Experimental determination of interfacial energy for solid Al in the Al-Sn-Mg eutectic system with Bridgman-type apparatus

The equilibrated grain boundary groove shape of solid Al in equilibrium with Al-Sn-Mg eutectic liquid was observed by using a Bridgman type directional solidification apparatus. The ratio of the thermal conductivity of the equilibrated liquid to the thermal conductivity of solid Al has been obtained as 0.91. In addition, the average Gibbs-Thomson coefficient, $\bar{\mathrm{\Gamma }}=(4.20\pm 0.35)\times {10}^{-8}\mathrm{Km}$, the solid-liquid interfacial energy, ${\sigma }_{SL}=180.68\pm 23.48\text{mJ}/{\text{m}}^2$ and the grain boundary energy, ${\sigma }_{GB}=309.30\pm 29.47\text{mJ}/{\text{m}}^2$, in the Al/Al-Sn-Mg system have been calculated from the measured grain boundary shapes.     

MgO和Fe2O3的添加对GDCSi体系微观结构及电化学性能的影响

采用溶胶凝胶法制备Gd_0.2Ce_0.8O_3-δ +0.05%（质量分数）SiO₂（GDCSi）电解质。在GDCSi体系中加入Fe₂O₃及MgO可达到降低烧结温度的同时提高晶界电导率，并减小杂质SiO₂对氧离子在晶界处传输的阻碍的目的。将MgO和Fe₂O₃单掺杂或双掺杂在GDCSi体系中并对GDCSi基电解质的微观形貌及电性能进行研究。结果表明，所有样品主要由立方萤石结构相组成；物质的量分数4%MgO单掺杂的GDCSi-M、物质的量分数4%Fe₂O₃单掺杂的GDCSi-F以及物质的量分数2%MgO-物质的量分数2%Fe₂O₃共掺杂的GDCSi-MF均可促进GDCSi体系晶粒增长，降低晶粒间孔隙率，提高电解质的相对密度，降低晶粒电阻R_gi、晶界电阻R_gb及总电阻R_t；GDCSi-MF具有最高晶界电导率和总电导率，在400 ℃时GDCSi-MF的晶界电导率σ_gb和总电导率σ_t分别是GDCSi的10.41和1.82倍。     

Grain Boundary Electronic Insulation for High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Sulfide electrolytes with high ionic conductivities are one of the most highly sought for all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). However, the non-negligible electronic conductivities of sulfide electrolytes (≈10⁻⁸ S cm⁻¹) lead to electron smooth transport through the sulfide electrolyte pellets, resulting in Li dendrite directly depositing at the grain boundaries (GBs) and serious self-discharge. Here, a grain-boundary electronic insulation (GBEI) strategy is proposed to block electron transport across the GBs, enabling Li−Li symmetric cells with 30 times longer cycling life and Li−LiCoO₂ full cells with three times lower self-discharging rate than pristine sulfide electrolytes. The Li−LiCoO₂ ASSLBs deliver high capacity retention of 80 % at 650 cycles and stable cycling performance for over 2600 cycles at 0.5 mA cm⁻². The innovation of the GBEI strategy provides a new direction to pursue high-performance ASSLBs via tailoring the electronic conductivity.     

Study on Deformation of Polycrystalline Aluminum Alloy Using Moiré Interferometry

Polycrystalline aluminum alloy is manufactured by annealing, compared to the width of the specimen, the size of the grains can not be omitted, which makes the specimen anisotropic. Under uniaxial tension, the deformation field is inhomogeneous. In this study, moiré interferometry is successfully applied to measure the deformation of the polycrystalline specimen. The experimental results presented the stress versus strain responses of the marked grains in different orientations and different shapes. By using fringe centering method, the strain distributions under certain load in the centers and on the boundaries of the grains are analyzed.     

Breakage mechanics—Part I: Theory

Different measures have been suggested for quantifying the amount of fragmentation in randomly compacted crushable aggregates. A most effective and popular measure is to adopt variants of Hardin's [1985. Crushing of soil particles. J. Geotech. Eng. ASCE 111(10), 1177-1192] definition of relative breakage ‘B_r’. In this paper we further develop the concept of breakage to formulate a new continuum mechanics theory for crushable granular materials based on statistical and thermomechanical principles. Analogous to the damage internal variable ‘D’ which is used in continuum damage mechanics (CDM), here the breakage internal variable ‘B’ is adopted. This internal variable represents a particular form of the relative breakage ‘B_r’ and measures the relative distance of the current grain size distribution from the initial and ultimate distributions. Similar to ‘D’, ‘B’ varies from zero to one and describes processes of micro-fractures and the growth of surface area. However, unlike damage that is most suitable to tensioned solid-like materials, the breakage is aimed towards compressed granular matter. While damage effectively represents the opening of micro-cavities and cracks, breakage represents comminution of particles. We term the new theory continuum breakage mechanics (CBM), reflecting the analogy with CDM. A focus is given to developing fundamental concepts and postulates, and identifying the physical meaning of the various variables. In this part of the paper we limit the study to describe an ideal dissipative process that includes breakage without plasticity. Plastic strains are essential, however, in representing aspects that relate to frictional dissipation, and this is covered in Part II of this paper together with model examples.     

Atomistic simulations of elastic deformation and dislocation nucleation during nanoindentation

Nanoindentation experiments have shown that microstructural inhomogeneities across the surface of gold thin films lead to position-dependent nanoindentation behavior [Phys. Rev. B (2002), to be submitted]. The rationale for such behavior was based on the availability of dislocation sources at the grain boundary for initiating plasticity. In order to verify or refute this theory, a computational approach has been pursued. Here, a simulation study of the initial stages of indentation using the embedded atom method (EAM) is presented. First, the principles of the EAM are given, and a comparison is made between atomistic simulations and continuum models for elastic deformation. Then, the mechanism of dislocation nucleation in single crystalline gold is analyzed, and the effects of elastic anisotropy are considered. Finally, a systematic study of the indentation response in the proximity of a high angle, high sigma (low symmetry) grain boundary is presented; indentation behavior is simulated for varying indenter positions relative to the boundary. The results indicate that high angle grain boundaries are a ready source of dislocations in indentation-induced deformation.     

In-situ observations and acoustic measurements upon fragmentation of free-floating intermetallics under ultrasonic cavitation in water

Grain refinement in alloys is a well-known effect of ultrasonic melt processing. Fragmentation of primary crystals by cavitation-induced action in liquid metals is considered as one of the main driving mechanisms for producing finer and equiaxed grain structures. However, in-situ observations of the fragmentation process are generally complex and difficult to follow in opaque liquid metals, especially for the free-floating crystals. In the present study, we develop a transparent test rig to observe in real time the fragmentation potential of free-floating primary Al₃Zr particles under ultrasonic excitation in water (an established analogue medium to liquid aluminium for cavitation studies). An effective treatment domain was identified and fragmentation time determined using acoustic pressure field mapping. For the first time, real-time high-speed imaging captured the dynamic interaction of shock waves from the collapsing bubbles with floating intermetallic particles that led to their fragmentation. The breakage sequence as well as the cavitation erosion pattern were studied by means of post-treatment microscopic characterisation of the fragments. Fragment size distribution and crack patterns on the fractured surface were then analysed and quantified. Application of ultrasound is shown to rapidly (<10 s) reduce intermetallic size (from 5 mm down to 10 μm), thereby increasing the number of potential nucleation sites for the grain refinement of aluminium alloys during melt treatment.     

Sedimentary process inferences from Humic substances analysis and deposition rates (Western Ross Sea,Antarctica)

The first 40?cm of sediment of three basins in the Ross Sea were sampled using a box corer. Site Y1 was located close to the coast in Terra Nova Bay; the sediment of site Y3 was collected in a more distal basin in the central sector of the Ross Sea; finally site Y5 was sampled in the deepest zone of the Joides Basin.

Sediment cores were sliced and analysed with a depth resolution of 2–4.5?cm. The distribution of humic substances and their structural features along the cores were determined and related to the pattern of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and sedimentological data. The grain size distribution and the ²¹⁰Pb inventories allow the sediment of the study sites to be characterised.

The humic substance content in the sediment decreases, with a change in slope between 23 and 26?cm at Y1, between 12 and 15?cm at Y3 and constant values with further depth. At Y5 the depth profile of humic substance content shows constant values in the upper 17?cm and values decrease with further depth. The pattern of humic substance yield is similar to that found for TOC. The analysis of the elemental composition of the humic acids extracted from different sediment depths shows an increasing C/N atomic ratio at sites Y1 and Y3 and constant values along the Y5 core. The depth profile of the C/N atomic ratio is confirmed by the changes observed in the structural characterisation and indicates a shift from the freshly deposited organic matter on the sediment surface to more humified material (humin). The results obtained highlight a different sedimentation rate at the three sites as deduced from sedimentological analysis.     

Spray pyrolysis deposition of undoped SnO2 and In2O3 films and their structural properties

In this paper the results of structural analysis of the SnO₂ and In₂O₃ films deposited by spray pyrolysis are presented. The main goals of this analysis are summarizing the results obtained in this field, highlighting a correlation between parameters of film deposition and the material structure and formulating some general regularities, typical for metal oxides. Peculiarities and mechanisms of pyrosol deposition as well as advantages and disadvantages of this technology for deposition of the films with required parameters were also discussed. It is shown that this technology has great potential for controlling structural parameters of metal oxides such as thickness, the grain size, texturing, roughness, the grain faceting and the porosity.