Compact Electrode Research Articles

Study on Mechanical Strength Measurement and Strength Improvement of Sulfide-Based Electrodes

The thermal battery is a primary battery that is used in special fields such as defense due to its high power and high reliability characteristics. In the thermal battery, a lithium or lithium compound negative electrode and a metal sulfide-based positive electrode system are used. There is always a demand for reducing the weight of the system and a need for increasing the area of the electrode. Therefore, it is essential to study the mechanical strength of the electrode and improve its strength. In this research, the strength of the compaction of the positive electrode material was quantitatively measured, and research was conducted to improve the strength for weight reduction and large area. Two methods of measurement were proposed for quantifying the mechanical strength of the electrode of the disk-shaped green compact electrode. The fracture strength of the green compact was measured by the "Monotonic equi-biaxial flexural strength test" method proposed by ASTM C1499-09, and the fracture toughness was measured by the double cantilever beam (DCB) test. In order to improve the mechanical strength, the strength according to the powder particle size and the compression pressure was measured. Higher fracture strength and fracture toughness more than double that of green compacts with reference powder grain size and differentiation smaller than 45μm were measured. The effect of powder particle size and compression pressure on strength was analyzed through powder characterizations and microstructure observations. In addition, actual electrodes were fabricated and the possibility of battery utilization was verified through discharge tests. Figure 1

Electric discharge alloying of titanium and aluminium on AISI P20 mold steel

This paper reports the enhancement of surface hardness, corrosion and wear resistance of AISI P20 mold steel by successful and uniform deposition of titanium (Ti) and aluminium (Al) using electrical discharge-based alloying. For this purpose, powder metallurgy-based green compact tool electrodes of 50–50% of Ti and Al composition were developed, and extensive studies have been undergone to study the influence of discharge current and pulse on-time on the alloyed layer thickness. A composite layer of 70 μm thickness was successfully alloyed. The alloyed regions were characterized by using an optical microscope and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS) analysis was performed to study the phenomenon of surface alloying by analyzing the elemental transfer over the work samples. One of the significant findings is that the Ti and Al elements from the tool material, and the carbon disintegrated from the hydrocarbon oil successfully migrated on the work sample surfaces. Formations of the iron carbide (Fe3C) and titanium aluminide (TiAl) were confirmed by XRD results. The alloyed region showed an increase in the microhardness by four times to that of the parent material, i.e. 300 HV0.3 to 1125 HV0.3. The wear and corrosion resistance of the alloyed region was improved. After the wear test, the mass loss in the alloyed samples was significantly reduced by 54%, whilst the corrosion resistance was enhanced by 47%.

Impregnated thermoset pre-pressurized carbon composite electrodes in microbial fuel cell: Compositional functionalities influence on ORR with reference to graphite

Advancement in developing specific compositional functionalities of electrodes that are energy-recovery efficient, cost-effective, durable and catalytically active is particularly challenging for microbial fuel cell (MFC) operation due to its bio-compatibility requirement. Compositional characteristics of the electrodes influence the electron charge-discharge rates, oxidation-reduction reaction and biofilm formation. In this study, compact carbon-carbon composite electrode (C/C composite), fabricated by high pressure hot-pressing method followed by densified low-pressure impregnation thermosetting carbonization, was evaluated as both anode and cathode in dual-chambered MFC with varied combinations with graphite electrode. Fed-batch experiments were operated with four combinations of electrode using 3 g/l glucose in designed synthetic wastewater as anolyte and oxygenated water as catholyte. C/C composite as cathode and graphite as anode (MFC-GC) depicted comparatively higher power density (0.37 W/m2) and current (2 A/m2) than the other configurations. Improved oxidation–reduction rate (ORR) kinetics enabled higher bioelectrogenic activity in MFC-GC with respect to the elemental and surface functionalities of C/C composite electrode. Bioelectrochemical analysis showed increased charge-transfer capacitance and electron flux while lowering the system losses in MFC-GC. The capability of C/C composite electrodes as cathode due to presence of higher oxygen functionalities and surface properties increased the oxidation-reduction rate kinetics towards higher energy output during MFC operation.

Extraction of compact ceramic electrode materials based on the Ti‒B‒Fe system modified by nanosized AlN particles by SHS extrusion

Compact ceramic electrode materials based on the Ti‒B‒Fe system modified with nanosized particles of aluminum nitride (up to 15 wt. %) were obtained by SHS extrusion. The effect of additives on the combustion characteristics of the studied system, as well as on the structure and phase composition of the obtained materials, is studied. The addition of aluminum nitride increases the content of boride and nitride phases in the final product. It was found that the introduction of modifying nanosized particles of aluminum nitride into the initial charge leads to the grinding of grains of boride and nitride phases, which together increases the microhardness by 10 %, in comparison with unmodified samples.

Role of electron pathway in dimensionally increasing water splitting reaction sites in liquid electrolytes

Hydrogen from water splitting is one of the most promising alternatives for fossil fuels in solving the global energy crisis, while its electrochemical reaction mechanism, especially in liquid electrolytes, remains unclear. Herein, how the electrode conductivity affects the reaction sites of oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) in acidic and alkaline solutions was investigated by employing visualization system and electrochemical testing. Inserting Au nanolayers greatly increased electrode conductivities, improved OER kinetics and reduced cell ohmic resistance, leading to excellent water splitting performances in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. Furthermore, the in-situ visualization results showed more reaction sites and higher catalyst utilizations were achieved by augmenting the electrode conductivity, and reaction sites increased from 1-dimension to 2-dimension. It was discovered that electrical conductivities of acidic and alkaline solutions are insufficient to overcome the sharp drop of potential in the electrical double layer for activating OER uniformly on low-conductivity catalysts, indicating the importance of electrical conductivity of the electrode in acidic and alkaline water electrolyzers. This study provided a guidance on how to develop efficient and compact electrodes for acidic and alkaline water electrolyzer stacks and other electrochemical devices, such as fuel cell, N2 reduction, CO2 conversion, etc.

Preparation by SHS-Extrusion Method of Compact Ceramic Electrode Materials Based on Ti–B–Fe System Modified with Nanosized AlN Particles

Compact ceramic electrode materials based on the Ti–B–Fe system modified with nanosize particles of aluminum nitride (up to 15 wt.%) are prepared by SHS extrusion. The effect of additives on combustion characteristics of the system and also on structure and phase composition of the materials obtained is studied. Addition of aluminum nitride increases the content of boride and nitride phases in the final product. It is established that introduction of modifying nanosize aluminum nitride particles into an initial charge leads to boride and nitride phase grain refinement that in combination increase microhardness by 10% compared with unmodified specimens.

Use of Palladium-Modified Polyaniline Electrode as a Sensitive Element of Fire Sensor

Results of the development of a method for immobilizing nanosized palladium into an electrochemically synthesized polyaniline (PAn) electrically conductive porous matrix to create a sensitive element of an ignition sensor are presented. Two methods of manufacturing a sensitive element in the form of an electrode are investigated. The first method consists in the co-precipitation of polyaniline and palladium on a graphitized butyl rubber substrate in a mode of cycling of potential. It was shown that this method can be used to obtain a volume-porous electrode in which palladium nanoparticles are embedded in a polyaniline matrix. The second method involves the deposition of palladium on a polyaniline film formed on graphitized butyl rubber. It was shown that micron-sized island palladium conglomerates on the surface of a polyaniline film can be obtained by this method. The conclusions made are confirmed by physical research methods and the results of scanning electron microscopy. Investigations of the electrocatalytic properties of the electrode in the sensor model showed that with a change in the H2 concentration formed upon ignition, occurs change in the hydrogen concentration on the surface of metal-catalyst (Pd) and a linear change in the current of electrochemical reaction. Comparison of a composite volume-porous polyaniline electrode with embedded palladium showed its superior efficiency compared to a compact palladium electrode and an electrode in which palladium is deposited on the surface of a polyaniline film. The possibility of using an electrochemical detector based on polyaniline with immobilized palladium nanoparticles for a gas amperometric sensor of low hydrogen concentrations and a fire hazard detector is shown.

High Volumetric Energy and Power Density Li2TiSiO5 Battery Anodes via Graphene Functionalization

<h2>Summary</h2> The realization of lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes with high volumetric energy densities and minimal Li plating at high rates remains a key challenge for emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage. Here, we present graphene-functionalized Li₂TiSiO₅ (G-LTSO) as a high volumetric energy and power density anode for LIBs. G-LTSO forms a dense electrode structure with electronically and ionically conductive networks that deliver superior electrochemical performance. Upon lithiation, <i>in situ</i> transmission electron microscopy reveals that graphene functionalization yields minimal structural changes compared with pristine LTSO, resulting in high cycling stability. Furthermore, G-LTSO exhibits not only high charge and discharge capacities but also low overpotentials at high rates with minimal voltage fading due to reduced formation of a solid-electrolyte interphase. The combination of highly compacted electrode morphology, stable high-rate electrochemistry, and low operating potential enables G-LTSO to achieve exceptional volumetric energy and power densities that overcome incumbent challenges for LIBs.

Effect of sintered electrode on microhardness and microstructure in electro discharge deposition of magnesium alloy

Abstract In this study, an endeavour have been made to depositing the electrode materials over the surface of the magnesium alloy using electrical discharge machining (EDM) with WC-Cu powder compacted sintered electrode. Various process parameters such as compaction load, discharge current and pulse on time are selected to carry out the experiment in order to attain the maximum material migration rate (MMR) or deposition rate and microhardness (MH). It was concluded that the MMR and MH increased with increase in discharge current and pulse on time at low compacted electrode but it is decreased at lower discharge current and pulse on time. Highest MMR and MH were attained successfully at partial sintered low compaction load electrode. Microstructure evaluation has been carried out on deposited surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and presence of electrode element in the deposited surface was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Defects mechanism such as globules and craters are formed during EDC with high current and pulse on time respectively, which diminishes the surface roughness. It was observed that the compaction load is the influence parameter on the MMR and MH.

Three-Dimensional SiC/Holey-Graphene/Holey-MnO2 Architectures for Flexible Energy Storage with Superior Power and Energy Densities.

Although nanostructured materials have recently enabled a dramatic improvement of the current energy-storage units in portable electronics with enhanced functionality, it is still challenging to provide a cost-efficient solution to attain the ultrahigh energy and power densities of supercapacitors (SCs) since nearly arbitrary electrodes are limited to the thinner porous structure with de facto rather low mass loading (∼1 mg cm-2) because of the huge limitations of pronounced impaired ion transport in subnanometer pores in thicker compact electrodes. In this contribution, we report the fabrication of a macro/mesoporous hybrid hierarchical nanocomposite SiC/holey-graphene/holey-MnO2 (SiC/HG/h-MnO2) with tailored porosity by knitting together the quasi-aligned single-crystalline doped 3C-SiC nanowire array and in situ surface-reduced holey graphene framework into a three-dimensional quasi-ordered structure, which enables the mass growth of ultrathin h-MnO2 nanosheets at approximately practical levels of mass loading. The produced synergistically favorable interconnected porous architecture allows for the highly efficient electron transfer and rapid ion transport up to interior surfaces of the network. Remarkably, the all-solid-state flexible asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) made with SiC/HG/h-MnO2 and SiC/graphitic carbon (GC) nanoarrays are mechanically robust and show a high areal capacity (0.32 mWh cm-2) and a high rate capability (280 mW cm-2) at ultrahigh mass loading (6.5 mg cm-2), much higher than most of previous superior SCs in aqueous or gelled electrolytes and thus offer an entirely new prototype of textile-based ASCs, which represents a critical step toward practical applications for various portable electronics.

Two-Plateau Li-Se Chemistry for High Volumetric Capacity Se Cathodes.

For Li-Se batteries, ether- and carbonate-based electrolytes are commonly used. However, because of the "shuttle effect" of the highly dissoluble long-chain lithium polyselenides (LPSes, Li2 Sen , 4≤n≤8) in the ether electrolytes and the sluggish one-step solid-solid conversion between Se and Li2 Se in the carbonate electrolytes, a large amount of porous carbon (>40 wt % in the electrode) is always needed for the Se cathodes, which seriously counteracts the advantage of Se electrodes in terms of volumetric capacity. Herein an acetonitrile-based electrolyte is introduced for the Li-Se system, and a two-plateau conversion mechanism is proposed. This new Li-Se chemistry not only avoids the shuttle effect but also facilitates the conversion between Se and Li2 Se, enabling an efficient Se cathode with high Se utilization (97 %) and enhanced Coulombic efficiency. Moreover, with such a designed electrolyte, a highly compact Se electrode (2.35 gSe cm-3 ) with a record-breaking Se content (80 wt %) and high Se loading (8 mg cm-2 ) is demonstrated to have a superhigh volumetric energy density of up to 2502 Wh L-1 , surpassing that of LiCoO2 .

Two‐Plateau Li‐Se Chemistry for High Volumetric Capacity Se Cathodes

AbstractFor Li‐Se batteries, ether‐ and carbonate‐based electrolytes are commonly used. However, because of the “shuttle effect” of the highly dissoluble long‐chain lithium polyselenides (LPSes, Li2Sen, 4≤n≤8) in the ether electrolytes and the sluggish one‐step solid‐solid conversion between Se and Li2Se in the carbonate electrolytes, a large amount of porous carbon (&gt;40 wt % in the electrode) is always needed for the Se cathodes, which seriously counteracts the advantage of Se electrodes in terms of volumetric capacity. Herein an acetonitrile‐based electrolyte is introduced for the Li‐Se system, and a two‐plateau conversion mechanism is proposed. This new Li‐Se chemistry not only avoids the shuttle effect but also facilitates the conversion between Se and Li2Se, enabling an efficient Se cathode with high Se utilization (97 %) and enhanced Coulombic efficiency. Moreover, with such a designed electrolyte, a highly compact Se electrode (2.35 gSe cm−3) with a record‐breaking Se content (80 wt %) and high Se loading (8 mg cm−2) is demonstrated to have a superhigh volumetric energy density of up to 2502 Wh L−1, surpassing that of LiCoO2.

A Novel Concept for High Performance Stretchable Li-Ion Microbattery

Energy storage microsystems composed of thin-film devices (supercapacitors and batteries) have attracted attention to ensure autonomy of complex devices for wearable microelectronics. Recently, flexible systems have been investigated as deformation and integration of rigid micropower sources cannot be achieved.1-5 The technological challenge is to design energy storage devices showing high electrochemical performance with advanced mechanical properties to prevent crack issues during electrochemical and mechanical tests. But in simple flexible micropower sources, the strains experienced by the active materials during bending usually remain well below the typical levels required leading to multiple fractures and subsequent loss of electrical contact.In this work,the fabrication of microstructured electrodes based on micropillars supported on serpentine interconnects have been achieved by laser patterning technique. Morphological and chemical characterizations confirm the formation of independent micropillars while preserving the underlying current collector. We show that unlike compact and continuous electrode thin-films, vertical micropillar structures supported on serpentines can be stretched up to 70% without structural damaging owing to the presence of empty spaces that can prevent the formation of cracks and the electrode delamination. The present approach based on the fabrication of microstructured electrodes supported on serpentine interconnects can be extended to a wide range of materials, which opens promising perspectives for the conception of truly stretchable devices such as stretchable micro-batteries.6 This innovative approach has been used to fabricate a flexible micro-battery for powering a smart contact lens7 and garments. The innovative micro battery approach relies on two flexible substrates assembling consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) supporting 1 cm2 surface area disk of LNMO and LTO serpentine electrodes separated by a gel polymer electrolyte.Interestingly, the micro battery shows in the first reversible cycle a charge and discharge areal capacities of 1.22 mAh·cm−2 and 1.196 mAh·cm−2, respectively. The coulombic efficiency for the first reversible cycle corresponds to 96.17%. Regarding the cycling performance, the LTO/ polymer/LNMO micro battery has been assessed at fast kinetics for 30 cycles. The micro battery delivers 73.5 µAh.cm-2 at 6C, 47 µAh·cm−2 at 12C and 32 µAh·cm−2 at 20C with a remarkable stability.

Combined Simulation and Experimental Study of Electrolysis Flow Cell for Continuous CO2 Conversion

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising strategy to sequester CO2 while synthesizing valuable chemicals and utilizing intermittent renewable energy supply from solar and wind energy.1 Electrolysis is often studied in H-cells that are composed of planar electrodes immersed in an aqueous electrolyte, which have severely limited mass transport across the electrolyte and hydrodynamic boundary layer.2-3 To avoid these limitations alkaline flow cells with a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) operated in a flow-by mode are sometimes used to achieve more realistic conditions. Although they provide higher current densities (CD) and energy efficiencies (EE), they suffer from carbonate salt precipitation in the stagnant pores of the GDE, moreover in KOH electrolyte CO2 is parasitically converted to bicarbonate. To remedy the latter problem neutral electrolytes, such as K2SO4 or KHCO3, can replace alkaline electrolytes, but these have so far demonstrated low EE due to high ohmic resistance and overpotentials in the GDE.In this work we present a flow-through compact membrane electrode assemble (MEA) electrolysis cell for continuous CO2RR, which has following advantages. Firstly, the neutral electrolytes flowed through the porous electrode with carbon in the form of dissolved CO2 and HCO3 —.4 Electrolysis was carried out to produce CO gas and formate ions, which only need to pass through a thin boundary layer with minimized mass transport resistance. The porous electrode was pressed onto the membrane to ensure good ionic conductivity at the electrode−electrolyte interface. Secondly, flowing electrolyte eliminated degradation related to electrolyte flooding and carbonate precipitation. Finally, the overpotential was lowered through catalyst tuning and localized alkaline environment,5 contributing to cost competitive electroreduction of CO2 to CO, which exhibited partial current density (PCDCO) exceeding 150 mA cm−2 at cell overpotentials (|ηcell|) less than 2 V.Reference 1. De Luna, P.; Hahn, C.; Higgins, D.; Jaffer, S. A.; Jaramillo, T. F.; Sargent, E. H., What would it take for renewably powered electrosynthesis to displace petrochemical processes? Science 2019, 364 (6438).2. Liu, M.; Pang, Y.; Zhang, B.; De Luna, P.; Voznyy, O.; Xu, J.; Zheng, X.; Dinh, C. T.; Fan, F.; Cao, C.; de Arquer, F. P. G.; Safaei, T. S.; Mepham, A.; Klinkova, A.; Kumacheva, E.; Filleter, T.; Sinton, D.; Kelley, S. O.; Sargent, E. H., Enhanced electrocatalytic CO2 reduction via field-induced reagent concentration. Nature 2016, 537 (7620), 382-386.3. Wen, G.; Lee, D. U.; Ren, B.; Hassan, F. M.; Jiang, G.; Cano, Z. P.; Gostick, J.; Croiset, E.; Bai, Z.; Yang, L.; Chen, Z., Orbital Interactions in Bi-Sn Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for Highly Selective Electrochemical CO2 Reduction toward Formate Production. Adv. Energy Mater. 2018, 8 (31), 1802427.4. Weng, L. C.; Bell, A. T.; Weber, A. Z., Modeling gas-diffusion electrodes for CO2 reduction. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018, 20 (25), 16973-16984.5. Verma, S.; Hamasaki, Y.; Kim, C.; Huang, W.; Lu, S.; Jhong, H.-R. M.; Gewirth, A. A.; Fujigaya, T.; Nakashima, N.; Kenis, P. J. A., Insights into the Low Overpotential Electroreduction of CO2 to CO on a Supported Gold Catalyst in an Alkaline Flow Electrolyzer. ACS Energy Letters 2018, 3 (1), 193-198.

Fluorine and Nitrogen Dual-Doped Porous Carbon Nanosheet-Enabled Compact Electrode Structure for High Volumetric Energy Storage

The development of electrode materials with high volumetric performance in compact energy storage is extremely appealing, yet challenging. However, the state-of-the-art compact carbon electrodes su...

Surface engineering of CeO2–TiO2 composite electrode for enhanced electron transport characteristics and alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Herein, we report the fine tuning of electrocatalytic characteristics of CeO2–TiO2 composite by surface engineering to reduce overpotential and to improve exchange current density for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the surface engineered CeO2–TiO2 composite through Ni and P decoration is attributed to the improved electron transport ability. The surface roughness characteristics and surface composition of electroactive species are tuned to generate high electronic conductivity on the surface engineered composite electrode surface. The developed hard electrode with leptokurtic surface (Sku > 3) exhibited a high average roughness value (Sa) of 3 μm due to incorporation of the mesoporous catalyst material into it. Tuning of a compact and continuous electrode surface with critical composition of elements Ni (52 at.%), P (20 at.%), Ce (9 at.%) and Ti (8 at.%) furnishes the high conductivity (contact potential difference = 0.83 V) to the electrode. The developed electrode with surface engineered CeO2–TiO2 catalyst exhibited a low overpotential of −111 mV (at a high current density of 250 mA cm−2) and high exchange current density (1.6 × 10−1 mA cm−2) with low charge transfer resistance (615 Ω cm2). High electrocatalytic activity and stability of the surface engineered CeO2–TiO2 catalyst electrode during alkaline (32 w/v.% NaOH) HER ensure its promising performance and applicability for long term HER.

Effect of lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide treatment on titanium dioxide-based electron transporting layer of perovskite solar cells

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted considerable research attention owing to their ease of fabrication, high photovoltaic performance, and reasonable cost compared to conventional photovoltaic devices. These PSCs consist of four main interfaces between the conductive oxide such as fluorine-doped tin oxide and indium tin oxide, compact titanium dioxide electrode (cp-TiO2) layer, mesoporous titanium dioxide electrode (mp-TiO2) layer, perovskite layer, hole transporting layer, and metallic electrode. Among these interfaces, the electron transporting layer and perovskite layers such as cp-TiO2 and mp-TiO2 play a significant role in blocking holes and transporting electrons, which is important for realizing high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Various approaches have been employed to modify TiO2 to improve PCE. In this study, the effect of chemical surface activation on the TiO2 electrode via lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide treatment were investigated, and the performances of the PSCs were evaluated. The experimental results help understand the effect of surface activation on the PSCs.

Outstanding Photocurrent Density and Incident Photon‐to‐Current Conversion Efficiency of Liquid‐State NiO Perovskite‐Sensitized Solar Cells

The efficiency and photocurrent density reported for p‐type‐sensitized solar cells up to now are still lagging behind that of the n‐type counterparts, limiting the successful development of p–n tandem cells. To circumvent this issue, NiO thin film is fabricated by the aerosol‐assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) technique and used in p‐type solar cells. A systematic study is conducted to comprehend the correlation between NiO thickness and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of liquid‐state NiO‐based sensitized solar cells. By carefully designing the cell components, this type of device demonstrates the highest photocurrent density (Jsc) exceeding 18 mA cm−2 when using iodine/triiodide as the redox shuttle matching the one produced by the TiO2 counterpart. This is accomplished by 1) using the AACVD technique for the one‐step deposition of compact and mesoporous NiO electrodes, 2) optimizing the thickness of the NiO layer through controlling the deposition time, and 3) adopting methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) as a light harvester prepared via a sequential deposition method.

Highly Loaded Mildly Edge‐Oxidized Graphene Nanosheet Dispersions for Large‐Scale Inkjet Printing of Electrochemical Sensors

AbstractInkjet printing of electrochemical sensors using a highly loaded mildly edge‐oxidized graphene nanosheet (EOGN) ink is presented. An ink with 30 mg/mL EOGNs is formulated in a mixture of N‐methyl pyrrolidone and propylene glycol with only 30 min of sonication. The absence of additives, such as polymeric stabilizers or surfactants, circumvents reduced electrochemical activity of coated particles and avoids harsh post‐printing conditions for additive removal. A single light pulse from a xenon flash lamp dries the printed EGON film within a fraction of a second and creates a compact electrode surface. An accurate coverage with only 30.4 μg of EOGNs per printed layer and cm2 is achieved. The EOGN films adhere well to flexible polyimide substrates in aqueous solution. Electrochemical measurements were performed using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. An all inkjet‐printed three‐electrode living bacterial cell detector is prepared with EOGN working and counter electrodes and silver‐based quasi‐reference electrode. The presence of E. coli in liquid samples is recorded with four electroactive metabolic activity indicators.

Deposition of TiC-Cu composite coating on AISI 304 stainless steel by EDC process using powder compact tool electrode

In this work, powder compact tool electrode prepared with TiC-Cu powder mixture has been used to deposit TiC coating on AISI 304 stainless steel by electro discharge coating (EDC) process. Effects of peak current during EDC process have been analysed for the deposition rate, surface characteristics and micro-hardness value of the coating. Morphology of the deposited coating layers has been studied by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images while the compounds present in the coating layer have been analysed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique. Wear rate of the coated samples has been measured by ball-on-disc type sliding wear test against WC-Co ball. The experimental results revealed that higher peak current during the EDC process augmented the deposition rate and corresponding coating thickness. Micro-hardness value and wear resistance of the deposited coating has been found significantly improved than those of as received substrate material.