Optical Micrographs Research Articles

Investigation on characterization and machinability of Al-4032/SiC metal matrix composite

The Aluminium based metal matrix composites (AMCs) are quite popular for their superior mechanical properties, lightweight, and enhanced corrosion resistance. An increase in the reinforcement fraction enhances the mechanical properties of the base alloy but badly disturbs the ductility. The stir casting method has been employed for the fabrication of SiC reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite (MMC). Optical micrographs (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) have been used for analysis of the composite microstructure, surface topography, and fracture behavior. Also, mechanical (tensile strength, micro-hardness, impact strength) characterization of the fabricated AMC has been attempted. The MMC has been machined with various combinations of machining parameters making use of a carbide cutter. The surface roughness (Ra value) has been measured to evaluate the surface quality. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been applied for optimizing the surface finish. The occurrence of hard reinforcement in base Al-alloy makes the MMC difficult to machine. But machining turns relatively easier at high cutting speed and low feed rate, causing improved surface finish. The best surface finish (Ra = 1.145 μm) was achieved at 0.066 feed rate (mm/tooth), 157 cutting speed (m/min), and 0.528 depth of cut (mm).

Tailoring the Properties of Polyurethane Coatings with Epoxidized Bio-Polyol Spin-Coated onto Glass and P-Type Si(100) Substrates

High-performance plastics or engineering polymers have been actively studied for various microelectronic applications as the demand for faster processing speeds increases. Taking advantage of its high Young’s modulus ideal for inter-layer dielectric applications, polyurethane (PU), a class of linearly-segmented polymer primarily made by reacting isocyanate and polyol, were deposited on borosilicate glass and p-type Si (100) substrates via spin coating method utilizing epoxidized soybean oil as a bio-polyol replacement. Optical micrographs showed that 100% ESBO-based PU coatings exhibited homogeneous and superior quality coatings in contrast to 50% ESBO-and 100% petroleum-based PU coatings as confirmed by scanning electron micrographs and EDX analysis. Based on the surface profilometry data, we found out that PU coatings with film thickness ranging from 6 μm to 28.5 μm can be achieved. FTIR-ATR analysis revealed that maintaining the stoichiometric ratio between O–H and N–C–O vibrational modes closer to unity is a vital factor to produce a high-quality PU coating regardless of the choice of substrate. The average bandgap energy of 4.35 ± 0.03 eV was estimated from the UV-vis reflectance spectra, and the electrical resistance of 107–1010 orders of magnitude was measured using a two-probe method which are typical for dielectric materials. Preliminary insights about the dielectric response of the fabricated PU coatings were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a low κ-value of 2.749 was calculated from the Nyquist plot of the 7.9-μm thick 100% ESBO-based PU coating deposited at 6000 rpm for 45 seconds. These promising results proved that PU coatings from bio-polyols can be tailored to achieve desired coating properties that are amenable for next-generation microelectronic packaging and curable photoresists.

Characterization of Piezoelectric Properties of Ag-NPs Doped PVDF Nanocomposite Fibres Membrane Prepared by Near Field Electrospinning.

In this study, Near-field electrospinning (NFES) technique is used with a cylindrical collector to fabricate a large area permanent piezoelectric micro and nanofibers by a prepared solution. NFES requires a small electric field to fabricate fibers Objective: The objective of this paper to investigate silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP)/ Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite as the best piezoelectric material with improved properties to produced tremendously flexible and sensitive piezoelectric material with pertinent conductance Methods: In this paper, we used controllable electrospinning technique based on Near-field electrospinning (NFES). The process parameter for Ag-NP/PVDF composite electrospun fiber based on pure PVDF fiber. A PVDF solution concentration of 18 wt.% and 6 wt.% silver nitrate, which is relative to the weight of PVDF wt.% with 1058 μS conductivity fibers, have been directly written on a rotating cylindrical collector for aligned fiber PVDF/Ag-NP fibers are patterned on fabricated copper (Cu) interdigitated electrodes were implemented on a thin flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used as a package to enhance the durability of the PVDF/ Ag-NP device. A notable effect on the piezoelectric response has been observed after Ag-NP addition, confirmed by XRD characterization and tapping test of Ag-NP/PVDF composite fiber. The morphology of the PVDF/Ag-NP fibers and measure diameter by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Optical micrograph (OM), of fiber. Finally, a diameter of PVDF/Ag-NP fibers up to ~7 μm. The high diffraction peak at 2θ = 20.5˚ was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the piezoelectric crystal β-phase structure. Further addition of silver nanoparticles (Ag- NPs) in the PVDF solution resulted in enhancing the electromechanical conversion of the fibers from ~0.1 V to ~1 V. In conclusion, we can say that confirmed and validated the addition of Ag-NP in PVDF could enhance the piezoelectric property by using NFES technique with improved crystalline phase content can be useful for a wide range of power and sensing applications like biomedical devices and energy harvesting, among others.

The Influence of Arc Welding Process on the Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of Low Carbon Steel in a Corrosive Environment

AbstractThe study is fundamentally geared toward the investigation of the influence of Manual Metal Arc (MMA) welding on the mechanical and microstructural properties of low carbon steel immersed in a 0.5 M nitric acid environment having a pH of 0.3. The corrosion and mechanical behavior of the substrates are investigated prior to and after 336 h of immersion in the test environment. The outcome of the experiment shows that the structural integrity of the immersed substrates is affected due to corrosion in the test environment. Prior to immersion, the bending resistance is seen to decrease at the welded joints relative to the blank sample and then decrease further after immersion in the test solution respectively as 3.95, 3.53, and 4.21KN. Similarly, the tensile strength of the immersed substrate decreases as compared to the unexposed and blank samples; exposed to test environment (30.60%), welded unexposed to test environment (33.25%) and for the control sample (36.33%). Furthermore, the hardness value is observed to be higher at the heat‐affected zone (HAZ) of the test substrate than at the weldment and parent metal, respectively, as 11.3, 17.7, and 15.7HV. Optical micrographs prior to and after immersion have evidently revealed that heat input during welding has caused recrystallization leading to coarser grains at the HAZ.

Bicomponent regenerated cellulose fibres: retaining the colour from waste cotton textiles

Bicomponent regenerated cellulose fibres (bRCF) have been created in a core–shell configuration from waste textiles. Textile dyeing and colouration is known to be a major contributor to the environmental impact of producing textiles and this needs to be addressed for textiles to become more sustainable. Coloration of the bRCF here was achieved by utilizing coloured textile waste in the shell component whilst using white cotton waste in the core. The shell and core extrusion speed and thus shell and core diameter were varied and optimised for colour strength. The optimised bRCF was made up of 49.6% dyed material yet was able to achieve the same colour strength as the single component regenerated cellulose fibre (RCF). The potential benefit of this approach is the reduced amount of coloured material required to colour these recycled fibres without any sacrifice in colour intensity. The mechanical properties of the bRCF were similar to the single component RCF with tensile strengths of 115–116 MPa and maximum elongations of 15.2–17.5%. The morphology of the bRCF was similar to single component regenerated cellulose fibres, while optical micrographs showed the discrete coloured core–shell structure of the bRCF. This manuscript details the fibre properties, dye savings and spinning approach.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Composites Obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering of Ti3SiC2-15 vol.%Cu Mixtures.

Method of soft metal (Cu) strengthening of Ti3SiC2 was conducted to increase the hardness and improve the wear resistance of Ti3SiC2. Ti3SiC2/Cu composites containing 15 vol.% Cu were fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in a vacuum. The effect of the sintering temperature on the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated in detail. The as-synthesized composites were thoroughly characterized by scanning electron micrography (SEM), optical micrography (OM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. The results indicated that the constituent of the Ti3SiC2/Cu composites sintered at different temperatures included Ti3SiC2, Cu3Si and TiC. The formation of Cu3Si and TiC originated from the reaction between Ti3SiC2 and Cu, which was induced by the presence of Cu and the de-intercalation of Si atoms Ti3SiC2. OM analysis showed that with the increase in the sintering temperature, the reaction between Ti3SiC2 and Cu was severe, leading to the Ti3SiC2 getting smaller and smaller. SEM measurements illustrated that the uniformity of the microstructure distribution of the composites was restricted by the agglomeration of Cu, controlling the mechanical behaviors of the composites. At 1000 °C, the distribution of Cu in the composites was relatively even; thus, the composites exhibited the highest density, relatively high hardness and compressive strength. The relationships of the temperature, the current and the axial dimension with the time during the sintering process were further discussed. Additionally, a schematic illustration was proposed to explain the related sintering characteristic of the composites sintered by SPS. The as-synthesized Ti3SiC2/Cu composites were expected to improve the wear resistance of polycrystalline Ti3SiC2.

Injection Molding Simulation of Polyoxymethylene Using Crystallization Kinetics Data and Comparison with the Experimental Process

It is well known that the processing conditions in polymer processing have a high impact on the resulting material morphology and consequently the component’s mechanical behavior. However, especially for semicrystalline polymers, the tools available for predicting the final morphology of injection molding parts still have significant limitations. In order to investigate the potential of injection molding simulation for the prediction of the morphology, POM homopolymer specimens were injection molded. The crystallization kinetics data were measured, and simulations in 3D and 2.5D with and without crystallization analysis were conducted in Autodesk Moldflow. The simulations are found to be good accordance with the experiments. Predicted spherulite size and crystalline orientation factor reveal a good qualitative correlation with optical micrographs. Also, the evolution of these parameters along the flow path is plausible. The simulation is found to be a powerful tool for morphology prediction in polymeric parts. Its applicability, however, is still limited to 2.5D models in Autodesk Moldflow, which, of course, is insufficient for complex, thick-walled 3-dimensional parts.

Can Metals Other than Au be Used for Large Area Exfoliation of MoS2 Monolayers?

AbstractAu‐mediated exfoliation of 2D transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has received significant attention due to its ability to produce large‐area monolayer (ML) flakes. This process has been attributed to strong TMD/Au binding energy (BE) as well as the uniform strain between the TMDs and Au. However, large‐area exfoliation of TMDs with other metals that have even stronger theoretical BE than Au/TMD is not successful, leading to question whether the BE plays any role in the exfoliation process. Here, successful demonstration of large‐area ML MoS2 using Cu, Ni, and Ag with various predicted strain, including Pd with almost no strain, but stronger BE than Au/MoS2 is demonstrated. Optical micrographs show MoS2 flakes with 100s of µm in size with a yield of several tens to hundreds of ML flakes per exfoliation. Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy confirm the ML nature of the flakes, while electrical transport measurements show mobilities of ≈6 cm2 V−1 s−1 with a current on‐off ratio ≈108 consistent with high‐quality ML MoS2. Given that MoS2 can be exfoliated with metals that have strong BE irrespective of their strain values suggests that BE is the primary mechanism in successful exfoliation of large‐area ML MoS2.

Synthesis of Microstructure and Tribological Properties of AMMCs Fabricated by Two Different Powder Metallurgy Routes

In this investigation tribological properties of Aluminium-Alumina metal matrix composites (AMMCs) are developed through developing microstructure and improving physical properties by controlling process parameters of two different powder metallurgy routes. In one route; 5, 10 and 15 weight percent Alumina (Al2O3) powder was manually blended with pure Aluminium (Al) and compacted at 10 ton/inch2 uniform pressure followed by sintering at 400°C, 500°C and 600°C for 30 minutes. Alternately, commercially pure Al powder was oxidized at 500°C, 600°C, 700°C and 800°C for 15, 30 and 45 minutes individually followed by same powder metallurgy process as applied in the first route of AMMCs fabrication like blending, compacting and sintering. Optical micrographs of fabricated AMMCs were taken and corelated with the apparent porosity of fabricated AMMCs as well as with different process parameters and variables like sintering and oxidation temperatures, oxidation duration, and wt. % of Alumina. Tribological properties of all AMMCs were also measured and corelated with the process parameters and variables as well as with the observed microstructure and measured apparent porosity. It is observed that finer grain structures are developed by increasing sintering and oxidation temperatures, and oxidation duration. It is also observed that wear resistance of AMMCs is enhanced by increasing sintering and oxidation temperatures, oxidation duration, and wt. % of Alumina individually; whereas, more enhancement is observed in case of second route of AMMCs fabrication. Therefore, the uniqueness of this investigation is to improve the wear resistance of pure Aluminium by fabricating AMMCs through simply heating pure Al powder at different temperatures followed by powder metallurgy process instead of adding reinforcement material (Alumina powder).

Influence of Line Processing Parameters on Properties of Carbon Fibre Epoxy Towpreg

This paper explores the performance of low-cost unidirectional carbon fibre towpregs with respect to line production speed and fibre volume fraction. Using an automated production line, towpregs were produced at different production speeds, resulting in modified fibre volume fractions. The towpregs were used to manufacture unidirectional composite plates, which were then tested to evaluate mechanical performance. The fibre straightness and interfacial void ratio of the composite plates were determined by statistical analysis of the samples’ optical micrographs. The results demonstrate that adjusting the line production speed enables targeted fibre volume fractions (FVF) to be reached, resulting in the composites having different mechanical performances (2039 MPa and 2186.7 MPa tensile strength, 1.26 and 1.21 GPa flexural strength for 59.8% and 64.4% FVF, respectively). It was shown that at lower production speeds and FVF, composites exhibit good consolidation and low porosity, which is highlighted by the better interlaminar shear strength performances (8.95% increase), indicating the limitations of manufacturing very high FVF composites. Furthermore, it was concluded that fibre straightness plays a key role in mechanical performance, as samples with a lesser degree of fibre straightness showed a divergence from theoretical tensile properties.

Exploration of the static softening behavior and dislocation density evolution of TA15 titanium alloy during double-pass hot compression deformation

The static softening behavior and dislocation density evolution of TA15 titanium alloy during double-pass hot deformation were investigated under the deformation temperatures (910 °C–970 °C) and holding time (0s–2200s). The microstructure evolution of primary α phase was observed by optical micrograph (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The evolution of dislocation density was investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and W–H model. The results showed that the globularization behavior of primary α phase is emerged during the inter-pass of double-pass hot deformation. The globularization process is promoted by the extension of the inter-pass holding time and the increase of the deformation temperature. The groove of primary α phase is preferentially generated when the inter-pass holding time within 1000s. Subsequently, that groove of primary α phase is separated and then those α phases are dissolved when the holding time over 1000s, leading to the fraction of α phase reduction. Compared with deformation temperature of 910 °C and 940 °C, all of the primary α phases are completely separated after 1000s of the inter-pass holding time under 970 °C. Additionally, through the analysis of various crystal surface of α phase, the dislocation density in the inter-pass gradually decreases with the holding time and deformation temperature increasing.

Microstructure and texture of a novel hot-stamped high-density Ni-Co-W alloy

Ni-Co-W alloy is expected to be a potential material for applications in national defense, military industry and petroleum exploration. Texture has a significant influence on alloy properties. In the present work, a 44Ni-37W-19Co alloy was prepared by vacuum melting and annealed at 1200 °C for 1h after forging, baring and hot stamping. The microstructure and texture at different positions were analyzed by optical micrographs (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) technique. The alloy presents equiaxial grains with an average size of ~90 μm and a nearly random texture. All the average pole intensity levels at surface, sub-surface and center are ~2. The anisotropy degree along the circumferential direction is less than that along the normal direction. The maximum and minimum differences of the radial pole intensity are 0.44 and 0.04, respectively. It is expected that this work will contribute to the controllable effects of microstructure and texture to improve the properties of hot-stamped high-density Ni-Co-W alloys.

Energy absorption in carbon fiber honeycomb structures manufactured using a liquid thermoplastic resin

In this study, carbon fiber/thermoplastic (Elium®) honeycombs were manufactured using the resin infusion process in a customized metallic mold. Honeycomb cores, based on different carbon fiber layers, were manufactured to achieve four different fiber weight fraction composites. Two different types of specimens, based on a single honeycomb cell and five honeycomb cells, were prepared and subjected to compression loading. The results of these tests were compared with data from similar honeycomb structures based on carbon fiber–reinforced epoxy composite. It has been shown that the compressive strength and the specific energy absorption capacity of the honeycombs increase rapidly with increasing fiber weight fraction. The specific energy absorption capability of the novel thermoplastic honeycomb structures has been shown to be as high as 50 kJ/kg which compares favorably with other energy-absorbing core materials. The thermoplastic honeycomb specimens exhibited a similar specific energy absorption capability and an improved compressive strength compared to their epoxy counterparts. Furthermore, the CF/thermoplastic honeycombs exhibited enhanced structural stability and displayed a more uniform and progressive core failure mode than the longitudinal splitting observed in the CF/epoxy honeycombs. The honeycomb core that exhibited the best performance was then used to manufacture thermoplastic sandwich specimens based on CF/thermoplastic face sheets. Three point bend tests were conducted to determine the flexural strength of the sandwich samples and to identify the failure modes. Optical micrographs revealed that the flexural damage was primarily due to the core crushing and adhesive failure between the core and the composite skins.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Mg Alloy Fabricated by Double-Wire CMT Arc Additive Manufacturing

The high cracking sensitivity of Al-Cu-Mg alloy limits its application in wire + arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). In this paper, a double-wire cold metal transfer (CMT) arc additive manufacturing system was applied. ER2319 and ER5183 wires were selected as feedstocks and a new type of high-strength, crack-free Al-Cu-Mg alloy was manufactured. T6 (solution and artificial aging) heat treatment was conducted to further improve the mechanical properties. The microstructure, the second phase, distribution of main alloy elements and fracture morphology of Al-Cu-Mg alloys in both as-deposited and T6 heat-treated conditions were analyzed by optical micrographs (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The micro-hardness and tensile properties of WAAM Al-Cu-Mg alloy in both as-deposited and T6 heat-treated conditions were tested. The results demonstrated that the microstructure of the as-deposited Al-Cu-Mg alloy was composed of short rod-shaped columnar grains, equiaxed grains in the inter-layer region, and coarsen equiaxed grains in the inner-layer region; most of the second phases were continuously distributed along the grain boundaries. After the T6 heat treatment, α(Al) grains became coarsened, most of second phases were dissolved, and the Cu and Mg elements were distributed homogeneously in the aluminum matrix. The micro-hardness and strength were significantly improved but the elongation was reduced.

Adhesive wear behavior of gas tungsten arc welded FeB-FeMo-C coatings

Abstract In this article, a gas tungsten arc welding is used as a high energy density beam to form a surface over 0.15% carbon steel with FeB, FeMo, and graphite powders. The microstructure, microhardness, and dry-sliding wear behavior of the composite coating were investigated using optical micrography, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Microstructural investigations reveal that FeB-reinforced coating exhibited a homogeneous microstructure that consists of dendrites and eutectic. A lot of types of carbide and borides were formed. MoB4, Fe2MoC, B8C, Mo2BC, MoB, Fe3Mo, Fe3B, B25C, Fe7C3, FeB, Mo2B5, and MoC were seen in coated surfaces. Graphite iron boride coatings obtained by the gas tungsten arc welding process improved the wear resistance of carbon steel.

Microstructural examination of carbonated 3D-printed concrete.

The recent interest in 3D printing with concrete has generated great interest on how inhomogeneities arise and affect performance parameters, in particular strength and durability. With respect to durability, of particular interest is how 3D‐printed layer interfaces can impact transport of species of interest, such as moisture, chlorides or carbon dioxide in carbonation processes. This is of particular interest considering that the primary use case of 3D‐printed concrete has been as a lost formwork for a cast structural concrete, and thus it is of interest to determine the carbonation resistance. This study consists of a preliminary look at the microstructure after accelerated carbonation of a 3D‐printed concrete used as a lost formwork. Preferential carbonation is observed in the layer interfaces compared to the bulk of the printed filaments, possibly related to porosity from air voids or a locally high capillary porosity corresponding to the lubrication layer.

Micro-deformation and fracture evolution of in-situ coal affected by temperature, confining pressure, and differential stress

The actual micro-deformation and fracture-evolution of in-situ coal seam are investigated in this paper through simulation experiment from three aspects: temperature, confining pressure, and differential stress. Firstly, the heatable triaxial-compressor is employed to reconstruct the evolutionary process of the coal seam. Then, the CT slices of the compressed samples in 3D, matching with the optical micrographs, are applied to analyze the coal micro-deformation. The effect of each factor on coal fracture evolution is discussed through CT models from the three-axis direction. Finally, this paper proposes the brittle & ductile deformation law of coal and the evolutionary pattern of tectonically deformed coals in the shallow crust. The main results are presented as follows: (1) The three factors have an individual mechanism on coal micro-deformation. Brittle deformation is independent of temperature and closely related to differential stress. Ductile deformation is divided into low-temperature and high-temperature. (2) Most fractures extend along the orientation similar to differential stress and always develop densely in the stress-concentrated region. These three factors in different stages have various effects on coal fracture evolution. (3) At low temperature, the evolutionary order of tectonically deformed coals is cataclastic-, schistose-, mortar-, granulitic-, scaly-, wrinkle-, and mylonitic coal; Ductile deformed coal evolves from parts of brittle deformed coal. These conclusions are helpful to understand the process of micro-deformation and fracture-evolution of in-situ coal.

Investigating the Effects of Tobacco Lignin on Polypropylene.

The utilization of eco-friendly materials, such as lignin, for higher value product applications became increasingly important as environmental concerns due to global warming increased. Melt blending is one of the easy ways to increase the usage of lignin in commercial applications. However, the degradation of the final product performance and increase in the production time and costs are of major concern. In the current work, the effects of blending lignin, extracted from tobacco plants, with polypropylene (PP) on the injection molding parameters, physical, thermal and mechanical properties are investigated. Blends of lignin (5, 15 and 30% by wt.) with PP were prepared using a Filabot single screw extruder. Results show that tensile strength decreases by 3.2%, 9.9% and 5.4% at 5 wt. %, 15 wt. %, and 30 wt. % of lignin addition, respectively. The tensile stiffness was almost unaffected by the addition of up to 15% lignin, but a 23% increase was observed at 30 wt. % loading. When compared to lignin processed via expensive processes, such as acetylation, tobacco lignin showed superior performance. The DSC results show unaffected crystallization and melting temperatures but a decrease in enthalpies and percentage of crystallinity. The SEM and optical micrographs of the coupon cross-sections show that the extrusion process has achieved a uniform distribution of lignin particles in the PP. Thermogravimetric analysis results show that tobacco lignin accelerates the onset decomposition temperature but does not influence the decomposition peak temperature. The increase in lignin content did not have a significant influence on the injection molding parameters, implying no additional processing costs for adding lignin to the PP. Overall, the performance of the tobacco lignin is comparable, if not better, than that of processed lignin reported in the literature.

Effects of high gravity on dissolution of solid modifiers in molten slag

High-gravity technology was applied to the dissolution process between molten slag and solid modifiers to accelerate the modification of hot slag. In this study, MgO and SiO2 rods were chosen as typical modifiers, and the effects of high-gravity (G = 800) and normal-gravity (G = 1) fields on the dissolution process between molten slag and solid modifiers were researched. The effects of high-gravity forces on the penetration depth and boundary layer of the dissolution process of the rod in molten slag were investigated using optical micrographs, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. Under high gravity conditions, the penetration depth of the slag melt into the solid rod was larger because the melt could enter deeper and smaller cracks and gaps, which increased the contact area and accelerated the dissolution process. The penetration depth increased from 0.1 mm to 1.07 mm in the MgO rod system and from 0.55 mm to 1.99 mm in the SiO2 rod system. Moreover, the boundary layer of ions between the solid rod and slag melt became thinner, which promoted the diffusion of ions; the boundary layer thicknesses were reduced from 1.91 μm to 0.45 μm in the MgO rod system and from 96.88 μm to 51.63 μm in the SiO2 rod system. In addition, high centrifugal forces could remove pores by pushing air bubbles from inner liquid–solid interfaces to the surface of the molten slag. The elimination of bubbles at the interfaces favored the penetration and dissolution processes. This study provides a rapid and effective new modification method to reduce the energy loss of molten slag and increase the output of modified slag.

Synthesis and characterization of Zn doped AlSb thin films for photovoltaic and energy applications

Abstract Thin films of zinc doped aluminum antimonide (Zn:AlSb) have been dumped on glass substrate using chemical bath deposition method. The morphological, structural, as well as optical properties of deposited thin films are investigated using XRD, optical microscopy, and UV-V is spectroscopy along with four-point probe technique. The XRD results exhibit that Zn is doped in AlSb and maximum grain size has been obtained at 4% Zn-concentration. Optical micrographs of pure and zinc doped aluminum antimonide (AlSb) at different concentrations of Zn have been shown to confirm the doping by observing changes in morphology and it has been observed that optimized films of AlSb are obtained at 4% of Zn-content. The optical bandgap of Zn doped AlSb films at varying concentrations of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% has been found to decrease with enhancement in Zn-concentration and values are measured as 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.4, and 1.3 eV respectively. The sheet resistivity also depends on Zn-content and has been observed to decrease as AlSb is doped with Zn, indicating an increase in electrical conductivity. The explored results indicate a significant potential of these deposited thin films to be used in photonics, photocatalysis, and energy industry.