Using HyperCoal to prepare metallurgical coal briquettes via hot-pressing

HyperCoal was prepared from low-rank coal via high-temperature solvent extraction with N-methylpyrrolidone as an extraction solvent and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 50 mL/g in a high-temperature and high-pressure reactor. When HyperCoal was used as a binder and pulverized coal was used as the raw material, the compressive strength of the hot-pressed briquettes(each with a diameter of 20 mm and mass of 5 g) under different conditions was studied using a hot-pressing mold and a high-temperature furnace. The compressive strength of the hot-pressed briquettes was substantially improved and reached 436 N when the holding time period was 15 min, the hot-pressing temperature was 673 K, and the HyperCoal content, was 15 wt%. Changes in the carbonaceous structure, as reflected by the intensity ratio between the Raman G-and D-bands(IG/ID), strongly affected the compressive strength of hot-pressed briquettes prepared at different hot-pressing temperatures. Compared with cold-pressed briquettes, hot-pressed briquettes have many advantages, including high compressive strength, low ash content, high moisture resistance, and good thermal stability; thus, we expect that hot-pressed briquettes will have broad application prospects.

Repetitious-Hot-Pressing Technique in Hot-Pressing Process

A new pressing method was proposed for hot-pressing process. Experimental results indicated that the porosity in Al2O3/TiC/ Ni/Mo (hereafter called AI2O3/TiC composite) composite compacts decreases by 6% after adopting this new technique, compared to traditional hot-pressing technique under the same sintering temperature. The flexural strength and Vicker hardness increase from 883 MPa to 980 MPa and from 16 GPa to 21.1 GPa, respectively. A theoretical model was given to analyze the densification mechanism of the composite in the process of repetitious-hot-pressing.

Effect of annealing temperature on coercivity of Nd-Fe-B magnets with TbFeAl doping by process of hot-pressing

The Nd-Fe-B magnets are pre-sintered and then processed with hot-pressing,and the resulting magnets are called the hot-pressed pretreated(HPP)magnets.The coercivity of the HPP magnets increases as the annealed temperature increases.When the annealing temperature is 900℃,the coercivity of the magnet is only 17.6 kOe(1 Oe=79.5775 A·m^-1),but when the annealing temperature rises up to 1060℃,the coercivity of the magnet reaches 23.53 kOe,which is remarkably increased by 33.7%.The microstructure analysis indicates that the grain surface of the HPP magnet becomes smoother as the annealed temperature increases.The microstructure factorαis changed according to the intrinsic coercivity model formula.Theαof the magnet at 900℃is only 0.578,but it is 0.825 at 1060℃.Microstructural optimization is due mainly to the increase of coercivity of the HPP magnet.

Densification Behavior of Nanocrystalline Mg2Si Compact in Hot-pressing

Densification behavior of nanocrystalline Mg2Si （n-Mg2Si） with grain size about 30-50 nm was investigated by hot-pressing at 400℃. The results indicated that the densification process of n-Mg2Si exhibited three linear segments： p〈0.3 GPa, 0.3 GPa〈p〈1.2 GPa, and p〉1.2 GPa determined by Heckel formula, among which the third fast increasing segment in high pressure range p〉1.2 GPa has seldom been reported in conventional coarse-grained polycrystalline materials. Nevertheless, in the whole pressure range （0.125-1.500 GPa） investigated the densification behavior of n-Mg2Si can be well described by a Kawakita formula p/C=（1/a）p＋ 1/（ab） with constant α=0.452 being in good agreement with the initial porosity of the compact.

Interfacial reaction process of the hot-pressed WC/2024Al composite

12 vol%WCp/2024Al composite was fabricated from mixed powders by hot-pressing at various tempera-tures. Investigation of the interfacial reaction between the WC phase and the Al alloy matrix was performed by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. A multiple layer interface structure, which is composed of Al/ WAl12/AlnC3/WC, is found to form by the interfacial reaction during hot-pressing. Further study shows that the AlaC3 layer forms along with a given crystal orientation of WC phase and might retard the interfacial reaction process.

Properties of Hot-Pressed Al_2O_3-Fe Composites

Alumina-(0-20 vol. pct) iron composites were fabricated by hot-pressing of well-mixed alumina and iron powders at 1400℃ and 30 MPa for 30 mm. Hot-pressed bodies with nearly theoretical density were obtained for addition up to 10 vol. pct Fe, but relative density decreased gradually with further increase in Fe addition. The materials exhibit a homogeneous dispersion of Fe. Fracture strength of the composites exhibits a maximum value of 604 MPa at 15 vol. pct Fe, which is 1.5 times that of alumina alone. Fracture toughness increases with the increase in Fe content, reaching 7.5 MPa.m1/2 at 20 vol. pct Fe. The theoretical values of fracture toughness was calculated and compared with the experimental one. Toughening mechanisms of the composites are also discussed.

Effect of La_2O_3 on microstructure and high-temperature wear property of hot-press sintering FeAl intermetallic compound

FeAl intermetallic compound with different contents of rare earth oxide La2O3 addition was prepared by hot pressing the mechanically alloyed powders.Effect of La2O3 on microstructure and high-temperature wear property of the sintered FeAl samples was investigated in this paper.The results showed that 1 wt.% La2O3 addition could refine the microstructure and increase the density of the FeAl intermetallic compound,and correspondingly improved the high-temperature wear resistance.SEM and EDS analyses of the wo...

Mechanical Properties of the Cured Laminates on the Hot-press Tackified Preforms in Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding

A hot-press tackified preform was used to improve the uniformity of the laminates thickness and the mechanical properties of the obtained laminates were studied using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding（VARTM）. Two modified preforms were prepared under 0.1 and 0.6 MPa in an autoclave and then were used to fabricate the laminates via VARTM. Permeability and thickness distribution of the laminates were obtained by using a special device. Moreover, the tensile and compressive strengths of the obtained laminates were studied and compared with the unmodified ones. Results show that the tackified laminates present a maximum and minimum thickness under 0.1 and 0.6 MPa, respectively. The thicknesses and in-plane permeability of the tackified laminates, with better thickness uniformity, are significantly decreased compared with that of the unmodified cases, while the tensile and compressive strengths of the tackified laminates are improved obviously. Results show that the mechanical property of the tackified laminates prepared by hotpressing at 0.1 MPa is better than that processed at 0.6 MPa.

Microstructure and Toughness of Seeded Hot-Pressed Si_3N_4 Ceramics

Densification, phase transformation and fracture toughness were studied in hot-pressed Si_3N_4 seeded by in-houseproduced large, elongated β-Si_3N_4 seeds. A mixture of Y_2O_3-Al_2O_3 was used as the sintering aid. Concentration ofseeds were varied from 0 to 6 wt pct and the sintering time at 1700℃ was varied from 1 to 4 h. Maximum fracturetoughness of 9.0 MPam^(1/2) was measured in samples containing 5 wt pct seeds, hot pressed at 1700℃ for 4 h.

Reactive Hot-press Sintering of Al-B_4C Composites at Relative Low Temperature

A new process of reactive hot-press sintering with boron carbide(B4C) and aluminum powders was proposed to overcome difficulties in the sintering of dense B4C ceramic materials.The B4C powder with different content of pure metallic aluminum particle were milled,hot-pressed and sintered at 1600 ℃ for 1 hour.The mechanism of sintering at relative low temperature was analyzed.The phase constitution of the composites was determined.Effects of Al content on the hardness and fracture toughness of the composites were discussed.The results show that thermite reaction procedure in B2O3+Al was the mechanism of sintering at relative low temperature,B4C,Al2O3 and metallic aluminum are the major constituents of the composites.The microhardness of the composites decreases with the increasing of Al content,but the fracture toughness increase obviously.The composite with 5wt% Al content has the best microhardness and fracture toughness in all the composites.

One step hot-pressing method for hybrid Li metal anode of solid-state lithium metal batteries

Safety issues induced by infinite anode volume change and uncontrolled lithium(Li)dendrite growth have become the biggest obstacle to the practical application of Li metal batteries.In addition,the tra-ditional rolling method makes it difficult to manufacture thin Li foil with high mechanical strength and low Li content.Herein,a three-dimensional(3D)lithophilic carbon paper/copper(Cu)current collector hybrid anode with ultra-low Li metal content is prepared by a hot-pressing method.The highly re-versible and stable lithiophilic layer LiC_(x) formed in situ by heating/pressing treatment provides abun-dant nucleation sites and reduces the Li nucleation overpotential,thereby effectively suppressing Li den-drite growth.Moreover,the volume change and pulverization problems of Li metal anode during depo-sition/stripping also can be accommodated by the 3D skeleton.The optimization effect has been directly confirmed by in-situ optical and ex-situ scanning electron microscope observation.Therefore,highly sta-ble performance(158.4 mA h g^(-1) at 2 C after 200 cycles with a capacity retention of 95.24%)in Li@LCP-Cu||NCM811 coin cell can be achieved.Furthermore,the solid-state battery assembled with the hybrid anode,poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)-based polymer electrolyte and polyethylene oxide(PEO)interface functional layer also exhibits the best electrochemical and safety performance,which also proves that the Li@LCP-Cu anode has great potential for application in solid-state batteries.

Distinct Electrical and Mechanical Responses of a Cu-10Fe Composite Prepared by Hot-Pressed Sintering and Post Treatment

A Cu-10wt%Fe composite was prepared through hot-pressed sintering,and the material was subsequently solution treated.The hot-pressed sintered and solution treated materials were rolled and aged.The precipitation behavior and performance changes were systematically studied by using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.In contrast to the hot-pressed sintered specimen,the solution treatment significantly affects the thermal stability and properties of the Cu-10wt%Fe composite.The Cu-10wt%Fe composite was prepared after solid solution,cold rolling and aging at 773 K for 1 h,and it obtained excellent tensile strength of 494 MPa,uniform elongation of 16.3%,electrical conductivity of 51.1%IACS and softening temperature of 838 K.Mechanisms for the distinct difference in thermal stability and properties between hot-pressed sintered and solution treated specimens were analyzed.These findings provide a theoretical basis for designing high-performance Cu-based in-situ composites by post treatment.

真空熔炼及热压烧结Sb_2Se_3热电材料的微结构研究

采用石英管真空封装高纯度的Sb粉和Se粉,在800℃下熔炼8h,冷却后制成Sb2Se3粉末,在真空下进行热压烧结(470℃,60 MPa)并保温0.5 h,制备出Sb2Se3块体材料。运用XRD、SEM和EDS法对材料物相、形貌和成分进行了表征。结果表明,真空熔炼合成粉末和热压烧结块体材料的XRD图谱与Sb2Se3的标准衍射图谱(01-072-1184)相对应;Sb2Se3热压块体材料在平行和垂直于热压方向的断面上都分布着大量的层片状结构,平行于热压方向的断面上层片状结构沿某一方向择优生长,而在垂直于热压方向的断面上层片状结构分布更均匀,结晶更充分;材料中Sb和Se的原子百分比分别为40.68%、59.32%,接近于2∶3。

Microstructural characteristics and mechanical behavior of B4Cp/6061Al composites synthesized at different hot-pressing temperatures

B4Cp/6061Al composites have become important structural and functional materials and can be fabricated by powder metallurgy and subsequent hot rolling. In this work, the effects of the hot-pressing temperature on microstructures and mechanical behaviors of the B4Cp/6061Al composites were investigated. The results showed that compared with the T4 heat treated B4Cp/6061Al composite hot pressed at 560℃, the yield strength and failure strain of the composites hot pressed at 580℃ were increased to 235 MPa and 18.4%, respectively. This was associated with the interface bonding strength between the B4C particles and the matrix. However, the reaction products, identified to be MgAl2O4 phases, were detected in the composites hot pressed at 600℃. The formation of the MgAl2O4 phases resulted in the Mg depletion, thus reducing the yield strength to 203.5 MPa after the T4 heat treatment due to the effect of the solid solution strengthening being weakened. In addition, the variation of hardness and electrical conductivity was mainly related to the Mg content in the matrix. Based on the as-rolled microstructures observed by SEM, SR-μCT and fracture surfaces, the deformation schematic diagram was depicted to reflect the tensile deformation process of the composites.

Research on utilizing recycled plastic to make environment-friendly plywood

In our study, we replaced traditional adhesives with compounds made with recycled plastic shopping bags in order to make hot-melt plywood using various amounts of plastic film, different hot-pressing temperatures and hot-pressing times. All three variables have an effect on the intensity and water-resistance of plywood. The results show that the bonding strength of plywood does not increase with increasing amounts of plastic film. When the hot-pressing temperature is increased to 150℃, the bonding strength does not necessarily increase any further. At a hot-pressing time of 6 min, the bonding strength reaches a maximum, after which it will decrease. The optimum hot-pressing parameters are as follows： 100 g·m^-2 of recycled plastic, a hot-pressing temperature of 150℃ and a hot-pressing time of 6 min. This study puts forward a new idea of making use of plastic waste, which, ultimately, may solve the problem of formaldehyde emission without damaging the environment. It has enormous potential market applications.

Polar Phase Formation and Piezoelectricity of PVDF by Hot-pressing under Electrostatic Intermolecular Interactions

Piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)has received considerable attention due to its ability of interconverting mechanical into electric energies and potential applications in wearable electronics.To achieve piezoelectricity,it is important to simultaneously control the formation of polar phases,crystallinity,and dipole alignments in PVDF-based films.Here we demonstrate that piezoelectricity can be obtained by directly hot-pressing PVDF films sandwiched between chitosan or cellulose films.The electrostatic interactions between PVDF and chitosan or cellulose enabled an exceptional high content of polar phases(β-andγ-phases)up to 90%and a measured piezoelectric charge coefficient d_(33)of up to-30 pC/N.This study provides a simple and low-cost approach for obtaining piezoelectric PVDF films used for sensors,actuators,and energy harvesters.

High-pressure Sintering of Boron Carbide-Titanium Diboride Composites and Its Densification Mechanism

A high-pressure hot-pressing process was applied to densify a commercial boron carbide-titanium diboride (B4C-TiB2) powder mixture.Nearly fully dense (98.6%) materials were obtained at 1700℃ under a pressure of 100MPa.Compared to the sintering temperature required to achieve similar results when a pressure of only 30MPa was applied,the sintering temperature was found to decrease by about 200℃ under pressure of 100 MPa.Analysis of the thermodynamics and microstructure showed that the plastic deformation of the B4C grains induced by high pressure dominated the densification mechanism when high pressure was applied.Furthermore,higher pressure resulted in remarkably improved mechanical properties of the composites,which could be traced back to the generation of stacking faults in the B4C grains and aggregation of TiB2.

Research on Diamond Enhanced Tungsten Carbide Composite Button

At the present, the cutters used in button bits and rock bits are mainly cobalt tungsten carbide in our country. Because of its low abrasive resistance, the bit service life and drilling efficiency was very low when the hard and extremely hard formations were being drilled. Owing to its high abrasive resistance, the diamond composite material is widely used in drilling operations. However, its toughness against impact is too low to be used in percussion drilling, only can it be used in rotary drilling. In order to solve the problems encountered by DTH hammer in hard rock drilling, make bit life longer, increase rate of penetration and decrease drilling cost, a new type diamond enhanced tungsten carbide composite button with high abrasive resistance and high toughness against impact, which may be used in percussion drilling, has been developed. The key problems to make the button are to improve the thermal stability of diamond, to increase the welding strength between diamond and cemented tungsten carbide, and to lower the sintering temperature of tungsten carbide. All these problems have been solved effectively by pretreatment of diamond, low temperature activation hot-press sintering and high sintering pressure. (1) To plate tungsten on the surface of diamond. Diamond suffers easily from erosion in the environment of high temperature containing oxygen and iron family elements. There is very high energy between the interface of diamond and bonding metal and so the metallurgical bond can’t form at the interface between diamond and bond metal. This will lower greatly the bending strength and the toughness against impact of diamond enhanced tungsten carbide composite button. In order to improve thermal stability of diamond and increase the bonding strength of the interface between diamond and bond metal, to plate tungsten on the surface of diamond by vacuum vapor deposit is adopted. (2) To lower the sintering temperature by adding nickel, phosphorus and boron etc into conventional mixed powder. In general, the sintering temperature of cemented tungsten carbide is more than 1 350 ℃ in which diamond will suffer from serious heat erosion, so the sintering temperature must be lowered. To add nickel, phosphorus and boron etc into cobalt-base bond whose melting point is more than 1 350 ℃ will lower the sintering temperature to about 1 050 ℃. To add phosphorus can lower the temperature of liquid phase occurring and promote the densification of matrix alloy in advance because the co-crystallization temperature of Ni-P and Co-P is 880 ℃ and 1 020 ℃ respectively. The proper adding amount of nickel, phosphorus and boron etc is a key problem. To substitute nickel for partial cobalt can improve the toughness against impact of diamond enhanced tungsten carbide composite button and lower the sintering temperature. To add boron is helpful for sintering and improving the toughness against impact of diamond enhanced tungsten carbide composite button. (3) To increase the sintering press. Under the same sintering temperature, to improve the sintering press can improve the density and strength of sintering products. In this study to increase the sintering press 35 MPa in the usual conditions to 50～60 MPa in sintering diamond enhanced tungsten carbide button by adopting ceramic material as pressing rod has improved the sintering quality effectively. The properties of the button have been measured under lab conditions. The testing results show that its hardness is more than HRA86 and that its abrasiveness resistance is 100 times more than conventional cemented tungsten carbide, and its toughness against impact is more than 100J. All these data theoretically show that the button has very good mechanical properties that can meet the need of percussion drilling, and can solve the problems encountered with button bit of conventional cemented tungsten carbide.

Alumina/Polyimide Composite Porous Nanosolid:Dielectric Characteristics and Compressive Strength

Al2O3 porous nanosolid was prepared via solvothermal hot-press（SHP） method.The dielectric constant of Al2O3 porous nanosolid is as low as 2.34,while its compressive strength is very poor.In order to improve the compressive strength and maitain low dielectric constant,polyimide was introduced to prepare Al2O3 /polyimide composite porous nanosolid.Compared to Al2O3 porous nanosolid,Al2O3 /polyimide composite porous nanosolid possesses much higher compressive strength,which reaches its saturation value when the mass loading of polyimide is 7.75%.In addition,the in situ Fourier transformation infrared（FTIR） monitoring result reveals that Al2O3 /polyimide composite porous nanosolid is stable up to 400 °C.

Evaluation of hot pressing parameters on the electrochemical performance of MEAs based on Aquivion^(■) PFSA membranes

The membrane-electrodes assembly(MEA) is the core of the Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell(PEFC). It consists of a membrane, catalytic(CL) and gas diffusion layers(GDL). In order to manufacture MEAs with suitable performance, a hot-pressing procedure is generally used. The relevant parameters are the temperature, pressure and time of hot-pressing. Such variables need to be adjusted as a function of the type of ionomer used in the catalytic layer and membrane. In this study, an evaluation of the temperature of hot-pressing was carried out and its influence on MEA electrochemical performance was assessed. In particular, preparation trials of MEAs were carried out with reinforced experimental membranes based on Aquivion^■ short-side-chain PFSA(by Solvay Specialty Polymers). The membranes were coupled to gas diffusion electrodes, and MEAs were manufactured using different temperatures for the hot-pressing procedure in order to evaluate their influence on the electrochemical performance of PEFCs, in the temperature range of 80–95 °C, with low relative humidity of the reactant gases. The electrochemical performance of the prepared MEAs was tested in a H2/Air 25 cm^2 single cell in terms of polarization curves and accelerated stress test(AST).