Copper Coated Research Articles

Investigations on Pollution Levels of Four Stroke Copper Coated Spark Ignition Engine with Alcohol blended Gasoline

Alcohols are renewable fuels. They can be conveniently used in spark ignition engines. They have octane number (a measure of combustion quality in spark ignition engine) higher than gasoline. Alcohols are important substitutes for gasoline, in the context of fast depletion of fossil fuels, ever increase of pollution levels with fossil fuels and increase of economic burden due to import of crude petroleum the search for alternative fuels has become pertinent. Investigations were carried out to determine pollution levels of variable speed, variable compression ratio, four- stroke, single cylinder, spark ignition (SI) engine having copper coated engine [CCE, copper-(thickness, 250 ìm) coated on piston crown and inner side of cylinder head] provided with catalytic converter with sponge iron/manganese ore as catalyst with different test fuels of neat gasoline, gasohol (85% gasoline and 15% ethanol by volume) and methanol blended gasoline (85% gasoline and 15% methanol by volume) and compared with conventional engine (CE) with neat gasoline operation. Exhaust emissions of carbon mono oxide (CO), un-burnt hydro carbons (UBHC) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) were varied with different values of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) of the engine with different versions of the engine with test fuels with and without provision of the catalytic converter with sponge iron or manganese ore as catalyst. The engine was provided with catalytic converter with sponge iron and manganese ore as catalysts. There was provision for injection of air into the catalytic converter. The performance of the catalyst was compared with one over the other. Methanol blended gasoline decreased exhaust emissions effectively in comparison with gasohol with both versions of the engine. Catalytic converter with air injection significantly reduced pollutants with different test fuels on both configurations of the engine.

Investigation of mechanical and durability properties of brick powder-added White Cement composites with three different fibers

• 5% brick powder increased the strength results of White Cement composite production. • The highest results were obtained with the crimped steel fiber for fiber-reinforced mortar. • The lowest results were obtained with the copper-coated steel fiber for fiber-reinforced mortar. • The brick powder and fiber added composites resisted the durability tests. Traditional Portland Cement is used extensively in the construction industry today. Portland Cement has a gray color and has been explored with numerous substitutes. With the increasing interest in concrete technology, the interest in composite materials with higher performance and strength has gained more importance. White Cement (WC) is an important cement type in this field. However, studies of substitute materials for White Cement are limited and more research is needed. In this study, while White Cement and clay brick powder (CBP) were substituted at three different rates (5%, 10%, and 15%), three different fibers (copper-coated (CC) steel fiber, crimped (C) steel fiber, and basalt (B) fiber) were used at the ratio of 0.4% to examine the effect of fibers at the same time. The compressive and flexural strengths of the prepared series were investigated for 28 and 90 days. Three different durability tests were applied after 90 days: elevated-temperature test (250, 500, and 750 °C), freezing-thawing test (90 cycles), and sulfate effect (90 days). Following the durability tests, weight and strength values were compared. In addition, SEM and XRD analyzes were made while making comparisons before and after the durability test of the samples and a visual examination was made in the durability conditions. The use of 5% brick powder increased the strength values due to the formation of C-A-S-H and C-S-H gels due to its higher Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 content, while the use of higher brick powder caused a decrease in strength. While the fibers contributed positively to the strength values, the highest increase was in the longer crimped steel fiber added sample and the lowest increase was in the shorter copper-coated steel fiber added sample. While there was a 13% increase in compressive strength in the crimped steel fiber and 5% brick dust added sample compared to the control sample, there was a 21% increase in flexural strength. As a result of the durability tests, the samples behaved in similar order and maintained their stability despite significant losses.

Light-weight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System Based on Hollow Copper Coated Aluminum Tubes

Light-weight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System Based on Hollow Copper Coated Aluminum Tubes

Effect of electroplated interlayers on properties of cold-sprayed copper coatings on SS316L steel

Cold-sprayed copper (Cu) coatings have been recommended for the passivation of plasma-facing components in the vacuum vessel of Tokamaks. Therefore, research is under progress to develop such coatings with desired properties, which is still a challenging task. In the present work, the effect of nickel (Ni) and Cu electroplated interlayers on several properties of cold-spray copper coated SS316L steel was investigated. Further, the effect of heat-treatment on the developed coatings was also analyzed. The developed coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness, nanoindentation, macro-tensile, and lap-shear test/ adhesion testing, and porosity, density and, electrical and thermal conductivity measurements. The novelty of the article includes the in-situ micro-tensile investigations performed under SEM to reveal the fracture phenomenon for the coatings. It was observed that the heat-treatment, in general, improves the coating properties. Additionally, gamma (γ)-ray and heavy nuclei irradiation and thermal cyclic tests were performed to elucidate the actual environmental performance of the coatings. Based on the overall results of the study, the heat-treated Cu-coating developed on Ni-electroplated steel substrate was found to be the most suitable material for protecting the plasma-facing components.

Investigation of Electro-Thermal property for Cu-MWCNT composite coating on anodized 6061 aluminium alloy

In this paper, electrodeposition process was used for deposition of copper based multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite coating on 6061 aluminium in order to enhance the electrical and thermal properties. The method of anodization of aluminium alloy was applied prior to plating to get highly adherent Cu-MWCNT composite coating. Ammonium bi-fluoride (NH4F·HF), a fluorine-containing inorganic substances was added to the anodized solution to increase the porosity of the anodized aluminium alloy surface. Cetyl Tri-methyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) cationic surfactant was added in electrolytic bath to get stable, colloidal and uniform dispersed MWCNT copper sulphate solution. The characterization and compositional analysis of the developed Cu-MWCNT composite coating was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical and thermal conductivity were measured for the pure copper coated and Cu-MWCNT nanocomposite coated samples, respectively. It was found that incorporation of MWCNTs in the copper coatings enhanced the electrical conductivity by 59.63%, 103.67% and 128.44%, respectively for Cu-MWCNT (0.5 gL−1, 0.75 gL−1 and 1 gL−1, respectively) nanocomposite coated specimens compared to pure copper coated specimen. The thermal conductivity of Cu-MWCNTs (0.5 gL−1) composite coated sample was improved by 95.62% compared to uncoated 6061 aluminium specimen.

Controlled Dissolution of Copper Coated Ni-Al Powders In 4M NaOH

Copper coatings on fine nickel powder was achieved by autocatalytic deposition using glyoxylic acid as reducing agent. Activation of the Nickel powder was done by using titanium diborate solution and chloro platinic acid. The deposition of the copper particles is carried out by electroless coating. The mechanism and composition of the coating was studied for copper coated Ni-Al powders. The coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The Copper coatings have reduced the dissolution of Ni-Al powders greatly in alkaline media. The resultant product formed is recommended for relevant Industrial purposes.

Effect of Copper Coating and Reinforcement Orientation on Mechanical Properties of LM6 Aluminium Alloy Composites Reinforced with Steel Mesh by Squeeze Casting

Uncoated and copper coated steel wire mesh reinforcing LM6 aluminium alloy composites have been produced using squeeze casting process by varying reinforcement orientation viz., 0°, 45° and 90° respectively. Microstructure of the castings has been examined and mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength and ductility have been investigated. Fracture surface of tensile specimens has been analysed using field emission scanning electron microscope. Microstructure of samples reveals that copper coating on steel wires improves the interface bonding between matrix and reinforcement. Average hardness values of 259 and 90 Hv have been observed in steel wire and matrix respectively. Tensile strength of composites increases with increasing angle of reinforcement orientation from 0° to 90°. Tensile strength increases up to 11% by reinforcing copper coated steel wire mesh at 90° orientation as compared to LM6 aluminium alloy. Fracture surface of composites shows pullout of steel wires in uncoated steel wire mesh composites and broken wires in copper coated steel wire mesh composites respectively. Dimples have been observed on the fracture surface of LM6 aluminium alloy. In general, copper coated steel wire mesh composites offer better hardness and tensile strength compared to uncoated steel wire mesh composites and LM6 aluminium alloy. This may be attributed to the copper coating on steel wires which results better interface bonding between matrix and reinforcement.

Electroplating of Copper on the Continuous Carbon Fibers

Surface metallization of continuous carbon fibers (CFs) can improve the properties of the interface between the CFs and the metal matrix of the metal based composites. In this study, copper was coated on the surface of continuous CFs by electroplating in acidified copper sulfate electrolyte system. The effects of electroplating parameters such as current density, plating time, plating temperature and the pH value of electrolyte solution on the electroplating of the copper thin films on CFs were studied. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to determine the microstructure of the copper coatings, and its composition and crystal structure. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the CFs after electroplating. The results showed that high quality copper-coated CFs can be obtained under the optimized plating parameters as follows: the current density 3~4mA/cm2, electroplating time 10~20min, the temperature and the pH value of electrolyte solution 3.0~4.0, 20~30°C respectively. The coatings were uniform and smooth, which were adhered to CFs. XRD patterns indicated that the copper coatings were mainly composed of pure copper. And TGA results identified an increase in thermal stability of the copper coated CFs.

Thermal Conductivity and Microstructure of Copper Coated Graphite Composite by Spark Plasma Sintering Process

AbstractThis study focuses on the fabrication of thermal management material for power electronics applications using graphite flake reinforced copper composites. The manufacturing route involved electroless plating of copper in the graphite flake and sintering process are optimized. The microstructures, interface, thermal properties, and relative density of graphite/Cu composites are investigated. The relative density of the composites shows 99.5% after sintering. Thermal conductivities and coefficients of thermal expansion of this composites were 400-480 Wm−1K−1and 8 to 5 ppm k−1, respectively. Obtained graphite nanoplatelets-reinforced composites exhibit excellent thermo-physical properties to meet the heat dispersion and matching requirements of power electronic devices to the packaging materials.

Performance and Emission Analysis of Diesel Engine by Copper Coating Over Piston Crown and Cylinder Head

The major toxins emitted from SI engine are carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC). These are harmful and create health problems to human beings, and hence control of these pollutants calls for instant attention. It has been recognized from the literature review that copper coating inside the cylinder head and over the piston crown will reduce the emission and increase the overall performance. Hence, in this Project work piston crown and engine head are coated using copper and experiment are conducted. A Kirloskar AV1 engine is used for conducting experiment. The copper coated piston crown and engine head is used to reduce the emission (HC, CO, O2, and CO2). The performance and characteristics of the copper coated engine has been studied.

Analysis of Exhaust Emissions from Two Stroke Spark Ignition Engine with Copper Coated Piston Operating with Methyl Alcohol Blended Gasoline

Analysis of Exhaust Emissions from Two Stroke Spark Ignition Engine with Copper Coated Piston Operating with Methyl Alcohol Blended Gasoline

Characterization of commercially cold sprayed copper coatings and determination of the effects of impacting copper powder velocities

Copper coated steel containers are being developed for the disposal of high level nuclear waste using processes such as cold spray and electrodeposition. Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction has been used to determine the microstructural properties and the quality of the steel-copper coating interface. The influence of the nature of the cold-spray carrier gas as well as its temperature and pressure (velocity) on the coating's plastic strain and recrystallization behaviour have been investigated, and one commercially-produced electrodeposited coating characterized. The quality of the coatings was assessed using the coincident site lattice model to analyse the properties of the grain boundaries. For cold spray coatings the grain size and number of coincident site lattice grain boundaries increased, and plastic strain decreased, with carrier gas velocity. In all cases annealing improved the quality of the coatings by increasing texture and coincidence site-lattices, but also increased the number of physical voids, especially when a low temperature cold spray carrier gas was used. Comparatively, the average grain size and number of coincident site-lattices was considerably larger for the strongly textured electrodeposited coating. Tensile testing showed the electrodeposited coating was much more strongly adherent to the steel substrate.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of copper coated multiwall carbon nanotubes reinforced aluminum composites

Electroless copper coatings were performed on purified carbon nanotubes (CNT), with varying deposition time and the optimum deposition time in terms of uniform deposition was determined to be 45min. Different amounts of optimized Cu coated CNT (CNT (Cu)) and Al powders were ball milled. CNT (Cu) reinforced Al (Al-CNT (Cu)) composites were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Pure CNT reinforced Al (Al-CNT) composites were also prepared by SPS. The ball milled powders and composites were characterized using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microhardness and compression properties of the composites were measured. TEM images of ball milled powders and composites revealed uniform distribution of CNT in matrix. Mechanical properties of Al-CNT (Cu) composites are superior to Al-CNT composites. The maximum enhancement in compressive strength of Al-CNT (Cu) composites is 154% for 2wt% reinforcement; this enhancement is attributed to the copper coating on CNT surface.

Plasma sputtering robotic device for in-situ thick coatings of long, small diameter vacuum tubes

A novel robotic plasma magnetron mole with a 50 cm long cathode was designed, fabricated, and operated. The reason for this endeavor is to alleviate the problems of unacceptable resistive heating of stainless steel vacuum tubes in the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnetron mole was successfully operated to copper coat an assembly containing a full-size, stainless steel, cold bore, RHIC magnet tubing connected to two types of RHIC bellows, to which two additional pipes made of RHIC tubing were connected. To increase the cathode lifetime, a movable magnet package was developed, and the thickest possible cathode was made, with a rather challenging target to substrate (de facto anode) distance of less than 1.5 cm. Achieving reliable steady state magnetron discharges at such a short cathode to anode gap was rather challenging, when compared to commercial coating equipment, where the target to substrate distance is 10's cm; 6.3 cm is the lowest experimental target to substrate distance found in the literature. Additionally, the magnetron developed during this project provides unique omni-directional uniform coating. The magnetron is mounted on a carriage with spring loaded wheels that successfully crossed bellows and adjusted for variations in vacuum tube diameter, while keeping the magnetron centered. Electrical power and cooling water were fed through a cable bundle. The umbilical cabling system is driven by a motorized spool. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. Measurements indicated that well-scrubbed copper coating reduced secondary electron yield to 1, i.e., the problem of electron clouds can be eliminated. Room temperature RF resistivity measurement indicated that a 10 μm copper coated stainless steel RHIC tube has a conductivity close to that of pure copper tubing. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. The device details and experimental results are described.

Determination of Nitrates in Water Samples by In-Electrode Coulometric Titration in Copper Coated Porous Vitreous Carbon Electrode

Nitrate in water samples was determined by in-electrode coulometric titration in porous electrode made of vitreous carbon particles coated with copper. The sample was mixed with diluted sulfuric acid containing 1 mmol/L hydrochloric acid, the solution was filled into the cell and electrode and the nitrate ions were directly reduced by constant current to ammonium ions. The stoichiometry of the electrode reaction was found by coulometric and photometric measurements. The detection limit and precision were found to be 0.2 mg/L and 1.7 %, respectively. The interfering effect of high chloride contents was eliminated by precipitating chlorides with silver sulfate. The method was applied for the analysis of various water samples and beverages. The results were in good agreement with data from isotachophoretic and photometric measurements.

Comparative Study on the Effects of Surfactants on the Electroless Copper Coated Solar Cell and Optimizing Its Process Parameters

An experimental investigation on optimizing process parameters in the electroless copper coatings on solar photovoltaic cells under specific coating conditions has been carried out and reported. Coating parameters such as pH, temperature, and surfactants concentration were varied, and corresponding coating thickness and voltage were measured. To optimize the above parameters, design of experiment was conducted using full factorial method. The pH was varied at 4 different values such as 4-5, 5-6, 8-9, and 9-10 and temperature was varied at different values such as 75°C, 80°C, 85°C, and 90°C. The two different surfactants such as Sodium Do-decyl sulfate and Cetyl tri ammonium bromide were added and their concentration was varied from 0–1.5 g/L to 0–1.8 g/L, respectively. When pH was 8-9, the coating thickness was maximum of 12 μm and 11.63 μm and it was minimum of 3 μm and 2.6 μm, when pH was at 4-5 for Sodium Do-decyl sulfate and Cetyl tri ammonium bromide respectively. The coating thickness increases up to 12 μm when the temperature was 85°C and further increase in temperature destabilizes the electroless bath. The coating thickness was a maximum of 11.25 μm/hr and 10.53 μm/hr, when the Sodium Dodecyl sulfate and Cetyl tri ammonium bromide concentrations were 1.2 g/L and 1.5 g/L, respectively. The increased coating thickness of solar cells imparts increased open circuit voltage from 0.43 V to 0.65 V. The detailed experimental results and their analysis are presented in the main paper.

Behavioral Modeling and Simulation with Experimental Analysis of a Four Stroke Engine Using Nanosized Copper Coated Catalytic Converter

Behavioral Modeling and Simulation with Experimental Analysis of a Four Stroke Engine Using Nanosized Copper Coated Catalytic Converter

Microstructure and properties of ultrasonic assisted copper coated graphite foams

Mesophase pitch based graphite foams were electroplated with copper to obtain the improved mechanical and thermal properties and to extend their applications in heat sinks. A nickel interlayer was electroplated prior to copper to improve the wettability and bonding between copper and the graphite foams. An ultrasonic oscillation device and a rotary cathode were applied to enhance the mass transfer and to ensure the more even coatings throughout the foams from inside. Microstructure and properties of the copper coated foams were studied. Results indicated the copper coatings greatly improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the foams. With the prolonged timescale of plating, the foams possessed enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. After 16 min. of plating, the bending strength of the foams increased from 1·1 to 7·6 MPa, and the thermal conductivity of the foams reached 100·2 from 81·6 W m−1 K−1, while the porosity was reduced only by 4·2%.

Behavioral Modeling and Simulation with Experimental Analysis of a Two Stroke Engine Using Nanosized Copper Coated Catalytic Converter

A great deal of emphasis is placed on the real societal benefits around nanotechnology for energy efficiency, renewable resources, environmental remediation and pollution prevention. In particular, new and better techniques for pollution control are emerging as nano-particles push the limits and capabilities of technology. Environmental Pollution by vehicles is caused due to tail-pipe exhaust emissions depending on changes in driving cycles, engine condition, fuel composition and air-fuel ratio. Malfunction of engine devices, especially fuel injection system, increases the emissions of the main exhaust components. In the present work, an improved design more suitable for implementation along with improved performance and efficiency in reducing the exhaust emissions from a four stroke spark ignition engine. In the present work some alterations and modifications have been designed so as to increase the retention period of exhaust gases to provide more time for its oxidation and thereby to reduce the harmful emission. In this research, modeling has been done for a four stroke spark ignition engine with nano-sized copper coated catalytic converter. It will throw a light on the reduction in emission achieved by nano-particle coating. This paper opens a gateway to study the changes in the concentration of exhaust emissions due to the nano-material coating. The modeling will help in understanding the mathematical nature of the process. The behavioral modeling, starts from analyzing the practical behavior of four stroke engine with designed catalytic convertor, and then approximating obtained behavior in terms of mathematical equations. These obtained equations actually represent behavior of concern system. Firstly, mathematical model is developed to implement it in the simulink platform. Then, to verify the results obtained from the model, simulation is performed.

Study of the Antibacterial Behavior of Wire Arc Sprayed Copper Coatings

Antibacterial surfaces such as silver and copper coated areas reduce risk of bacterial growth considerably. In this study, wire arc spraying has been utilized to produce an antibacterial copper coating with ultrafine microstructure on stainless steel substrate. The chemical composition, microstructure, and surface morphology of copper coatings were characterized with x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Determination of thickness and adhesion of the coating were investigated. The antibacterial property of copper coatings was analyzed by both gram negative Escherichia coli NCTC 10418 and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 11047. The antibacterial performance of coatings was compared to that of stainless steel 316 and a micrograin structure of the commercially available copper. Results indicated that the as-sprayed copper coatings have excellent antibacterial behavior compared to stainless steel and micrograin copper, which can be attributed to the presence of the ultrafine grain size, micropores, and crystallographic defects in the microstructure.