Effect of Composite Composition on the Contact Angle of B_(4)C-xTiB_(2)/Cu

The wetting behavior of molten Cu on the B_(4)C-xTiB_(2)ceramic composites was investigated in this work.The results show that the contact angle of molten Cu alloy on B_(4)C-TiB_(2)ceramic composites is linear with the composition rate of TiB_(2)or B_(4)C while the temperature is in the range of 1300 to 1350℃,consistent with the expectation of the commonly used theoretical method.However,a nonlinear relationship between the contact angle and the composition rate unexpectedly occurred at temperatures ranging from 1400 to 1500℃.The big difference of the contact angles between the molten metal and the components in the composites was found to be the key point.This result identifies that the commonly used theoretical method only works at a limited difference of the contact angle of the liquid on the different phases in the composites,and fails at a big difference.

Synthesis of Y_2O_3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite on TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding

A Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite coating was fabricated in-situ on a TC4 Ti alloy by laser surface cladding. The phase component, microstructure, composition distribution and properties of the composite layer were investigated. The composite layer has graded microstructures and compositions, due to the fast melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling during laser cladding. The TiC powders are completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The size of TiC dendrites decreases with increasing depth. Y2O3 fine particles distribute in the whole clad layer. The Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite layer has a quite uniform hardness along depth with a maximum value of HV1380, which is 4 times higher than the initial hardness. The wear resistance of the Ti alloy is significantly improved after laser cladding due to the high hardness of the composite coating.

Heterogeneous catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate for efficient degradation of organic pollutants by magnetic Cu^0/Fe_3O_4 submicron composites

Magnetic Cu^0/Fe3O4 submicron composites were prepared using a hydrothermal method and used as heterogeneous catalysts for the activation of peroxymonosulfate（PMS） and the degradation of organic pollutants.The as-prepared magnetic Cu^0/Fe3O4 submicron composites were composed of Cu^0 and Fe3O4 crystals and had an average size of approximately 220 nm.The Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites could efficiently catalyze the activation of PMS to generate singlet oxygen,and thus induced the rapid degradation of rhodamine B,methylene blue,orange Ⅱ,phenol and 4-chlorophenol.The use of0.1 g/L of the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites induced the complete removal of rhodamine B（20 μmol/L） in15 min,methylene blue（20 μmol/L） in 5 min,orange Ⅱ（20 μmol/L） in 10 min,phenol（0.1mmol/L） in 30 min and 4-chlorophenol（0.1 mmol/L） in 15 min with an initial pH value of 7.0 and a PMS concentration of 0.5 mmol/L.The total organic carbon（TOC） removal higher than 85%for all of these five pollutants was obtained in 30 min when the PMS concentration was 2.5 mmol/L.The rate of degradation was considerably higher than that obtained with Cu^0 or Fe3O4 particles alone.The enhanced catalytic activity of the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites in the activation of PMS was attributed to the synergistic effect of the Cu^0 and Fe3O4 crystals in the composites.Singlet oxygen was identified as the primary reactive oxygen species responsible for pollutant degradation by electron spin resonance and radical quenching experiments.A possible mechanism for the activation of PMS by Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites is proposed as electron transfer from the organic pollutants to PMS induces the activation of PMS to generate ^1O2,which induces the degradation of the organic pollutants.As a magnetic catalyst,the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites were easily recovered by magnetic separation,and exhibited excellent stability over five successive degradation cycles.The present study provides a facile and green heterogeneous catalysis method for the oxidative removal of organic pollutants.

Fabrication and characterization of stir casting AA6061-31%B_4C composite

A sophisticated stir casting route to fabricate large scale AA6061-31%B4C composite was developed. Key process parameters were studied, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. The results indicated that vacuum stirring/casting, B4C/Mg feeding and ingots cooling were essential to the successful fabrication of AA6061-31%B4C composite. Chemical erosion examination verified the designed B4 C content; X-ray fluorescence spectrometer（XFS） showed the chemical composition of Mg and Si in the matrix conformed to industry standards; scanning electronic microscope（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） revealed that B4 C particles were evenly distributed in the composites with well dispersed Mg2Si precipitates. Tensile testing results showed that the AA6061-31%B4C composite had a tensile strength of 340 MPa, improved by 112.5% compared with AA1100-31%B4C composite, which is attributed to the enhanced strength of the matrix alloy.

Oxidation behavior of C/C composites with SiC/ZrSiO_4-SiO_2 coating

A SiC/ZrSiO4？SiO2 （SZS） coating was successfully fabricated on the carbon/carbon （C/C） composites by pack cementation, slurry painting and sintering to improve the anti-oxidation property and thermal shock resistance. The anti-oxidation properties under different oxygen partial pressures （OPP） and thermal shock resistance of the SZS coating were investigated. The results show that the SZS coated sample under low OPP, corresponding to the ambient air, during isothermal oxidation was 0.54% in mass gain after 111 h oxidation at 1500 ° C and less than 0.03% in mass loss after 50 h oxidation in high OPP, corresponding to the air flow rate of 36 L/h. Additionally, the residual compressive strengths （RCS） of the SZS coated samples after oxidation for 50 h in high OPP and 80 h in low OPP remain about 70% and 72.5% of those of original C/C samples, respectively. Moreover, the mass loss of SZS coated samples subjected to the thermal cycle from 1500 ° C in high OPP to boiling water for 30 times was merely 1.61%.

Electrochemical performance of LiFePO_(4)-Li_(3)V_(2)(PO_4)_3 composite material prepared by solid-hydrothermal method

LiFePO4-Li3V2（PO4）3 composites were synthesized by solid-hydrothermal method and by ball milling,respectively.The electrochemical performance of the solid-hydrothermally obtained materials（C-LFVP） was significantly improved compared with LiFePO4（LFP） and Li3V2（PO4）3（LVP）,and it was also much better than that of the ball-milled LiFePO4-Li3V2（PO4）3（P-LFVP）.C-LFVP and P-LFVP both had four REDOX peaks（voltage plateaus）,which coincided with that of LFP and LVP.Some new trace substances were found in C-LFVP which had more perfect morphology,this was responsible for the better electrochemical performance of C-LFVP than P-LFVP.

Modified carbothermal reduction method for synthesis of LiFePO_4/C composite

With LiAc-2H2O as Li precursor,pure olivine phase LiFePO4/C was synthesized at a relatively low temperature（650 ℃） and short sintering period（4 h） by molten salt carbothermal reduction method.Scanning electron micrograph shows that particle size of the product is about 1μm,smaller than that of the sample synthesized with Li2CO3 as Li precursor.Electrochemical measurements prove that LiFePO4/C obtained from LiAc-2H2O shows high capacity.The initial discharge capacities are 148 mA-h/g at 0.5C rate and 115 mA-h/g at 5C rate,respectively.After 50 cycles,the capacity retention ratios are 93% and 89% at 0.5C rate and 5C rate,respectively.

Preparation and mechanical properties of in situ Al_2O_3/Al composites by adding NH_4AlO(OH)HCO_3

Aluminium matrix composite reinforced by Al2O3 particles was produced by adding NH4AlO（OH）HCO3 into molten aluminum.The mechanical properties and wear behavior of the as-fabricated composites were studied.The results show that during stirring γ-Al2O3 particles were formed via decomposition reaction of NH4AlO（OH）HCO3,and the distribution of Al2O3 particles is more uniform in the matrix aluminum than directly added Al2O3 into molten aluminum.The density and the hardness values of the as-fabricated composites increase with increasing the particle volume fraction,while the tensile strength of the composites decreases with increasing the volume fraction of the Al2O3 particles.The wear rate of the composites decreases with increasing the volume fraction of the particle and loading.The in situ formed Al2O3/Al composite by adding NH4AlO（OH）HCO3 shows more superior mechanical and wear behaviors than that prepared by directly adding Al2O3 particles.

Compressive behavior of high particle content B_4C/Al composite at elevated temperature

The compressive properties of the aluminum matrix composite reinforced with 55% B4C （volume fraction） particles were characterized using Gleeble 3500 thermal-mechanical testing machine. The compressive stress--strain curves were obtained at the temperature ranging from 298 to 773 K and strain rate ranging from 1×10^（-3） to 5 s ^（-1）. The results showed that the dynamic compressive strength decreased more slowly than the quasi-static compressive strength at elevated temperatures, which was attributed to the different failure modes of the composite under dynamic and quasi-static load. The strain rate sensitivity increased from 0.02 to 0.13 when the temperature increased from room temperature to 773 K, suggesting that the strain rate sensitivity of this type of composite is a function of temperature.

Effects of heat treatment on phase contents and mechanical properties of infiltrated B_4C/2024Al composites

The B4C/2024Al composites were successfully produced by pressureless infiltration method, and the effects of heat treatment on phase content and mechanical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and mechanical properties testing. The results show that phases of BnC/2024Al composites include B4C, Al, Al3BC, AlB2 and Al2Cu. The phase species remain unchanged; however, the phase content of the composites changes significantly after heat treatment at the temperature of 660, 700, 800 or 900 ℃ for 12, 24 or 36 h. It is found that the heat treatment results in not only considerable enhancement in hardness, but also reduction in bending strength of the composites. Heat treatment at 800 ℃ for 36 h does best to hardness of the composites, while at 700 ℃ for 36 h it is the most beneficial to their comprehensive mechanical properties.

Wear behavior and mechanism of B_4C reinforced Mg-matrix composites fabricated by metal-assisted pressureless infiltration technique

The B4C/Mg composites fabricated by metal-assisted pressureless infiltration technique were used as experimental material, and the wear behavior and mechanism of this material were studied. A pin-on-disc apparatus was used to evaluate the wear behavior where loads of 20, 40, 60 and 80 N, and a sliding velocity of 250 r/min were exerted. The results show that B4C/Mg composites possess superior wear resistance than pure Mg under various applied loads, and the content of Ti, as infiltration inducer, has an influence on the wear resistance of B4C/Mg composites. The dominant wear mechanism for pure Mg is abrasion, while that for B4C/Mg composites under low loads is adhesion and delamination. Under high loads, the wear mechanism of B4C/Mg composites can be attributed to thermal softening and melting or plastic deformation.

Microstructural aspects of in-situ TiB reinforced Ti-6Al-4V composite processed by spark plasma sintering

Titanium-matrix composites have important and wide applications in the transport and aerospace industries. The current research was focused on powder metallurgy processing of in-situ reinforced titanium-matrix composite with Ti B whiskers. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy and B4 C additive powders were used as raw materials. Two different consolidation techniques, namely press-and-sintering and spark plasma sintering, were selected. It was observed that in-situ Ti B whiskers were formed during sintering in both methods. The changes in size, aspect ratio and distribution of in-situ whiskers in different composite samples were monitored. The effect of spark plasma sintering temperature on the synthesis of in-situ whiskers was also investigated. Based on the microstructural observations（optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy） and the energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis, it was concluded that increasing the spark plasma sintering temperature from 900 to 1100 °C would lead to the complete formation of in-situ Ti B whiskers and reduced porosity content.

Investigation on the Thermal Conductivity of 3-Dimensional and 4-Directional Braided Composites

It is vital to choose a factual and reasonable micro-structural model of braided composites for improving the calculating precision of thermal property of 3-D braided composites by finite element method （FEM）. On the basis of new microstructure model of braided composites proposed recently, the model of FEM calculation for thermal conductivity of 3-dimennsional and 4-directional braided composites is set up in this paper. The curves of coefficient of effective thermal conductivity versus fiber volume ratio and interior braiding angle are obtained. Furthermore, comparing the results of FEM with the available experimental data, the reasonability and veracity of calculation are confirmed at the same time.

Composite solid electrolyte of Na3PS4-PEO for all-solid-state SnS2/Na batteries with excellent interfacial compatibility between electrolyte and Na metal

High ionic conductivity and superior interfacial stability of solid electrolytes at the electrodes are crucial factors for high-performance all-solid-state sodium batteries. Herein, a composite solid electrolyte Na3PS4-polyethylene oxide is synthesized by the solution-phase reaction method with an improved ionic conductivity up to 9.4 × 10-5 S/cm at room temperature. Moreover, polyethylene oxide polymer layer is wrapped homogeneously on the surface of Na3PS4 particles, which could effectively avoid the direct contact between Na3PS4 electrolyte and sodium metal, thus alleviate their side reactions. We demonstrate that all-solid-state battery SnS2/Na with the composite solid electrolyte Na3PS4-polyethylene oxide delivers an enhanced electrochemical performance with 230 m Ah/g after 40 cycles.

Brazing of TiB_w/TC4 composite and Ti60 alloy using TiZrNiCu amorphous filler alloy

TiBw/TC4composite was brazed to Ti60alloy successfully using TiZrNiCu amorphous filler alloy,and the interfacialmicrostructures and mechanical properties were characterized by SEM,EDX,XRD and universal tensile testing machine.The typicalinterfacial microstructure was TiBw/TC4composite/β-Ti+TiB whiskers/(Ti,Zr)2(Ni,Cu)intermetallic layer/β-Ti/Ti60alloy whenbeing brazed at940°C for10min.The interfacial microstructure evolution was influenced strongly by the diffusion and reactionbetween molten fillers and the substrates.Increasing brazing temperature decreased the thickness of brittle(Ti,Zr)2(Ni,Cu)intermetallic layer,which disappeared finally when the brazing temperature exceeded1020°C.Fracture analyses indicated thatcracks were initialized in the brittle intermetallic layer when(Ti,Zr)2(Ni,Cu)phase existed in the brazing seam.The maximumaverage shear strength of joints reached368.6MPa when brazing was conducted at1020°C.Further increasing brazing temperatureto1060°C,the shear strength was decreased due to the formation of coarse lamellar(α+β)-Ti structure.

Step-scheme porous g-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composites for efficient and stable photocatalytic H2 production

In recent years,environmental pollution and energy crisis have become increasingly serious issues owing to the burning of fossil fuels.Among the many technologies,decomposition of water to produce hydrogen has attracted much attention because of its sustainability and non-polluting characteristic.However,highly efficient decomposition of water that is driven by visible light is still a challenge.Herein,we report the large-scale preparation of step-scheme porous graphite carbon nitride/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-diethylenetriamine(Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA)composite by a facile solvothermal method.It was found by UV-vis spectroscopy that 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA exhibited suitable visible absorption edge and band gap for water decomposition.The hydrogen production rate of 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite was 6.69 mmol g^-1 h^-1,which was 16.73,1.61,and 1.44 times greater than those of Pg-C3N4,CdS-DETA,and Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA,respectively.In addition,15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite displayed excellent photocatalytic stability,which was maintained for seven cycles of photocatalytic water splitting test.We believe that 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite can be a valuable guide for the development of solar hydrogen production applications in the near future.

In situ fabrication of CdMoO4/g-C3N4 composites with improved charge separation and photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

To further improve the charge separation and photocatalytic activities of g-C3N4 and CdMoO4 under visible light irradiation,CdMoO4/g-C3N4 composites were rationally synthesized by a facile precipitation-calcination procedure.The crystal phases,morphologies,chemical compositions,textural structures,and optical properties of the as-prepared composites were characterized by the corresponding analytical techniques.The photocatalytic activities toward degradation of rhodamine B solution were evaluated under visible light irradiation.The results revealed that integrating CdMoO4 with g-C3N4 could remarkably improve the charge separation and photocatalytic activity,compared with those of pristine g-C3N4 and CdMoO4.This would be because the CdMoO4/g-C3N4 composites could facilitate the transfer and separation of the photoexcited electron-hole pairs,which was confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,transient photocurrent responses,and photoluminescence measurements.Moreover,active species trapping experiments demonstrated that holes(h+)and superoxide radicals(?O2?)were the main active species during the photocatalytic reaction.A possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed on the basis of the energy band structures determined by Mott-Schottky tests.This work would provide further insights into the rational fabrication of composites for organic contaminant removal.

Microstructural and mechanical behavior of blended powder semisolid formed Al7075/B_4C composites under different experimental conditions

This work aimed to fabricate B4C reinforced aluminum matrix composites via blended powder semisolid forming that is an implementation of the benefits of semisolid forming to the powder metallurgy. Al7075 elements were incrementally added to ethanol solution under mechanical mixing. Al7075 constituents and B4C particles were blended in a high energy ball mill. Cold compacted Al7075/B4C blends were pressed at semisolid state. The effects of the size of the matrix（20, 45 and 63 μm）, reinforcing volume fraction（5%, 10% and 20%） and semisolid compaction pressure（50 and 100 MPa） on the morphology, microstructure, density, hardness, compression and bending strength were thoroughly analyzed. Experimental results revealed that the highest microstructural uniformity was achieved when large B4C particles（45 μm） were distributed within the small particles（20 μm） of the matrix phase. Composites with matrix particles larger than reinforcing phase indicated agglomerations in loadings more than 10%（volume fraction）. Agglomerated regions resisted against penetration of the liquid phase to the pores and lowered the density and strength of these composites. Composites with 20 μm Al7075 and 20%（volume fraction） 45 μm B4C powder pressed under 100 MPa exhibited the highest values of hardness（HV 190） and compressive strength（336 MPa）.

Non‑Magnetic Bimetallic MOF‑Derived Porous Carbon‑Wrapped TiO2/ ZrTiO4 Composites for Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Modern communication technologies put forward higher requirements for electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorption materials.Metal-organic framework(MOF)derivatives have been widely concerned with its diverse advantages.To break the mindset of magneticderivative design,and make up the shortage of monometallic non-magnetic derivatives,we first try non-magnetic bimetallic MOFs derivatives to achieve efficient EMW absorption.The porous carbon-wrapped TiO2/ZrTiO4 composites derived from PCN-415(TiZr-MOFs)are qualified with a minimum reflection loss of−67.8 dB(2.16 mm,13.0 GHz),and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 5.9 GHz(2.70 mm).Through in-depth discussions,the synergy of enhanced interfacial polarization and other attenuation mechanisms in the composites is revealed.Therefore,this work confirms the huge potentials of nonmagnetic bimetallic MOFs derivatives in EMW absorption applications.

Assessment of Ti-6Al-4V particles as a reinforcement for AZ31 magnesium alloy-based composites to boost ductility incorporated through friction stir processing

Poor ductility is the primary concern of magnesium matrix composites(MMCs)inflicted by non-deformable ceramic particle reinforcements.Metal particles which melt at elevated temperature can be used as reinforcement to improve the deformation characteristics.Ti-6Al-4V particles reinforced AZ31 MMCs were produced through friction stir processing(FSP)which was carried out in a traditional vertical milling machine.The microstructural features as well as the response to external tensile load were explored.A homogenous distribution of Ti-6Al-4V was achieved at every part of the stir zone.There was no chemical decomposition of Ti-6Al-4V.Further,Ti-6Al-4V did not react with Al and Zn present in AZ31 alloy to form new compounds.A continuous strong interface was obtained around Ti-6Al-4V particle with the matrix.Ti-6Al-4V particles underwent breakage during processing due to severe plastic strain.There was a remarkable refinement of grains in the composite caused by dynamic recrystallization in addition to the pinning of smaller size broken particles.Dense dislocations were observed in the matrix because of plastic deformation and the associated strain misfit.Ti-6Al-4V particles improved the tensile behavior and assisted to obtain appreciable deformation before fracture.Brittle mode of failure was avoided.