Mechanically robust halide electrolytes for high-performance all-solid-state batteries

TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND WEAR MECHANISM OF HARD COATINGS

A study was conducted on gamma-ray modified nanoHydroxyapatite (HAp)/Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite as orthopedic implant material. This study aims to characterize the effect of gamma radiation on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of UHMWPE/HAp composites so that they can be used as orthopedic implant materials. The composite film was irradiated with gamma rays at a dose variation of 0 kGy, 15 kGy, and 30 kGy and a dose rate of 8 kGy/hour. Composites before and after radiation were tested for physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Physical properties test includes surface microstructure analysis; chemical properties test includes phase and functional group analysis; mechanical properties test, including hardness, tensile strength, and elongation at break. The results obtained are gamma radiation from IRKA changes the chemical properties of composites in terms of crosslinking and the number of radicals, as well as mechanical properties in terms of hardness, tensile strength, and elongation at break with different changes from the initial state before radiation. The best mechanical properties were obtained at 25% HAp composition in a dose of 30 kGy with a hardness (shore A) of 97.17; tensile strength of 18.15 MPa; and elongation at break of 17.85%, so that the UHWMPE/HAp composite has potential as an orthopedic implant material following the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of cancellous bone ranging from 10-20 MPa.

Slag nikel is a by-product of nickel ore smelting through the pyrometallurgical process, which contains silica (> 50 %). This suggests that nickel slag, possessing pozzolanic properties, which potentially to be used as a binding material in construction projects dealing with low soil bearing capacity, such as soil improvement for road foundation. Pozzolanic reactions are greatly influenced by the chemical bonds formed between the binding material and the soil, causing mechanical characteristic changes in the soil. This study aims to examine the effect of adding nickel slag to soft soil based on changes in its physical, mechanical and chemical properties. Physical and mechanical property tests were conducted according to ASTM standards, while the changes in chemical structure in the soil were analyzed based on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) test results. In this study, nickel slag percentages of 3, 6, 9 and 12 % were used based on the weight ratio of clay soil, at optimum water content (wopt). Furthermore, the test specimens were cured for 14, 28 and 56 days to observe the effect of time on the increase of crystal phases in each variation. The results showed that the presence of nickel slag in the soil can affect its physical and mechanical properties. The nickel slag content in the soil of 3, 6, 9 and 12 % reduces the plasticity index by 16.69, 12.02, 8.86 and 6.38 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the density values increased by 10.97, 11.27, 11.68 and 12.01 kN/m3, respectively. The changes in physical and mechanical properties can be explained by the XRD analysis results, showing changes in the spectrum curve and peak intensity of X-Ray Diffraction in the soil with the addition of nickel slag. This explanation clarifies the transformation of the soil’s atomic structure from an amorphous state to a crystalline form, which is stabilized by nickel slag. HIGHLIGHTS The silica-rich nature of nickel slag offers a feasible alternative for chemical soil stabilisation The stabilization of soft soil with nickel slag results in a decrease in the plasticity index and an increase in density Immersion duration shows a changing response for the crystallinity index and porosity of the material GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The relationship of microstructure, mechanical properties and mechanism with multi-scale analysis in 4Mn steel under different intercritical annealing temperatures

Mechanisms of hydrogen-induced cracking in ultrahigh-strength steels

Metallic glasses are metastable and their thermal stability is critical for practical applications, particularly at elevated temperatures. The conventional bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), though exhibiting high glass-forming ability (GFA), crystallize quickly when being heated to a temperature higher than their glass transition temperature. This problem may potentially be alleviated due to the recent developments of high-entropy (or multi-principle-element) bulk metallic glasses (HE-BMGs). In this work, we demonstrate that typical HE-BMGs, i.e., ZrTiHfCuNiBe and ZrTiCuNiBe, have higher kinetic stability, as compared with the benchmark glass Vitreoy1 (Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5) with a similar chemical composition. The measured activation energy for glass transition and crystallization of the HE-BMGs is nearly twice that of Vitreloy 1. Moreover, the sluggish crystallization region ΔTpl-pf, defined as the temperature span between the last exothermic crystallization peak temperature Tpl and the first crystallization exothermic peak temperature Tpf, of all the HE-BMGs is much wider than that of Vitreloy 1. In addition, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization of the crystallized products at different temperatures and the continuous heating transformation diagram which is proposed to estimate the lifetime at any temperature below the melting point further confirm high thermal stability of the HE-BMGs. Surprisingly, all the HE-BMGs show a small fragility value, which contradicts with their low GFA, suggesting that the underlying diffusion mechanism in the liquid and the solid of HE-BMGs is different.

Many adults experience tooth loss due to accidents and lack of care. This causes various problems, one of which is a problem in chewing food. One solution that can be used is the use of dental implants. Dental implants that are currently made of titanium Ti-6Al-4V at a very expensive price. One of the newest types of titanium alloy material that can be used with relatively cheap prices is Ti-12Cr. As a new material, the effect of heat treatment processes on mechanical properties has not been investigated in more detail. So that research is needed on the effect of heat treatment with the aging treatment process on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the Ti-12Cr material as a substitute for cheaper titanium implants. In this research, a solution treatment (ST) heat treatment was carried out at 885oC and an aging treatment (AT) at 540°C. Aging treatment is carried out with variations in holding time of 30 ks and 60 ks. Then the microstructure inspection and mechanical properties testing are carried out through hardness and tensile tests. With the aging treatment of the microstructure of the material, Ti-12Cr experienced grain refinement and the hardness obtained was higher than that of Ti-6Al-4V. The hardness values of Ti-12Cr ST, Ti-12Cr AT 30 ks, Ti-12Cr AT 60 ks and Ti-6Al-4V are 457 VHN, 605 VHN, 772 VHN, and 349 VHN. However, the tensile strength of Ti-12Cr is lower than the tensile strength value of Ti-6Al-4V.

Rational utilization of the anti-sulfur tubes is considerable significance to the reliability and service life of oil-gas pipeline system. Unfortunately, there have been no such researches in the field of anti-sulfur bending pipe. In this paper, the mechanical property test, hydrogen induced cracking(HIC) test and sulfide stress-corrosion cracking(SSC) test were conducted to investigate the Φ406.4×10.31mm L245NS anti-sulfur bending pipe with the technique of induction heating bending. And the test result was analyzed combining with microstructure of pipe. The results show that mechanical properties and HIC behavior of L245NS bending pipe reach the standard with the 890~930°C induction quenching and 580-630°C temper process. The strength and Charpy toughness of inner arc and outer arc are higher than base metal. Most HIC crack initiated at the bainite structure and banded structure. The L245NS anti-sulfur bending pipe exhibits good resistance to SSCC under the NACE TM0177-2005 experiment environment.

Boosting fast and stable potassium storage of iron selenide/carbon nanocomposites by electrolyte salt and solvent chemistry

The paper describes changes in the structure, morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of porous film samples of poly(4,4'-oxidiphenylene)pyromellitimide prepared as a result of selective destruction of urethane blocks in copolymers composed of pyromellitimide blocks and polyurethane blocks. The initial samples of the new composition of statistical copoly(urethane-imide)s (CoPUIs) were prepared via polycondensation methods using pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), 4,4'-oxidyaniline (ODA), 2,4-toluylenediisocyanate (TDI), as well as polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(1,6-hexanediol/neopentylglycol-alt-adipic acid) (ALT) as monomers. The molar ratio of imide and polyurethane blocks in CoPUI was 10:1. The initial films were heated up to 170 °C to complete the polycondensation processes, after which they were subjected to thermolysis and hydrolysis. The thermolysis (thermal degradation) of copolymers was carried out by heating the initial samples to temperatures of 300 °C or 350 °C. Then, the thermolized films were subjected to chemical degradation in hydrolytic baths containing an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide. As a result, urethane blocks were destroyed and removed from the polymer. The resulting products practically did not contain polyurethane links and, in chemical composition, were practically identical to poly(4,4'-oxidiphenylene)pyromellitimide. NMR and IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis and mechanical properties testing were used to determine the differences in the structure and properties of the initial copolymers and targeted products. The effect of the conditions of destructive processes on the structure, morphology and mechanical properties of the obtained porous polyimide films was determined. From a practical point of view, the final porous films are promising as membranes for filtering aggressive amide solvents at high temperatures.

Investigations on hygrothermal aging of thermoplastic polyurethane material

Despite being most widely used construction materials, cement-based composites are brittle materials with low tensile strength and susceptible to cracking, especially under harsh environments. Over the past three decades, numerous studies have been conducted to enhance the mechanical properties and durability of cementitious composites through the use of various nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs). More recently, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) has emerged as an ideal 2D nano-reinforcement for composite materials due to their favorable mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. However, the effects of different dispersing agents and particle size and surface area of GNPs on the mechanical properties of cement-based composites needs to be further investigated. This paper explores the influence of GNP addition on the mechanical properties and durability of cement-based composites. Two types of GNPs with different lateral size (<2 μm and 25 μm) and specific surface area (300 m²/g and 120 m²/g) are used in this study. The GNP concentration is set to be 0.1% by weight of cement in all mixtures. In order to study the effect of dispersion agents, four different dispersion method are utilized to disperse and stabilize GNP particles in aqueous solution. Compressive strength and flexural strength tests are conducted to assess the mechanical properties, while sorptivity test and surface resistivity measurement are carried out to evaluate the durability. In order to explore the effect of GNPs on hydration process of cement mortar, mechanical properties tests are conducted at 7 day and 28 day curing ages and thermal gravimetric analyses are conducted.

In this paper, we investigated carefully the influence of the added L-cysteine on the stability of mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-stabilized CdTe nanoparticles (NPs). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed that the addition of pH ~11.5 L-cysteine solution could reduce the stability of MPA-capped CdTe NPs, which resulted in the formation of sheet-shaped nanostructures finally after about seven days of storage in darkness under ambient conditions. The typical size of these resulting nanosheets was ~6 μm in length, ~1 μm in width and ~50 nm in thickness. The high-resolution TEM characterization and elemental analysis from energy-dispersed X-ray (EDX) spectrum indicated that these resulting sheets were made from well-crystallized nanopartilces (~4 nm) of CdS rather than CdTe. In addition, XRD analysis and optical microscopy also supported further these experimental observations. Hence, here, the post addition of L-cysteine induced the spontaneous transition and concomitant self-assembly of MPA-stabilized CdTe nanoparticles into luminescent CdS nanosheets.

Establishing a robust, efficient circular economy for batteries hinges on understanding how they decay over time under various conditions. This understanding is crucial to maximize material use before recycling or disposal. A key aspect of this endeavor is the study of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), a pivotal battery technology whose structural integrity over time remains a subject of inquiry.1 Known aging mechanisms in LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries include electrode degradation, SEI growth, and electrolyte decomposition.1 These processes extend to the cathode, where degradation can manifest as Fe dissolution, Li inventory loss, Fe/Li anti-site defects, and LFP amorphization.1–3 However, these mechanisms are typically studied in lab-aged cells under controlled conditions, leaving a gap in our understanding of their behavior in real-life, commercialized applications.Our research aims to bridge this gap by characterizing the degradation mechanisms of LFP cathode material in various states of health (SOH) after use in a hybrid vehicle. We sourced our cathode samples from 26650 cells extracted from a BAE ESS-A123 hybrid bus battery pack. After selecting cells with drastically different SOHs based on previous analyses,4 we employed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for detailed characterization.In this talk, we will share insights gained from high-resolution TEM characterization, alongside chemical analysis using energy-filtered TEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Our focus will be on changes in the olivine structure, including lattice parameter alterations, Li and Fe migration, and Fe oxidation. By combining cell-level SOH analyses with TEM characterization, we will highlight how electrochemical test results correlate with material degradation mechanisms, enhancing our understanding of battery health, longevity, and diagnostics. Wang, L. et al. Insights for understanding multiscale degradation of LiFePO4 cathodes. eScience 2, 125–137 (2022). Li, X. et al. First Atomic-Scale Insight into Degradation in Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathodes by Transmission Electron Microscopy. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 11, 4608–4617 (2020). Xu, P. et al. Efficient Direct Recycling of Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes by Targeted Healing. Joule 4, 2609–2626 (2020). Ramirez-Meyers, K., Rawn, B. & Whitacre, J. F. A statistical assessment of the state-of-health of LiFePO4 cells harvested from a hybrid-electric vehicle battery pack. J. Energy Storage 59, 106472 (2023).

Purpose: The main goal of the work is to determine the influence of the parameters of stress relief annealing on the mechanical and structural properties of welded joints made of chromium-molybdenum type 10CrMo9-10 steel. Design/methodology/approach: In the study, commercial 10CRMO9-10 steel was used, the Polish equivalent of 10H2M. This is a chromium-molybdenum toughened steel, i.e. after normalization (910-960°C) and high tempering (650-780°C). The materials were subjected to heat treatment, tests of mechanical properties, Charpy impact test, hardness of individual material zones, as well as macro and microscopic observations. Findings: The hardness tests indicated, that materials subjected to a single heat treatment possess the greatest hardness. Materials undergoing several heat treatments, possess hardness on a similar level to materials that have been annealed once, however they are characterized by low reproducibility of results. The most important parameter of heat treatment of the tested steel is heating up to a temperature of 690°C. Due to such heating, optimal mechanical properties are achieved, which results in long and safe exploitation of the produced elements. Research limitations/implications: The processes of heat treatment are very important to achieve optimal strength properties of welded joints. Practical implications: The development of energy worldwide has caused the creation of machines working in higher pressure and temperature ranges. The influence of temperatures decreases the service life of a given element. The adaptation and completion of the appropriate process of heat treatment extends the exploitation time of elements. Originality/value: Determining the mechanical properties of 10H2M steel, dependent on the temperature of heat treatment and heating time. It was concluded that the optimal parameter of heat treatment for the tested materials – is heating at a temperature of 690°C.