Application of face centred cubic TiB powder as conductive filler for electrically conductive adhesives

Face centred cubic（FCC） TiB ceramic powder synthesized by Ti-boronizing method was used as conductive filler to make ceramic electrically conductive adhesives（ECAs） with the polymer matrix.Electrically conductive properties of the ceramic ECAs were studied.The bulk electrical resistivity varied with the powder content of the FCC-TiB in ECAs.The FCC-TiB filled ECAs also showed the percolation behavior that usually occurred for the metal-filled ECAs,the percolation threshold was located at the content of 60%FCC-TiB.A minimum value of 0.1 Ω·cm was obtained at a content of 75%FCC-TiB.In order to check the reliability of mechanical property,tensile test was done to measure the shear strength,and the shear strength dropped with increasing the content of FCC-TiB powders.It is about 12.26 MPa at the content of 70%TiB powders.The Cu filled ECAs were also prepared for comparison.The properties of the oxidation resistance of the two ECAs were evaluated.The results show that the ceramic ECAs have excellent oxidation resistance and better stability compared with the Cu filled ECAs.

Influential Factors on Deicing Performance of Electrically Conductive Concrete Pavement

The deicing experiment of carbon fiber reinforced electrically conductive concrete （CFRC） slab was conducted in laboratory at first, then the deicing process of CFRC parement was analyzed by means of finite element method （FEM）. At last, based on the energy conservation law and the computing restdts of finite element method, the influential factors including the setting of electric heating layer, environmental temperature, the thickness of ice, material parameters, and deicing power on deicing performance and energy consumption were discussed.

A Novel Technique for Preparation of Electrically Conductive ABS/Cu Polymeric Gradient Composites

A novel technique for preparing functionally gradient electrically conductive polymeric composites was developed by using of solution casting technique on the principle of Stokes＇ law. Acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene/Cu （ABS/Cu） gradient polymeric composites were prepared successfully using this technique. The gradient structures, electrically conductive performance and mechanical properties of the ABS/Cu composites were investigated. Optical microscope observation shows that the gradient distribution of Cu particles in ABS matrix was formed along their thickness-direction. The electrically conductive testing results indicate that the order of magnitude of surface resistivity was kept in 10^15 Ω at ABS rich side, while that declined to 10^5 Ω at Cu particles rich side, and the percolation threshold was in the range of 2.82 vo1%- 4.74 vol% Cu content at Cu particles rich side. Mechanical test shows that the tensile strength reduced insignificantly as the content of Cu increases owing to the gradient distribution.

Electrochemical migration behavior of Ag-plated Cu-filled electrically conductive adhesives

The electrochemical migration (ECM) behavior of the electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) filled with pure Ag powder or Ag-plated Cu composite powder with varied Ag:Cu ratios was investigated under the condition of applying constant voltage and distilled water environment.ECM resistance was determined from the current-time curves.The microstructure and composition of ECM dendrite products were analyzed by SEM/EDS and XRD.It was found that the ECM resistance of Ag-plated Cu composite powder-filled ECAs was evidently higher than that of pure Ag powder-filled ECAs.The Ag:Cu ratio of composite powder in ECAs had notable influence on ECM resistance,which was enhanced with the decrease of Ag:Cu ratios.The composition of dendrites formed between cathode and anode during ECM process was not uniform for Ag-plated Cu-filled ECAs.An ECM inhibiting mechanism of Ag-plated Cu composite powder was proposed according to analysis of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,Tafel plot and dendrite composition.

Application of silver nanoparticles in electrically conductive adhesives with silver micro flakes

This study has been conducted to evaluate the application of silver nanoparticles(NPs)in Electrically Conductive Adhesives(ECAs),filled with hybrid silver flakes and NPs,and silver flakes as a control sample,at a filler loading of 78 wt.%,83 wt.%and 88 wt.%and cured at 150℃and 180℃,respectively.The results show that the electrical and thermal conductivities of ECAs were improved with the increasing of filler loading and curing temperature.Adding silver NPs in silver flakes negatively affected the electrical and thermal conductivities of ECAs at a low filler mass fraction of 78 wt.%,because the segregation of NPs enlarged the average distance of silver flakes;while it positively influenced the electrical and thermal conductivities of ECAs at a loading ratio of 88 wt.%,probably due to NPs filling in the gaps between silver flakes or even sintering together with each other or with silver flakes,especially when curing at high temperature of 180℃.

Anti-corrosion and electrically conductive inorganic conversion coatings based on aligned graphene derivatives by electrodeposition

Ultrathin conversion coatings, made from aligned graphene derivatives and ammonium zirconium carbonate(AZC), were fabricated on stainless steel by electrodeposition. Sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) provided electronpathways and physical barriers to corrosive molecules. Electrodeposition ensured the alignment of SGO and thefacile fabrication of the coatings. AZC is an environmental-friendly crosslinking agent, water-repellent andcorrosion inhibitor. Upon dehydration reactions, AZC improved the cohesion between SGO layers and anchoredthe conversion coatings on metal substrates. When the mass ratio of SGO to AZC was 2:1, the corrosion currentdensity of the composite coatings reached 0.098 μA cm^(-2), while that of the bared stainless steel was1.04 μA cm ^(-2), given a coating thickness of only 500 nm. The electrical conductivity of SGO/AZC compositecoatings can be tailored from 3.84 × 10^(-5) to 2.28×10^(-3)S‧cm^(-1) by heat treatment and HI reduction, whichsatisfied the electrical conductivity requirement of wide applications in electronic industry, office appliances andpetroleum storage.

Electrically conductive nanowires controlled one pivotal route in energy harvest and microbial corrosion via direct metal-microbe electron transfer

Extracellular electron transfer(EET)plays a critical role in bioelectrochemical processes,allowing cou-pling between microorganisms and extracellular solid-state electrodes,metals,or other cells in energy metabolism.Previous studies have suggested a role for outer-surface c-type cytochromes in direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer by Geobacter sulfurreducens,a model electroactive bacterium.Here,we ex-amined the possibility of other microbially produced electrical contacts by deleting the gene for PilA,the protein monomer that G.sulfurreducens assembles into electrically conductive protein nanowires(e-pili).Deleting pilA gene inhibited electron extraction from pure iron and 316L stainless steel up to 31%and 81%,respectively more than deleting the gene for the outer-surface cytochrome OmcS.This PilA-deficient phenotype,and the observation that relatively thick biofilms(21.7μm)grew on the metal surfaces at multi-cell distances from the metal surfaces suggest that e-pili contributed significantly to microbial cor-rosion via direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer.These results have implications for the fundamental understanding of electron harvest via e-pili by electroactive microbes,their uses in bioenergy production,as well as in monitoring and mitigation of metal biocorrosion.

A critical review of carbon materials engineered electrically conductive cement concrete and its potential applications

Carbon materials engineered electrically conductive cement concrete(ECCC)is typically prepared by directly adding carbon-based conductive filler into the cement matrix and then mixing cement with aggregates.With such a strategy,ECCC possesses a high conductivity and strain/stress sensitivity and thus can be used for snow and ice melting,ohmic heating,cathodic protection system,electromagnetic shielding,structural health monitoring,and traffic detection.This paper aims to provide a systematic review on the development and applications of ECCC,especially the progress made in the past decade(from 2012 to 2022).The composition and manufacture of ECCC are first introduced.Then,the electrical performance of ECCC and its potential applications are reviewed.Finally,the remaining challenges for future work are discussed.

Fiber-reinforced Three-dimensional Graphene Aerogels for Electrically Conductive Epoxy Composites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties

To enhance the mechanical properties of three-dimensional graphene aerogels with aramid fibers, graphene/organic fiber aerogels are prepared by chemical reduction of graphene oxide in the presence of organic fibers of poly（p-phenylene terephthalamide） （PPTA） and followed by freeze-drying. Thermal annealing of the composite aerogels at 1300℃ is adopted not only to restore the conductivity of the reduced graphene oxide component but also to convert the insulating PPTA organic fibers to conductive carbon fibers by the carbonization. The resultant graphene/carbon fiber aerogels （GCFAs） exhibit high electrical conductivities and enhanced compressive properties, which are highly efficient in improving both mechanical and electrical performances of epoxy composites. Compared to those of neat epoxy, the compressive modulus, compressive strength and energy absorption of the electrically conductive GCFA/epoxy composite are significantly increased by 60%, 59% and 131%, respectively.

Simultaneous Functionalization and Reduction of Graphene Oxide with Polyetheramine and Its Electrically Conductive Epoxy Nanocomposites

Simultaneous functionalization and reduction of graphene oxide （GO） is realized by refluxing of GO suspension with polyetheramine （D2000） followed by thermal treatment at 120℃. Compared to GO, the D2000-treated GO （GO- D2000） becomes hydrophobic, thermally stable and highly conductive with an electrical conductivity of 11 S/m, which is almost 8 orders of magnitude higher than that of GO. Due to the high conductivity and improved dispersion of GO-D2000, its epoxy nanocomposites exhibit a sharp transition from electrically insulating to conducting with a low percolation threshold of 0.71 vol%. With 3.6 wt% GO-D2000, the glass transition temperature of the epoxy nanocomposite is 27 K higher than that of neat epoxy.

Experimental Study of Liquid Metal Flow for the Development of a Contact-Less Control Technique

The article presents an experimental study on the flow of an eutectic gallium alloy in a cylindrical cell,which is placed in an alternating magnetic field.The magnetic field is generated by a coil connected to an alternating current source.The coil is located at a fixed height in such a way that its plane is perpendicular to the gravity vector,which in turn is parallel to the axis of the cylinder.The position of the cylinder can vary in height with respect to the coil.The forced flow of the considered electrically conductive liquid is generated due to the action of the localized electromagnetic force.It is assumed that under the action of the alternating magnetic field,the liquid is heated uniformly,and the resulting heat is quickly absorbed by the forced flow,so that liquid free convection can be neglected.The experiment is carried out using an ultrasonic Doppler anemometer.One transducer is installed in the axially located cylinder sluice and the other transducer is placed in the near-wall region.According to the results,a velocity profile,corresponding to a two-tori flow pattern can be hardly obtained in the low frequency range of the power supply.However,this is possible in the high frequency range.The average velocity profiles depend essentially on the location of the coil relative to the cell.The spectral analysis of velocity signals shows that the amplitude of the velocity pulsations is comparable to the average value of the flow velocity.Such experimental results and their verification through comparison with numerical calculations are intended to support the development of new methods for reducing the intensity of vortex flows during the electromagnetic separation of impurities through an electromagnetic induction mechanism(able to produce an electromotive force that displaces particles).

Saturation Estimation with Complex Electrical Conductivity for Hydrate-Bearing Clayey Sediments:An Experimental Study

Clays have considerable influence on the electrical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments.It is desirable to understand the electrical properties of hydrate-bearing clayey sediments and to build hydrate saturation(S_(h))models for reservoir evaluation and monitoring.The electrical properties of tetrahydrofuran-hydrate-bearing sediments with montmorillonite are characterized by complex conductivity at frequencies from 0.01 Hz to 1 kHz.The effects of clay and Sh on the complex conductivity were analyzed.A decrease and increase in electrical conductance result from the clay-swelling-induced blockage and ion migration in the electrical double layer(EDL),respectively.The quadrature conductivity increases with the clay content up to 10%because of the increased surface site density of counterions in EDL.Both the in-phase conductivity and quadrature conductivity decrease consistently with increasing Sh from 0.50 to 0.90.Three sets of models for Sh evaluation were developed.The model based on the Simandoux equation outperforms Archie’s formula,with a root-mean-square error(E_(RMS))of 1.8%and 3.9%,respectively,highlighting the clay effects on the in-phase conductivity.The fre-quency effect correlations based on in-phase and quadrature conductivities exhibit inferior performance(E_(RMS)=11.6%and 13.2%,re-spectively)due to the challenge of choosing an appropriate pair of frequencies and intrinsic uncertainties from two measurements.The second-order Cole-Cole formula can be used to fit the complex-conductivity spectra.One pair of inverted Cole-Cole parameters,i.e.,characteristic time and chargeability,is employed to predict S_(h) with an E_(RMS) of 5.05%and 9.05%,respectively.

Microstructure and water-swelling mechanism of red-bed mudstone in the Xining region,Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

This paper examines the effect of the microstructure and electrical conductivity(EC)on the swelling ratio and pressure in red-bed mudstone sampled from arid areas in the Xining region in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.A series of laboratory tests,including swelling experiments,X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scanning electron microscope(SEM),was carried out for mechanical and microstructural analysis.The coupled influence of the EC and microstructural parameters on the expansion ratio and pressure was investigated,and the weight coefficients were discussed by the entropy weight method.The results revealed an increasing exponential trend in EC,and the maximum swelling speed occurred at an EC of approximately 10 μS/cm.In addition,a method for predicting the expansion potential is proposed based on the microstructure,and its reliability is verified by comparing with swelling experimental results.In addition,according to the image analysis results,the ranges of the change in the clay minerals content(CMC),the fractal dimension(FD),the average diameter(AD)of pores,and the plane porosity(PP)are 23.75%-53%,1.08-1.17,7.53-22.45 mm,and 0.62%-1.25%,respectively.Moreover,mudstone swelling is negatively correlated with the plane porosity,fractal dimension and average diameter and is linearly correlated with the clay mineral content.Furthermore,the weight values prove that the microstructural characteristics,including FD,AD,and PP,are the main factors influencing the expansion properties of red-bed mudstones in the Xining region.Based on the combination of macro and micro-analyses,a quantitative analysis of the swelling process of mudstones can provide a better reference for understanding the mechanism of expansion behavior.

Experimental Study on Deicing Performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Conductive Concrete

Carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) is a kind of good electrothermal material. When connected to an external power supply, stable and uniform heat suitable for deicing application is generated in the CFRC slab. Electric heating and deicing experiments of carbon fiber reinforced concrete slab were carried out in laboratory, and the effect of the temperature and thickness of ice, the thermal conductivity of CFRC, and power output on deicing performance and energy consumption were investigated. The experimental results indicate that it is an effective method to utilize the thermal energy produced by CFRC slab to deice. The time to melt the ice completely decreases with increasing power output and ice temperature, and increases with increasing thickness of the ice. The energy consumption to melt 2 mm thickness of ice varies approximately linearly from 0.556 to 0.846 kW·h/m2 as the initial temperature ranges from -3℃ to - 18℃. CFRC with good thermal conduction can reduce temperature difference in CFRC slab effectively.

Hydro-mechanical-electrical simulations of synthetic faults in two orthogonal directions with shear-induced anisotropy

Fluid flow in fractures controls subsurface heat and mass transport,which is essential for developing enhanced geothermal systems and radioactive waste disposal.Fracture permeability is controlled by fracture microstructure(e.g.aperture,roughness,and tortuosity),but in situ values and their anisotropy have not yet been estimated.Recent advances in geophysical techniques allow the detection of changes in electrical conductivity due to changes in crustal stress and these techniques can be used to predict subsurface fluid flow.However,the paucity of data on fractured rocks hinders the quantitative interpretation of geophysical monitoring data in the field.Therefore,considering different shear displacements and chemical erosions,an investigation was conducted into the hydraulic-electric relationship as an elevated stress change in fractures.The simulation of fracture flows was achieved using the lattice Boltzmann method,while the electrical properties were calculated through the finite element method,based on synthetic faults incorporating elastic-plastic deformation.Numerical results show that the hydraulic and electrical properties depend on the rock's geometric properties(i.e.fracture length,roughness,and shear displacement).The permeability anisotropy in the direction parallel or perpendicular to the shear displacement is also notable in high stress conditions.Conversely,the permeability econductivity(i.e.,formation factor)relationship is unique under all conditions and follows a linear trend in logarithmic coordinates.However,both matrix porosity and fracture spacing alter this relationship.Both increase the slope of the linear trend,thereby changing the sensitivity of electrical observations to permeability changes.

Boosting overall saline water splitting by constructing a strain-engineered high-entropy electrocatalyst

High-entropy materials(HEMs),which are newly manufactured compounds that contain five or more metal cations,can be a platform with desired properties,including improved electrocatalytic performance owing to the inherent complexity.Here,a strain engineering methodology is proposed to design transition-metal-based HEM by Li manipulation(LiTM)with tunable lattice strain,thus tailoring the electronic structure and boosting electrocatalytic performance.As confirmed by the experiments and calculation results,tensile strain in the LiTM after Li manipulation can optimize the d-band center and increase the electrical conductivity.Accordingly,the asprepared LiTM-25 demonstrates optimized oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction activity in alkaline saline water,requiring ultralow overpotentials of 265 and 42 mV at 10 mA cm−2,respectively.More strikingly,LiTM-25 retains 94.6%activity after 80 h of a durability test when assembled as an anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer.Finally,in order to show the general efficacy of strain engineering,we incorporate Li into electrocatalysts with higher entropies as well.

Extrusion 3D printing of carbon nanotube-assembled carbon aerogel nanocomposites with high electrical conductivity

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs)with high aspect ratio and excellent electrical conduction offer huge functional improvements for current carbon aerogels.However,there remains a major challenge for achieving the on-demand shaping of carbon aerogels with tailored micro-nano structural textures and geometric features.Herein,a facile extrusion 3D printing strategy has been proposed for fabricating CNT-assembled carbon(CNT/C)aerogel nanocomposites through the extrusion printing of pseudoplastic carbomer-based inks,in which the stable dispersion of CNT nanofibers has been achieved relying on the high viscosity of carbomer microgels.After extrusion printing,the chemical solidification through polymerizing RF sols enables 3D-printed aerogel nanocomposites to display high shape fidelity in macroscopic geometries.Benefiting from the micro-nano scale assembly of CNT nanofiber networks and carbon nanoparticle networks in composite phases,3D-printed CNT/C aerogels exhibit enhanced mechanical strength(fracture strength,0.79 MPa)and typical porous structure characteristics,including low density(0.220 g cm^(-3)),high surface area(298.4 m^(2)g^(-1)),and concentrated pore diameter distribution(~32.8nm).More importantly,CNT nanofibers provide an efficient electron transport pathway,imparting 3D-printed CNT/C aerogel composites with a high electrical conductivity of 1.49 S cm^(-1).Our work would offer feasible guidelines for the design and fabrication of shape-dominated functional materials by additive manufacturing.

Polypyride intercalation boosting the kinetics and stability of V_(3)O_(7)·H_(2)O cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

V_(3)O_(7)·H_(2)O(VO)is a high capacity cathode material in the field of aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs),but it is limited by slow ion migration and low electrical conductivity.In this paper,polypyridine(PPyd)intercalated VO with nanoribbon structure was prepared by a simple in-situ pre-intercalation,which is noted VO-PPyd.The total density of states(TDOS)shows that after the pre-intercalation of PPyd,an intermediate energy level appears between the valence band and conduction band,which provides a step that can effectively reduce the band gap and enhance the electron conductivity.Furthermore,the density functional theory(DFT)results found that Zn^(2+)is more easily de-intercalated from the V-O skeleton,which proves that the embeddedness of PPyd improves the diffusion kinetics of Zn^(2+).Electrochemical studies have shown that VO-PPyd cathode materials exhibit excellent rate performance(high specific capacity of 465 and 192 mA h g^(-1)at 0.2 and 10 A g^(-1),respectively)and long-term cycling performance(92.7%capacity retention rate after 5300 cycles),due to their advantages in structure and composition.More importantly,the energy density of VO-PPyd//Zn at 581 and 5806 W kg^(-1)is 375 and 247 W h kg^(-1),respectively.VO-PPyd exhibits excellent electrochemical properties compared to previously reported vanadium based cathodes,which makes it highly competitive in the field of high-performance cathode materials of AZIBs.

Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) carbonitride MAX phase solid solutions with tunable mechanical,thermal,and electrical properties

Changing the N content in the Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) MAX phase solid solutions allows for the fine-tuning of their properties.However,systematic studies on the synthesis and properties of Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) solid solution bulks have not been reported thus far.Here,previously reported Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) solid solution bulks(y=0.3,0.5,0.8,and 1.0)were synthesized via hot pressing of their powder counterparts under optimized conditions.The prepared Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) bulks are dense and have a fine microstructure with grain sizes of 6–8μm.The influence of the N content on the mechanical properties,electrical conductivities,and coefficients of thermal expansion(CTEs)of the prepared Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) bulk materials was clarified.The flexural strength and Vickers hardness values increased with increasing N content,suggesting that solid solution strengthening effectively improved the mechanical properties of Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y).Ti_(3)AlCN(y=1)had the highest Vickers hardness and flexural strength among the studied samples,reaching 5.54 GPa and 550 MPa,respectively.However,the electrical conductivity and CTEs of the Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) solid solutions decreased with increasing N content,from 8.93×10^(−6) to 7.69×10^(−6) K^(−1) and from 1.33×10^(6) to 0.95×10^(6) S/m,respectively.This work demonstrated the tunable properties of Ti_(3)AlC_(2−y)N_(y) solid solutions with varying N contents and widened the MAX phase family for fundamental studies and applications.

Synergistically enhancing the piezoelectric activity and Curietemperature of CaBi_(4)Ti_(4)O_(15) ceramics via co-doping Gd/Mn at theA/B-site

As a typical Aurivillius-type compound, CaBi_(4)Ti_(4)O_(15) (CBT) is considered a strong competitor among hightemperature piezoelectric materials, but it is difficult to achieve both high piezoelectric activity and a high Curie temperaturefor CBT. In this work, the method of double-ion co-substituting at different crystalline sites was used to modify the electricalproperties of CBT. The Gd/Mn co-doped CBT ceramics with the chemical formula of Ca_(1−x)Gd_(x)Bi_(4)Ti_(4)O_(15)+0.2 wt% MnO_(2)(CBT–100xGM, x = 0–0.11) were prepared via the conventional sintering process. The phase and valence band structures,chemical compositions and microstructures, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, electrical conduction behaviors, andelectroelastic and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics were characterized. The doping concentration effects of Gd^(3+)were analyzed according to the composition-dependent structures and properties of CBT–100xGM. The donor substitutionof Gd^(3+) for Ca^(2+) at the A-site reduced the tolerance factor of the perovskite-like structure and decreased the concentration ofintrinsic oxygen vacancies. While Mn^(3+) tended to substitute for Ti4+ at the B-site, the extrinsic oxygen vacancies are limitednear the defect center of Ti(Mn) because of the formation of ( ‒MnTi')• as defect dipoles. The thermal depoling behavior ofthe CBT–100xGM ceramics between 300 and 700 ℃ was explained by the thermodynamic characteristics of the defectdipoles. The optimized composition with x = 0.08 (CBT–8GM) had a high TC ≈ 809 ℃ and a high piezoelectric coefficient(d33) ≈ 23 pC/N, as well as a piezoelectric voltage constant (g33) value of up to 21.5×10^(−3)(V·m)/N. Moreover, it can maintaina residual d33 ≈ 80% after being annealed at 700 ℃. This good anti-thermal depoling ability endows this material with greatapplication potential in high-temperature piezoelectric devices with operating temperatures exceeding 500 ℃. Thesynergistic enhancement in the piezoelectric activity and Curie temperature of CBT can be attributed mainly to the donorsubstituting effect of Gd^(3+) at the A-site, as well as the decreased elastic compliance contributed by MnO_(2) as the B-sitedopant.