-0.5Sn alloy:Mechanical properties,corrosion behavior,biocompatibility,and antibacterial activity

To meet the growing demand for antibacterial implants for bone-implant-associated infection therapy and avoid the adverse effects of secondary surgery,a degradable platform with pH responsiveness and ion-associated antibacterial properties was constructed.A small amount of Sn added to Mg-1Zn alloy reduces the biocorrosion rate,which can be attributed to Sn participation in outer-layer film formation,significantly reducing the biocorrosion rate and hydrogen evolution rate after implantation in vivo.These Mg alloys,which are susceptible to degradation in the acidic bacterial microenvironment,degrade by releasing Mg,Zn and Sn,producing favorably alkaline and antibacterial conditions.Samples with the composition of Mg-1Zn-0.5Sn were found to be beneficial for promoting initial cell adhesion and proliferation,resulting in improved biocompatibility and biosafety.The biocompatibility of this alloy was confirmed by the healthy behavior of animals and the absence of acute or chronic toxicity in the liver,spleen,and kidneys.Our results demonstrate that Mg-1Zn-0.5Sn is safe for biological systems,enabling its efficacious use in biomedical applications.

Advances in Utilization of Agricultural Waste Based on Production of Edible Fungi

Along with the rapid development of edible fungus industry in China,the traditional mode of production giving priority to wood chips will be severely limited,and using agricultural waste distributed widely,having large yield,and containing high content of organic matter to produce edible fungi has good economic and ecological benefit. In this paper,based on the analysis of characteristics of agricultural waste in China,the present situation of application of agricultural waste in the production of edible fungi at home and abroad was introduced,and the main problems existing in production of edible fungi by using agricultural waste in China at the present stage were pointed out. Finally,the development direction of using agricultural waste to cultivate edible fungi was discussed,and some suggestions were put forward,such as improving the theoretical system for using agricultural waste to produce edible fungi,and establishing the standardized technical system for using agricultural waste to produce edible fungi.

Recent Progress,Challenges,and Prospects in Two‑Dimensional Photo‑Catalyst Materials and Environmental Remediation

The successful photo-catalyst library gives significant information on feature that affects photo-catalytic performance and proposes new materials.Competency is considerably significant to form multi-functional photo-catalysts with flexible characteristics.Since recently,two-dimensional materials(2DMs)gained much attention from researchers,due to their unique thickness-dependent uses,mainly for photo-catalytic,outstanding chemical and physical properties.Photo-catalytic water splitting and hydrogen(H2)evolution by plentiful compounds as electron(e−)donors is estimated to participate in constructing clean method for solar H2-formation.Heterogeneous photocatalysis received much research attention caused by their applications to tackle numerous energy and environmental issues.This broad review explains progress regarding 2DMs,significance in structure,and catalytic results.We will discuss in detail current progresses of approaches for adjusting 2DMs-based photo-catalysts to assess their photo-activity including doping,hetero-structure scheme,and functional formation assembly.Suggested plans,e.g.,doping and sensitization of semiconducting 2DMs,increasing electrical conductance,improving catalytic active sites,strengthening interface coupling in semiconductors(SCs)2DMs,forming nano-structures,building multi-junction nano-composites,increasing photo-stability of SCs,and using combined results of adapted approaches,are summed up.Hence,to further improve 2DMs photo-catalyst properties,hetero-structure design-based 2DMs’photo-catalyst basic mechanism is also reviewed.

STUDY ON DAMAGE BIFURCATION AND INSTABILITY OF ROCK-LIKE MATERIALS

The critical bifurcation orientation and its corresponding hardening modulus for rock-like geomaterials are derived by considering the effect of stiffness degradation and volumetric dilatancy under the assumption of isotropic damage. The dependency of the localized orientation on the degree of damage and initial Poisson＇s ratio of rock is examined and the bifurcation behavior of the uniaxial compression sample under the plane-stress condition is compared with that under plane-strain condition. It is shown that the localization orientation angle intimately depends on both the initial Poisson＇s ratio and degree of damage for the rock sample under the uniaxial compression condition. As the initial Poisson＇s ratio or degree of damage increases, the orientation angle of the plane on which localization tends to be initiated gets to decrease. At the same time, the localization orientation angle of a rock sample under the plane-stress condition is larger than that under the plane-strain condition.

Two-dimensional nanomaterials confined single atoms: New opportunities for environmental remediation

Two-dimensional(2D)supports confined single-atom catalysts(2D SACs)with unique geometric and electronic structures have been attractive candidates in different catalytic applications,such as energy conversion and storage,value-added chemical synthesis and environmental remediation.However,their environmental appli-cations lack of a comprehensive summary and in-depth discussion.In this review,recent progresses in synthesis routes and advanced characterization techniques for 2D SACs are introduced,and a comprehensive discussion on their applications in environmental remediation is presented.Generally,2D SACs can be effective in catalytic elimination of aqueous and gaseous pollutants via radical or non-radical routes and transformation of toxic pollutants into less poisonous species or highly value-added products,opening a new horizon for the contami-nant treatment.In addition,in-depth reaction mechanisms and potential pathways are systematically discussed,and the relationship between the structure-performance is highlighted.Finally,several critical challenges within this field are presented,and possible directions for further explorations of 2D SACs in environmental remediation are suggested.Although the research of 2D SACs in the environmental application is still in its infancy,this review will provide a timely summary on the emerging field,and would stimulate tremendous interest for designing more attractive 2D SACs and promoting their wide applications.

Composite Materials Damage Modeling Based on Dielectric Properties

Composite materials, by nature, are universally dielectric. The distribution of the phases, including voids and cracks, has a major influence on the dielectric properties of the composite materials. The dielectric relaxation behavior measured by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BbDS) is often caused by interfacial polarization, which is known as Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarization that develops because of the heterogeneity of the composite materials. A prominent mechanism in the low frequency range is driven by charge accumulation at the interphases between different constituent phases. In our previous work, we observed in-situ changes in dielectric behavior during static tensile testing, and also studied the effects of applied mechanical and ambient environments on composite material damage states based on the evaluation of dielectric spectral analysis parameters. In the present work, a two dimensional conformal computational model was developed using a COMSOL™multi-physics module to interpret the effective dielectric behavior of the resulting composite as a function of applied frequency spectra, especially the effects of volume fraction, the distribution of the defects inside of the material volume, and the influence of the permittivity and Ohmic conductivity of the host materials and defects.

Discussion on Preparation and Application of BiOIO_(3)-based Composite Materials

BiOIO3 is a layered semiconductor photocatalyst,which has good chemical properties and has attracted wide attention from researchers because of its unique structure.However,pure BiOIO3 has defects such as insufficient response to visible light and easy recombination of photogenerated electrons.Therefore,in recent years,scholars have tried to modify BiOIO3 to expand its light absorption range,reduce the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and reduce its limitations,thereby improving its visible light catalytic performance.Current researches focus on the improvement of the catalytic activity of photocatalytic materials from morphology control,precious metal deposition,ion doping and construction of heterojunctions.

The Vascular Vegetation Populating the Flora in Building Materials of Historic Monuments Cities of the West Central Region of Morocco

In the concern of the preservation of the main historic monuments of the cities of Rabat and Sale (Morocco), a botanical study was conducted in 2009. The prospecting of these monuments allowed raising an inventory of the flora populating their building materials, and it has proved that this flora is rich and diversified. Indeed, it consists of 171 adventitious species distributed in 46 botanical families. The most represented families are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Geraniaceae, Brassicaceae and Lamiaceae. They supply, to them only 49.7% of the specific size. The annual therophytes and the dicotyledon are dominant with respectively 66.7% and 84.7% of the specific size. Nevertheless, the presence of more than 20 species of trees and perennials constitutes a serious danger for bulwarks walls, especially by the phenomenon of fissuring by the action of the huge roots of these vegetables. These vegetables fitting into are placed on joints or cracks fissures have a chemical action on stones by acids that they release, and also a mechanical action by the growth of roots inside cracks fissures. They remain one of these are one of the important biological factors of the degradation of historic monuments. It is to note that the bulwarks walls of the site of Chella (Roman ruins) present more floral diversity than the other canvassed monuments (91 species) that are 53% of the total size.

Multi-Component Resource Recycling from Waste Light-Emitting Diode Under Hydrothermal Condition:Plastic Package Degradation,Speciation of Nano-TiO_(2),and Environmental Impact Assessment

Light emitting diodes(LEDs)have accounted for most of the lighting market as the technology matures and costs continue to reduce.As a new type of e-waste,LED is a double-edged sword,as it contains not only precious and rare metals but also organic packaging materials.In previous studies,LED recycling focused on recovering precious and strategic metals while ignoring harmful substances such as organic packaging materials.Unlike crushing and other traditional methods,hydrothermal treatment can provide an environment-friendly process for decomposing packaging materials.This work developed a closed reaction vessel,where the degradation rate of plastic polyphthalamide(PPA)was close to 100%,with nano-TiO_(2)encapsulated in plastic PPA being efficiently recovered,while metals contained in LED were also recycled efficiently.Besides,the role of water in plastic PPA degradation that has been overlooked in current studies was explored and speculated in detail in this work.Environmental impact assessment revealed that the proposed recycling route for waste LED could significantly reduce the overall environmental impact compared to the currently published processes.Especially the developed method could reduce more than half the impact of global warming.Furthermore,this research provides a theoretical basis and a promising method for recycling other plastic-packaged e-waste devices,such as integrated circuits.

Degradation analysis and doping modification optimization for high-voltage P-type layered cathode in sodium-ion batteries

Advancing high-voltage stability of layered sodium-ion oxides represents a pivotal avenue for their progress in energy storage applications.Despite this,a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underpinning their structural deterioration at elevated voltages remains insufficiently explored.In this study,we unveil a layer delamination phenomenon of Na_(0.67)Ni_(0.3)Mn_(0.7)O_(2)(NNM)within the 2.0-4.3 V voltage,attributed to considerable volumetric fluctuations along the c-axis and lattice oxygen reactions induced by the simultaneous Ni^(3+)/Ni^(4+)and anion redox reactions.By introducing Mg doping to diminished Ni-O antibonding,the anion oxidation-reduction reactions are effectively mitigated,and the structural integrity of the P2 phase remains firmly intact,safeguarding active sites and precluding the formation of novel interfaces.The Na_(0.67)Mg_(0.05)Ni_(0.25)Mn_(0.7)O_(2)(NMNM-5)exhibits a specific capacity of100.7 mA h g^(-1),signifying an 83%improvement compared to the NNM material within the voltage of2.0-4.3 V.This investigation underscores the intricate interplay between high-voltage stability and structural degradation mechanisms in layered sodium-ion oxides.

Piezoelectric materials for pollutants degradation: State-of-the-art accomplishments and prospects

Piezoelectric catalysis, a new catalytic method, is widely used in the field of environmental sanitation, including waste water treatment and dye degradation. However, in the face of the growing environmental pollution problem, the efficiency of piezoelectric catalysis is still hampered by the stress variation in the natural environment. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the catalytic efficiency of piezoelectric materials. We divide piezoelectric materials into two categories: inorganic piezoelectric materials and organic piezoelectric materials. Then the mainstream inorganic piezoelectric materials are divided into four subcategories, namely:(1) MTiO_(3)(M = Ba, Sr),(2) bi-class catalytic materials,(3) MoX_(2)(X = S,Se), and(4) ZnO piezoelectric materials. The mainstream organic piezoelectric materials are divided into PVDF and g-C_(3)N_(4)materials. At the same time, the above materials are summarized to explain the excellent performance of materials from the perspective of structure and piezoelectric principle. In addition,we summarized the modification methods that can be applied to piezoelectric materials:(1) Morphology methods,(2) composites with heterojunctions, and(3) surface modification. Finally, we summarized the prospects of piezoelectric materials in the field of environment and water treatment.

Effects of external stress on biodegradable orthopedic materials: A review

Biodegradable orthopedic materials(BOMs)are used in rehabilitation and reconstruction of fractured tissues.The response of BOMs to the combined action of physiological stress and corrosion is an important issue in vivo since stress-assisted degradation and cracking are common.Although the degradation behavior and kinetics of BOMs have been investigated under static conditions,stress effects can be very serious and even fatal in the dynamic physiological environment.Since stress is unavoidable in biomedical applications of BOMs,recent work has focused on the evaluation and prediction of the properties of BOMs under stress in corrosive media.This article reviews recent progress in this important area focusing on biodegradable metals,polymers,and ceramics.

Review of electrochemical degradation of phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds are widely present in domestic and industrial sewage and have serious environmental hazards.Electrochemical oxidation(EO)is one of the most promising methods for sewage degradation because of its high efficiency,environmental compatibility,and safety.In this work,we present an in-depth overview of the mechanism and factors affecting the degradation of phenolic compounds by EO.In particular,the effects of treatment of phenolic compounds with different anode materials are discussed in detail.The non-active anode shows higher degradation efficiency,less intermediate accumulation,and lower energy consumption than the active anode.EO combined with other treatment methods(biological,photo,and Fenton)presents advantages,such as low energy consumption and high degradation rate.Mean-while,the remaining drawbacks of the EO process in the phenolic compound treatment system have been discussed.Furthermore,future re-search directions are put forward to improve the feasibility of the practical application of EO technology.