Sb-doped SnO₂ (ATO) thin films have been prepared using the spin coating method by selecting the proper amount of acetylacetone as solution modifier. All ATO powders and films exhibited the cassiterite rutile-like structure in a crystal size below 10 nm under all the experimental conditions and a nonpreviously reported crystal structure was observed at high acetylacetone loads. The acetylacetone molar ratio influenced notably the optical and electrical properties of ATO films. When prepared at an acetylacetone molar ratio of 4, ATO films exhibited optical transparencies above 90% in the visible region and above 40% in the UV region for thicknesses of 100 and 300 nm. Films in a thickness of 100 nm and at an annealing temperature of 650 °C accounted for a high transparency of 97% in the visible wavelength. Films prepared at an acetylacetone molar ratio of 4 exhibited an electric resistivity of 1.33×10^-3 Ω·cm at an annealing temperature of 650 °C. The optimal Sb content for ATO films was found to be 8 at%. The relationships among the properties of starting solutions, the experimental parameters, and properties of ATO films are discussed.

Iridium dioxide with different morphologies (nanorod and nanogranular) is successfully prepared by a modified sol-gel and Adams methods. The catalytic activity of both samples for oxygen reduction reaction is investigated in an alkaline solution. The electrochemical results show that the catalytic activity of the nanogranular IrO₂ sample is superior to that of the nanorod sample due to its higher onset potential for oxygen reduction reaction and higher electrode current density in low potential region. The results of Koutecky-Levich analysis indicate that the oxygen reduction reaction catalyzed by both samples is a mixture transfer pathway. It is dominated by four electron transfer pathway for both samples in high overpotential area, while it is controlled by two electron transfer process for both samples in low overpotential area.

Intrinsic carrier concentration (n _i) is one of the most important physical parameters for understanding the physics of strained Si and Si_1-xGe _x materials as well as for evaluating the electrical properties of Si-based strained devices. Up to now, the report on quantitative results of intrinsic carrier concentration in strained Si and Si_1-xGe _x materials has been still lacking. In this paper, by analyzing the band structure of strained Si and Si_1-xGe _x materials, both the effective densities of the state near the top of valence band and the bottom of conduction band (N _c and N _v) at 218, 330 and 393 K and the intrinsic carrier concentration related to Ge fraction (x) at 300 K were systematically studied within the framework of KP theory and semiconductor physics. It is found that the intrinsic carrier concentration in strained Si (001) and Si_1-xGe _x (001) and (101) materials at 300 K increases significantly with increasing Ge fraction (x), which provides valuable references to understand the Si-based strained device physics and design.

Layered cathode materials of high-temperature lithium batteries, LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂ are synthesized by a sol-gel method with variation in final sintering temperature for borehole applications. The structure, morphology and high-temperature discharge performance of these resulting products are investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size analysis, galvanostatic and pulse discharge. The results of structural analysis indicate that the sample sintered at 800 °C has the characteristics of good crystallinity, narrow size distribution and large specific surface area at the same time. The discharge experiments also indicate that this sample has the best electrochemical properties, with the maximum discharge capacities of 314.57 and 434.14 mAh·g^-1 at 200 and 300 °C respectively and the minimum cell internal resistances at both temperatures.

This work aimed to research the structure models of amorphous materials. Five amorphous and paracrystalline samples (natural or artificial) were investigated via ²⁹Si/²⁷Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDS). The results of NMR showed the resonances of different specimens: -93.2 ppm, -101.8 ppm, -111.8 ppm for natural pozzolana opal shale (POS). These peaks were assigned to the Q²(2OH), Q³(OH)/Q⁴(1Al) and Q⁴ respectively. The results of ²⁷Al MAS NMR indicated that Al substituted for Si site in tetrahedral existing in the POS, while the Al/Si atomic ratio in opal was low (around 0.04). For the alkali-silicate-hydrate gel, there were at least three resolved signals assigned to Q⁰ and Q¹, respectively. For the fused silica glass powder, there were the primary signals centered about at the range from -107 to -137 ppm, which were assigned to Q⁴ units. In addition, the peaks at around -98 and -108 ppm were corresponding to Q³(1OH) and Q⁴ units existing in aerogel silica structure.

Silica aerogel materials are well recognized for their superinsulation performance and are regarded as one of the hot candidates to revolutionize building insulation. To date, high production cost related to exorbitant precursors as well as cumbrous multi-step hydrophobization process has often narrowed the field of applications. In this work, granular silica aerogel materials were synthesized by extracting SiO₂ from recycled rich silicon coal gangue, followed by one-step hydrophobization and ambient pressure drying. Lightweight (about 0.16 g/cm³) and nanostructural aerogels were obtained through this route. They exhibit a 3D open porous microstructure with around 600 cm²/g surface area and 20 nm of the average pore diameter, thermal conductivity of 4-5 mm packed granules is 20-25 mW/(m·K), which was proved by both guarded hot plate and hot-wire transient methods. This study offers a new facile route for the synthesis of silica aerogel from recycled solid waste coal gangue and suggests a method, which may lead to a cost reduction in terms of industrial production.

In order to research the field sensing characteristic of the carbon fiber smart material, the Tikhonov regularization principle and the modified Newton-Raphson(MNR) algorithm were adopted to solve the inverse problem of the electrical resistance tomography (ERT). An ERT system of carbon fiber smart material was developed. Field sensing characteristic was researched with the experiment. The experimental results show that the specific resistance distribution of carbon fiber smart material is highly consistent with the distribution of structural strain. High resistance zone responds to high strain area, and the specific resistance distribution of carbon fiber smart material reflects the distribution of sample strain in covering area. Monitoring by carbon fiber smart material on complicated strain status in sample field domain is realized through theoretical and experimental study.

Ferrum niobate was synthesized by solid-phase sintering method in a vacuum carbon tube furnace at 1 300 °C for 180 min. The phase transformation of ferrum niobate carbothermal reduction process was studied by XRD. The reduction reactions of ferrum niobate in different temperature stages were determined by the TG-DSC curve. Meanwhile, according to the TG curve, the reaction kinetics parameters were calculated by A.W.Coats integration and the control steps in different temperature stages were ascertained. The results showed that the reduction of ferrum niobate starts at the temperature of 1 000 °C, and the reduction process carries out in two steps according to sintering temperature.In a temperature range of 1 000-1 238 °C (the first step), the main reduction products are NbO₂ and Fe; the kinetic equation of initial stage is [-ln(1-α)]⁴=kt, controlled by nucleation growth, and the apparent activation energy is 388 kJ/mol; with the temperature increasing, the kinetic equation is α+(1-α)ln(1-α)=kt, which is the Valensi two-dimensional diffusion kinetic equation, and the apparent activation energy is 264.4 kJ/mol. The main reaction in a range of 1 238-1 344 °C(the second step) is the reduction of NbO₂ to NbC, the kinetic equation is [(1-α)^-1/3-1]²=kt, which is controlled by the three-dimensional diffusion, and the apparent activation energy is 482.7 kJ/mol.

The resistivity of Hg_0.89Mn_0.11Te has been measured by the superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer in the temperature range from 5 to 200 K under the applied magnetic field of 1, 2, 4 and 6.5 Tesla, respectively, compared with that of no-magnetic field. The results show that the resistivity increases with increase applied magnetic field at higher temperature from 80 to 200 K, but decreases at lower temperature from 5 to 25 K. There exists a transitive range from 25 to 80 K, where the variation of the resistivity shows different tendencies depending on the strength of magnetic field. Maximum difference of resistivity under 6.5 Tesla from that without magnetic field in the temperature range from 30 to 200 K is only about 5 Ω·cm, but it increases up to 3 orders of magnitude at 5 K. The analysis shows that the variation of resistivity of Hg_0.89Mn_0.11Te under the magnetic field is the algebraic sum of the transverse direction magnetoresistance effect and the sp-d exchange interaction effect. TDRME plays major role in the high temperature range. However, with the decrease of temperature, the effect of sp-d EI on the resistivity gradually exceeds that of the transverse direction magnetoresistance effect through the transitive range, and becomes the dominant effect in the temperature range from 5 to 25 K, which leads to the dramatic decrease of resistivity.

A series of Cd_1-xZn _xS/K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀ composites were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection (UV-Vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The composite structures consisted of Cd_1-xZn _xS nanoparticles evenly distributed on the surface of K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀. The absorption edge of K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀ shifted to the visible light region upon introduction of the Cd_1-xZn _xS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated by hydrogen production under visible light irradiation. The prepared Cd_0.8Zn_0.2S(30wt%)/K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀ exhibited higher photocatalytic activity, evolving 6.92 mmol/g H₂ under visible light irradiation for 3 h. The promoted photocatalytic activity of the composites was attributed to the synergistic effect between Cd_1-xZn _xS and K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀, which resulted in enhanced separation of photogenerated electrons and holes.

Dry separation of iron mineral from low-grade coal-series kaolin in Hubei Province of China was investigated. The structure and chemical composition of the kaolin ore were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses. The narrow particle size range classification, dry magnetic separation and calcination were carried out to evaluate the particle size distribution, and the relation between the content of iron and the whiteness. Experimental results revealed that the highest content of iron (3.70%) in kaolin ore was in the particle size range from 60 to 74 μm, and pyrite was the main occurrence of iron in the kaolin ore. Dry magnetic separation showed that the removal rate of iron in kaolin ore could be increased obviously after calcination, and the rate of iron removal was 60% in the particle size range from 60 to 74 μm. As pyrite can be transformed into hematite through calcination, thermodynamic studies and XRD analysis showed that the maximum content of hematite was obtained at 900 °C, which would be more beneficial to magnetic separation.

New visible transparent, UV absorption, and high infrared reflection properties have been realized by depositing multilayer SiO₂/ZnO: Al/CeO₂-TiO₂/SiO₂ films onto glass substrates at low temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Optimum thickness of SiO₂, ZnO: Al (ZAO) and CeO₂-TiO₂ (CTO) films were designed with the aid of thin film design software. The degree of antireflection can be controlled by adjusting the thickness and refractive index. The outer SiO₂ film can diminish the interference coloring and increase the transparency; the inner SiO₂ film improves the adhesion of the coating on the glass substrate and prevents Ca²⁺, Na⁺ in the glass substrate from entering the ZAO film. The average transmittance in the visible light range increases by nearly 18%-20%, as compared to double layer ZAO/CTO films. And the films display high infrared reflection rate of above 75% in the wavelength range of 10-25 μm and good UV absorption (> 98%) properties. These systems are easy to produce on a large scale at low cost and exhibit high mechanical and chemical durability. The triple functional films with high UV absorption, antireflective and high infrared reflection rate will adapt to application in flat panel display and architectural coating glass, automotive glass, with diminishing light pollution as well as decreasing eye fatigue and increasing comfort.

The development of convenient method to obtain graphene-based nanocomposites is a key issue for their application. Herein, we described a facile route for synthesizing graphene-Cu and graphene-Cu₂O nanocomposites using graphene oxide-CuO as a precursor. Remarkably, the different nanocomposites could be formed just by varying the reaction temperature and time. This work provides a feasible route for the preparation of graphene-based nanocomposites with various constituents.

The thermodynamic phase stability area diagrams of BCl₃-NH₃-SiCl₄-H₂-Ar system were plotted via Factsage software to predict the kinetic experimental results. The effects of parameters (i e, partial pressure of reactants, deposition temperature and total pressure) on the distribution regions of solid phase products were analyzed based on the diagrams. The results show that: (a) Solid phase products are mainly affected by deposition temperature. The area of BN+Si₃N₄ phase increases with the temperature rising from 650 to 900 °C, and decreases with the temperature rising from 900 to 1 200 °C; (b) When temperature and total pressure are constants, BN+Si₃N₄ phase exists at a high partial pressure of NH₃; (c) The effect of total system pressure is correlated to deposition temperature. The temperature ranging from 700 to 900 °C under low total pressure is the optimum condition for the deposition. (d) Appropriate kinetic parameters can be determined based on the results of thermodynamic calculation. Si–B–N coating is obtained via low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that B–N and Si–N are the main chemical bonds of the coating.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have potential applications in many fields, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an effective method for CNTs preparation. By CVD, the catalytic pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis time and the size of the raw gas flow have a great influence on yield rate of CNTs and their form. In this paper, the orthogonal experiment analysis method is used for studying the influence factors of yield rate of CNTs. Research results show that, in the suitable temperature range of preparing CNTs, there is relatively more CNTs with excellent morphology, otherwise, if the temperature is too low, the growth of CNTs will not be sufficient; if the temperature is too high, then CNTs will be generated with excessive defects; with longer growth time of suitable pyrolysis of CNTs, higher yield of CNTs will be obtained; CNTs morphology with reaction time is not proportional; too low or too high raw gas flow rate is not conducive to the growth of CNTs. We have found the optimum conditions for the CNTs preparation: pyrolysis temperature 680 °C, pyrolysis time 35 min, propylene flow rate of 180 mL/min. The results have a reference value for the preparation of CNTS and their composites.

Adopting a ceramic/polymer multilayer structure design to simulate the structure of nacre is usually believed to be an effective way to increase the toughness of ceramic composites at the expense of the material's bending strength. However, in this study, we found that both the bending strength and the toughness could be improved simultaneously when using a certain Al₂O₃/Kevlar multilayer composite design compared to pure alumina samples with the same dimensions. The fracture behaviour of the Al₂O₃/Kevlar multilayer composite was studied to find a reason for this improvement. The results showed that the complex and asymmetrical stresses occurring in the Kevlar-reinforced layers were the main reason for the differences in fracture behaviour. We expect our results to open up new ways for the design of future high performance ceramic composites.

Wear resistances of CO₂ corrosion product films formed on P110 carbon steel at different CO₂ partial pressures were investigated in water sand two-phase flow by weight loss method, and the microstructures and compositions of corrosion product films were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The results showed that the wear rate of CO₂ corrosion product films increased until a maximum and then decreased with the increasing of the film-forming pressure, and the maximum occurred at 2 MPa. However, the maximal corrosion rate and the loose and porous CO₂ corrosion product films were obtained at 4 MPa. And the wear rate decreased and then went to be flat with increasing test time. Furthermore, the microstructures and compositions of corrosion product films and the impact and wear of sand particles played an important role on wear resistances. In addition, the wear rate and corrosion rate were fitted by cubic polynomial, respectively, which were well in accordance with the measured results.

To explore the effects of mechanical activation methods (ball mill, planetary mill and rod mill) on the oxidation and the spontaneous combustion of pyrite, the kinetic curves of non-activated pyrite and mechanically activated pyrite were created by simultaneous thermal analysis. The structural characteristics and changes of mechanically activated pyrite were investigated by X-ray diffraction and SEM, and the relationship between the mean diameter and the grinding time was obtained by using a laser particle size analyzer. The kinetic model of pyrite and the kinetic parameters were deduced using Bagchi method. The relationship between the kinetic parameters indicates that, pyrite activated by ball milling shows the best thermal stability at the same diameter. By comparing and analyzing the X-ray diffraction patterns, results show that different mechanical activation ways played different roles in structural changes of pyrite.

The mechanical behavior and failure mechanism of recycled semi-flexible pavement material were investigated by different scales method. The macroscopic mechanical behavior of samples was studied by static and dynamic splitting tensile tests on mechanics testing system (MTS). The mechanical analysis in micro scale was carried out by material image analysis method and finite element analysis system. The strains of recycled semi-flexible pavement material on samples surface and in each phase materials were obtained. The test results reveal that the performance of recovered asphalt binder was the major determinant on the structural stability of recycled semi-flexible pavement material. The asphalt binder with high viscoelasticity could delay the initial cracking time and reduce the residual strain under cyclic loading conditions. The failure possibility order of each phase in recycled semi-flexible pavement material was asphalt binder, reclaimed aggregate, cement paste and virgin aggregate.

In order to evaluate the feasibility of using phase change materials to reduce the inner temperature rise of mass concrete, the interior temperature of normal concrete specimen under semi-adiabatic curing condition was measured. The effect of embedding phase change material (PCM) and replacing water with suspension of phase change material (SPCM) as cooling fluid were compared in the experiment. The cooling effect and the affecting factors were analyzed and calculated. The research results showed that the peak of inner temperature could be decreased obviously by the method of pre-embeding PCM in concrete, however, this method is only effective in the initial stage of cement hydration process. Besides, the volume of PCM is rather big and the PCM can not be used circularly, which means that this method can only be used under special condition and the feasibility is low. When SPCM was used as cooling fluid, the interior temperature rise of mass concrete was reduced more effectively, and the temperature grads peak around the cooling pipe was also reduced. Besides, both the SPCM consumption amount and the circulation time were decreased, and most important is that the SPCM is recyclable. The technical and economical feasibility of using SPCM to reduce the inner temperature rise of mass concrete is high.

Chemical admixtures are of paramount importance to the performance of modern cement based composites. In this paper, we performed a series of tests to investigate the effects of chemical admixtures on the cement asphalt mortar (CA mortar), i e, compressive strength, frost resistance, permeability, fatigue resistance, pore structure and microstructure. In particular, two types of chemical admixtures were tested, i e, defoamer (tributyl phosphate (TBP)) and polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PS). The results indicate that the addition of TBP and PS eliminates big bubbles and promotes small non-connected pores forming in matrix. Besides, an optimum dosage of TBP and PS may be determined with respect to the frost resistance, permeability and fatigue resistance of CA mortar. Further elaborative discussions are presented as well as experimental evidences from mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy.

The reinforcement/matrix interfacial strength has been considered as the key factor when glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bar is mixed with concrete. In this paper, based on micromechanics, four-point bending numerical models with and without glass fiber of different interfacial strength have been set up to simulate the damage process of GFRP reinforced concrete beam. The results show that the higher the interfacial strength is, the higher the ultimate bearing capacity of beams, and the less the opening width and height of cracks will be reached. Furthermore, mixing of glass fibers has less influence on the damage process when the interfacial strength is weak, however, it can help to improve the ultimate bearing capacity of the beams, retard the expansion of cracks and improve the toughness when the interfacial strength is high.

A series of polycarboxylate-based superplasticizers (PCs) with different structures were synthesized and the effects of chemical structure on zeta potential and rheological property of cement paste were studied. Residual monomers in each sample of PCs were quantitatively determined. The property of the polymers in cement was tested by micro-electrophoresis apparatus and R/S rheometer. Results showed that the zeta potential and its rheological properties are related with the side-chain length and density of PCs. The PCs having shorter side chain and lower side chain density exhibit higher anionic charge density, thus resulting in higher zeta potential. The effect of side chain density on zeta potential is more notable compared with that of side-chain length, and thus affecting the initial shear yield stress and apparent viscosity of the cement paste. In addition, although increasing the side chain length will result in reduction of the anionic charge density, the steric hindrance effect is obvious, which can effectively improve the dispersion of the cement particles, and reduce the viscosity and shear yield stress of slurry.

The effect of hydrothermal curing regimes on the hydration characteristics of slag cement containing different ratios of cement kiln dust has been studied. The samples for this study were combination of slag cement and cement kiln dust (5%-25%) without and with immobilization of 5% Cr (VI) by mass. Pastes were hydrothermally treated at 180 °C for different periods (2-24 h) in well closed stainless steel capsule. The hydration characteristics of these pastes were studied by measuring the compressive strength, bulk density, total porosity and combined water content. The findings were further supported by XRD and SEM analysis. The results indicated that the hydration characteristics of slag cement paste containing cement kiln dust 10% by mass were enhanced, especially at later ages (24 h) of hydration. That is due to the hydrothermal curing regimes of immobilized pastes accelerating hydration reactions and precipitation of CaCrO₄, indicating that Cr (VI) can be solidified in the cement paste. This precipitation leads to pore formation in hydrated slag cement pastes.

In order to facilitate the development and application of air entraining agents (AEA) in the high performance concrete, entrained air void structure parameters (air void size range from 10 to 1 600 μm) of 28 d sifted mortar were measured by image analysis method. The relationship between the air void size distribution and strength of mortar was studied by methods of grey connection analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The multiple linear regression equation was established with a correlation coefficient of 0.966. The weight of the affection of hierarchical porosity on the compressive strength ratio was also obtained. In addition, the effect of air voids on the paste-aggregate interfacial transition zone (ITZ) was analyzed by microhardness. The results show that the correlation between different pore size range and the compressive strength is negative. The effect of air void size distribution on 28 days compressive strength is different: under the condition of similar total porosity, with the increase of the porosity of the air void size, ranging from 10 to 200 μm, and the decrease of the porosity, ranging from 200 to 1 600 μm, the average air void diameter and mean free spacing are decreased; as well as the width of ITZ. On the contrary, the microhardness of the ITZ is increased while the compressive strength loss is decreased.

Experimental investigations on mechanical property and durability of sulphoaluminate cement concrete with aggregate gradations according to Fuller distribution are presented in this paper. Compressive strength, water impermeability and resistance capability to sulfate attack of SACC have the same trend of concrete with fine aggregates of Fuller distribution gradation<concrete with coarse aggregates of Fuller distribution gradation<concrete with total aggregates of Fuller distribution gradation. The relationship between bulk density of aggregate and water penetration depth obeyed the second-order polynomial y=0.002x ²-6.863 8x +5 862.3, and had a notable correlation R ²=0.979 9. The sulphoaluminate cement concrete with total aggregate gradation with Fuller distribution for h=0.50 had the best resistance capability to sulfate attack. It was a second-order polynomial relationship between bulk density of aggregates and water penetration depth of y=0.002x ²-6.863 8x+5 862.3 with R ²=0.979 9, which indicated notable correlation. The fitting formula between bulk density of aggregates and sulfate resistance coefficient of SACC was y=0.000 5x+0.370 4 with R ²=0.958 5.

To research the dynamic mechanical properties and road performances of flame retardant asphalt mortars and mixtures, four different asphalt mortars/mixtures were prepared: a reference group and three asphalt mortars/mixtures containing composite flame retardant materials (M-FRs) of different proportions. Temperature sweep, frequency sweep, repeated creep test, force ductility test and bending beam rheological test were carried out to research the dynamic mechanical properties of asphalt mortars containing M-FRs; wheel-tracking test, low-temperature bending test and freeze-thaw split test were used to study the road performances of asphalt mixtures containing M-FRs. The results show that high-temperature performances of the three flame retardant asphalt mortars improve greatly, while low-temperature cracking resistances decline. Both high-temperature performances and water stabilities of asphalt mixtures containing M-FRs are quite good and exceed the specification requirements. However, their low-temperature performances decline in different degrees. In summary, besides their good flame retardancy, the flame retardant asphalt mortars and mixtures also exhibit acceptable road performance.

The influence of Al content on microstructure characterization and indentation hardness testing behavior of Mg-8Sn-xAl(x=1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%)-1Zn alloys was investigated by optical microscope, Pandat software, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry and a microhardness testing equipment. The results can be summarized as follows: when the Al content is 1 wt%, the alloy is composed of α-Mg and Mg₂Sn phases; while the new phase of Mg _x(AlZn)_1-x can be observed and the morphology of Mg₂Sn phase transfers from the semi-continuous network to the dispersed particles with further addition of Al content to 2 wt% and 3 wt%. The dendrite arm spacing (DAS) deceases firstly and then slightly increases with the increase of Al content. The micro-hardness of Mg-8Sn-xAl(x=1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%)-1Zn also increases with increasing of Al content. Moreover, the indentation size effect (ISE) in Vickers hardness for Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn alloy was observed with the applied test load ranging from 0.490 to 4.903 N.

The mathematical model of flow shear constitutive relation during rheo-rolling process has been established. The distribution of velocity and shear stress in rolling cavity was investigated, and the effects of process parameters on shear stress of Sn-15Pb alloy during rheo-rolling process were studied. In rolling cavity, the nearer the roll is, the bigger the velocity and shear stress are. The shear stress increases with the increment of the roll speed and the roll radius during rheo-rolling process, but deceases with the increment of the thickness of the strip. When the solid fraction of Sn-15Pb alloy increases from 0.3 to 0.5, the shear stress increases slowly, but when the solid fraction increases from 0.5 to 0.6, the shear stress rapidly.

Synchronous rolling-casting freeform manufacturing for Metal (SRCFMM) means that the refined liquid metal is continuously pressed out from the bottom of crucible. There is a horizontal movable plate beneath the outlet. The clearance between the outlet and the plate is about several hundred micrometers. SRCFMM, similar to additive manufacturing, implies layer by layer shaping and consolidation of feedstock to arbitrary configurations, normally using a computer controlled movable plate. The primary dendritic crystal is easily crushed by movement of substrate in the rolling-casting area. ZL104 was used as the test materials, determining the control temperature by differential scanning thermal analysis (DSC), preparing a kind of samples by SR CFMM, then analyzing microstructures and mechanical property of the samples. Characteristics and distribution of the primary particles were assessed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) and image analysis software. Mechanical property of the samples was assessed by vickers hardness. The results show that the samples fabricated by SRCFMM have uniform structures and good performances with the velocity of the substrate controlled about 10 cm/s and temperature at about 580 °C.

Niobium was electrodeposited on 316 stainless steel bipolar plates of a fuel cell in water and air-stable choline chloride based ionic liquids. The electrochemical corruption property of bipolar plates in simulated PEMFC environment was investigated. It was showed that the plating film was distributed on the surface of 316 stainless steel like isolated islands with height less than 50 nm. The XPS, XRD results showed that a smooth and strong chemical inert film of NbO and Nb₂O₅ was formed on the surface of 316 stainless steel. In simulated cathodic condition, the corrosion potential of Nb coated stainless steel was improved by 244 mV, whilst in an anodic condition, it was improved by 105 mV. The current densities for the coated 316 stainless steel were decreased to 2.479 4 μA•cm^-2 from 14.810 μA•cm^-2 at -0.1 V and to 0.576 μA•cm^-2 from 13.417 μA/•cm^-2 at 0.6 V, respectively. It was implied that the niobium coating effectively decreased the corrosion rate. The results of the electrochemical tests indicated that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel was greatly improved after coated with niobium.

The composites based on the TiO₂ are potentially used in wetland pollution control. In this work, the biological effect of the Ag/AgBr/TiO₂/Active carbon (AC) composites was studied on the plasmid DNA and Tetrahymena membrane. The atomic force micrograph (AFM) images showed that, in the presence of the composites under illumination, most pUC18 DNA molecules showed quite different topography and were opened and relaxed circle shapes. After DNA was catalyzed for 40 min, all supercoiled and circular DNA were changed into the linear DNA molecules. The gel electrophoresis experiment confirmed the results and demonstrated the dynamic process of DNA degradation. ATR-FTIR spectra revealed that amide groups and PO₂ ⁻ of the phospho-lipid phospho-diester on Tetrahymena surface were oxidized in the presence of the composites under illumination. An increase in the fluorescence polarization of DPH was observed, reflecting a significant decrease in membrane fluidity of Tetrahymena.

The adsorption behavior of heparin and fibronectin was studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), and the interaction between heparin and fibronectin was evaluated using immunochemistry and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurement. The results showed that there was competitive adsorption between heparin and fibronectin, and the preadsorption of fibronectin could prevent subsequent heparin adsorption to some extent, and the adsorbed Hep/Fn complex on the surface was in a rigid form. The bioactivity of heparin and fibronectin could be affected by the bulk concentration of each, and both heparin and fibronectin in Hep/Fn complex formed under pH 4 condition displayed larger bioactivity than that formed under pH 7 condition. Moreover, the fibronectin showed more exposed cell-binding sites at the pH value lower than physiological condition. The results of ITC further suggested that the interaction between heparin and fibronectin under pH 4 was stronger than under pH 7, and the complex was also more stable. The study brings forth the detailed interaction between heparin and fibronectin, which will be helpful for better understanding the interaction mechanism of the two biomolecules. The results may be potentially useful for the development of new generation of cardiovascular biomaterials.

Polyaniline (PANI) was one of the most extensively studied adsorbents due to its low cost and good environmental stability. The objective of the current study was to improve the selective capabilities of PANI for anionic dyes. We found that the acid doped PANI prepared with hydrochloric acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) could selectively adsorb anionic dyes. It exhibited very good selectivity for OG dye, the mechanism was proposed based on the chemical interaction of PANI with the sulfonate group of the dyes. The effects of solution pH, initial dye concentration, and different HCl/PTSA mole ratios on the adsorption capacity of OG have been investigated. Kinetic simulations indicated that the adsorption process could be well represented by pseudo-second-order kinetic plots. The isothermal adsorption curve fitting also showed that the adsorption process could be well described by the Langmuir isothermal equation. The results showed that acid doped PANI could be employed as a promising adsorbent for anion removal from dye wastewater.

Four-armed amphiphilic block copolymers, polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PS-b-PNIPAM)₄, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). (PS-b-PNIPAM)₄ self-assembled into micelles with PS block as core and thermoresponsive PNIPAM block as corona. The gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with average diameter about 5.8 nm were immobilized on the surfaces of the micelles by the reduction of the corresponding ions. The micelle-supported gold nanoparticles (Au-micelles) were applied to catalyze the reduction of p-nitrophenol. Moreover, the activity of the Au-micelle catalyst could be modulated by the temperature and the Au-micelles could be easily recovered by changing the temperature and recycled four times with high catalytic activity.

One conjugated polymer consisting of carbazole and 3-hexylthiophene moiety, poly (N-Hexyl-2,7-di(2-(4-hexylthiophene)carbazole) (PNDC), has been synthesized by ferric chloride oxidative polymerization. The monomer N-Hexyl-2,7-di(2-(4-hexylthiophene)carbazole was synthesized and characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and MS. UV-vis absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, photoluminescence spectrum and electrochemical properties of the polymer were investigated. Polymer PNDC shows maximum peak appearing at 394 nm in UV-vis absorption spectrum, strongest fluorescence-emission at 482 nm in fluorescence spectrum and maximum emission peak at 492 nm in photoluminescence spectrum. The band-gap (E _g), HOMO energy (E _HOMO), and LUMO energy (E _LUMO) of the polymer were obtained as 2.58, -5.32, and -2.74 eV, respectively.

Kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) over CaTiO₃ was studied. Effects of the solution pH, the MB concentration, the CaTiO₃ dosage, and the type of light source on photocatalytic degradation rate of MB over CaTiO₃ were investigated in detail. The results show that photocatalytic degradation of MB over CaTiO₃ followed the first-order reaction. The apparent rate constant (k _obs) of MB significantly increased with increasing solution pH while it greatly decreased with increasing MB concentration. The k _obs of MB increased with increasing CaTiO₃ dosage from 0.05 to 0.1 g, whereas it slightly decreased with increasing CaTiO₃ dosage in the range of 0.1-0.4 g. The k _obs of MB under UV-visible light irradiation was larger by factors of 2.2 than that under visible light irradiation. The k _obs of MB was (4.8±0.3)×10^-1 h^-1 under optimal conditions with the solution pH of 11, the MB concentration of 1 ppm, the CaTiO₃ dosage of 0.1 g, and UV-visible light irradiation.

Starch/polylactic acid (PLA) composites were prepared by melt extrusion, with corn starch and PLA as raw materials, glycerol as the plasticizer. Effects of starch/PLA ratio on the interdependence of two-phase and other properties of the composites were studied. The combination of results of TGA with SEM indicated that the interdependence between starch and PLA was increased gradually as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature (T _g), melting temperature (T _m) and degree of crystallinity of PLA in composites were increased gradually, whereas the cold crystallization temperature (T _c) was gradually decreased as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. The rheological properties of composites were closely related with the interdependence of two-phase, with reducing starch/PLA proportion, the interdependence was increased, and then the strain for storage modulus was firstl reduced and then gradually increased. Frequency scanning showed that the storage modulus and complex viscosity were decreased with reducing starch content. As the starch/PLA ratio reduced, the matrix phase PLA was increased, so that the strength of composites was increased gradually, whereas water absorption rate was decreased gradually.