Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

Advances in the structure design of substrate materials for zinc anode of aqueous zinc ion batteries

Aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs) demonstrate tremendous competitiveness and application prospects because of their abundant resources,low cost, high safety, and environmental friendliness. Although the advanced electrochemical energy storage systems based on zinc ion batteries have been greatly developed, many severe problems associated with Zn anode impede its practical application, such as the dendrite formation,hydrogen evolution, corrosion and passivation phenomenon. To address these drawbacks, electrolytes, separators, zinc alloys, interfacial modification and structural design of Zn anode have been employed at present by scientists. Among them, the structural design for zinc anode is relatively mature, which is generally believed to enhance the electroactive surface area of zinc anode, reduce local current density, and promote the uniform distribution of zinc ions on the surface of anode. In order to explore new research directions, it is crucial to systematically summarize the structural design of anode materials. Herein, this review focuses on the challenges in Zn anode, modification strategies and the three-dimensional(3D) structure design of substrate materials for Zn anode including carbon substrate materials, metal substrate materials and other substrate materials. Finally, future directions and perspectives about the Zn anode are presented for developing high-performance AZIBs.

The effect of Ti and Zr content on the structure,mechanics and energy-release characteristics of Ti—Zr—Ta alloys

Energetic structural materials(ESMs)are a new type of structural materials with bearing and damage characteristics.In this work the microstructure,mechanical properties and energy release characteristics of multi-element Ti-Zr-Ta alloys with good casting performance were studied.The microstructure of the Ti_(x)ZrTa alloys gradually change from BCC+HCP to single BCC structure with the increase of Ti.While the Ti_(2)Zr_(y)Ta alloys was still uniform and single BCC structure with the increase of Zr.The evolution of microstructure and composition then greatly affect the mechanical properties and energy-release characteristics of Ti-Zr-Ta alloys.The synergistic effect of dual phase structure increases the fracture strain of Ti_(x)ZrTa(x=0.2,0.5)with the Ti content decreases,while the fracture strain of Ti_(x)ZrTa(x=2.0,3.0,4.0)gradually increase with the Ti content increases caused by the annihilation of the obstacles for dislocation movement.And as Zr content increases,the fracture strain of Ti_(2)Zr_(y)Ta alloys decrease,then the oxidation reaction rate and fragmentation degree gradually increase.The higher oxidation rate and the lager exposed oxidation area jointly leads the higher releasing energy efficiency of Ti_(x)ZrTa alloys with low Ti content and Ti_(2)Zr_(y)Ta alloys with high Zr content.

Investigation on method for measuring dynamic shear modulus of underwater acoustic structure materials

A new method is described to measure the dynamic shear modulus of underwater acoustic structure materials in a small anechoic water tank by using a broadband parametric source, a precise coordinate installation and techniques of signal processing in the frequency range of 20 kHz - 100 kHz. The typical size of material samples is 500×500 mm2. Basic principles, experiment installation and measured results are also presented

Point Defect Phenomena of Crystalline Structure in Some Common Structural Materials

The existence and its movement rule of crystalline structure defect are closely related to the diffusion, solid phase reaction, sintering, phase transformation as well as the physical and chemical properties of materials. Point defect theory has been widely applied in material mineralization research, unfavorable transformation controlling, material modification, the research and development of new materials and so on. Point defect theory is one of the important theories for new material research and development. Herein we mainly discuss the application of point defect theory in some structural material researches.

Editorial: Special subject on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures

The thermal protection materials and structures are widely used in hypersonic vehicles for the purpose of thermal insulation, and their mechanical behavior is one of the key issues in design and manufacture of hypersonic vehicles. It is our great pleasure to present the seven papers in this special subject of Theoretical ＆ Applied Mechanics Letters （TAML） and introduce the recent progresses on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures by the authors.

Multilevel Tests and Measurement Evaluation Methods for the Application of Composite Materials in Spacecraft Structures

With the implementation of new-generation launch vehicles,space stations,lunar and deep space exploration,etc.,the development of spacecraft structures will face new challenges. In order to reduce the spacecraft weight and increase the payload,composite material structures will be widely used. It is difficult to evaluate the strength and life of composite materials due to their complex mechanism and various phenomena in damage and failure.Meanwhile,the structures of composite materials used in spacecrafts will bear complex loads,including the coupling loads of tension,pressure,bending,shear,and torsion. Static loads,thermal loads,and vibration loads may occur at the same time,which asks for verification requirements to ensure the structure safety. Therefore,it is necessary to carry out a systematic multi-level experimental study. In this paper,the building block approach (BBA) is used to investigate the multilevel composite material structures for spacecrafts. The advanced measurement technology is adopted based on digital image correlation (DIC) and piezoelectric and optical fiber sensors to measure the composite material structure deformation. The virtual experiment technology is applied to provide sufficient and reliable data for the evaluation of the composite material structures of spacecrafts.

EFFECT OF STRUCTURE OF FUNCTIONAL POLYMER ACTIVE MATERIALS ON PROPERTIES OF GADOLINIUM ION SELECTIVE ELECTRODE

In this paper,the functional polymeric active materials were prepared by the grafting copolymerization and their structure and properties were studied.The results show that the structure and properties of these ac- tive materials have the relative large effects on the properties of gadolinium ion selective electrodes.

SHAKEDOWN ANALYSIS OF SHELL STRUCTURES OF KINEMATIC HARDENING MATERIALS

It is of great practical importance to analyze the shakedown of shell structures under cyclic loading, especially of those made of strain hardening materials.In this paper, same further understanding of the shakedown theorem for kinematic hardening materials has been made, and it is applied to analyze the shakedown of shell structures Though the residual stress of a real stale is related to plastic strain, the time-independent residual stress field as we will show in the theorem may be unrelated to the time-independent kinematically admissible plastic strain field For the engineering application, it will lie much more convenient to point this out clearly and definitely, otherwise it will be very difficult. Also, we have proposed a new method of proving this theorem.The above theorem is applied to the shakedown analysis of a cylindrical shell with hemispherical ends. According to the elastic solution, various possible residual sfcss and plastic strain Jlelds, the shakedown analysis of the structure can be reduced to a mathematical programming problem.The results of calculation show that the shakedown load oj strain hardening materials is about 30-40% higher than that of ideal plastic materials. So it is very important to consider the hardening of materials in the shakedown analysis,for it can greatly increase the structure design capacity, and meanwhile provide ascicntific basis to improve the design of shell structures.

Editorial:Mechanics of intelligent materials and structures

Recently, intelligent or smart materials and structures have been received more and more attention due to their distinguished multi-field coupling properties and wide applications in aerospace, automobiles, civil structures, medical devices, information storage, energy harvesting and so on. It is of academic challenge to fully understand the complex multi-field coupling behaviors of various smart materials and structures, and of engineering sig- nificance to enhance the performance and reliability of these materials and structures in industrial applications. The papers in the special topic of Mechanics of Intelligent Materials and Structures focus on the understanding of the electromechanical, magneto-elastic, and magneto-rheological coupling behav- iors and properties of smart materials and structures for applications in vibration control, resonators, and various functional devices.

Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon Materials with Tunable Microstructure

A facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal route has been developed for a synthesis of versatile carbon materials. The monosaccharide fructose aqueous solution was adopted as the starting material, and the p H of the solution was adjusted to be in acidic（pH 4）, neutral（pH 7） and basic（pH 10.5） conditions. The p H buffered fructose solutions were treated at different temperatures by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique. As-prepared carbon materials displayed p H and temperature dependent multi-morphologies（porous, spherical or core-shell）, which were determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopic analyses（TEM and SEM）. And the hypothesis of dehydration mechanism of hydrothermal synthesis was analyzed by ultraviolet extinction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that as compared with normal hydrothermal synthesis, microwave assistance could efficiently increase the production yield and improve the spherical geometry of the carbon particles in neutral condition. By changing the p H of the system, acidic p H induces aggregation of the spheres, while basic p H produces more trends toward core-shell or sponge-like porous structure. The study opens a novel route to the production of polytropic carbon materials and suggests a potential niche market established from the green synthesis.

Structure and material study of dielectric laser accelerators based on the inverse Cherenkov effect

Dielectric laser accelerators(DLAs)are considered promising candidates for on-chip particle accelerators that can achieve high acceleration gradients.This study explores various combinations of dielectric materials and accelerated structures based on the inverse Cherenkov effect.The designs utilize conventional processing methods and laser parameters currently in use.We optimize the structural model to enhance the gradient of acceleration and the electron energy gain.To achieve higher acceleration gradients and energy gains,the selection of materials and structures should be based on the initial electron energy.Furthermore,we observed that the variation of the acceleration gradient of the material is different at different initial electron energies.These findings suggest that on-chip accelerators are feasible with the help of these structures and materials.

Microstructure of TA2/TA15 graded structural material by laser additive manufacturing process

TA2/TA15 graded structural material（GSM） was fabricated by the laser additive manufacturing（LAM） process. The chemical composition, microstructure and micro-hardness of the as-deposited GSM were investigated. The results show that the TA2 part of exhibiting near-equiaxed grains was Widmanst？tten α-laths microstructure. The TA15 part containing large columnar grains was fine basket-weave microstructure. The graded zone was divided into four deposited layers with 3000 μm in thickness. As the distance from the TA2 part increases, the alloy element contents and the β phase volume fraction increase, the α phase volume fraction decreases and the microstructure shows the evolution from Widmanst？tten α-laths to basket-weave α-laths gradually. The micro-hardness increases from the TA2 part to the TA15 part due to the solid solution strengthening and grain boundary strengthening.

Measurement of pore diffusion factor of porous solid materials

Internal diffusion of molecules in porous materials plays an important role in many chemical processes.However, the pore diffusion capacity of porous materials cannot be measured by conventional catalyst characterization methods. In the present paper, a pore diffusion factor, the ratio of the diffusionconstriction factor to the pore tortuosity of the porous materials, was proposed to measure the diffusion ability of pores inside solid materials, and a method was proposed for measuring the diffusion factor using a well-defined and uniform pore size material as a reference. The diffusion factor was calculated based on the effective diffusion coefficients and the diffusion-constriction factor and pore tortuosity of the reference porous materials. The pore diffusion factor measurement can be performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The pore diffusion factor of conventional porous materials was found to be much smaller than 1, indicating that there is a lot of room for improving the diffusion ability of the conventional catalysts and adsorbents, and could be significantly increased through adding small number of fibers into the conventional porous materials as template.

A systematic review of rigid-flexible composite pavement

Rigid-flexible composite pavement has gained significant popularity in recent decades.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research progress concerning rigid-flexible composite pavement,aiming to promote its application and address key issues while identifying future directions.The design theory and methodology of rigid-flexible composite pavement are discussed,followed by a description of its structural and mechanical behavior characteristics.The load stress,temperature stress,and their interactive effects between the asphalt layer and the rigid base were analyzed.It is clarified that the asphalt layer serves a dual role as both a“functional layer”and a“structural layer”.Typical distresses of rigid-flexible composite pavement,which primarily occur in the asphalt layer,were discussed.These distresses include reflective cracking,top-down cracking,rutting,and compressive-shear failure.Generally,the integrity of the rigid base and the interlaminar bonding conditions significantly impact the performance and distress of the asphalt layer.The technology for enhancing the performance of rigid-flexible composite pavement is summarized in three aspects:asphalt layer properties,rigid base integrity,and interlaminar bonding condition.The study concludes that developing high-performance pavement materials based on their structural behaviors is an effective approach to improve the performance and durability of rigid-flexible composite pavement.The integrated design of structure and materials represents the future direction of road design.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of TA15/TC11 graded structural material by wire arc additive manufacturing process

A graded structural material(GSM)with a material transition from TA15 to TC11 was fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)method.The grain morphology,chemical composition,microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-deposited GSM were all characterized to investigate their variations along the deposition direction.The results indicate that from TA15 to TC11,the grain size decreases and a transition from columnar grains to equiaxed grains occurs.The content of alloy element alters greatly within a short distance,and the width of the mutation zone is 800μm.Both TA15 and TC11 regions exhibit basketweave microstructure withα-phase andβ-phase.However,during the transition from TA15 to TC11,theα-lath becomes fine,which leads to an increase in microhardness.The tensile test shows that the bonding strength at the interface is higher than the longitudinal strength of TA15,and the lateral elongation at the interface is higher than that of TA15 and TC11.

Improving the damage potential of W-Zr reactive structure material under extreme loading condition

Projectiles made of reactive structure materials(RSM)can damage the target with not only kinetic but also chemical energy,but the enhanced damage potential of RSM may become compromised if extreme loading condition disintegrates the projectile before the target is reached.In this work,a ductile coating of Ni was introduced to a tungsten-zirconium(W-Zr)alloy,a typical brittle RSM,to preserve the damage potential of the projectile.Detonation driving tests were carried out with X-ray photography and gunpowder deflagration driving tests were carried out with high-speed photography for the coated and uncoated RSM samples,respectively.The craters on the witness target were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The Ni coating was found to effectively preserve the damage potential of the W-Zr alloy under extreme loading conditions,whereas the uncoated sample fractured and ignited before impacting the target in both detonation and deflagration driving.The crack propagation between the reactively brittle core and the ductile coating was analyzed based on the crack arrest theory to mechanistically demonstrate how the coating improves the structural integrity and preserves the damage potential of the projectile.Specifically,the Ni coating envelops theW-Zr core until the coated sphere penetrates the target,and the coating is then eroded and worn to release the reactive core for the projectile to damage the target more intensively.

Coverless Information Hiding Based on the Molecular Structure Images of Material

The traditional information hiding methods embed the secret information by modifying the carrier,which will inevitably leave traces of modification on the carrier.In this way,it is hard to resist the detection of steganalysis algorithm.To address this problem,the concept of coverless information hiding was proposed.Coverless information hiding can effectively resist steganalysis algorithm,since it uses unmodified natural stego-carriers to represent and convey confidential information.However,the state-of-the-arts method has a low hidden capacity,which makes it less appealing.Because the pixel values of different regions of the molecular structure images of material(MSIM)are usually different,this paper proposes a novel coverless information hiding method based on MSIM,which utilizes the average value of sub-image’s pixels to represent the secret information,according to the mapping between pixel value intervals and secret information.In addition,we employ a pseudo-random label sequence that is used to determine the position of sub-images to improve the security of the method.And the histogram of the Bag of words model(BOW)is used to determine the number of subimages in the image that convey secret information.Moreover,to improve the retrieval efficiency,we built a multi-level inverted index structure.Furthermore,the proposed method can also be used for other natural images.Compared with the state-of-the-arts,experimental results and analysis manifest that our method has better performance in anti-steganalysis,security and capacity.