Inhomogeneous Size Distribution Research Articles

Effects of the Primary Carbide Distribution on the Evolution of the Grain Boundary Character Distribution in a Nickel-Based Alloy

Grain boundary engineering (GBE) was carried out on a nickel-based alloy (GH3535, Ni-16Mo-7Cr-4Fe), which intrinsically has many strings of primary molybdenum carbides. The strings induce inhomogeneous grain size distributions and increase the difficulties in achieving a GBE microstructure. In this work, the effects of the primary carbide distribution on the grain boundary network (GBN) evolution were investigated. A higher proportion of Σ3n grain boundaries (GBs) associated with extensive multiple twinning events was achieved in the specimen with more dispersive and finer primary carbides, which are the results of cross-rolling, i.e., cold rolling with a changed direction. In a starting microstructure with many strings of primary carbides, the dense and frequent occurrence of particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) around the carbides induced more general high-angle GBs into the GBN, and the inhibition of GB migrations by the carbide strings suppressed the formation of large-sized highly twinned grain clusters. As a consequence, the Σ3n GBs could not be effectively enhanced.

Collapse characteristics of binary granular columns considering inhomogeneous particle size distributions

AbstractDebris avalanches and dry granular flows exhibit similar characteristics. In order to comprehend the fundamental mechanisms and improve the accuracy in predicting disasters such as landslides, debris flows, and rock avalanches, the collapse characteristics of a binary granular column are investigated through a three‐dimensional discrete element model. A novel approach is proposed by incorporating the concept of local granular velocity fluctuation and applying a cluster analysis method. Then, the flow mechanism of the binary granular column is analyzed, by considering the inhomogeneous particle size distribution. The research results show that: (1) The normalized final packing height of the granular column gradually increases when the content of coarse particles exceeds 20% and when the coarse‐fine particle size ratio increases. Conversely, the normalized run‐out distance of the granular column decreases gradually with the increase in coarse particle content and the coarse‐fine particle size ratio. (2) The particles with higher granular velocity fluctuations tend to move together and form clusters, demonstrating dynamical heterogeneity. As the coarse particle content and coarse‐fine particle size ratio increase, there is a greater tendency for particles to assemble into larger‐scale active clusters. This means that a larger number of particles exhibit collective behavior during the collapse process, resulting in increased resistance to shear deformation. Ultimately, this leads to a greater packing height and a reduced run‐out distance when observed from a macroscopic perspective.

A novel method to determine the optimal threshold of SEM images

The determination of threshold is crucial for the binarization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. In this paper, a new method for determining the optimal threshold considering the three-dimensional characteristics of shale samples is proposed based on GIS. Firstly, the SEM images of seven shale samples at six magnifications are 3D reconstructed and visualized using ArcMap and ArcScene. Relevant parameters are obtained to calculate the 3D porosity φ3D. Secondly, the effects of magnification and segmentation size on φ3D are considered. By establishing the relationship between threshold and porosity, the optimal magnification, optimal segmented size and optimal threshold are obtained for the seven shale samples, respectively. Finally, the optimal threshold obtained by this method is applied to the finite element model of the pore structure and fractal dimension, respectively. The results show that the overall effect of 3D reconstruction and visualization is good. The optimal thresholds of seven shale samples are 94, 93, 105, 93, 81, 98 and 88, respectively. The porosity obtained from the finite element model of the pore structure based on the optimal threshold is suitable for SEM images with larger sizes. The fractal dimensions obtained based on the optimal threshold are all larger than those obtained at six magnifications, which can characterize a more complex pore structure and a more inhomogeneous pore size distribution. This method fully considers the three-dimensional characteristics of different samples and improves the accuracy of the threshold study of SEM images.

Dynamic evolution of the T1 phase and its effect on continuous dynamic recrystallization in Al–Cu–Li alloys

The T1 phase is the highest density and most prominent strengthening effect precipitate in Al–Cu–Li alloys, and it undergoes a complex dynamic evolution during hot deformation, which has significant effects on microstructure development and hot working. This study comprehensively characterizes and analyzes the dynamic evolution of the T1 phase at 400 °C/0.01 s−1 and its influence on continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX). The results indicate that the T1 phase successively undergoes coarsening, fracture, dissolution, dynamic precipitation, recoarsening, and spheroidization during deformation. A shear-coupled diffusion mechanism is proposed to explain the ultrafast coarsening rate of the T1 phase in early deformation. During the dynamic precipitation of the T1 phase, an anomalous inhomogeneous size and spatial distribution of the T1 phase are observed, and a high number density of fine T1 phases form in the matrix (with a denser, thinner and shorter size at the dislocation wall). The dynamically precipitated T1 phase is affected by the octahedral slip system during the coarsening process and exhibits a selective ripening phenomenon. The T1 phase formed by aging increases the inhomogeneity of the deformation and induces many substructures intragranularly, decreasing the percentage of CDRX grains but increasing the CDRX potential. Conversely, the dynamically precipitated T1 phase and its evolution accelerate CDRX development by promoting the transformation of LAGBs to HAGBs. In addition, the effects of dynamically evolving precipitates on the dislocations and formation modes of LAGBs at various deformation stages are elucidated. The results can provide valuable insights into the regulation of microstructure, and the development of high-performance Al–Cu–Li alloys, and also offer a theoretical and experimental basis for microstructure modeling.

The Sintering Aids Maintain Giant Strain in Lead‐Free NBT–ST Piezoceramics Sintered at 975 °C

The 0.74Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3–0.26SrTiO3 codoped with Li2CO3 and B2O3 is studied to develop the low‐temperature sintered lead‐free piezoceramic for multilayer applications. The studied piezoceramics are synthesized by a conventional solid‐state reaction method. Their crystal structures, microstructures, ferroelectrics, and strain properties are analyzed. Interestingly, the addition of Li2CO3 and B2O3 reduces the sintering temperature of the 0.74Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3–0.26SrTiO3 sample from 1175 to 975 °C. All samples show a pseudocubic perovskite structure with a dense microstructure and an inhomogeneous grain size distribution. The electric‐field‐induced polarization loops of the samples are saturated at 4 kV mm−1. More importantly, the 0.74Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3–0.26SrTiO3 + 1 wt%Li2CO3 + 1 wt%B2O3 sample sintered at 975 °C shows a Smax/Emax value of 510 pm/V under an applied electric field of 2 kV mm−1, which is promising for multilayer lead‐free piezoelectric actuator applications.

Crystal Structure and Microwave Dielectric Property of xMgO-SiO2 (x = 1~2) System for 5G Applications

Mg2SiO4 and MgSiO3 ceramics with superior microwave dielectric properties are considered to be promising candidates for 5G applications. However, a slight deviation from the stoichiometric Mg/Si ratio will significantly influence their microwave dielectric properties, which will hinder their practical applications. In this work, the xMgO-SiO2 (x = 1~2) ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The influence of the Mg/Si ratio x on the crystalline phase, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties was investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the resonant cavity method. The XRD patterns revealed the coexistence of Mg2SiO4 and MgSiO3 within the x range of 1~2, which was further demonstrated by the energy-dispersive X-ray spectra. The SEM images show a typical polycrystalline morphology of ceramics with an inhomogeneous grain size distribution. It is found that the microwave dielectric properties fluctuate at both sides of the x range while those remain relatively stable with minor changes at the intermediate components, indicating an obvious low composition dependence helpful for practical applications. Further, a demonstrator of a microstrip patch antenna for 5G applications using the 1.5MgO-SiO2 ceramic was designed and fabricated, and a return loss of −16.2 dB was demonstrated, which demonstrated the potential applications.

Cover Feature: Modeling of Magnesium Intercalation into Chevrel Phase Mo6S8: Report on Improved Cell Design (Batteries & Supercaps 5/2023)

The Cover Feature illustrates a newly-developed continuum model for magnesium-ion batteries with a Chevrel Phase Mo6S8 cathode. The model includes the unique crystal structure of Chevrel Phase Mo6S8 with two energetically different intercalation sites, desolvation prior to intercalation and a microstructure with an inhomogeneous particle size distribution with the aim to provide a better understanding of limiting processes and strategies to optimize the cell design. More information can be found in the Research Article by J. Drews and co-workers.

Evaluation of Geochemical Signature in Soil Sampled from a 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami-stricken Region in Aceh Province Located in the Western Part of Indonesia Using Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) Spectroscopy and Its Compatibility with X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement

Chemical elements in soil samples collected from the area struck by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 Dec 2004, were identified using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) to find out potential candidates for the geochemical signature of the 2004 Indian Ocean giant tsunami. All tsunami-affected soils were collected from three areas in Aceh Province, Indonesia, the worst stricken region by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. SEM analysis showed that the damaged soil samples exhibited smaller particles and an inhomogeneous particle size distribution, which could be attributed to dissolved chemical element sedimentation after flooding by tsunami saltwater. Moreover, our findings revealed that the tsunami-affected soil samples contain many chemical elements – including marine signatures (Na, Ca, Mg, K, Al, and Si), terrestrial sources (Ti and Fe), and organic components (C and O). Organic elements detected as oxygen (O) dominated those impacted soils from the Aceh region, accounting for more than half of all samples, followed by carbon (C) and silica (Si). Furthermore, the concentration ratio of a series of elements in those impacted soils – namely, Si/Ti, Si/K, and Fe/Ti – demonstrates values that are exclusively different among the various elements evaluated in this work. The distinguishing difference in the concentration ratios of the elements matches well with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement results. Therefore, the concentration ratios of the elements are good geochemical signatures of marine inundation for identifying the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami soil samples in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

Correlating nanostructure features to transport properties of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer anode catalyst layers

In this work, polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer catalyst layers are stochastically generated with α pore regions (defined as regions with pores <250 nm in size), β pore regions (defined as regions with pores >250 nm in size) and an ionomer layer of uniform thickness. Pore network modelling simulations are performed to correlate structural characteristics (porosity, mean pore diameter, and β pore volume fraction) to single and two-phase mass transport properties. Porosity and two-phase mass permeability are well correlated, but order of magnitude variations are observed due to inhomogeneous pore size distributions at the same porosity. The effect of varying ionomer and iridium oxide material mass fractions on ion and electron transport properties is also explored. Electrical conductivity is well correlated with catalyst volume fraction, while ionic conductivity is less correlated, likely due to changes in connectivity resulting from the inhomogeneous structure of the porous phase. Due to the non-homogeneity of the pore sizes in the catalyst layer, existing correlations for porous media are insufficient predictors. As such, we recommend that both porosity and mean pore diameter are considered when estimating transport properties. It is additionally recommended that both α pore and β pore regions must be incorporated into catalyst layer designs to allow both enhanced connectivity and mass transport characteristics.

Chiral Covalent-Organic Framework MDI-β-CD-Modified COF@SiO2 Core-Shell Composite for HPLC Enantioseparation.

The chiral covalent-organic framework (CCOF) is a new kind of chiral porous material, which has been broadly applied in many fields owing to its high porosity, regular pores, and structural adjustability. However, conventional CCOF particles have the characteristics of irregular morphology and inhomogeneous particle size distribution, which lead to difficulties in fabricating chromatographic columns and high column backpressure when the pure CCOFs particles are directly used as the HPLC stationary phases. Herein, we used an in situ growth strategy to prepare core-shell composite by immobilizing MDI-β-CD-modified COF on the surface of SiO2-NH2. The synthesized MDI-β-CD-modified COF@SiO2 was utilized as a novel chiral stationary phase (CSP) to explore its enantiomeric-separation performance in HPLC. The separation of racemates and positional isomers on MDI-β-CD-modified COF@SiO2-packed column (column A) utilizing n-hexane/isopropanol as the mobile phase was investigated. The results demonstrated that column A displayed remarkable separation ability for racemic compounds and positional isomers with good reproducibility and stability. By comparing the MDI-β-CD-modified COF@SiO2-packed column (column A) with commercial Chiralpak AD-H column and the previously reported β-CD-COF@SiO2-packed column (column B), the chiral recognition ability of column A can be complementary to that of Chiralpak AD-H column and column B. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the retention time and peak area for the separation of 1,2-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethanone were 0.28% and 0.79%, respectively. Hence, the synthesis of CCOFs@SiO2 core-shell composites as the CSPs for chromatographic separation has significant research potential and application prospects.

Microstructure Evolution and Magnetic Properties of a 4.5 wt% Silicon Steel Produced by Twin‐Roll Casting

Herein, an alloy with 4.5 wt% Si is produced by twin‐roll casting and processed into a crack‐free electrical steel by warm rolling and final annealing. A comprehensive material characterization allows insight into the solidification structure, Si segregation, the microstructure, and texture evolution during the process chain, as well as into the soft magnetic properties of the produced electrical steel. A weak but favorable θ‐fiber is formed by twin‐roll casting and appears again in the final annealed state. Despite the high Si content, this leads to relatively high polarization values. Nevertheless, the expected low iron losses of the Fe–4.5Si alloy cannot be verified, which is probably related to impurities, insufficient flatness, and inhomogeneous grain size distribution.

Grain size dependant high-temperature hot corrosion (HTHC) degradation behavior in Alloy 617 during exposure in Na2SO4 + NaCl + V2O5 salt mixture

In the present investigation, the implication of grain size on the high-temperature hot corrosion (HTHC) response in Alloy 617 is studied. Towards this, specific thermal and thermo-mechanical processing schedules were employed to attain a wide range of grain sizes (7–70 µm), while maintaining other microstructural features like Σ3 n (n ≤ 3) boundary fraction, retained strain, and precipitate fraction nearly at constant. Subsequently, these specimens were exposed to Na 2 SO 4 + NaCl + V 2 O 5 (75 wt% + 20 wt% + 5 wt%) salt mixture at 1273 K for 24 h. Post-corrosion analyses reveal the formation of a highly porous and thick oxide scale on the as-received (AR) specimen (~32 µm), a relatively less porous and non-uniform oxide scale on the very coarse-grained specimen (~70 µm), and a homogeneous and dense Cr-rich scale on the very fine-grained microstructure (~7 µm). Such a protective scale on the very fine-grained specimen, developed due to the enhanced diffusivity of Cr, obstructs the entry of corrodents and thereby minimizes the percolation depth (~60 µm). The percolation depth is relatively higher (~130 µm) in the very coarse-grained specimen due to the development of a porous and non-uniform oxide scale. However, its percolation depth is still lower than the AR specimen (~ 305 µm), because of the reduced grain boundary area available for the diffusion of the corrosive species into the substrate. The AR specimen has exhibited the maximum percolation depth due to the simultaneous presence of fine and coarse grains, leading to the failure of both the aforementioned resistive mechanisms i.e., the accelerated formation of a protective Cr-rich scale and lesser availability of diffusion paths for the ingression of the corrosive species. • Very fine and very coarse-grained microstructures are resistant to HTHC damage. • AR specimen with inhomogeneous grain size distribution underwent maximum damage. • Grain refinement accelerates Cr-oxide formation that blocks entry of corrodants. • Grain coarsening decreases the channels for ingression of corrodants into the alloy. • Inhomogeneous grain size distribution in AR fails to activate resistive mechanisms.

Impedance spectroscopy and conduction mechanism of xNi.50Zn.40Mn.10Fe2O4.(1- x)Bi0.9La0.1Fe0.93Eu0.07O3 composites

Di-phase multiferroic composites of xNi.50Zn.40Mn.10Fe2O4.(1-x)Bi0.9La0.1Fe0.98Eu0.02O3 was synthesized with the combination of perovskite and ferrite materials. The compounds are synthesized using the solid-state reaction technique. A union of perovskite and ferrite phases has recognized through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns constitutes the composition. Intense and sharp peaks that we observe in XRD patterns reveal that the phases are well crystalline. The morphology of the prepared samples was studied through Scanning Electron Microscopy, which ensured that the compounds were well-distributed in the form of dense and inhomogeneous grain size distribution. The ac conductivity of composites increases with an increase in frequency, signifying that the conduction occurs due to slight polaron springing, and the conductivity trails the Jonschers’ power law. The contribution of grain and grain boundary in the conduction mechanism is also observed from impedance spectroscopy analysis. Particular semicircular curves starting from the origin are visible in all compositions.

Inhomogeneous microstructure and properties along the thickness of stir zone in friction stir welded SAF 2507 super duplex stainless steel joint

In the present study, the microstructural inhomogeneity along the thickness of SZ in the SAF2507 SDSS FSW joint and its effect on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance were investigated. The results suggested that a significant temperature gradient was existed along the thickness of SZ and the biggest peak temperature difference between the top and bottom reached up to 446.9 °C at 700 rpm. Whatever the rotational speed, the unexpected phase transformation of ferrite to austenite were both generated in the top SZ with thickness of 20 μm and 38 μm at 350 and 700 rpm, respectively, which confirmed the highest corrosion resistance on the top while significantly deteriorated the property of resistance to stress corrosion cracking. The inhomogeneous grain size and grain misorientation distributions of the constituent phases in the SZ along the thickness direction were synergistically determined by the dynamic recrystallization and subsequent grain growth. The grain size distribution combined with phase transformation contributed to the variation of microhardness in the vertical SZ. The longitudinal tensile test results showed that a good combination of strength and ductility with higher YS and UTS of 596 and 830 MPa respectively as well as slightly lower El of 31.5% comparable to that of the BM, was obtained for the longitudinal tensile specimen derived from the middle part of whole joint. Such results can be attributed to uniform, balanced and refined microstructure with reasonable grain size at the middle of SZ, eventually resulting in the corresponding transverse tensile sample fractured at BM.

Photo-exfoliation of MoS2 quantum dots from nanosheets: an in situ transmission electron microscopy study

Fabrication of transition metal dichalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) is complex and requires submerging powders in binary solvents and constant tuning of wavelength and pulsed frequency of light to achieve a desired reaction. Instead of liquid state photoexfoliation, we utilize infrared laser irradiation of free-standing MoS2 flakes in transmission electron microscope (TEM) to achieve solid-state multi-level photoexfoliation of QDs. By investigating the steps involved in photochemical reaction between the surface of MoS2 and the laser beam, we gain insight into each step of the photoexfoliation mechanism and observe high yield production of QDs, led by an inhomogeneous crystalline size distribution. Additionally, by using a laser with a lower energy than the indirect optical transition of bulk MoS2, we conclude that the underlying phenomena behind the photoexfoliation is from multi-photon absorption achieved at high optical outputs from the laser source. These findings provide an environmentally friendly synthesis method to fabricate QDs for potential applications in biomedicine, optoelectronics, and fluorescence sensing.

On Sampling Discrete Orientations from XRD for Texture Representation in Aggregates with Varying Grain Size

The amount of orientation difference of crystallites, i.e., the texture in a metallic polycrystal governs, plastic anisotropy, electrical and magnetic properties of the material. For simulating the microstructure and texture evolution during forming processes, representative volume elements (RVEs) often generated based on experimental measurements are commonly used. While the grain size and morphology of polycrystals are often determined via light-optical microscopy, their texture is conventionally analyzed through diffraction experiments. Data from these different experiments must be correlated such that a representative set of sampled orientations is assigned to the grains in the RVE. Here, the concept Texture Sampling through Orientation Optimization (TSOO) is introduced, where based on the intensity the required number of orientations is first assigned to the grains of the RVE directly. Then the Bunge–Euler angles of all orientations are optimized in turn with respect to the experimental measurements. As orientations are assigned to grains of variable size during optimization, the compatibility between inhomogeneity in the microstructure and texture is inherently addressed. This method was tested for different microstructures of non-oriented electrical steels and showed good accuracy for homogenous and inhomogeneous grain size distributions.

Optimization and semi‐automatic evaluation of a frosting process for a soda lime silicate glass based on phosphoric acid

AbstractChemical glass frosting processes are widely used to create visual attractive glass surfaces. A commonly used frosting bath mainly contains ammonium bifluoride (NH4HF2) mixed with hydrochloric acid (HCl). The frosting process consists of several baths. Firstly, the preliminary bath to clean the object. Secondly, the frosting bath which etches the rough light scattering structure into the glass surface. Finally, the washing baths to clean the frosted object. This is where the constituents of the preceding steps accumulate and have to be filtered from the sewage. In the present contribution, phosphoric acid (H3PO4) was used as a substitute for HCl to reduce the amount of ammonium (NH4+) and chloride (Cl−) dissolved in the waste water. In combination with magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), it allows the precipitation of ammonium within the sewage as ammonium magnesium phosphate (MgNH4PO4). However, a trivial replacement of HCl by H3PO4within the frosting process causes extensive frosting errors, such as inhomogeneous size distributions of the structures or domains that are not fully covered by these structures. By modifying the preliminary bath composition, it was possible to improve the frosting result considerably. To determine the optimal composition of the preliminary bath, a semi‐automatic evaluation method has been developed. This method renders the objective comparison of the resulting surface quality possible.

Quantum transport in a chain of quantum dots with inhomogeneous size distribution and manifestation of 1D Anderson localization

The effect of inhomogeneous quantum dot (QD) size distribution on the electronic transport of one-dimensional (1D) QD chains (QDCs) is theoretically investigated. The non-equilibrium Green function method is employed to compute the electron transmission probabilities of QDCs. The ensemble averaged transmission probability shows a close agreement with the conductivity equation predicted by Anderson et al. for a disordered electronic system. The fidelity of quantum transport is defined as the transmission performance of an ensemble of QDCs of length N (N-QDCs) to assess the robustness of QDCs as a practical electronic device. We found that the fidelity of inhomogeneous N-QDCs with the standard deviation of energy level distribution σε is a Lorentzian function of variable Nσε2. With these analytical expressions, we can predict the conductance and fidelity of any QDC characterized by (N, σε). Our results can provide a guideline for combining the chain length and QD size distributions for high-mobility electron transport in 1D QDCs.

Comparative study on crystallographic orientation, precipitation, phase transformation and mechanical response of Ni-rich NiTi alloy fabricated by WAAM at elevated substrate heating temperatures

In this investigation, a Ni-rich NiTi alloy was in-situ deposited with different substrate heating temperatures and the evolution of crystallographic orientation, precipitation, phase transformation, and mechanical responses were evaluated. The experimental results indicated that with the increment of substrate heating temperature from 150 °C to 350 °C, the average B2 grain size and the high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) gradually increased from 53.44 μm to 85.38 μm and 53.6%–62.4%, respectively. The crystallographic texture exhibited a dominant, strong (001) orientation with comparatively weak (111) and (101) orientations in all conditions and the intensity of {100}<001> increased slightly as the substrate heating temperature increased. Moreover, Ni4Ti3 precipitates with an inhomogeneous size distribution were identified within the B2 NiTi matrix. Increasing the substrate heating temperature coarsened the Ni4Ti3 precipitates. All the phase transformation temperatures increased when the substrate heating temperature increased, indicating that the martensitic transformation is more likely to occur. As the substrate heating temperature increased from 150 °C to 350 °C, the yield stress and ultimate tensile stress decreased from 683.9 to 513.1 MPa and 855.2 to 743.8 MPa, respectively, and the ductility decreased from 6.90% to 6.13%. In addition, a remarkable εir, poor recovery ratio and a broad stress hysteresis were obtained during the initial deformation of the cyclic loading-unloading tension. The highest recoverable strain (εre), recovery ratio and elastic energy storage efficiency (ƞ) were obtained in samples processed with the lowest substrate heating temperature. These findings provide useful references concerning process optimization in fabricating Ni-rich NiTi components by WAAM with acceptable microstructure and mechanical properties.

Effect of annealing on the photoluminescence and thermoluminescence properties of Eu2+ doped BaSO4 microgravels

The quest for developing phosphors emitting intense ultra violet (UV) rays and thermoluminescence (TL) occurring in the temperature range between 180 and 250 °C is on the progressive surge as the phosphors are highly desirable for phototherapy lamps and X-ray dosimetry. For this work, strong UV and TL emitting Eu2+ doped BaSO4 gravels of sub-micro size were synthesized by acid-assisted co-precipitation method. The as-prepared phosphors were annealed at different temperatures (300–700 °C) for 10 h to enhance the UV and TL emissions. The influence of annealing on the crystallite size, morphology, vibrational bands, PL and TL were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEGSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Photoluminescence (PL) and TL spectroscopies, respectively. From XRD, it is noticed that the crystallite size and crystal quality increase when the annealing temperature is raised from 300 to 500 °C, whereas they are found to be decreasing at 600 °C and the trend continues till 700 °C. FEGSEM images show that all the phosphors have similar gravel morphology with inhomogeneous sub-micro size distribution. Formation of clusters is also noticed for phosphors while annealing in the range 300–500 °C. The vibrational bands related to the phosphor have been identified from the FTIR spectra. From PL and TL studies, the prominent emission intensity is found to be the maximum for 500 °C annealed phosphor revealing optimization. PL spectra also exhibit a strong UV emission at ~ 374 nm. The TL glow curve of the phosphors shows the first deconvoluted peak in the temperature range 198–210 °C and the second peak in the range 240.3–259.1 °C. The activation energy for the first peak is in the range 1.02 to 1.30 eV, whereas the second peak is in the range 0.72 to 2.98 eV. Thus the optimized multi-utility phosphor could be beneficial for phototherapy lamps and X-ray dosimeters.