Surface Nanocrystallization of C45E4 Steel by Ultrafast Electropulsing-ultrasonic Surface Treatment

The effect of high-energy electropulsing-ultrasonic surface treatment（EUST） on the surface properties and the microstructure evolution of C45 E4 steel was investigated. Refined microstructure and reduced surface roughness were obtained owing to the surface nanocrystallization process. Compared with the ultrasonic surface treatment（UST）, the impact depth of the surface strengthened layer was increased by 40% to 700 μm after EUST. The average grain size of the surface nanocrystallization layer was reduced to 30-50 nm. The surface roughness of the C45 E4 steel was reduced to 0.25 μm, and the surface microhardness was dramatically enhanced to 460 HV. The improvement of microstructure and micro-hardness at ambient temperature was likely attributed to the acceleration of atomic diffusion and the enhancement of plastic deformation ability in the surface strengthened layer under the influence of electropulsing. Due to the electropulsing-assisted ultrasonic strengthening effect, the surface nanocrystallization in this ultrafast procedure was noticeably enhanced.

Surface-modified Ag@Ru-P25 for photocatalytic CO_(2) conversion with high selectivity over CH_(4) formation at the solid–gas interface

Systematic optimization of the photocatalyst and investigation of the role of each component is important to maximizing catalytic activity and comprehending the photocatalytic conversion of CO_(2) reduction to solar fuels.A surface-modified Ag@Ru-P25 photocatalyst with H_(2)O_(2) treatment was designed in this study to convert CO_(2) and H_(2)O vapor into highly selective CH4.Ru doping followed by Ag nanoparticles(NPs)cocatalyst deposition on P25(TiO_(2))enhances visible light absorption and charge separation,whereas H_(2)O_(2) treatment modifies the surface of the photocatalyst with hydroxyl(–OH)groups and promotes CO_(2) adsorption.High-resonance transmission electron microscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,X-ray absorption near-edge structure,and extended X-ray absorption fine structure techniques were used to analyze the surface and chemical composition of the photocatalyst,while thermogravimetric analysis,CO_(2) adsorption isotherm,and temperature programmed desorption study were performed to examine the significance of H_(2)O_(2) treatment in increasing CO_(2) reduction activity.The optimized Ag1.0@Ru1.0-P25 photocatalyst performed excellent CO_(2) reduction activity into CO,CH4,and C2H6 with a~95%selectivity of CH4,where the activity was~135 times higher than that of pristine TiO_(2)(P25).For the first time,this work explored the effect of H_(2)O_(2) treatment on the photocatalyst that dramatically increases CO_(2) reduction activity.

Precipitates Generation Mechanism and Surface Quality Improvement for Aluminum Alloy 6061 in Diamond Cutting

To improve the surface quality for aluminum alloy 6061(Al6061) in ultra-precision machining, we investigated the factors affecting the surface finish in single point diamond turning(SPDT)by studying influence of the precipitates generation of Al6061 on surface integrity and surface roughness.Based on the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami solid phase transformation kinetics equation, theoretical and experimental studies were conducted to build the relationship between the aging condition and the type, size and number of the precipitates for Al6061. Diamond cutting experiments were conducted to machine Al6061 samples under different aging conditions. The experimental results show that, the protruding on the chip surface is mainly Mg_(2)Si and the scratches on the machined surface mostly come from the iron-containing phase(α-, β-AlFeSi).Moreover, the generated Mg_(2)Si and α-, β-AlFeSi affect the surface integrity and the diamond turned surface roughness. Especially, the achieved surface roughness in SPDT is consistent with the variation of the number of AlFeSi and Mg_(2)Si with the medium size(more than 1 μm and less than 2 μm) in Al6061.

Mechanical properties and fracture surface roughness of thermally damaged granite under dynamic splitting

In order to understand the mechanical properties and the fracture surface roughness characteristics of thermally damaged granite under dynamic splitting,dynamic Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on granite samples after thermal treatment at 25,200,400,and 600℃.Results show that the dynamic peak splitting strength of thermally damaged granite samples increases with increasing strain rate,showing obvious strain‐rate sensitivity.With increasing temperature,thermally induced cracks in granite transform from intergranular cracks to intragranular cracks,and to a transgranular crack network.Thermally induced damages reduce the dynamic peak splitting strength and the maximum absorbed energy while increasing the peak radial strain.The fracture mode of the thermally damaged granite under dynamic loads is mode Ⅱ splitting failure.By using the axial roughness index Z2 a,the distribution ranges of the wedge‐shaped failure zones and the tensile failure zones in the fracture surfaces under dynamic Brazilian splitting can be effectively identified.The radial roughness index Z_(2)^(r)is sensitive to the strain rate and temperature.It shows a linear correlation with the peak splitting strength and the maximum absorbed energy and a linear negative correlation with the peak radial strain.Z_(2)^(r)can be used to quantitatively estimate the dynamic parameters based on the models proposed.

Facile Surface Engineering of NiCo_(2)O_(4) to Boost Propane Oxidation Activity

Spinel oxide(NiCo_(2)O_(4))has demonstrated great potential to replace noble metal catalysts for the oxidation reaction of air pollutants.To further boost the oxidation ability of such catalysts,in this study,a facile surface-engineering strategy wherein NiCo_(2)O_(4) was treated with different alkali solvents was developed.The obtained catalyst(NiCo_(2)O_(4)-OH)showed a higher surface alkalinity and more surface defects compared to the pristine spinel oxide,including enhanced structural distortion as well as promoted oxygen vacancies.The propane oxidation ability of NiCo_(2)O_(4)-OH was greatly enhanced,with a propane conversion rate that was approximately 6.4 times higher than that of pristine NiCo_(2)O_(4) at a reaction temperature 193℃.This work sets a valuable paradigm for the surface modulation of spinel oxide via alkali treatment to ensure a high-performance oxidation catalyst.

Influence of Production Sequence of Aluminum Alloy Hot Rolling on Strip Surface Quality

With the intensification of market competition in the aluminum alloy strip processing industry,it is dif-ficult to control the mass production of the same specifications,which is bound to affect the hot rolling production.This paper studied the effect of the hot rolling order of aluminum alloy on the surface quality of strip,such as roll printing,color difference,anodic oxidation,etc.,reasonable discharge sequence and corresponding optimization measures were formulated.

Effect of Different Titanium Surface Treatments on the Adhesion Test Result:Dental Application

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different surface treatment of titanium(Ti)on the adhesion test results for dental application.Ti substrates roughened by 400 to 1500-grit SiC polish papers and alumina blasting,alkali treated by 5 molar(M)NaOH and KOH solutions and heat treated at the temperature range of 400-800℃were used in this study.The treated samples were subjected to the adhesion test.According to the results of the adhesion test,the adhesive strength showed the highest value for the blasted titanium among all polished and blasted samples.The Ti samples heated at 650℃showed the highest adhesive strength among all heat-treated samples.Further,the adhesion test results indicated the higher adhesive strength of chemically treated samples treated by NaOH rather than that by KOH.The polished and heated Ti samples showed the highest adhesive strength among all samples.

Surface treatment effect on the photocatalytic hydrogen generation of CdS/ZnS core-shell microstructures

CdS/ZnS core-shell microparticles were prepared by a simple two-step method combining ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and chemical bath deposition.The core-shell structures showed enhanced photocatalytic properties compared with those of CdS or ZnS spherical particles.CdS/ZnS photocatalysts with different amount of ZnS loaded as shells were prepared by adjusting the concentrations of Zn and S precursors during synthesis.The optical properties and photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production were investigated and the amount of ZnS loaded as shell was optimized.Thermal annealing and hydrothermal sulfurization treatments were applied to the core-shell structure and both treatments enhanced the material＇s photocatalytic activity and stability by eliminating crystalline defects and surface states.The result showed that thermal annealing treatment improved the bulk crystallinity and hydrothermal sulfurization improved the surface properties.The sample subjected to both treatments showed the highest photocatalytic activity.These results indicate that CdS/ZnS core-shell microspheres are a simple structure that can be used as efficient photocatalysts.The hydrothermal sulfurization treatment may also be a useful surface treatment for metal sulfide photocatalysts.The simple two-step method provides a promising approach to the large-scale synthesis of core-shell microsphere catalysts.

Effects of Steam Heat Treatment on the Surface Contact Angle of Chinese Fir

The aim of this study was investigate the effects of heat treatment on the contact angle of Chinese fir, and the indicators affecting the change of contact an-gle change. It was determined that the duration of treatment had significant effect on the change curves of contact angle of Chinese fir wood due to the change curves of contact angle became more centralized and orderly after the specimens heat treated at 180 ℃. Compared with the untreated wood, the contact angle in-creased from 51＆#176; to 124＆#176; after 4 h treatment, and hydroxyl absorbance of hy-drophilic functional groups decreased from 2.08 to 1.63, while carbonyl absorbance from 0.92 to 0.62. The surface roughness has not significant influence on the con-tact angle. Heat treatment of the Chinese fir caused surface morphological change, which produced hol owed-out phenomenon. The increased surface contact angle caused by heat treatment can be used for outdoor and sauna facilities.

Effect of rare earths surface treatment on tribological properties of carbon fibers reinforced PTFE composite under oil-lubricated condition

The effect of rare earths （RE） surface treatment of carbon fibers （CF） on tribological properties of CF reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene （PTFE） composites under oil-lubricated condition was investigated. Experimental results revealed that RE treated CF reinforced PTFE （CF/PTFE） composite had the lowest friction coefficient and wear under various applied loads and sliding speeds compared with untreated and air-oxidated composites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） study of carbon fiber surface showed that, after RE treatment, oxygen concentration increased obviously, and the amount of oxygen-containing groups on CF surfaces were largely increased. The increase in the amount of oxygen-containing groups enhanced interfacial adhesion between CF and PTFE matrix. With strong interfacial adhesion of the composite, stress could be effectively transmitted to carbon fibers; carbon fibers were strongly bonded with VITE matrix, and large scale rubbing-off of PTFE be prevented, therefore, tribological properties of the composite was improved.

Corrosion behavior and surface treatment of superlight Mg-Li alloys

Mg-Li alloy,as a superlight metallic engineering material,shows great potential in the fields of aerospace and militarydue to its high specific strength,better formability,and excellent electromagnetic shielding performance.The research process ofMg-Li alloys is reviewed and three main problems are pointed out.Aimed at the poor corrosion resistance of Mg-Li alloys,thecorrosion behavior is mainly summarized.The surface treatment technologies,including electroplating,electroless plating,plasmaspraying,molten salt replacement,conversion coating,anodizing,micro-arc oxidation,organic coating,and organic-inorganic hybridcoating,are introduced in detail.Finally,the future development of corrosion and protection of Mg?Li alloys is discussed.

Surface modification of titanium using steel slag ball and shot blasting treatment for biomedical implant applications

Surface modification is often performed using grit or shot blasting treatment for improving the performances of biomedical implants. The effects of blasting treatments using steel slag balls and spherical shots on the surface and subsurface of titanium were studied in this paper. The treatments were conducted for 60-300 s using 2-5 mm steel slag bails and 3.18 mm spherical shots. The surface morphology, roughness, and elemental composition of titanium specimens were examined prior to and after the treatments. Irregular and rough titanium surfaces were formed after the treatment with the steel slag balls instead of the spherical shots. The former treatment also introduced some bioactive elements on the titanium surface, but the latter one yielded a harder surface layer. In conclusion, both steel slag ball and shot blasting treatment have their own specialization in modifying the surface of metallic biomaterials. Steel slag ball blasting is potential for improving the osseointegration quality of implants; but the shot blasting is more appropriate for improving the mechanical properties of temporary and load bearing implants, such as osteosynthesis plates.

Surface Treatment of Polyethylene Terephthalate Film Using Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge in Air

Non-thermal plasmas under atmospheric pressure are of great interest in polymer surface processing because of their convenience, effectiveness and low cost. In this paper, the treatment of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surface for improving hydrophilicity using the non-thermal plasma generated by atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) in air is conducted. The discharge characteristics of APGD are shown by measurement of their electrical discharge parameters and observation of light-emission phenomena, and the surface properties of PET before and after the APGD treatment are studied using contact angle measurement, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is found that the APGD is homogeneous and stable in the whole gas gap, which differs from the commonly filamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). A short time (several seconds) APGD treatment can modify the surface characteristics of PET film markedly and uniformly. After 10 s APGD treatment, the

Effects of surface finish and treatment on the fatigue behaviour of vibrating cylinder block using frequency response approach

This paper presents the effects of surface finish and treatment on the high cycle fatigue behaviour of vibrating cylinder block of a new two-stroke free piston engine at complex variable amplitude loading conditions using frequency response approach. Finite element modelling and frequency response analysis was conducted using finite element analysis software Package MSC.PATRAN/MSC.NASTRAN and fatigue life prediction was carded out using MSC.FATIGUE software. Based on the finite element results, different frequency response approach was applied to predict the cylinder block fatigue life. Results for different load histories and material combinations are also discussed. Results indicated great effects for all surface finish and treatment. It is concluded that polished and cast surface finish conditions give the highest and lowest cylinder block lives, respectively; and that Nitrided treatment leads to longest cylinder block life. The results were used to draw contour plots of fatigue life and damage in the worst or most damaging case.

Effect of surface treatment on the structure and high-rate dischargeability properties of AB_5-type hydrogen storage alloy

Surface-treated MmNi3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 alloy as negative electrode material of nickel-metal hydride battery was employed to improve the high-rate dischargeability. Surface treatment was realized by dipping and stirring the alloy into a HCl aqueous solution with various concentrations at room temperature. The microstructure of the alloy before and after surface treatment was analyzed by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The electrochemical properties before and after surface treatment were compared, and the alloy treated in 0.025 mol/L HCl solution showed the optimal high-rate dischargeability.

Plasma surface treatment of Cu by nanosecond-pulse diffuse discharges in atmospheric air

Nanosecond-pulse diffuse discharges could provide high-density plasma and high-energy electrons at atmospheric pressure. In this paper, the surface treatment of Cu by nanosecond-pulse diffuse discharges is conducted in atmospheric air. Factors influencing the water contact angle （WCA）, chemical composition and microhardness, such as the gap spacing and treatment time, are investigated. The results show that after the plasma surface treatment, the WCA considerably decreases from 87~ to 42.3~, and the surface energy increases from 20.46 mJ m-2 to 66.28 mJ m-2. Results of energy dispersive x-ray analysis show that the concentration of carbon decreases, but the concentrations of oxygen and nitrogen increase significantly. Moreover, the microhardness increases by approximately 30% after the plasma treatment. The aforementioned changes on the Cu surface indicate the plasma surface treatment enhances the hydrophilicity and microhardness, and it cleans the carbon and achieves oxidization on the Cu surface. Furthermore, by increasing the gap spacing and treatment time, better treatment effects can be obtained. The micmhardness in the case of a 2.5 cm gap is higher than that in the case of a 3 cm gap. More oxygen and nitrogen species appear on the Cu surface for the 2.5 cm gap treatment than for the 3 cm gap treatment. The WCA significantly decreases with the treatment thne when it is no longer than 90 s, and then it reaches saturation. In addition, more oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing groups appear after extended plasma treatment time. They contribute to the improvement of the hydrophilicity and oxidation on the Cu surface.

Influence of Different Surface Treatments of H13 Hot Work Die Steel on Its Thermal Fatigue Behaviors

Thermal fatigue checking is the general failure of hot work die steels, which is relative with the structures and properties of the steels and the stress alternated during the employment. The Uddeholm test method on thermal fatigue is used to compare the behaviors of different samples, which are treated with plasma nitriding、plasma sulfur carbon nitriding、boronizing or not treated. The results show that the nitriding improves the thermal fatigue property of the tool steel, while the plasma sulfur carbon nitriding and the boronizing impair the property. The mechanisms are induced as follows. By increasing the hardness and changing the stress distribution in the surface layer, surface treatment can decrease the plastic deformation and the tensile stress during the cycling. Therefore, the generation and growth of the cracks are restrained. On the other hand, as results of surface treating, in the surface layer the toughness declines and the expanding coefficient ascendes; the latter change caused the strengthening of the tensile and compressive stress during the cycling. Thus the resistance to thermal fatigue is weakened. Whether or not the surface treatment is favor to thermal fatigue of tool steels relies on which factor is dominant.

Effect of surface treatment for aluminum foils on discharge properties of lithium-ion battery

Aluminum foils having thicknesses of 10-20 μm are commonly employed as current collectors for cathode electrodes in Li-ion batteries. The effects of the surface morphology of the foil on battery performance were investigated by using a foil with roughened surface by chemical etching and a plain foil with smooth surface on both sides. For high-conductivity LiCoO2 active materials with large particle size, there are no significant differences in battery performance between the two types of foils. But for low-conductivity LiFePO4 active materials with small particle size, high-rate discharge properties are significantly different. The possibility shows that optimizing both the surface morphology of the aluminum foil and particle size of active material leads to improvement of the battery performance.

Influence of Surface Nano-structured Treatment on Pack Boriding of H13 Steel

In order to lower the boriding temperature of hot work steel H13, method of surface mechanical attrition treatment （SMAT）, which can make the grain size of the surface reach nano-scale, was used before pack boriding. The growth of the boride layer was studied in a function of boriding temperature and time. By TEM （transmission electron microscopy）, SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, XRD （x-ray diffraction） and microhardness tests, the grain size, thermal stability of the nano-structured （NS） surface and the thickness,appearance, phases of the surface boride layer were studied. Kinetic of boriding was compared between untreated samples and treated samples. Results showed that after SMAT, the boride layer was thicker and the hardness gradient was smoother. Furthermore, after boriding at a low temperature of 700℃ for 8 h, a boride layer of about 5 μm formed on the NS surface. This layer was toothlike and wedged into the substrate, which made the surface layer combine well with the substrate. The phase of the boride layer was Fe2B. Research on boriding kinetics indicated that the activation energy was decreased for the treated samples.

Effect of Low-Pressure Nitrogen DC Plasma Treatment on the Surface Properties of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) and Polyvinyl Chloride Films

In this study, commercial biaxially oriented polypropylene （BOPP）, polyvinyl chlo- ride （PVC） and poly （methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） films were treated with nitrogen plasma over different exposure times in a Pyrex tube surrounded by a DC variable magnetic field. The chemi- cal changes that appeared on the surface of the samples were investigated using Fourier transform infrared （FT4R） spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared （ATR- FTIR） spectroscopy after treatment for 2 min, 4 min and 6 rain in a nitrogen plasma chamber. Effects of the plasma treatment on the surface topographies and contact angles of the untreated and plasma treated films were also analyzed by atomic force microscopy （AFM） and a contact angle measuring system. The results show that the plasma treated films become more hydrophilic with an enhanced wettability due to the formation of some new polar groups on the surface of the treated films. Moreover, at higher exposure times, the total surface energy in all treated films increased while a reduction in contact angle occurred. The behavior of surface roughness in each sample was completely different at higher exposure times.