CONTROLLING THE SURFACE COMPOSITION OF PCBM IN P3HT/PCBM BLEND FILMS BY USING MIXED SOLVENTS WITH DIFFERENT EVAPORATION RATES

The surface composition of poly（3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl） and fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester （P3HT/PCBM） blend films could be changed by controlling the film formation process via using mixed solvents with different evaporation rates. The second solvent, with a higher boiling point than that of the first solvent and much better solubility for PCBM than P3HT, is chosen to mix with the first solvent with a lower boiling point and good solubility for both PCBM and P3HT. The slow evaporation rate of the second solvent provides enough time for PCBM to diffuse upwards during the solvent evaporation. Thus, the weight ratio of PCBM and P3HT （mpcBM/mp3HT） at surface of the blend films was varied from ca. 0.1 to ca. 0.72, i.e., it increases about seven times by changing from single solvent to mixed solvents. Meanwhile, the mixed solvents were in favor to form P3HT naonofiber network and enhance phase separation of P3HT/PCBM blend films. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of the device from mixed solvents with slow evaporation process was about 1.5 times of the one from single solvents.

Shell-formation mediated surface composition of uniform two-component microparticles fabricated by micro-fluidic spray drying: Effect of component size and solubility

This work is aimed to study the effects of component size and solubility on the surface composition of spray dried(SD)uniform two-component particles fabricated by micro-fluidic spray dryer.Various precursor liquid consisting of small molecular of methionine(Met,33 g/L)or lysine(Lys,739 g/L)and large-sized silica(12 nm)were prepared by adjusting the mass ratio of components.X-ray energy disper-sive results showed that the respective enrichment degree(De)of Met and Lys on the surface of SD-M1S9 and-L1S9 prepared at 150 C were 182±9% and 125±14%.The De of hydrophobic Met for SD-M1S1 and-M9S1 were 46±9% and 4±2%,respectively,whereas relative hydrophilic Lys mainly distributed internal of the particle meanwhile the De of silica on the surface for SD-L1S1 and-L9S1 were 17±4%and 12±1%,respectively.Drying temperature(120 and 180℃)showed more apparent effect on the De of amino acid for the particles of less amino acid.The possible formation mechanism of surface composition and the surface composition impact on the wettability of particles were explored.These results provide new guidance for manufacturing functional SD powders with various components.

Distribution and composition of authigenic minerals in surface sediments of the western Gulf of Thailand

Generation, morphology, and distribution of authigenic minerals directly reflect sedimentary environment and material sources. Surface sediments were collected from the western Gulf of Thailand during 2011–2012, and 159 samples were analyzed to determine detrital minerals. Authigenic minerals, including siderite, pyrite, and glauconite, are abundant whereas secondary minerals, such as chlorite and limonite, are distributed widely in the study area. Siderite has a maximum content of 19.98 g/kg and appears in three types from nearshore to continental shelf, showing the process of forming-maturity-oxidation. In this process, the Mn O content in siderite decreases, but FeOand Mg O content increase. Colorless or transparent siderite pellets are fresh grains generated within a short time and widely distributed throughout the region; high content appears in coastal area where river inputs are discharged. Translucent cemented double pellets appearing light yellow to red are mature grains; high content is observed in the central shelf. Red-brown opaque granular pellets are oxidized grains,which are concentrated in the eastern gulf. Pyrite is mostly distributed in the central continental shelf with an approximately north–south strip. Pyrite are mainly observed in foraminifera shell and distributed in clayey silt sediments, which is similar to that in the Yangtze River mouth and the Yellow Sea. The pyrite in the gulf is deduced from genetic types associated with sulfate reduction and organic matter decomposition. Majority of glauconite are granular with few laminar. Glauconite is concentrated in the northern and southern parts within the boundary of 9.5° to 10.5°N and is affected by river input diffusion. The distribution of glauconite is closely correlated with that of chlorite and plagioclase, indicating that glauconite is possibly derived from altered products of chlorite and plagioclase. The KO content of glauconite is low or absent, indicating its short formation time.

Surface metal-matrix composites based on AZ91 magnesium alloy via friction stir processing:A review

This monograph presents an overview of friction stir processing(FSP)of surface metal-matrix composites(MMCs)using the AZ91 magnesium alloy.The reported results in relation to various reinforcing particles,including silicon carbide(SiC),alumina(Al_(2)O_(3)),quartz(SiO_(2)),boron carbide(B_(4)C),titanium carbide(TiC),carbon fiber,hydroxyapatite(HA),in-situ formed phases,and hybrid reinforcements are summarized.AZ91 composite fabricating methods based on FSP are explained,including groove filling(grooving),drilled hole filling,sandwich method,stir casting followed by FSP,and formation of in-situ particles.The effects of introducing second-phase particles and FSP process parameters(e.g.,tool rotation rate,traverse speed,and the number of passes)on the microstructural modification,grain refinement,homogeneity in the distribution of particles,inhibition of grain growth,mechanical properties,strength–ductility trade-off,wear/tribological behavior,and corrosion resistance are discussed.Finally,useful suggestions for future work are proposed,including focusing on the superplasticity and superplastic forming,metal additive manufacturing processes based on friction stir engineering(such as additive friction stir deposition),direct FSP,stationary shoulder FSP,correlation of the dynamic recrystallization(DRX)grain size with the Zener–Hollomon parameter similar to hot deformation studies,process parameters(such as the particle volume fraction and external cooling),and common reinforcing phases such as zirconia(ZrO_(2))and carbon nanotubes(CNTs).

Effects of rapid thermal annealing on crystallinity and Sn surface segregation of Ge1-xSnx films on Si (100) and Si (111)

Germanium-tin films with rather high Sn content （28.04% and 29.61%） are deposited directly on Si （100） and Si （111） substrates by magnetron sputtering. The mechanism of the effect of rapid thermal annealing on the Sn surface segregation of Ge1-xSnx films is investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and atomic force microscopy （AFM）. The x-ray diffraction （XRD） is also performed to determine the crystallinities of the Ge1-xSnx films. The experimental results indicate that root mean square （RMS） values of the annealed samples are comparatively small and have no noticeable changes for the as-grown sample when annealing temperature is below 400℃. The diameter of the Sn three-dimensional （3D） island becomes larger than that of an as-grown sample when the annealing temperature is 700℃. In addition, the Sn surface composition decreases when annealing temperature ranges from 400℃ to 700℃. However, Sn bulk compositions in samples A and B are kept almost unchanged when the annealing temperature is below 600℃. The present investigation demonstrates that the crystallinity of Ge1-xSnx/Si （111） has no obvious advantage over that of Ge1-xSnx/Si （100） and the selection of Si （111） substrate is an effective method to improve the surface morphologies of Ge1-xSnx films. We also find that more severe Sn surface segregation occurs in the Ge1-xSnx/Si （111） sample during annealing than in the Ge1-xSnx/Si （100） sample.

Magnesium based surface metal matrix composites by friction stir processing

Surface metal matrix composites(MMCs)are a group of modern engineered materials where the surface of the material is modified by dispersing secondary phase in the form of particles or fibers and the core of the material experience no change in chemical composition and structure.The potential applications of the surface MMCs can be found in automotive,aerospace,biomedical and power industries.Recently,friction stir processing(FSP)technique has been gaining wide popularity in producing surface composites in solid state itself.Magnesium and its alloys being difficult to process metals also have been successfully processed by FSP to fabricate surface MMCs.The aim of the present paper is to provide a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in fabricating magnesium based composites by FSP.Influence of the secondary phase particles and grain refinement resulted from FSP on the properties of these composites is also discussed.

AN IN SITU SURFACE COMPOSITE AND GRADIENT MATERIAL OF Al-Si ALLOY PRODUCED BY ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCE

Because of the different conductivities between the primary phase (low electric conduc tivity) and the metal melt, electromagnetic force scarcely acts on the primary phase. Thus, an electromagnetic repulsive force applied by the metal melt exerts on the pri mary phase when the movement of the melt in the direction of electromagnetic force is limited. As a result, the repulsive force exerts on the primary phase to push them to move in the direction opposite to that of the electromagnetic force when the metal melt with primary phase solidifies under an electromagnetic force field. Based on this, a new method for production of in situ surface composite and gradient material by electromagnetic force is proposed. An in situ primary Si reinforced surface composite of Al-15wt%Si alloy and gradient material of Al-l9wt%Si alloy were produced by this method. The microhardness of the primary Si is HV1320. The reinforced phase size is in the range from 40μm to 100μm. The wear resistance of Al-Si alloy gradient material can be more greatly increased than that of their matrix material.

Microstructure of Ni /WC Surface Composite Layer on Gray Iron Substrate

The surface infiltrated composite （Ni/WC） layers on gray iron substrate were fabricated through a vacuum infiltration casting technique （VICT） using Ni-based composite powder with different WC particles content as raw materials.The microstructures of surface infiltrated composite layer,the interface structures between surface composite layer and the substrate,the changes of macro-hardness with the increasing of WC content and the micro-hardness distribution are investigated.The infiltrated composite layer includes a surface composite layer and a transition layer,and the thickness of the transition layer decreases with the increasing content of WC.The thickness of transition layer with 20%WC content in the surface infiltrated composite layer was 170 μm which was the thickest for all transition layers with different WC content.The surface composite layer was mainly composed of WC,W2C,FeB and NiB,along with Ni-Cr-Fe,Ni （Cr） solid solution,Ni （Si） solid solution and Ni （Fe） solid solution.The transition layer was composed of Ni （Cr） solid solution,Ni （Fe） solid solution,Ni （Si） solid solution,Fe （Ni） solid solution and eutectic.The surface macro-hardness and micro-hardness of the infiltrated layer had been evaluated.The macro-hardness of the surface composite layer decreases with the WC content increasing,and the average macro-hardness is HRC60.The distribution of micro-hardness presents gradient change.The average micro-hardness of the infiltrated layer is about HV1000.

Surface composites fabricated by vacuum infiltration casting technique

Alumina （Al2O3） particles reinforced copper matrix surface composites were fabricated on the bronze substrate using the vacuum infiltration casting technique. Three cases were obtained in the vacuum infiltration casting technique： no infiltration, partial infiltration and full infiltration （the thickness of preforms do not exceed 3.5mm）. The reason of no infiltration is that the vacuum degree is not enough so that the force acting on the liquid metal is lower than the resistance due to the surface tension. Partial infiltration is because of somewhat lower vacuum degree and pouring temperature. Full desired infiltration is on account of suitable infiltration casting conditions, such as vacuum degree, pouring temperature, grain size and preheating temperature of the preform. The most important factor of affecting formation of surface composites is the vacuum degree, then pouring temperature and particle size. The infiltration mechanism was discussed on the bases of different processing conditions. The surface composite up to 3.5 mm in thickness with uniformly distributed Al2O3 particles could be fabricated via the vacuum infiltration casting technique.

A comparative study between friction stir processing and friction stir vibration processing to develop magnesium surface nanocomposites

Friction stir processing(FSP)can be used to improve surface composites.In this study,a modified method of FSP called friction stir vibration processing(FSVP)was applied to develop a surface composite on AZ91 magnesium alloy.In this technique,the workpiece is vibrated normal to the processing direction.The results illustrated that compared with the FSP method,the FSVP caused a better homogeneous distribution of SiC particles in the microstructure.The results also showed that matrix grains of friction stir vibration processed(FSV-processed)samples((26.43±2.00)μm)were finer than those of friction stir processed(FS-processed)specimens((39.43±2.00)μm).The results indicated that the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of FSV-processed specimens(361.82 MPa)was higher than that of FS-processed specimens(324.97 MPa).The higher plastic strain in the material during FSVP,due to workpiece vibration,resulted in higher dynamic recrystallization,and consequently,finer grains were developed.The elongation and formability index of the FSV-processed specimen(16.88%and 6107.52 MPa·%,respectively)were higher than those of the FS-processed sample(15.24%and 4952.54 MPa·%,respectively).Moreover,the effects of FSVP were also found to intensify as the vibration frequency increased.

Optimization of Extraction Process of Clerodendrum philippinum Schauer var. simplex Mlodenke Total Flavonoids(CPTF) by Central Composite Design-Response Surface Methodology

[Objectives] The research aimed to optimize extraction process of Clerodendrum philippinum Schauer var. simplex Mlodenke total flavonoids( CPTF),and provide reference for its development and utilization. [Methods] Based on single-factor test,ethanol concentration,extraction temperature and extraction time were taken as independent variables,and total flavonoids yield was taken as dependent variable. The test was conducted according to central composite design principle. Multivariate linear regression and binomial equation fitting of the result were conducted,and extraction process of CPTF was optimized by using response surface methodology. [Results]The optimal extraction process of CPTF was as below: ethanol concentration 54. 76%,extraction temperature 83. 92℃,extraction time 102. 64 min,solid-liquid ratio 1:20,extraction for twice. [Conclusions] The extraction process of CPTF by central composite design-response surface methodology was simple and feasible,with reliable prediction result,which was suitable for industrial production.

Influence of volume percentage of NanoTiB2 particles on tribological&mechanical behaviour of 6061-T6 Al alloy nano-surface composite layer prepared via friction stir process

The aim of present study is to analyze the influence of volume percentage(vol.%) of nano-sized particles(TiB_2: average size is 35 nm) on microstructure, mechanical and tribological behavior of 6061-T6 Al alloy surface nano composite prepared via Friction stir process(FSP). The microstructure of the fabricated surface nanocomposites is examined using optical microscopy(OM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM) for distribution of TiB_2 nano reinforcement particles, thickness of nano composite layer formed on the Aluminum alloy substrate and fracture features. The depth of surface nano composite layer is measured as 3683.82 m m along the cross section of stir zone of nano composite perpendicular to FSP. It was observed that increase in volume percentage of TiB_2 particles, the microhardness is increased up to132 Hv and it is greater than as-received Al alloy's microhardness(104 Hv). It is also observed that at 4volume percentage higher tensile properties exhibited as compared with the 2 and 8 vol. %. It is found that high wear resistance exhibited at 4 volume percentage as-compared with the 2 and 8 vol. %. The observed wear and mechanical properties are interrelated with microstructure, fractography and worn morphology.

Friction Stir Processing of Thixoformed AZ91D Magnesium Alloy and Fabrication of Surface Composite Reinforced by SiC_ps

The microstructural evolution characteristics of the thermomechanically affected zone （TMAZ） alloy during friction stir processing （FSP） of thixoformed （TF） AZ91D alloy were investigated. Simultaneously, a surface composite layer reinforced by SiC particles （SiCps） was prepared on the alloy by FSP and the corresponding tribological properties were examined. The experimental results indicate that dynamic recrystallization and mechanical separation （including splitting and fracture of the primary grains） are the main mechanisms of grain refinement for the TMAZ. A composite surface reinforced by uniformly distributed SiCps was prepared on the alloy. Compared with the corresponding permanent mould casting alloy and the TF alloy without composite surface, the TF alloy with composite surface has the highest wear resistance and lowest friction coefficient.

3D Evaluation Method of Cutting Surface Topography of Carbon / Phenolic (C/Ph) Composite

3D evaluation method of cutting surface topography for C/Ph composites was established.The cutting surface was measured by Talyscan 150,using 3D non-contact measurement.Through the results of 2D and 3D roughness evaluating for C/Ph composite and Duralumin,the 2D evaluation method of the cutting surface topography of C/Ph composite loses a lot of information,the characteristics of the surface topography of C/Ph composite can be comprehensively and authentically evaluated only by 3D evaluation method.Furthermore,3D amplitude and spatial parameters were adopted to evaluate the surface.The results show that： the topography of the C/Ph composite is anisotropic,there are more valleys in the machined surface of C/Ph than that of duralumin,and there are not obvious feeding textures for C/Ph,which indicates the machining mechanism is different from the metal.In conclusion,the topography of the C/Ph composite cutting surface is anisotropic;the cutting surface of C/Ph composite needs 3D evaluation method.

Influence of Non-smooth Surface on Tribological Properties of Glass Fiber-epoxy Resin Composite Sliding against Stainless Steel under Natural Seawater Lubrication

With the development of bionics, the bionic non-smooth surfaces are introduced to the field of tribology. Although non-smooth surface has been studied widely, the studies of non-smooth surface under the natural seawater lubrication are still very fewer, especially experimental research. The influences of smooth and non-smooth surface on the frictional properties of the glass fiber-epoxy resin composite（GF/EPR） coupled with stainless steel 316 L are investigated under natural seawater lubrication in this paper. The tested non-smooth surfaces include the surfaces with semi-spherical pits, the conical pits, the cone-cylinder combined pits, the cylindrical pits and through holes. The friction and wear tests are performed using a ring-on-disc test rig under 60 N load and 1000 r/min rotational speed. The tests results show that GF/EPR with bionic non-smooth surface has quite lower friction coefficient and better wear resistance than GF/EPR with smooth surface without pits. The average friction coefficient of GF/EPR with semi-spherical pits is 0.088, which shows the largest reduction is approximately 63.18% of GF/EPR with smooth surface. In addition, the wear debris on the worn surfaces of GF/EPR are observed by a confocal scanning laser microscope. It is shown that the primary wear mechanism is the abrasive wear. The research results provide some design parameters for non-smooth surface, and the experiment results can serve as a beneficial supplement to non-smooth surface study.

Fabrication and Wettable Investigation of Superhydrophobic Surface by Soft Lithography

The natural hydrophobicity of surfaces can be enhanced if they are microtextured due to air trapped in the structure, which provides the deposited drop with a composite surface made of solid and air on which it is rest. Here, a series of grating microstructure surfaces with different parameters have been designed and fabricated by a novel soft lithography. The water contact angles （WCA） on these rough surfaces are measured through optical contact angle meter. The results indicate that all the WCA on the surfaces with grating microstructures are up to 150~; WCA increases and the hydrophobic performance also enhances with the decrease of the ridge width under the other fixed parameter condition; Experimental data obtained basically consists with the Cassie＇s theoretical prediction. The effects of geometric parameters of the microstructures on wettability of the grating sufaces are investigated.

An angular cutoff composite model for investigation on electromagnetic scattering from two-dimensional rough sea surfaces

Based on the local configuration angle division to select the corresponding method for electromagnetic scattering calculation from rough sea surface, this paper presents an angular cutoff composite model： when the local scattered angle is in the specular region that is given by an approximately 20 degrees cone around the specular direction, the Kirchhoff approximation is applied to evaluate the specular reflection, which dominates the total scattering in this region; the small perturbation method is employed to handle the diffuse reflection which is predominant as the local scattered angle is situated out of the specular region. Numerical results are compared with those of experimental and theoretical models in several configurations as a function of incident angle, wind speed, wind direction. The comparison of numerical results of other experimental and theoretical models in several configurations shows that the new composite model is robust to give accurate numerical evaluations for the sea surface scattering.

Surface Characterization of Ni_(64)P_(20)Fe_(16)Amorphous Alloy by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Auger Electron Spectroscopy

The nature of the native oxides formed on the surface layer of amorphous alloy Ni_(64)P_(20)Fe_(16)has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)and Auger electron spectroscopy(AES)with depth profiling by ion bombardment.There are great distinctions in compositions and chemical states between the surface layer and the bulk.The main constituents Ni,P and Fe are lower in the sur- face layer,and they are mostly in oxidized states, whereas C,O and N are enriched in the surface lay- er.The thickness of surface oxide layer is approximately 20 nm,this layer was assumed to be of great significance to various properties of amor- phous alloy Ni_(64)P_(20)Fe_(16),expecially to the chemical and catalytic properties.Experiments proved that transitional element Fe cannot improve oxidation resistance of the amorphous Ni-P system.

Wear resistance of surface metal matrix composite produced by gas tungsten arc melt injection of Cr3C2 -NiCr particles into low carbon steel

Cr3 C2-NiCr particles were injected into the melted surface of Q235 low carbon steel to make a surface metal matrix composite （MMC） layer by gas tungsten are melt injection （GTAMI） process. Hardness of the surface MMC layer was tested. Wear resistance of the surface MMC was investigated with a ball-on-disk dry sliding setup. Microstrnetures of the surface MMC layer and morphology of the worn surfaces were investigated with scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results showed that the hardness of the MMC was as high as 1 960. 7 HV. Wear loss of the upper part of the MMC layer is onlyO. 8% of that of the substrate under the dry sliding condition given. Wear loss of the bottom part is 2. 5 % of that of the substrate.

G^1 Continuity Conditions of B-spline Surfaces

According to the B-spline theory and Boehm algorithm, this paper presents several necessary and sufficient G1 continuity conditions between two adjacent B-spline surfaces. In order to meet the need of application, a kind of sufficient conditions of G1 continuity are developed, and a kind of sufficient conditions of G1 continuity among N(N>2) patch B-spline surfaces meeting at a common corner are given at the end.