How reduction temperature influences the structure of perovskite-oxide catalysts during the dry reforming of methane.

Dry reforming of methane is a promising reaction to convert CO and combat climate change. However, the reaction is still not feasible in large-scale industrial applications. The thermodynamic need for high temperatures and the potential of carbon deposition leads to high requirements for potential catalyst materials.

Thermomechanical properties of confined magnetic nanoparticles in electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber matrix exposed to a magnetic environment: structure, morphology, and stabilization (cyclization).

Electrospun metal oxide-polymer nanofiber composites hold promise for revolutionizing biomedical applications due to their unique combination of electronic and material properties and tailorable functionalities. An investigation into the incorporation of Fe-based nanofillers for optimizing the polyacrylonitrile matrix was conducted, where the systematic and organized arrangement of inorganic components was achieved through non-covalent bonding. These carefully dispersed nanomaterials exhibit the intrinsic electronic characteristics of the polymers and concurrently respond to external magnetic fields.

Light-Driven, Reversible Spatiotemporal Control of Dynamic Covalent Polymers.

Dynamic covalent polymer networks exhibit a cross-linked structure like conventional thermosets and elastomers, although their topology can be reorganized through externally triggered bond exchange reactions. This characteristic enables a unique combination of repairability, recyclability and dimensional stability, crucial for a sustainable industrial economy. Herein the application of a photoswitchable nitrogen superbase is reported for the spatially resolved and reversible control over dynamic bond exchange within a thiol-ene photopolymer.

Synergistic Strengthening Mechanisms of Dual-Phase (TiN+AlN) Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites Prepared by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

Dual-phase reinforcing approach provides a novel and efficient strategy for the fabrication of advanced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs). The devisable and desirable performance could be achieved by tuning dual-phase reinforcing system. However, it is still challenging to design a dual-phase reinforcing system with synergistic strengthening effect, especially for the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) characterized by nonequilibrium metallurgical process.

Challenges and opportunities in managing biodegradable plastic waste: A review.

Biodegradable plastics have certain challenges in a waste management perspective. The existing literature reviews fail to provide a consolidated overview of different process steps of biodegradable plastic waste management and to discuss the support provided by the existing legislation for the same. The present review provides a holistic overview of these process steps and a comprehensive relative summary of 13 existing European Union (EU) laws related to waste management and circular economy, and national legislations plus source separation guidelines of 13 countries, to ensure the optimal use of resources in the future.

The Microstructure and Properties of Ni60/60% WC Wear-Resistant Coatings Prepared by Laser-Directed Energy Deposition.

Ni60/60% WC composite coatings with a good surface roughness and high mechanical properties were successfully prepared on 316L stainless steel substrate by laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) technology. The effects of laser power on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the Ni60/60% WC composite coating were investigated. The relationships between the chemical composition, the microstructure, the hardness, and the friction wear resistance of the composite coatings were characterized and investigated.

Reliability, Objectivity, Validity, and Reference Levels of the Austrian Pole Climbing Test (APCT)-A Novel Monitoring Tool for Assessing General Fitness in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.

Climbing is an activity involving many major muscle groups and, therefore, it is suitable for assessing general physical fitness. The Austrian pole climbing test (APCT) was developed as a reliable and valid test for the assessment of general fitness levels in children, adolescents, and young adults. In this cross-sectional pilot study, 677 participants (aged 6 to 19 years) were assessed via the APCT.

Microscale manipulation of bond exchange reactions in photocurable vitrimers with a covalently attachable photoacid generator.

Vitrimers are polymer networks with covalent bonds that undergo reversible exchange reactions and rearrange their topology in response to an external stimulus. The temperature-dependent change in viscoelastic properties is conveniently adjusted by selected catalysts. In these thermo-activated systems, the lack in spatial control can be overcome by using photolatent catalysts.

Ultrasonic field-assisted metal additive manufacturing (U-FAAM): Mechanisms, research and future directions.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology that provides unprecedented design freedom and manufacturing flexibility for the forming of complex components. Despite its unparalleled advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, the existence of fatal issues still seriously hinders its large-scale industrial application. Against this backdrop, U-FAAM is emerging as a focus, integrating ultrasonic energy into conventional metal AM processes to harness distinctive advantages.

Development of a Screening Platform for Optimizing Chemical Nanosensor Materials.

Chemical sensors, relying on changes in the electrical conductance of a gas-sensitive material due to the surrounding gas, typically react with multiple target gases and the resulting response is not specific for a certain analyte species. The purpose of this study was the development of a multi-sensor platform for systematic screening of gas-sensitive nanomaterials. We have developed a specific Si-based platform chip, which integrates a total of 16 sensor structures.

A Review of Gas Sensors for CO Based on Copper Oxides and Their Derivatives.

Buildings worldwide are becoming more thermally insulated, and air circulation is being reduced to a minimum. As a result, measuring indoor air quality is important to prevent harmful concentrations of various gases that can lead to safety risks and health problems. To measure such gases, it is necessary to produce low-cost and low-power-consuming sensors.

Effect of Laser Power on Microstructure and Properties of WC-12Co Composite Coatings Deposited by Laser-Based Directed Energy Deposition.

During the laser-based directed energy deposition (DED-LB) processing, a WC-12Co composite coating with high hardness and strong wear resistance was successfully prepared on a 316L stainless steel substrate by adopting a high-precision coaxial powder feeding system using a spherical WC-12Co composite powder, which showed a large number of dendritic carbides and herringbone planar crystals on the substrate-binding interface. The influences of laser power on microstructural and mechanical properties (e.g.

Deep learning revealed statistics of the MgO particles dissolution rate in a CaO-AlO-SiO-MgO slag.

Accelerated material development for refractory ceramics triggers possibilities in context to enhanced energy efficiency for industrial processes. Here, the gathering of comprehensive material data is essential. High temperature-confocal laser scanning microscopy (HT-CLSM) displays a highly suitable in-situ method to study the underlying dissolution kinetics in the slag over time.

Strain Field Around Individual Dislocations Controls Failure.

Understanding material failure on a fundamental level is a key aspect in the design of robust structural materials, especially for metals and alloys capable to undergo plastic deformation. In the last decade, significant progress is made in quantifying the stresses associated with failure in both experiments and simulations. Nonetheless, the processes occurring on the most essential level of individual dislocations that govern semi-brittle and ductile fracture are still experimentally not accessible, limiting the failure prediction capabilities.

Effect of Surface Contamination on Near-Infrared Spectra of Biodegradable Plastics.

Proper waste sorting is crucial for biodegradable plastics (BDPs) recycling, whose global production is increasing dynamically. BDPs can be sorted using near-infrared (NIR) sorting, but little research is available about the effect of surface contamination on their NIR spectrum, which affects their sortability. As BDPs are often heavily contaminated with food waste, understanding the effect of surface contamination is necessary.

Evaluating Source Complexity in Blended Milk Cheese: Integrated Strontium Isotope and Multi-Elemental Approach to PDO Graviera Naxos.

Graviera Naxos, a renowned cheese with Protected Designation of Origin status, is crafted from a blend of cow, goat, and sheep milk. This study focused on assessing the Sr isotopic and multi-elemental composition of both the processed cheese and its ingredients, as well as the environmental context of Naxos Island, including samples of milk, water, soil, and feed. The objective was to delineate the geochemical signature of Graviera Naxos cheese and to explore the utility of Sr isotopes as indicators of geographic origin.

Determination and improvement of the quality of separately collected bio-waste from households.

The recycling of bio-waste from households is an essential factor in achieving the recycling quotas for municipal waste laid down by the EU. A major problem is posed by impurities in the bio-waste collected, such as plastics, metals and glass. It is virtually impossible for compost producers to produce quality-assured compost from bio-waste with an impurity content of more than 3 wt%.

Mapping the composite nature of clay matrix in mudstones: integrated micromechanics profiling by high-throughput nanoindentation and data analysis.

Unlabelled: Mudstones and shales serve as natural barrier rocks in various geoenergy applications. Although many studies have investigated their mechanical properties, characterizing these parameters at the microscale remains challenging due to their fine-grained nature and susceptibility to microstructural damage introduced during sample preparation. This study aims to investigate the micromechanical properties of clay matrix composite in mudstones by combining high-speed nanoindentation mapping and machine learning data analysis.

Electro-tuned catalysts: voltage-controlled activity selection of bimetallic exsolution particles.

In this work, we show how the activity states of bimetallic Ni-Fe catalysts exsolved from NdCaFeNiO (NCFNi) can be influenced electrochemically. The NCFNi parent oxide was employed in the form of thin film mixed conducting model electrodes, which were operated in a humid hydrogen atmosphere. By precisely controlling the oxygen chemical potential in the parent oxide electrode applying an electrochemical polarisation, we managed to selectively exsolve Ni nanoparticles from the perovskite lattice and study their catalytic activity switching characteristics.

Revealing the Role of Mo Leaching in the Structural Transformation of NiMo Thin Film Catalysts upon Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

NiMo alloys are considered highly promising non-noble Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) catalysts. Besides the synergistic effect of alloying elements, recent attention is drawn to the Mo leaching from the catalyst. This work investigates the role of Mo in NiMo alloys during HER, aiming to understand the interplay between compositional, structural, and electronic factors on the activity, and their effects on the electrode material and catalyst properties.

Probing the interaction range of electron beam-induced etching in STEM by a non-contact electron beam.

Beside its main purpose as a high-end tool in material analysis reaching the atomic scale for structure, chemical and electronic properties, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is increasingly used as a tool to manipulate materials down to that very same scale. In order to obtain exact and reproducible results, it is essential to consider the interaction processes and interaction ranges between the electron beam and the involved materials. Here, we show in situ that electron beam-induced etching in a low-pressure oxygen atmosphere can extend up to a distance of several nm away from the Ångström-size electron beam, usually used for probing the sample.

Ab initio framework for deciphering trade-off relationships in multi-component alloys.

While first-principles methods have been successfully applied to characterize individual properties of multi-principal element alloys (MPEA), their use in searching for optimal trade-offs between competing properties is hampered by high computational demands. In this work, we present a framework to explore Pareto-optimal compositions by integrating advanced ab initio-based techniques into a Bayesian multi-objective optimization workflow, complemented by a simple analytical model providing straightforward analysis of trends. We benchmark the framework by applying it to solid solution strengthening and ductility of refractory MPEAs, with the parameters of the strengthening and ductility models being efficiently computed using a combination of the coherent-potential approximation method, accounting for finite-temperature effects, and actively-learned moment-tensor potentials parameterized with ab initio data.

Optimization Strategy for Process Design in Rubber Injection Molding: A Simulation-Based Approach Allowing for the Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Vulcanizates.

Selecting the optimal settings for the production of rubber goods can be a very time-consuming and resource-intensive process. A promising method for optimizing rubber processing in a short period of time is the use of simulation routines. However, process simulations have only recently enabled meaningful predictions of not only the part's state of cure but also its mechanical characteristics.