Effect of Interface Form on Creep Failure and Life of Dissimilar Metal Welds Involving Nickel-Based Weld Metal and Ferritic Base Metal

For dissimilar metal welds(DMWs)involving nickel-based weld metal(WM)and ferritic heat resistant steel base metal(BM)in power plants,there must be an interface between WM and BM,and this interface suffers mechanical and microstructure mismatches and is often the rupture location of premature failure.In this study,a new form of WM/BM interface form,namely double Y-type interface was designed for the DMWs.Creep behaviors and life of DMWs containing double Y-type interface and conventional I-type interface were compared by finite element analysis and creep tests,and creep failure mechanisms were investigated by stress-strain analysis and microstructure characterization.By applying double Y-type interface instead of conventional I-type interface,failure location of DMW could be shifted from the WM/ferritic heat-affected zone(HAZ)interface into the ferritic HAZ or even the ferritic BM,and the failure mode change improved the creep life of DMW.The interface premature failure of I-type interface DMW was related to the coupling effect of microstructure degradation,stress and strain concentrations,and oxide notch on the WM/HAZ interface.The creep failure of double Y-type interface DMW was the result of Type IV fracture due to the creep voids and micro-cracks on fine-grain boundaries in HAZ,which was a result of the matrix softening of HAZ and lack of precipitate pinning at fine-grain boundaries.The double Y-type interface form separated the stress and strain concentrations in DMW from the WM/HAZ interface,preventing the trigger effect of oxide notch on interface failure and inhibiting the interfacial microstructure cracking.It is a novel scheme to prolong creep life and enhance reliability of DMW,by means of optimizing the interface form,decoupling the damage factors from WM/HAZ interface,and then changing the failure mechanism and shifting the failure location.

Failure Analysis of Dissimilar Metal Welds between Ferritic Heat Resistant Steels and Austenitic Stainless Steels in Power Plant

This study analysed the failure of dissimilar metal welds(DMWs)between ferritic heat resistant steels and austenitic stainless steels and investigated its influencing factors by means of numerical simulation,microstructure characterization and mechanical property test.Under the long-term high-temperature service condition in practical power plant,the DMW failure mode was along the interface between nickel-based weld metal(WM)and ferritic heat resistant steel,and the failure mechanism was stress/strain concentration,microstructure degradation and oxidation coupling acting on the interface.The numerical simulation results show that interface stress/strain concentration was due to the differences in coefficient of thermal expansion and creep strength,and the degree of stress/strain concentration was related to service time.The ferrite band formed at the WM/ferritic steel interface was prone to cracking,attracting the fracture along the interface.The interface crack allowed oxidation to develop along the WM/ferritic steel interface.During long-term service,the interface stress/strain concentration,microstructure and oxidation all evolved,which synergistically promoted interface failure of DMW.However,only under the long-term service of low stress conditions could trigger the interface failure of DMW.Meanwhile,long-term service would reduce the mechanical strength and plasticity of DMW.

Conceptual design and safety characteristics of a new multi-mission high flux research reactor

Research reactors with neutron fluxes higher than 10^(14) n cm^(−2) s^(−1) are widely used in nuclear fuel and material irradiation,neutron-based scientific research,and medical and industrial isotope production.Such high flux research reactors are not only important scientific research facilities for the development of nuclear energy but also represent the national comprehensive technical capability.China has several high flux research reactors that do not satisfy the requirements of nuclear energy development.A high flux research reactor has the following features:a compact core arrangement,high power density,plate-type fuel elements,a short refueling cycle,and high coolant velocity in the core.These characteristics make it difficult to simultaneously realize high neutron flux and optimal safety margin.A new multi-mission high flux research reactor was designed by the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology at Tsinghua University in China;the reactor can simul-taneously realize an average neutron flux higher than 2.0×10^(15) n cm^(−2) s^(−1) and fulfill the current safety criterion.This high flux research reactor features advanced design concepts and has sufficient safety margins according to the preliminary safety analysis.Based on the analysis of the station blackout accident,loss of coolant accident,and reactivity accident of a single-control drum rotating out accidently,the maximum temperature of the cladding surface,minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio,and temperature difference to the onset of nucleate boiling temperature satisfy the design limits.

Study on metal recovery process and kinetics of oxidative leaching from spent LiFePO_(4)Li-batteries

A green environmental protection and enhanced leaching process was proposed to recover all elements from spent lithium iron phosphate(LiFePO_(4)) lithium batteries.In order to reduce the influence of Al impurity in the recovery process,NaOH was used to remove impurity.After impurity removal,the spent LiFePO_(4) cathode material was used as raw material under the H_(2)SO_(4) system,and the pressure oxidation leaching process was adopted to achieve the preferential leaching of lithium.The E-pH diagram of the Fe-P-Al-H_(2)O system can determine the stable region of each element in the recovery process of spent LiFePO_(4)Li-batteries.Under the optimal conditions(500 r·min^(-1),15 h,363.15 K,0.4 MPa,the liquid-solid ratio was 4:1 ml·g^(-1)and the acid-material ratio was 0.29),the leaching rate of Li was 99.24%,Fe,Al,and Ti were 0.10%,2.07%,and 0.03%,respectively.The Fe and P were precipitated and recovered as FePO_(4)·2H_(2)O.The kinetic analysis shows that the process of high-pressure acid leaching of spent LiFePO_(4) materials depends on the surface chemical reaction.Through the life cycle assessment(LCA)of the spent LiFePO_(4) whole recovery process,eight midpoint impact categories were selected to assess the impact of recovery process.The results can provide basic environmental information on production process for recycling industry.

Electrolyte induced synergistic construction of cathode electrolyte interphase and capture of reactive free radicals for safer high energy density lithium-ion battery

As the energy density of battery increases rapidly,lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)are facing serious safety issue with thermal runaway,which largely limits the large-scale applications of high-energy-density LIBs.It is generally agreed that the chemical crosstalk between the cathode and anode leads to thermal runaway of LIBs.Herein,a multifunctional high safety electrolyte is designed with synergistic construction of cathode electrolyte interphase and capture of reactive free radicals to limit the intrinsic pathway of thermal runaway.The cathode electrolyte interphase not only resists the gas attack from the anode but suppresses the parasitic side reactions induced by electrolyte.And the function of free radical capture has the ability of reducing heat release from thermal runaway of battery.The dual strategy improves the intrinsic safety of battery prominently that the triggering temperature of thermal runaway is increased by 24.4℃and the maximum temperature is reduced by 177.7℃.Simultaneously,the thermal runaway propagation in module can be self-quenched.Moreover,the electrolyte design balances the trade-off of electrochemical and safety performance of high-energy batteries.The capacity retention of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)|graphite pouch cell has been significantly increased from 53.85%to 97.05%with higher coulombic efficiency of 99.94%at operating voltage extended up to 4.5 V for 200 cycles.Therefore,this work suggests a feasible strategy to mitigate the safety risk of high-energy-density LIBs without sacrificing electrochemical performances.

A data-driven model of drop size prediction based on artificial neural networks using small-scale data sets

An artificial neural network(ANN)method is introduced to predict drop size in two kinds of pulsed columns with small-scale data sets.After training,the deviation between calculate and experimental results are 3.8%and 9.3%,respectively.Through ANN model,the influence of interfacial tension and pulsation intensity on the droplet diameter has been developed.Droplet size gradually increases with the increase of interfacial tension,and decreases with the increase of pulse intensity.It can be seen that the accuracy of ANN model in predicting droplet size outside the training set range is reach the same level as the accuracy of correlation obtained based on experiments within this range.For two kinds of columns,the drop size prediction deviations of ANN model are 9.6%and 18.5%and the deviations in correlations are 11%and 15%.

Experimental study on the oxidation behavior and microstructural evolution of NG-CT-10 and NG-CT-20 nuclear graphite

NG-CT-10 and NG-CT-20 are newly developed grades of nuclear-grade graphite from China.In this study,their oxidation behaviors were experimentally investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis.Microstructural evolution before and after oxidation was investigated using scanning electron microscope,mercury intrusion,and Raman spectroscopy.The apparent activation energy of NG-CT-10 nuclear graphite is 161.4 kJ/mol in a reaction temperature range of 550–700℃and that of NG-CT-20 is 153.5 kJ/mol in a temperature range of 550–650℃.The activation energy in the inner diffusion control regime is approximately half that in the kinetics control regime.At high temperatures,the binder phase is preferentially oxidized over the filler particles and small pores are generated in the binder.No new large or deep pores are generated on the graphite surfaces.Oxygen can diffuse along the boundaries of filler particles and through the binder phase,but cannot diffuse into the spaces between the nanocrystallites in the filler particles.Filler particles are oxidized starting at their outer surfaces,and the sizes of nanocrystallites do not decrease following oxidation.

Perception of fundamental science to boost lithium metal anodes toward practical application

As a key material for lithium metal batteries(LMBs),lithium metal is one of the most promising anode materials to break the bottleneck of battery energy density and a commonly used active material for reference electrodes.Although lithium anodes are regarded as the holy grail of lithium batteries,decades of exploration have not led to the successful commercialization of LMBs,due mainly to the challenges related to the inherent properties of lithium metal.To pave the way for further investigation,herein,a comprehensive review focusing on the fundamental science of lithium are provided.Firstly,the natures of lithium atoms and their isotopes,lithium clusters and lithium crystals are revisited,especially their structural and energetic properties.Subsequently,the electrochemical properties of lithium metal are reviewed.Numerous important concepts and scientific questions,including the electronic structure of lithium,influence of high pressure and low temperature on the properties of lithium,factors influencing lithium deposition,generation of lithium dendrites,and electrode potential of lithium in different electrolytes,are explained and analyzed in detail.Approaches to improve the performance of lithium anodes and thoughtfulness about the electrode potential in lithium battery research are proposed.

PDOL-Based Solid Electrolyte Toward Practical Application:Opportunities and Challenges

Polymer solid-state lithium batteries(SSLB)are regarded as a promising energy storage technology to meet growing demand due to their high energy density and safety.Ion conductivity,interface stability and battery assembly process are still the main challenges to hurdle the commercialization of SSLB.As the main component of SSLB,poly(1,3-dioxolane)(PDOL)-based solid polymer electrolytes polymerized in-situ are becoming a promising candidate solid elec-trolyte,for their high ion conductivity at room temperature,good battery elec-trochemical performances,and simple assembly process.This review analyzes opportunities and challenges of PDOL electrolytes toward practical application for polymer SSLB.The focuses include exploring the polymerization mechanism of DOL,the performance of PDOL composite electrolytes,and the application of PDOL.Furthermore,we provide a perspective on future research directions that need to be emphasized for commercialization of PDOL-based electrolytes in SSLB.The exploration of these schemes facilitates a comprehensive and profound understanding of PDOL-based polymer electrolyte and provides new research ideas to boost them toward practical application in solid-state batteries.

Hydrothermal hydrogenation/deoxygenation of palmitic acid to alkanes over Ni/activated carbon catalyst

To produce paraffin from hydrogenation/deoxygenation of palmitic acid,model compound of bio-oil obtained by hydrothermal liquefaction(HTL)of microalgae has been an attractive focus in recent years.In order to avoid energy-intensive separation process of water and bio-oil,it is of importance that deoxygenation upgrading of fatty acids under hydrothermal conditions similar to HTL process.Herein,it is the first time to explore the application of activated carbon(AC)-supported non-noble-metal catalysts,such as Ni,Co,and Mo,and so on,in the hydrothermal hydrogenation/deoxygenation of long-chain fatty acids,and the obtained Ni/AC-H(the Ni/AC was further H_(2)pre-reduced)is one of the best catalysts.In addition,it is found that the catalytic activity can be further improved by H_(2)pre-reduction of catalyst.Characterization results that are more low valences of nickel and oxygen vacancy can be obtained after H_(2)pre-reduction,thus significant promoting the deoxygenation especially the decarbonylation pathway of fatty acids.The total alkanes yield can reaches 95.9%at optimal conditions(280℃,360 min).This work confirmed that the low-priced AC-supported non-noble-metal catalysts have great potential compared with the noble-metal catalyst,in hydrothermal upgrading of bio-oil.

Synergy of inside doped metals–Outside coated graphene to enhance hydrogen storage in magnesium-based alloys

Grain growth of magnesium(Mg)and its hydride is one of the main reasons for kinetic and capacity degradation during the hydrogen absorption and desorption cycles.To solve this problem,herein we propose a novel method involving synergistic effect of inside embedded metals and outside coated graphene to limit the growth of Mg and its hydride grains.The graphene coated Mg-Y-Al alloys were selected as a model system for demonstrating this positive effect where the Mg_(91)Y_(3)Al_(6)alloy was first prepared by rapidly solidified method and then high-pressure milled with 5 wt%graphene upon 5 MPa hydrogen gas for obtaining in-situ formed YAl_(2)and YH_(3)embedded in the MgH_(2)matrix with graphene shell(denoted as MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR).In comparison to pure MgH_(2),the obtained MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR composites deliver much better kinetics and more stable cyclic performance.For instance,the MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR can release about 6.1 wt%H_(2)within 30 min at 300℃ but pure MgH_(2)only desorbs∼1.5 wt%H_(2).The activation energy for desorption of MgH_(2)-Y-Al@GR samples is calculated to be 75.3±9.1 kJ/mol that is much lower than approximately 160 kJ/mol for pure MgH_(2).Moreover,its capacity retention is promoted from∼57%of pure MgH_(2)to∼84%after 50th cycles without obvious particle agglomeration and grain growth.The synergistic effect of outside graphene coating with inside embedded metals which could provide a huge number of active sites for catalysis as well as inhibit the grain growth of Mg and its hydride is believed to be responsible for these.

Special issue on electrochemical conversion and utilization of hydrogen energy

The concerns over energy crisis and climate change caused by the excessive consumption of fossil fuels and the associated emission of greenhouse gases, have driven many countries to develop policies for an energy transition into zero-carbon energy sources, essentially aiming at decarbonizing their energy systems. Among various renewable sources, hydrogen has been hailed as an ideal alternative to provide secure, cost-effective, and non-polluting energy. In recent years, there has been noteworthy progress in hydrogen electrochemical conversion and utilization techniques and devices, including water electrolyzers, proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), etc. Each of these technologies has yielded a series of encouraging advances. To showcase these recent advances, Frontiers in Energy is launching a special issue titled “electrochemical conversion and utilization of hydrogen energy”.

Preparation of TiCl4 with the Titanium Slag Containing Magnesia and Calcia in a Combined Fluidized Bed

This paper describes a new method for producing TiCl4 by chloridizing materials of high content CaO and MgO, in which a combined fluidized bed is used as a reactor to avoid agglomeration between particles caused by molten CaCl2 and MgCl2. The combined fluidized bed consists of at least a riser tube and a semi-circulating fluidized bed. Two kinds of high titanium slag, in which the total mass content of CaO and MgO is 2.03% and 9.09% respectively, are employed to examine the anti-agglomeration effect and the conversion of the materials when the temperature ranges are between 923.15K and 1073.15K, gas apparent velocity 0.7--1.1m.s-1, and inlet amount of solid materials is 4.6-7.0kg·h^-1. It is found that the anti-agglomeration effect in the combined fluidized bed is satisfactory and the new method can achieve a TiCl4 production capacity of 14.0-75.4t·m^-2·d^-1 in relation to 25.0-- 40.0t·m^-2·d^-1 from the conventional bubble bed. Furthermore, low-temperature chloridization, for example, at 923K or 973K, can also be used to produce TiCl4 and avoid agglomeration.

Characterization, Acid Activation and Bleaching Performance of Bentonite from Xinjiang

Bentonite produced in Xiazijie, Xinjiang (China) was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), dif- ferential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The ben- tonite is composed of dioctahedral montmorillonite with predominant quantity, certain amounts of quartz, feldspar and illite and minor amounts of kaolinite, gypsum, etc. The raw bentonite has a CEC of 0.6497 meq·g-1 and allows to be characterized as typical sodium bentonite. In order to bleach cottonseed oil, optimum conditions for sulfuric acid activation of the raw bentonites were investigated, which were obtained by selecting various acid strength, at 96—98℃ and activating for 4h with 1︰2 solid-liquid ratio. The acid activation bentonites were suitable for decol- orization of cottonseed oil through removing carotene and chlorophyll. The bleaching capabilities of different pig- ments with activated bentonite with treatment of 25% sulfuric acid were 70.3%, 73.1%, 83.2%, 81.8% and 88.9%, respectively. Bleaching with acid activated bentonite gave oils lower peroxide values and acid values.

Theoretical study of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives as chelating collectors in flotation separation of galena and pyrite

Three 2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives,1-ethyl-2-mercapto-benzimidazole(EMBI),1-propyl-2-mercapto-benzimidazole(PMBI)and 1-benze-2-mercapto-benzimidazole(BMBI),were designed and synthesized in the paper,and their collecting behavior in flotation separation process of galena over pyrite was investigated by flotation tests on lab scale.Apart from this,density functional theory(DFT)calculation and molecular dynamics(MD)simulation were also used to elucidate their collecting mechanism.Results of flotation tests indicate that separation of galena over pyrite is feasible at pH 10,and BMBI has the best floatability among three collectors.DFT calculations show that BMBI has the highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)energy and strongest collecting effciency.The adsorption mode of three collectors on mineral surface by MD method indicates that the combination processes of collectors with mineral are exothermic,and the higher the binding energy,the frmer the collector adsorbs on the mineral surface and the higher collecting capacity.The calculation results demonstrate that the floatability of three collectors follows the order:BMBI>PMBI>EMBI,which is highly consistent with the flotation tests.

Modeling of dynamic recrystallization volume fraction evolution for AlCu4SiMg alloy and its application in FEM

To improve the understanding of coupling effect between dynamic recrystallization(DRX)behaviors and flow behaviors of as-cast AlCu4 SiMg, a finite element(FE) simulation equipped with the models of DRX evolution was implemented. A series of isothermal compression tests were performed primarily on a Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator in a temperature range of 648-748 K and a strain rate range of 0.01-10 s-1.According to the measured true stress-strain data,the strain hardening rate curves(dσ/dε versus σ) were plotted to identify the critical strains for DRX initiation(εc). By further derivation of the related material constants, the DRX volume fraction equation and the strain for 50% DRX(ε0.5) equation were solved. Accordingly, the aforementioned DRX equations were implanted into the FE model to conduct a series of simulations for the isothermal compression tests. The results show that during the evolution of DRX volume fraction at a fixed strain rate, the strain required for the same amount of DRX volume fraction increases with decreasing temperature. In contrast, at a fixed temperature, it increases with increasing strain rate. Ultimately, the DRX kinetics model of AlCu4 SiMg alloy and the consequence of the FE analysis were validated by microstructure observations.

Thermal behavior of the HTR-10 under combined PLOFC and ATWS condition initiated by unscrammed control rod withdrawal

Two tests initiated by unscrammed control rod withdrawal were performed on the High Temperature GasCooled Reactor-Test Module(HTR-10) in November 2003 after the reactor achieved its full power, and the test conditions represented a typical transient scenario of modular high-temperature reactors(HTRs), called pressurized loss of forced cooling, and anticipated transient without scram.Based on the test parameters, the HTR-10 thermal behaviors under the test conditions were studied with the help of the system analysis code THERMIX. The combination of the test results and the investigation results makes the HTR-10 safety potential better understood. Key phenomena, such as the helium natural circulation and the temperature redistribution in the reactor, were revealed. As the safety feature of most significance, there is a large margin between the maximum fuel temperature and its safety limit in each test. Temperatures of thermocouples in different components were calculated by THERMIX and compared with the test values. The applicability of the code was verified by good agreement obtained from the comparison.

Mass Transfer and Reaction Kinetics in the Carbonization of Magnesium Oxide from Light Calcined Magnesia with Mechanical Force Enhancement

The carbonization of magnesium oxide particles by CO2 was investigated using a stirring mill reactor. The effects of the system temperature, stirring rotation speed, influx rate of CO2 and initial diameter of the magnesium oxide particles on the carbonization process were determined, The results show that the system temperature and the stirring rotation speed are the most significant influencing factors on the carbonization rate. The determi-nation of critical decomposition temperature (CDT) gives the maximum carbonization rate with other conditions fixed. A theoretical model involving mass transfer and reaction kinetics was presented for the carbonization process. The apparent activation energy was calculated to be 32.8kJ·mol-1. The carbonization process is co-controlled by diffusive mass transfer and chemical reaction. The model fits well with the experimental results.

Grain size regulation for balancing cycle performance and rate capability of LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.055)Mn_(0.045)O_(2) single crystal nickel-rich cathode materials

It is challenging to balance the cyclability and rate capability of single crystal nickel-rich cathode materials(Ni>0.8).Multicomponent oxides by spray pyrolysis shows potential as highly-reactive precursors to synthesize single crystal nickel-rich cathode at lower temperature,yet Ni^(2+)will severely inhibit particle growth when Ni content exceeds 0.9.Herein,lithium nitrate(LiNO_(3))with low melting point and strong oxidation is introduced as collaborate lithium salts for fabrication of well-dispersed submicron and micron single crystal LiNi_(0.9)Co_(0.055)Mn_(0.045)O_(2)(NCM90)cathode without extra unit operation.By changing amount of LiNO_(3),particle size regulation is realized and cation disorder can be diminished.The as-prepared material with optimal content of 4 wt%LiNO_(3)(NCM90-4 LN)displays the most appropriate particle size(1μm)with approximately stoichiometric structure,and presents better kinetics characterization of lithium-ion diffusion(15%higher than NCM90)and good electrochemical performance with specific discharge capacity of 220.6 and 173.8 mAh g^(-1) at 0.1 C and 10 C at room temperature,respectively.This work broadens the conventional research methodology of size regulation for single crystal Ni-rich cathode materials and is indispensable for the development of designing principal of nickel-rich cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.