Slurry Type Research Articles

Fabrication of fluorine doped graphene and SmVO4 based dispersed and adsorptive photocatalyst for abatement of phenolic compounds from water and bacterial disinfection

During heterogeneous photocatalysis, high dispersion of photocatalyst is vital for efficiency of slurry type photoreactors. In this work, we have prepared fluorine doped graphene (FG24) as a highly dispersible adsorbent by sonochemical exfoliation method. Moreover, SmVO4 (SV) nanoparticles were immobilized onto the surface of FG24 to prepare SV/FG24 photocatalyst, using post synthesis method. The zeta potential and Tyndall effect experiments confirmed the formation of highly dispersed SV/FG24 photocatalyst. The thickness of both FG24 and SV/FG24 was less than 2.0 nm. The band gap of SV/FG24 was 2.28 eV. The high surface area of SV/FG24 was suitable for adsorptive removal of phenol and 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP). The simultaneous process of adsorption and photocatalysis was the most effective for the degradation of selected phenolic compounds. Both phenol and DNP were mineralized in 10 h under visible light. The intermediates formation during the degradation process was proved by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. The photocatalytic activity of SV/FG24 was also tested for photocatalytic bacterial disinfection of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus enterica bacteria. The selected bacteria were deactivated using SV/FG24 in 3 h under visible light. Both OH˙ and O2˙¯ radicals played an important role during both degradation and disinfection process. Due to significant recyclability, SV/FG24 could be used as cost-effective photocatalyst for wastewater treatment. Unlike conventional slurry photo-reactors, no magnetic stirring was used during photocatalytic degradation reactions. We have successfully fabricated high-dispersed photocatalyst which remained dispersed for 10 h and effectively used for photocatalytic water purification process.

Characterization, stabilization, and study of mechanism of coal-water slurry using Sapindous Mukorossi as an additive

ABSTRACTThe present study describes the rheological behavior of three types of coal-water slurry in the presence of a dispersant saponin isolated from the fruit of Sapindous Mukorossi. The critical micelle concentrations of the saponin wereas 0.016 and 0.007 g/cc through aqueous extraction and chemical extraction processes, respectively. The rheological characteristics of slurry were measured in the function of coal loadings, pH, saponin concentration, and temperature. The zeta potential of the slurry without additive was found to be 120 mV which exhibited a decreasing trend with the adoption of additives. The static stability of the slurry could be maintained up to a maximum period of 30 days.

Effect of interaction of particles with different sizes on particle kinetics in multi-sized slurry transport by pipeline

Three types of slurries (two single-sized glass-bead slurries 0.44 mm and 0.125 mm in diameter and a multi-sized mixture containing the two sizes in equal fraction by mass) transported by a 54.9-mm-diameter horizontal pipe are modeled using a steady three-dimensional hydrodynamic multiphase model based on the kinetic theory of granular flow. The effect of interaction of particles with different sizes on particle kinetics—such as particle concentration distribution, velocity distribution, granular pressure distribution, wall shear stress distribution, flow regime, and their change trends—are investigated for particles of different sizes for varying efflux solid concentration and flow conditions in a multi-sized slurry by comparing it with those in single-sized slurries under the same conditions. The results reveal the different transport properties and regularly changing trend of equal-sized particles in multi-sized and single-sized slurries under the same conditions with varying solid concentrations and flow velocities. Additionally, a lubrication layer forms from fine particles near the bottom of a multi-sized slurry, which is a key factor affecting the performance of coarse particles especially at low flow velocity, and changes the coarse particles' flow regime from saltation to a sliding bed, thereby reducing the collision energy consumption and pressure drop. The solid-concentration distribution in the simulation results agrees with published experimental data.

Novel Organic Cathode for Li Based Battery Using Pillar[5]Quinone/Carbon/AgNWs

Rechargeable lithium based batteries have been widely used for portable devices such as cellular phone and laptop computer. Those electronics are more and more being multi-functionalized, and the energy storage devices for them are required much higher energy density. The energy storage system loading high energy density will also dominate the market of large scale power systems, in the rapid development of electric vehicles. Therefore, lithium ion battery with high specific capacity became an essential factor. Although the battery can offer a high gravimetric capacity of 3862 mAh g-1 by using lithium metal as the anode part, most of cathode materials which are represented as lithium (cobalt, nickel, manganese, aluminum) oxide are mainly restricted in capacity. Thus, the cathode is the most important aspect to offer the high capacity. Commonly used inorganic lithium metal oxide materials as the cathode part have drawbacks such as their low theoretical specific capacities (<170 mAh g-1), structure stability and their unstable trend of price. Also, the cathodic active materials have a disadvantage in that a high-temperature required for manufacturing process and the side reaction is not environmentally friendly. To overcome the disadvantages, the organic compounds have recently been considered as promising candidates for the next generation of energy storage systems. They have many obvious merit compared to the inorganic materials in high theoretical capacity (>400 mAh g−1), safety, sustainability, environmental friendliness and low cost. In addition, they are electroactive toward lithium metal as well as practically any metals like magnesium, zinc, aluminum owing to their redox electron reactions. Especially, Pillar[5]quinone (P5Q), containing five quinone units linked by methylene bridges at para positions, can not only implement a high theoretical capacity of 446 mAh g−1 but also realize so effective for the use of the active sites that it is able to favorable to Li ion uptake. However, those kinds of organic materials with small molecular weight have two critical problems. First, they are easy to dissolve in aprotic electrolyte such as carbonate-based solvent, leading to poor cyclability and rapid capacity fading. Second is that the low conductivity of organic molecules limits their rate performance. In the effort of solve the problems, we fabricated the cathode using the P5Q enveloped in carbon (e.g. MWCNTs and CMK-3) and silver nanowires (AgNWs) with simple vacuum filtration method. At first, P5Q was obtained after synthesizing 1,4-dimethoxypillar[5]arene and the products obtained by each step were identified by using 1H, 13C NMR and FT-IR spectra. Carbon and AgNWs act as a framework, allowing to trap the active material. Furthermore, they perform a current collector, providing the conductive pathway of electrons for fast charging/discharging the battery. It doesn’t need binders and aluminum foil which is components of traditional slurry type of cathode. As the result, not only constrains the solubility in organic electrolyte, preparing the electrode synthesized with P5Q/carbon/AgNWs nanocomposite gives the enhanced conductivity. The content of each components was verified by Thermogravimetry Analysis(TGA). Suggested cathode has super-lightweight and an extremely low resistance of 2~3 ohm cm. Also, it demonstrates a specific discharge capacity of about 420 mAh g−1 at 0.1C. and an average operation voltage of 2.8 V when applying Li metal battery. For obtaining a high specific initial capacity, ether-based solvents (1,3-dioxolane/dimethoxyethane=1:1) containing high concentration Li salt (Bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt) were used instead of carbonate-based electrolytes, achieving the reversible cycles. Moreover, the electrolyte was optimized by adding LiNO3 additive, preventing the formation of a protective layer on the surface of Li anode as well as the dissolution of active material (P5Q) in the electrolyte with high Li salt concentration. Likewise, the proposed battery concept reveals a high possibility of future battery and novelty by optimizing the electrolyte and modifying the cathode. Those methods can be applied at other organic cathode for Li based battery to reach their theoretical capacity and improve the cycle performance.

Performance evaluation of cement concrete containing sandstone slurry

Durability is one of the primary concern in new buildings and also for the old existing infrastructures. This paper deals with the durability properties of concrete containing sandstone slurry as a filler material. A significant quantity of sandstone slurry gets deposited, and their disposal problem becomes acuter. In order to utilize these wastes and to practice a sustainable construction, the ultimate solution is to use these types of sandstone slurry in concrete.Since durability plays an enormous role in maintaining the infrastructure for years, various tests such as compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, sulfate attack, acid attack, carbonation, DIN-Permeability, sorptivity are done to get the durability of the sandstone slurry mix in concrete.This paper presents the result of experimental research to examine the suitability of sandstone slurry as a partial replacement of total aggregates in cement concrete. It was observed that up to a certain level of substitution, compressive and flexural strength show a comparable result to that of control concrete. Also, it shows a good result with a controlled replacement towards acid-attack as well as sulfate attack and are equivalent to that of Portland cement concrete. Similar effect were also observed towards carbonation and permeability. From the results, it can be said that there is a promising future for the use of sandstone slurry as a partial replacement of total aggregate, which can lead to more significant environmental and sustainable benefits.

Developing a method of fabricating microchannels using plant root structure

Complicated three-dimensional (3D) microchannels are expected to be applied to a lab-on-a-chip, especially an organ-on-a-chip. There are fine microchannel networks such as blood vessels in a living organ. However, it is difficult to recreate the complicated 3D microchannels of real living structures. Plant roots have a similar structure to blood vessels. They spread radially and three-dimensionally, and become thinner as they branch. In this research, we propose a method of fabricating microchannels using a live plant root as a template to mimic a blood vessel structure. We grew a plant in ceramic slurry instead of soil. The slurry consists of ceramic powder, binder and water, so it plays a similar role to soil consisting of fine particles in water. After growing the plant, the roots inside the slurry were burned and a sintered ceramic body with channel structures was obtained by heating. We used two types of slurry with different composition ratios, and compared the internal channel structures before and after sintering.

Rheological characterisation of concentrated domestic slurry

The much over-looked element in new sanitation, the transport systems which bridge the source and treatment facilities, is the focus of this study. The knowledge of rheological properties of concentrated domestic slurry is essential for the design of the waste collection and transport systems. To investigate these properties, samples were collected from a pilot sanitation system in the Netherlands. Two types of slurries were examined: black water (consisting of human faecal waste, urine, and flushed water from vacuum toilets) and black water with ground kitchen waste. Rheograms of these slurries were obtained using a narrow gap rotating rheometer and modelled using a Herschel-Bulkley model. The effect of concentration on the slurry are described through the changes in the parameters of the Herschel-Bulkley model. A detailed method is proposed on estimating the parameters for the rheological models. For the black water, yield stress and consistency index follow an increasing power law with the concentration and the behaviour index follows a decreasing power law. The influence of temperature on the viscosity of the slurry is described using an Arrhenius type relation. The viscosity of black water decreases with temperature. As for the black water mixed with ground kitchen waste, it is found that the viscosity increases with concentration and decreases with temperature. The viscosity of black-water with ground kitchen waste is found to be higher than that of black water, which can be attributed to the presence of larger particles in the slurry.

Effect on Structure and Properties of Cement-Based Materials by Polymer-Modified Metakaolin Slurry

It is not easy to disperse metakaolin in the cement concrete uniformly. The reunite phenomenon caused by lamellar structure and fine particles can reduce the properties of concrete. The fluidity of mortar were studied by recombining polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium methyl-dinaphthalene sulfonate (NNO) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) with the metakaolin slurry, and then the internal structural properties of the different cement-based materials were analysed. The experimental results showed that when the ratio of MK and H2O was 35 : 65, the metakaolin slurry could reduce the adverse effect of metakaolin on the fluidity of mortar to a certain extent. The slurry prepared by P1N2H2, P2N1H2 and P2N1H1 composite dispersant dispersed more uniformly in the mortar than other groups. The hydration caused by these types of slurry during cement formation consumed Ca(OH)2 crystals sufficiently, which led to generating more dense C-S-H gel structure in the final cement-based materials.

Numerical simulation of slurry fracturing during shield tunnelling

The slurry type shield method is an important tunnelling method, especially for underwater tunnels in soft soil. If the slurry pressure is too high, it may lead to slurry fracturing of the stratum in front of the excavation face and cause water inrush accidents. Controlling the face stability of shallow shield tunnels is difficult owing to the inadequate understanding of the slurry induced fracturing mechanism. Most importantly, understanding the details of the slurry fracturing propagation process is not enough, as the process is especially complicated. However, the propagation process cannot be directly observed in the field or in small-scale laboratory tests because it occurs in bodies of soil. Thus far, an effective approach to investigate the slurry fracturing mechanism in the surrounding stratum of a slurry shield tunnel has not been reported. In this paper, a numerical simulation method for evaluating tunnelling-induced slurry fracturing is presented. The developed numerical model considered the couplings of stress distribution, fluid flows, and fracturing. The fracture initiation, branching, and propagation in the stratum could be reproduced numerically. A series of simulations for different ratios of cover depth to tunnel diameter were carried out to investigate the propagation process of slurry fracturing. The effects of slurry pressure at the tunnelling face and the cover depth above the tunnel were investigated. The results of the fracturing process induced by slurry, such as the fracture propagation velocity, slurry pressure distribution along the fracture, fracture initiation pressure, fracture extending pressure, and stratum deformations, were analyzed.

Insights into the Tribological and Kinetic Attributes of Retaining Rings in Chemical Mechanical Planarization

We have successfully applied the Stribeck+ curve to determine the tribological mechanism involved in the ring-slurry-pad interface during CMP at various pressures and velocities. Using two types of slurries (one for copper and another for inter-layer dielectric polishing) and two differently designed rings made of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), one with sharp slots and the other with rounded slots. We find “boundary lubrication” as the initial dominant lubrication mechanism followed by a transition to “mixed lubrication” as pseudo-Sommerfeld numbers increase. Coefficient of friction (COF) values for the ring with sharp slots are larger than their rounded counterparts. COF values are also higher for inter-layer dielectric (ILD) processes as compared to copper. In all cases, COF values are directly correlated with average pad surface temperature. The trend in Stribeck+ curves are explained by plotting a new parameter, referred to as directivity, which shows the cluster shape evolution to be a real phenomenon (and not an optical illusion due to the log-log nature of the curve, nor the inherent dependence of the two axes on one another) caused by force fluctuations at the extreme ranges of velocity and pressure. Raw data from the Stribeck+ curves are used to construct a new “kinetic” plot to help infer the relative wear rate of the ring thus allowing one to choose process parameters that balance it against wafer removal rate. Validation studies involving extended wear of eight differently formulated retaining rings show a correlation between wear rate and the “inferred” wear rate which renders credibility to our approach regarding the above-mentioned “kinetic” plots.

Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation on the Metal Ion Removal of Water Treatment Filter Made of Nanocellulose

This study examined the effect of electron beam irradiation on the performance of metal ion absorbing filters made of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The many types of CNFs were made by electron beam irradiation, carboxymethylation, and micro-grinding. The filters consisted of two layers, which is because the two layers had different roles: The top layer supported the strength of the CNF filter, and the bottom layer adsorbed the metal ions. The CNF filter was produced by vacuum filtration and the use of two types of CNF slurries. In addition, the capacity to remove Fe ions from water was analyzed by carrying out high-pressure filtration experiments with a 1,000 ppm concentration of the Fe standard solution, using the same methods as the previous study. The electron beam irradiation increased the negative charge of carboxymethylated CNFs and improved the burst strength of CNF pads. These positive effects improved CNF filters’ capacity to adsorb Fe ions.

Solar photocatalytic decolorization of synthetic dye solution using pilot scale slurry type falling film reactor

Ag deposited TiO2 was prepared by simple chemical reduction method and its photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated for the decolorization of methylene blue dye using pilot scale slurry type falling film reactors (FFR) under sunlight. The characterization of the prepared catalysts by XRD, TEM, EDAX, DRS and PL confirmed that silver, which acts as electron trap, was deposited over the TiO2 surface. The operational parameters, such as catalyst loading, concentration of the dye solution, pH of the slurry, addition of oxidizing agents and effect of different substrates, were optimized. The photocatalytic efficiency of Ag deposited TiO2 increased two-fold times than pure TiO2 and the maximum decolorization of dye was observed under acidic conditions. The reaction rate significantly increased with the addition of oxidizing agent H2O2. The ceramic tile as well as double skin reactor have higher photocatalytic efficiency than glass as substrate. In addition, Ag-deposited TiO2 photocatalyst could be easily recovered by simple sedimentation process and reused for repeated experimental cycles with more than 95% decolorization efficiency.

Post Cleaning for FEOL CMP with Silica and Ceria Slurries

For the manufacturing of Si-based semiconductors, CMP is utilized extensively to enable FEOL process integration such as STI, deep-trench, ILD, and poly-open. Silica slurries are usually adopted for bulk oxide polish while ceria slurries are more suited for the final “buff” polish where high selectivity to nitride is required. The ever stringent requirement for scratch reduction leads to the trend of using nano-sized abrasive particles in all types of CMP slurries. However, the stronger adhesion force between these nanoparticles and wafer surface necessitates the re-design and optimization of post-CMP processes to meet the low PR/FM defect requirement. The selection of proper chemicals is often the first step towards post-CMP cleaning. However, design of cleaning sequence, exploitation of the tool hardware, and optimization of operating parameters are equally critical to achieve maximum cleaning efficiency. As shown in Fig. 1, for an oxide or poly-Si CMP process with an acidic silica-based slurry, a preferred post cleaning process should operate in alkaline environment (e.g., pH 8~10) in order to build in repulsive zeta potential for easy of particle removal from wafer surface. In this case, the use of an acidic pCMP chemical would be unfavorable from zeta-potential point of view. Replacement of acidic chemical with just DIW (pH ~ 7) leads to significant reduction in PR/FM. In addition, optimization of the directionality, spin rpm, arm oscillation speed…etc, helps eliminate the wafer center-heavy signature and reduces the defect count further down. For FEOL CMP with ceria-based slurry running on a 3-platen polisher with serial meg tank/brush cleaning module, one can design the pCMP process based on the unique “reactive” nature of ceria abrasives, and also fully exploit the available hardwares and their process parameters. In this example, the POR process adopts only DIW in the meg tank. The go-to process, however, replaces DIW with a diluted acidic oxidizer so as to neutralize the reactive ceria abrasives, making it much easier to dislodge the particles from oxide wafer surface. The significant FM NADD reduction with the go-to pCMP process illustrates the efficiency of adding the meg clean step with diluted oxidizer. Further PR/FM reduction can be realized by optimizing the hardware and machine parameters such as those listed in Fig. 2, from on-platen buff clean all the way to the terminal step of Maragoni drying. Furthermore, for a new pCMP process to be considered production-ready, run order effects, repeatability, and CoO reduction need to be taken into account as well. In addition, post-clean surface analyses are carried out to ensure no potential reliability concern. Reference: W.-T. Tseng, J. Hagan, K. Mohan, R. Hull, J. MacDougall, R. Murphy, L. Tai, S. Molis, “Post Cleaning and Defect Reduction for Tungsten Chemical Mechanical Planarization” ICPT, 2015. Figure 1

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of Pt/I-TiO2 in a slurry system and supported on glass packing

Abstract Highly photoactive I/TiO 2 , Pt/I-TiO 2 nanocomposites were obtained using a hydrothermal and wet impregnation method. The incorporation of iodine and modification with 0.05 mol% of platinum leads to enhanced photocatalytic activity as compared to singly doped TiO 2 due to the presence of impurity energy level in the structure of TiO 2 . X-ray diffraction, TEM microscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and BET methods showed that the most active photocatalyst had anatase structure, 187 m 2 /g specific surface area, absorbed UV–Vis light and contained 3 nm platinum particles. XPS analysis revealed that iodine exists in the form of I ¯ and IO 3 ¯ species and platinum was present as Pt and PtO 2 . The photocatalytic activity of Pt/I-TiO 2 nanocomposite was maintained after 4 runs, suggesting stability and reusability of the obtained photocatalyst. The efficiency of degradation of model organic compound was measured in a slurry type photoreactor as well as in a fixed-bed photoreactor equipped with parabolic mirror with Pt/I-TiO 2 immobilized on glass beads or glass Raschig rings.

Tribological Behavior of Aluminum Slurry Coating on 300M Steel

Al slurry coatings, an alternative of Cd coating to protect against corrosion in the aerospace industry, are currently being explored to satisfy the stringent technology and safety requirements for aeronautical applications. The results of salt fog corrosion exposure, fluid corrosion exposure (immersion), humidity resistance, electrical conductivity, galvanic corrosion, embrittlement, and fatigue indicate that Al slurry coatings can be used as an alternative of Cd coatings. However, the tribological property of Al slurry coatings has still not been investigated. Two types of aluminum slurry coatings on 300M steel were produced using the innovative technological process and characterized by scanning electron microscope, nanoindentation tests, and adhesion tests. The H/E and H 3/E 2 ratios of the two-layer Al slurry-coated sample were almost four times higher than the Cd-Ti plating-coated sample. The dry wear test results show that the friction coefficient of the two-layer Al slurry coating independently from the load was lower than the Cd-Ti plating. The width of the wear track of the two-layer Al slurry coating was significantly narrower, only 62% of the Cd-Ti plating wear scar. Compared to the Cd-Ti plating, an excellent wear resistance of the two-layer Al slurry coating can be attributed to its high resistance to plastic deformation and good load-bearing capacity. The results indicate that the two-layer Al slurry coating is an excellent alternative to Cd coatings in the aerospace industry.

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol solution using Zinc Oxide/UV

The research on wastewater organic pollutant degradation has received substantial attention in the past few years. In this work, the effective use of ZnO nanoparticles as a photocatalyst in the photo-degradation process was studied in order to degrade phenol solutions. The photocatalytic oxidation of phenol solution occurred by using ZnO particles/254 nm UV system in a slurry type reactor sparged by air. The effect of various process parameters such as initial concentration of phenol, ZnO loading, initial solution pH, and air superficial velocity on the photo-degradation reaction was investigated to achieve maximum degradation efficiency. The degradation process was tracked by measuring the solution COD at many time intervals during the experiment period. The results showed that the percentage of COD reduction increases with increasing the air superficial velocity. On the other hand, it decreases with increasing the pH or the initial concentration of phenol. Also, the percentage of COD reduction increases with increasing ZnO loading up to 1.5 g/l then decrease with further increasing in the amount of ZnO. The maximum percentage of COD reduction was 78.2% at 25 ppm, pH 2, ZnO loading 1.5 g/l and air superficial velocity of 2.51 cm/s. The order of this reaction was determined using Lagergren’s rate equation and linear pseudo second order equation and was found to be pseudo second order reaction. A correlation between Sherwood, Schmidt and Reynolds numbers was developed to describe the solid liquid mass transfer to understand, design, optimize, and control the system that is being studied.

Development of Metal Ion Absorbing Filter Using Cellulose Nanofibrils

Many studies have shown that CNFs are useful for the production of sheet-type materials, including film, filters, and so on. There are many advantages to the use of CNFs in the filter industry, however, filters made from only CNFs cannot be widely used as water treatment filters, due to their hydrophilic behavior. As a result, a new design of CNF water treatment filters must be developed. In this study, we made a metal ion adsorbing filter made from two types of CNFs: chemically untreated CNF and carboxymethylated CNF. The new CNF filter was composed of two layers; the top layer was made from CNF with PAE, and the bottom layer was made from carboxymethylated CNF. The role of the top layer of the CNF filter was to improve the wet strength of the CNF filter and the bottom layer was designed to adsorb metal ions due to the high negative zeta-potential of carboxymethylation. The CNF filter was produced by vacuum filtration and the use of two types of CNF slurries. Also, the capacity to remove Fe ions from water was analyzed by high pressure filtration experiments with a 1,000 ppm concentration of the Fe standard solution. The CNF filter removed Fe ions in the water by adsorbing them, and it did not break during the high pressure filtration experiments. Therefore, we concluded that the new CNF filter can be used as a filter for the removal of heavy metal ions in water.

High performance for electric double-layer capacitors based on CNT–CG composite synthesized as additive material by CVD method

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were successfully grown on chemically synthesized graphene at a low temperature (700 °C) under atmospheric pressure by using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and used as novel, suitable electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) was demonstrated. The growth state of the CNT–CG sample was characterized by SEM, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy. Then, EDLC electrodes with high surface area activated carbon (YP50F) and CNT–CG were fabricated in a simple step. Slurry type EDLCs cells were assembled using the prepared carbon materials. The electrochemical performance of the carbon electrodes was measured by galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry methods With more than 80% of their capacitance was retained after 30 cycles, the YCG8 samples exhibited excellent stability and reliability at high current charge/discharge cycles. The high stability of the supercapacitors at different densities suggests that these energy storage devices are suitable for fast charging applications. Herein, CNT–graphene synthesized by the CVD method is presented as a promising substitute to conventional electrode materials for EDLCs.

High performance 1.2 Ah Si-alloy/Graphite|LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 prototype Li-ion battery

Abstract The study reports on realization and electrochemical testing of prototype Si-alloy/Graphite|LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 batteries. Water soluble polyacrylic acid (PAA), used as the only binder at the anode side, demonstrates excellent dispersant and binding properties. Sedimentation tests and rheological measurements show remarkable stability and mostly a thinning behavior of the non-Newtonian type of slurry. The cathode is processed in N -Methylpyrrolidone based slurry using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the binding agent. The electronic conductivities of the manufactured Si-alloy/Graphite and LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 electrodes are evaluated. Furthermore, the cathode and anode electrochemical behavior is initially studied in half-cells, and subsequently in full Li-ion stacked prototype soft pouch-cells (1.22 Ah). It is demonstrated that the manufactured prototype cells can sustain about 290 charge/discharge galvanostatic cycles before the retained capacity drops below 80%. Cell aging is monitored using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), whereas post-mortem SEM analysis of electrodes cross-section is used to shed light on the causes of performance degradation of the cells.

Selection and Property Study of Phase Change Slurry for Solar Heat Collection

Five types of alkyl hydrocarbon and wax phase change slurries (PCSs) with different mass concentrations are prepared and the thermal and flow properties of those PCSs are tested including phase change temperature, latent heat and viscosity using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and NDJ-8S viscosity meter. Property comparison of different PCSs is conducted and the effect of concentration, operating temperature and shear rate on the thermal and flow properties is investigated. With combined consideration of thermal and flow properties, the alkyl hydrocarbon PCS with a mass concentration of 30% is chosen for optimized energy performance in solar heat collection.