Thermal and Radiation Stability in Nanocrystalline Cu.

Nanocrystalline metals have presented intriguing possibilities for use in radiation environments due to their high grain boundary volume, serving as enhanced irradiation-induced defect sinks. Their promise has been lessened due to the propensity for nanocrystalline metals to suffer deleterious grain growth from combinations of irradiation and/or elevated homologous temperature. While approaches for stabilizing such materials against grain growth are the subject of current research, there is still a lack of central knowledge on the irradiation-grain boundary interactions in pure metals despite many studies on the same.

Recovery of Valuable Materials from End-of-Life Photovoltaic Solar Panels.

The disposal of end-of-life (EOL) photovoltaic solar panels has become a relevant environmental issue as they are considered to be a hazardous electronic waste. On the other hand, enormous benefits are achieved from recovering valuable metals and materials from such waste. Eventually, physical and chemical processing will become the most important stages during the recycling process.

A Novel Hydro-Thermal Synthesis of Nano-Structured Molybdenum-Iron Intermetallic Alloys at Relatively Low Temperatures.

Nano-structured Mo/Fe intermetallics were synthesized from precursors that contained 72/28% and 30/70% molar ratios of Mo/Fe, which were given as precursors A and B, respectively. These precursors were prepared from the co-precipitation of aqueous hot solutions of ammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate (AHM) and ferrous oxalate. The dry precipitates were thermally treated using TG-DSC to follow up their behavior during roasting, in an Ar atmosphere of up to 700 °C (10° K/min).

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Gradient Interfaces in Wire Arc Additive Remanufacturing of Hot Forging Die Steel.

Hot forging dies are subjected to periodic thermal stress and often fail in the forms of thermal fatigue, wear, plastic deformation, and fracture. A gradient multi-material wire arc additive remanufacturing method for hot forging dies was proposed to extend the service life of hot forging dies and reduce total production costs. The properties of multi-material gradient interfaces play a critical role in determining the overall performance of the final products.

Rational optimization of g-CN/CoO nanocomposite for enhanced photodegradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible light.

Heterogeneous catalysis is widely known as an efficient, clean, and low-cost technology to mitigate the environmental pollution of industrial effluents. This research aimed at optimizing the preparation and characterization of efficient g-CN/CoO nanocomposite for catalytic removal of Rhodamine B (Rh B) dye. The detected XRD peaks for the prepared nano-CoO are matched with the cubic crystal structure.

Metallurgical investigation of early failure of heater pipes in a gas complex.

An early corrosion failure of the piping system of a gas heater was reported by a gas complex company. Local corrosion rates of 0.90 and 0.

Structural, Optical, and Electrical Investigations of NdO-Doped PVA/PVP Polymeric Composites for Electronic and Optoelectronic Applications.

In this present work, a PVA/PVP-blend polymer was doped with various concentrations of neodymium oxide (PB-Nd) composite films using the solution casting technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to investigate the composite structure and proved the semi-crystallinity of the pure PVA/PVP polymeric sample. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis, a chemical-structure tool, illustrated a significant interaction of PB-Nd elements in the polymeric blends.

Investigations of Abrasive Wear Behaviour of Hybrid High-Boron Multi-Component Alloys: Effect of Boron and Carbon Contents by the Factorial Design Method.

This paper is devoted to the evaluation of the "three-body-abrasion" wear behaviour of (wt.%) 5W-5Mo-5V-10Cr-2.5Ti-Fe (balance) multi-component (C + B)-added alloys in the as-cast condition.

Controlling barrier height and spectral responsivity of p-i-n based GeSn photodetectors arsenic incorporation.

GeSn compounds have made many interesting contributions in photodetectors (PDs) over the last ten years, as they have a detection limit in the NIR and mid-IR region. Sn incorporation in Ge alters the cut off wavelength. In the present article, p-i-n structures based on GeSn junctions were fabricated to serve as PDs.

Effect of heat treatment atmospheres on microstructure evolution and corrosion resistance of 2205 duplex stainless steel weldments.

The effects of post heat treatment atmosphere on microstructure and corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel welded joints were investigated. Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) was carried out with and without protective atmospheres. Nitrogen and argon are used as protective gases individually.

Insights into the mechanism of persulfate activation with carbonated waste metal adsorbed resin for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol.

Superabsorbent resin (SAR) saturated with heavy metals poses a threat to surrounding ecosystem. To promote the reutilization of waste, resins adsorbed by Fe and Cu were carbonized and used as catalysts (Fe@C/Cu@C) to activate persulfate (PS) for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation. The heterogeneous catalytic reaction was mainly responsible for 2,4-DCP removal.

Utilisation of an active branching sucrase from Lactobacillus kunkeei AP-37 to produce techno-functional poly-oligosaccharides.

Glucansucrase AP-37 was extracted from the culture supernatant of Lactobacillus kunkeei AP-37 and characteristics of the glucan produced by the active glucansucrase in terms of structural and functional roles were determined in this study. A molecular weight around 300 kDa was observed for glucansucrase AP-37 and its acceptor reactions with maltose, melibiose and mannose were also conducted to unveil the prebiotic potential of the poly-oligosaccharides formed via these reactions. The core structure of glucan AP-37 was determined by H and C NMR and GC/MS analysis which revealed that glucan AP-37 was a highly branched dextran composing of high levels of (1 → 3)-linked α-d-glucose units with low levels of (1 → 2)-linked α-d-glucose units.

A Fresh One-Step Spray Pyrolysis Approach to Prepare Nickel-Rich Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The Ni-rich layered cathode material LiNiCoMnO (NCM811) with high specific capacity and acceptable rate performance is one of the key cathode materials for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. Coprecipitation, the widely utilized method in the precursor synthesis of NCM811 materials, however, suffers long synthetic processes and challenges in uniform element distribution. The spray pyrolysis method is able to prepare oxide precursors in seconds where all transition-metal elements are well distributed, but the difficulty of lithium distribution will also arise when the lithium salts are added in the subsequent sintering process.

Facile Strategy for Fabricating an Organosilica-Modified FeO (OS/FeO) Hetero-nanocore and OS/FeO@SiO Core-Shell Structure for Wastewater Treatment with Promising Recyclable Efficiency.

The development of a sustainable process for heavy metal ion remediation has become a point of interest in various fields of research, including wastewater treatment, industrial development, and health and environmental safety. In the present study, a promising sustainable adsorbent was fabricated through continuous controlled adsorption/desorption processes for heavy metal uptake. The fabrication strategy is based on a simple modification of FeO magnetic nanoparticles with organosilica in a one-pot solvothermal process, carried out in order to insert the organosilica moieties into the FeO nanocore during their formation.

Experimental and Computational Exploration of Chitin, Pectin, and Amylopectin Polymers as Efficient Eco-Friendly Corrosion Inhibitors for Mild Steel in an Acidic Environment: Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Mechanistic Aspects.

Herein, the inhibition impacts of chitin, pectin, and amylopectin as carbohydrate polymers on the corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 M HCl were researched utilizing various experimental and theoretical tools. The acquired outcomes showed that the inhibition efficiencies (% IEs) of the tested carbohydrate polymers were increased by raising their concentrations and these biopolymers acting as mixed-kind inhibitors with major anodic ones.

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Performance of Two Joints of Medium-Mn Stainless Steel with Low- and High-Alloyed Steels.

In this work, 2 mm thick medium-Mn austenitic stainless steel (MMn-SS) plates were joined with austenitic NiCr stainless steel (NiCr-SS) and low-carbon steel (LCS) using the gas tungsten arc welding technique. A precise adjustment of the welding process parameters was conducted to achieve high-quality dissimilar joints of MMn-SS with NiCr-SS and LCS. The microstructural evolution was studied using laser scanning confocal and electron microscopes.

Effect of Microstructural Evolution on the Mechanical Properties of Ni-Cr-Mo Ultra-Heavy Steel Plate.

In this study, microstructural evolution and its effects on mechanical properties across the thickness of a 120 mm Ni-Cr-Mo industrial ultra-heavy steel plate were quantitatively investigated by means of optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the martensite fraction is 65% at 10 mm and disappears at 40 mm, while granular bainite appears at 35 mm and climbs up to as high as 32% at 60 mm, with M-A constituents significantly coarsened. The strength drops with the gradual coarsening of the laths as well as decreased martensite fraction from the surface to the centre.

Occurrence, Risk, and Source of Heavy Metals in Lake Water Columns and Sediment Cores in Jianghan Plain, Central China.

Heavy metal pollution in lakes is an issue that endangers ecosystems worldwide; however, the vertical properties of heavy metals in the water columns and sediment cores of lakes have been rarely evaluated simultaneously. This study revealed the pollution, risks, and sources of heavy metals from surface water to deep sediments in four typical shallow lakes located in central China. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals, except Hg, had insignificant stratification in the water column.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Coated with Carboxymethyl Chitosan for 5-Fluorouracil Ocular Delivery: Characterization, In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

This study investigates the development of topically applied non-invasive amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles (AMSN) and O-Carboxymethyl chitosan-coated AMSN (AMSN-CMC) for ocular delivery of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Particle characterization was performed by the DLS technique (Zeta-Sizer), and structural morphology was examined by SEM and TEM. The drug encapsulation and loading were determined by the indirect method using HPLC.

Surface Modification of an Absorbable Bimodal Fe-Mn-Ag Alloy by Nitrogen Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation.

Recently, Fe-Mn-based alloys have been increasingly catching the attention of the scientific community, because of their tunable and outstanding mechanical properties, and suitable degradation behavior for biomedical applications. In spite of these assets, their corrosion rate (CR) is, in general, too low to satisfy the requirements that need to be met for cardiovascular device applications, such as stents. In fact, the CR is not always the same for all of the degradation stages of the material, and in addition, a finely tuned release rate, especially during the first steps of the corrosion pattern, is often demanded.

Application of QPPO/PVA based commercial anion exchange membrane as an outstanding adsorbent for the removal of Eosin-B dye from wastewaters.

Commercially available QPPO/PVA based anion exchange membrane (AEM) BIII was to inquire the percentage discharge of anionic dye Eosin-B (EB) at terrain temperature from wastewater. The impact of EB initial concentration, membrane dosage, ionic strength, contact time and temperature on EB percentage removal was contemplated. The EB percentage removal was increased from 22 to 99.