Effect of Al Powder and Si Powder Additions on Structure and Properties of Unburned Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Refractories

Unburned magnesium aluminate spinel refractories were prepared using sintered magnesium aluminate spinel as the main raw material,phenolic resin as the binder,aluminum powder(2%,4%,and 6%by mass)and silicon powder(when Al powder addition is 4%,Si powder addition varies:1%and 2%,by mass)as additives.The effects of the Al powder and Si powder additions on the properties and microstructure of the refractories heat treated at different temperatures(1000,1400,and 1600℃for 3 h)were studied.The results show that the Al powder addition can greatly enhance the cold modulus of rupture of the samples fired at 1000 or 1400℃,and meanwhile AlN reinforcement phase forms in the matrix,which greatly improves the hot modulus of rupture of the samples at 1400℃;however,the heat treatment at 1600℃has little influence on the strength;the addition of Al powder and Si powder results in the formation of low melting point phases,greatly reducing the hot modulus of rupture.However,the low melting point phases promote sintering,which enhances the density and the cold modulus of rupture,and decreases the volume change during heating.The samples added with Al and Si all have higher cold modulus of rupture than those added with Al powder only.

Clean production of Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic alloys via smelting reduction of high-phosphorus iron ore and apatite

Separated preparation of prealloys and amorphous alloys results in severe solidification-remelting and beneficial element removal-readdition contradictions,which markedly increase energy consumption and emissions.This study offered a novel strategy for the direct production of FePC amorphous soft magnetic alloys via smelting reduction of high-phosphorus iron ore(HPIO)and apatite.First,the thermodynamic conditions and equilibrium states of the carbothermal reduction reactions in HPIO were calculated,and the element content in reduced alloys was theoretically determined.The phase and structural evolutions,as well as element migration and enrichment behaviors during the smelting reduction of HPIO and Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2),were then experimentally verified.The addition of Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)in HPIO contributes to the enrichment of the P element in reduced alloys and the subsequent development of Fe_(3)P and Fe_(2)P phases.The content of P and C elements in the range of 1.52 wt% -14.63 wt% and 0.62 wt% -2.47 wt%,respectively,can be well tailored by adding 0-50 g Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)and controlling the C/O mole ratio of 0.8-1.1,which is highly consistent with the calculated results.These FePC alloys were then successfully formed into amorphous ribbons and rods.The energy consumption of the proposed strategy was estimated to be 2.00×10^(8) kJ/t,which is reduced by 30% when compared with the conventional production process.These results are critical for the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources and pave the way for the clean production of Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic alloys.

Molten salt synthesis,morphology modulation,and lithiation mechanism of high entropy oxide for robust lithium storage

High entropy oxides(HEOs)with ideal element tunability and enticing entropy-driven stability have exhibited unprecedented application potential in electrochemical lithium storage.However,the general control of dimension and morphology remains a major challenge.Here,scalable HEO morphology modulation is implemented through a salt-assisted strategy,which is achieved by regulating the solubility of reactants and the selective adsorption of salt ions on specific crystal planes.The electrochemical properties,lithiation mechanism,and structure evolution of composition-and morphology-dependent HEO anode are examined in detail.More importantly,the potential advantages of HEOs as electrode materials are evaluated from both theoretical and experimental aspects.Benefiting from the high oxygen vacancy concentration,narrow band gap,and structure durability induced by the multi-element synergy,HEO anode delivers desirable reversible capacity and reaction kinetics.In particular,Mg is evidenced to serve as a structural sustainer that significantly inhibits the volume expansion and retains the rock salt lattice.These new perspectives are expected to open a window of opportunity to compositionally/morphologi cally engineer high-performance HEO electrodes.

Effect of Nano Carbon Black and Graphite Flake on Properties of Low Carbon Al2O3-C Refractories

Low carbon Al_2O_3-C refractories specimens were prepared with tabular alumina( 3. 0- 1. 0,1. 0- 0. 5,0. 6- 0. 2,≤0. 3,≤0. 045 and ≤0. 02 mm),active alumina micropowder( ≤2 μm) and silicon( ≤0. 045mm) as main raw materials. Nano carbon black( N220) and natural graphite flake( ≤0. 074 mm)were adopted as the carbon sources. The specimens were treated at 800,1 000,1 200 and 1 400 ℃ under coke embedded atmosphere. The effects of additions of nano carbon black and graphite flake on mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of the specimens were studied. Their mechanical properties were measured by threepoint bending test and thermal shock resistance was determined by water quenching method. The phase composition of the specimens was analyzed with X-ray diffraction and microstructures were observed through FESEM.The results reveal that:(1) the strengths of Al_2O_3-C refractories with these two carbon sources show no big differences when coked at lower than 1 000 ℃; when coked at over 1 200 ℃,the strengths of the specimens with graphite added are much higher than those of the specimens containing carbon black due to much more silicon carbide whiskers formed;( 2) since the nano carbon black has small particle size,they can be filled into interstice of Al_2O_3 particles to form the nano carbon network structure,absorbing and relieving the thermal stressgenerated from expansion and contraction and reducing the thermal expansion coefficient of the specimens,thus their thermal shock resistance is better than that of the specimens containing graphite;( 3) low carbon Al_2O_3-C refractories with good mechanical properties and excellent thermal shock resistance can be prepared with combination of nano carbon black and graphite flake.

Sintering Densification of Boron Carbide Materials and Their Research Progress

Boron carbide(B_(4)C)has excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance,high hardness,low relative density,high melting point and excellent abrasive resistance,which is widely used in fields such as refractories,wear-resistant materials and lightweight protective materials.The research progress and application of B_(4)C materials in China and overseas in recent years were summarized.The influences of sintering processes(pressureless sintering,hot-pressing sintering,hot isostatic pressing sintering,spark plasma sintering and microwave sintering)and sintering additives(simple substances,oxides and carbides)on the B_(4)C densification were analyzed.The development of B_(4)C materials was prospected.

Effect of Ferric Nitrate Loading Mode on Properties of Si_(3)N_(4) Composite MgO-C Refractories Prepared by Nitridation

In order to investigate the effect of the catalyst loading mode on the mechanical properties of Si_(3)N_(4) composite MgO-C refractories prepared by nitridation,fused magnesia,flake graphite,silicon powder,and phenolic resin were used as the main raw materials,and ferric nitrate as the catalyst to prepare refractories by nitriding at 1350℃.The effects of different catalyst supports(silicon powder,silicon powder+phenolic resin)on the formation of Si_(3)N_(4) in MgO-C refractories and the properties of refractories were studied.The results show that the silicon powder+resin catalyst support promotes the participation ofα-Si_(3)N_(4) in the reaction to generateβ-Si_(3)N_(4) and MgSiN_(2),and generates more SiC.However,this loading mode causes more gas to escape from the refractories and loosens the material structure,which reduces the mechanical properties.On the contrary,MgO-C refractories prepared by nitridation with silicon powder-supported catalysts under the same conditions show higher density and better mechanical properties.

Recent Progress of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced MgO-C and Al_2O_3-C Refractories

Carbon nanotubes( CNTs) have been extensively studied over the last two decades since they possess excellent properties. CNTs have been considered as new promising reinforcements for carbon containing refractories( CCRs). Current research progress of the CNT-reinforced MgO- C and Al2O3- C refractories was summarized in this mini-review,and the CNT-reinforced CCRs possess remarkable mechanical properties and superior thermal shock resistance compared to CCRs without CNTs.

Effect of droplet characteristics on liquid-phase distribution in spray zone of internal mixing air-mist nozzle

In continuous casting production,droplet characteristics are important parameters for evaluating the nozzle atomization quality,and have a significant impact on the secondary cooling effect and the slab quality.In order to study the behavior of atomized droplets after reaching the slab surface and to optimize the spray cooling effect,the influence of droplet diameter and droplet velocity on the migration behavior of droplets in the secondary cooling zone was analyzed by FLUENT software.Results show that the droplets in the spray zone and on the slab surface are mainly concentrated in the center,thus,the liquid volume fraction in the center is higher than that of either side.As the droplet diameter increases,the region of high liquid volume fraction on the slab surface becomes wider,and the liquid phase distribution in the slab width direction becomes uneven.Although increasing the droplet velocity at the nozzle exit has little effect on droplet diffusion in the spray zone,the distribution becomes more uneven due to more liquid reaches the slab surface per unit time.A prediction formula of the maximum water flow rate on the slab surface for specific droplet characteristics was proposed based on dimensionless analysis and validated by simulated data.A nozzle spacing of 210 mm was recommended under the working conditions in this study,which ensures effective coverage of the spray water over the slab surface and enhances the distribution uniformity of water flow rate in the transverse direction.

Insights into ionic association boosting water oxidation activity and dynamic stability

There have been reports about Fe ions boosting oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of Ni-based catalysts in alkaline conditions,while the origin and reason for the enhancement remains elusive.Herein,we attempt to identify the activity improvement and discover that Ni sites act as a host to attract Fe(Ⅲ)to form Fe(Ni)(Ⅲ)binary centres,which serve as the dynamic sites to promote OER activity and stability by cyclical formation of intermediates(Fe(Ⅲ)→Fe(Ni)(Ⅲ)→Fe(Ni)-OH→Fe(Ni)-O→Fe(Ni)OOH→Fe(Ⅲ))at the electrode/electrolyte interface to emit O_(2).Additionally,some ions(Co(Ⅱ),Ni(Ⅱ),and Cr(Ⅲ))can also be the active sites to catalyze the OER process on a variety of electrodes.The Fe(Ⅲ)-catalyzed overall water-splitting electrolyzer comprising bare Ni foam as the anode and Pt/Ni-Mo as the cathode demonstrates robust stability for 1600 h at 1000 mA cm^(-2)@~1.75 V.The results provide insights into the ioncatalyzed effects boosting OER performance.

Effect of One/Two-dimensional Bonding Phases on Strength and Toughness of Carbon-containing Refractories

Gaseous phases of carbon-containing and metastable oxides will be resulted from the carbonization of phenolic resin binders and the reduced reactions between C and oxides at high temperatures in carbon-containing refractories. With the in-situ catalysis technique, these gaseous phases can be transformed to one-or two-dimensional bonding phases by deposition,which is favorable for the improvement on strength and toughness of carboncontaining refractories,especially low carbon refractories. The research results reveal that:( 1) the amorphous carbon resulted from phenolic resin can be transformed to carbon nanotubes,thus,the oxidation peak temperature is raised from 506 to 664. 6 ℃;( 2) onedimensional whiskers of MgO or Mg Al2 O4 can be in-situ formed in MgO-C refractories, and their CMOR,CCS,rupture displacement and residual CCS( two water quenching cycles,1 100 ℃) are increased by 66%,47%,13% and 26%,respectively;( 3) two-dimensional array structure of flake β-SiAlON can be in-situ formed in Al2 O3-C refractories,which improves the material strength by 60% and decreases the residual strength after thermal shock by only 4. 5 MPa. It is believed that the in-situ formation of one-or two-dimensional bonding phases at high temperatures can improvethe comprehensive thermal physical properties of carboncontaining refractories,and will be the developing trend of the strengthening and toughening of low carbon-containing refractories.

Effect of Pre-wetting Lightweight Aggregates on the Mechanical Performances and Microstructure of Cement Pastes

The water absorption and desorption processes of different types of lightweight aggregates were studied.Subsequently,the influences of pre-wetting lightweight aggregates on compressive strength,microhardness,phase composition,hydration parameters and micromorphology of the cement pastes were investigated.The results showed that the water absorption and desorption capacities of the lightweight aggregates increased with the decrease of the densification degree.With the addition of pre-wetting lightweight aggregates,the compressive strength of the cement pastes would increase.Moreover,the enhancement effect was more obviously with the desorption capacity of pre-wetting lightweight aggregates increasing.Especially,sample S1 with pre-wetting red-mud ceramisites had the highest compressive strength,of which increased to 49.4 MPa after 28 d curing age.The reason is that mainly because the addition of pre-wetting lightweight aggregates can promote the generation of C–S–H gels in the interfacial zone,and the hydration degree of the interfacial zone increases with the water desorption of pre-wetting lightweight aggregates increasing.It is contributed to optimize the microstructure to enhance microhardness of the interfacial zone,resulting in the compressive strength of the cement-based materials improving.Therefore,the pre-wetting lightweight aggregates with high porosity and strength are the potential internal curing agents for high-strength lightweight concretes.

Carbon-containing electrospun nanofibers for lithium-sulfur battery:Current status and future directions

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)have become promising next-generation energy storage technologies for electric vehicles and portable electronics,due to its excellent theoretical specific energy.However,the low conductivity of sulfur species,notorious lithium dendrites,the severe"shuttle effect"of polysulfides(LiPSs)and the inferior kinetic reaction for LiPSs/Li_(2)S conversion during discharge-charge have seriously hindered their practical application,and also pose potential safety hazards.Owing to their superior porous architectures,high specific surface areas,excellent structural designability,functional modifiability,abundant active sites and flexibility of carbon-containing electrospun nanofibers(CENFs),they exhibited the superior characteristics that can simultaneously solve the above issues.In this review,we summarize the recent progress and application of CENFs in LSBs.First,we provide a brief introduction to the structure and composition controlled of carbon nanofibers by electrospinning.We then review progress in recent developments of CENFs for LSBs including cathodes,anodes,separators,and interlayers.We focus on how to solve practical issues that arise when the CENFs are applied to various parts of LSBs,and the relevant working mechanisms are described,from high sulfur loading and Li dendrites suppression to LiPSs’confinement and conversion.Finally,we summarize and propose the existing challenges and future prospects of CENFs,for the design and architecture of electrochemical components in Li-S energy storage systems.

Effect of Fe2O3 on the size and components of spinel crystals in the CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3–Cr2O3 system

The stability of chromium in stainless steel slag can be enhanced by increasing the spinel crystal size. The effect of Fe2O3 on the size of spinel crystals in the CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3–Cr2O3 system was investigated using lab experiments carried out in a carbon tube fur-nace. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to ana-lyze the microstructure, components, and the mineral phases of synthetic slags. FactSage 7.1 was used to calculate the crystallization process of the molten slag. The results showed that the addition of Fe2O3 promoted the precipitation of spinel crystals and inhibited the formation of dicalcium silicate. The size of spinel crystals increased from 2.74 to 8.10μm and the contents of chromium and iron in the spinel varied as the Fe2O3 addition was increased from 0 to 20wt%. Fe2O3 thermodynamically provided the spinel-forming components to enhance the for-mation of FeCr2O4, MgFe2O4, and Fe3O4. The addition of Fe2O3 increased the fraction of liquid phase in a certain temperature range and promoted diffusion by decreasing the slag's viscosity. Therefore, Fe2O3 is beneficial to the growth of spinel crystals in stainless steel slag.

Effects of Curing Temperature on Rheological Behaviour and Compressive Strength of Cement Containing GGBFS

The viscoplasticity and compressive strength of cement with high erosion performance were studied. The influences of curing temperature and content of ground granulated blast furnace slag(GGBFS) on these performances of the medium heat cement(including high iron and low calcium phase) were also investigated. The results indicate that the medium heat cement with high iron phase can maintain better fluidity and low temperature sensitivity than that of ordinary Portland cement at high temperature. GGBFS can play an important role in improving the fluidity and stability of the slurry, and avoid the cement setting and hardening prematurely at high temperatures. The microstructure analysis shows that a large amount of CH with layer shape appear in the slurry. The amount of this gel layer in the slurry increased as the curing temperature elevated. The layer can make the cement stone structure more denser, so that the compressive strength of samples are enhanced in the later stage. When the medium heat cement contains 40% GGBFS, the system has the best flow performance and stability under high temperature environment, and can be applied to mass concrete with excessive internal temperature.

Preparation of Phlogopite-based Geopolymer and Its Surface Nonpolar Modification

Phlogopite-based geopolymer was first prepared successfully under the activation of lye by compression molding at 50 MPa for 1 minute.The geopolymer was endowed with nonpolar surface via brushing modified liquid at room temperature.Swill-cooked dirty oil,whose main component was fatty acid,was used as nonpolar modifier.The raw materials and geopolymer samples were characterized by XRD,FT-IR and SEM.The compression strength of 7-day specimen run up to 36.8 MPa and its surface static water contact angle could reach 132°.The solubility of phlogopite powder directly affected the compressive strength of geopolymers and the evaluation index of mechanical strength of geopolymer based on the solubility of phlogopite powder was proposed.

Enhanced ion conductivity and electrode–electrolyte interphase stability of porous Si anodes enabled by silicon nitride nanocoating for high-performance Li-ion batteries

Silicon (Si) is a promising anode material for next-generation high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high capacity.However,the large volumetric expansion,poor ion conductivity and unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) lead to rapid capacity fading and low rate performance.Herein,we report Si nitride (SiN) comprising stoichiometric Si_(3)N_(4) and Li-active anazotic SiN_(x) coated porous Si (p-Si@SiN)for high-performance anodes in LIBs.The ant-nest-like porous Si consisting of 3D interconnected Si nanoligaments and bicontinuous nanopores prevents pulverization and accommodates volume expansion during cycling.The Si_(3)N_(4) offers mechanically protective coating to endow highly structural integrity and inhibit superfluous formation of SEI.The fast ion conducting Li_(3)N generated in situ from lithiation of active SiN_(x) facilitates Li ion transport.Consequently,the p-Si@SiN anode has appealing electrochemical properties such as a high capacity of 2180 mAh g^(-1)at 0.5 A g^(-1) with 84%capacity retention after 200cycles and excellent rate capacity with discharge capacity of 721 mAh g^(-1) after 500 cycles at 5.0 A g^(-1).This work provides insights into the rational design of active/inactive nanocoating on Si-based anode materials for fast-charging and highly stable LIBs.

Progress and perspectives on electrospinning techniques for solid-state lithium batteries

Abstract Solid-state electrolytes(SSEs),being the key component of solid-state lithium batteries,have a significant impact on battery performance.Rational materials structure and composition engineering on SSEs are promising to improve their Li+conductivity,interfacial contact,and mechanical integrity.Among the fabrication approaches,the electrospinning technique has attracted tremendous attention due to its own merits in constructing a three-dimensional framework of SSEs with precise porosity structure,tunable materials composition,easy operation,and superior physicochemical properties.To this end,in this review,we provide a comprehensive summary of the recent development of electrospinning techniques for high-performance SSEs.Firstly,we introduce the historical development of SSEs and summarize the fundamentals,including the Li+transport mechanism and materials selection principle.Then,the versatility of electrospinning technologies in the construction of the three main types of SSEs and stabilization of lithium metal anodes is comprehensively discussed.Finally,a perspective on future research directions based on previous work is highlighted for developing high-performance solid-state lithium batteries based on electrospinning techniques.

Fabrication and properties of aluminum silicate fibrous materials with in situ synthesized K2Ti6O13 whiskers

To improve their mechanical and thermal insulation properties, aluminum silicate fibrous materials with in situ synthesized K_2Ti_6O_(13) whiskers were prepared by firing a mixture of short aluminum silicate fibers and gel powders obtained from a sol–gel process. During the preparation process, the fiber surface was coated with K_2Ti_6O_(13) whiskers after the fibers were subjected to a heat treatment carried out at various temperatures. The effects of process parameters on the microstructure, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity were analyzed systematically. The results show that higher treatment temperatures and longer treatment durations promoted the development of K_2Ti_6O_(13) whiskers on the surface of aluminum silicate fibers; in addition, the intersection structure between whiskers modulated the morphology and volume of the multi-aperture structure among fibers, substantially increasing the fibers' compressive strength and reducing their heat conduction and convective heat transfer at high temperatures.

Improvement of Thermoelectric Performance in BiCuSeO Oxide by Ho Doping and Band Modulation

We try to use Ho doping combined with band modulation to adjust the thermoelectric properties for BiCuSeO.The results show that Ho doping can increase the carrier concentration and increase the electrical conductivity in the whole temperature range.Although Seebeck coefficient decreases due to the increase of carrier concentration,it still keeps relatively high values,especially in the middle and high temperature range.On this basis,the band-modulation sample can maintain relatively higher carrier concentration while maintaining relatively higher mobility,and further improve the electrical transporting performance.In addition,due to the introduction of a large number of interfaces in the band-modulation samples,the phonon scattering is enhanced effectively and the lattice thermal conductivity is reduced.Finally,the maximal power factor(PF)of 5.18μW·cm^-1K^-2and the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merits(ZT)of 0.81 are obtained from the 10%Ho modulation doped sample at 873 K.

Facile synthesis of zinc-based organic framework for aqueous Hg (Ⅱ) removal: Adsorption performance and mechanism

Mercury(Hg)ions can lead to a serious impact on the environment;therefore,it was necessary to find an effective method for absorbing these toxic Hg ions.Here,the adsorbent(Zn-AHMT)was synthesized from zinc nitrate and 4-amino 3-hydrazine-5 mercapto-1,2,4-triazole(AHMT)by one-step method and,characterized the microstruc-ture and absorption performance by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Brunauer-Emmett Teller(BET),Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer(TGA)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).Through a plethora of measurements,we found that the maximum adsorption capacity was 802.8 mg/g when the optimal pH of Zn-AHMT was 3.0.The isothermal and kinetic experiments confirm that the reaction process of Zn-AHMT was chemisorption,while the adsorption process conforms to the Hill model and pseudo second order kinetic model.Thermodynamic experiments showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic.Selective experiments were performed in the simulated wastewater containing Mn,Mg,Cr,Al,Co,Ni,Hg ions.Our results showed that the Zn-AHMT has a stronger affinity for Hg ions.The removal rate of Zn-AHMT remained above 98%,indicating that the Zn-AHMT had a good stability validated by three adsorption-desorption repeatable tests.According to the XPS results,the adsorption reaction of Zn-AHMT was mainly attributed to the chelation and ion exchange.This was further explained by both density functional theory(DFT)calculation and frontier molecular orbital theory.We therefore propose the adsorption mechanism of Zn-AHMT.The adsorption reaction facilitates via the synergistic action of S and N atoms.Moreover,the bonding between the adsorbent and the N atom has been proved to be more stable.Our study demonstrated that Zn-AHMT had a promising application prospect in mercury removal.