Composition, microstructure, and properties of CrNx films deposited using medium frequency magnetron sputtering

CrN_x films were deposited on stainless steel and Si (1 1 1) substrates via medium frequency magnetron sputtering in a N₂ + Ar mixed atmosphere. The influence of N₂ content on the deposition rate, composition, microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of the as-deposited films was investigated by means of the X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), nanoindentation and tribometer testing. It was found that the N atomic concentration increased and the phase transformed from a mixture of Cr₂N + Cr(N) to single-phase Cr₂N, and then Cr₂N + CrN to pure CrN phase with the increase of N₂ content. The Cr 2p_3/2 and N 1s of XPS spectra also confirmed the evolution of phase. Accordingly, all films exhibited a typical columnar structure which lies in the zone T of Thornton Model. The mixed Cr₂N and Cr(N) phases showed low hardness and high friction coefficient. Cr₂N possessed higher hardness than CrN while CrN exhibited lower friction coefficient.     

Plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on AZ91 magnesium alloy modified by neodymium and its corrosion resistance

Ceramic coatings on the surfaces of Mg-9Al-1Zn (AZ91) magnesium alloy and Mg-9Al-1Zn-1Nd magnesium alloy (AZ91 magnesium alloy modified by neodymium, named as AZ91Nd in this paper) are synthesized in aluminate electrolyte by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process, respectively. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses show the PEO coating on the Mg-9Al-1Zn-1Nd alloy comprises not only MgO and Al₂O₃, which are found in the coating on the AZ91 alloy, but also a trace amount of Nd₂O₃. Microstructure observations indicate the addition of Nd can decrease the sizes of β phases and form Al₂Nd intermetallics in the AZ91 alloy. The fine β phases can effectively restrain the formation of unclosed-holes and greatly decrease the sizes of pores in the coating during the PEO process. In addition, the Al₂Nd intermetallics can be completely covered due to the lateral growth of the PEO coatings formed on the α and β phases. As a result, the coating on the AZ91Nd alloy possesses a dense microstructure compared with that on the AZ91 alloy. The following corrosion tests indicate the corrosion resistance of the PEO coating on the AZ91Nd alloy is evidently higher than that of the PEO coating on the AZ91 alloy.     

PBT／PC共混体系流变性能与形态结构研究

采用毛细管流交仪测定了ＰＢＴ／ＰＣ共混物的表观粘度、剪切应力，观察了不同共混物组成和不同温度下共混物的流变行为，并借助扫描电镜对共混物和微观形态结构进行分析。结果表明：ＰＢＴ／ＰＣ熔体共混物的流变行为接近假塑性流体．温度对共混物的流变行为影响很大，共混物的熔体粘度在ＰＢＴ／ＰＣ为９０／１０和６０／４０时呈双极值．共混物为两相结构，ＰＣ含量为４－５０％时呈两互锁结构。     

Effects of adsorption-induced microstructural changes on separation of xylene isomers through MFI-type zeolite membranes

Various factors were found to affect the performance of MFI-type zeolite membranes in separating xylene isomers (p-xylene, PX; o-xylene, OX) by pervaporation. In this work the effect of membrane microstructure, membrane quality, and pervaporation operating conditions were investigated using three membrane microstructures: random, c-oriented, and h,0,h-oriented. Operation under pervaporation conditions means that high loadings of PX will be present in the framework; therefore, the role of PX–framework and PX–OX interactions needs to be taken into consideration. Single component experiments demonstrated that the order of experimentation with OX and PX will affect the ideal selectivity. Multi-component studies showed that membrane performance is highly dependent on the relative concentration of the isomers in the feed; the higher the PX concentration the lower the selectivity observed. However, although high selectivity (18) was observed at low PX concentrations in the feed, it was not stable over time. Similar trends were observed for all membrane microstructures but differences in the selectivity values occurred. The structural deformation caused by high loadings of PX into the silicalite crystal affects each microstructure differently, ultimately leading to differences in performance.     

Mn doped ZnO nanostructured thin films prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method

Mn-doped ZnO thin films with different percentage of Mn content (0, 1, 3 and 5 at.%) and substrate temperature of 350 °C, were deposited by a simple ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method under atmospheric pressure. We have studied the structural and optical properties by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultra-violet visible near infrared (UV–Vis-NIR) spectroscopy. The lattice parameters calculated for the Mn-doped ZnO from XRD pattern were found to be slightly larger than those of the undoped ZnO, which indicate substitution of Mn in ZnO lattice. Compared with the Raman spectra for ZnO pure films, the Mn-doping effect on the spectra is revealed by the presence of additional peak around 524 cm⁻¹ due to Mn incorporation. With increasing Mn doping the optical band gap increases indicating the Burstein–Moss effect.     

Study on microstructure and mechanical properties relationship of short fibers/rubber foam composites

Research on short fibers/rubber foam composites is rarely found in the literature. In this paper, microcellular rubber foams unfilled (MF), strengthened by pretreated short fibers (MFPS) and untreated short fibers (MFUS) are prepared, respectively. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the three composites have been studied via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mechanical testing, respectively. The SEM results show that both pretreated and untreated short fibers disperse uniformly in the composites and in bidimensional orientation. Moreover, the pretreated short fibers have much better adhesion with the rubber matrix than untreated ones. The experimental results also indicate that the introduction of short fibers is mainly responsible for the great enhancement of most mechanical properties of the microcellular rubber foams, and the good interfacial adhesion of the short fibers with the matrix contributes to the more extensive improvement in the mechanical properties. It is also found that the reinforcement effect of short fibers to compressive modulus strongly depends on the density of microcellular rubber foams, the orientation of short fiber and the deformation ratio. The compressive modulus of microcellular rubber foams at the normalized density less than 0.70 and beyond 0.70 is predicted by the modified Simple Blending Model and the Halpin-Kerner Model, respectively. The theoretically predicted values are in good accordance with the experimental results.     

苯并三唑对水泥砂浆中钢筋的阻锈作用

应用腐蚀电位(E_corr)、极化电阻(R_p)和砂浆保护层电阻率(ρ_c)研究了苯并三唑(BTA)对钢筋电极腐蚀电化学行为的影响. 通过电化学阻抗谱(EIS)、循环极化(CP)和循环伏安(CV)结果对比了BTA与NaNO₂ (SN)对钢筋电极在未处理、预锈蚀和内掺氯盐3种状态下3.5% (w)氯盐浸泡360 d后的阻锈效率. 利用环境扫描电镜(ESEM)与能谱分析(EDS)解释了BTA对水泥基材料中钢筋的阻锈机理. 结果表明: 3种状态下BTA均能明显降低砂浆中钢筋的均匀腐蚀速率, 且其阻锈效率高于SN. 在未处理与预锈状态下, BTA抑制点蚀的能力稍弱于SN; 但在内掺氯盐的状态下, BTA表现出了较大的点蚀阻力. BTA除了能在钢筋表面形成复杂的保护膜, 从而有效抑制氯盐的破钝化作用. ESEM/EDS结果表明BTA还能与砂浆基体形成较多富钙C-S-H凝胶, 可能优化了钢筋/砂浆界面区的孔结构, 形成更致密的微观结构, 显著延缓了氯盐向钢筋表面的传输进程, 较好地保护了钢筋. 适量的BTA对砂浆360 d的基本力学性能无明显影响.     

Crystallization of MgFe2O4 from a glass in the system K2O/B2O3/MgO/P2O5/Fe2O3

Spherical magnetic Mg-Fe-O nanoparticles were successfully prepared by the crystallization of glass in the system K₂O/B₂O₃/MgO/P₂O₅/Fe₂O₃. The magnetic glass ceramics were prepared by melting the raw materials using the conventional melt quenching technique followed by a thermal treatment at temperatures in the range 560–700 °C for a time ranging from 2 to 8 h. The studies of the X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and FTIR spectra confirmed the precipitation of finely dispersed spherical (Mg, Fe) based spinel nanoparticles with a minor quantity of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) in the glass matrix. The average size of the magnetic nano crystals increases slightly with temperature and time from 9 to 15 nm as determined by the line broadening from the XRD patterns. XRD studies show that annealing the glass samples for long periods of time at temperature ≥604 °C results in an increase of the precipitated hematite concentration, dissolution of the spinel phase and the formation of magnesium di-borate phase (Mg₂B₂O₅). For electron microscopy, the particles were extracted by two methods; (i) replica extraction technique and (ii) dissolution of the glass matrix by diluted acetic acid. An agglomeration of the nano crystals to larger particles (25–35 nm) was observed.     

浅海小掠射角的海底界面声反向散射模型的简化

在浅海,尤其是负梯度声速剖面和海面较为平静的浅海波导,海底界面反向散射是浅海混响的主要来源.经验散射模型只适用于分析浅海混响平均强度衰减特性,而基于物理机理建立的反向散射模型克服了这一缺陷,但同时也引入了其受地声模型约束的问题.本文结合了海底反射系数的三参数模型,对浅海远场海底反向散射模型进行了简化,以减少地声模型的输入参数.理论分析了海底反射系数的相移参数可以描述海底对声场的散射作用,无需任何海底地声参数的先验知识.通过对海底反向散射模型近似简化,结果表明在临界角附近和甚小掠射角范围内的海底粗糙界面反向散射模型的角度特性和强度特性受海底沉积层的影响不同:在临界角附近,海底反向散射的角度特性受海底反射系数的相移参数加权,而其散射系数则近似与相移参数无关;对于甚小掠射角,海底反向散射的角度特性近似与海底反射系数的相移参数无关,其散射系数则近似与相移参数的4次方成正比.     

Structure factor of ferrofluids with chain aggregates: Theory and computer simulations

In this paper we present theoretical and simulation results on the structure factor of mono- and bidisperse ferrofluids with chain aggregates, both with and without an applied external magnetic field. Chain distribution is obtained by the density functional theory (DFT). The radial distribution function (RDF) is calculated directly on the basis of the chain distribution and Fourier transformed to calculate the structure factor. An extensive comparison of the theoretical predictions to the results of the molecular dynamics computer simulations is provided. The proposed combined approach allows to elucidate the connection between experimentally observed small angle neutron scattering (SANS) images and the ferrofluid microstructure.