Microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrO2 (Y2O3)–Al2O3 nanocomposites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Zirconia (yttria)–alumina ceramic nanocomposites were fabricated from different powders by spark plasma sintering (SPS). One powder was a commercially available nanocomposite powder TZP-3Y20A, consisting of 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (3-YSZ) reinforced with 20 wt% alumina, and the other, used as a comparison, was a conventional mechanically mixed powder 3YSZ-20A, a blend made of 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia powder ZrO₂ (3Y) and 20 wt% α-alumina powder. The effect of the sintering temperature on the densification, the sintering behavior, the mechanical properties and the microstructure of the composites was investigated. The results showed that the density increased with increasing sintering temperature, and thus, the mechanical properties were strengthened because of the increased densification. The nanocomposite powder TZP-3Y20A was easily sintered, and good mechanical properties were achieved as compared with the powder from the conventional mechanically mixed method, the maximum flexural strength and fracture toughness of which were 967 MPa and 5.27 MPa m^1/2, respectively.     

Preparation,characterization and combustion properties of Zr/ZrH_2 particles coated with α-FeOOH crystal grains

Zr/ZrH2 particles with irregular morphologies and broad size distribution were uniformly coated with acicular-FeOOH crystal grains via a facile route without using polymers or surfactants. The as-synthesized material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), UV-vis diffusion reflection (UV-vis) and Raman spectrometry. Based on these characterizations, the synthesis mechanism was explained in terms of combined heterogeneous nucleation and...     

Effect of magnetic field orientation on fluidized beds of magnetic particles： Theory and experiment

Geldart-A fluidized beds of fine particles experience a jamming transition between a fluid-like state and a solid-like state at a certain superficial gas velocity, that depends on the relative strength of interparticle attractive forces with respect to particle weight, lnterparticle forces provide the bed with a certain tensile strength in the jammed state. In the work presented here we analyze the behavior of a fluidized bed of magnetic particles subjected to an externally applied magnetic field, which contributes to enhance interparticle forces. The importance of the magnetic contribution to interparticle forces is measured by the changes in the tensile strength and the superficial gas velocity at the jamming transition. The link of the field orientation with the microstructure of the bed is discussed,     

Synthesis and characterization of BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor prepared by homogeneous precipitation

A homogeneous precipitation process based on urea hydrolysis reaction was exploited to synthesize BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor. The process parameters, such as the dosage of urea, the calcination tem- peratures and the concentration of Eu2＋, were refined in light of the characterization of the products. The experimental results revealed that pure and well-crystallized BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor could be obtained at 1250℃, a much lower temperature than that for traditional solid-state reaction. The as-prepared phosphor particles were small in grain size, regular in morphology, and uniform in size distribution. Because of the high homogeneity of the process, the as-prepared phosphor exhibited stronger emission intensity and higher thermal stability than the sample prepared by solid-state reaction at 1600℃.     

Synthesis and surface modification of magnetic particles for application in biotechnology and biomedicine

Magnetic particles have numerous applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In this paper we reviewed the synthesis, surface modification and some applications of magnetic particles with focus on their synthesis and surface modification. Various methods have been developed for the production of magnetic particles （magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic composite particles）. For future application magnetic particles must be modified to obtain stability and surface functional groups. Finally, the application of magnetic particles in magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging are discussed.     

Preparation of nano-sized Al2O3–2SiO2 powder by sol–gel plus azeotropic distillation method

Nano-sized amorphous Al₂O₃–2SiO₂ powder was prepared by a sol–gel method coupled with azeotropic distillation. The structure of the powder was investigated by DTS, BET, TEM, FT-IR, TG-DTA and XRD, showing that n-butanol azeotropic distillation could effectively remove water from the aluminosilicate gels and prevent the formation of hard agglomerates in the drying process. The average particle diameter of the powder was about 70 nm. The largest BET specific surface area of the powder was 669 m²/g. To examine the alkali-activation reactivity of the powder, alkali-activation tests were performed with the powder reacting with sodium silicate solution. The synthetic powder was found to be highly reactive.     

Magnetic and electrochemical behavior of rhombohedral α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with (1 0 4) dominant facets

Uniform rhombohedral α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, ～60 nm in size, were synthesized via a triphenylphosphine-assisted hydrothermal method. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) analyses showed that the as-synthesized rhombohedral nanoparticles were enclosed by six (1 0 4) planes. The concentration of triphenylphosphine played an important role in morphological evolution of the α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The as-prepared rhombohedral nanoparticles possessed remanent magnetization M_r of 2.6 × 10^?3 emu/g and coercivity H_C of 2.05 Oe, both lower than those of other α-Fe₂O₃ particles with similar size, indicating their potential applications as superparamagnetic precursor materials. Furthermore, these rhombohedral α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited good sensor capability toward H₂O₂ with a linear response in the concentration range of 2–20 mM.     

Phase evolution of （K,Na）NbO3 powder prepared by high temperature mixing under hydrothermal conditions

（Na, K）NbO3 （KNN） powders were successfully prepared by high temperature mixing method （HTMM） under hydrothermal conditions to study the effect of reaction time on the formation of KNN for three K＋/（K＋ ＋Na＋） ratios of 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and selected area electron diffraction （SAED）, to show the change of phase and morphology of the as-prepared particles with the K＋/（K＋ ＋ Na＋） molar ratio in the solution. Pure Na-rich KNN monoclinic phase and pure K-rich KNN orthorhombic phase could be obtained quickly after mixing the solutions at high temperature when the K＋/（K＋ ＋Na＋） molar ratio was either 0.6 or 0.8. When the K＋/（K＋ ＋Na＋） molar ratio was 0.7, however, the K-rich KNN orthorhombic phase grain formed first, followed by the Na-rich KNN monoclinic phase grain, with the two phases coexisting in the final product.     

Large scale manufacture of magnetic polymer particles using membranes and microfluidic devices

Magnetic polymer particles have found applications in diverse areas such as biomedical treatments, diagnosis and separation technology. These applications require the particles to have controlled sizes and narrow size distributions to gain better control and reproducibility in use. This paper reviews recent developments in the preparation of magnetic polymer particles at nano- and micro-scales by encapsulating magnetic components with dissolved or in situ formed polymers. Particle manufacture using emulsification and embedment methods produces magnetic polymer particles at micro-scale dimensions. However, the production of particles in this range using conventional emulsification methods affords very limited control over particle sizes and polydispersity. We report on alternative routes using membrane and microfluidics emulsification techniques, which have a capability to produce monodisperse emulsions and polymer microspheres （with coefficients of variation of less than 10%） in the range from submicrometer to a few 100 μm. The performance of these manufacturing methods is assessed with a view to future applications.     

Synthesis of mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 magnetic nanomicrospheres

Mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanomicrospheres were synthesized using superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as the core and aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) as the aluminum source. The obtained magnetic nanomicrospheres were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N₂ adsorption–desorption and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The effects of preparation parameters such as hydrolysis time of AIP, concentration of AIP and coating layer number on microspheres were investigated. The results indicated that the mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanomicrospheres consisted of a mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell and a Fe₃O₄ magnetic core. The diameter of γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ nanomicrospheres was about 200 nm, the thickness of mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell was about 5 nm and the average pore size was 3.8 nm. The thickness of the mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell could be controlled via layer-by-layer coating times. The formation mechanism of the mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell involved a “chemisorption–hydrolysis” process.     

Functionalized TiO2@ZrO2@Y2O3 ：Eu3＋ core-multishell microspheres and their photoluminescence properties

TiO2@ZrO2@Y2O3 ：Eu3＋ composite particles with a core-multishell structure were synthesized through the combination of a layer-by-layer （LBL） self-assembly method and a sol-gel process. The obtained sam- ples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and fluorescence spectropho- tometry. The results showed that the composite particles had a core-multishell structure, spherical morphology, and a narrow size distribution. The presence of a ZrO2 layer on the TiO2 core can effec- tively prevent the reaction between the TiO2 core and a Y203 shell; the temperature for the reaction between the TiO2 core and the Y203 shell in the TiO2@ZrO2@Y2O3 ：Eu core-multishell phosphor can be elevated by 300 ℃ compared to that for TiO2@ZrO2：Eu. Upon excitation of the core-multishell particles in the ultraviolet （254 nm）, the Eu3＋ ion in the Y2O3 ：Eu3＋ shell shows its characteristic red emission （611 nm, 5D0→7F2）, and the photoluminescence （PL） intensity of the phosphor with the core-multishell structure was obviously greater than that of the core-shell TiO2@Y2O3 ：Eu phosphor.     

Physical characterization of meloxicam-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex pellets prepared by a fluid-bed coating method

Meloxicam-β-cyclodextrin (ME-β-CD) inclusion complex was prepared by a fluid-bed coating technique upon solvent removal and simultaneous depositing onto the surface of nonpareil pellets and using PVP K30 as a binding agent to facilitate good coating. The resultant pellets were spherical and intact in shape with good flowability and friability. SEM analysis showed that the pellets were smooth and had a tightly coated inclusion complex layer. In vitro dissolution of the inclusion complex pellets in pH 7.4 pho...     

Alkali-activation reactivity of chemosynthetic Al2O3–2SiO2 powders and their 27Al and 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra

Pure Al₂O₃–2SiO₂ powders were prepared by sol–gel and coprecipitation methods, and their alkali-activation reactivities were compared. The alkali-activation reactivity of the powder prepared by the sol–gel method was higher than that of the powder prepared by the coprecipitation method. The powders were investigated by ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR) to understand the relationship between their structure and alkali-activation reactivity. The ²⁷Al MAS NMR data showed that the five-coordinate Al content of the powder prepared by the sol–gel method was higher than that of the powder prepared by coprecipitation. The higher content of five-coordinate Al corresponded to higher alkali-activation reactivity. The ²⁹Si MAS NMR data showed that for the powder prepared by the sol–gel method, silicon was replaced by aluminum at secondary coordination sites of the central Si atoms during calcination. However, for the powder prepared by single-batch coprecipitation, the main change was from a low degree of polycondensation to a high degree of polycondensation.     

Physical characterization of meloxicam-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex pellets prepared by a fluid-bed coating method

Meloxicam-β-cyclodextrin （ME-β-CD） inclusion complex was prepared by a fluid-bed coating technique upon solvent removal and simultaneous depositing onto the surface of nonpareil pellets and using PVP K30 as a binding agent to facilitate good coating. The resultant pellets were spherical and intact in shape with good flowability and friability. SEM analysis showed that the pellets were smooth and had a tightly coated inclusion complex layer. In vitro dissolution of the inclusion complex pellets in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer was dramatically enhanced at an ME/CD ratio of 1/1. DSC and powder X-ray diffractometry proved the absence of crystallinity in the ME/CD inclusion complexes. Moreover, Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry together with Raman spectrometry indicated that the thiazole ring of ME was possibly included in the cavity of β-CD.     

Hydrodynamics and heat transfer characteristics of G–S magnetically stabilized beds consisting of admixtures of shale oil and magnetic particles

The hydrodynamic and heat transfer behavior of a bed consisting of magnetic and shale oil particle admixtures under the effect of a transverse magnetic field is investigated. The phase diagram, bed void fraction are studied under wide range of the operating conditions i.e., gas velocity, magnetic field intensity and fraction of the magnetic particles. It is found that the range of the stabilized regime is reduced as the magnetic fraction decreases. In addition, the bed voidage at the onset of fluidization decreases as the magnetic fraction decreases. On the other hand, Nusselt number and consequently the heat transfer coefficient is found to increase as the magnetic fraction decreases. An empirical equation is investigated to relate the effect of the gas velocity, magnetic field intensity and fraction of the magnetic particles on the heat transfer behavior in the bed.     

Comparison of schemes for preparing magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by means of coprecipitation using NH3·H2O in water and in alcohol, and using NaOH in water. A series of instruments such as SEM, TEM, HRTEM, FT-IR, XRD and VSM were used to characterize the properties of the magnetic nanoparticles.was the longest. The process using NaOH in water was the simplest and the reaction time was the shortest, but the particle characteristics were inferior to those of the other two methods. The mean size of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared by coprecipitation in alcohol was the smallest among the three, but the nanoparticles aggregated severely. The magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated with oleic acid using saturated sodium coated successfully and thoroughly.