Al Plate Research Articles

Carbon primer layer morphological effect on the lithium manganese iron phosphate positive electrode performances for lithium-ion batteries

The use of lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) electrodes is important for enhancing the energy density of phosphate-based positive electrodes. However, their practical application is hindered by the deteriorating collector–electrode interface caused by submicron-sized particles with carbon-coated surfaces. The morphology of these carbon particles affects the efficiency of the primer layer, despite its role in strengthening the electrical contact between LMFP and the aluminum (Al) current collector. Incorporating carbon nanotube (CNT)-type carbon into the primer layer weakens the electrical connection between the electrode mass and current collector, indicating that CNT-coated Al does not effectively reduce contact resistance. In contrast, the planar shape of graphene-type carbon provides a more effective connection between LMFP and the Al plate, resulting in minimal contact resistance. This improvement in contact resistance enhances cycleability by significantly reducing polarization during cycling, which prevents electrolyte decomposition on the LMFP surface. Given the significant impact of carbon morphology on interfacial contact, it is essential to rationally control the morphology of the carbon primer layer to optimize the properties of the positive electrode.

Metal plate-based promotion on methane hydrate nucleation: Insights into the influence of metal type and surface properties

Hydrate-based technologies hold significant promise in the fields of gas storage, water desalination and gas separation, but their application is restricted by the long induction time and high degree of randomness associated with hydrate nucleation. In this study, we conducted experimental investigations to access the influence of metal plates (Mg, Al and Zn) on methane hydrate nucleation under both pure water and acidic conditions. The results demonstrated that Mg plate exhibited the strongest promotion effect on methane hydrate nucleation. The presence of acid significantly accelerated hydrate nucleation in the Zn plate system, but conversely reduced the promotion effect of Al plate. In conjunction with the in-situ morphology evolution of hydrate nucleation, methane-liquid–metal interface was found to play a crucial role in the metal-induced promotion effect. Two nucleation modes were proposed accordingly: (i) in pure water, hydrate nucleation initiated exclusively at the methane-liquid–metal interface without extra nucleation site (Mode 1), and (ii) in acidic condition, hydrate nucleation occurred with evident multiple nucleation sites (Mode 2). Furthermore, SEM imaging, AFM and contact angle characterization revealed that the surface properties of metal plate (e.g., hydrophilicity and roughness) were the key factors in determining the effectiveness of the promotion effect. Liquid climbing upward along the metal plate surface was vital for metal plates to promote gas hydrate formation. Overall, this study provides new insights into hydrate nucleation promotion and suggests a straightforward way to enhance hydrate nucleation by modifying surface properties

Completely Analytical Model of Inductance for Circular Coils With Bilateral Finite Magnetic Cores and Al Plates in WPT Systems

Completely Analytical Model of Inductance for Circular Coils With Bilateral Finite Magnetic Cores and Al Plates in WPT Systems

Galvanic Corrosion Behavior of Zn and Al Couples in NaCl Solution

Multi-materialization is being promoted in automotive structural materials, and fuel economy is being improved by replacing steel with aluminum and other lightweight metallic materials. Automotive steel is often galvanized for corrosion protection, and galvanic corrosion of aluminum and zinc in an atmospheric environment is a very important issue in evaluating automotive durability. Zinc is usually considered to be an anode when combined with aluminum, but its galvanic corrosion behavior can be complicated by environmental conditions because the corrosion potentials of the two are relatively close. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the galvanic corrosion behavior of the couples consisting of zinc and aluminum under corrosive environmental conditions.The galvanic couple used in this study was fabricated from AA1050 Al and zinc plates. The width and length of both plates are 10 mm and 15 mm, respectively. After connecting lead wires to each plate, both plates were embedded in epoxy resin. To fabricate coplanar galvanic couples in this study, both plates were placed separately along the surface from a gap size of 500 um. The surfaces of the galvanic pairs were polished with SiC paper to JIS 2000 grit and cleaned with EtOH. The test solutions used in this study were aqueous NaCl solutions of various concentrations from 0.01 to 2 M, prepared with Milli-Q water and reagent grade chemicals. Galvanic currents and corrosion potentials were measured to investigate the galvanic corrosion behavior of the couples after 72 hours of galvanic corrosion experiments in the test solutions.The results of the galvanic corrosion test showed that the immersion potentials of the galvanic couples were lower at higher NaCl concentrations. The galvanic current decreased with immersion time, finally reaching about 1 uA in all NaCl solutions. The results of the electrochemical impedance measurements for galvanic couples in various NaCl concentrations showed that the impedance gradually increased with immersion time. It was also found that the impedance can be expressed as an electrical equivalent circuit consisting of two time constants, and that the impedance increases at intermediate frequencies between 0.1 and 1 Hz, which is thought to correspond to the dissolution reaction of Zn. This was the same trend as the behavior of the galvanic current. These results suggest that prolonged immersion reduces the galvanic current and the dissolution rate of zinc due to the passivation of the A1050 surface and the suppression of cathodic reactions.

Iterative Stress Reconstruction Algorithm to Estimate Three-Dimensional Residual Stress Fields in Manufactured Components

Abstract Residual stress (RS) significantly impacts the mechanical performance of components. Measurement of RS often provides incomplete data in terms of components of stress and spatial density. Employing such fields in finite element simulations results in significant modification of the field to achieve equilibrium and compatibility among strains. To overcome this, an iterative stress reconstruction algorithm (ISRA) is developed to estimate 3D RS fields that satisfy equilibrium, are stress component-wise complete, and represent the characterized data sampled. An Al 7075-T651 plate and an additively manufactured (AM) A36 steel wall are considered for RS reconstruction using measurement data from the literature. A maximum variation of ∼2.5 MPa in the Al plate, and ∼10 MPa in the steel wall are observed between the reconstructed and measured stresses. Furthermore, unknown stress components emerge and reach significant magnitudes (upto ∼2.3 MPa in the Al plate and ∼45 MPa in the AM wall) during ISRA. Indeed, it is found that minor errors in measurement or data processing are eliminated through the physical requirements during ISRA. Employing a reconstructed RS field is hence not just more accurate given its compatibility, but it additionally corrects for minor errors in measurement. Furthermore, it is found that spatially dense measurement data result in convergence with fewer iterations. Finally, although ISRA yields a nonunique solution dependent on boundary conditions, measurement errors, fitting errors, and mesh density, it accommodates for uncertainties and inaccuracies in measurement, as opposed to failing to reach a physically realistic converged solution.

Surface pre-treatment of aluminum alloy for mechanical improvement of adhesive bonding by maple-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique.

Adhesive joints are widely used for structural bonding in various industrial sectors. The performance of bonded joints is commonly attributed to the cleanliness of the substrate and the pre-treatment of the surfaces to be bonded. In this study, the Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) deposition technique was used for surface modification of aluminum (Al) plates by the deposition of poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether) (PPG-NH2) of different number average molecular weights (Mn) of 400 g mol-1, 2000 g mol-1, and 4000 g mol-1, respectively. Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis indicated the characteristic peaks for the deposited layers of PPG-NH2 of different molecular weights in all cases while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed continuous layers on the surface of Al plates. In order to demonstrate alterations in the wettability of Al substrates, a crucial aspect in surface treatment and adhesive bonding, measurements of contact angles, surface free energies (SFE), and adhesion work (W a) were conducted. The tensile strength measurements were performed using the lap-joint test after applying the commercial silyl-based polymer adhesive Bison Max Repair Extreme Adhesive®. It was evidenced that at higher values of the SFE and W a, the tensile strength was almost 3 times higher for PPG-NH2 with Mn = 4000 g mol-1 compared with the untreated Al sample. This study provides valuable insights into the successful application of the MAPLE technique as a pre-treatment method for reinforcing adhesive bonding of Al plates, which can lead to improved mechanical performance in various industrial applications.

Enhancing impact resilience of thermal battery through honeycomb-structured aluminum buffering devices: Insights from large-scale gas-gun tests and simulations

Modern warfare relies heavily on electronic equipment, necessitating reliable energy sources like thermal batteries. Assessing their impact resilience, a study employed honeycomb-structured Al plates as buffering devices in a large-scale gas gun simulating artillery fire. Comparison between peak curves from gas-gun tests and simulations with varying honeycomb wall thicknesses revealed unique patterns, attributed to the buffering device's deformation-restoration process. Different honeycomb wall thicknesses led to varying deformation behavior and impact deceleration, complicating effective energy absorption assessment. Stepped honeycomb wall designs aimed to balance compression, extending energy absorption and reducing deceleration peaks. Prototype honeycomb buffering devices showed improved energy absorption and reduced deceleration during gas-gun tests. Gas-gun tests highlighted complexities in energy absorption assessment, with designs proposing improved energy absorption and reduced deceleration. The actual gas-gun test launched a projectile equipped with a thermal battery and buffering device, resulting in slight casing deformation, while battery cells remained intact, exceeding the standard discharge time (1 h).

Effect of Al Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Zn-Al Solder Alloys

Zn-Al alloy with the addition of Al (5–25 wt.%) was fabricated into as–cast and rod–shaped alloys. SEM/EDS and XRD technology were used to examine the impacts of the Al–element content on the alloys’ microstructure, mechanical characteristics, electrical conductivity, wetting ability, and corrosion resistance. The findings demonstrate how the Zn-Al alloy’s microstructure is dramatically altered by the different additions of the Al content. When the Al content reaches 15 wt.%, the eutectoid structures of the as–cast Zn-Al alloy are the finest, and the microhardness and tensile strength of the extruded–state alloy reach their maximum and exhibit the best corrosion resistance. The spreading area of the Zn-15Al solder alloy achieves its maximum on the 6061 Al plate, while it reaches its minimum on the T2 Cu plate. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity of the Zn-Al alloy continuously decreases as the Al content increases.

Particle morphology characterization in an over-aged Al-Cu-Mg-Si alloy using TEM

A quantitative analysis of particle morphologies in a heterophase Al-Cu-Mg-Si alloy after over-aging has been performed using conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging in dark- and bright-field modes. An appropriate analytical procedure has been suggested separating {100}Al plate- and 〈100〉Al rod-shaped particles using TEM images taken along 〈100〉Al and 〈110〉Al zone axes. The obtained statistical particle morphology parameters were verified by macroscopic strength contribution calculations.

An efficient aluminum gradient mesh wick for enhancing boiling heat transfer performance

With the rapid development of high-power electronic devices, phase change heat transfer has attracted much attention for efficient and lightweight thermal management. However, the mesh structure design for aluminum-based pool boiling enhancement still lacks experimental investigation and theoretical analysis. Herein, an aluminum gradient mesh wick is developed for efficient heat transfer performance. The optimized gradient mesh wick is comprised of a large-hole rhombus flat punching structure on the top and a small-hole 2D screen woven mesh on the bottom, providing sufficient active nucleation density sites, timely liquid supply, and rapid bubble departure. The gradient mesh design for pool boiling enables to achieve a high critical heat flux (CHF) of 1095.46 kW/m2 and a high heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 46.20 kW/m2·K at a wall superheat of 23.70 °C, which is 167.06% and 240% that of Al plate, respectively. The visualization of bubble behaviors and theoretical analysis reveals that the CHF of the gradient mesh wick mainly depends on the bubble departure and liquid supply, and the bubble departure accounts for a greater proportion. Such aluminum gradient mesh wick provides a strategy for efficient thermal management of lightweight and high-power electronic devices.

Enhancing thermal conductivity of 6061 Al plate via graphene dip coating

The development of thermally conductive lightweight materials holds paramount importance for optimizing heat dissipation in automobile components. This study investigated three distinct techniques for coating graphene onto 6061 Al plates: direct, aluminum nitride (AlN)-aided, and poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA)-aided coatings. The direct coating approach, via dipping into a graphene suspension, resulted in nonuniform graphene distribution due to the poor wettability of Al with graphene. AlN formation on the surface of a 6061 Al plate before graphene dip coating (AlN-aided coating) considerably improved the wettability of the surface with graphene. When using the PVA-aided coating method, 6061 Al plate was treated with PVA, followed by immersion in a graphene oxide (GO) suspension, achieving uniform GO coverage. This was facilitated by strong bonding between functional groups formed on the plate through treatment with PVA and those present on the GO surface. Directly coated samples exhibited a bonding strength of ∼1 MPa, whereas the samples coated using AlN- and PVA-aided methods showed bonding strengths of ∼3 and ∼10 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, AlN- and PVA-aided coatings improved thermal conductivity by ∼5.6% and ∼8.5%. This study proposes a facile and effective graphene-derivative coating process to improve the heat dissipation of Al-based materials.

Flexural behavior and load-bearing capacity calculation methodology for wooden beams strengthened using aluminum plates attached with self-tapping screws

ABSTRACT To investigate the flexural failure mode and behavior of wooden beams strengthened using aluminum (Al) plates, which were attached with self-tapping screws and structural adhesive, ten specimens were tested in bending. The experimental parameters were the thickness of the bottom Al plate, the longitudinal and transverse grain spacing of the self-tapping screws. The experimental results revealed that (1) compared with unreinforced beams, the reinforced beams exhibited ultimate load capacity and displacement ductility coefficients that were 18.4%–54.3% and 6.4%–43.1% higher, respectively; (2) for the same Al plate thickness in the tensioned area, the initial stiffness of the reinforced wooden beams increases as the longitudinal grain spacing of the screw grains decreases; (3) the plane-section assumption was satisfied by the strain in the middle section of the Al plate-reinforced wooden beam along the height; (4) the strains at the same position in the wooden beam and Al plate were similar, thus indicating that the wooden beam and Al plate behaved collectively. Furthermore, a formula was proposed for calculating the flexural capacity of an Al plate-reinforced wooden beam, thus providing a valuable reference when designing wooden beam reinforcements.

Influence of tool positions variation on axial force, torque sensitivity, mechanical and microstructure properties of Al/Cu dissimilar FSW

ABSTRACT Study on tool offset must be necessary to minimise IMCs formation and mechanical properties enhancement. Tool offset has a significant variations in the instantaneous force and torque are measures for the welding process. Increasing in the offset means more % of Al. This means softer IMCs formation and so increasing in offset distance decrease on load in the spindle/Z-axis and X-axis torque. A precise critical offset towards Al plate could result in a defect-free joint and superior mechanical performance. 1.5 mm offset gives smooth variations in the peaks, indicating a uniform distribution of the intermetallic compound, smooth weld surface and defect-free weld leads to better mechanical properties. In comparison to the Al base metal, the weld sample had more tensile and yield strength of 95% and 100%, respectively in case of optimised offset of 1.5 mm. 1.5 mm offset give maximum compressive strength (97.5% of the Al BM), maximum tensile properties and micro-hardness (176.2HV) due to fine grain with Al 44 μm and Cu 42 μm. As the grain size decreases so it helps to increase tensile properties and the strength of the joint depends on the offset distance and formation of the suitable amount of the intermetallics.

Microscopic mechanisms for initiation and evolution of femtosecond laser-induced columnar structures above the surface level of aluminum.

A better understanding of the formation of femtosecond (fs) laser-induced surface structures is key to the control of their morphological profiles for desired surface functionalities on metals. In this work, with fs laser pulse irradiation, the two stages of formation mechanisms of the columnar structures (CSs) grown above the surface level are investigated on pure Al plates in ambient air. Here, we find that the redeposition of ablated microscale clusters following fs laser pulses of irradiation acts as the nucleation sites of CS formation, which strongly affects their location and density within the laser spot. Furthermore, we suggest their structural growths and morphological shape changes are directly associated with the competition among four laser-impact hydrodynamical phenomena: laser ablation, subsequent molten metal flow, particles' redeposition, and metal vapor condensation with continued pulse irradiation.

Ultrasonic spot welding of open-cell Cu foam and Al plate: A study on the quality of joints

As a type of novel material, open-cell copper (Cu) foam has been widely applied in electrode production of batteries, due to its functional and structural properties. The use of ultrasonic welding technique to join Cu foam and aluminium (Al) plate has been proven to be feasible, but quality evaluation of the joints remains a blank to be filled in. In this study, orthogonal test design is used to investigate the effects of welding pressure, welding amplitude, welding energy and the interaction among the three parameters on the shear-tensile strength of ultrasonically welded joints of Cu foam/Al plate, and it is influenced by the three parameters in the following order: welding pressure > welding energy > welding amplitude. Based on the results of the orthogonal test, a Cu foam/Al plate ultrasonic welding joint evaluation system is established, based on which, qualitative and quantitative analysis on the quality of the joints classified the joints into three grades. The optimal parameter combination of the welding joint of Cu foam/Al plate is obtained as follows: 0.5 MPa, 65 %, 130 J, under which the porous structure of the joint is complete while its tensile strength is equal to or even better than the base material.

Strength-ductility synergy in a graphene oxide reinforced aluminum matrix composite made by friction stir processing

The present study examines the influence of carbonaceous reinforcement (graphene oxide, GO) on the microstructural and mechanical properties of aluminum (Al) matrix composite fabricated by single-pass friction stir processing (FSP). GO reinforcement is introduced to the metal matrix by adhesively attaching GO powder to the surface of pure Al plates. The presence of GO within the Al matrix is initially characterized using Raman spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry, followed by detailed analysis using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Due to dynamic recrystallization, significant grain refinement occurs in both FSP-treated Al alloys with and without GO conditions. However, the grains are more refined for FSP-GO condition, as the extent of dynamic recrystallization changed due to the dispersion of GO within the Al matrix. The presence of GO and its interaction with Al alloys during FSP develop superior mechanical properties (higher yield and tensile strength with greater ductility) compared to the BM and FSP-treated Al (FSP-only) conditions. The microhardness distribution shows the most hardened region on the advancing side of the stir zone, where the GO concentration is relatively high due to material flow occurring during FSP.

Synergy Effect of Plasmonic Field Enhancement and Light Confinement in Mesoporous Titania-Coated Aluminum Nanovoid Photoelectrode.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a highly demanded technology for the realization of sustainable society. Various types of photoanodes have been developed to achieve high efficiency of PEC water splitting. Plasmonic field enhancement and light confinement effects are often adopted to improve PEC performance. However, their synergistic effects have not been studied. In this work, a mesoporous TiO2 layer was deposited on an Al plate with a nanovoid array structure, which acts as a photoanode and simultaneously exhibits a light confinement effect and surface plasmon resonance. The solo and synergy effects were investigated through experimental photocurrent measurements and theoretical simulations using the finite-difference time-domain method. The highest improvement in PEC performance was confirmed when the synergy effect occurred.

Effect of Ni interlayer on interfacial microstructure and fatigue behavior of friction stir lap welded 6061 aluminum alloy and QP1180 steel

In this work, the interfacial microstructure and fatigue properties of friction stir lap welding (FSLW) joint of 6061 aluminum (Al) alloy and QP1180 steel with a Ni interlayer were characterized, and the effects of Ni on the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) evolution and fatigue behavior were revealed. The results show that an Al-Ni transition layer with a thickness of ∼ 200 nm appears at the interface of Al-Ni-Fe joint. No Al-Fe IMC is formed in the joint, because the Ni interlayer effectively blocks the reaction between Al alloy and steel. The fatigue strength of Al-Ni-Fe joint is 50 % higher than that of Al-Fe joint. The failure modes of Al-Fe joints are affected by the load levels. The joint breaks at the interface at high load levels, while the joint tends to break along the thickness direction of Al plate at low load levels. After adding Ni interlayer, the joint breaks along the thickness direction of Al plate at both high and low load levels. Based on the theoretical calculation, all Al-Fe IMCs exhibit brittleness, and most of Al-Ni IMCs exhibit toughness. Hence, Al-Ni phases effectively prevent crack propagation by enhancing the interface bonding strength of Al alloy and steel, and improve the fatigue strength of joint.

Performance of Solar-based Electrochemical System as Post-treatment of Hospital Wastewater Contaminated with Ciprofloxacin

T his research evaluated performance of a solar-based electrochemical system as a post-treatment of hospital wastewater contaminated with Ciprofloxacin (CIP), an antibiotic drug. Two laboratory-scale electrochemical units, and consisting of 2-5 anode and 1-4 cathode plates, were employed. Two types of electrode plates, aluminum (Al) and stainless steel (Ss), were installed in the units and their treatment efficiencies were investigated. Optimum conditions of the electrochemical system were determined by using a synthetic wastewater containing 0.01-20 mg/L of CIP (batch system); these experimental results were validated by using an actual hospital wastewater and a solar-based electrochemical system (continuous system). The experimental results of the batch system showed that the maximum CIP removal of 69% could be achieved at 10 minutes of hydraulic retention time (HRT), 18 volts in a voltage of power source (VPS), 83 A/m2 of current density (CD), and 1 cm of inter-electrode distance (IED) on Al plates. Similar results in the continuous system were obtained when the electrochemical system was fed with hospital wastewater containing CIP of about 350 ng/L. Application of solar-based energy in the electrochemical system showed similar efficiency of CIP removal, suggesting the applicability of the clean energy system for post-treatment of hospital wastewater containing antibiotic drugs

Experimental investigation on microstructure and properties of Al alloy-PEEK joint with different surface structure obtained by hot-pressing

In this study, selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing was used for the fabrication of Al alloy with the surface structure based on the construction of mechanical interlocking mechanism to complete the joining with polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The application of hot-pressing process provided a direct joining between Al alloy-PEEK at 460 °C for 40 min. This work characterized the forming of both cylindrical and trapezoidal structures, indicating that the structures were formed completely, and the gaps were clear. Although some dimples or micropores were generated in the forming solid, these defects in the forming were beneficial for the flowing and filling of PEEK during hot-pressing joint. The microstructure of Al plate fabricated by SLM showed typical parallel columnar grains perpendicular to the deposition direction and stacked and fish scale like feature in the deposition direction, respectively. The microstructure characterizations of Al alloy-PEEK joints showed that both materials were joined without gaps and formed a strong mechanical interlocking, guaranteeing a firm bond with maximal tensile shear strength up to 81 MPa for trapezoidal structure. By comparison, the joint with cylindrical structure possessed a low 65 MPa shear strength due to weak cuneiform anchor interlocking. Fracture surface was investigated in more detail. The result showed that the joint with cylindrical structure mainly showed interfacial failure and pulling-out, tilting deformation and fracture of the supporting, while the joint with trapezoidal structure exhibited a separation between the top surface of the supporting and the PEEK and brittle cohesive fracture of the PEEK between the gaps.