Co-reporter:Shan-Long Chen, Jie Tao, Hai-Bo Shu, Hai-Jun Tao, Yu-Xin Tang, Yi-Zhou Shen, Tao Wang, Lei Pan
Journal of Power Sources 2017 Volume 341() pp:60-67
Publication Date(Web):15 February 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.11.107
•The Cu3SnS4 material possesses metallic characteristic and high catalytic ability.•The Cu3SnS4 nanosheet film was in-situ grown on FTO substrate uniformly.•The DSSCs assembled with acquired CE exhibited a better PCE than Pt.The density-functional theory calculations in this work clearly revealed that the kuramite-structure Cu3SnS4 material possessing the metallic characteristic, result in the higher charge transfer between I3− ions and the Cu3SnS4 surfaces, and the rapid redox transfer reaction of I3−/I− in dye-sensitized solar cells system. Then, a feasible and mild solution method was proposed to in-situ synthesize Cu-rich kuramite-structure Cu3SnS4 thin film on FTO substrate, and the acquired thin film was used directly as counter electrode to assemble dye-sensitized solar cells without any post-treatments. The obtained-Cu3SnS4 nanosheet film had good bonding strength, expanded surface area, low photoelectron charge transfer resistance at the counter electrode/electrolyte interface, and great catalytic activity toward the reduction of I3−/I− ions. Power conversion efficiency of 7.80% was obtained by utilizing Cu3SnS4 nanosheet as counter electrode, which was superior to that of Pt electrode (6.52%). Our results demonstrate the earth-abundant and low-cost kuramite Cu3SnS4 is an alternative Pt-free counter electrode material in dye-sensitized solar cells.
Co-reporter:Shen Yizhou, Tao Haijun, Lin Yuebin, Zeng Xiaofei, ... Pan Lei
Rare Metal Materials and Engineering 2017 Volume 46, Issue 1(Volume 46, Issue 1) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 January 2017
DOI:10.1016/S1875-5372(17)30071-1
TiO2/Al2O3 composite coatings were prepared on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by micro-arc oxidation in the Na2SiO3-(NaPO3)6-NaAlO2 solution. The growth process reveals that O2- reacts rapidly with Ti4+ (from substrate) along the reaction channels to form TiO2, and because of the addition of AlO2−, Al2O3 and Al2TiO5 are simultaneously formed. Al2TiO5 is immediately decomposed into rutile TiO2 and α-Al2O3 owing to the high thermal energy caused by discharge. Finally the prepared composite phase coatings are mainly composed of anatase TiO2, rutile TiO2 and α-Al2O3 via XRD analysis. Furthermore, the microhardness HV increases and maintains at about 11 000 MPa, and the wear resistance of the TiO2/Al2O3 composite coatings is enhanced by about 9.5 times than higher that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy owing to the existence of ceramic layer.
Co-reporter:Guanyu Wang, Yizhou Shen, Jie Tao, Xinyi Luo, Mingming Jin, Yuehan Xie, Zhengzhou Li, Shiming Guo
Surface and Coatings Technology 2017 Volume 329(Volume 329) pp:
Publication Date(Web):25 November 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2017.09.055
•The research provides a facile combined strategy to construct micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces.•Systematic valuations on comprehensive ice-phobicity and corrosion resistance were performed.•The special interface state induced the robust ice-phobicity and corrosion resistance.This work introduces a facile method to fabricate a superhydrophobic aluminum surface with hierarchical micro-nanostructures based on a combination strategy of chemical etching and sand blasting. Comparing with the bare substrate, the micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic surface possessed an excellent resistance to wettability with water apparent contact angle as high as 160.2° and a low contact angle hysteresis of 6.7°. Also, it displayed a perfect bouncing dynamic of impact droplet with a short contact time of approximately 10 ms. Furthermore, the testing results of anti-icing and corrosion resistance indicated that the micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic surface was endowed with the robust anti-icing property and corrosion resistance. The freezing delay time was prolonged over 10 times comparing with that on the bare substrate, and the anti-frosting property was enhanced with the obviously decreased frosting area. Expectedly, the micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic surface was demonstrated to have a commendable resistance to corrosion, exhibiting a lower corrosion current density and a higher corrosion potential, as well as damage-free under 3.5 wt% NaCl salt spray environment. These investigations are believed that there is a certain extent promotion to applications of superhydrophobic surface, especially in the fields of anti-icing and corrosion prevention.Download high-res image (66KB)Download full-size image
Co-reporter:Guanyu Wang;Yizhou Shen;Xinyi Luo;Liqing Zhang;Yiping Xia
RSC Advances (2011-Present) 2017 vol. 7(Issue 16) pp:9981-9988
Publication Date(Web):2017/01/30
DOI:10.1039/C6RA28298A
Herein, we report a novel route to fabricate a robust anti-icing superhydrophobic surface with a hierarchical nanoflake–micropit structure (constructed by a combination of lithography processing and chemical etching methods) on an aluminum substrate. Moreover, the superhydrophobicity and icephobicity were systematically explored based on a comparative study with different structured surfaces prepared under four different processing conditions. Results indicated that the icephobicity and superhydrophobicity of the hierarchically structured surfaces were superior to those of the single-structured surfaces, and the superhydrophobic hierarchically structured surface exhibited high non-wettability, with an apparent contact angle as high as approximately 173° and a sliding angle as low as about 4.5°. In addition, for this surface, ice adhesion strength was greatly reduced to 75 kPa. Therefore, we reasonably believe that the superhydrophobic surface with a hierarchical nanoflake–micropit structure possesses an excellent water repellency and excellent anti-icing properties, displaying an ideal platform for applications in the aviation industry.
Co-reporter:Liang Qin, Jin Wang, Qian Wu, Xunzhong Guo, Jie Tao
Journal of Alloys and Compounds 2017 Volume 712(Volume 712) pp:
Publication Date(Web):25 July 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.04.063
•In-situ observation was performed to investigate the crack process of Ti/Al composite laminates.•A stress analytical model was built to explain the fracture mechanism further.•The fracture mode was mainly determined by the different characterizations of each layer.•The deformation rule was obtained which could be applied to similar multilayer systems.The main aim of this work is to explore and analyze the crack initiation and propagation in Ti/Al composite laminates during the in-situ tensile test. The Ti/Al composite laminates were fabricated using explosive welding method, and the morphology and elemental distribution of the bonding interface were then investigated by means of SEM and EDS. Subsequently, in-situ tensile test results showed that the intermetallic compounds could form at the interface of Ti/Al composite laminates, and also could easily induce the initiation of microcrack under tensile forces. Furthermore, the microcracks almost propagated along the 45° angle with the tensile direction to Ti layer rather than Al layer. These features of microcracks mainly attributed to the hard and brittle phase (TiAl3) and the plasticity distinction between Ti and Al metals. Finally, the fracture mechanism was mainly about the crack initiation and the stress concentration in the Ti/Al composite laminates.
Co-reporter:Xue-Long Fu, Yu-Bing Hu, Hua-Guan Li, Jie Tao
Materials Science and Engineering: A 2017 Volume 697(Volume 697) pp:
Publication Date(Web):14 June 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.msea.2017.04.100
Neutron shielding fibre metal laminates (NSFMLs) containing 10–50 wt% of boron carbide (B4C) powder were fabricated using hot molding process, and the effects of experimental temperature on the thermal and mechanical properties of composite laminates were investigated in this work. Thermal stability of composite laminates was conducted with thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and their mechanical properties were also measured. The testing results indicated that good interfacial adhesion between different layers, uniform distribution of B4C particles and carbon fibres tightly surrounded by polyimide (PI) resin were crucial to the mechanical properties of composite laminates. TGA-DSC results illustrated the scarcely mass loss of composite laminates below 300 °C, yet began to decompose when it exceeded over 390 °C. Moreover, tensile strength of the NSFMLs degraded with the increasing of experimental temperature and the volume fraction of B4C powder. Double bear shear (DBS) testing results showed that the NSFMLs with 30 wt% of B4C powder had the maximum interlaminar shear value, while the primary delamination zone occurred at the interface between two layered carbon fibre reinforced prepregs (CFRPs). The composite laminates still maintained the good interlaminar shear strength even at 300 °C.
Co-reporter:Liang Qin;Hui Wang;Shengqiang Cui;Qian Wu
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2017 Volume 26( Issue 7) pp:3579-3587
Publication Date(Web):16 June 2017
DOI:10.1007/s11665-017-2785-5
The Ti/Al laminate composites were prepared by hot pressing to investigate the forming performance due to the corresponding potential applications in both the aerospace and auto industry. The bonding interface morphology and element distributions were characterized by SEM and EDS. The phase constituent was detected by XRD. It was observed that these composites presented good bonding interfaces between Ti and Al layers, and no low-sized voids and intermetallic compounds formed at the interface. In addition, the formability of these laminate composites was studied by the uniaxial tension tests, the limit drawing ratio (LDR) and the forming limit curve (FLC) experiments, respectively. The results indicated that the flow stress increased along with the strain rate increment. A constitutive equation was developed for deformation behavioral description of these laminate composites. The LDR value was 1.8, and the most susceptible region to present cracks was located at the punch profile radius. The forming limit curve of the laminate composites was located between the curves of titanium and aluminum and intersected with the major strain line at approximately 0.31. The macroscopic cracks of the FLC sample demonstrated a saw-toothed crack feature.
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen;Guanyu Wang;Chunling Zhu;Senyun Liu;Mingming Jin;Yuehan Xie;Zhong Chen
Advanced Materials Interfaces 2017 Volume 4(Issue 22) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2017/11/01
DOI:10.1002/admi.201700836
AbstractMaterials decorated by the hierarchical micro-nanostructures similar to lotus leaf surface topographies are firmly considered to possess the substantial anti-icing functions, showing icing-delay and low ice adhesion. Here, the aim of this work is to verify the anti-icing capacity in the actual icing environment containing supercooled airflow. This study, therefore, develops both routes to fabricate the hierarchical micro-nanostructure and single nanostructure superhydrophobic surfaces, and first evaluates their anti-icing capacity based on the routine measuring strategies in laboratory. Also, the potential application environment is modeled and used to verify their anti-icing performance for further guiding rational design of surface structures of anti-icing materials. Due to the double-scale effect, the hierarchical micro-nanostructure can induce more air pockets to produce the higher hydrophobicity and anti-icing capacity based on the big reference droplets (diameter > 2 mm) and even static water. However, the verified results in the potential application environment demonstrate that the hierarchical micro-nanostructure exhibits the inferior anti-icing performance, comparing with the single nanostructure. The icing area on the single nanostructure surface is almost half of that on the hierarchical micro-nanostructure surface, also causing a reduction of ≈26 g in icing mass.
Co-reporter:Minyu Fan;Weiwei Yu;Wentao Wang
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2017 Volume 26( Issue 1) pp:277-284
Publication Date(Web):18 November 2016
DOI:10.1007/s11665-016-2410-z
Thin-multilayer Ti/Al laminates were prepared by one-step explosive bonding method to investigate the interface bonding and mechanical properties owing to their potential application in aerospace and auto industry. It was found that Ti/Al laminates prepared at the detonation velocity of 2100 m/s exhibited superior surface quality without any defects in comparison with other detonation velocities owing to the optimum explosive pressure and impact velocity. The interface morphologies and element distribution of Ti/Al laminates prepared at the detonation velocity of 2100 m/s were characterized by means of SEM and EDS. The results indicated that the linear and wavy bonding interface coexisted and element diffusion occurred in the interfacial zone. Furthermore, thin-multilayer Ti/Al laminates possessed high microhardness, excellent interlaminar shear and tensile properties.
Co-reporter:Xunzhong Guo;Bo Li;Kai Jin;Hui Wang
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 2017 Volume 93( Issue 9-12) pp:4399-4407
Publication Date(Web):07 August 2017
DOI:10.1007/s00170-017-0855-3
Numerical simulations and practical experiments on the preparation of Inconel 625 superalloy spindly reducer tube are conducted in this work to explore the plastic rheology and the microstructure variation of the material. The effect of the spinning parameters (roller nose radius, spindle speed, and roller axial feed) on outer diameter, roundness, and thickness of the product is analyzed by design of experiment (DOE) techniques. The results indicate that the axial feed is the most important parameter to affect tube forming quality, followed by nose radius and spindle speed. Then, the reducer tube is manufactured based on the simulation results. The microstructure of the reducer tube is also characterized by optical microscopy. It is found that the grain distribution is different in longitudinal and transverse direction.
Co-reporter:Shan-Long Chen, Ai-Chun Xu, Jie Tao, Hai-Jun Tao, Yi-Zhou Shen, Lu-Min Zhu, Jia-Jia Jiang, Tao Wang and Lei Pan
Green Chemistry 2016 vol. 18(Issue 9) pp:2793-2801
Publication Date(Web):19 Jan 2016
DOI:10.1039/C5GC02814K
Kesterite-structure Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) has been proved to be a high-performance Pt-free counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, a green but powerful two-step method based on solvothermal treatment was proposed to synthesize semi-transparent two-dimensional (2D) leaf-like CZTS plate arrays (PLAr) in situ on a FTO glass substrate, without any post-treatments, such as annealing, toxic sulfurization, or coating with other ancillary materials. The growth mechanism of the 2D leaf-like CZTS PLAr based on solvothermal treatment was illustrated. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.09% was obtained by utilizing leaf-like CZTS PLAr as the CE. Surprisingly, the PCE increased to 8.67% assisted by a mirror reflection. The excellent performance of DSSCs could be attributed to the high catalytic surface area, fast photo-generated electron transport at the counter electrode/redox electrolyte interface, remarkable electrocatalytic activity for I3− reduction, low charge transfer resistance toward the reduction of I3− ions, and high diffusion coefficient of the I3−. This work provides a green and feasible approach to construct high-quality metal sulfide nanoarrays on arbitrary conductive substrates under mild conditions (i.e. low temperature, no annealing, green, speediness) and promotes the development of Pt-free sulfide materials for sustainable photovoltaic applications.
Co-reporter:Xueling Ma, Yuxin Tang, Haijun Tao, Yuekun Lai, Yanyan Zhang, Xinran Zhou, Zhisheng Lv, Zhiqiang Zhu and Jie Tao
CrystEngComm 2016 vol. 18(Issue 20) pp:3725-3733
Publication Date(Web):19 Apr 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6CE00499G
A uniform spatially distributed Ag/AgCl nanostructure on a hierarchical titanate microsphere (TMS) was rationally designed for visible light-driven water purification. The hierarchical TMS was firstly prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method, and then the AgCl nanoparticles were grown on the surface of TMS via a unique ion-exchange method. Eventually, anti-aggregated Ag/AgCl/TiO2 microsphere hybrid photocatalysts were obtained after heat treatment and light irradiation. The Ag/AgCl/TiO2 microsphere treated at 400 °C exhibits the best photocatalytic activity, which is six times better than that of pure Ag/AgCl. This is attributed to the uniform spatial distribution of Ag/AgCl nanoparticles, better light absorption efficiency within the hierarchical microsphere, and better separation of photo-generated charges with the synergistic effect of TiO2 microspheres and Ag/AgCl. More impressively, a free-standing and segregative membrane made of Ag/AgCl/TiO2 microspheres also shows excellent photocatalytic performance in degrading methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) dyes under visible range radiation. Our results validate that the as-prepared Ag/AgCl/TiO2 microsphere plasmonic photocatalyst provides an efficient way to realize organic pollutant removal under visible light.
Co-reporter:Shan-Long Chen, Jie Tao, Hai-Jun Tao, Yi-Zhou Shen, Ai-Chun Xu, Fang-Xu Cao, Jia-Jia Jiang, Tao Wang and Lei Pan
Dalton Transactions 2016 vol. 45(Issue 11) pp:4513-4517
Publication Date(Web):15 Feb 2016
DOI:10.1039/C5DT04690D
Semi-transparent rounded Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanosheet networks were in situ grown on a FTO glass substrate, via an effective solution method, without any post-treatments. An improved power conversion efficiency of 6.24% was obtained by applying CZTS nanosheet networks as a counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. When assisted by a mirror reflection, the PCE increased to 7.12%.
Co-reporter:Huaguan Li, Yubing Hu, Xuelong Fu, Xingwei Zheng, Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao
Composite Structures 2016 Volume 152() pp:687-692
Publication Date(Web):15 September 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.05.098
The effect of adhesive quantity on the failure behavior and mechanical properties of fiber metal laminates based on the aluminum–lithium alloys (NFMLs) was investigated to optimize the manufacture process and further recognize the interface interaction. The NFMLs with different adhesive quantities (0 g/m2, 20 g/m2, 40 g/m2, 60 g/m2) were prepared primarily. Then, the influence of adhesive quantity on the interlaminar, tensile, flexural and fatigue properties of NFMLs was studied respectively. Also, the failure behaviors of NFMLs under different loading conditions were revealed. The results indicated that the adhesive layers significantly enhanced the interlaminar properties of the NFMLs within the investigated quantities. Moreover, the reasonable adhesive quantity also greatly improved the mechanical properties of the laminates, while an excessive amount deteriorated the performance. For the different properties, the peak values appeared under different adhesive quantities. Besides, the changing mechanical properties followed with the variation of failure mode. From the engineering perspective, the adhesive quantity of 40 g/m2 is optimal to achieve the excellent performance of NFMLs.
Co-reporter:Xuelong Fu, Xiaobin Tang, Yubing Hu, Huaguan Li, Jie Tao
Journal of Nuclear Materials 2016 Volume 475() pp:227-236
Publication Date(Web):July 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.04.021
•A novel neutron shielding fibre metal laminates (NSFMLs) with different lay-ups was successfully fabricated using hot molding process.•Mechanical properties of the NSFMLs were performed in accordance with relative standards.•Neutron transmission of the NSFMLs was conducted according to the testing results.•The effect of carbon fibres on the neutron transmission of the NSFMLs was also investigated.A novel neutron shielding fibre metal laminates (NSFMLs) with different lay-ups, composed of stacking layers of AA6061 plates, neutron shielding composite and carbon fibre reinforced polyimide (CFRP), were fabricated using hot molding process in atmospheric environments. The microstructure, mechanical properties and neutron transmission of the NSFMLs were evaluated, respectively. The results indicated that the NSFMLs possessed good mechanical properties owing to the good interfacial adhesion of the components. Tensile strength and elastic modulus of the NSFMLs increased with the numbers of lay-ups, while the elongation to fracture exhibited obvious declining tendency. Flexural strength and modulus of the NSFMLs were improved obviously with the increasing of stacking layers. Neutron transmission of the NSFMLs decreased obviously with increasing the number of lay-ups, owing to the increase of 10B areal density. Besides, the effect of carbon fibres on the neutron shielding performance of the NSFMLs was also taken into consideration.
Co-reporter:Xianjun Sun;Xuming Su;Patricia Tibbenham;Jianghui Mao
Journal of Polymer Research 2016 Volume 23( Issue 5) pp:
Publication Date(Web):2016 May
DOI:10.1007/s10965-016-0980-y
The warpage of injection molded part strongly depends on the shrinkage property, which is highly dominant by the Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) curves. Accurate description of PVT curves is essential for running the simulation of warpage. The standard PVT curves are measured at different pressure for the isotactic polypropylene, which are modified with the help of crystallizing curves obtained by the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) tests at different cooling rate. The user subroutine UEXPAN is coded to describe the modified PVT curves and implemented into the FEA model for warpage prediction in Abaqus. The simulated deflection of a plaque is performed and compared with the one measured by the coordinate measuring machine (CMM). It is concluded that the specific volume at high cooling rate varies slower with the temperature than that at low cooling rate and thus the predicted deflection with modified PVT data decreases significantly with increasing cooling rate. This numerical observation matches well with the experimental result. The warpage decreases when the crystallinity increases from 33 to 60 %. The plaque has the lowest peak deflection when the cooling rate is 60 °C/min. The system is built successfully for the warpage prediction of injection molded part.
Co-reporter:Dandan Du, Yubing Hu, Huaguan Li, Cheng Liu, Jie Tao
Composites Part B: Engineering 2016 Volume 91() pp:65-74
Publication Date(Web):15 April 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.12.049
This paper studied a thermoplastic-based fiber metal laminate (FML) prepared via a hot-pressing process utilizing titanium foils, carbon fiber reinforced PEEK prepregs, and PEEK films (interface bonding layers). The open-hole tensile progressive damage and failure mechanisms were investigated by numerical and experimental methods. During the simulation, we employed three failure criterions for titanium (ductile damage), prepregs (a progressive damage in terms of strains), and interface bonding layers (cohesive model) to predict the failure of the laminates. In the experiments, the damage behavior was further verified. The open-hole tensile strength and stress–strain response agreed well with the numerical results. It was found that fiber breakage along the loading direction initiated after yield point of the laminates, following by matrix damage. When the applied load reached the ultimate value, the delamination between the titanium layer and the fiber layer propagated to the entire section, causing titanium fracture. The validated model can also be used on other notched or bolted FMLs with similar structure.
Co-reporter:Huaguan Li, Yubing Hu, Cheng Liu, Xingwei Zheng, Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2016 Volume 84() pp:36-42
Publication Date(Web):May 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.01.004
The effect of thermal fatigue on the mechanical properties of the novel fiber metal laminates (FMLs) based on aluminum–lithium alloy was investigated. The results indicated that no obvious delamination or defects were observed in the novel FMLs exposed to 1000 cycles. The samples treated with different cycles still exhibited stable and excellent interlaminar properties comparing with the as-manufactured ones. Furthermore, the tensile and flexural strength of the FMLs even increased with the thermal fatigue cycles owing to the positive age hardening behavior of aluminum–lithium layer. The homogeneous and fine precipitation of T1 phases dominated the strengthening effect of aluminum–lithium alloy. Besides, the novel FMLs after thermal fatigue treatments still possessed the similar resistance to fatigue crack growth (FCG) when compared with the as-manufactured ones. The slight changes in the properties of aluminum–lithium layers had no detrimental effect on the FCG.
Co-reporter:Cheng Liu, Dandan Du, Huaguan Li, Yubing Hu, Yiwei Xu, Jingming Tian, Gang Tao, Jie Tao
Composites Part B: Engineering 2016 Volume 97() pp:361-367
Publication Date(Web):15 July 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.05.003
In this paper, interlaminar failure behavior of GLARE-3/2-0.3 laminates under short-beam three-point-bending load were investigated with various span length-to-specimen thickness ratios (L/h). Failure modes and damage characteristics at different loading stages were observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to assess the failure behavior. It was found that failure modes changed accordingly with varying L/h ratios. A valid shear dominant failure mode was obtained at the L/h ratio of 8. Moreover, there were significant differences in failure modes and damage characteristics among three GLARE variants. The results also showed that lay-up configuration of glass/epoxy layer strongly affected load-deflection response, especially the failure load, and corresponding failure mode.
Co-reporter:Wentao Wang;Minyu Fan;Jinlong Li
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2016 Volume 25( Issue 3) pp:774-780
Publication Date(Web):2016 March
DOI:10.1007/s11665-016-1905-y
The corrugated sandwich structure, consisting of a CP Ti (commercially pure titanium) core between two Ti-6Al-4V face sheets, was brazed using pasty Ti-37.5Zr-15Cu-10Ni as filler alloy, at the temperature of 870°C for 5, 10, 20, and 30 min. The effect of brazing time on the microstructure and elemental distribution of the brazed joints was examined by means of SEM, EDS, and XRD analyses. It was found that various intermetallic phases were formed in the brazed joints, following a brazing time of 5 min, and their contents were decreased by the increment of brazing time, while prolonged brazing time resulted in a fine, acicular Widmanstätten microstructure throughout the entire joint. In addition, shear testing was performed in the brazed corrugated specimens in order to indirectly assess the quality of the joints. The debonding between CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V was observed in the specimen brazed for 5 min and the fracture of the CP Ti corrugated core occurred after 30 min of brazing time. Additionally, when brazed for 10 min or 20 min, brittle intermetallic compounds in the joints and the grain growth of the base metal were controllable. Therefore, the sandwich structures failed without debonding in the joints or fracture within the base metal, demonstrating a good combination of strength and ductility.
Co-reporter:Yubing Hu, Wei Zhang, Wei Jiang, Liang Cao, Yizhou Shen, Huaguan Li, Zhongwei Guan, Jie Tao, Jiang Xu
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 2016 Volume 91(Part 1) pp:96-104
Publication Date(Web):December 2016
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.09.019
Fibre metal laminates (FMLs) have been developed as promising materials in the manufacture of aircrafts. In order to reduce costs during the manufacture process, relatively new forming techniques are required. In this work, shot peen forming process was performed on Ti/CFRP laminates. Additionally, effects of shot peening parameters on the forming characteristic of Ti/CFRP laminates were investigated. The results showed that the peening coverage and the final arc height of the FML strip were increased with the extension of the exposure time. Similarly, the final arc height of the FML strip increased linearly with the augment of the applied Almen intensity. Moreover, FML with different lay-ups showed diverse forming characteristics. It was more difficult to generate the bending deformation in the FML made with unidirectional lay-up prepreg. Finally, an improvement in tensile properties of the FMLs was confirmed after the shot peening treatment.
Co-reporter:Xianjun Sun;Xuming Su;Jianghui Mao
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 2016 Volume 86( Issue 9-12) pp:2517-2526
Publication Date(Web):2016 October
DOI:10.1007/s00170-016-8390-1
It is important to have an accurate description of the mechanical behavior of polymer when predicting the warpage of injection-molded part. The viscoplastic model for polymer was developed based on the classical Chaboche viscoplastic model for polycrystalline metals. The cyclic tensile test was performed at three levels of strain rate and six levels of temperature. The ratio between Young’s modulus in the unloading and loading path was described as function of total strain. The warpage prediction for a plaque has been conducted successfully. The simulated deflection has a good agreement with the measured one by the viscoplastic model for polymer. It also exhibits a significant improvement compared with the simulated one by viscoplastic model for polycrystalline metals.
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen, Jie Tao, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lei Pan, and Tao Wang
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2015 Volume 7(Issue 37) pp:20972
Publication Date(Web):September 2, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acsami.5b06754
The contact time of impacting water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces directly reflects the extent of thermal and energy conversions between the water droplet and the surface, which is also considered to be crucial to the practical applications. The purpose of this study was to reveal the relationship between the contact time and the wetting hysteresis. We designed and fabricated six classes of surfaces with different extent of hydrophobicity through modifying the microscale/nanoscale hierarchical textured titanium surfaces with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane, and we filmed the contact process of the water droplet impacting on these surfaces using a high-speed camera. It can be concluded that wetting hysteresis played a significant role in determining how long the impacting water droplet can bounce off the surface, based on the interfacial wetting mechanism and the work done against the resistance force generated by contact angle hysteresis during the dynamic process.Keywords: bouncing droplet; contact time; hydrophobic surface; superhydrophobicity; wetting hysteresis
Co-reporter:Shanlong Chen, Aichun Xu, Jie Tao, Haijun Tao, Yizhou Shen, Lumin Zhu, Jiajia Jiang, Tao Wang, and Lei Pan
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2015 Volume 3(Issue 11) pp:2652
Publication Date(Web):October 3, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acssuschemeng.5b00585
A novel in-situ and green method with the combination of TiCl4 pretreatment and solvothermal growth was proposed to prepare the Pt-free Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) counter electrodes (CEs) on FTO substrate. It was found that TiCl4 pretreatment toward the substrates was crucial to a high quality and high efficiency CZTS film, which consists of nanosheet and nanoparticle structure. The highly crystallized nanosheets were assembled from kesterite structure CZTS nanocrystals, with an average diameter of 10–30 nm. The detailed morphology, crystal structure, and composition of the CZTS nanostructures were characterized by SEM, TEM, SAED, XRD, Raman, and EDS analysis, respectively. Electrocatalytic abilities of the films toward I–/I3– were verified through cyclic voltammograms (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Tafel polarization measurements. A maximum power conversion efficiency of 5.65% was achieved for a cell with CZTS 3, under 100 mW/cm2, which was higher than that of a cell with a commercial Pt counter electrode (4.96%). This high efficiency was mainly attributed to the good bonding strength between CZTS films and FTO substrate (RS = 4.41 Ω cm2), and higher electron-transfer process at the electrolyte/CE interface (high JSC), along with superior electrochemical catalytic ability (RCt = 2.40 Ω cm2). The in-situ prepared CZTS CEs are proven to be suitable for high efficiency Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), leading to significantly decrease of the cell cost and simplification of preparation process.Keywords: Counter electrodes; Dye-sensitized solar cells; In-situ solvothermal growth; Kesterite structure Cu2ZnSnS4; Nanoparticles; Nanosheets; TiCl4 pretreatment
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen, Jie Tao, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lei Pan and Tao Wang
Soft Matter 2015 vol. 11(Issue 19) pp:3806-3811
Publication Date(Web):30 Mar 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5SM00024F
This paper mainly reports the wetting state of liquid droplets on a Ti6Al4V micro–nanoscale hierarchical structured hydrophobic surface. In this work, the detailed action mechanism of the secondary nanostructure in the hierarchical structure on the wetting-state transition (from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state) was revealed and discussed. The variation of micro-morphology of the sample surface was observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Furthermore, the apparent contact angle and sliding angle of the droplets on the surfaces were measured via a contact angle measurement instrument. The theoretical and experimental results indicated that the one-dimensional nanowire structure, which was planted on the microstructure surface by the hydrothermal method, effectively changed the wetting state of liquid droplets on the surface from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state owing to its good size synergies with microscale structure. This process not only increased the apparent contact angle of liquid droplets on the solid surface (to 161°), but also decreased the sliding angle significantly (to 3°) and contact angle hysteresis (to ∼2°), demonstrating the robust non-wetting property.
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen, Jie Tao, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lei Pan and Tao Wang
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 41) pp:32813-32818
Publication Date(Web):01 Apr 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5RA01365H
In this article, we present a route to fabricate a robust anti-icing superhydrophobic surface containing the hierarchical structures of microscale array patterns (built by micromachining) and nanohairs (prepared via hydrothermal growth) on a Ti6Al4V substrate. In particular, the superhydrophobic surfaces not only exhibited high non-wettability and water repellency, but also generated a tremendous anti-icing potential. The results of the measurements indicated that the apparent contact angle reached 160°, the contact angle hysteresis reduced to 2°, and the spreading and recoiling process of an impact droplet can be completed within 12 ms. Furthermore, it also caused a longer icing-delay time (approximately 765 s) to hinder the ice formation and growth at −10 °C, and the ice adhesion strength was also only 70 kPa.
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lumin Zhu, Tao Wang and Jie Tao
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 3) pp:1666-1672
Publication Date(Web):27 Nov 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4RA12150C
The main purpose of this paper was to investigate the icephobic potential of hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces, which were prepared by modifying micro-nanostructures (constructed by the combination of sand blasting and hydrothermal treatment) on the surfaces of Ti6Al4V alloy with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS-17). We previously reported that this hierarchical superhydrophobic surface displayed excellent non-wettability with apparent contact angle of 161° and sliding angle of 3°. Thus, the present study focused on the systematic characterizations and analyses of the icephobic potential of the superhydrophobic surfaces around three parameters, including icing-delay time, ice adhesion strength, and contact time of an impacting droplet on cold superhydrophobic surfaces. The results indicated that the icing-delay time of a droplet on the superhydrophobic surface was many times longer than that of a droplet on the smooth Ti6Al4V substrate, and the ice adhesion strength on superhydrophobic surface was greatly reduced, which was attributed to the Cassie wetting state of a droplet on the surface. Additionally, the dynamic droplet impact and rebound assay demonstrated that water droplets always bounced off of the superhydrophobic surfaces before freezing under subzero conditions.
Co-reporter:Aichun Xu, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lumin Zhu, Yuan Zhao, Jiajia Jiang, Lei Pan, Jie Tao
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2015 Volume 40(Issue 46) pp:15933-15939
Publication Date(Web):14 December 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.09.068
Co-reporter:Shanlong Chen, Haijun Tao, Yizhou Shen, Lumin Zhu, Xiaofei Zeng, Jie Tao and Tao Wang
RSC Advances 2015 vol. 5(Issue 9) pp:6682-6686
Publication Date(Web):16 Dec 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4RA12815J
Single crystalline sub-micron Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) powders were successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method, using L-cysteine as sulfur precursor. It was confirmed that pure kesterite structured CZTS powders were synthesized at 400 °C after 5 h, with the irregular polygonal particle size being 500 nm to 1 μm. Interestingly, single crystalline CZTS particles were also obtained by simple solvothermal treatment without post annealing. The H2S released from L-cysteine had an impact on the growth of CZTS particles at high temperature. Further, the as-synthesized CZTS powders were used as counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and it is indicated that the CZTS counter electrode based DSSCs show a conversion efficiency of 4.243%.
Co-reporter:Zuguo Bao;Cynthia Flanigan;Laura Beyer
Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2015 Volume 132( Issue 8) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/app.41521
ABSTRACT
Organo-montmorillonite was incorporated into model tire tread formulations through latex compounding methods, to evaluate its effects on elastomer reinforcement and dynamic properties. An intercalation structure was obtained by applying latex compounding method to prepare organoclay-emulsion stryene butadiene (E-SBR) masterbatches, for compounding with organoclay loading levels of 0–20 parts per hundred rubber (phr). Microstructure, curing properties and tire performance of the compounded rubber were investigated with the aid of X-ray diffraction, rheometor and dynamic-mechanical analysis, respectively. The results showed that organo-montmorillonite filler provided effective reinforcement in the elastomer matrix, as indicated through mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties. Tread compounds using higher organoclay loadings displayed preferred ice traction, wet traction, and dry handling, but decreased winter traction and rolling resistance. Model compounds using 15 phr of organoclay loading levels were preferred for balanced physical and dynamic properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41521.
Co-reporter:Xianjun Sun, John Lasecki, Danielle Zeng, Yuan Gan, Xuming Su, Jie Tao
Polymer Testing 2015 Volume 42() pp:168-174
Publication Date(Web):April 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.polymertesting.2015.01.016
The fiber orientation distribution is one of the important microstructure variables for thermoplastic composites reinforced with discontinuous fibers. In this paper, the long fibers in the injection molded part are measured in detail by micro X-ray CT. A three dimensional (3D) structure of the sample is built and two dimensional images are generated for image analysis. The orientation tensor of fibers is calculated in the flow plane. It shows a symmetric distribution of fibers through the thickness direction, which consists of outer skin, transition zone and the core. The skin layer is so thin that it has only one layer of highly oriented fibers. The core layer also has highly oriented fibers but the direction of fibers is different from that in the skin layer. Nevertheless, the clustering of the fibers is characterized quantitatively in the core. The transition zone can be divided into two subzones by the principal directions of the tensor.
Co-reporter:Yizhou Shen, Jie Tao, Haijun Tao, Shanlong Chen, Lei Pan, and Tao Wang
Langmuir 2015 Volume 31(Issue 39) pp:10799-10806
Publication Date(Web):September 14, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b02946
On the basis of the icing-delay performance and ice adhesion strength, the anti-icing potential of the superhydrophobic surface has been well-investigated in the past few years. The present work mainly emphasized the investigations of ice nucleation and growth to fully explore the anti-icing potential of the superhydrophobic surface. We took the various surfaces ranging from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic as the research objects and, combining the classical nucleation theory, discussed the ice nucleation behaviors of the water droplets on these sample surfaces under the condition of supercooling. Meanwhile, the macroscopical growth processes of ice on these surfaces were analyzed on the basis of the growth mechanism of the ice nucleus. It was found that the superhydrophobic surface could greatly reduce the solid–liquid interface nucleation rate, owing to the extremely low actual solid–liquid contact area caused by the composite micro–nanoscale hierarchical structures trapping air pockets, leading to the bulk nucleation dominating the entire ice nucleation at the lower temperatures. Furthermore, ice on the superhydrophobic surface possessed a lower macroscopical growth velocity as a result of the less ice nucleation rate and the insulating action of the trapped air pockets.
Co-reporter:Y.B. Hu, H.G. Li, L. Cai, J.P. Zhu, L. Pan, J. Xu, J. Tao
Composites Part B: Engineering 2015 Volume 69() pp:587-591
Publication Date(Web):February 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesb.2014.11.011
A novel Fibre–Metal Laminates (FMLs) based on carbon fibre reinforced PMR polyimide were prepared using a hot press process in this paper. Pre-treatment on the titanium surface were conducted prior to laminating. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were used to observe the morphologies of the titanium and the cross-sections of the FMLs. SEM results showed that micro-roughness structures were formed on the titanium surface after anodization. This structure enhanced the interlaminar bond strength between titanium and polyimide. Flexural and Interlaminar shear (ILSS) tests showed that the FMLs possess excellent flexural and interlaminar properties at both room temperature and elevated temperature. Thermostability tests proved that the FMLs based on carbon fibre reinforced PMR polyimide offered excellent thermal properties. It is shown that no delamination appears between titanium layer and the fibre-reinforced polyimide layer after 1000 times thermal shock.
Co-reporter:Huaguan Li, Yubing Hu, Yiwei Xu, Wentao Wang, Xingwei Zheng, Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao
Composites Part B: Engineering 2015 Volume 82() pp:72-77
Publication Date(Web):1 December 2015
DOI:10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.08.013
The novel fiber metal laminates based on aluminum–lithium alloy (NFMLs) were investigated to improve the stiffness and damage tolerance. The aluminum–lithium sheets were rolled from 2 mm to 0.3 mm by cold forming, aged to T3 state and anodized in phosphoric acid. Then, NFMLs were prepared by the optimized process. The mechanical properties of NFMLs were evaluated by floating roller, interlaminar shear, tensile, bending and fatigue crack growth (FCG) tests respectively. The results indicated that the aluminum–lithium alloy was mainly strengthened by δ′ phases at T3 state. The rough micro morphology was constructed on the surface of aluminum–lithium layer by anodizing process. NFMLs and conventional Glare presented similar density and quite excellent interlaminar properties. Compared with Glare, however, NFMLs exhibited slight strength increase and obvious elastic modulus improvement regardless of the fibers plies and sampling direction. A better resistance to FCG of NFMLs was also verified.
Co-reporter:Hua-Guan Li;Juan Ling;Yi-Wei Xu
Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) 2015 Volume 28( Issue 6) pp:671-677
Publication Date(Web):2015 June
DOI:10.1007/s40195-015-0244-6
In this work, the microstructure and precipitation phases were primarily characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and tear test. The results indicated that the samples aged at 145 °C for 45 h or 155 °C for 30 h possessed a preferable combination of strength and plasticity, owing to the precipitation of well-dispersed T1 (Al2CuLi) phases (diameter < 150 nm). However, aging at more than 165 °C caused an obvious size growth of T1 plates, leading to the quick reduction in plasticity and toughness. Furthermore, the high Cu/Li ratio resulted in distinct precipitation features, including a shorter incubation time of T1 phase and the aggravated precipitate-free zones.
Co-reporter:Wen-Tao Wang, Xun-Zhong Guo, Bo Huang, Jie Tao, Hua-Guan Li, Wen-Jiao Pei
Materials Science and Engineering: A 2014 Volume 599() pp:134-140
Publication Date(Web):2 April 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.msea.2014.01.038
The flow behaviors of CLAM steel were investigated to obtain the forming simulation parameters. The hot deformation experiment was performed under the strain rate of 0.001–5 s−1 and the temperature of 850–1050 °C on Gleeble-1500 thermo-simulation machine. The results showed that the flow stress decreased with the increasing deformation temperature but increased with the increasing strain rate. Moreover, material constants α, n, ln A and activation energy Q were calculated as a function of strain. Constitutive equation of Arrhenius-type allowing for the effects of strain, strain rate and temperature was developed to describe the hot deformation behaviors of CLAM steel. The flow stress of CLAM steel predicted by the proposed constitutive equation highly coincided with the experimental results, which demonstrated that the developed constitutive equation could precisely predict the flow behaviors of CLAM steel.
Co-reporter:Guo Xunzhong;Liu Hongbing;Cui Shengqiang
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 2014 Volume 73( Issue 5-8) pp:727-733
Publication Date(Web):2014 July
DOI:10.1007/s00170-014-5872-x
The hydroforming process of the 316L SS/Al clad T-branch was investigated through numerical simulation and experiments. The effects of bonding strength, internal pressure, lubrication condition, and the feed distance on the protrusion height and the maximum thinning rate were investigated by the FE method. Furthermore, the 316L SS/Al clad T-branch was fabricated by the hydroforming process and the micro-interface of the local position of the hydroformed parts was analyzed by using SEM method. The results indicated that the qualified clad T-branch could be obtained by using the appropriate hydroforming process.
Co-reporter:Chen Wang, Yuebin Lin, Fei He, Xinyi Luo, Jie Tao
Applied Surface Science 2013 Volume 283() pp:87-93
Publication Date(Web):15 October 2013
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.06.030
Highlights
- •
α-Al2O3 seed crystals were added into targets and sputtered to induce the growth of α-Al2O3 coatings.
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At 580 °C, the formation of α-Al2O3 was promoted by as-prepared seed crystals and energy bombardment during plasma oxidation.
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The Al2O3 coating was compact, performing a good corrosion resistance and metallurgical bonding with the substrate.
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The inducing effect of seed crystals became weak with the increment content of seed crystals.
Co-reporter:Xunzhong Guo, Jie Tao, Wentao Wang, Huaguan Li, Chen Wang
Materials & Design 2013 49() pp: 116-122
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1016/j.matdes.2013.02.001
Co-reporter:Yuebin Lin, Chen Wang, Jie Tao
Surface and Coatings Technology 2013 Volume 235() pp:544-551
Publication Date(Web):25 November 2013
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2013.08.022
•Composite coatings containing α-Al2O3 seeds were obtained.•The temperature to prepare such coatings was decreased by applying α-Al2O3 seeds.•α-Al2O3 exhibited throughout the entire coatings as spherical particles.•The α-Al2O3 seeds can offer more nuclei and induce the surrounding crystal growth.•The coating growth rate was as high as 1.46 μm/h.(FeAl/Al) + α-Al2O3 coatings were deposited directly onto the 316 L stainless steel substrate and then oxidized at a temperature as low as 580 °C using double glow plasma technique. The complex Al target containing 10 wt% α-Al2O3 seeds was used in the experiment. The microstructure, chemical composition and phase components of the sputter-deposited and oxidized coatings were characterized respectively by glancing-angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicated that the coatings were very dense and uniform. Cross-sectional FETEM observation indicated the thickness of the film was about 5.83 μm, by which the deposition rate was calculated as high as ~ 1.46 μm/h. The surface of the coatings was composed of pure α-Al2O3 while the inner layer of the coatings was mostly α-Al2O3 with little γ-Al2O3. These intriguing results were attributed to the dual effects of both the α-Al2O3 seeds and the high-energy ion bombardment, which provided more nuclei for the growth of α-Al2O3 and more energetic species at the surface of the coatings respectively. Furthermore, the coatings were well-bonded to the substrates because a SS/FeAl/(Al2O3+ Fe2O3)/Al2O3 structure was formed at the interface so as to improve the coefficients of thermal expansion mismatch between the substrate and the deposited coatings.
Co-reporter:Jie Tao;Xiang Dong;Hong Zhu;Haijun Tao;Pingting He
Rare Metals 2012 Volume 31( Issue 1) pp:39-42
Publication Date(Web):2012 February
DOI:10.1007/s12598-012-0459-x
Using Ti powder as reagent, ultra-long TiO2 nanofibers were prepared via hydrothermal method in NaOH solution. The samples were characterized respectively by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The diameter and the length of the ultra-long TiO2 nanofiber were ∼100 nm and >200 μm, respectively. The ultra-long TiO2 nanofibers were anatase after heat treatment at 450 °C for 1 h. Moreover, the optical properties of the products were investigated by UV-visible light absorption spectrum. Furthermore, methyl orange was used as a target molecule to estimate the photocatalytic activity of the specimens. Under the same testing conditions, the photocatalytic activity of the ultra-long TiO2 nanofibers was higher than that of P25. Direct electrical pathway and improved light-harvesting efficiency were crucial for the superior photocatalytic activity of the ultra-long TiO2 nanofibers.
Co-reporter:Hong Zhu, Jie Tao, Tao Wang, Jie Deng
Applied Surface Science 2011 Volume 257(Issue 24) pp:10494-10498
Publication Date(Web):1 October 2011
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.07.020
Abstract
Branched rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays were directly synthesized on the F-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate through a two-step hydrothermal treatment by a seeding method with TiO2-nanorods as seeds. The samples were characterized respectively by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Results showed that TiO2 nanorods with nanobranches (TiO2-NB) grew vertically on the FTO substrate. XRD and HRTEM results confirmed that the TiO2-NB arrays were single-crystalline rutile. The optical properties of the samples were studied with a UV–vis spectrometer. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2-NB film is better than that of P25 particulate film. Direct electrical pathway and improved light-harvesting efficiency were crucial for the superior photocatalytic activity of the TiO2-NB arrays.
Co-reporter:Yang Yan;Tao Jie;Jin Xin ;Qin Qi
Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2011 Volume 121( Issue 3) pp:1566-1573
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/app.33746
Abstract
A new type of ionic-liquid-functionalized SiO2 (IL-SiO2) was synthesized to develop a microporous polymer electrolyte for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. The samples were characterized by 1H-NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the ionic conductivity of the electrolytes was measured by an electrochemical workstation. Nanostructured silica containing imidazolium iodide showed excellent compatibility with the organic solvent. The incorporation of the IL-SiO2 component into the polymer matrix improved the electrochemical behavior of the gel polymer electrolyte. A dye-sensitized solar cell with a gel polymer electrolyte yielded an open-circuit voltage of 0.662 V, a short-circuit current of 13.40 mA/cm2, and a conversion efficiency of 4.01% at 1 sun illumination. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Co-reporter:Qi Qin;Yan Yang ;Xiang Dong
Polymer Engineering & Science 2011 Volume 51( Issue 4) pp:663-669
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/pen.21858
Abstract
Polyaniline (PANI) electrode was synthesized on a conducting indium tin oxide glass by in situ oxidative polymerization to construct a low production cost counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The scanning electron microscopy image showed that PANI electrode was a porous state with the particles diameter in 20–30 nm. The cyclic voltammogram measurement revealed that PANI electrode had smaller charge transfer resistance and higher electrocatalytic activity for I/I− redox reaction. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of PANI was high to 53.114 m2/g, and the high surface area of PANI electrode benefited for the absorption of electrolyte. Finally, we compared the photoelectric properties of DSSC using the PANI counter electrode and platinized counter electrode. The results indicated the efficiency of DSSC with PANI electrode reached 2.64%, which was higher than that with platinized electrode (1.75%). Therefore, the PANI counter electrode with excellent catalytic performance is a potential substitute for platinized electrode to save cost of DSSC. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Co-reporter:Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao, Jiang Xu, Zhaofeng Chen, Xinyi Luo
Applied Surface Science 2010 Volume 256(Issue 20) pp:5939-5945
Publication Date(Web):1 August 2010
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.03.083
Abstract
Low-temperature growth (600 °C) of α-Al2O3 coatings on the stainless steel substrate by double glow plasma technique was achieved. The compositions and microstructures of the coatings prepared at different oxygen flow rates were characterized, respectively, by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry. A phenomenological mechanism for the formation of the Al2O3 ceramic coatings during the oxidation process was proposed on the basis of the experimental results. It was obvious that the oxygen flow rates had a great effect on the surface structure of the prepared Al2O3 coatings. The dense and smooth Al2O3 coatings were prepared at the oxygen flow rate of 15 sccm. In addition, the correlations between the mechanical properties of Al2O3 coating and oxygen flow rates were also discussed. The coating prepared at 15 sccm oxygen flow rate exhibited the best mechanical properties with a maximum hardness of 31 GPa and elastic modulus of 321 GPa. The corresponding critical load of scratch adherence for this sample was 47 N.
Co-reporter:Xin Jin;Yan Yang
Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2010 Volume 118( Issue 3) pp:1455-1461
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/app.32425
Abstract
The synthesis conditions of ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (ViPrIm+I−) and Poly(1-vinyl-3-propylimidazolium) iodide [P(ViPrIm+I−)] were studied in this work. P(ViPrIm+I−) as a single-ion conductor providing iodine was designed to develop a quasi-solid polymer electrolyte based on PVDF/PEO film for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The samples were characterized respectively by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), etc. The results showed that the single-ion conducting quasi-solid polymer electrolyte (SC-QPE) exhibited high ionic conductivity of 1.86 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature measured by CHI660C Electrochemical Workstation. Moreover, solar cells assembled using the SC-QPE yielded an open-circuit voltage of 0.83V, short-circuit current of 8.01 mA cm−2 and the conversion efficiency of 2.42%. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Co-reporter:Qi Qin, Jie Tao, Yan Yang
Synthetic Metals 2010 Volume 160(11–12) pp:1167-1172
Publication Date(Web):June 2010
DOI:10.1016/j.synthmet.2010.03.003
Polyaniline (PANI) films were electrodeposited on stainless steel 304 (SS) from 0.5 M H2SO4 solution containing 0.3 M aniline by potentiostatic techniques to prepare a low cost and non-fragile counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The compact layer, micro-particles, nanorods and fibrils were observed on the top of PANI films with different applied potentials (Eappl) by SEM. Then the conductivity and electrochemical test illuminated that a polyaniline film with the highest conductivity and best electrocatalytic activity for I3−/I− reaction was electrodeposited at 1.0 V Eappl. Finally, the photoelectric measurement showed that the energy conversion efficiency of DSSC with the PANI electrode was increased with the Eappl decreasing. And the efficiency of DSSC with PANI counter electrode at 1.0 V was higher than that with Pt electrode, owing to the loosely porous structure, high conductivity and excellent catalytic activity of PANI electrode.
Co-reporter:Hong Zhu, Jie Tao and Xiang Dong
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2010 Volume 114(Issue 7) pp:2873-2879
Publication Date(Web):January 29, 2010
DOI:10.1021/jp9085987
Cr-doped TiO2 nanorods with nanocavities were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal treatment and heating in air. The samples were characterized respectively by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD patterns indicated that all the samples were anatase crystalline. HRTEM results and the electron diffraction patterns illustrated that the TiO2 nanorods possessed the single-crystalline structure. TEM images confirmed that there were different types of nanocavities inside the nanorods, such as a circle, hexagon, and rectangle. XPS results suggested that Cr elements were successfully doped into the TiO2 nanorods after hydrothermal and most Cr congregated on the surface in the form of Cr2O3 after heating. The optical properties of the samples were studied with a UV−vis spectrometer. The photoelectrochemical activity of the Cr-doped TiO2 nanorods thin film was better than that of the commercial anatase TiO2 particulate thin film. The high photoelectrochemical activity of the synthesized Cr-doped TiO2 nanorods could be attributed to three factors: the doped Cr, one-dimensional nanostructure of the nanorod, and the increased light-harvesting abilities.
Co-reporter:Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao, Yoann Gautreau, Pingze Zhang, Jiang Xu
Materials & Design (1980-2015) 2009 Volume 30(Issue 8) pp:2785-2790
Publication Date(Web):September 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.matdes.2009.01.025
Tritium penetration barrier (TPB) composed of Al2O3 and SiC on 316L stainless steel was proposed to improve the tritium penetration resistance of the substrate in this work. At the same time, the concept of functionally graded materials (FGM) was applied to manage to decrease residual stresses between Al2O3 and 316L stainless steel substrate due to the mismatch of their thermal expansion coefficients. The effects of system architecture on the residual stresses developed in the composite coatings were investigated numerically by means of finite-element analysis (FEA). Modeling results showed that the presence of the graded properties and the compositions within the coating did reduce the stress discontinuity at the interfaces between the coating and the substrate. Also, the magnitudes of the residual stresses on the coating surface and at the coating/substrate interface were dependent on the Al2O3 and SiC coating thickness.
Co-reporter:Hongbing Liu, Jie Tao, Jiang Xu, Zhaofeng Chen, Qiang Gao
Surface and Coatings Technology 2009 204(1–2) pp: 28-36
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2009.06.020
Co-reporter:H.B. Liu, J. Tao, J. Xu, Z.F. Chen, X.J. Sun, Z. Xu
Journal of Nuclear Materials 2008 Volume 378(Issue 2) pp:134-138
Publication Date(Web):31 August 2008
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.05.012
Alumina layer is a good candidate for the tritium penetration barrier that is important in the control of tritium losses due to permeation through structural materials used in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and in fusion reactors. This paper describes the microstructure of the oxide film of the tritium penetration barrier formed on 316L stainless steel, which was prepared by a combined process, namely, aluminizing and oxidizing treatments using a double glow plasma technology. Microstructure and phase structure of the coatings investigated were examined by scanning electronic microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The chemical composition and the chemical states of Al, O elements in the oxidation film were identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After aluminization, the typical microstructure of the coating mainly consisted of an outer high aluminum-containing intermetallic compound layer (Fe2Al5 and FeAl) and intermediate ferritic stainless steel (α Fe(Al))layer followed by the austenitic substrate. After the combined process, an oxide layer that consisted of Al2O3 and spinel FeAl2O4 had been successfully formed on the aluminizing coating surface, with an amorphous outmost surface and an underlying subsurface nanocrystalline structure.
Co-reporter:Shan-Long Chen, Jie Tao, Hai-Jun Tao, Yi-Zhou Shen, Ai-Chun Xu, Fang-Xu Cao, Jia-Jia Jiang, Tao Wang and Lei Pan
Dalton Transactions 2016 - vol. 45(Issue 11) pp:NaN4517-4517
Publication Date(Web):2016/02/15
DOI:10.1039/C5DT04690D
Semi-transparent rounded Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanosheet networks were in situ grown on a FTO glass substrate, via an effective solution method, without any post-treatments. An improved power conversion efficiency of 6.24% was obtained by applying CZTS nanosheet networks as a counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. When assisted by a mirror reflection, the PCE increased to 7.12%.
