A fresh class of superconducting and hard pentaborides

On the basis of the current theoretical understanding of boron-based hard superconductors under ambient conditions,numerous studies have been conducted with the aim of developing superconducting materials with favorable mechanical properties using boron-rich compounds.In this paper,first-principles calculations reveal the existence of an unprecedented family of tetragonal pentaborides MB_(5)(M=Na,K,Rb,Ca,Sr,Ba,Sc,and Y),comprising B_(20)cages and centered metal atoms acting as stabilizers and electron donors to the boron sublattice.These compounds exhibit both superconductivity and high hardness,with the maximum superconducting transition temperature T_(c)of 18.6 K being achieved in RbB5 and the peak Vickers hardness Hv of 35.1 GPa being achieved in KB_(5)at 1 atm.The combination of these properties is particularly evident in KB_(5),RbB5,and BaB5,with Tc values of∼14.7,18.6,and 16.3 K and H_(v)values of∼35.1,32.4,and 33.8 GPa,respectively.The results presented here reveal that pentaborides can provide a framework for exploring and designing novel superconducting materials with favorable hardness at achievable pressures and even under ambient conditions.

Effect of continuous casting speed on mold surface flow and the related near-surface distribution of non-metallic inclusions

For the control of surface defects in interstitial-free(IF) steel, quantitative metallographic analyses of near-surface inclusions and surface liquid flow detection via the nail-board tipping method were conducted. The results show that, at casting speeds of 0.8 and 1.0 m/min, a thin liquid mold flux layer forms and non-uniform floating of argon bubbles occurs, inducing the entrainment and subsequent entrapment of the liquid flux; fine inclusion particles of Al_2O_3 can also aggregate at the solidification front. At higher casting speeds of 1.4 and 1.6 m/min, the liquid mold flux can be entrained and carried deeper into the liquid steel pool because of strong level fluctuations of the liquid steel and the flux. The optimal casting speed is approximately 1.2 m/min, with the most favorable surface flow status and, correspondingly, the lowest number of inclusions near the slab surface.

Study on the separation process of non-metallic inclusions at the steel-slag interface using water modeling

The separation process of non-metallic inclusions at the steel–slag interface was simulated by physical modeling. Three different kinds of particles(octahedral, plate-like, and spherical) and three different oils(kerosene, bean oil, and pump oil) were used to model inclusions and slags, respectively. The effects of inclusion geometry(shape and size) and slag properties(viscosity and interfacial tension) on the separation process were investigated. The results revealed that the variation of surface free energy and the viscosity of the slag are two significant factors affecting the separation process of inclusions at the steel–slag interface. The variation of surface free energy helped inclusions enter the slag phase, whereas the decrease of slag viscosity shortened the separation time. The deformation of the steel–slag interface could give rise to the resistance force, which would resist inclusions passing through the interface. A liquid film formed on the inclusion as it passed through the steel–slag interface, which might be related to the inclusion's shape.

Study on non-metallic inclusions in Al killed high strength alloy steel refined by high basicity and high Al_2O_3 content slag

Laboratory and industrial studies were carried out to investigate non-metallic inclusions in high strength alloy steel refined by high basicity and high Al_2O_3 slag.It was found that the steel/slag reaction time largely affected non-metallic inclusions.With the reaction time increased from 30 min to 90 min in laboratory study,MgO-Al_2O_3 spinels were gradually changed into CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions surrounded by softer CaO-Al_2O_3 surface layers.By using high basicity slag which contained as much as 41%Al_2O_3 in the laboratory study,ratio of low melting temperature CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions was remarkably increased to above 80%.In the industrial experiment,during the secondary refining,the inclusions changed in order of 'Al_2O_3→MgO-Al_2O_3→CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3'.Through the LF and RH refining,most inclusions could be transferred to lower melting temperature CaO-Al_2O_3 and CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3 system inclusions.

Development Strategies in Transition Metal Borides for Electrochemical Water Splitting

Electrochemical water splitting is a feasible method for producing environmental benignity energy of hydrogen,while high price and low availability on the earth of noble electrocatalysts constrain their global-scale application.Transition metal borides(TMBs)have displayed unique metalloid characteristic and outstanding performance for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)in the last few decades.Herein,recent developments of the TMBs for HER and OER are summarized.Initially,the impact factors and relevant evaluation of electrocatalytic performance are described,that is,overpotential,Tafel slope and exchange current density,stability,faradaic efficiency,turnover frequency,mass and specific activities.Moreover,the optimization strategies of borides are emphasized,which principally include coupling with effective substrates,elemental doping,phase modification,interfacial engineering,and morphology control.Finally,in order to reach the goal of application,the remaining challenges and perspectives are given to point out a direction for enhancing the performance of borides.

Current Trends and Perspectives of Detection and Location for Buried Non-Metallic Pipelines

Buried pipelines are an essential component of the urban infrastructure of modern cities.Traditional buried pipes are mainly made of metal materials.With the development of material science and technology in recent years,non-metallic pipes,such as plastic pipes,ceramic pipes,and concrete pipes,are increasingly taking the place of pipes made from metal in various pipeline networks such as water supply,drainage,heat,industry,oil,and gas.The location technologies for the location of the buried metal pipeline have become mature,but detection and location technologies for the non-metallic pipelines are still developing.In this paper,current trends and future perspectives of detection and location of buried non-metallic pipelines are summarized.Initially,this paper reviews and analyzes electromagnetic induction technologies,electromagnetic wave technologies,and other physics-based technologies.It then focuses on acoustic detection and location technologies,and finally introduces emerging technologies.Then the technical characteristics of each detection and location method have been compared,with their strengths and weaknesses identified.The current trends and future perspectives of each buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technology have also been defined.Finally,some suggestions for the future development of buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technologies are provided.

Metal phosphides and borides as the catalytic host of sulfur cathode for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium−sulfur batteries are one of the most competitive high-energy batteries due to their high theoretical energy density of _(2)600 W·h·kg^(−1).However,their commercialization is limited by poor cycle stability mainly due to the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of sulfur and its discharged products(Li_(2)S_(2)/Li_(2)S),the sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur cathode,and the“shuttle effect”of soluble intermediate lithi-um polysulfides in ether-based electrolyte.To address these challenges,catalytic hosts have recently been introduced in sulfur cathodes to en-hance the conversion of soluble polysulfides to the final solid products and thus prevent the dissolution and loss of active-sulfur material.In this review,we summarize the recent progress on the use of metal phosphides and borides of different dimensions as the catalytic host of sulfur cathodes and demonstrate the catalytic conversion mechanism of sulfur cathodes with the help of metal phosphides and borides for high-en-ergy and long-life lithium-sulfur batteries.Finally,future outlooks are proposed on developing advanced catalytic host materials to improve battery performance.

A presumed iridocyclitis developed to panophthalmitis caused by a non-metallic intraocular foreign body

Dear Editor,I write to present one case report of a patient suffered the panophthalmitis caused by non-metallic foreign body with no etiologic agent and recovered quickly by phacoemulsification and vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade.Ocular trauma remains a major cause of blindness, particularly in the working-age population.

Three-dimensional analysis technology for accurately characterizing non-metallic inclusion particles in steel

In this paper, a kind of three-dimensional analysis technology for characterizing non-metallic inclusions in steel was clearly elaborated. It is an electron microscopy observation, namely the non-aqueous electrolysis extraction method with a settled coulometer. In the research,the extraction effects of non-metallic inclusions in different electrolysis systems were studied, and it was concluded that alkalescent 2% TEA non-aqueous electrolyte was applicable for extracting most of non-metallic inclusion particles in steel. And then, in order to ensure the microscopic characterization and statistical calculation of inclusion particles, some electrolysis parameters should be confirmed, such as the size of the sample, control of the electrolysis mass, electric current, etc. Furthermore, for preventing the disturbance of carbides and presenting clear three-dimensional appearance by microscopic characterization, magnetic separation was utilized to separate the inclusion particles from carbides, which was useful for getting more veracious types, particle sizes and chemical composition of inclusions. Moreover, through calculation of quantity and particle size of inclusions in continuous determinate fields, the total quantity per unit volume or area and the particle size distribution of inclusions could be acquired by conversion with electrolysis loss. Besides, the comparison between this method and traditional quantitative metallography was also discussed, and finally, a conclusion was drawn that both of them have respectively applications in characterizing inclusions.

Morphology and growth mechanism of borides in Ti-48Al+B alloys

The morphology and growth mechanism of borides in Ti 48Al+(0.2%～0.8%)B (mole fraction) alloys were investigated. The results show that TiB 2 phase are all flakes with width <0.5 μm and aspect ratio >100 in alloys containing 0.2% and 0.5%B, respectively, but there are a few hexagonal blocky borides with habit planes of (0001) and {1010} type besides flakes in the alloy containing 0.8%B. Flake borides are the products of irregular eutectic reactions growing coupled with matrix and blocky borides are primary TiB 2 phases growing unconstrained in melt.

Ultra-incompressible Ternary Diborides Re_(0.5)Ir_(0.5)B_2,Re_(0.5)Tc_(0.5)B_2,Os_(0.5)W_(0.5)B_2 and Os_(0.5)Ru_(0.5)B_2:Density Functional Calculation

In this paper, density functional computations have been applied to the structural, elastic and electronic properties of ternary transition metal diborides Re0.5Ir0.5B2, Re0.5Tc0.5B2, Os0.5W0.5B2 and Os0.5Ru0.5B2 in hexagonal （P63/mmc） and orthorhombic （Pmmn） structures with both local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation. LDA gives smaller lattice parameters and larger elastic moduli than GGA. Both results show that the hexagonal ones are more stable than orthorhombic ones except Os0.5Ru0.5B2. Moreover, the hexagonal structure has superior elastic property than orthorhombic one. Generally speaking, the calculated elastic moduli of Re0.5Ir0.5B2 and Os0.5Ru0.5B2 are smaller than those values of Re0.5Tc0.5B2 and Os0.5W0.5B2 within the same structure because of the filling of antibonding states. The relativistic effects result in weaker bonds of Tc-B （Ru-B） than those of Re-B （Os-B）. All the diborides are ultra-incompressible. Re0.5Tc0.5B2 has the largest shear modulus and it is a promising superhard diboride like Os0.5W0.5B2. The elastic properties are in high correlation with the bond strength. The shear moduli are more sensitive than the bulk moduli to the bond strength.

Non-metallic Inclusions in Continuously Cast Aluminum Killed Steels

In aluminum killed steels, the size, shape, quantity and formation of non-metallic inclusions in ladle steel (before and after RH vacuum treatment) and in tundish as well as in slabs were studied by EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) and by analyzing the total oxygen. The results showed that in the slabs the total oxygen was quite low and the inclusions discovered were mainly small-sized angular alumina inclusions. This indicates that most inclusions have been removed by floating out during the continuous casting process. In addition, the countermeasures were discussed to decrease the alumina inclusions in the slabs further.

Progress in functional studies of transition metal borides

In recent years,transition metal borides(TMBs)have attracted much attention because they are considered as potential superhard materials and have more abundant crystal structures compared with traditional superhard materials.So far,however,no superhard materials have been found in TMBs.A large number of structures and potential new properties in TMBs are induced by the various hybridization ways of boron atoms and the high valence electrons of transition metals,which provide many possibilities for its application.And most TMBs have layered structures,which make TMBs have the potential to be a two-dimensional(2D)material.The 2D materials have novel properties,but the research on 2D TMBs is still nearly blank.In this paper,the research progress of TMBs is summarized involving structure,mechanical properties,and multifunctional properties.The strong covalent bonds of boron atoms in TMBs can form one-dimensional,twodimensional,and three-dimensional substructures,and the multiple electron transfer between transition metal and boron leads to a variety of chemical bonds in TMBs,which are the keys to obtain high hardness and multifunctional properties of TMBs.Further research on the multifunctional properties of TMBs,such as superconductors,catalysts,and high hardness ferromagnetic materials,is of great significance to the discovery of new multifunctional hard materials.

Synthesis of Composite Materials Based on Borides of Metals and Aluminum Oxide under the Combustion Conditions

The article presents experimental results on obtaining composites based on the systems TiB2-Al2O3,CrB2-Al2O3 and ZrB2-Al2O3 by a method combining SHS(self-propagating high-temperature synthesis)and MA(mechanical activation).Using the thermodynamic calculation program“THERMO”,the adiabatic temperature and the composition of the equilibrium combustion products are calculated.It is shown that the products of exothermic interaction are refractory compounds of metal borides and alumina,which in the ceramic composite form a dispersed phase and a ceramic binder.The effect of duration of the activated mixing on the morphology of the reaction mixture and formation of the microstructure of the ceramic composite was studied.The realization of solid-state SHS is due to the formation of the initial powder mixture of ultradisperse reagent sizes during mechanochemical activation.The SHS products were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis and a scanning electron microscope.High-temperature phases of borides of chromium,titanium,zirconium,aluminum oxide and their spinel are found in SHS products.The purpose of this work is to investigate the influence of regimes for preparing reaction mixtures on formation of the microstructure of a ceramic SHS composite based on titanium,chromium and zirconium borides.

Evaluation of Characteristics of Non-Metallic Inclusions in P/M Ni-Base Superalloy by Automatic Image Analysis

Non-metallic inclusions,especially the large ones,within P/M Ni-base superalloy have a major influence on fatigue characteristics,but are not directly measurable by routine inspection.In this paper,a method,automatic image analysis,is proposed for estimation of the content,size and amount of non-metallic inclusions in superalloy.The methodology for the practical application of this method is described and the factors affecting the precision of the estimation are discussed.In the experiment,the characteristics of the non-metallic inclusions in Ni-base P/M superalloy are analyzed.

The extending length calculation of hydraulic drive non-metallic completion screen pipe running into ultra-short radius horizontal well

Focusing on the extending length restriction of the completion screen pipe resistance running into ultra-short radius horizontal well,this paper proposed technology of hydraulic drive completion tubular string running into ultra-short radius horizontal well.Innovative hydraulic drive tools and string structure are designed,which are composed of guide tubing,hydraulic drive tubing and non-metallic completion screen pipe from inside to outside.A novel mechanical-hydraulic coupling model is established.Based on the wellbore structure of an ultra-short radius horizontal well for deep coalbed methane,the numerical calculations of force and hydraulic load on tubular strings were accomplished by the mechanical-hydraulic coupling model.The results show that the extending length of completion tubular string with the hydraulic drive is 17 times that of conventional completion technology under the same conditions.The multi-factor orthogonal design is adopted to analyze the numerical calculations,and the results show that the extending length of the completion tubular string is mainly affected by the completion tubular string structure and the friction coefficient between the non-metallic composite continuous screen pipe and the wellbore.Two series of hydraulic drive completion tubular string structures suitable for ultra-short radius horizontal wells under different conditions are optimized,with the extending limits of 381 m and 655 m,respectively.These researches will provide theoretical guidance for design and control of hydraulic drive non-metallic composite continuous completion screen pipe running into ultra-short radius horizontal wells.

Behavior of Non-metallic Inclusions in Centrifugal Induction Electroslag Castings

In order to know the behavior of non-metallic inclusions in centrifugal induction electroslag castings (CIESC), non-metallic inclusions in 5CrMnMo and 4Cr5MoSiV1 were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The largest size of inclusions in the casting and the thermodynamic possibility of TiN precipitation in steel were also calculated. The results show that sulfide inclusions are evenly distributed and the content is low. The amount of oxide inclusions in CIESC: 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel is close to the ESR steel and lower than that in the EAF steel, and there are some differences along radial direction. Nitride inclusions are fine and the diameter of the largest one is 3-1 mum. With the increase of the centrifugal machine's rotational speed, the ratio of round inclusions increases and the ratio of sharp inclusions decreases. According to the experiment and the calculation results, it is pointed out that the largest diameter of non-metallic inclusions in the CIESC 4Cr5MoSiV1 casting is only 6.6 mum, and [N%][Ti%] in 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel should be controlled less than 4.4x 10(-5) in order to further reduce the amount and size of TiN inclusions.

Studies of non-metallic organic disinfectants on inactivation of avian influenza viruses

Six different kinds of non-metallic or organic disinfectants were obtained in this research study including “Neutral Electrolyzed Water”, “M22” organic disinfectant solution, Superoxy Food Wash disinfectant, Hydrogen Peroxide, Clorox Germicidal Bleach and Clidox-S. The effectiveness of these disinfectants was studied against various subtypes of avian influenza virus (AIV). The virus-disinfectant mixtures were prepared in serial dilutions of each disinfectant with a constant virus titer and incubated at ambient temperature in different time intervals for virus inactivation. The virus inactivation results were determined by virus recovery in embryonating chicken eggs. Among the six different kinds of nonmetallic disinfectants obtained for this research project, Neutral Electrolyzed Water, “M22” solution, Clorox Germicidal Bleach and Clidox-S were effectively inactivated AIV with appropriate working dilutions and reaction times. Superoxy Food Wash disinfectant and Hydrogen Peroxide were found having limited effect on virus inactivation with extended exposure times of more than 2 hours. These research findings provide scientific data to poultry industry with guidelines to select and use non-metallic organic disinfectants for poultry flock sanitation and disinfection to effectively prevent and control of avian influenza outbreaks.

Borides at interfacial zone of IC6 TLP bonded joints

Transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding technique was used in joining IC6 alloy, a newly developed Ni 3Al based intermetallic material. Studies were focused on the borides at the interfacial zone, which were formed through the diffusion of boron from the interlayer into the base metal during the bonding process. The morphology and microstructure of the borides were investigated, as well as their growth mechanism and microstructure evolution with increasing holding time. Both the needle like and the blocky borides were testified by EDS and TEM as Mo 2NiB 2, with (110) and (211) as interfacial planes. The results show that the borides have some orientation relationship with that of the base metal, that is (211) borides ∥(111) substrate ,〈111〉 borides ∥〈123〉 substrate . The growth of the borides is controlled by long range diffusion of solute atoms. The borides are always enveloped by γ ′ Ni 3 (Al, Mo) films, which would influence the growth behavior of the borides greatly.