Pressure and Time Dependences of the Supercooled Liquid-to-Liquid Transition in Sulfur

Thermal behavior of bulk amorphous sulfur is investigated by in situ temperature measurements at high pressures of 0.9, 1.4 and 2.1 GPa, and under different heating rates of 8, 10 and 12K/min at 0.9 GPa. The results show that the onset temperature of the transition from the supercooled Hquid to the liquid state for sulfur increases with the pressure and the heating rate. It is deduced that the transition does not follow the Clapeyron equation, indicating considerable coupling of the molecular structure change in the transition. Along with the data at ambient pressure and high pressure, we present a dynamic diagram to demonstrate the relationship between the amorphous solid, supercooled liquid, liquid, and crystal phases of sulfur, and suggest an experimental approach to establish pressure-temperature-time transition diagrams for supercooled liquid and liquid.

Synthesis of Size-Controllable NiCo2S4 Hollow Nanospheres Toward Enhanced Electrochemical Performance

Although the synthesis of novel nanostructured metal sulfides has been well established,further size-controllable optimization is still valuable to enhance their performance for various applications.Herein,a self-template method to size-controllably synthesize the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres is reported.Uniformly monodisperse Ni Co precursors with diameter widely ranging from 97 to 550 nm are controllably synthesized and subsequently transformed into hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres through in situ sulfidation.Smaller nanoparticles’diameter results in the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres larger surface area and thinner shell thickness and hence provides much more electrochemical active sites as well as facilitate the ion and electron transfer.Consequently,the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres—used as the electrode materials in supercapacitors—achieve 19%enhancement of specific capacity from 484.8 to 575.1 C g-1 through lowering the 42.5%diameter of hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres from 407 to 234 nm.Moreover,the hollow NiCo2S4 nanospheres with 234 nm diameter exhibit superior rate capacity indicated by 49%capacity retention from 1 to 50 A g-1 and excellent cycling stability(77%after 2000 cycles).Furthermore,this method is a potentially general strategy in the size-controllable synthesis of the metal sulfides hollow nanostructures and results in the remarkable electrochemical applications.

Deformation and Spallation of Explosive Welded Steels under Gas Gun Shock Loading

We investigate deformation and spallation of explosive welded bi-steel plates under gas gun shock loading. Free surface histories are measured to obtain the Hugoniot elastic limit and spall strengths at different impact velocities.Pre-and post-shock microstructures are characterized with optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy,and electron backscatter diffraction. In addition, the Vickers hardness test is conducted. Explosive welding can result in a wavy steel/steel interface, an ultrafine grain region centered at the interface, and a neighboring high deformation region, accompanied by a hardness with the highest value at the interface. Additional shock compression induces a further increase in hardness, and shock-induced deformation occurs in the form of twinning and dislocation slip and depends on the local substructure. Spall damage nucleates and propagates along the ultrafine grain region, due to the initial cracks or weak interface bonding. Spall strengths of bimetal plates can be higher than its constituents. Plate impact offers a promising method for improving explosive welding.

EFFECT OF T-ZnOw DIMENSION ON PROPERTIES OF T-ZnOw/PA6 COMPOSITES

As a part of serial work about the application of a tetra-needle-shaped whisker(T-ZnOw) with a spatial structure in polymer composites,this work is focused on the effect of T-ZnOw dimension on the properties of polymer composites. Two kinds of T-ZnOw whiskers with different dimensions(big and small one) are introduced into PA6 composites.Our results show that for the big whisker and the small whisker both,the addition of T-ZnOw induces the mechanical property improvement of T-ZnOw/PA6 composites.Especially,...

TOUGHENING AND STIFFENING EFFECTS OF T-ZnOw WHISKERS ON POLYSTYRENE

The main subject of this work is about the effect of T-ZnOw on the toughness and stiffness of polystyrene (PS).In order to avoid the rupture of T-ZnOw during the melt processing,T-ZnOw/PS composites were obtained via the combination of solution blending and injection moulding methods.Although the tensile strength of the composites decreases slightly,the impact strength and tensile modulus increase with the increase of the T-ZnOw content in the matrix.The stiffness and toughness of the composites are enhance...

Morphology, Structure and Biodegradability of Hollow HA Microspheres Obtained by Plasma Spraying

The spraying-dried HA （ ASD ） was employed. ASD was plasma-sprayed onto ice to obtain hollow HA microspheres. The particle size of the sample was determined with a particle size analyzer. The morphology and structure of the samples were measured by scanning electron microscope and X-ray powder diffraction. The in vitro biodegradability of samples was evaluated by immersion tests in Ringer＇ s solution （RS） and simulated body fluid （SBF）. The samples were immersed respectively in RS and SBF for a period. The Ca^2＋ ion concentration in the solutions was determined by Atomic Adsorption Spectrum. By plasma spraying hollow HA microspheres were obtained. The hollow microspheres consisted mainly of low crystalline and amorphous HA, and had better biodegradability.

Electrical Resistivity of Silane Multiply Shock-Compressed to 106 GPa

Since Wigner et al. proposed that hydrogen would become metallic under sufficient pressure compres- sions in 1935,scientists have paid their attention on making metallic hydrogen at high pressures, and con- siderable progresses were made in theoretical and ex- perimental researches. Nellis et al. observed that the electrical resistivity of fluid hydrogen declined by several orders of magnitude when liquid hydrogen was multiply shocked to 140 GPa, and concluded that fluid hydrogen underwent metallization phase tran- sition from semiconductor to metal in their experi- ments. Although further researches should be carried out to distinguish the highly conductive state and the metallic state of fluid hydrogen, researchers have made great efforts to find new technical approaches to de- crease the threshold pressure for hydrogen metalliza- tion. For this purpose, hydrogen-rich compounds at- tract much attention. Some researchers believed that non-hydrogen elements in those compounds may re- duce, to some extent, the activation energy of met- allization by the effect of chemical pre-compression. Silane, a typical hydrogen-rich compound of group IV hydrides, has been the subject of most of the theoretical and experimental research so far, and it was also expected to be a potential candidate for a high-To superconductor at high pressure research.[61 Compared to hydrocarbons,[71 the chemical bonds in the silane molecule are theoretically more sensitive to pressure and temperature. At sufficiently high pres- sure and temperature, the fluid silane possibly be- comes some metallic alloy consisting of hydrogen and silicon elements. Theoretical calculations showed thatthe metallic transition for the silane system may oc- cur even below 100 GPa, while there are also some other later articles that claimed that silane would re- main an insulator up to around 200 GPa and became metallic and supconducting at 220 GPa with a theo- retical Tc of 16 K. Recently, Eremets et al. have re- ported that silane can transform to metal at 50 GPa, even to superconductor of Tc = 17K at 96GPa and 120GPa. The interesting question is whether tile Inetallization transition could occur under lower pres- sure by inulti-shock compression. Nellis et al. mea- sured the electrical conductivities of hydrocarbons shock-compressed to pressures from 20 GPa to 60 GPa, while for silane, experimental data of electrical resis- tivity under shock compression are scarce. In this Let- ter, the electrical resistivity of silane under nmltiply shock compression is obtained, and the experimental technique and data treatment are briefly described.

Construction of ternary PEG200-based DESs lubrication systems via tailoring tribo-chemistry

Designing novel lubricants with easily customized structures,devisable compositions,and simple and economic synthesis over traditional lubricants is critical to fulfilling complex applications,prolonging machine lifetime,and saving energy.Deep eutectic solvents(DESs),which show tunable composition,adjustable structure,easy fabrication,and environmental friendliness,are promising candidates for variable and complicated lubricants applications.To promote the use of DESs as lubricants,a series of PEG200-based DESs with active heteroatoms were fabricated to tailor the tribological performance via tribo-chemistry.Thereinto,PEG200/boric acid(BA)DES shows optimal lubrication performance by forming tribo-chemical reaction film composited of B2O3,iron oxides,and FeOOH,and PEG200/thiourea(TU)DES displays abrasive wear-reducing property by producing FeS tribo-chemical film.Given the excellent abrasive wear-resistance of PEG200/TU DES and friction reduction of PEG200/BA DES,ternary PEG200/BA/TU DESs,composited of PEG200/TU DES and PEG200/BA DES,are first exploited.The ternary DESs possess superior wettability and thermal stability,which render them potential lubricants.Tribological tests of the ternary DESs demonstrate that synergistic lubrication is achieved by forming a transfer film consisting of FexBy,BN,B2O3,and FeS.Wherein FexBy,BN,and B2O3 increase load bearing of the film,and FeS mitigates severe abrasive wear.The proposed design philosophy of novel DESs as lubricants opens up a unique realm that is unattainable by traditional DESs lubrication mechanisms and provides a platform to design next-generation DESs lubrication systems.

Design of novel RGO/2D strip-like ZIF-8/DMAOP ternary hybrid structure towards high-efficiency microwave absorption, active and passive anti-corrosion, and synergistic antibacterial performance

In order to meet the requirements of the marine environment for microwave absorption(MA)materials,we put forward the strategy of constructing multi-functional composite materials,which integrate microwave absorption,anti-corrosion,and antibacterial properties.Herein,graphene oxide(GO)was used as a template to induce the growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8),simultaneously as a two-dimensional(2D)nanocontainers to load corrosion inhibitors to achieve pH-responsive and self-healing properties.Finally,quaternary ammonium salt(dimethyl octadecyl(3-trimethoxylsilyl propyl)ammonium chloride(DMAOP))and sodium ascorbate(VCNa)were introduced to achieve synergistic antibacterial activity and the reduction of GO.The 2D strip-like structure of ZIF-8 was due to the confined growth induced by the electrostatic attraction between ZIF-8 and GO sheets.The as-obtained reduced GO(RGO)/ZIF-8/DMAOP5 exhibited excellent microwave absorption(MA)properties,with a minimum reflection loss(RL)value of-47.08 dB at 12.73 GHz when the thickness was 2.8 mm.Moreover,the effective absorption bandwidth reached 6.84 GHz.After soaking in 3.5%NaCl solution for 35 days,the RGO/ZIF-8/DMAOP5-0.7%coating still achieved an impedance value of 4.585×107Ω·cm^(2) and a protective efficiency of 99.994%,providing superior anti-corrosion properties.In addition,fantastic antibacterial activity was obtained,with the antibacterial rates of RGO/ZIF-8/DMAOP_(10) reaching 99.39%and 100%against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.This work could open new avenues towards the development of a new generation of multifunctional MA materials.

Tertiary orientation structures enhance the piezoelectricity of MXene/PVDF nanocomposite

With the increasing demand for flexible piezoelectric sensor components,research on polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)based piezoelectric polymers is mounting up.However,the low dipole polarization and disordered polarization direction presented in PVDF hinder further improvement of piezoelectric properties.Here,we constructed an oriented tertiary structure,consisting of molecular chains,crystalline region,and MXene sheets,in MXene/PVDF nanocomposite via a temperature-pressure dual-field regulation method.The highly oriented PVDF molecular chains form approximately 90%of theβphase.In addition,the crystalline region structure with long-range orientation achieves out of plane polarization orientation.The parallel orientation arrangement of MXene effectively enhances the piezoelectric performances of the nanocomposite,and the current output of the device increases by nearly 23 times.This high output device is used to monitor exercise action,exploring the potential applications in wearable electronics.

Erratum to:Tertiary orientation structures enhance the piezoelectricity of MXene/PVDF nanocomposite

In the first page of the original version of this paper,the Received date should be“10 October 2023”instead of“10 October 2013”.

Insights into the tribological behavior of choline chloride-urea and choline chloride-thiourea deep eutectic solvents

Deep eutectic solvents(DESs)have been considered as novel and economic alternatives to traditional lubricants because of their similar physicochemical performance.In this study,choline chloride(ChCl)DESs were successfully synthesized via hydrogen-bonding networks of urea and thiourea as the hydrogen bond donors(HBDs).The as-synthesized ChCl-urea and ChCl-thiourea DESs had excellent thermal stability and displayed good lubrication between steel/steel tribo-pairs.The friction coefficient and wear rate of ChCl-thiourea DES were 50.1%and 80.6%,respectively,lower than those of ChCl-urea DES for GCr15/45 steel tribo-pairs.However,for GCr15/Q45 steel,ChCl-urea DES decreased the wear rate by 85.0%in comparison to ChCl-thiourea DES.Under ChCl-thiourea DES lubrication,the tribo-chemical reaction film composed of FeS formed at the interfaces and contributed to low friction and wear.However,under high von Mises stress,the film could not be stably retained and serious wear was obtained through direct contact of friction pairs.This illustrated that the evolution of the tribo-chemical reaction film was responsible for the anti-friction and anti-wearproperties of the DESs.

Multiaxial electrospun generation of hollow graphene aerogel spheres for broadb and high-performance microwave absorption

Although graphene aerogels(GA)have been attracted great attention,the easy-operation and large-scale production of GA are still challenges.Further,most GA have a monolith-like appearance,limiting their application-specific needs.Herein,we highlight graphene aerogel spheres with controllable hollow structures(HGAS)that are delicately designed and manufactured via coaxial electrospinning coupled with freeze-drying and calcination.The HGAS exhibit a spherical configuration at the macroscale,while the construction elements of graphene on the microscale showing an interconnected radial microchannel structure.Further ball-in-ball graphene aerogel spheres(BGAS)are obtained by reference to the triaxial electrospinning technology.The as-prepared spheres possess the controllable integrated conductive networks,leading to the effective dielectric loss and impedance matching thus bringing on high-performance microwave absorption.The as-obtained HGAS shows a minimum reflection loss of-52.7 dB and a broad effective absorption bandwidth(f)of 7.0 GHz with thickness of 2.3 mm.Further,the fe reaches 9.3 GHz for BGAS with thickness of 3.4 mm.Aforementioned superior microwave absorption of HGAS and BGAS confirms combination of multiaxial electrospinning and freeze-drying on the multiscale is an effective strategy for scalable fabrication of advanced microwave.absorbing functional graphene aerogel spheres.

Ultrathin flexible electrospun carbon nanofibers reinforced graphene microgasbags films with three-dimensional conductive network toward synergetic enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding

In recent years,graphene-based composite films have been greatly developed in the field of electromagnetic shielding interference(EMI).However,it is still a huge challenge to prepare graphene-based composite films with excellent mechanical properties,conductivity and electromagnetic shielding properties.In this work,we adopted a facile and effective method by annealing the alkali-treated polyacrylonitrile(aPAN)nanofibers reinforced graphene oxide(GO)composite films at 2000°C to obtain graphene-carbon nanofibers composite films(GCFs).Microscopically,carbon nanofibers(CNFs)were intercalated into the graphene sheets,and microgasbags structure was formed during the heat treatment process.The special structure makes GCFs have superior tensile strength(10.4 MPa)at 5%strain.After repeated folding over1000 times,the films still demonstrate excellent structural integrity and flexibility performance.Interestingly,the graphene-based composite films with 10 wt%a PAN nanofibers exhibit an extremely low density of about 0.678 g/cm^(3)and excellent electrical conductivity of 1.72×10^(5)S/m.Further,an outstanding electromagnetic shielding effectiveness(SE)of 55–57 d B was achieved,and the corresponding value of the specific SE/thickness can reach 67,601–70,059 d B·cm^(2)/g,which is the highest among reported graphenebased shielding materials.The significant electromagnetic shielding performance is due to the synergistic enhancement effect brought by the excellent conductivity of carbon nanofibers and graphene,the formed effective conductive network and the microgasbags structure.Electromagnetism simulation further clarified that the underlying mechanism should be mainly attributed to the conduction loss and multiple reflections caused by the special structure of GCFs.This work will provide new solutions for low density,high flexibility and excellent electromagnetic shielding properties materials in the next generation of foldable and wearable electronics.

Improving the lubrication and anti-corrosion performance of polyurea grease via ingredient optimization

Thickener formulation plays a significant role in the performance characteristics of grease.The polyurea greases(PUGs)were synthesized using mineral oil(500SN)as the base oil,and by regulating the reaction of diphenylmethane diisocyanate(MDI)and different organic amines.The as‐prepared PUGs from the reaction of MDI and cyclohexylamine/p‐toluidine exhibit the optimum physicochemical and friction‐wear properties,confirming that the regulation of thickener formulation can improve the performance characteristics of grease,including friction reduction,wear,corrosion resistance,and load‐carrying capacity.The anticorrosion and lubrication properties of as‐prepared PUGs depend on good sealing functions and a boundary lubrication film(synergy of grease‐film and tribo‐chemical reaction film),as well as their chemical components and structure.

Comparative study on corrosion resistance and lubrication function of lithium complex grease and polyurea grease

In this study,lithium complex grease(LCG)and polyurea grease(PUG)were synthesized using mineral oil(500 SN)and polyalphaolefin(PAO40)as base oil,adsorbed onto lithium complex soap and polyurea as thickeners,respectively.The effects of grease formulation(thickener and base oil with different amounts(80,85,and 90 wt%)on the corrosion resistance and lubrication function were investigated in detail.The results have verified that the as-prepared greases have good anti-corrosion ability,ascribed to good salt-spray resistance and sealing function.Furthermore,the increase in the amount of base oil reduces the friction of the contact interface to some extent,whereas the wear resistance of these greases is not consistent with the friction reduction,because the thickener has a significant influence on the tribological property of greases,especially load-carrying capacity.PUG displays better physicochemical performance and lubrication function than LCG under the same conditions,mainly depending on the component/structure of polyurea thickener.The polyurea grease with 90 wt%PAO displays the best wear resistance owing to the synergistic lubrication of grease-film and tribochemical film,composed of Fe_(2)O_(3),FeO(OH),and nitrogen oxide.

Effect of rotationally accelerated shot peening on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of a metastableβtitanium alloy

Microstructural evolution and deformation mechanism of a metastableβalloy(Ti-10 V-2 Fe-3 Al)processed by rotationally accelerated shot peening(RASP)were systematically investigated with optical microscopy,X-ray diffraction,electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.Different gradient hierarchical microstructures(gradients inα″martensite andβphase,and hierarchical twins range from the nanoscale to microscale)can be fabricated by RASP via changing the shot peening time.The hardening behavior and tensile mechanical properties of gradient hierarchical microstructure were systematically explored.Novel deformation twinning systems of{112}α″and{130}<310>α″in the kinkedα″martensite were revealed during the tensile deformation.It was found that stress-induced martensitic transformation,twinnedα″martensite and the related dynamic grain refinement contribute to hardness and work hardening ability.Simultaneous improvement of strength and ductility of the metastableα″titanium alloy can be achieved by introducing a gradient hierarchical microstructure.

Multifunctional aramid nanofibers reinforced RGO aerogels integrated with high-efciency microwave absorption, sound absorption and heat insulation performance

Although lightweight and three-dimensional(3 D) graphene aerogels are highly desirable for microwave absorption(MA) due to their high porosity,specific surface area,and 3 D conductive network,it still remains a large challenge to construct a multifunctional application framework to quickly adapt to the complex practical environment,making it to be efficiently applied in a variety of complex situation.Herein,multifunctional aramid nanofibers(ANFs) reinforced reduced graphene oxide aerogels(RGO@ANF) have been achieved by in-situ gel reaction,freeze-drying,and thermal annealing processes.The introduced ANFs in RGO aerogels can prevent the graphene sheets from over-stacking and enhance the connectivity of cell walls,thus leading to excellent compression resistance,MA,sound absorption,and thermal insulation performance.Under 70% strain,the maximum compressive stress of RGO@ANF aerogel reaches78.8 kPa,and reversible compressibility with reliable resistance to fatigue for 100 compressive cycles at20% strain.Further,the RGO@ANF aerogel exhibit a minimum reflection loss(RL_(min)) of-56.5 dB and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth(EAB) of 7.0 GHz at a thickness of 2.8 mm,basically covering the X and Ku bands.Moreover,the hybrid aerogel exhibited excellent sound absorption with an average absorption coefficient> 0.56 at 2-6 kHz and good thermal insulation performance with low thermal conductivity of about 49.18 mW m-1K-1.The integrated graphene aerogels with such multifunctional performances hold a great promise for applications such as MA,sound absorption,and heat insulation.

Well-Dispersed Graphene Enhanced Lithium Complex Grease Toward High-Efcient Lubrication

Graphene as a lubricating additive holds great potential for industrial lubrication. However, its poor dispersity and compatibility with base oils and grease hinder maximizing performance. Here, the infuence of graphene dispersion on the thickening efect and lubrication function is considered. A well-dispersed lubricant additive was obtained via trihexyl tetradecyl phosphonium bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate modifed graphene ([P_(66614)][DEHP]-G). Then lithium complex grease was prepared by saponifcation with 12-OH stearic acid, sebacic acid, and lithium hydroxide, using polyalphaolefn (PAO20) as base oil and the modifed-graphene as lubricating additive, with the original graphene as a comparison. The physicochemical properties and lubrication performance of the as-prepared greases were evaluated in detail. The results show that the as-prepared greases have high dropping point and colloidal stability. Furthermore, modifed-graphene lithium complex grease ofered the best friction reduction and anti-wear abilities, manifesting the reduction of friction coefcient and wear volume up to 18.84% and 67.34%, respectively. With base oil overfow and afux, well-dispersed [P_(66614)][DEHP]-G was readily adsorbed to the worn surfaces, resulting in the formation of a continuous and dense graphene deposition flm. The synergy of deposited graphene-flm, spilled oil, and adhesive grease greatly improves the lubrication function of grease. This research paves the way for modulating high-performance lithium complex grease to reduce the friction and wear of movable machinery.

Generation of graphene-based aerogel microspheres for broadband and tunable high-performance microwave absorption by electrospinning-freeze drying process

Despite recent progress in the synthesis and application of graphene-based aerogels, some challenges such as scalable and cost-effective production, and miniaturization still remain, which hinder the practical application of these materials. Here we report a large-scale electrospinning method to generate graphene-based aerogel microspheres （AMs）, which show broadband, tunable and high-performance microwave absorption. Graphene/Fe3O4 AMs with a large number of openings with hierarchical connecting radial microcharmels can be obtained via electrospinning-freeze drying followed by calcination. Importantly, for a given Fe3O4：graphene mass ratio, altering the shape of aerogel monoliths or powders into aerogel microspheres leads to unique electromagnetic wave properties. As expected, the reflection loss of graphene/Fe3O4 AMs-1：1 with only 5 wt.% absorber loading reaches -51.5 dB at 9.2 GHz with a thickness of 4.0 mm and a broad absorption bandwidth （RL 〈-10 dB） of 6.5 GHz. Furthermore, switching to coaxial electrospinning enables the fabrication of SiO2 coatings to construct graphene/Fe3O4@SiO2 core-shell AMs. The coatings influence the electromagnetic wave absorption of graphene/Fe3O4 AMs significantly. In view of these advantages, we believe that this processing technique may be extended to fabricate a wide range of unique graphene-based architectures for functional design and applications.