Ni-Co-TiO2 nanocomposite coating prepared by pulse and pulse reversal methods using acetate bath

Ni-Co/nano TiO₂ (Ni-Co-TiO₂) composite coatings were prepared under pulse current and pulse reverse current methods using acetate bath. The microstructure and corrosion resistance of the coatings were characterized by means of XRD, SEM and EIS. Both the Ni-Co alloy and composite coatings exhibited single phase of Ni matrix with face centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure. The crystal orientation of the Ni-Co-TiO₂ composite coating was transformed from crystal face (2 0 0) to (1 1 1) compared with Ni-Co alloy coatings. The results showed that the microstructure and performances of the coatings were greatly affected by TiO₂ content on the deposits prepared by PC and PRC methods. The microhardness and corrosion resistance were enhanced in the optimum percentage of TiO₂ composite coatings. The PRC composite coatings were exhibited from compact surface, higher microhardness and good corrosion resistance compared with that of the PC composite coating.     

Nanostructured carbon nanotube/TiO2 composite coatings using electrophoretic deposition (EPD)

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has been used to combine multi-walled carbon nanotubes of diameter in the range 20–30 nm and commercially available TiO₂ nanoparticles (23 nm particle size) in composite films. Laminate coatings with up to four layers were produced by sequential EPD, while composite coatings were obtained by electrophoretic co-deposition of carbon nanotubes and TiO₂ nanoparticles, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the resultant microstructures. The mechanism of EPD of carbon nanotube/TiO₂ nanoparticle composites is discussed.     

Nanometric core-shell-shell γ-Fe2O3/SiO2/TiO2 particles

The preparation of core-shell-shell γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂/TiO₂ nanoparticles of few tens nanometers is performed by successively coating onto magnetic nanoparticles a SiO₂ layer and a TiO₂ layer, using sol–gel methods. The thickness of the two layers and the aggregation state of the particles can be controlled by the experimental conditions used for the two coatings. These composite nanoparticles may find application as magnetic photocatalysts, since they are characterized by their small diameters which allow a good accessibility to the TiO₂ shell. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Preparation of low density TiO2/poly (methyl methacrylate) composite particles by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization

Based on the 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate (MPS) modified TiO₂ particles, the TiO₂/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composite particles have been prepared successfully via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization in water. A facile floating-sinking method is proposed to roughly evaluate the composite particles’ density. Chemical component of obtained composite particles was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The morphology and grain size of the composite particles were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermal analysis of the composite particles was measured by differential thermal analysis-thermo gravimetric analysis (DTA-TGA). The zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility of composite particles with suitable density in water was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS).     

Hydroxyapatite/titania composite bioactivity coating processed by sol-gel method

Hydroxyapatite/titania composite material was coated onto a titanium (pure Ti) substrate by sol-gel method. The hydroxyapatite (HA) and titania (TiO₂) sol were made from precursor and mixed together. The insertion of TiO₂ enhanced the chemical affinity and the physical consistency between HA and Ti substrate. The HA/TiO₂ composite coating adhered tightly to the Ti substrate. Owing to the insertion of TiO₂, the crystallinity of HA has been delayed. The specimens with HA/TiO₂ composite coatings were soaked into SBF, and displayed good bone-like apatite forming ability. The bioactivity of the composite HA coatings were tested in vitro by cell culture.     

Preparation of photocatalytic Fe2O3-TiO2 coatings in one step by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

There are two major difficulties in the TiO₂ liquid-solid photocatalytic system: effective immobilization of the TiO₂ particles; and improving the catalytic activity under visible light. To simultaneously solve these two problems, Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings supported on activated carbon fiber (ACF), have been prepared in one step by a convenient and efficient method—metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). XRD results revealed that Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings mainly composed of anatase TiO₂, α-Fe₂O₃ phases and little Fe₂Ti₃O₉. The pore structure of ACF was preserved well after loading with Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed a slight shift to longer wavelengths and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region for Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings, compared to the pure TiO₂ sample. A moderate Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ loading (13.7 wt%) was beneficial to mineralizing wastewater because the intermediates could be adsorbed onto the surface of photocatalyst following decomposition. The stable performance revealed that the Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings were strongly adhered to the ACF surface, and the as prepared catalysts could be reused showing potential application for wastewater treatment.     

Correlation between Al2O3 particles and interface of Al-Al2O3 coatings by cold spray

Al-Al₂O₃ composite coatings with different Al₂O₃ particle shapes were prepared on Si and Al substrate by cold spray. The powder compositions of metal (Al) and ceramic (Al₂O₃) having different sizes and agglomerations were varied into ratios of 10:1 wt% and 1:1 wt%. Al₂O₃ particles were successfully incorporated into the soft metal matrix of Al. It was found that crater formation between the coatings and substrate, which is typical characteristic signature of cold spray could be affected by initial starting Al₂O₃ particles. In addition, when the large hard particles of fused Al₂O₃ were employed, the deep and big craters were generated at the interface between coatings and hard substrates. In the case of pure soft metal coating such as Al on hard substrate, it is very hard to get proper adhesion due to lack of crater formation. Therefore, the composite coating would have certain advantages.     

TiO2包覆石墨颗粒/硅油电流变液的研究

理论计算表明,介质包覆导体颗粒用作电流变液的分散相,可以获得高剪切应力的电流变液.采用溶胶-凝胶技术在尺度为5—10μm的石墨颗粒表面成功地包覆了TiO₂,获得了金红石相TiO₂包覆石墨的复合颗粒.配制成复合颗粒/硅油电流变液,其剪切应力与纯TiO₂/硅油电流变液相比,可提高一个数量级.当电场强度为1.7kV/mm时,复合颗粒/硅油电流变液的剪切应力可达1.25kPa,电流密度小于10μA/cm². 关键词： 电流变液 包覆 2')" href="#">TiO₂ 石墨     

Preparation, structures and photoluminescent enhancement of CdWO4-TiO2 composite nanofilms

For the first time, Cadmium tungstate (CdWO₄)-TiO₂ composite nanofilms on a glass substrate were prepared by means of the dip-coating technique, in which collodion was used as a dispersant and film-forming agent. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermo gravimetric and thermal analyses (TG/DTA), FTIR and photoluminescence (PL) methods, respectively. SEM and XRD characterization of these films indicated that CdWO₄ particles crystallized in a monoclinic wolframite-type structure whereas TiO₂ particles were Anatase phase; and both of them were well distributed in the nanofilms. FTIR spectra proved the presence of CdWO₄ on the nanofilms. Photoluminescent results showed that the emitting peak of CdWO₄ films blue shifted slightly relative to that of CdWO₄ crystal. Moreover, the PL intensity of CdWO₄-TiO₂ composite nanofilm was much higher than that of CdWO₄ nanofilm. We ascribed that the introduction of TiO₂ should be responsible for the PL enhancement.     

The synthesis and kinetic growth of anisotropic silver particles loaded on TiO2 surface by photoelectrochemical reduction method

Silver nanorods with average diameters of 120-230 nm and aspect ratio of 1.7-5.0 were deposited on the surface of TiO₂ films by photoelectrochemical reduction of Ag⁺ to Ag under UV light. The composite films prepared on soda-lime glass substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the TiO₂ film after UV irradiation in AgNO₃ solution is composed of anatase phase TiO₂ and metallic silver with face centered cubic structure. Other compounds cannot be found in the final films. The maximum deposition content of silver particles on the surface of TiO₂ film was obtained with the AgNO₃ concentration of 0.1 M. The kinetic growth rates of silver particles can be controlled by photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films. The studies suggest that the growth rates of silver particles increase with the enhancement of photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films. The maximum growth rate of silver particles loaded on TiO₂ films can be up to 0.353 nm min⁻¹ among samples 1#, 2# and 3#, while the corresponding apparent rate constant of TiO₂ is 1.751 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3-Al composite coatings deposited by plasma spraying

Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃-Al composite coatings were prepared by plasma spraying. Phase composition of powders and as-sprayed coatings was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), while optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the morphology of impacted droplets, polished and fractured surface, and the element distribution in terms of wavelength-dispersive spectrometer (WDS). Mechanical properties including microhardness, adhesion and bending strength, fracture toughness and sliding wear rate were evaluated. The results indicated that the addition of Al into Al₂O₃ was beneficial to decrease the splashing of impinging droplets and to increase the deposition efficiency. The Al₂O₃-Al composite coating exhibited homogeneously dispersed pores and the co-sprayed Al particles were considered to be distributed in the splat boundary. Compared with Al₂O₃ coating, the composite coating showed slightly lower hardness, whereas the coexistence of metal Al phase and Al₂O₃ ceramic phase effectively improved the toughness, strength and wear resistance of coatings.     

A novel approach towards high-performance composite photocatalyst of TiO2 deposited on activated carbon

TiO₂ photocatalysts deposited on activated carbon (TiO₂/AC) were prepared by dip-hydrothermal method at 180 °C using peroxotitanate as a precursor, then calcinated at 300-800 °C. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and the nitrogen absorption. Their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO). The results showed that TiO₂ particles of anatase type were well deposited on the activated carbon surface. TiO₂/AC calcinated at 600 °C exhibited the best photocatalytic performance. For the comparison, the same photocatalysis experiment was carried out for two mixtures of commercial TiO₂ (Degussa P25) with AC and synthetic TiO₂ with AC. It was found that the composite catalyst TiO₂/AC was better than the two mixtures. Besides, different from fine powdered TiO₂, the granular TiO₂/AC photocatalysts could be easily separated from the bulk solution and reused; indeed, its photocatalytic ability was hardly decreased after a five-cycle for MO degradation. The kinetics of the MO degradation fitted well the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.     

Mechanical performance of apatite/TiO2 composite coatings formed on Ti and NiTi shape memory alloy

To make metals bioactive for orthopaedic applications, apatite/TiO₂ composite coatings were formed on Ti and NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) using a H₂O₂-oxidation and hot water aging technique and the subsequent accelerated biomimetic process. In the current investigation, nanoindentation, scratch testing and frictional testing were employed to assess mechanical properties and the adhesion of apatite/TiO₂ composite coatings formed on Ti and NiTi SMA. Nanoindentation testing conducted on cross-sections of composite coatings indicated that there was no significant difference in nanohardness and elastic modulus between apatite/TiO₂ composite coatings formed on Ti and NiTi SMA samples. The enhancement of the adhesion between the apatite layer and the metal substrates arose from the TiO₂ intermediate layer in the composite coating. The highest values of coating adhesion strength for Ti and NiTi SMA samples, as measured by scratch tests, were 22.58 N and 19.07 N, respectively. However, compared to corresponding Ti samples, NiTi SMA samples had better tribological properties.     

Deposition of Au/TiO2 film by pulsed laser

Au nanoparticles, which were photoreduced by a Nd:YAG laser in HAuCl₄ solution containing TiO₂ colloid and accompanied by the TiO₂ particles, were deposited on the substrate surface. The film consisting of Au/TiO₂ particles was characterized by the absorption spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The adhesion between the film and substrate was evaluated by using adhesive tape test. It was found that the presence of TiO₂ dramatically enhanced the adhesion strength between the film and the substrate, as well as the deposition rate of film. The mechanism for the deposition of Au/TiO₂ film was also discussed.     

Microstructure and properties of Ni-Co/nano-Al2O3 composite coatings by pulse reversal current electrodeposition

Ni-Co/nano-Al₂O₃ (Ni-Co/Al₂O₃) composite coatings were prepared under pulse reversal current (PRC) and direct current (dc) methods respectively. The microstructure of coatings was characterized by means of XRD, SEM and TEM. Both the Ni-Co alloy and composite coatings exhibit single phase of Ni matrix with face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, and the crystal orientation of the Ni-Co/Al₂O₃ composite coating was transformed from crystal face (2 0 0) to (1 1 1) compared with alloy coatings. The hardness, anti-wear property and macro-residual stress were also investigated. The results showed that the microstructure and performance of the coatings were greatly affected by Al₂O₃ content and the electrodeposition methods. With the increasing of Al₂O₃ content, the hardness and wear resistance of the composite coatings enhanced. The PRC composite coatings exhibited compact surface, high hardness, better wear resistance and lower macro-residual stress compared with that of the dc composite coatings.     

The effect of particles size distribution on aesthetic and thermal performances of polydisperse TiO2 pigmented coatings: Comparison between numerical and experimental results

A new approach in designing pigmented coatings considering both visual and thermal concerns was introduced by authors in previous works. The objective was to design a pigmented coating with dark appearance which can stay cool while exposed to sunlight. This behavior can be achieved by coating a typical black substrate with a pigmented coating with controlled size and concentration of particles and coating thickness. In present work, the spectral behaviour of polydisperse TiO₂ pigmented coatings was studied. The radiative properties of polydisperse TiO₂ powders were evaluated and the radiative transfer in the pigmented coating was modelled using the radiation element method by ray emission model (REM²). The effects of particles size distribution on spectral reflectivity, optimization parameter, and color coordinates were discussed. The results of numerical calculation were validated by experimental reflectivity measurements of several TiO₂ pigmented coating samples made from two different TiO₂ powders with different size distributions of particles. The results show that our model can reasonably predict the spectral reflectivity of TiO₂ pigmented coating samples. Moreover, the results of optimized monodisperse TiO₂ pigmented coatings were again validated.     

Structural, photochemical and photocatalytic properties of zirconium oxide doped TiO2 nanocrystallites

Composite photocatalysts composed of TiO₂ and ZrO₂ have been prepared via the sol-gel method. The as-prepared nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectrometry and fluorescence emission spectra. The results shows that TiO₂/ZrO₂ nanocomposites are composed of mainly anatase titania and tetragonal ZrO₂. Incorporating TiO₂ particles with ZrO₂ plays an important role in promoting the formation of nanoparticles with an anatase structure and leads to decreased fluorescence emission intensity. Most of the TiO₂/ZrO₂ nanocomposites exhibited comparable photocatalytic activity compared with commercial TiO₂ for the degradation aqueous methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet irradiation, while the composite with Zr/Ti mass ratio of 15.2% shows the highest photocatalytic performances. Furthermore, the as-prepared nanocomposites can be reused with little photocatalytic activity loss. Without any further treatment besides rinsing, the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂/ZrO₂ (15.2%) composites is still higher than after five-cycle utilization.     

Electrodeposited nickel-cobalt composite coating containing MoS2

Ni-Co/MoS₂ composite coatings were prepared by electrodeposition in a Ni-Co plating bath containing nano-sized MoS₂ particles to be co-deposited. The polarization behavior of the composite plating bath was examined on a PAR-273A potentiostat/galvanostat device. The friction and wear behaviors of the Ni-Co/MoS₂ composite coatings were evaluated with UMT-2MT test rig in a ball-on-disk contact mode. The morphologies of the original and worn surfaces of the composite coatings were observed on scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that the introduction of MoS₂ nano-particulates in the electrolyte caused the shift towards larger negatives of the reduction potential of the Ni-Co alloy coating, and the co-deposited MoS₂ showed no significant effect on the electrodeposition process of the Ni-Co alloy coating. However, the co-deposited MoS₂ led to changes in the surface morphology and structure of the composite coating as well. Namely, the peak width of the Ni-Co solid solution for the composite coating is broader as compared to that of the Ni-Co alloy coating. The co-deposited MoS₂ particulates were uniformly distributed in the Ni-Co matrix and contributed to increase tribological properties of the Ni-Co alloy coating.     

TiO2/polyaniline nanocomposite films prepared by magnetron sputtering combined with plasma polymerization process

Radiofrequency plasma polymerization in combination with direct current reactive magnetron sputtering is utilized for the synthesis of TiO₂/plasma polymerized aniline nanocomposite thin films. In the composite film, X-ray diffraction measurements reveal formation of nanocrystalline rutile TiO₂ of crystallite size 3.6 nm. Due to continuous bombardment of plasma species during simultaneous magnetron sputtering and plasma polymerization, the precursors of polymerization are broken and few functional groups are retained in the composite film. The plasma polymerized aniline has the direct optical band gap of 3.55 eV and the nanocrystalline rutile TiO₂ is wide gap semiconductor with indirect gap of 3.20 eV which suggests the existence of an energy barrier at the interface in the composite form. The ac conductivity of composite film shows significant improvement as compared to plasma polymerized aniline film and sputtered rutile TiO₂ film. The composite film may find potential application as antistatic coatings.     

Synthesis and Non-isothermal Crystallization Behavior of PET/Surface-treated TiO 2 Nanocomposites

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/TiO ₂ nanocomposites were prepared by melt-blending PET and surface-treated TiO ₂ . The crystallization behavior and the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of these composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Jeziorny and Mo's methods were applied to describe the kinetics of the non-isothermal crystallization process. It was found that the PET matrix with incorporated surface-treated TiO ₂ particles has lower crystallization temperature and melting point than that with incorporated pure nano-TiO ₂ particles. Unlike plain TiO ₂ , surface-treated TiO ₂ particles showed less effect on the degree of crystallization of the PET matrix.