Thermal barrier coating of lanthanum-zirconium-cerium composite oxide made by electron beam-physical vapor deposition

Lanthanum-zirconium-cerium composite oxide (La-2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)(2)O-7, LZ7C3) as a candidate material for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was prepared by electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The composition, crystal structure, thermophysical properties, surface and cross-sectional morphologies and cyclic oxidation behavior of the LZ7C3 coating were studied. The results indicated that LZ7C3 has a high phase stability between 298 K and 1573 K, and its linear thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) is similar to that of zirconia containing 8 wt% yttria (8YSZ). The thermal conductivity of LZ7C3 is 0.87 W m(-1) K-1 at 1273 K, which is almost 60% lower than that of 8YSZ. The deviation of coating composition from the ingot can be overcome by the addition of excess CeO2 and ZrO2 during ingot preparation or by adjusting the process parameters.

Analysis of chemical calorific effect during reactive extrusion processes for free radical polymerization

In the reactive extrusion process for polymerization, the chemical calorific effect has a great influence on the temperature. In order to quantitatively analyze the polymerization trend and optimize the processing conditions, the phenomena of the chemical calorific effect during reactive extrusion processes for free radical polymerization were analyzed. Numerical computation expressions of the heat of chemical reaction and the reactive calorific intensity were deduced, and then a numerical simulation of the reactive extrusion process for the polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate was carried out. The evolutions of the heat of chemical reaction and the reactive calorific intensity along the! axial direction of the extruder are presented, on the basis of which reactive processing conditions can be optimized.

Investigation of the gel effect in reactive extrusion processes for free radical polymerization

The gel effect in the reactive extrusion process for free radical polymerization in a closely intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder was investigated. First the reaction kinetic model was constructed mainly on the basis of entanglement theory. Next, numerical calculation expressions for the initiator and monomer concentrations, monomer conversion, average molecular weight and apparent viscosity were deduced. Finally, the evolution of the above variables were shown and discussed for the example of butyl methacrylate. The simulated results of the monomer conversion are in good agreement with experimental results.

Computer simulation of reactive extrusion processes for free radical polymerization

The reactive extrusion for polymerization is an integrated polymer processing technology. A new semi-implicit iterative algorithm was proposed to deal with the complicated relationships among the chemical reaction, the macromolecular structure and the chemorheological property. Then the numerical computation expressions of the average molecular weight, the monomer conversion, and the initiator concentration were deduced, and the computer simulation of the reactive extrusion process for free radical polymerization was carried out, on basis of which reactive processing conditions can be optimized.

Study on reactive extrusion processes of block copolymer

The anionic copolymerization process of styrene-buradiene (S/B) block copolymer in a closely intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder with butyl-lithium initiator was studied. According to the anionic copolymerization mechanism and the reactive extrusion characteristics, the mathematical models of monomer conversion, average molecular weight and fluid viscosity during the anionic copolymerization of S/B were constructed, and then the reactive extrusion process was simulated by means of the finite volume method and the uncoupled semi-implicit iterative algorithm. Finally, the influence of the feeding mixture composition on conversion was discussed. The simulated results were nearly in agreement with the experimental results.

Numerical simulation of reactive extrusion processes of PA6

To analyze the complicated relationships among the variables during the reactive extrusion process of polyamide 6 (PA6), and then control the chemical reaction and the material structures, the process of continuous polymerization of caprolactam into PA6 in a closely intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder was simulated by means of the finite volume method, and the influences of three key processing parameters on the reactive extrusion process were discussed. The simulated results of an example were in good agreement with the experimental results.

Narion/Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) mixed coating modified bismuth film electrode for the determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry

To improve the reproducibility, stability, and sensitivity of bismuth film electrode (BiFE), we studied the performances of a mixed coating of two cation-exchange polymers, Nafion (NA) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), modified glassy carbon BiFE (GC/NA-PSS/BiFE). The characteristics of GC/NA-PSS/BiFE were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Various parameters were studied in terms of their effect on the anodic stripping voltarnmetry (ASV) signals. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection were 71 ng L-1 for Cd(II) and 93 ng L-1 for Pb(II) with a 10 min preconcentration. The results exhibited that GC/NA-PSS/BiFE can be a reproducible and robust toot for monitor of trace metals by ASV rapidly and environmentally friendly, even in the presence of surface-active compounds.

Application of rare earths in thermal barrier coating materials

Rare earths are a series of minerals with special properties that make them essential for applications including miniaturized electronics, computer hard disks, display panels, missile guidance, pollution controlling catalysts, H-2-storage and other advanced materials. The use of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) has the potential to extend the working temperature and the life of a gas turbine by providing a layer of thermal insulation between the metallic substrate and the hot gas. Yttria (Y2O3), as one of the most important rare earth oxides, has already been used in the typical TBC material YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia). In the development of the TBC materials, especially in the latest ten years, rare earths have been found to be more and more important. All the new candidates of TBC materials contain a large quantity of rare earths, such as R2Zr2O7 (R=La, Ce, Nd, Gd), CeO2-YSZ, RMeAl11O19 (R=La, Nd; Me=Mg, Ca, Sr) and LaPO4. The concept of double-ceramic-layer coatings based on the rare earth materials and YSZ is effective for the improvement of the thermal shock life of TBCs at high temperature.

Formation of ordered microphase-separated pattern during spin coating of ABC triblock copolymer

In this paper, the authors have systematically studied the microphase separation and crystallization during spin coating of an ABC triblock copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO). The microphase separation of PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO and the crystallization of PEO blocks can be modulated by the types of the solvent and the substrate, the spinning speed, and the copolymer concentration. Ordered microphase-separated pattern, where PEO and P2VP blocks adsorbed to the substrate and PS blocks protrusions formed hexagonal dots above the P2VP domains, can only be obtained when PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO is dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide and the films are spin coated onto the polar substrate, silicon wafers or mica. The mechanism of the formation of regular pattern by microphase separation is found to be mainly related to the inducement of the substrate (middle block P2VP wetting the polar substrate), the quick vanishment of the solvent during the early stage of the spin coating, and the slow evaporation of the remaining solvent during the subsequent stage. On the other hand, the probability of the crystallization of PEO blocks during spin coating decreases with the reduced film thickness. When the film thickness reaches a certain value (3.0 nm), the extensive crystallization of PEO is effectively prohibited and ordered microphase-separated pattern over large areas can be routinely prepared.

Coating Gd2O3 : Eu phosphors with silica by solid-state reaction at room temperature

Silica coating on Gd2O3:Eu particles was obtained by a simple method, e.g. solid-state reaction at room temperature. The urea homogeneous precipitation method was used to synthesize the Gd2O3:Eu cores. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the core particles are spherical with submicrometer size which is the soft agglomerates with nanometer crystallites. The TEM morphology of coated particles shows that a thin film is coated on the surface of Gd2O3:Eu cores. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis indicate that the coating of silica can be used to avoid agglomeration of Gd2O3:Eu particles to obtain smaller particles. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) show that silica is coated on the surface of core particles by forming the chemical bond. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra conform that Gd2O3:Eu phosphors remain well-luminescent properties by the silica coating.

A nonmonotonic dependence of standard rate constant on reorganization energy for heterogeneous electron transfer processes on electrode surface

In the present work a nonmonotonic dependence of standard rate constant (k(0)) on reorganization energy (lambda) was discovered qualitatively from electron transfer (Marcus-Hush-Levich) theory for heterogeneous electron transfer processes on electrode surface. It was found that the nonmonotonic dependence of k(0) on lambda is another result, besides the disappearance of the famous Marcus inverted region, coming from the continuum of electronic states in electrode: with the increase of lambda, the states for both Process I and Process II ET processes all vary from nonadiabatic to adiabatic state continuously, and the lambda dependence of k(0) for Process I is monotonic thoroughly, while for Process II on electrode surface the lambda dependence of k(0) could show a nonmonotonicity.

The thermal cycling behavior of Lanthanum-Cerium Oxide thermal barrier coating prepared by EB-PVD

Bulk material and coatings of Lanthanum-Cerium Oxide (La2Ce2O7) with a fluorite structure were studied as a candidate material for thermal barrier coating (TBC). It has been showed that such material has the properties of low thermal conductivity about four times lower than YSZ, the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between La2Ce2O7 and bond coat is smaller than that of YSZ in TBC systems, high phase stability between room temperature and 1673 K, about 300 K higher than that of the YSZ. The coating prepared by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) showed that it has good thermal cycling behavior, implying that Such material can be a promising thermal barrier coating material. The deviation of coating composition from ingot can be overcome by the addition of excess La2O3 during ingot preparation and/or by adjusting the process parameters.

Neodymium-cerium oxide as new thermal barrier coating material

Neodymium-cerium oxide (Nd2Ce2O7) was proposed as a new thermal barrier coating material in this work. Monolithic Nd2Ce2O7 powder was prepared by the solid-state reaction at 1400 degrees C. The phase composition, thermal stability and thermophysical properties of Nd2Ce2O7 were investigated. Nd2Ce2O7 with fluorite structure was thermally stable in the temperature range of interest for TBC applications. The results indicated that the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of Nd2Ce2O7 was higher than that of YSZ (6-8 Wt-% Y2O3 + ZrO2) and even more interesting was the TEC change as a function of temperature paralleling that of the superalloy bond coat. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of Nd2Ce2O7 is 30% lower than that of YSZ, which was discussed based on the theory of heat conduction. Thermal barrier coating of Nd2Ce2O7 was produced by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) using the spray-dried powder. The thermal cycling was performed with a gas burner test facility to examine the thermal stability of the as-prepared coating.