Slippage during high-pressure torsion of commercially pure titanium and application of accumulative HPT to it

A new efficient method was used to find that in the case of high-pressure torsion of commercially pure titanium, accumulation of shear strain in Ti does not occur due to slippage of anvils. Despite this, micro-hardness increases as the number of turns n increases, and Ti structure is refined more intensively. High-pressure torsion is accompanied by a high-pressure ω-phase formation. However, the content of ω-phase changes non-monotonously with an increase in the number of turns. First, while number of turns is less than n=5, the ω-phase content reaches 50%. Upon further deformation, the ω-phase content decreases to 15% for n=20. A new accumulative high-pressure torsion method is applied to commercially pure titanium for the first time. Accumulative high-pressure torsion leads to the strongest transformation of the structure and an increase in hardness, since stronger real deformation occurs due to composition of compression and torsion strain cycles.

Enhanced piezoelectricity of PVDF nanofibers via a plasticizer treatment for energy harvesting

Enhancing the electrical outputs of energy harvesters is a great demand for researchers in recent years. In this work, the effect of the plasticizer treatment (Tetrahydrofuran [THF]) on the β phase content (F[β]) of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fiber webs which are used as active layers to directly make a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) is demonstrated. The results showed that during the plasticizer treatment, the F(β) of the web increases when the initial length of the web (L0) equals the distance between the two ends of the solid support (L) which the web fixed on it, whereas the F(β) decreases when L < L0 resulting in the formation of crimped fibers. Furthermore, the electrical outputs of the PENG based on the pristine web, and treated webs at different lengths are investigated. We believe this work can be used as a good reference for enhancing the electrical outputs of the PENG by enhancing the F (β) of PVDF nanofiber webs using a plasticizer treatment.

Influence of molecular weight on dielectric properties and piezoelectric constant of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes obtained by electrospinning

A significant influence of the molecular weight on the dielectric properties and piezoelectric constant of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes obtained by electrospinning was demonstrated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and d33 meter were used to evaluate dielectric properties and piezoelectric constant respectively. The presence of the β-phase was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The membranes with the lowest molecular weight (180,000 g/mol) possessed the best dielectric properties. They also had the highest piezoelectric constant (21 pC/N) and dielectric constant (2.9 at 50 Hz) as well as the highest β-phase content (80.25%).

Influence of microstructure and crystalline phases on impedance spectra of sodium conducting glass ceramics produced from glass powder

Crystallization of highly ionic conductive N5 (Na5YSi4O12) phase from melted Na3+3x-1Y1-xPySi3-yO9 parent glass provides an attractive pathway for cost-effective manufacturing of Na-ion conducting thin electrolyte substrates. The temperature-dependent crystallization of parent glass results in several crystalline phases in the microstructure (N3 (Na3YSi2O7), N5 and N8 (Na8.1Y Si6O18) phases) as well as in rest glass phase with temperature dependent viscosity. The electrical properties of dense parent glass and of compositions densified and crystallized at 700 °C, 800 °C, 900 °C, 1000 °C, and 1100 °C are investigated by impedance spectroscopy and linked to their microstructure and crystalline phase content determined by Rietveld refinement. The parent glass has high isolation resistance and predominantly electrons as charge carriers. For sintering at ≥ 900 °C, sufficient N5 phase content is formed to exceed the percolation limit and form ion-conducting pathways. At the same time, the highest content of crystalline phase and the lowest grain boundary resistance are observed. Further increase of the sintering temperature leads to a decrease of the grain resistance and an increase of grain boundary resistance. The grain boundary resistance increases remarkably for samples sintered at 1100 °C due to softening of the residual glass phase and wetting of the grain boundaries. The conductivity of fully crystallized N5 phase (grain conductivity) is calculated from thorough impedance spectra analysis using its volume content estimated from Rietveld analysis, density measurements and assuming reasonable tortuosity to 2.8 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature. The excellent conductivity and easy processing demonstrate the great potential for the use of this phase in the preparation of solid-state sodium electrolytes.

Effect of Deposition Conditions on Phase Content and Mechanical Properties of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Films Deposited by Sol-Gel/Dip-Coating

The effect of yttria concentration (0-33.4 mol%), extraction rates (0.17, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.67 mm s-1), and the number of layers (up to four) on the phase content, surface defects, thickness, hardness, adhesion strength, and wear rate of yttria-stabilized zirconia coatings produced by sol-gel/dip-coating were studied for its use on thermolabile substrates. At 700°C, a metastable tetragonal phase ( t ″ ) was obtained even with 33.4 mol% yttria when heat treated for 24 hours; however, a fully cubic structure was attained by extending the heat treatment up to 48 hours as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, it was necessary to use withdrawal speeds of at least 0.67 mm s-1 to produce defect-free coatings. Although the coatings were produced at low temperature, they showed 41% lower wear rate than steel and an adhesion strength of 30 MPa. Our work stresses the importance of the heat treatment history on the stabilization of the cubic phase in sol-gel YSZ coatings.

Effect of Iron Phase on Calcination and Properties of Barium Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement

In this paper, the effect of iron phase content on the calcination and properties of clinker and barium calcium sulfoaluminate cement was studied. The compressive strength of the samples was tested and combined with an XRD and SEM-EDS analysis, and the microstructure and composition of the barium calcium sulfoaluminate clinker and hydrated samples were characterized. The results showed that the oval-shaped particles were C2S minerals, and the hexagonal plate-shaped or rhombohedral dodecahedral particles were C2.75B1.25A3S¯. The Ba element was mainly distributed in the barium calcium sulfoaluminate region, and some of it was dissolved in C2S; the Fe element was distributed between C2.75B1.25A3S¯ and C2S crystal grains in the form of an iron phase solid solution, which acted as a solvent. When the iron phase composition was C4AF and the iron phase content was 5%, the early hydration and later strength were better, and the compressive strength after curing for 1, 3 and 28 days was 73.2 MPa, 97.9 MPa and 106.9 MPa, respectively. A proper amount of the iron phase can reduce the eutectic point of the sintered mature material system, increase the amount of liquid phase, reduce the viscosity of the liquid phase, effectively accelerate the migration of mineral ions and promote the formation and growth of minerals.