Influence of introducing Zr,Ti,Nb and Ce elements on externally solidified crystals and mechanical properties of high-pressure die-casting Al–Si alloy

High pressure die casting(HPDC)AlSi10Mn Mg alloy castings are widely used in the automobile industry.Mg can optimize the mechanical properties of castings through heat treatment,while the release of thermal stress arouses the deformation of large integrated die-castings.Herein,the development of non-heat treatment Al alloys is becoming the hot topic.In addition,HPDC contains externally solidified crystals(ESCs),which are detrimental to the mechanical properties of castings.To achieve high strength and toughness of non-heat treatment die-casting Al-Si alloy,we used AlSi9Mn alloy as matrix with the introduction of Zr,Ti,Nb,and Ce.Their influences on ESCs and mechanical properties were systematically investigated through three-dimensional reconstruction and thermodynamic simulation.Our results reveal that the addition of Ti increased ESCs'size and porosity,while the introduction of Nb refined ESCs and decreased porosity.Meanwhile,large-sized Al_3(Zr,Ti)phases formed and degraded the mechanical properties.Subsequent introduction of Ce resulted in the poisoning effect and reduced mechanical properties.

A high entropy stabilized perovskite oxide La_(0.2)Pr_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Sr_(0.2)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3−δ)as a promising air electrode for reversible solid oxide cells

Reversible solid oxide cell(RSOC)is a new energy conversion device with significant applications,especially for power grid peaking shaving.However,the reversible conversion process of power generation/energy storage poses challenges for the performance and stability of air electrodes.In this work,a novel high-entropy perovskite oxide La_(0.2)Pr_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Sr_(0.2)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3−δ)(HE-LSCF)is proposed and investigated as an air electrode in RSOC.The electrochemical behavior of HE-LSCF was studied as an air electrode in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes.The polarization impedance(Rp)of the HE-LSCF electrode is only 0.25Ω·cm^(2) at 800℃ in an air atmosphere.Notably,at an electrolytic voltage of 2 V and a temperature of 800℃,the current density reaches up to 1.68 A/cm^(2).The HE-LSCF air electrode exhibited excellent reversibility and stability,and its electrochemical performance remains stable after 100 h of reversible operation.With these advantages,HE-LSCF is shown to be an excellent air electrode for RSOC.

Effect of cyclic drying and wetting on engineering properties of heavy metal contaminated soils solidified/stabilized with fly ash

Solidification/stabilization （S/S） is one of the most effective methods of dealing with heavy metal contaminated soils. The effects of cyclic wetting and drying on solidified/stabilized contaminated soils were investigated. A series of test program, unconfined compressive strength （UCS） test, TCLP leaching test and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test, were performed on lead and zinc contaminated soils solidified/stabilized by fly ash. Test results show that UCS and the leaching characteristics of heavy metal ions of S/S contaminated soils are significantly improved with the increase of fly ash content. UCS of S/S soils firstly increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles, after reaching the peak, it decreases with it. When the pollutant content is lower （1 000 mg/kg）, the TCLP concentration first slightly decreases under cyclic drying and wetting, then increases, but the change is minor. The TCLP concentration is higher under a high pollutant content of 5 000 mg/kg, and increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles. The results of scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test are consistent with UCS tests and TCLP leaching tests, which reveals the micro-mechanism of the variations of engineering properties of stabilized contaminated soils after drying and wetting cycles.

Comparison of properties of traditional and accelerated carbonated solidified/stabilized contaminated soils

The investigation of the long-term performance of solidified/stabilized （S/S） contaminated soils was carried out in a trial site in southeast UK. The soils were exposed to the maximum natural weathering for four years and sampled at various depths in a controlled manner. The chemical properties （e.g., degree of carbonation （DOC）, pH, electrical conductivity （EC）） and physical properties （e.g., moisture content （MC）, liquid limit CLL）, plastic limit （PL）, plasticity index （PI）） of the samples untreated and treated with the traditional and accelerated carbonated S/S processes were analyzed. Their variations on the depths of the soils were also studied. The result showed that the broad geotechnical properties of the soils, manifested in their PIs, were related to the concentration of the water soluble ions and in particular the free calcium ions. The samples treated with the accelerated carbonation technology （ACT）, and the untreated samples contained limited number of free calcium ions in solutions and consequently interacted with waters in a similar way. Compared with the traditional cement-based S/S technology, e.g., treatment with ordinary portland cement （OPC） or EnvirOceM, ACT caused the increase of the PI of the treated soil and made it more stable during long-term weathering. The PI values for the four soils ascended according to the order： the EnvirOceM soil, the OPC soil, the ACT soil, and the untreated soil while their pH and EC values descended according to the same order.

Atom substitution of the solid-state electrolyte Li_(10)GeP_(2)S_(12)for stabilized all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

Solid-state electrolyte Li_(10)GeP_(2)S_(12)(LGPS)has a high lithium ion conductivity of 12 mS cm^(-1)at room temperature,but its inferior chemical stability against lithium metal anode impedes its practical application.Among all solutions,Ge atom substitution of the solid-state electrolyte LGPS stands out as the most promising solution to this interface problem.A systematic screening framework for Ge atom substitution including ionic conductivity,thermodynamic stability,electronic and mechanical properties is utilized to solve it.For fast screening,an enhanced model Dop Net FC using chemical formulas for the dataset is adopted to predict ionic conductivity.Finally,Li_(10)SrP_(2)S_(12)(LSrPS)is screened out,which has high lithium ion conductivity(12.58 mS cm^(-1)).In addition,an enhanced migration of lithium ion across the LSr PS/Li interface is found.Meanwhile,compared to the LGPS/Li interface,LSrPS/Li interface exhibits a larger Schottky barrier(0.134 eV),smaller electron transfer region(3.103?),and enhanced ability to block additional electrons,all of which contribute to the stabilized interface.The applied theoretical atom substitution screening framework with the aid of machine learning can be extended to rapid determination of modified specific material schemes.

Microstructure and thermal stability behavior of a rapidly solidified Al-Ti-Fe-Cr alloy

A rapidly solidified Al-2.5Ti-2.5Fe-2.5Cr (mass fraction in percent) alloywas prepared by melt spinning. As-quenched and as-annealed microstructures were studied by X-raydiffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electronmicroscopy (HREM) and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) analysis. The microhardness of the alloy atdifferent annealing temperatures was measured. The results obtained indicate that the microhardnessof the rapidly solidified Al-2.5Ti-2.5Fe-2.5Cr alloy does not vary with different annealingtemperatures. The as-quenched microstructure of the alloy includes two kinds of dispersed primaryphases: Al_3Ti and Al_(13)(Cr, Fe)_2. After annealing at 400 deg C for 10 h, the stable phaseAl_(13)Fe_4 appears in the microstructure.

SECOND PHASES OF RAPIDLY SOLIDIFIED AlFeCrZrVSi ALLOY AND THEIR THERMAL STABILITIES

The rapidly solidified powder of AlFeCrZrVSi aluminum alloy was prepared using multistage atomization and consolidated by hotextrusion, the evolution of microstructure of the extruded materials during thermal exposure was studied with optical microscope, Xray diffraction and transmission electron microscope(TEM). The results show that the majority of dispersions present in the asextruded alloy are metastable Al12(Fe, Cr, V)3Si, which has excellent thermaldynamical stability and coarsening resistance; the coarsening ratecontrolling process of the Al12(Fe, Cr, V)3Si phase is considered to be diffusion of Fe atom along grain boundaries instead of bulk diffusion of Fe atom.

Experimental Study on Engineering Behavior of Solidified Soil for Scour Repair and Protection

A new scour countermeasure using solidified slurry for offshore foundation has been proposed recently.Fluidized solidified slurry is pumped to seabed area around foundation for scour protection or pumped into the developed scour holes for scour repair as the fluidized material solidifies gradually.In the pumping operation and solidification,the engineering behaviors of solidified slurry require to be considered synthetically for the reliable application in scour repair and protection of ocean engineering such as the pumpability related flow value,flow diffusion behavior related rheological property,anti-scour performance related retention rate in solidification and bearing capacity related strength property after solidification.In this study,a series of laboratory tests are conducted to investigate the effects of mix proportion(initial water content and binder content)on the flow value,rheological properties,density,retention rate of solidified slurry and unconfined compressive strength(UCS).The results reveal that the flow value increases with the water content and decreases with the binder amount.All the solidified slurry exhibits Bingham plastic behavior when the shear rate is larger than 5 s^(-1).The Bingham model has been employed to fit the rheology test results,and empirical formulas for obtaining the density,yield stress and viscosity are established,providing scientific support for the numerical assessment of flow and diffusion of solidified slurry.Retention rate of solidified slurry decreases with the water flow velocity and flow value,which means the pumpability of solidified slurry is contrary to anti-scour performance.The unconfined compressive strength after solidification reduces as the water content increases and binder content decreases.A design and application procedure of solidified soil for scour repair and protection is also proposed for engineering reference.

Investigation on stability of directionally solidified CBr4-C2Cl6 lamellar eutectic by using multiphase field simulation

With the multiphase field method, the stability of lamellar basic state is investigated during the directional solidification of eutectic alloy CBr4-C2Cl6. A great number of lamellar patterns observed in experiments are simulated, and a stability diagram for lamellar pattern selections is presented. The simulated growth behaviours of these patterns are found to be qualitatively consistent with Karma et al＇s numerical calculations and experimental results. The formation of the primary instability is attributed to the destabilization of solute boundary layer.

Positron Annihilation Study on the Microstructural Stability in Rapidly Solidified Al_(92.3)Fe_(4.3)V_(0.7)Si_(1.7)Mm_(1.0) Alloy

Rapidly solidified Al92.3Fe4.3V0.7Si1.7Mm1.0 alloy has been studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy and the variations on the intedecial defects with the annealing temperature were revealed by an analysis of the lifetime results. The intedece characteristics derived from the positron-lifetime results could be used to give a satisfactory interpretation of the dependence of mechanical properties on the annealing temperature

Effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal,porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy

The effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal(ESC),porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy was investigated by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and laboratory computed tomography(CT).Results showed that the newly developed AlSi9MnMoV alloy exhibited improved mechanical properties when compared to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.The AlSi9MnMoV alloy,which was designed with trace multicomponent additions,displays a notable grain refining effect in comparison to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.Refining elements Ti,Zr,V,Nb,B promote heterogeneous nucleation and reduce the grain size of primaryα-Al.At a lower slow shot speed,the large ESCs are easier to form and gather,developing into the dendrite net and net-shrinkage.With an increase in slow shot speed,the size and number of ESCs and porosities significantly reduce.In addition,the distribution of ESCs is more dispersed and the net-shrinkage disappears.The tensile property is greatly improved by adopting a higher slow shot speed.The ultimate tensile strength is enhanced from 260.31 MPa to 290.31 MPa(increased by 11.52%),and the elongation is enhanced from 3.72%to 6.34%(increased by 70.52%).

Human islet amyloid polypeptide oligomers stabilized and probed by MAS NMR

The capture and characterization of oligomers are extremely important in the studies of amyloid aggregation of proteins and peptides.Oligomers are critical intermediates that can impact the structures of amyloid fibrils.Moreover,it is widely accepted that oligomers are the most toxic species along the aggregation pathway[1e4].The studies of oligomers are believed to shed light on the molecular mechanism of amyloid fibrillation and probably the medical clues for related diseases.In vitro investigations of amyloid oligomers are challenging due to their transient and polymorphic nature[5].This is particularly evident in the case of human type-2 diabetes-associated islet amyloid polypeptide(hIAPP),which tends to rapidly form polymorphic fibrils within minutes[6].Notably,hIAPP demonstrates a higher propensity for rapid aggregation compared to other amyloid proteins such as a-synuclein[7].

Absolute stability of the solidification interface in a laser resolidified Zn-2wt.%Cu hypoperitectic alloy

This paper reports on laser surface remelting experiments performed on a Zn-2wt.%Cu hypoperitectic alloy by employing a 5kW CW CO2 laser at scanning velocities between 6 and 1207mm/s. The growth velocities of the mi- crostructures in the laser molten pool were accurately measured. The planar interface structure caused by the high velocity absolute stability was achieved at a growth velocity of 210 mm/s. An implicit expression of the critical solidification velocity for the cellular-planar transition was carried out by nonlinear stability analyses of the planar interface. The results showed a better agreement with the measured critical velocity than that predicted by M-S theory. Cell-free structures were observed throughout the whole molten pool at a scanning velocity of 652 mm/s and the calculated minimum temperature gradient in this molten pool was very close to the critical temperature gradient for high gradient absolute stability （HGAS） of the η phase. This indicates that HGAS was successfully achieved in the present experiments.

Solidification/Stabilization of Chromium in Red Mud-based Geopolymer

Up to 1.5wt%of Cr(Ⅲ)salts(CrCl_(3),and Cr_(2)O_(3))and Cr(Ⅵ)salts(Na_(2)CrO_(4),and CaCr_(2)O_(7))were incorporated into red mud-based geopolymers,respectively.The solidification/stabilization,compressive strength,and durability of the Cr-containing geopolymers were investigated.The experimental results indicate that the red mud-based geopolymer could effectively solidify/stabilize different types of Cr salts with solidification/stabilization rates of above 99.61%.Geopolymers are environmentally safe when the dosage of CaCr_(2)O_(7)is≤1.0wt%,or the dosage of CrCl_(3),Cr_(2)O_(3),and Na_(2)CrO_(4)is≤1.5wt%,respectively.The effects of Cr salts on the compressive strength varies with the type and content of Cr salts.The freeze-thaw cycle is more destructive to geopolymer properties than sulfate attack or acid rain erosion.The solidification/stabilization of Cr is mainly attributed to the following reasons:a)The chemical binding of Cr is related to the formation of Cr-containing hydrates(eg,magnesiochromite((Mg,Fe)(Cr,Al)_(2)O_(4)))and doping into N-A-S-H gel and C-A-S-H gel framework;b)The physical effect is related to the encapsulation by the hydration products(e g,N-A-S-H gel and C-A-S-H gel).This study provides a reference for the treatment of hazardous Cr-containing wastes by solid waste-based geopolymers.

Effect of CO_(2)exposure on the mechanical strength of geopolymerstabilized sandy soils

In recent years,there has been growing interest in developing methods for mitigating greenhouse effect,as greenhouse gas emissions continue to contribute to global temperature rise.On the other hand,investigating geopolymers as environmentally friendly binders to mitigate the greenhouse effect using soil stabilization has been widely conducted.However,the effect of CO_(2)exposure on the mechanical properties of geopolymer-stabilized soils is rarely reported.In this context,the effect of CO_(2)exposure on the mechanical and microstructural features of sandy soil stabilized with volcanic ash-based geopolymer was investigated.Several factors were concerned,for example the binder content,relative density,CO_(2)pressure,curing condition,curing time,and carbonate content.The results showed that the compressive strength of the stabilized sandy soil specimens with 20%volcanic ash increased from 3 MPa to 11 MPa.It was also observed that 100 kPa CO_(2)pressure was the optimal pressure for strength development among the other pressures.The mechanical strength showed a direct relationship with binder content and carbonate content.Additionally,in the ambient curing(AC)condition,the mechanical strength and carbonate content increased with the curing time.However,the required water for carbonation evaporated after 7 d of oven curing(OC)condition and as a result,the 14-d cured samples showed lower mechanical strength and carbonate content in comparison with 7-d cured samples.Moreover,the rate of strength development was higher in OC cured samples than AC cured samples until 7 d due to higher geopolymerization and carbonation rate.

Mechanical behaviors of warm and ice-rich frozen soil stabilized with sulphoaluminate cement

The warm and ice-rich frozen soil is characterized by high unfrozen water content, low shear strength and large compressibility, which is unreliable to meet the stability requirements of engineering infrastructures and foundations in permafrost regions. In this study, a novel approach for stabilizing the warm and ice-rich frozen soil with sulphoaluminate cement was proposed based on chemical stabilization. The mechanical behaviors of the stabilized soil, such as strength and stress-strain relationship, were investigated through a series of triaxial compression tests conducted at -1.0℃, and the mechanism of strength variations of the stabilized soil was also explained based on scanning electron microscope test. The investigations indicated that the strength of stabilized soil to resist failure has been improved, and the linear Mohr-Coulomb criteria can accurately reflect the shear strength of stabilized soil under various applied confining pressure. The increase in both curing age and cement mixing ratio were favorable to the growth of cohesion and internal friction angle. More importantly, the strength improvement mechanism of the stabilized soil is attributed to the formation of structural skeleton and the generation of cementitious hydration products within itself. Therefore, the investigations conducted in this study provide valuable references for chemical stabilization of warm and ice-rich frozen ground, thereby providing a basis for in-situ ground improvement for reinforcing warm and ice-rich permafrost foundations by soil-cement column installation.

Surface-to-bulk engineering with high-valence W^(6+) enabling stabilized single-crystal LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.05)Mn_(0.05)O_(2) cathode

Single-crystal Nickel-rich layered oxides has been recognized as one of the promising cathodes for nextgeneration lithium batteries on account of their high capacity,while its practical application was hindered by structural instability and slow Li^(+) transfer kinetics.Herein,a surface-to-bulk engineered single-crystal LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.05)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)(Ni90) cathode,which features W-doped bulk and Li_(2)WO_(4) surface layer,was successfully achieved by a one-step high-valence W^(6+) modification.The as-obtained W-modified Ni90 delivers excellent cycling stability(89.8% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 0.5 C)and rate capability.The enhanced electrochemical performance was ascribed to the doped-W induced stabilized lattice oxygen,reduced Li^(+)/Ni^(2+) mixing and inhibited H2-H3 phase transition in the bulk,and Li_(2)WO_(4) layer generated stabilized cathode/electrolyte interface.In addition,the thinner LiF-rich cathode electrolyte interphase(CEI) on surface and smaller grain size for W-modified Ni90 benefit to its Li^(+) diffusion dynamics.The effect of high-valence W^(6+)on single-crystal Ni-rich cathode was firstly revealed in detail,which deepens the understanding of electrochemical behavior of Ni-rich cathode with high-valence cations modification,and provides clues for design of high-performance layered cathodes.

A universal multifunctional dual cation doping strategy towards stabilized ultra-high nickel cobalt-free lithium layered oxide cathode

Ultra-high nickel cobalt-free lithium layered oxides are promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)because of their relatively high capacity and low cost.Nevertheless,the high nickel content would induce bulk structure degradation and interfacial environment deterioration,and the absence of Co element reduces the lithium diffusion kinetics,severely limiting the performance liberation of this kind of cathodes.Herein,a multifunctional Ti/Zr dual cation co-doping strategy has been employed to improve the lithium storage performance of LiNi_(0.9)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NM91)cathode.On the one hand,the Ti/Zr co-doping weakens the Li^(+)/Ni^(2+)mixing through magnetic interactions due to the inexistence of unpaired electrons for Ti^(4+)and Zr^(4+),increasing the lithium diffusion rate and suppressing the harmful coexistence of H1 and H2 phases.On the other hand,they enhance the lattice oxygen stability because of the strong Ti-O and Zr-O bonds,inhibiting the undesired H3 phase transition and lattice oxygen loss,improving the bulk structure and cathode-electrolyte interface stability.As a result,the Ti/Zr co-doped NM91(NMTZ)exhibits a 91.2%capacity retention rate after 100 cycles,while that of NM91 is only82.9%.Also,the NMTZ displays better rate performance than NM91 with output capacities of 115 and93 mA h g^(-1)at a high current density of 5 C,respectively.Moreover,the designed NMTZ could enable the full battery to deliver an energy density up to 263 W h kg^(-1),making the ultra-high nickel cobaltfree lithium layered oxide cathode closer to practical applications.

THE STABILITY OF SOLID－LIQUID INTERFACE OF UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFIED Fe－C EUTECTIC ALLOY

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Nanoparticle stabilized emulsion with surface solidification for profile control in porous media

Profile control is utilized to redirect the injection water to low permeability region where a large amount of crude oil lies.Performed gel particles are the commonly used agent for redistributing water by blocking the pores in high permeability region.But the capability of deep penetration of performed gel particles is poor.Here,we formulate nanoparticle stabilized emulsion(NSE).The stability and the effect of NSE on the fluid redirection in a three-dimensional porous medium were investigated.By usingμ-PIV(particle image velocimetry),it was found that the velocity gradient of continuous fluid close to the nanoparticle stabilized droplets is much higher than that close to surfactant stabilized droplets.NSE behaves as solid particle in preferential seepage channels,which will decrease effectively the permeability,thereby redirecting the subsequent injection water.Furthermore,NSE shows high stability compared with emulsion stabilized by surfactant in static and dynamic tests.In addition,water flooding tests also confirm that the NSE can significantly reduce the permeability of porous media and redirect the fluid flow.Our results demonstrate NSE owns high potential to act as profile control agent in deep formation.