Preparation and Properties of Sintered Corundum at Low Temperatures with Nano-η-Al2O3 Powder

In order to reduce the sintering temperature and improve the properties of sintered corundum,corundum specimens were prepared by granulation and sintering with nano-η-A l203 as the raw material and polyvinyl alcohol as the binder.The effects of different sintering temperatures(1550,1600,1650 and 1700℃)and holding time(2,4 and 6 h)on the properties and microstructures of the specimens were studied,and the transformation mechanism ofη-Al203 was analyzed.The results show that dense sintered corundum with bulk density of 3.74 g/cm^3 and apparent porosity of 1.77%is obtained by calcinating at 1650℃for 6 h;the phase transition fromη-Al203 toα-Al203 occurs first on the surface of alumina particles and then diffuses rapidly to the interior;at lower sintering temperatures there is no abnormal growth of crystals,the bonding between the grains is tight,transgranular fracture is the main fracture mode,there are fewer intergranular pores,and the grain size is in the range of 3.5-7.5μm.

Influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel

The influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the tensile and impact properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel was investigated in this study. Microstructural studies based on phase distribution mapping by electron backscatter diffraction show that the deep cryogenic process causes a decrease in the content of retained austenite and an increase in the volume fraction of η-carbide with increasing soaking time up to 48 h. The decrease in the content of retained austenite from ~1.23vol% to 0.48vol% suggests an isothermal martensitic transformation at 77 K. The η-type precipitates formed in deep cryogenic-treated martensite over 48 h have the Hirotsu and Nagakura orientation relation with the martensitic matrix. Furthermore, a high coherency between η-carbide and the martensitic matrix is observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The variations in macrohardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility with soaking time in the deep cryogenic process show a peak/plateau trend.

Mechanical properties and fracture toughness of rail steels and thermite welds at low temperature

Brittle fracture occurs frequently in rails and thermite welded joints, which intimidates the security and reliability of railway ser- vice. Railways in cold regions, such as Qinghai-Tibet Railway, make the problem of brittle fi＇acture in rails even worse. A series of tests such as uniaxial tensile tests, Charpy impact tests, and three-point bending tests were carried out at low temperature to investigate the mechanical properties and fracture toughness of U71Mn and U75V rail steels and their thermite welds. Fracture micromechanisms were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） on the fracture surfaces of the tested specimens. The ductility indices （percentage elongation aider frac- ture and percentage reduction of area） and the toughness indices （Charpy impact energy Ak and plane-strain fracture toughness Kic） of the two kinds of rail steels and the corresponding thermite welds all decrease as the temperature decreases. The thermite welds are more critical to fracture than the rail steel base metals, as indicated by a higher yield-to-ultimate ratio and a much lower Charpy impact energy. U71Mn rail steel is relatively higher in toughness than U75V, as demonstrated by larger Ak and Klc values. Therefore, U71Mn rail steel and the corresponding thermite weld are recommended in railway construction and maintenance in cold regions.

Piezoelectric properties of low loss and high Curie temperature (Bi, La)FeO_3-Pb(Ti, Mn)O_3 ceramics with Mn doping

Piezoelectric ceramics of 0.6(Bi0.9La0.1)FeO3-0.4Pb(Ti1-xMnx)O3 (BLF-PTM) for x=0, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 were prepared by sol-gel process combined with a solid-state reaction method. The tan? for BLF-PTM of x=0.01 is just 0.006 at 1 kHz, drastically decreasing by using Mn dopants. The TC increases to 490 ℃ for BLF-PTM of x=0.02. Furthermore, Mn modification effectively enhances the poling state and the piezoelectric properties of BLF-PTM. The kp, Qm, d33, and g33 of 0.34, 403, and 124 pC1·N-1 and 37×10-3 Vm·N-1 are achieved for BLF-PTM of x=0.01. The results indicate that Mn modified BLF-PTM is a competitive high power and high temperature piezoelectric material with excellent piezoelectric properties.

Preparation of polythiophene/WO_3 organic-inorganic hybrids and their gas sensing properties for NO_2 detection at low temperature

Polythiophene/WO3（PTP/WO3）organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method,and char- acterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and thermo-gravimetric analysis（TGA）.The Polythiophene/ WO3 hybrids have higher thermal stability than pure polythiophene,which is beneficial to potential application as chemical sensors.Gas sensing measurements demonstrate that the gas sensor based on the Polythiophene/WO3 hybrids has high response and good selectivity for de- tecting NO2 of ppm level at low temperature.Both the operating temperature and PTP contents have an influence on the response of PTP/WO3 hybrids to NO2.The 10 wt%PTP/WO3 hybrid showed the highest response at low operating temperature of 70-C.It is expected that the PTP/WO3 hybrids can be potentially used as gas sensor material for detecting the low concentration of NO2 at low temperature.

Research on deepwater synthetic drilling fluid and its low temperature rheological properties

With the rapid development of deepwater drilling operations,more and more complex technical challenges have to be faced due to the rigorous conditions encountered.One of these challenges is that the drilling fluid used must had good rheological properties at low temperatures and high ability to inhibit hydrate formation.Synthetic drilling fluid has been widely applied to deepwater drilling operations due to its high penetration rate,excellent rheological properties,good ability to prevent hydrate formation,and high biodegradability.A synthetic drilling fluid formulation was developed in our laboratory.The rheological properties of this drilling fluid at low temperatures （0-20 °C） were tested with a 6-speed viscometer and its ability to inhibit hydrate formation was evaluated at 20 MPa CH 4 gas and 0 °C by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）.Several factors influencing the low temperature rheological properties of this synthetic drilling fluid were studied in this paper.These included the viscosity of the base fluid,the amount of CEMU and organic clay,and the water volume fraction.

Tensile properties and fracture surface of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint at low temperature

The tensile properties and fracture surface of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint at low temperature have been studied by universal testing machine and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the tensile properties of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint are greatly affected by temperature. Tensile strength and yield strength of 07MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint increase, but elongation and reduction of area decrease with temperature decreasing. The macro-fracture of 07 MnNiCrMoVDR steel welded joint exhibits that the shear lip is not significant and micro-fracture makes up of dimpled fracture and tear fracture, and dimple becomes tiny and uniform with temperature decreasing.

Effect of low temperature aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of super-high strength aluminum alloy

The effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two alloys, namely Al-12.2%Zn-2.48%Cu-2.0%Mg-0.15%Zr-0.166%Ag（alloy 1）, and Al-9.99%Zn-1.72%Cu-2.5%Mg- 0.13%Zr （alloy 2） were investigated. The results show that low temperature aging after promotive solution treatment can increase elongation without the loss of strength for the studied alloys. The optimum aging treatment （T6） for alloy 1 and alloy 2 is 100℃/80h and 100℃/48h, respectively. Compared with other heat treatment alloys, alloy 1 and alloy 2 show super-high tensile strength up to 753MPa and 788MPa, remaining 9.3% and 9.7% elongation under T6 condition, respectively. During aging, trace addition of Ag enhances the formations of GP zone and metastable phase, and stabilizes GP zone and metastable phase to a higher temperature. Trace addition of Ag prolongs the aging time of reaching the peak strength and delays over-aging condition of the alloy. However, trace addition of Ag promotes the formation of coarse constituent in the alloy and consumes hardening alloying elements of Zn and Mg. Moreover, the addition of the transition element Zr in 7000 series super-high alloy forms incoherent Al3Zr dispersoid which can serve as nucleation sites for nonuniform precipitation of η phase during aging process. The higher the aging temperature, the greater the tendency for nonuniform precipitation of η phase.

Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of Li_2MgTi_3O_8 ceramics doped with BaCu(B_2O_5)

The influences of BaCu(B2O5)(BCB) addition on sintering,microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics were investigated using X-ray diffractometry,scanning electron microscopy and microwave dielectric measurements,The experimental results show that a small amount of BaCu(B2O5) addition can effectively reduce the sintering temperature to 900 °C,and induce only a limited degradation of the microwave dielectric properties.Typically,the best microwave dielectric properties of εr=24.5,Q×f =24 622 GHz,τf=4.2×10?6 °C ?1 are obtained for 1.0% BCB-doped Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics sintered at 900 °C for 3 h.The BCB-doped Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics can be compatible with Ag electrode,which may be a strong candidate for low temperature co-fired ceramics applications.

Effect of low temperature thermo-mechanical treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of TC4 alloy

The effects of low temperature thermo-mechanical treatment (LTTMT) on microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) alloy were studied by optical microscopy (OM), tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The experimental results confirm that the strength of TC4 alloy can be improved obviously by LTTMT processing, which combines strain strengthening with aging strengthening. The effect of LTTMT on the alloy depends on the microstructure of the refined and dispersed α+β phase on the basis of high dislocation density by pre-deformation below recrystallization temperature. The tensile strength decreases with the increase of pre-deformation reduction. The optimal processing parameters of LTTMT for TC4 alloy are as follows: solution treatment at 900 ℃ for 15 min, pre-deformation in the range of 600-700 ℃ with a reduction of 35%, finally aging at 540 ℃ for 4 h followed by air-cooling.

Structure and properties of CIGS films based on one-stage RF-sputtering process at low substrate temperature

Currently, Nanjing South Railway Stationplanning to implement slate roof renovation is integratingsolar cell modules into traditional roof materials to generateclean energy. Copper–indium–gallium diselenide（CuIn1-xGaxSe2, CIGS） is one of the most promisingmaterials for thin film solar cells. Cu（In1-xGax）Se2 filmswere deposited by a one-step radio frequency magnetronsputtering process at low substrate temperature. X-raydiffraction, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, energydispersiveX-ray spectroscopy, and electrical and opticalmeasurements were carried out to investigate the depositedfilms. The results reveal that a temperature of 320 C iscritical for near-stoichiometric CIGS films with uniformsurface morphology. Cu-rich phase particulates are foundat less than this temperature. The sample deposited at380 C gives well-crystalline single-phase CIGS film.Furthermore, the electrical and optical performances of theabsorber layer are improved significantly with theincreasing substrate temperature.

Synthesis of Organic Modified SiC_w/PVDF Composite Membrane and Its Dielectric Properties under Low Temperature

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB) was incorporated into silicon carbide whiskers(SiCw) to improve their hydrophobicity. The solution casting method was employed to develop composite membranes of polyvinylidene fluoride(CTAB-SiCw/PVDF) with different feed ratios. FT-IR spectroscopic studies proved that CTAB was successfully incorporated into the SiCw. SiCw phase structure was maintained after modification by CTAB according to XRD results. SEM studies indicated that the surface became smoother with CTAB dispersal in the PVDF membrane. The dielectric properties of the composite membranes containing various amounts of CTAB-SiCw were measured at low temperature. It was found that the dielectric constant of the composite membranes with 13.0 wt% whiskers reached a maximum value of 25 at low frequency, and decreased to nine at high frequency(from 500 Hz to 1 MHz) at 0 ℃. The dielectric loss of each composite membrane increased with increasing temperature and reached a maximum value. The value shifted with corresponding frequency increases. In addition, the dielectric loss reached a maximum value of 0.2 when 16.7 wt% of CTAB-SiCw was fed at each frequency(from-30 ℃ to 10 ℃). At room temperature, the dielectric constant could be maintained at 42 and the loss factor decreased to 0.8 at 100 Hz when 13.0 wt% of CTABSiCw was incorporated. Additionally, TGA experiments indicated that the decomposition temperature of a PVDF membrane was increased by 10 ℃ and its heat resistance was improved by adding 13.0 wt% of CTAB-SiCw. This PVDF composite membrane has potential for use as an insulator and capacitor.

A STUDY ON THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF POLYBUTYLALDEHYDE FORMED IN LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMA

The polybutylaldehyde obtained by plasma polymerization was investigated by means of IR, X-ray diffraction, GC-MS, elementary analysis, TEM, electron diffraction and contact angle measurements etc. The results showed that the polymer formed in plasma is amorphous crosslinked polymer, and its backbone is made of carbon atoms. The surface energy of the polymer film is independent of the polymerization conditions. No addition reaction has taken place in the carbonyl group of butylaldehyde in the plasma condition. The result of the wettability measurements showed that the polymer film is generally hydrophobic and the surface energy of the film is about 41 dyn/cm, in which the dispersion force contribution is the majority. The electron diffraction proved that some crystal substance, even the single crystals were present in the polymer. X-ray diffraction also proved the presence of crystal and showed about 15% crystaUinity fraction.

Correlation between the Low-Temperature Photoluminescence Spectra and Photovoltaic Properties of Thin Polycrystalline CdTe Films

A dominant intrinsic luminescence band, which is due to the surface potential barriers of crystalline grains, and an edge doublet, which arises as an LO-phonon repetition of the e-h band, has been revealed in the low-temperature photoluminescence spectra of fine-grained obliquely deposited films. Doping film with In impurity leads to quenching of the doublet band, while further thermal treatment causes activation of the intrinsic band, the half-width and the blue shift of the red edge of which correlates with the maximum value of anomalously high photovoltage generated by the film.

Low-Temperature Sintering and Microwave DielectricProperties of Ba_2Ti_3Nb_4O_(18) Ceramics

The effects of CuO and H3BO3 additions on the low-temperature sintering,microstructure,and microwave dielectric properties of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics were investigated.The addition of less amount of CuO （ 〈1 wt%） considerably facilitated the densification of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics.Appropriate addition of H3BO3 （ 〈3.5 wt%） remarkably improved the microwave dielectric properties of ceramics.The addition of H3BO3 and CuO successfully reduced the sintering temperature of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics from 1300 to 1050 ℃.Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics sintered at 1 050 ℃ for 4 h with the addition of 1.0 wt% CuO and 3.5 wt% H3BO3 exhibited good microwave dielectric properties：er=33.74,Q？f=13 812 GHz,and tf=-5.35 ppm/°C at about 5.0 GHz.

Low Temperature Heat Capacities and Thermodynamic Properties of Zinc L-Threonate Zn(C_4H_7O_5)_2(s) by Adiabatic Calorimetry

Low-temperature heat capacities of the solid compound Zn（C4H7O5）2（s） were measured in a temperature range from 78 to 374 K, with an automated adiabatic calorimeter. A solid-to-solid phase transition occurred in the temperature range of 295？322 K. The peak temperature, the enthalpy, and entropy of the phase transition were determined to be （316.269±1.039） K, （11.194±0.335） kJ？mol-1, and （35.391±0.654） J？K-1？mol-1, respectively. The experimental values of the molar heat capacities in the temperature regions of 78？295 K and 322？374 K were fitted to two polynomial equations of heat capacities（Cp,m） with reduced temperatures（X） and [X = f（T）], with the help of the least squares method, respectively. The smoothed molar heat capacities and thermodynamic functions of the compound, relative to that of the standard reference temperature 293.15 K, were calculated on the basis of the fitted polynomials and tabulated with an interval of 5 K. In addition, the possible mechanism of thermal decomposition of the compound was inferred by the result of TG-DTG analysis.

Effects of low temperature on properties of structural steels

The experiments were carried out to measure the mechanical properties ofthree grades of structural steels (Q235A, 16Mn and Q390E steel) at low temperature. It was shownthat the strength of the steels increases while the plasticity and toughness decrease as temperaturedrops. In the transitional area the toughness drops rapidly with temperature. Among the threestructural steels, Q390E steel has the best toughness and the lowest sensitivity.

Fretting Wear Behavior of Medium Carbon Steel Modified by Low Temperature Gas Multi-component Thermo-chemical Treatment

The introduction of surface engineering is expected to be an effective strategy against fretting damage. A large number of studies show that the low gas multi-component （such as carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen, etc） thermo-chemical treatment（LTGMTT） can overcome the brittleness of nitriding process, and upgrade the surface hardness and improve the wear resistance and fatigue properties of the work-pieces significantly. However, there are few reports on the anti-fretting properties of the LTGMTT modified layer up to now, which limits the applications of fretting. So this paper discusses the fretting wear behavior of modified layer on the surface of LZ50 （0.48%C） steel prepared by low temperature gas multi-component thermo-chemical treatment （LTGMTT） technology. The fretting wear tests of the modified layer flat specimens and its substrate （LZ50 steel） against 52100 steel balls with diameter of 40 mm are carried out under normal load of 150 N and displacement amplitudes varied from 2 μm to 40 μm. Characterization of the modified layer and dynamic analyses in combination with microscopic examinations were performed through the means of scanning electron microscope（SEM）, optical microscope（OM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and surface profilometer. The experimental results showed that the modified layer with a total thickness of 60 μm was consisted of three parts, i.e., loose layer, compound layer and diffusion layer. Compared with the substrate, the range of the mixed fretting regime（MFR） of the LTGMTT modified layer diminished, and the slip regime（SR） of the modified layer shifted to the direction of smaller displacement amplitude. The coefficient of friction（COF） of the modified layer was lower than that of the substrate in the initial stage. For the modified layer, the damage in partial slip regime（PSR） was very slight. The fretting wear mechanism of the modified layer both in MFR and SR was abrasive wear and delamination. The modified layer presented better wear resistance than the substrate in PSR and MFR; however, in SR, the wear resistance of the modified layer decreased with the increase of the displacement amplitudes. The experimental results can provide some experimental bases for promoting industrial application of LTGMTT modified layer in anti-fretting wear.

IMPROVEMENT OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEEL BY PLASMA NITRIDING AT LOW TEMPERATURE

A series of experiments were carried out to study the influence of low temperature plasma nitriding on the mechanical properties of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel. Plasma nitriding experiments were carried out for 15 h at 350℃ by means of DC- pulsed plasma in 25%N2＋ 75%H2 atmosphere. The microstructure, phase composition, and residual stresses profiles of the nitrided layers were determined by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The microhardness profiles of the nitridied surfaces were also studied. The fatigue life, sliding wear, and erosion wear loss of the untreated specimens and plasma nitriding specimens were determined on the basis of a rotating bending fatigue tester, a ball-on-disc wear tester, and a solid particle erosion tester. The results show that the 350℃ nitrided surface is dominated by c-Fe3N and ON, which is supersaturated nitrogen solid solution. They have high hardness and chemical stabilities. So the low temperature plasma nitriding not only increases the surface hardness values but also improves the wear and erosion resistance. In addition, the fatigue limit of AISI 420 steel can also be improved by plasma nitriding at 350℃ because plasma nitriding produces residual compressive stress inside the modified layer.

Fatigue crack propagation in fine-grained magnesium under low temperature tension-tension cyclic loading

Fine-grained magnesium was tested under stress-controlled tension-tension cyclic loading at -30 ℃ and the tested sample was observed using scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction to explore the fatigue behavior and crack propagation. The fatigue data showed that the material experienced cyclic softening followed by cyclic hardening before the final fracture failure. The microscopic observations demonstrated that the cracks were almost perpendicular to the loading direction with some zigzags and the cracks progressed along both small angle grain boundaries and large angle grain boundaries. Although the cracks were mainly propagated along large angle grain boundaries, the value of grain boundary angle was not the primary factor to determine the crack propagation direction. The local residual strain from the rolling process was released due to the crack propagation and there was more strain relaxation at regions closer to the cracks.