Melting Method Research Articles

Tuning conduction properties and clarifying thermoelectric performance of P-type half-Heusler alloys TiNi1−xCoxSn (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15)

TiNiSn is an N-type thermoelectric material with a high-power factor composed of low toxicity and abundant elements. TiNiSn also shows P-type electrical conduction by hole doping. In this study, we tune the conduction properties of TiNi1−xCoxSn (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) with Co substitution at the Ni site. The samples were prepared by the arc melting method, and thermoelectric properties were investigated up to 800 K. The results of the Hall effect and the Seebeck coefficient measurements indicate that the majority of charge carriers changes from electrons to holes at x ≥ 0.03, suggesting that Co acts as an acceptor. We report for the first time that Ti0.994Ni1.00Co0.051Sn1.01 exhibits ZT = 0.12 at 675 K. This work reveals that Ti0.994Ni1.00Co0.051Sn1.01 could be a potential P-type thermoelectric material operating at high temperatures.

Transparent and Thermally Stable Rare-Earth-Doped Luminescent Gallate Glass toward Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling Applications.

Currently, the implementation of passive daytime radiative cooling based on zero-energy cooling methodologies primarily focuses on polymers and composite materials, whereas the available literature on all-inorganic materials is relatively few. Here, we present a novel microcrystalline glass material CaGa0.5Al1.5O4 (CGAO), doped with rare-earth elements and prepared by the high-temperature melting method. This material exhibits long-term stability at 200 °C, coupled with an effective infrared radiation cooling function, demonstrating a 4.9 °C temperature reduction at solar noon. The energy transfer and luminescence mechanisms of Tb3+ and Sm3+ doped CGAO glass have been thoroughly investigated, along with thorough assessments of its thermal stability and hardness. The glass exhibits ultrahigh light transmission in the ultraviolet to near-infrared range, with the transmittance reaching 98% in specific spectral bands. Furthermore, it demonstrates superior luminescent thermal stability, retaining 85.6% and 71.2% of its initial luminescence intensity at 423 and 523 K, respectively. The high-temperature resistance and stability and long-term cooling properties render CGAO glass as an optimal candidate for integration into future energy-efficient and sustainable building designs.

Effect of nitric acid concentration on corrosion behavior of CrFeCoNi high entropy alloy

CrFeCoNi high entropy alloy (HEA) was prepared by the method of vacuum melting. Its corrosion behavior in HNO3 solution with different concentrations was studied. The electrochemical test results indicated that the corrosion resistance firstly increased with increasing HNO3 concentration from 0.1 M to 4 M, and then decreased with further increasing HNO3 concentration to 6 M. The CrFeCoNi HEA exhibited the best corrosion resistance in 4 M HNO3 solution. The discrepancy of corrosion property in different concentration of HNO3 solutions could be attributed to the different protection of passive film formed on HEA. XPS results indicated that the content of Cr2O3 in the passive film initially increased with increasing HNO3 concentration from 0.1 M to 4 M, and then decreased with further increasing HNO3 concentration to 6 M. Higher content of Cr2O3 in the passive film was responsible for better corrosion property.

Performance evaluation of ultrasonic-assisted dynamic ice melting in ice storage systems: An experimental study

This study presents the construction of an ice storage tank equipped with an internal ice-on-coil system. The cooling performance of the ice storage system is enhanced by utilizing the cavitation phenomenon induced by ultrasonic vibration in water. Active water circulation and spraying within the tank enhance cooling efficiency by promoting uniform temperature distribution. An analysis is conducted on the impact of various operating parameters, such as output powers of 200 W, 400 W, and 584 W, frequencies of 40 kHz, 80 kHz, and 120 kHz, and three different placements of the oscillator, on the cooling performance of ultrasonic-assisted static ice melting, dynamic ice melting, and ultrasonic-assisted dynamic ice melting systems. Ultrasonic-assisted static ice melting refers to ice melting with stationary water, while ultrasonic-assisted dynamic ice melting involves water circulation, enhancing heat transfer. The study examines performance indicators like instantaneous cooling rate, cumulative cooling capacity, average cooling rate, melting time, and heat gain by the system. The findings indicate that higher ultrasonic power levels enhance the average cooling rate and reduce the melting time by approximately 50 % and 32.2 %, respectively. However, the frequency does not have a significant effect on the cooling performance. In addition, the ice storage system had a significant increase in cooling rate of 294.87 % when utilizing the ultrasonic-assisted dynamic ice melting system. Furthermore, the melting time was lowered by 71 % in comparison to the static ice melting method. Of all the parameters, the power parameter has the greatest impact. The impact of the ultrasonic oscillator placement parameter is secondary, while the influence of the frequency parameter on the cooling performance is not significant.

Enhanced Weighted Mobility Induced High Thermoelectric Performance in Argyrodite Ag8SnSe6.

The argyrodite family has emerged as a promising thermoelectric candidate due to its highly diffusive Ag ions and inherent low thermal conductivity. To address issues that commonly arise with hot pressing (HP) sintering, this study proposes to use the zone melting (ZM) method to synthesize high-density polycrystalline bulk Ag8SnSe6 samples. The thermoelectric properties of samples synthesized by the ZM and HP methods were thoroughly evaluated over a temperature range of 300 to 700 K. Due to the weaker scattering of electrons, the ZM-synthesized samples exhibited an ∼60% increase in weighted mobility, compared to those produced by the HP method. Despite the slight increase in thermal conductivity, the specimen synthesized by the ZM method achieves a higher peak zT value of 1.05 at 700 K. The average zT value also improves to 0.71 across the temperature range of 300 to 700 K. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the ZM method in enhancing the thermoelectric performance of Ag8SnSe6, with great potential applicability to other argyrodite compounds.

Development of a High-Resolution Melting Method for the Detection of Clarithromycin-Resistant Helicobacter pylori in the Gastric Microbiome.

Background: The issue of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) resistance to clarithromycin (CLR) has consistently posed challenges for clinical treatment. Hence, a rapid susceptibility testing (AST) method urgently needs to be developed. Methods: In the present study, 35 isolates of H. pylori were isolated from 203 gastritis patients of the Guangzhou cohort, and the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were associated with their genomes to analyze the relevant mutations. Based on these mutations, a rapid detection system utilizing high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis was designed and verified by the Shenzhen cohort, which consisted of 38 H. pylori strains. Results: Genomic analysis identified the mutation of the 2143 allele from A to G (A2143G) of 23S rRNA as the most relevant mutation with CLR resistance (p < 0.01). In the HRM system, the wild-type H. pylori showed a melting temperature (Tm) of 79.28 ± 0.01 °C, while the mutant type exhibited a Tm of 79.96 ± 0.01 °C. These differences enabled a rapid distinction between two types of H. pylori (p < 0.01). Verification examinations showed that this system could detect target DNA as low as 0.005 ng/μL in samples without being affected by other gastric microorganisms. The method also showed a good performance in the Shenzhen validation cohort, with 81.58% accuracy, and 100% specificity. Conclusions: We have developed an HRM system that can accurately and quickly detect CLR resistance in H. pylori. This method can be directly used for the detection of gastric microbiota samples and provides a new benchmark for the simple detection of H. pylori resistance.

Enhanced 3 μm emission in Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped bismuth-fluoride glasses by Gd2O3

In this work, (100-b)(45Bi2O3-40GeO2-15BaF2)-bGd2O3-2Yb2O3-0.5Ho2O3 glass was prepared to use a high-temperature melting method(where b= 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10). The absorption and fluorescence spectra indicate that the optimal Gd2O3 content is 7.5 mol% (BGBG7.5HY), with an Ω2 value of 6.20×10−20 cm2 for the main glass, which is superior to that of BGBG0HY glass. This suggests that the incorporation of Gd2O3 enhances the mid-infrared emission capacity. Raman spectroscopy studies demonstrate that the introduction of Gd₂O₃ results in a substantial influx of oxygen atoms into the glass network, accompanied by a transition of [BiO₆] to [BiO₃] within the glass mesh. This is evidenced by a notable redshift of the characteristic peaks at 509 cm−1 and 677 cm−1 in comparison to BGB glass. The introduction of Gd2O3 also expands the distance between Ho3+/Yb3+ ions, inhibits rare earth ion clusters, improves the Ho3+ luminescence center environment, and thus enhances the 3 μm emission performance of bismuth fluoride glass. The maximum emission cross section is 1.82 × 10−20 cm2 and the maximum gain coefficient is 3.71 cm−1. The results show that the bismuth fluoride glass prepared in this paper is an excellent gain material for mid-infrared fiber lasers.

Self-reducing induced Eu2+/Eu3+ dual-emitting glasses for anti-counterfeiting and optical thermometry

Eu3+/Eu2+ co-doped glasses possess extensive application potential in diverse fields, including light-emitting diodes and sensors, due to their distinctive luminescent characteristics. To date, numerous strategies have been devised to facilitate the coexistence of Eu3+ and Eu2+ in materials. Among them, adjusting the composition of the glass matrix stands out as a straightforward and reproducible approach. Herein, a series of Eu2+/Eu3+ co-doped borosilicate aluminate glasses were successfully synthesized via a high-temperature melting method. By elevating the ratios of B2O3/MgO and Al2O3/BaO in the matrix, a remarkable self-reduction of Eu3+ in ambient air was achieved because of the structural weakness and lower optical basicity for the designed glass matrix. The reduction of Eu3+ is also related to the formation of EuZn• and VΖn′′ defects. Furthermore, by fine-tuning the melting duration and Eu content, we achieved comparable violet and red emission intensities for both Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions. Under UV irradiation with various wavelengths, anti-counterfeiting patterns fabricated from glass powder exhibited precise and pronounced color changes. Notably, the emission intensity ratio of Eu2+/Eu3+ exhibited a consistent decrease as temperature increased, enabling precise temperature determination with exceptional absolute sensitivity (1.22 % K−1) producibility, and discrimination. These findings hold significant implications for the design of Eu3+/Eu2+ co-doped inorganic multifunctional glasses.

Specific Features of the Structure and Fracture of the Inconel 718 Alloy Prepared by the Method of Electron-Beam Melting

Specific Features of the Structure and Fracture of the Inconel 718 Alloy Prepared by the Method of Electron-Beam Melting

EFFECT OF BUILD POSITION ON SURFACE ROUGHNESS OF SLM PRINTED INCONEL 718

The present work investigates the variation of the surface roughness due to the build position of specimens with respect to the inert gas flow direction and re-coater movement direction. Selective laser melting (SLM) method was used to study this effect using Inconel 718 as workpiece material. A total of 21 samples were placed equidistant from each other on the built plate to observe the effect of gas flow and re-coater movement. The effect of these parameters on the printed samples was analyzed in terms of the profile surface roughness parameter such as Ra and Rz in the build direction. The result showed that samples placed near the gas inlet and the re-coater starting position had larger roughness as compared to the samples placed further from the gas inlet and re-coater end position. The result showed that the profile average roughness parameter values varied from Ra = 5.02 µm to 14.7 µm and profile maximum height surface parameter varied from Rz = 47.61 µm to 118.3 µm for all the printed samples. Surface topography of the samples was also studied which showed common printing defects such as cracks, micropores, local solidified melt pools, and dimples. The study opens an avenue to explore and optimize the placement of the printing sample on the build plate with respect to the inlet gas flow and re-coater movement directions for better surface roughness.

Arc Ignition Methods and Combustion Characteristics of Small-Current Arc Faults in High-Voltage Cables

High-voltage cables will continue to operate for a period of time in the event of a small current arc fault, which poses a risk of fire. Two simulated ignition methods, moving electrode and melting fuses, are proposed to analyze the ignition characteristics of low-current arcs. The ignition test was carried out, and the combustion effect was compared. The results indicate that the moving electrode ignition method can achieve long-distance arc ignition test when the current is small and is suitable for simulating the arc ignition situation of cable outer protective layer damage. By controlling the movement speed, it can be ensured that the arc will not be interrupted during the electrode movement process. However, the arc is difficult to sustain using the fuse melting method when the current is small and the distance is long. The fuse melting method is suitable for simulating insulation breakdown situations. The results show that the critical arc duration for cable ignition under five different current conditions of 2–10 A is 28 s, 21 s, 14 s, 9 s, and 4 s, respectively. The maximum height of the cable flame under 2–10 A arc current is 9–52 cm and 16–63 cm, respectively, when the arc duration is 50 s and 100 s. The self-ignition time of the cable after the arc extinguishing is 8–95 s and 14–261 s, respectively. The maximum temperature of the cable flame is positively correlated with arc current, and the maximum flame temperature of the cable under 2–10 A arc current is 540–980 °C. Based on the actual current monitoring data in cable tunnels, the research results can provide reference for the risk assessment and protection of cable tunnel fires.

Effect of ZnO/Li2O ratio on the structure and properties of Li2O-ZnO-SiO2-P2O5 glass-ceramics sealants

In order to meet the sealing temperature of copper alloy below 1000 °C, a kind of Li2O-ZnO-SiO2-P2O5-(B2O3+Al2O3+K2O) (LZS) glass-ceramics with high expansion coefficient and high resistivity was synthesized via the melting method and then crystallized through controlled cooling. The network structure, thermal properties, crystal phase transition, thermal expansion coefficient, and high-temperature resistivity have been investigated. As the mass ratio of ZnO/Li2O increases, the network structure of the LZS glass is strengthened, leading to an increase in the glass transition and crystallization temperature. Moreover, the predominant crystal phases in LZS glass-ceramics transit from Li2SiO3 to Zn[Zn0.1Li0.6Si0.3]SiO4 and subsequently to Zn2SiO4. At a ZnO/Li2O ratio of 3, a cristobalite phase with a high expansion coefficient emerges. The change in crystal phase results in a variation in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of glass-ceramics, ranging from 13.2 to 11.2 × 10−6 K−1. At a ZnO/Li2O ratio of 3, the softening temperature of glass-ceramics is minimized. Moreover, as the ZnO/Li2O mass ratio increases, the resistance of crystallized glass decreases first and then increases. The maximum resistivity is achieved at a ZnO/Li2O mass ratio of 5. By optimizing the mass ratio of ZnO/Li2O, it is determined that when the mass ratio of ZnO/Li2O is 3, the CTE is 12.4 × 10−6 K−1, and the softening temperature (Ts) is 679.8 °C, which is the best material for sealing applications.

Advanced multi-component FeCoCuAlMo intermetallic electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable hydrogen evolution in alkaline freshwater and seawater

Electrolyzing seawater to produce hydrogen is a promising sustainable energy production technology. The current non-precious metal-based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts demonstrate inadequate catalytic activity and poor stability in seawater electrolyte. Therefore, developing stable and efficient non-precious metal-based HER electrocatalysts is a major challenge for achieving sustainable green energy development. This work reports a multi-component intermetallic catalyst FeCoCuAlMo prepared by arc melting and chemical dealloying methods. The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of catalysts with varying atomic ratios (FeCoCu)20(Al70Mo30)80, (FeCoCu)30(Al70Mo30)70, (FeCoCu)40(Al70Mo30)60, and (FeCoCu)50(Al70Mo30)50 in alkaline seawater and alkaline electrolyte was studied. The findings indicate that these catalysts primarily consist of AlMo3 and (Cu0.35Fe0.35Co0.3)Al, among which the dealloyed (FeCoCu)30(Al70Mo30)70 exhibits excellent catalytic activity with overpotentials of 137.54 and 116.91 mV at a current density of 100 mA/cm2 in alkaline seawater and alkaline electrolyte, respectively, outperforming most catalysts. Additionally, it demonstrated long-term stability in alkaline seawater and alkaline electrolyte for 250 and 400 h without significant decay at overpotentials of 236 mV and 276 mV, respectively. This improved performance can be attributed to the unique structure of the multi-component intermetallic compound, which provides good thermodynamic stability and synergistic effects among its constituents, thereby enhancing HER performance. Within this multi-component intermetallic compound, AlMo3 particles serve as the primary conductive medium to accelerate electron transfer, while (Cu0.35Fe0.35Co0.3)Al serves as the main active site, resulting in a stable structure that provides the catalyst with high catalytic activity and good stability. Thus, the (FeCoCu)30(Al70Mo30)70 electrocatalyst is a promising candidate for seawater electrolysis aimed at hydrogen production.

Structure and tunable temperature coefficient of magnetization of Mn4-xGaxC alloys prepared by induction melting method

Abstract The magnetization of most magnetic materials decreases monotonically with increasing temperature. In this work, we found that the temperature coefficient of magnetization of Mn4-x Ga x C alloys can be tuned from negative values to positive values by controlling the composition x. The antiperovskite-type Mn4-x Ga x C (0.05≤x≤0.75) alloys were prepared by using induction melting method, which is more efficient in large-scale production and obtaining full-density alloys in comparison with the traditional solid-state-reaction method. The values of the temperature coefficient of magnetization of Mn4-x Ga x C change continuously from negative to positive with decreasing x. The Mn4-x Ga x C alloys with highly thermal-stable magnetization is expected to present in the composition range of 0.15&lt;x&lt;0.25. The saturation magnetization of Mn4-x Ga x C increases with increasing x, owing to the reduced number of antiferromagnetically coupled Mn atoms at the cubic corner with the face-centered Mn atoms. Most Mn4-x Ga x C alloys with varying x display near-zero remanent magnetization and coercivity at room temperature. The Currie temperature of Mn4-x Ga x C decreases with increasing x. The x-ray photoelectron spectra of Mn 2p, Ga 2p, and C 1 s reveal distinct splitting due to the diverse chemical states of these atoms at different lattice positions and/or phases. Our work has developed a class of alloys capable of offering a desired temperature coefficient of magnetization across a broad temperature range, thereby offering a method to manipulate the thermodynamics of magnetization.

Stacking ensemble learning assisted design of Al-Nb-Ti-V-Zr lightweight high-entropy alloys with high hardness

To improve the accuracy and efficiency of machine learning models in predicting and designing the mechanical properties and designing of lightweight high-entropy alloys, we have trained multi-classification machine learning models using stacking ensemble method. This ensembled model achieves high prediction accuracy of 0.9457 and good anti-overfitting performance. Two candidate high-entropy alloys with high hardness from the predicted results (Al0.38Ti0.36V0.05Zr0.16Nb0.05 and Al0.51Ti0.28V0.04Zr0.16Nb0.01) were selected to prepare bulk samples using arc melting method. The experimentally measured micro Vickers hardness of two samples were 723.7 HV and 691.0 HV respectively, and only slightly lower than the hardness values predicted by the model, with an error of less than 8 %. The phase structure of the samples, which is a mixture of HCP and FCC, also agrees well with the predicted results. This indicates that our machine learning approaches is highly effective in predicting the hardness of high-entropy alloys, with accuracy that has been experimentally verified, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency of designing new lightweight high-hardness high-entropy alloys.

Effect of Er2O3 and Y2O3 on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti2AlNb alloy

Rare earth oxides can significantly refine the microstructure of the cast alloys and improve their mechanical properties. In this study, Er2O3 and Y2O3 particles were chosen to add into the Ti2AlNb-based alloy with vacuum non-consumable arc melting method. For the Er2O3 particles, it has obvious dissolution and re-precipitation characteristics during melting. While for the Y2O3 particles, they are more stable, and aggregated and grew up during melting. These two kinds of Er2O3 or Y2O3 both have obvious refinement effects on the B2 grains due to their heterogeneous nucleation. Specially, adding Er2O3 particles can promote the decomposition of the B2 and α2 phases and the increases of the O-phase content. But adding the Y2O3 particles can inhibits the B2 decomposition and just only promotes the α2 decomposition into the O-phase. Additionally, the TAC-Er2O3 ingot shows the worst mechanical properties at room-temperature due to its large size and grain boundary segregation of the Er2O3 reinforcements. Conversely, the TAC-Y2O3 alloy exhibits excellent strength and ductility whatever at room- and high- temperatures owing to its fine grain strengthening and effective strengthening of the second precipitated Y2O3 phases.

Application of electron beam melting method for recycling of tantalum scrap

Application of electron beam melting method for recycling of tantalum scrap

Hard Copper Boride with Exceptional Conductivity.

Copper and boron seldom engage in reaction at ambient pressure. The few reports on copper-doped boron compounds that exist in the literature often lack definitive stoichiometry. Here, we report successful synthesis of Cu_{2-δ}B_{25} single crystals (δ∼0.03, indicating Cu understoichiometry) via a high-pressure melting method using copper and β-rhombohedral boron as precursors. Crystals thus synthesized are characterized by a tetragonal boron sublattice, within which Cu atoms are either partially or fully situated at different interstices between B_{12} icosahedra. The crystals possess a high Vickers hardness of 26.5GPa and an unusually high electrical conductivity of 1.19×10^{5} S/m-the highest conductivity among the icosahedron-based borides. Hall measurements reveal a notable p-n conduction type transition around 30GPa. This transition, alongside the remarkable conductivity, is potentially modulated by the copper content and its valence states within the structure. The synthesis of Cu_{2-δ}B_{25} not only broadens the spectrum of hard materials but also opens new avenues for innovative modulation of electronic properties in boron-rich compounds, with promising technological implications.

Synthesis and properties research of Dy3+-Eu3+ co-doped BBiBaZ luminescent glass for white LED applications

A series of BBiBaZ luminescent glasses with different concentrations of Dy3+ doping and Dy3+-Eu3+ co-doping was planned by the high-temperature melt method. Their structure, chemical stability, glowing properties, energy transfer, and temperature-dependent emission spectra were also investigated. Under various monitor wavelengths, the visible emitted spectrum of the Dy3+-Eu3+ co-doping luminescent glass was obtained. The presence of Dy3+→Eu3+ energy transfer in the glass was demonstrated by emission spectra and fluorescence decay curve analyses. At the excitation of 384 nm, better white color emitting was noticed in BBiBaZ glass doped with Dy2O3 doping concentration of 0.75 mol% and doped with 0.4 mol% Eu2O3 with a CIE of (0.3306, 0.342), and the glass has an ΔE of 0.221 eV, which suggests that the synthesis glass has the prospective to be applied in white light solid-state lighting. In addition, the Dy3+-Eu3+ co-doped BBiBaZ glass could achieve tunable emission moving from cooling white to heating white to an orange-red light under 390 nm excitation. The adjustable range of the glass’s CCT values has been expanded, allowing for arbitrary tuning between approximately 2004–6380 K, which adapts to different application fields.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of NiAlCrFeMo high entropy superalloy after different annealing treatment

A novel NiAlCrFeMo high entropy superalloy was prepared using the vacuum arc melting method, followed by annealing at 800 °C, 1000 °C, and 1200 °C for 10 h. The microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the alloy after annealing were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Vickers hardness testing, and high-temperature tensile testing. The results indicate that the as-cast alloy consists of dendritic γ+γ′ phases and interdendritic B2-type β phase, with hemispherical α-Cr phases present within the β phase. Compared to the as-cast status, the volume fraction of the β phase in the annealed state increased from 18.52 % to 26.13 %. Notably, at 800 °C/10h, acicular γp’ phases precipitated within the β phase. The alloy exhibited varying degrees of improvement in both strength and ductility after annealing. The specimen annealed at 800 °C/10h showed the highest strength (σYS = 181.06 MPa) and good ductility (εEI = 12.45 %), with strength increasing by approximately 13.10 % compared to the as-cast status. This improvement is attributed to the coarsening of the α-Cr phase, the transformation in γ′ morphology, and the precipitation of acicular γp’ phase. At 1200 °C/10h, all precipitates dissolved into the matrix, resulting in the lowest strength (σYS = 134.08 MPa) and the highest ductility (εEI = 15.54 %).