Thermal Properties Research Articles

Effect of Fines Content on Calcium Carbonate Precipitation and Thermal Properties of Biocemented Sand

Effect of Fines Content on Calcium Carbonate Precipitation and Thermal Properties of Biocemented Sand

“Advancements in Lightweight Concrete: A Comprehensive Review”

Abstract: Lightweight concrete (LWC) has garnered considerable attention in recent years due to its advantageous properties such as reduced density, improved thermal insulation, and enhanced sustainability. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements, properties, production methods, applications, and future prospects of lightweight concrete. It covers various types of lightweight aggregates, admixtures, and innovative techniques employed in the production of lightweight concrete. Furthermore, it discusses the mechanical, thermal, and durability properties of LWC and compares them with conventional concrete. The review also explores the wide range of applications of lightweight concrete in construction projects and its contribution to sustainable development goals. Finally, it identifies current challenges and future research directions in the field of lightweight concrete.

Pendant Group Functionalization of Cyclic Olefin for High Temperature and High-Density Energy Storage.

High-temperature flexible polymer dielectrics are critical for high-power-density energy storage and conversion under harsh operating conditions. These types of dielectrics will need to simultaneously possess a high bandgap, dielectric constant and glass transition temperature - a substantial challenge when designing novel dielectric polymers. In this work, by varying halogen substituents of an aromatic pendant hanging off a bicyclic mainchain polymer, a class of high-temperature olefins with adjustable thermal stability are obtained, all with uncompromised large bandgaps. Halogens substitution of the pendant groups at para or ortho position of polyoxanorborneneimides (PONB) imparts it with tunable high glass transition temperature from ∼220 to 245°C, while with also moderate dielectric constant of ∼ 2.8-3.0 and high breakdown strength of ∼625-800MV/m. A high energy density of 7.1 J/cc at 200°C is achieved with p-POClNB, representing the highest reported energy density among all-organic homo-polymer dielectrics. Molecular dynamic simulations and ultrafast infrared spectroscopy were used to probe the free volume element distribution and chain relaxations of the polymers to provide insights to the dielectric thermal properties. An increase in free volume element is observed with the change in the pendant group from fluorine to bromine at the para position; however, a decrease in free volume element is observed as we change the pendant group from fluorine to chlorine at the ortho position because of the steric hindrance. Overall, the dielectric constant and band gap remain stable while the glass transition temperature changes more obviously. Consequently, by proper designing the pendant groups, the thermal stability of PONB can be improved for harsh condition electrification. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Polynomial chaos expansion of SAR and temperature increase variability in 3 T MRI due to stochastic input data

Objective. Numerical simulations are largely adopted to estimate dosimetric quantities, e.g. specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature increase, in tissues to assess the patient exposure to the radiofrequency (RF) field generated during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Simulations rely on reference anatomical human models and tabulated data of electromagnetic and thermal properties of biological tissues. However, concerns may arise about the applicability of the computed results to any phenotype, introducing a significant degree of freedom in the simulation input data. In addition, simulation input data can be affected by uncertainty in relative positioning of the anatomical model with respect to the RF coil. The objective of this work is the to estimate the variability of SAR and temperature increase at 3 T head MRI due to different sources of variability in input data, with the final aim to associate a global uncertainty to the dosimetric outcomes. Approach. A stochastic approach based on arbitrary Polynomial Chaos Expansion is used to evaluate the effects of several input variability’s (anatomy, tissue properties, body position) on dosimetric outputs, referring to head imaging with a 3 T MRI scanner. Main results. It is found that head anatomy is the prevailing source of variability for the considered dosimetric quantities, rather than the variability due to tissue properties and head positioning. From knowledge of the variability of the dosimetric quantities, an uncertainty can be attributed to the results obtained using a generic anatomical head model when SAR and temperature increase values are compared with safety exposure limits. Significance. This work associates a global uncertainty to SAR and temperature increase predictions, to be considered when comparing the numerically evaluated dosimetric quantities with reference exposure limits. The adopted methodology can be extended to other exposure scenarios for MRI safety purposes.

Uniaxial Symmetry Breaking in Bacteriorhodopsin at the Thermal Phase Transition of Lipids of Purple Membranes.

The article correlates between symmetry breaking and phase transition. An analogy, extending from physics to biology, is known to exist between these two topics. Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as a paradigm of membrane proteins has been used as a case study in the present work. The bR, as the sole protein embedded in what is called a purple membrane (PM), has attracted widespread interest in bionanotechnological applications. The lipids of PM have a crucial role in maintaining the crystal lattice of bR inside PM. For this reason, the present work has been concerned with elucidating the thermal phase transition properties of the PM lipids in orthogonal directions. The results indicated that the axial symmetry of bR exhibits considerable changes occurring at the thermal phase transition of lipids. These changes are brought by an anomaly observed in the time course of orthogonal electric responses during the application of thermal fields on PM. The observed anomaly may bear on symmetry breaking in bR occurring at the phase transition of lipids based on such analogy found between symmetry breaking and phase transition. Lipid-protein interactions may underlie the broken axial symmetry of bR at such lipid thermal transition of PM. Accordingly, thermally perturbed axial symmetry of bR may be of biological relevance relying on the essence of the crystal lattice of bR. Most importantly, a question has to be raised in the present study: Can bR, as a helical protein with broken axial symmetry, affect the symmetry breaking of helical light? This may be of potential technical applications based on a recent discovery that bR breaks the symmetry of helical light.

Thermoelectric Chalcostibite: Solid-State Synthesis and Thermal Properties

In this study, thermoelectric chalcostibite (CuSbS<sub>2</sub>) compounds were fabricated using mechanical alloying (MA) and hot pressing (HP), and phase identification, microstructural observation, and thermal analysis were conducted. The thermal properties were then measured and compared with those of other Cu–Sb–S ternary compounds synthesized by the same solid-state process, namely, skinnerite (Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>3</sub>), famatinite (Cu<sub>3</sub>SbS<sub>4</sub>), and tetrahedrite (Cu<sub>12</sub>Sb<sub>4</sub>S<sub>13</sub>). Both the MA powder and HP-sintered samples contained a single-phase chalcostibite with an orthorhombic structure, and relative densities of 94.6–99.7% were obtained based on HP temperature. The full width at half maximum of the X-ray diffraction peak was significantly reduced for the HP specimens compared to that of the MA powder due to stress relaxation and grain growth during HP at elevated temperatures. However, practically no changes were observed in the lattice constants based on HP temperature. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis revealed that one endothermic reaction occurred at 814–815 K for the MA powder and at 818–821 K for the HP specimen, which were interpreted as the melting points of chalcostibite. Densely sintered compacts with densities close to the theoretical density were obtained using HP at temperatures of 623 K or higher. The constituent elements of the chalcostibites were uniformly distributed. As the HP temperature increased, thermal diffusivity and conductivity increased, but they decreased significantly as the measurement temperature increased. For the chalcostibite specimen hot-pressed at 623 K, the thermal diffusivity and conductivity were (0.75–0.36) × 10<sup>-2</sup> cm<sup>2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> and 1.47–0.72 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup> at 323–623 K, respectively. Compared with other Cu–Sb–S ternary compounds, the thermal diffusivity was higher at low temperatures but similar at high temperatures, and the thermal conductivity above 500 K was lower than 1 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>.

Characterizing Cryptostegia grandiflora stem fiber for reinforcing lightweight polymer composites: A comprehensive study of its physical, chemical, and thermal properties

This study aimed to characterize Cryptostegia grandiflora stem fiber (CGSF) as a potential reinforcement material for lightweight polymer composites. Natural fiber-reinforced materials have gained attention as a promising alternative to synthetic fibers due to their comparable strength and modulus, and lack of harmful chemicals. The physical, chemical, and thermal properties of CGSF were investigated through fiber roughness, chemical measurement, physical measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, XRD, water absorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and SEM conformation analysis. The results showed that CGSF has a high cellulose content (80.3 wt.%) and specific strength, making it suitable for use in polymer composites. Its flaky layered outer surface provides a high modulus, and its low microfibril angle observed through electron microscopy results in strong bonding qualities. The fiber also demonstrated improved heat stability up to 254–387 °C through thermogravimetric analysis, meeting the requirements for polymerization. These findings demonstrate the potential of CGSF as a natural reinforcement material for lightweight polymer composites.

Pomegranate seed as a novel source of plant protein: Optimization of protein extraction and evaluation of in vitro digestibility, functional, and thermal properties

AbstractThis research was carried out to optimize the extraction process of proteins from pomegranate seeds and characterize their in vitro digestibility as well as their thermal and functional properties. For this purpose, the study screened five parameters (liquid/solid ratio, pH, temperature, NaCl concentration, and time) that could potentially influence the extraction process. This screening was conducted using a two‐level Placket–Burman design (PBD). The significant parameters (pH and NaCl concentration) were subsequently optimized using a three‐level face‐centered central composite design (FCCD) to determine the optimum extraction conditions. A maximum protein recovery of 83.8% was obtained at pH 11.0 and NaCl concentration of 0.0 M. Pomegranate seed protein isolate (PSPI) with a protein content of 92.4% (w/w) was obtained through the isoelectric precipitation of pomegranate seed protein extracted under the optimized conditions. An emulsifying activity index of 14.1 m2 g−1 was observed at the isoelectric pH, where the emulsion stability index was at 8.2%. PSPI also showed high water‐ and oil‐holding capacities (3.7 and 4.3 g g−1, respectively). The essential amino acid levels in PSPI (except for valine and isoleucine) exceeded the recommended amounts set by WHO/FAO/UNU for adults, highlighting its high nutritional value. Based on thermal analysis data, denaturation of PSPI could occur at 89.5°C. The in vitro digestibility of PSPI was found to be 74.3%. PSPI shows a potential as a novel ingredient for substituting animal‐based proteins in various food applications.

Influence of Yb3+/Ho3+ codoping on optical and thermal properties of TeO2-ZnO glass

This paper reports the effect of incorporation of Yb3+ ions on the frequency downconversion luminescence and thermal properties of triply ionised Ho3+ doped zinc tellurite (TZ) glasses. The photoluminescence spectra of both the Ho3+/Yb3+ doped and codoped glasses have been recorded and observed a green emission band corresponding to the 5F4, 5S2 → 5I8 (∼550 nm) transition upon various excitations. In the downconversion (DC) emission process, the back energy transfer (BET) mechanism from Ho3+ ions to Yb3+ ions has also been explored. The colour emitted in the downconversion process is found to be non-tunable at different excitations. Thus, the Ho3+:TZ glass can be utilised for non-colour tunable optical devices under various UV excitations. Also the glass transition (Tg) and crystallisation (Tc) temperatures have been measured for both the doped and codoped glasses and found to be increased in the codoped glass. The singly Ho3+ions doped TZ glass shows better optical downconversion and glass forming ability.

Investigating the Formation of In Vitro Immunogenic Gluten Peptides after Covalent Modification of Their Structure with Green Tea Phenolic Compounds under Alkaline Conditions.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by immunogenic gluten peptides produced during gastrointestinal digestion. To prevent the production of immunogenic gluten peptides, the stimulation of covalent-type protein-polyphenol interactions may be promising. In this study, gluten interacted with green tea extract (GTE) at pH 9 to promote the covalent-type gluten-polyphenol interactions, and the number of immunogenic gluten peptides, 19-mer, 26-mer, and 33-mer, was monitored after in vitro digestion. Treatment of gluten with GTE provided an increased antioxidant capacity, decreased amino group content, and increased thermal properties. More importantly, there was a remarkable (up to 73%) elimination of immunogenic gluten peptide release after the treatment of gluten with 2% GTE at 50 °C and pH 9 for 2 h. All of these confirmed that gluten was efficiently modified by GTE polyphenols under the stated conditions. These findings are important in developing new strategies for the development of gluten-free or low-gluten food products with reduced immunogenicity.

Sintering Behavior and Thermal Properties of Cu-Graphite Materials by a Spark Plasma Sintering Method

The use of heat dissipation materials in various field such as power semiconductor device, LED and microelectronic system. Therefore, there is a need for heat dissipation materials using copper (Cu) and graphite (Gr). These materials have high thermal conductivity. In particular, graphite has high thermal stability with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. This study was conducted to enhance the thermal properties of Cu for use in heat dissipation materials, using a spark plasma sintering method. Cu-Gr powders were mixed by a shaking mixer and fabricated with volume fractions of 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6 and 3:7. The spark plasma sintering method is a uniaxial pressurization process, which can control the direction of Gr. The Cu-Gr powders were sintered at a temperature of 850 oC at a heating rate of 30 oC/min and a sintering pressure of 40MPa. Consequently, as the Gr contents were increased, the relative densities of the Cu-Gr composites decreased from 99.25 to 94.85%. Gr has high resistance to high-temperature deformation, which contributed to a decrease in shrinkage and relative density. The highest thermal conductivity was measured at 539.7 W/ m·K for a Cu-Gr volume ratio of 5:5. The thermal conductivity of the directionally controlled Gr was measured to be about 20-30 W/m·K higher than the uncontrolled sample. Furthermore, the TDP (Thermal distortion parameter), for which a lower value indicates better thermal stability, was systematically investigated.

Functionalised Fibres as a Coupling Reinforcement Agent in Recycled Polymer Composites.

This study addresses the structure-property relationship within the green concept of wood fibres with cellulose nanofibre functionalised composites (nW-PPr) containing recycled plastic polyolefins, in particular, polypropylene (PP-r). It focuses especially on the challenges posed by nanoscience in relation to wood fibres (WF) and explores possible changes in the thermal properties, crystallinity, morphology, and mechanical properties. In a two-step methodology, wood fibres (50% wt%) were first functionalised with nanocellulose (nC; 1-9 wt%) and then, secondly, processed into composites using an extrusion process. The surface modification of nC improves its compatibility with the polymer matrix, resulting in improved adhesion, mechanical properties, and inherent biodegradability. The effects of the functionalised WF on the recycled polymer composites were investigated systematically and included analyses of the structure, crystallisation, morphology, and surface properties, as well as thermal and mechanical properties. Using a comprehensive range of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential measurements, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), this study aims to unravel the intricate interplay of factors affecting the performance and properties of the developed nanocellulose-functionalised wood fibre-polymer composites. The interfacial adhesion of the nW-PPr polymer composites, crystallisation process, and surface properties was improved due to the formation of an H-bond between the nW coupling agent and neat PP-r. In addition, the role of nW (1.0 wt%) as a nucleating agent resulted in increased crystallinity, or, on the other hand, promoted the interfacial interaction with the highest amount (3.0% wt%, 9.0% wt%) of nW in the PP-r preferentially between the nW and neat PP-r, and also postponed the crystallisation temperature. The changes in the isoelectric point of the nW-PPr polymer composites compared to the neat PP-r polymer indicate the acid content of the polymer composite and, consequently, the final surface morphology. Finally, the higher storage modulus of the composites compared to neat r-PP shows a dependence on improved crystallinity, morphology, and adhesion. It was clear that the results of this study contribute to a better understanding of sustainable materials and can drive the development of environmentally friendly composites applied in packaging.

Characterization of Cellulosic Pulps Isolated from Two Widespread Agricultural Wastes: Cotton and Sunflower Stalks.

Globally, huge amounts of cotton and sunflower stalks are generated annually. These wastes are being underutilized since they are mostly burned in the fields. So, in this work, we proposed a three-step method consisting of acid pre-treatment, alkaline hydrolysis, and bleaching for the extraction of cellulose pulps. These pulps were characterized to assess their morpho-structural and thermal properties. The design of experiments and response surface methodology were used for the optimization of the acid pre-treatment in order to achieve maximum removal of non-cellulosic compounds and obtain pulps enriched in cellulose. For cotton stalks, optimal conditions were identified as a reaction time of 190 min, a reaction temperature of 96.2 °C, and an acid (nitric acid) concentration of 6.3%. For sunflower stalks, the optimized time, temperature, and acid concentration were 130 min, 73.8 °C, and 8.7%, respectively. The pulps obtained after bleaching contained more than 90% cellulose. However, special care must be taken during the process, especially in the acid pre-treatment, as it causes the solubilization of a great amount of material. The characterization revealed that the extraction process led to cellulose pulps with around 69-70% crystallinity and thermal stability in the range of 340-350 °C, ready to be used for their conversion into derivatives for industrial applications.

Thermal spalling failure mechanism of heterogeneous granite under moving heat source

The conventional mechanical methods employed for rock breaking encounter substantial challenges in deep, hard formation drilling, characterized by low penetration rates and exorbitant drilling costs. Consequently, there exists an urgent necessity to explore novel drilling methods and technologies. Thermal spallation drilling, as a non-contact rock breaking technique, offers high efficiency in rock fragmentation and substantially reduces drilling costs. However, the mechanism underlying rock fragmentation induced by thermal spallation remains unclear. Therefore, this study establishes a thermo-mechanical coupling model based on heterogeneous granite subjected to a high-temperature moving heat source. The model comprehensively considers the geometric shape, contact, and strength heterogeneity of rock minerals, and analyzes the effects of heating source speed, radius, mineral composition, heterogeneity index, and grain size on the thermal spallation mechanism of rock. The research findings indicate that lower heating source speeds and larger radii result in higher surface temperatures and greater damage volumes, whereas increasing speed and reducing radius enhance fragmentation efficiency, with speed exerting a more significant influence. Thermal spallation primarily results in tensile damage to rocks, with the surface damage and depth of damage being respectively influenced by the heating source speed and radius. Particle size exhibits minimal impact on thermal spallation, while increased quartz content enhances the rock's thermal properties, resulting in significant thermal spallation effects. Additionally, the location of rock damage is closely correlated with thermal parameters. These findings significantly contribute to a better understanding of the thermal spallation fracture mechanism in granite and facilitate the development of technical solutions for thermal spallation drilling methods.

Thermal properties and container compatibility of (Al0.8Si0.2)100−xBix phase change energy storage alloys

Thermal properties and container compatibility of (Al0.8Si0.2)100−xBix phase change energy storage alloys

Impact of different matrix systems on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composites

AbstractCarbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composite is one of the most important composite materials in the world. Many researchers have conducted a lot of research on epoxy resin matrix systems in recent years, mainly to improve the problem with the short curing time of the matrix system and epoxy resin's high viscosity. The final aim is to enhance various aspects of composites' performance and optimize the production process. A new type of water dispersed epoxy resin matrix system is investigated in this paper and the target is to optimize the mechanical, thermal, and electrical performances of the composites with the water dispersed epoxy resin matrix by varying different doping particles and different resin/catalyst ratios. Through a series of experiments, it is evident that varying the ratio of resin to catalyst in the matrix system will not significantly improve the mechanical as well as thermal properties of the composites. However, increasing the amount of catalyst in the matrix system can greatly improve the electrical properties of its composite samples. In addition to this, the addition of doping particles to the matrix systems has the effect of slightly enhancing the tensile modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of their composites.Highlights A new water‐dispersed epoxy resin matrix system improves processing technology. Increasing amount of catalyst in the matrix system improves electrical resistivity. Adding particles to matrix systems has a slight effect on different properties.

Comparison of urban physical environments and thermal properties extracted from unmanned aerial vehicle images and ENVI-met model simulations

Identifying the thermal properties of urban areas and integrating these properties into spatial planning is essential for sustainable development. Continuous and efficient improvements of urban thermal environments require novel studies, which are limited to date. This study addresses this gap by presenting a comparison of the physical environments and thermal properties of an urban area (Changwon National University, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea) based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and ENVI-met model simulations. We predicted the thermal environment of the study area using UAV images and explored the potential application of UAVs in spatial planning. The comparison revealed that the coefficient of determination (R2) between mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) values simulated by the ENVI-met model and predicted from UAV images was 0.168–0.320. Significant differences were observed in shaded areas and vegetated regions with tall trees, where UAVs encountered difficulties in collecting accurate information due to obstructed visibility. The discrepancies between the simulated and predicted Tmrt values highlight the limitations of UAVs in capturing data in shaded and densely vegetated areas, as well as disparities in the physical environments determined by the two methods. Despite these limitations, UAVs can be valuable tools for urban and environmental planning. Future advancements addressing these limitations may enable UAVs to efficiently diagnose urban thermal environments and guide improvement efforts.

Facile Green Synthesis of Zingerone Based Tissue‐Like Biodegradable Polyester with Shape‐Memory Features for Regenerative Medicine

AbstractThe abundance of plants as a renewable bioresource has captured the significant attention of researchers, driving them to explore new biodegradable polymeric materials. However, there are still many biobased materials with untapped potential, offering opportunities to synthesize novel biodegradable polymers with multifunctional properties. This work provides a unique solvent and catalyst‐free melt polycondensation process to prepare a series of polyesters using zingerol (Zing‐OH), a reduced form of zingerone, as a primary component for the first time. Briefly, Zing‐OH (a ginger‐based component) is employed in conjunction with a variety of renewable resources, such as citric acid (CA), sebacic acid (SA), and xylitol (Xy), to synthesize multifunctional soft tissue‐like ZCSX polyesters. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are used to validate the synthesis of the polyesters, while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and universal testing machine (UTM) are employed to investigate their physicochemical properties. Moreover, the synthesized polyester's thermal, mechanical, and biodegradation properties can be fine‐tuned by simply varying the Zing‐OH feed ratio. The mechanical properties of the synthesized polymer resemble various human tissues, including the liver, uterus, bladder, breast, and temporal and nasal cartilage. This suggests that the synthesized polyesters can potentially be useful in tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, the polyester demonstrated exceptional recovery responses and good shape memory behavior at ambient body temperature. Additionally, as observed from Alamar blue, live/dead assays, and time‐dependent in vitro wound images, the synthesized polyester demonstrated antibacterial activity, good in vitro cytocompatibility, cell proliferation, and wound healing capabilities against mouse fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3). The developed biocompatible polyester also exhibits excellent hemocompatibility for human blood, indicating its potential use in the field of regenerative medicine.

Research on Improved Crystallization Properties and Underlying Mechanism of the Sb2Te3 Phase-Change Thin Film by Inserting Sn15Sb85 Layers.

As a non-volatile semiconductor memory technology, phase-change memory has a wide range of application prospects as a result of the excellent comprehensive performance. In this paper, multilayer thin films based on Sb2Te3 material were designed and prepared by inserting the Sn15Sb85 layer. The thermal and electrical properties of superlattice-like Sb2Te3/Sn15Sb85 phase-change films can be adjusted by controlling the thickness ratio of Sb2Te3/Sn15Sb85. In comparison to the monolayer Sb2Te3 film, the multilayer layer Sb2Te3/Sn15Sb85 materials have a higher crystallization temperature, larger crystallization activation energy, and longer data lifetime, indicating the great improvement of thermal stability. The changes in the phase structure and vibrational modes of multilayer Sb2Te3/Sn15Sb85 films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The presence of Sn15Sb85 layers restrains grain growth and refines the grain size. The multilayer Sb2Te3/Sn15Sb85 films exhibit better surface flatness, smaller surface potential undulation, and lower thickness variations than single-layer Sb2Te3. Phase-change memory cells based on the [Sb2Te3 (1 nm)/Sn15Sb85 (9 nm)]5 thin film has a lower threshold voltage (1.9 V) and threshold current (3.1 μA) compared to the Ge2Sb2Te5 film. Meanwhile, the electrical heating model of a phase-change memory cell based on a [Sb2Te3 (1 nm)/Sn15Sb85 (9 nm)]5 multilayer structure was established by multiphysics coupling analysis, proving the great improvement in heat transfer performance and efficiency. The experimental and theoretical studies confirm that the insertion of the Sn15Sb85 layer can significantly improve the crystallization properties of Sb2Te3 films, paving the way for optimizing the phase-change materials by regulating the microstructural parameters.

Enhancing thermal properties and surface quality of lappato glazed porcelain tiles through milling time optimization

AbstractIncreasing the surface quality of porcelain tiles, preferred in public, commercial, and living centers, where human density is high, is one of the crucial goals. Surface applications can be applied on the tiles produced as glazed and unglazed tiles in different versions. In lappato glazed tiles, staining-resistance is of great importance besides glossy-surface and wear-resistance. In this study, technical properties such as staining, chemical agent-resistance, color-parameters, thermal-behavior (heat microscopy), roughness, abrasion resistance, and microstructure of glazes (SEM/EDS) depending on the optimizing grinding time were examined with compared to standard lappato-glaze under the industrial conditions. It was observed that with the increase of the glaze grinding, the whiteness value and the increasing smoothness, and higher staining chemicals resistance and the glaze which has lower characteristic temperatures than the standard. As the surface roughness decreased due to grinding, the number and size of pores in the microstructure decreased. The glassy phase exhibited homogeneous distribution due to the dissolution of anorthite crystals.