Bismuth Powder Research Articles

Solution-based 3D printed thermoelectric composite for custom-shaped thermoelectric generator applications

To fulfill the ever-increasing power demands of deep space exploration, the output performance of radioisotope thermoelectric generators, the only accessible power source, must be enhanced in several aspects, including thermoelectric properties of materials, geometry, welding, etc. In this study, we present our results on the development of a novel thermoelectric slurry suitable for the 3D printing of thermoelectric generators with optimized leg geometry. The rheological properties of the slurry are optimized by combining proper amounts of organic solvent, binder, and bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric powder. The addition of Cu to the slurry as a conductive additive are also investigated. The homogeneous dispersion of Cu within the material not only increases the electrical conductivity of the final thermoelectric leg significantly but also promotes the crystallization of the thermoelectric particles during the sintering process. These effects result in 3D-printed thermoelectric composites exhibiting ZT values up to 0.91 and extended optimum operating temperature range. Thermoelectric modules composed of 3D-printed thermoelectric legs show excellent output performance and structural strength. This work could also produce other special shaped thermoelectric devices to match irregularly shaped heat sources to reduce contact heat loss and improve output performance.

Preparation of Bi2O3@PCPA‐KH590/chloroprene composites with good mechanical properties under high‐filling

AbstractAs a “green” radiation protection material with the potential to replace lead oxide, bismuth oxide has more research applications in the field of γ protection. However, due to their different surface properties, there are compatibility and interaction problems between metal oxides and rubber. To enhance the performance of bismuth oxide in neoprene, Bi2O3@PCPA‐KH590 was prepared by coating bismuth oxide with polyphenol/polyamine and grafting KH590 on the surface of bismuth oxide. This allows for creating more active sites with the help of polyphenol/polyamine, enabling KH590 to be grafted onto bismuth oxide particles. The S functional group on the silane coupling agent is then cross‐linked with the rubber substrate, enhancing the dispersibility of the bismuth oxide powder. This improvement not only improves the dispersibility of the bismuth oxide powder but also enhances the mechanical properties of the rubber composite material. Compared with pure CR, the mechanical properties of 60 wt% filler‐modified powder composites can still be maintained at a high level, with the tensile strength reaching 12.83 Mpa. In sum, the proposed method appears feasible for preparing highly filled radiation protection rubber‐based materials.

Bi-PMMA composite materials and their shielding capability for low energy gamma rays

The composite materials filled with different metal particles could provide the potential to meet the proper advantages for gamma radiation protection in both medicine and industry. In this paper, a new, fast, simple and low costing synthesis of bismuth powders using aluminum foil is presented as a gamma-shielding alternative to lead and cement base materials. The synthesized powders were characterized by XRD and FE-SEM. Flexible Bi-PMMA composites having 40, 50 and 60 wt% of bismuth were subsequently prepared and their gamma-shielding properties were investigated. The attenuation constants of the composites such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), and mean free path (MFP) were then obtained using the relevant measured values at available energies of Am-241, Cs-137 and Co-60 gamma sources. Gamma-shielding properties of the composites (at each gamma energy) were improved with the weight percentage increase of the bismuth powder in the polymer matrix but on the other hand the shielding capability reduced with the increase of the gamma energy. The HVL value for the sample containing 60 wt % of bismuth powder at a gamma energy level of 59.5 keV was found to be 0.072 cm. This HVL value was very close to that of lead, 0.068 cm, at the same energy. Moreover, the developed composites had the following features: easy and rapid fabrication process, nontoxic nature, lightweight, flexible, environment-friendly, and cost-effective.

Screen printed electrode containing bismuth for the detection of cadmium ion

Heavy metal pollution causes serious environmental issues all over the world. Herein, a screen printed electrode (SPE) with carbon ink modified by Bismuth (Bi) powder (Bi-SPE) was prepared for the detection of Cd2+. The Bi-SPE showed a linear detection range of 5–50 μg/L and a detection limit of 4.80 μg/L for Cd2+. Compared with bare screen printed electrode (Bare-SPE), Bi-SPE exhibited better detection performance by providing more active sites for the predeposition of heavy metal ions. The advantage of Bi-SPE was to detect heavy metal ions without the addition of bismuth ions in the solution, which enabled it for in-situ detection. The prepared Bi-SPE holds great potential in the detection of heavy metal ions in real water samples.

Molten salt-assisted synthesis of bismuth nanosheets with long-term cyclability at high rates for sodium-ion batteries.

Bismuth is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high capacity and suitable working potential. However, the large volume change during alloying/dealloying would lead to poor cycling performance. Herein, we have constructed a 3D hierarchical structure assembled by bismuth nanosheets, addressing the challenges of fast kinetics, and providing efficient stress and strain relief room. The uniform bismuth nanosheets are prepared via a molten salt-assisted aluminum thermal reduction method. Compared with the commercial bismuth powder, the bismuth nanosheets present a larger specific surface area and interlayer spacing, which is beneficial for sodium ion insertion and release. As a result, the bismuth nanosheet anode presents excellent sodium storage properties with an ultralong cycle life of 6500 cycles at a high current density of 10 A g-1, and an excellent capacity retention of 87% at an ultrahigh current rate of 30 A g-1. Moreover, the full SIBs that paired with the Na3V2(PO4)3/rGO cathode exhibited excellent performance. This work not only presents a novel strategy for preparing bismuth nanosheets with significantly increased interlayer spacing but also offers a straightforward synthesis method utilizing low-cost precursors. Furthermore, the outstanding performance demonstrated by these nanosheets indicates their potential for various practical applications.

Dispenser Printed Bismuth‐Based Magnetic Field Sensors with Non‐Saturating Large Magnetoresistance for Touchless Interactive Surfaces (Adv. Mater. Technol. 10/2022)

Printed Magnetic Field Sensors In article number 2200227, Mykola Vinnichenk, Denys Makarov, and co-workers present dispenser printing of magnetic field sensors based on bismuth powder. Benefiting from the non-saturating large magnetoresistance effect, this technology enables scalable large-area printing of sensors with broad detection range on flexible and rigid substrates. Touchless interactive surfaces based on dispenser-printed magnetically sensitive devices are demonstrated.

Two dimensional layered bismuthene nanosheets with ultra-fast charge transfer kinetics as a superior electrode material for high performance asymmetric supercapacitor

Two dimensional (2D) materials with unique quantum chemistry, tunable interlayer bandgap, and active functional groups extensively enhance the electrochemical behavior in electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein, we synthesize the bismuthene nanosheets from bulk metallic bismuth powder using the standard liquid phase exfoliation technique. As a result, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum reveals the rhombohedral crystal structure of the bismuthene nanosheets and their active functional groups have been identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Likewise, the high resolution transmission electron (HR-TEM) microscopy reveals the morphology and surface nature of the 2D bismuthene nanosheets with high transparency with the interplanar lattice spacing of 0.328 nm. Moreover, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows the stacking of 11–12 layer nanosheets with an average sheet thickness of about 4.7 nm. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) analysis of the delaminated bismuthene nanosheets provides the gravimetric capacity of 350 mAh/g at 10 mV/s. Furthermore, Trasatti and Dunn's approach demonstrates the charge storage process and the obtained total, outer, and inner capacity of bismuthene nanosheets are 724.6, 34.7, and 689.6 mAh/g respectively with the capacitive and diffusive contributions are 95.2% and 4.8% correspondingly. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on bismuthene and activated carbon (AC) delivers the maximum specific capacity of 87.3 mAh/g at 1 A/g, together with the energy density of 27.23 Wh/kg corresponding to the power density of 312.5 W/kg.

Tailoring the activation energy and the ionic properties of bismuth codoped SDC powder prepared by solid-state reaction method

Research on fuel cell components has received great attention owing to the growing need for sustainable energy sources. Bismuth (Bi3+) codoped samarium-doped cerium oxide [Ce1−xSmx−yBiyO2−δ (x = 0.2 and y = 0, 0.05 and 0.1)] nanosystems were prepared by solid-state reaction method. Rietveld structure refinement of X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the cubic fluorite structure along the (111) plane with the decrease in lattice distortion. At the same sintering temperature, pellets exhibit good morphology with better mechanical strength. The conductivity measurements carried out using the Nyquist plot, as well as the modulus spectra, indicate the effect of grain and grain boundary conduction at high temperatures. With the increase in the incorporation of Bi dopant, there is a gradual decrease in ionic conductivity and activation energy. The composition of Ce0.8Sm0.1Bi0.1O2−δ exhibits less ionic conductivity compared to other samples due to the oxygen vacancies attracted by dopant cations. The effect of Bi3+ dopants on samarium-doped ceria lattice structures and the electrical properties of the systems have been discussed.

Magnetic Levitation of Diamond Modified with Manganese and Bismuth

Operating diamond grits to produce a precise grind tool is need. In order to lift up a diamond grit by magnetic force, the magnetic flux was estimated to be 100 μT/g. Diamond (110) surface was modified with manganese powder at 450°C (720 K) then with bismuth powder at 270°C (540 K) due to its low melting temperature. Manganese carbides were formed on the diamond surface which was confirmed by an X-ray diffraction. A magnet that exhibits ferrimagnetism was formed on the surface, it had a spontaneous magnetism. We conducted to form six small disk magnets at hexagonal apex positions on the diamond (110) by using gold film mask. The magnetic flux measured at the center of the hexagon magnets on was 232 μT at room temperature, and the surface modified diamond grid could be lifted up in the magnetic field between two solenoid coils.

Studies on the Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of Bismuth Ferrite

Iron oxide and bismuth oxide powder are synthesized by the liquid phase precipitation method. Then a certain proportion of iron oxide, bismuth oxide and sodium chloride are mixed and ground to prepare the bismuth ferrite precursor by the molten salt method. The bismuth ferrite precursors are calcined at different temperatures to obtain bismuth ferrite photocatalyst. By studying the degradation performance of bismuth oxide, iron oxide and bismuth ferrite photocatalysts for methyl orange dyes, the best conditions for the degradation of methyl orange dyes by bismuth ferrite photocatalysts are found. The experimental results show that the bismuth ferrite prepared by calcining at 750°C has the best degradation. Compared with a single oxide, the photocatalytic performance of bismuth ferrite is better.

Plasmonic Hot Electrons from Oxygen Vacancies for Infrared Light-Driven Catalytic CO2 Reduction on Bi2 O3-x.

Current plasmonic photocatalysts are mainly based on noble metal nanoparticles and rarely work in the infrared (IR) light range. Herein, cost-effective Bi2 O3-x with oxygen vacancies was formed in situ on commercial bismuth powder by calcination at 453.15 K in atmosphere. Interestingly, defects introduced into Bi2 O3-x simultaneously induced a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the wavelength range of 600-1400 nm and enhanced the adsorption for CO2 molecules, which enabled efficient photocatalysis of CO2 -to-CO (ca. 100 % selectivity) even under low-intensity near-IR light irradiation. Significantly, the apparent quantum yield for CO evolution at 940 nm reached 0.113 %, which is approximately 4 times that found at 450 nm. We also showed that the unique LSPR allows for the realization of a nearly linear dependence of photocatalytic CO production rate on light intensity and operating temperature. Finally, based on an IR spectroscopy study, an oxygen-vacancy induced Mars-van Krevlen mechanism was proposed to understand the CO2 reduction reactions.

Plasmonic Hot Electrons from Oxygen Vacancies for Infrared Light‐Driven Catalytic CO2 Reduction on Bi2O3−x

AbstractCurrent plasmonic photocatalysts are mainly based on noble metal nanoparticles and rarely work in the infrared (IR) light range. Herein, cost‐effective Bi2O3−x with oxygen vacancies was formed in situ on commercial bismuth powder by calcination at 453.15 K in atmosphere. Interestingly, defects introduced into Bi2O3−x simultaneously induced a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the wavelength range of 600–1400 nm and enhanced the adsorption for CO2 molecules, which enabled efficient photocatalysis of CO2‐to‐CO (ca. 100 % selectivity) even under low‐intensity near‐IR light irradiation. Significantly, the apparent quantum yield for CO evolution at 940 nm reached 0.113 %, which is approximately 4 times that found at 450 nm. We also showed that the unique LSPR allows for the realization of a nearly linear dependence of photocatalytic CO production rate on light intensity and operating temperature. Finally, based on an IR spectroscopy study, an oxygen‐vacancy induced Mars‐van Krevlen mechanism was proposed to understand the CO2 reduction reactions.

Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Applications in Endodontics: A Review.

A current topic in dentistry concerns the biocompatibility of the materials, and in particular, conservative dentistry and endodontics ones. The mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a dental material with biocompatibility properties to oral and dental tissues. MTA was developed for dental root repair in endodontic treatment and it is formulated from commercial Portland cement, combined with bismuth oxide powder for radiopacity. MTA is used for creating apical plugs during apexification, repairing root perforations during root canal therapy, treating internal root resorption, and pulp capping. The objective of this article is to investigate MTA features from a clinical point of view, even compared with other biomaterials. All the clinical data regarding this dental material will be evaluated in this review article. Data obtained from the analysis of the past 10 years’ literature highlighted 19 articles in which the MTA clinical aspects could be recorded. The results obtained in this article are an important step to demonstrate the safety and predictability of oral rehabilitations with these biomaterials and to promote a line to improve their properties in the future.

Application of personal non-lead nano-composite shields for radiation protection in diagnostic radiology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

composites with micro- and nano-metal fillers has attracted the attention of researchers for radiation shielding applications. Lead toxicity and heaviness have oriented extensive research toward the use of non-lead composite shields. The present study aimed to systematically review the efficiency of the composite shields of various micro- and nano-sized materials as composite shields have been considered in radiation protection and diagnostic radiology. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed to determine the effects of filler size, filler type, shield thickness and tube voltage on dose reduction. The relevant studies published since 2000 were identified via searching in databases such as Google Scholar, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. In total, 51 articles were thoroughly reviewed and analyzed. Heterogeneity was assessed using the χ2 and I-square (I2) tests, and a fixed effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect sizes. The correlations between the subgroups were determined separately using meta-regression analysis. According to the results, the bismuth shield dose reduced from 22% to 98%, while the tungsten shield dose increased from 15% to 97%. The rate also increased from 6% to 84% in the barium sulfate shields. The combination of two metals resulted in higher attenuation against radiation, with the nano-shields exhibiting higher attenuation compared to the micro-shields, especially in low energies. Moreover, the meta-analysis indicated that the fixed effects pooled estimation of dose reduction was 89% for shield thickness (95% CI: 79-100; P 100). The single-metal personal shields made of bismuth powder had better performance than tungsten and barium sulfate. In addition, the combined metals in a shield showed more significant attenuation and dose reduction compared to the single-metal shields.

Electroreduction of Nitrates, Nitrites, and Gaseous Nitrogen Oxides: A Potential Source of Ammonia in Dinitrogen Reduction Studies

The results presented herein unambiguously demonstrate that neither nanoparticulate carbon-supported gold, nor bismuth powder are active catalysts for the electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction, but...

Effects of Ultrafine Bismuth Powder on the Properties of Zinc Electrodes in Zinc-Air Batteries

Ultrafine spherical zinc powder prepared by direct-current arc plasma evaporation increased the capacity and life of zinc-air batteries. To decelerate the corrosion of the ultrafine zinc powder and improve the charge–discharge performance of the zinc-air batteries, we added different amounts of ultrafine bismuth powder to a zinc electrode. The hydrogen evolution rate of the Zn-Bi electrode and the properties of zinc-air batteries were investigated by hydrogen evolution experiments and electrochemical performance tests. The corrosion inhibition mechanism of the newly added bismuth powder on the zinc electrode was studied via x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that when the amount of the ultrafine bismuth powder was 1.5 wt.% of the zinc powder, the anticorrosion efficiency of the Zn-Bi electrode was the highest, reaching 53.8%. After the battery assembly, the Zn-Bi electrode reached a capacity retention rate of 84.6% and had a 21.7% higher specific capacity than that of a blank zinc electrode (419 mA h g−1 versus 344.3 mA h g−1) after 60 cycles. The ultrafine bismuth powder improved the nucleation efficiency, reduced the corrosion current, increased the polarization resistance threefold, and inhibited the formation of dendrites and corrosion, thereby increasing the battery specific capacity and cycle efficiency.

Sticky thermoelectric materials for flexible thermoelectric modules to capture low–temperature waste heat

ABSTRACTWe examined a working hypothesis of sticky thermoelectric (TE) materials, which is inversely designed to mass-produce flexible TE sheets with lamination or roll-to-roll processes without electric conductive adhesives. Herein, we prepared p-type and n-type sticky TE materials via mixing antimony and bismuth powders with low-volatilizable organic solvents to achieve a low thermal conductivity. Since the sticky TE materials are additionally injected into punched polymer sheets to contact with the upper and bottom electrodes in the fabrication process, the sticky TE modules of ca. 2.4 mm in thickness maintained temperature differences of ca. 10°C and 40°C on a hot plate of 40 °C and 120°C under a natural-air cooling condition with a fin. In the single-cell resistance analysis, we found that 75∼150-µm bismuth powder shows lower resistance than the smaller-sized one due to the fewer number of particle-particle interfaces in the electric pass between the upper and bottom electrodes. After adjusting the printed wiring pattern for the upper and bottom electrodes, we achieved 42 mV on a hot plate (120°C) with the 6 x 6 module having 212 Ω in the total resistance. In addition to the possibility of mass production at a reasonable cost, the sticky TE materials provide a low thermal conductivity for flexible TE modules to capture low-temperature waste heat under natural-air cooling conditions with fins for the purpose of energy harvesting.

Optimization of Production Process of Frangible Bullets Based on Bismuth Powder

The article deals with the pressing process of the samples from bismuth powder, which were used in place of the bullet in order to optimize the frangible bullets manufacturing process. Cylindrical samples with a diameter of 9 mm were compacted by cold pressing in a cylindrical rigid die without sintering. Various pressing conditions (the changing of pressing force, pressing velocity and dwell time) were applied for compacting the samples. After compaction, the axial strength of the samples was tested to determine the optimal manufacturing process of the frangible bullet based on the bismuth powders.

Investigation of gamma ray attenuation features of bismuth oxide nano powder reinforced high-density polyethylene matrix composites

In this work, five samples of high-density polyethylene have been made by varying bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) concentration 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 wt%. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) has been used to analysis of the samples to point out the changes in the surface morphology. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) has been performed for evaluating chemical composition of the prepared samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of the pure Bi2O3, pure high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE with different amount of Bi2O3 have been investigated. Additionally, the Raman spectroscopy of all synthesized polymer matrix were measured to explore the different molecular groups. Finally, the mass attenuation coefficients μ/ρ for the samples have been measured using narrow beam of gamma-ray at eight energies between from 30.8 to 383.8 keV. The effect of the photon energy and the addition of Bi2O3 on the gamma-ray shielding ability of the prepared sample have been discussed. In conclusion, the prepared samples showed good attenuation properties.

Efficient extraction of bismuth from hydrochloric acid solution by copper powder

An efficient method for extracting bismuth (Bi3+) from a hydrochloric acid (HCl) system by cementation with copper (Cu0) powder was proposed in this work. The thermodynamic properties of cementation were investigated via cyclic voltammetry measurement and thermodynamic calculation. Then, the effects of reaction temperature, Cu0/Bi3+ molar ratio, stirring rate, HCl concentration, and competing ions on the cementation efficiency of bismuth were systematically investigated. Results showed that the cementation reaction between bismuth and copper powder was thermodynamically spontaneous. A Bi recovery of 99% could be achieved with copper powder under an optimized cementation condition (6 mol L−1 HCl, 60 °C, Cu0/Bi3+ molar ratio of 4, stirring rate of 500 rpm, and reaction time of 30 min). Kinetics study revealed that Cu0-Bi3+ cementation followed a first-order reaction law in the range of 20 °C–60 °C. The activation energy of bismuth cementation was 8.58 kJ mol−1. The generated cuprous ions can be recovered as copper sulfides by sulfuration after Bi3+ was extracted. This finding indicated that Cu0 powder cementation showed potential for Bi3+ extraction.