Recycled graphite for more sustainable lithium-ion batteries

The demand for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)is driven largely by their use in electric vehicles,which is projected to increase dramatically in the future.This great success,however,urgently calls for the efficient recycling of LIBs at the end of their life.Herein,we describe a froth flotation-based process to recycle graphite—the predominant active material for the negative electrode—from spent LIBs and investigate its reuse in newly assembled LIBs.It has been found that the structure and morphology of the recycled graphite are essentially unchanged compared to pristine commercial anode-grade graphite,and despite some minor impurities from the recycling process,the recycled graphite provides a remarkable reversible specific capacity of more than 350 mAh g^(−1).Even more importantly,newly assembled graphite‖NMC532 cells show excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 80%after 1000 cycles,that is,comparable to the performance of reference full cells comprising pristine commercial graphite.

Physical insights from imaginary-time density–density correlation functions

An accurate theoretical description of the dynamic properties of correlated quantum many-body systems,such as the dynamic structure factor S(q,ω),is important in many fields.Unfortunately,highly accurate quantum Monte Carlo methods are usually restricted to the imaginary time domain,and the analytic continuation of the imaginary-time density–density correlation function F(q,τ)to real frequencies is a notoriously hard problem.Here,it is argued that often no such analytic continuation is required because by definition,F(q,τ)contains the same physical information as does S(q,ω),only represented unfamiliarly.Specifically,it is shown how one can directly extract key information such as the temperature or quasi-particle excitation energies from theτdomain,which is highly relevant for equation-of-state measurements of matter under extreme conditions[T.Dornheim et al.,Nat.Commun.13,7911(2022)].As a practical example,ab initio path-integral Monte Carlo results for the uniform electron gas(UEG)are considered,and it is shown that even nontrivial processes such as the roton feature of the UEG at low density[T.Dornheim et al.,Commun.Phys.5,304(2022)]are manifested straightforwardly in F(q,τ).A comprehensive overview is given of various useful properties of F(q,τ)and how it relates to the usual dynamic structure factor.In fact,working directly in theτdomain is advantageous for many reasons and opens up multiple avenues for future applications.

Froth flotation of scheelite – A review

Froth flotation of scheelite has regained new focus since the 2010s and research regarding floatability and reagents has made great progress over the years. The main objective was and remains the selective flotation of scheelite from other calcium-bearing minerals, in particular calcite, fluorite and apatite. Due to similar properties, most attempts have limited success or only specific application(linked to a type of ore or a location). This article aims at reviewing all general physical-chemical information on froth flotation of scheelite, including electrokinetic properties, influence of p H and already existing reagents as well as ones still under examination. It appears that chelating or mixed collectors and modified versions of sodium silicate and quebracho hold great promise for scheelite flotation, while the use of said depressants and/or promoters seems inevitable.

Effect of an upward magnetic field on nanosized sulfide precipitation in ultra-low carbon steel

An induction levitation melting （ILM） refining process is performed to remove most microsized inclusions in ultra-low carbon steel （UCS）. Nanosized, spheroid shaped sulfide precipitates remain dispersed in the UCS. During the ILM process, the UCS is molten and is rotated under an upward magnetic field. With the addition of Ti additives, the spinning molten steel under the upward magnetic field ejects particles because of resultant centrifugal, floating, and magnetic forces. Magnetic force plays a key role in removing sub-micrometer-sized particles, composed of porous aluminum titanate enwrapping alumina nuclei. Consequently, sulfide precipitates with sizes less than 50 nan remain dispersed in the steel matrix. These findings open a path to the fabrication of clean steel or steel bearing only a nanosized strengthen- ing phase.

Ab initio density response and local field factor of warm dense hydrogen

We present quasi-exact ab initio path integral Monte Carlo(PIMC)results for the partial static density responses and local field factors of hydrogen in the warm dense matter regime,from solid density conditions to the strongly compressed case.The full dynamic treatment of electrons and protons on the same footing allows us to rigorously quantify both electronic and ionic exchange–correlation effects in the system,and to compare the results with those of earlier incomplete models such as the archetypal uniform electron gas or electrons in a fixed ion snapshot potential that do not take into account the interplay between the two constituents.The full electronic density response is highly sensitive to electronic localization around the ions,and our results constitute unambiguous predictions for upcoming X-ray Thomson scattering experiments with hydrogen jets and fusion plasmas.All PIMC results are made freely available and can be used directly for a gamut of applications,including inertial confinement fusion calculations and the modeling of dense astrophysical objects.Moreover,they constitute invaluable benchmark data for approximate but computationally less demanding approaches such as density functional theory or PIMC within the fixed-node approximation.

The relationship between controllability, optimal testing resource allocation, and incubation-latent period mismatch as revealed by COVID-19

The severe shortfall in testing supplies during the initial COVID-19 outbreak and ensuing struggle to manage the pandemic have affirmed the critical importance of optimal supplyconstrained resource allocation strategies for controlling novel disease epidemics.To address the challenge of constrained resource optimization for managing diseases with complications like pre-and asymptomatic transmission,we develop an integro partial differential equation compartmental disease model which incorporates realistic latent,incubation,and infectious period distributions along with limited testing supplies for identifying and quarantining infected individuals.Our model overcomes the limitations of typical ordinary differential equation compartmental models by decoupling symptom status from model compartments to allow a more realistic representation of symptom onset and presymptomatic transmission.To analyze the influence of these realistic features on disease controllability,we find optimal strategies for reducing total infection sizes that allocate limited testing resources between‘clinical’testing,which targets symptomatic individuals,and‘non-clinical’testing,which targets non-symptomatic individuals.We apply our model not only to the original,delta,and omicron COVID-19 variants,but also to generically parameterized disease systems with varying mismatches between latent and incubation period distributions,which permit varying degrees of presymptomatic transmission or symptom onset before infectiousness.We find that factors that decrease controllability generally call for reduced levels of non-clinical testing in optimal strategies,while the relationship between incubation-latent mismatch,controllability,and optimal strategies is complicated.In particular,though greater degrees of presymptomatic transmission reduce disease controllability,they may increase or decrease the role of nonclinical testing in optimal strategies depending on other disease factors like transmissibility and latent period length.Importantly,our model allows a spectrum of diseases to be compared within a consistent framework such that lessons learned from COVID-19 can be transferred to resource constrained scenarios in future emerging epidemics and analyzed for optimality.

Maximizing magnetic field generation in high power laser-solid interactions

In order to understand the transport of fast electrons within solid density targets driven by an optical high power laser,we have numerically investigated the dynamics and structure of strong self-generated magnetic fields in such experiments.Here we present a systematic study of the bulk magnetic field generation due to the ponderomotive current,Weibel-like instability and resistivity gradient between two solid layers.Using particle-in-cell simulations,we observe the effect of varying the laser and target parameters,including laser intensity,focal size,incident angle,preplasma scale length,target thickness and material and experimental geometry.The simulation results suggest that the strongest magnetic field is generated with laser incident angles and preplasma scale lengths that maximize laser absorption efficiency.The recent commissioning of experimental platforms equipped with both optical high power laser and X-ray free electron laser(XFEL),such as European XFEL-HED,LCLS-MEC and SACLA beamlines,provides unprecedented opportunities to probe the self-generated bulk magnetic field by X-ray polarimetry via Faraday rotation with simultaneous high spatial and temporal resolution.We expect that this systematic numerical investigation will pave the way to design and optimize near future experimental setups to probe the magnetic fields in such experimental platforms.

Short-pulse laser-driven x-ray radiography

We have developed a new radiography setup with a short-pulse laser-driven x-ray source. Using a radiography axis perpendicular to both long- and short-pulse lasers allowed optimizing the incident angle of the short-pulse laser on the x-ray source target. The setup has been tested with various x-ray source target materials and different laser wavelengths.Signal to noise ratios are presented as well as achieved spatial resolutions. The high quality of our technique is illustrated on a plasma flow radiograph obtained during a laboratory astrophysics experiment on POLARs.

Numerical Modeling of Turbulent Melt Flow in a Continuous Casting Mold Affected by an Electromagnetic Brake

The current work combines numerical and experimental investigations based on a small-scale mockup using the eutectic alloy GaInSn.The jet flow discharging from the submerged entry nozzle was exposed perpendicularly to a DC magnetic field across the entire wide face of the mold.Numerical calculations were performed by using the commercial package CFX with an implemented RANS-SST turbulence model.The anisotropic properties of the MHD turbulence were taken into account by specific modifications of the turbulence model.The comparison between our numerical calculations and the experimental results shows a very well agreement.In particular,the modified RANS-SST turbulence model is capable to reconstruct the peculiar phenomenon of the excitation of non-steady,non-isotropic large-scale flow perturbations caused by the application of the DC magnetic field.Another important finding of our study is the feature that the electrical boundary conditions,namely the wall conductivity ratio,have a great impact on the mold flow subjected to an external magnetic field.

Reduction in Microsegregation in Al-Cu Alloy by Alternating Magnetic Field

The microsegregation behavior of the Al-4.5 wt%Cu alloy solidified at different cooling rates under the alternating magnetic field(AMF) was investigated.The experimental results showed that the amount of non-equilibrium eutectics in the interdendritic region decreased upon applying the AMF at the same cooling rate.The change in microsegregation could be explained quantificationally by the modifications of dendritic coarsening,solid-state back diffusion and convection in the AMF.The enhanced diffusivity in the solid owing to the AMF was beneficial for the improvement in microsegregation compared to the cases without an AMF.In contrast,the enhanced dendritic coarsening and forced convection in the AMF were found to aggravate the microsegregation level.Considering the contributions of the changes in above factors,an increase in solid diffusivity was found to be primarily responsible for the reduced microsegregation in the AMF.In addition,the microsegregation in the AMF was modeled using the analytical model developed by Voller.The calculated and experimental results were in reasonable agreement.

Localization of rare earth ions in an inhomogeneous magnetic field toward their magnetic separation

Efficient extraction and recycling methods are an important issue for rare earth elements(REE). The significant differences in their magnetic moments make magnetic separation a promising step. Although the magnetic field gradient manipulation of ions seemed to be impossible, the robust enrichment of some paramagnetic RE ions was found in the vicinity of the magnet. The studies in recent years resolved the physical paradox of why, despite the Brownian motion of the ions, there is a reproducible enrichment of RE ions in magnetic field gradients. The existence of trigger process and energy barrier was proved.However, these studies usually used only high paramagnetic ions, e.g., Dy(Ⅲ) or Ho(Ⅲ). This work verifies the theory of the possible magnetic separation for 8 different rare earth ions, respectively. For this purpose, concentration distribution in rare earth chloride solutions were measured using a MachZehnder interferometer. The magnetic field was assured by a Halbach configuration to enhance the effect. The results show the classification of RE solutions into 2 classes: Class I contains the REs with low magnetic moment, whereas Class II includes the REs of high magnetic moment. Only the latter group shows the enrichment of ions in the vicinity of the magnet which encourages the implementation of magnetic separation into existing hydrometallurgical technology to enhance the selectivity of REE.

Current status of greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture in China

Aquaculture and mariculture are becoming an increasingly important source of food supply in many countries and regions.However,with the expansion of aquaculture and mariculture comes increasing emissions of greenhouse gases(GHG)which contribute to global warming and climate change.China leads the world in aquaculture and mariculture production,but there are no studies that systematically assess China's overall carbon footprint from these industries.This study quantified GHG emissions from aquaculture and mariculture by four source phases(feed,energy use,nitrous oxide and fertilizers),and then analyzed the carbon footprint of each of these phases for GHG production of nine major species groups over the past ten years to show the spatial distribution of GHG emissions from aquaculture and mariculture in China.Our results showed that the production of feed materials contributed most to the GHG emissions and found that crop energy use,crop land use changes(LUC),fertilizer production,crop nitrous oxide production and rice methane production were the main sources of feed emissions.The total GHG emissions of the nine species groups were 112 Mt(10^(9) kg)CO_(2)e,the nine species accounting for approximately 86%of aquaculture and mariculture production.GHG emissions of cyprinids had the highest contribution at 47%.Spatial analysis based on our study showed Guangdong,Hubei,Jiangsu and Shandong had the highest GHG emissions of all the provinces in this study,and they accounted for approximately 46%of all emissions.The regional Gross Domestic Product(GDP)was significantly positively correlated with GHG emissions in every province,with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.6.Our results showed for the first time the relationship between the relative production by species composition and spatial distribution of GHG emissions from aquaculture and mariculture in China.Our findings provide the scientific basis for reduction of GHG emissions within a broader context of expanding aquaculture in the future.

Photoluminescence and Raman Spectroscopy Study on Color Centers of Helium Ion-Implanted 4H-SiC

Color centers in silicon carbide(SiC)are promising candidates for quantum technologies.However,the richness of the polytype and defect configuration of SiC makes the accurate control of the types and position of defects in SiC still challenging.In this study,helium ion-implanted 4H-SiC was characterized by atomic force microscopy(AFM),confocal photoluminescence(PL),and confocal Raman spectroscopy at room temperature.PL signals of silicon vacancy were found and analyzed using 638-nm and 785-nm laser excitation by means of depth profiling and SWIFT mapping.Lattice defects(C-C bond)were detected by continuous laser excitation at 532 nm and 638 nm,respectively.PL/Raman depth profiling was helpful in revealing the three-dimensional distribution of produced defects.Differences in the depth profiling results and SRIM simulation results were explained by considering the depth resolution of the confocal measurement setup,helium bubbles,as well as swelling.

Experimental platform for the investigation of magnetized-reverse-shock dynamics in the context of POLAR

The influence of a strong external magnetic field on the collimation of a high Mach number plasma flow and its collision with a solid obstacle is investigated experimentally and numerically. The laser irradiation(I ～ 2 × 10^(14) W · cm^(-2)) of a multilayer target generates a shock wave that produces a rear side plasma expanding flow. Immersed in a homogeneous10 T external magnetic field, this plasma flow propagates in vacuum and impacts an obstacle located a few mm from the main target. A reverse shock is then formed with typical velocities of the order of 15–20 ± 5 km/s. The experimental results are compared with 2 D radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the FLASH code. This platform allows investigating the dynamics of reverse shock, mimicking the processes occurring in a cataclysmic variable of polar type.