Fabrication and characterization of multi-scale coated boron powders with improved combustion performance:A brief review

Boron has high mass and volume calorific values,but it is difficult to ignite and has low combustion efficiency.This literature review summarizes the strategies that are used to solve the above-mentioned problems,which include coatings of boron by using fluoride compounds,energetic composites,metal fuels,and metal oxides.Coating techniques include recrystallization,dual-solvent,phase transfer,electrospinning,etc.As one of the effective coating agents,the fluorine compounds can react with the oxide shell of boron powder.In comparison,the energetic composites can effectively improve the flame temperature of boron powder and enhance the evaporation efficiency of oxide film as a condensed product.Metals and metal oxides would react with boron powder to form metal borides with a lower ignition point,which could reduce its ignition temperature.

Preparation and electrochemical characteristics of Co_3(PO_4)_2-coated LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.2)O_2 by solid-state reaction at room temperature

LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 particles were modified by Co3（PO4）2 coating. The effects of the Co3（PO4）2 coating on the structure and electrochemical properties of the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode material were investigated. The Co3（PO4）2 coating forms a thin layer on the surface of the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 material and a solid solution by interacting with the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 core material during calcination at 700℃ for 4 h. Charge-discharge experiment results show that the Co3（PO4）2 coating improves the cycling stability of the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode material. The capacity retention of the pristine LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode after 50 cycles is 83.6%, whereas it is 91.7% in the case of the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode coated with 1 wt.% Co3（PO4）2. Storage tests of the 4.35 V charged electrode at 60℃ after a month show that the Co3（POg）2-coated sample exhibits good storage properties compared with the pristine sample.

Microstructure and interface thermal stability of C/Mo double-coated SiC fiber reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composites

C/Mo duplex coating interfacially modified SiC fiber-reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composite （SiCf/C/Mo/γ-TiA1） was prepared by foil-fiber-foil method to investigate its interfacial modification effect. SiCf/C/TiAl composites were also prepared under the same processing condition for comparision. Both kinds of the composites were thermally exposed in vacuum at 800 and 900℃ for different durations in order to study thermal stability of the interfacial zone. With the aids of scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, the interracial microstructures of the composites were investigated. The results reveal that, although adding the Mo coating, the interfacial reaction product of the SiCf/C/Mo/TiAl composite is the same with that of the SiCf/C/TiA1 composite, which is TiC/Ti2AlC between the coating and the matrix. However, C/Mo duplex coating is more efficient in hindering interfacial reaction than C single coating at 900 ℃ and below. In addition, a new layer of interfacial reaction product was found between Ti2AlC and the matrix after 900 ℃, 200 h thermal exposure, which is rich in V and close to the chemical composition of B2 phase.

Fabrication of TiN/cBN and TiC/diamond coated particles by titanium deposition process

Cubic boron nitride particles coated by titanium nitride (TiN/cBN) as well as diamond particles coated by titanium carbide (TiC/diamond) were prepared by Ti molten salt deposition followed by heat-treatment process. cBN or diamond particles were mixed separately with Ti powders and molten salts (KCl, NaCl and K2TiF6). The mixture was heated at 900 °C under argon atmosphere. The produced particles were heat-treated under hydrogen at 1000 °C. The morphologies and chemical compositions of the produced particles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and focused ion beam (FIB). The results show that the cBN and the diamond particles are coated by nano-sized Ti layers. By heat-treatment of the Ti/cBN and TiC/diamond coated particles under hydrogen atmosphere, the deposited Ti layers were interacted by the in-situ transformation reaction with the surfaces of cBN and diamond particles and converted to titanium compounds (TiN and TiC), respectively.

Adsorption and Desorption Mechanisms of Methylene Blue Removal with Iron-Oxide Coated Porous Ceramic Filter

Adsorption and desorption mechanisms of methylene blue (MB) removal with iron-oxide coated porous ce-ramics filter (IOCPCF) were investigated in batch and column mode. The results revealed that MB removal mechanisms included physical adsorption and chemical adsorption, of which chemical adsorption by surface ligand complex reaction played a dominant role after infrared spectrum analysis. Recycling agents were se-lected from dilute nitric acid (pH=3), sodium hydroxide solution (pH=12) and distilled water. Among three agents, dilute metric acid (pH=3) was the best recycling agent. Regeneration rate of IOCPCF arrived at 82.56% at batch adsorption and regeneration was finished in 75min at column adsorption. Adsorp-tion-desorption cycles of IOCPCF after batch and column adsorption were four and three times, respectively. Further, compared with fresh IOCPCF, MB removal rate with these desorbed IOCPCF adsorption only slightly decreased, which suggested that IOCPCF should be used repeatedly.

Spray deposition of FeCrNiMn and high carbon steel coatings by thermite reaction

A novel surface cladding technique was developed to prepare the FeCrNiMn alloy and high carbon steel cladding layers,and the microhardness,bonding strength,abrasion wear and corrosion resistance were investigated.The microstructures of the cladding layers were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS).The results show that the bonding strength between the substrate and the two cladding layers were(432.6±21)and(438.3±12)MPa,respectively.Vickers hardness values of the two cladding layers were HV418.5and HV329.6,respectively.The corrosion current densities of the two coatings were2.926×10–6and6.858×10–6A/cm2after electrochemical corrosion test in3.5%NaCl solution,and the wear rate were1.78×10–7and1.46×10–6mm3/mN after sliding wear test,respectively.This indicates that a well metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate was achieved,the abrasion wear and corrosion resistance of both coatings had been greatly improved compared with the substrate.The novel cladding technology is promising for preparing wear-and-corrosion resistant coatings.

Preparation and Interfacial Stability of SiC_f/Ti-6Al-4V Composites Fabricated Using Powder Coated Fiber Method

SiCf/Ti-6Al-4V composites were fabricated by the powder-coated fiber method. The precursor fiber was prepared under the optimized parameter, and the composites were made using the vacuum hot pressure method. The influence of heat exposure time on products of thelinterfacial reaction was investigated using scanning electron microscope （SEM） and analytical transmission electron microscope （TEM） with energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）. The main products are TiC and Ti5Si3 after vacuum exposing the samples at 700℃ for 50 h. The growth dynamics of interracial reaction products was analyzed quantitatively, which fitted the parabola rule. The activity energy of the reaction was 252 kJ·mol^-1.

Application of reaction nitrogen arc cladding TiCN/Fe composite coating on cutter of agricultural machinery

In order to solve the high-price and short-lifetime problems of the cutter of agricultural machinery,and improve the wear resistance of the cutter, the TiCN/Fe metal ceramic composite coating was prepared on the substrate of Q235 steel by reaction nitrogen arc cladding technique. The mixture powder of titanium and graphite was preplaced on the Q235 steel surface after intensive mixing by planetary ball mill and gluing with starch binder. The microstructure and phase of the coatings, interface behavior between coatings and the substrate were investigated by scanning electronic microscope and X-ray diffractometer. The micro-hardness distribution of the coating section was tested by micro-hardness tester. Friction coefficient and wear weight loss were measured by abrasion machine. Wearing surface morphology was investigated by scanning electronic microscope. The results show that an excellent bonding between the coatings and the Q235 steel substrate is ensured by the strong metallurgical interface and phase of the coatings. The coatings are mainly composed of TiCN. The highest micro- hardness of the coatings reaches 1 089 HV0. 2, while the micro-hardness of Q235 steel substrate is only about 286 HV0. 2. The anti-abrasive test results show that the wear resistance of the cladding coating is better than that of quenched and tempered 65 Mn steel which is often used as cutter of agricultural machinery. The field test results show that the TiCN/ Fe metal ceramic composite coating prepared by reaction nitrogen arc cladding is feasible to the manufacture and remanufacture of the cutter of agricultural machinery.

Thermo-physical Characteristics of Nickel-coated Aluminum Powder as a Function of Particle Size and Oxidant

Aluminum particles 15-25 μm in size are widely used in fuel propellants and underwater propulsion systems in national defense research. However, these particles are covered with an aluminum oxide film, which has a high melting point, so ignition is difficult. To improve the ignitability of high-energy aluminum powder and to understand the reaction phenomenon as a function of particle size（15-25 μm, 74-105 μm, and 2.38 mm） and oxidizer（air, CO2, and argon）, the natural oxide films are chemically removed. The particles are then coated with nickel using an electro-less method. The degree of nickel deposition is confirmed qualitatively and quantitatively through surface analysis using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy. To characterize the nickel coatings, elemental analysis is also conducted by using X-ray diffraction. Thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry （TGA/DSC） enable comparisons between the uncoated and coated aluminum, and the reaction process are investigated through fine structural analysis of the particle surfaces and cross sections. There are little difference in reactivity as a function of oxidant type. However, a strong exothermic reaction in the smaller nickel-coated aluminum particles near the melting point of aluminum accelerates the reaction of the smaller particles. Explanation of the reactivity of the nickel-coated aluminum depending on the particle sizes is attempted.

Coating of LiNi_(1/3)Mn_(1/3)Co_(1/3)O_2 cathode materials with alumina by solid state reaction at room temperature

Alumina coated LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 particles were obtained by a simple method of solid state reaction at room temperature. The reaction mechanism of solid state reaction at room temperature was investigated. The structure and morphology of the coating materials were investigated by XRD, SEM and TEM. The electrochemical performances of uncoated and Al2O3-coated LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials were studied within a voltage window of 3.00?4.35 V at current density of 30 mA/g. SEM, TEM and EDS analytical results indicate that the surface of LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 particles is coated with very fine Al2O3 composite, which leads to the improved cycle ability though a slight decrease in the first discharge capacity is observed. It is proposed that surface treatment by solid state reaction at room temperature is a simple and effective method to improve the cycle performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 particles.

Microstructure and Properties of A IN Coating/Graphite Fabricated via In-situ Reaction

A novel method was used to fabricate AlN coating on graphite substrate. This approach included two steps： firstly, the emulsion composed of BN and anhydrous ethanol was sprayed on the surface of the graphite substrate; secondly, AlN coating was formed through the in-situ reaction of Al with the sprayed BN. The reaction was investigated by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis （TG-DTA）, and the phase composition in the synthetic process was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） was used to observe the morphology, and electron probe microanalysis （EPMA） was used to observe the distribution of the elements. The experimental results show that the AlN coating is dense and bonded with graphite tightly.

Cr_2O_3 BASE CERAMIC COATING ON ALUMINUM ALLOYS FORMED BY CHEMICAL REACTIONS

A newly developed method is introduced for producing Cr 2O 3 base ceramic coating on aluminum alloys. On the basis of properly selecting base reactions, slurry is prepared and then applied onto the substrate surface. By chemical reactions taken place in situ on the surface of aluminum alloy at relative low temperature, Cr 2O 3 base ceramic coating is formed. By means of scanning electron microscopy, the coating microstructure and the bonding mechanism are studied. X ray diffraction analysis is also used to investigate the chemical composition of the coating. The coating formation mechanism is further discussed. With a pin on disk tester, wear test is made to evaluate the wear performances of the coating. The results show that by applying the coating on aluminum alloy, the wear decreases 5 times in comparation to that without coating.

Fabrication and properties of silver-based composites reinforced with carbon-coated Ti_(3)AlC_(2)

Ti_(3)AlC_(2)-reinforced Ag-based composites,which are used as sliding current collectors,electrical contacts,and electrode materials,exhibit remarkable performances.However,the interfacial reactions between Ag and Ti_(3)AlC_(2) significantly degrade the electrical and thermal properties of these composites.To diminish these interfacial reactions,we fabricated carbon-coated Ti_(3)AlC_(2) particles(C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2))as reinforcement and prepared Ag–10wt%C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) composites with carbon-layer thicknesses ranging from 50–200 nm.Compared with the uncoated Ag–Ti_(3)AlC_(2) composite,Ag–C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) was found to have a better distribution of Ti_(3)AlC_(2) particles.With increases in the carbon-layer thickness,the Vickers hardness value and relative density of Ag–C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) gradually decreases.With a carbon-layer thickness of 150 nm,we obtained the lowest resistivity of Ag–C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) of 29.4135.5×10^(−9)Ω·m,which is half that of Ag–Ti_(3)AlC_(2)(66.7×10^(−9)Ω·m).The thermal conductivity of Ag–C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) reached a maximum value of 135.5 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1) with a 200-nm carbon coating(~1.8 times that of Ag–Ti_(3)AlC_(2)).These results indicate that the carbon-coating method is a feasible strategy for improving the performance of Ag–C@Ti_(3)AlC_(2) composites.

Preparation and properties of nano-composite ceramic coating by thermo chemical reaction method

Nano-composite ceramic coating was fabricated on Q235 steel through thermo chemical reaction method. Structure of the coating was analyzed and the properties were tested. The results show that a few of new ceramic phases, such as MgAI2O4, ZnAI2O4, AI2SiO5, Ni3Fe and Fe3AI, are formed on the coating during the process of solidifying at 600 ℃. The ceramic coating is dense and the high bonding strength is obtained. The average bonding strength between the coating and matrix could be 14.22 MPa. The acid resistance of the coating increase by 8.8 times, the alkali resistance by 4.1 times, the salt resistance bv 10.3 times, and the wear resistance bv 2.39 times.

Oxide coating mechanism during fluidized bed reduction: solid-state reaction characteristics between iron ore particles and MgO

Experiments on the solid-state reaction between iron ore particles and MgO were performed to investigate the coating mechanism of MgO on the iron ore particles＇ surface during fluidized bed reduction. MgO powders and iron ore particles were mixed and compressed into briquettes and, subsequently, roasted at different temperatures and for different time periods. A Mg-containing layer was observed on the outer edge of the iron ore particles when the roasting temperature was greater than 1173 K. The concentration of Fe in the Mg-containing layer was evenly distributed and was approximately 10wt%, regardless of the temperature change. Boundary layers of Mg and Fe were observed outside of the iron ore particles. The change in concentration of Fe in the boundary layers was simulated using a gas–solid diffusion model, and the diffusion coefficients of Fe and Mg in these layers at different temperatures were calculated. The diffusion activation energies of Fe and Mg in the boundary layers in these experiments were evaluated to be approximately 176 and 172 k J/mol, respectively.

Molecular simulation of interfacial reaction between TiAl alloy melts and different coatings

The effect of coatings(Y_2O_3, Zr O_2 and Al_2O_3) on the interfacial reaction of Ti Al alloys was studied with molecular dynamics. The binding energy of coatings and the diffusion process of oxygen in the melt were simulated, and then the simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The simulation results indicate that for each of the three simulated coatings, inordinate interfacial reactions have occurred between the coating and the melt. The binding energy results show that Y_2O_3 has the best stability and is the most difficult to break down. Zr O_2 has the greatest decomposition energy and is the easiest to break down in the melt. Besides, the molecular dynamics indicate that the diffusion coefficient of the oxygen atom in Al_2O_3 is larger than that in the other two coatings, indicating that oxygen diffusion in Al_2O_3 is the fastest at a given temperature. The experimental results show that the oxygen concentration of the melt with Al_2O_3 coating is the highest, and the oxygen diffusion is of similar magnitude to the simulation values, from which the conclusion can be obtained that the oxygen concentration is significantly influenced by the coating materials.

Electrochemical and Reaction Bonding Processing of Thick ZrO_2/Al_2O_3 Composite Coatings

A novel technique combining electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and reaction bonding process (RBP) is developed to fabricate thick ZrO2/Al2O3 composite coatings. Mixed organic solvents are used here to make suspension containing yttria stablised zirconia (YSZ) and aluminium (Al). The results show that densely packed green form coatings are deposited using a mixture of ethanol and acetylacetone as suspension medium and ball milling for 48 hours. On subsequent heat treatment, melting and oxidation of aluminium in the green forms promote densification during sintering. By these means, thick, uniform and crack-free ZrtVA^Oa composite coatings have been fabricated on metal substrate.

In-situ synthesis of Al_3Ti particles reinforced Al-based composite coating

Using titanium wires （99.5%, 200 μm in diameter） as a reactive source, an Al-based composite coating reinforced by titanium tri-aluminide （A13Ti） particles was fabricated by infiltration plus in-situ methods. According to the differential thermal analysis （DTA） curve, the reactive temperature between Ti wires and A1 matrix can be determined at 890 ℃. The obtained composite coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and microhardness and wear test. The experimental results show that when holding period is 20 min at 890℃, the titanium wires react completely to in-situ synthesize Al3Ti particles, which presents blocky and strip-like states. The microhardness of in-situ synthesized Al3Ti particles is about 4.5 times that of the Al-matrix. Under the condition of dry sliding at 10 N load, compared with the unreinforced Al matrix, the composite coating fabricated with 20 min offers unique wear resistance behavior, and its wear mechanism is that the adhesive wear and abrasive wear coexist.

LiFePO_4 doped with magnesium prepared by hydrothermal reaction in glucose solution

Lithium iron phosphate （LiFePO4） doped with magnesium was hydrothermally synthesized from commercial LiOH, FeSO4, H3PO4 and MgSO4 with glucose as carbon precursor in aqueous solution. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and constant charge-discharge cycling. The results show that the synthesized powders have been in situ coated with carbon precursor produced from caramel reaction of glucose. At ambient temperature （28±2℃）, the electrochemical performances of LiFePO4 prepared exhibit the high discharge capacity of 135 mAh g^-1 at 5C and good capacity retention of 98% over 90 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performances should be correlated with the intimate contact between carbon and LiFePO4 primary and secondary particles, resulting from the in situ formation of carbon precursor/carbon, leading to the increase in conductivity of LiFePO4.

Effect of aluminum borate whisker coating on interface and mechanical properties of 6061Al matrix composites

Copper coating was deposited on the surface of aluminum borate whisker by an electroless plating method.This method was used to modify the interfacial property of squeeze-casting aluminum borate whisker reinforced 6061Al matrix composite.Interface observation indicates that the spinel reaction(MgAl2O4) is hindered by the copper coating,and the difference in interfacial reaction degree affects the tensile property and aging behavior of the composite.For the composite with less spinel reaction(MgAl2O4),its peak-aging process are postponed due to less depletion of magnesium.On the fracture surface of copper-coated composite dimples and fractures of whiskers are more,but on the fracture surface of uncoated composite pull-out of whiskers are more than that on the coated one.In uncoated composite the fracture generally originates from the near-interface-region.