All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) are receiving attention as a prospective next-generation secondary battery technology that can reduce the risk of commercial lithium-ion batteries by replacing flammable organic liquid electrolytes with non-flammable solid electrolytes. The practical application of ASSLBs requires developing robust solid electrolytes that possess ionic conductivity at room temperature on a par with that of organic liquids. These solid electrolytes must also be thermally and chemically stable, as well as compatible with electrode materials. Inorganic solid electrolytes, including oxide and sulfide-based compounds, are being studied as promising future candidates for ASSLBs due to their higher ionic conductivity and thermal stability than polymer electrolytes. Here, we present the challenges currently facing the development of oxide and sulfide-based solid electrolytes, as well as the research efforts underway aiming to resolve these challenges.
This study explored the process-structure-property (PSP) relationships in Ti-6Al-4V alloys fabricated through direct energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing. A systematic investigation was conducted to clarify how process variables—specifically, manipulating the cooling rate and energy input by adjusting the laser power and scan speed during the DED process—influenced the phase fractions, pore structures, and the resultant mechanical properties of the samples under various processing conditions. Significant links were found between the controlled process parameters and the structural and mechanical characteristics of the produced alloys. The findings of this research provide foundational knowledge that will drive the development of more effective and precise control strategies in additive manufacturing, thereby improving the performance and reliability of produced materials. This, in turn, promises to make significant contributions to both the advancement of additive manufacturing technologies and their applications in critical sectors.
Maraging steel has excellent mechanical properties resulting from the formation of precipitates within the matrix through aging treatment. Maraging steel fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process is suitable for applications including precise components and optimized design. The anisotropic characteristic, which depends on the stacking direction, affects the mechanical properties. This study aimed to analyze the influence of anisotropy on the wear behavior of maraging steel after aging treatment. The features of additive manufacturing tended to disappear after heat treatment. However, some residual cellular and dendrite structures were observed. In the wear tests, a high wear rate was observed on the building direction plane for all counter materials. This is believed to be because the oxides formed on the wear track positively affected the wear characteristics; meanwhile, the bead shape in the stacking direction surface was vulnerable to wear, leading to significant wear.
Cemented carbide for cutting tools, which is composed of carbide as a hard phase and metallic component as a metallic phase, mainly uses cobalt as the metallic phase due to the excellent mechanical properties of cobalt. However, as the demand for machining difficult-to-machine materials such as titanium and carbon fiber-reinforced plastics has recently increased, the development of high-hardness cemented carbide is necessary and the replacement of cobalt metal with a high-hardness alloy is required. In this study, we would like to introduce high-hardness cemented carbide fabricated using nickel-tungsten alloy as the metallic phase. First, nickel-tungsten alloy powder of the composition for formation of intermetallic compound confirmed through thermodynamic calculations was synthesized, and cemented carbide was prepared through the sintering process of tungsten carbide and the synthesized alloy powder. Through evaluating the mechanical properties of high-hardness cemented carbide with the nickel-tungsten alloy binder, the possibility of producing high-hardness cemented carbide by using the alloys with high-hardness was confirmed.
This study analyzed the influence of ball size and process control agents on the refinement and dehydrogenation behavior of TiH2 powder. Powders milled using ZrO2 balls with diameters of 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, and 0.3+0.5+1 mm exhibited a bimodal particle size distribution, of which the first mode had the smallest size of 0.23 μm for the 0.3 mm balls. Using ethanol and/or stearic acid as process control agents was effective in particle refinement. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that dehydrogenation of the milled powder started at a relatively low temperature compared to the raw powder, which is interpreted to have resulted from a decrease in particle size and an increase in defects. The dehydrogenation kinetics of the TiH2 powder were evaluated by the magnitude of peak shift with heating rates using thermogravimetric analysis. The activation energy of the dehydrogenation reaction, calculated from the slope of the Kissinger plot, was measured to be 228.6 kJ/mol for the raw powder and 194.5 kJ/mol for the milled powder. TEM analysis revealed that both the milled and dehydrogenated powders showed an angular shape with a size of about 200 nm.
As the demand for electric vehicles increases, the stability of batteries has become one of the most significant issues. The battery housing, which protects the battery from external stimuli such as vibration, shock, and heat, is the crucial element in resolving safety problems. Conventional metal battery housings are being converted into polymer composites due to their lightweight and improved corrosion resistance to moisture. The transition to polymer composites requires high mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and thermal stability. In this paper, we proposes a high-strength nanocomposite made by infiltrating epoxy into a 3D aligned h-BN structure. The developed 3D aligned h-BN/epoxy composite not only exhibits a high compressive strength (108 MPa) but also demonstrates excellent electrical insulation and thermal stability, with a stable electrical resistivity at 200 °C and a low thermal expansion coefficient (11.46×ppm/°C), respectively.
Molybdenum, valued for its high melting point and exceptional physical and chemical properties, is studied in diverse fields such as electronics, petrochemicals, and aviation. Among molybdenum oxides, molybdenum dioxide stands out for its higher electrical conductivity than other transition metal oxides due to its structural characteristics, exhibiting metallic properties. It is applied as pellets to gas sensors, semiconductors, and secondary batteries for its properties. Thus, research on molybdenum dioxide compaction and pressureless sintering is necessary, yet research on pressureless sintering is currently insufficient. This study synthesized MoO₃ powder via solution combustion synthesis and reduced it using the 3% hydrogen/argon gas mixture to investigate the effect of reduction temperature on the powder. Additionally, the reduced powder was compacted and subjected to pressureless sintering with temperature as a variable. The density and the microstructure of brown parts were analyzed and discussed.