In this study, the effects of silver treatment and activation on the physical and chemical properties of spherical activated carbon (SAC) were studied. The textural properties of SAC were characterized by BET surface area, XRD, SEM, iodine adsorption, strength intensity, pressure drop and antibacterial effects. BET surface areas of SACs decreased with an increase of the amount of PR before and after activation, and the BET surface areas of SACs were found to be about 2-3 times the size of those before activation. The XRD patterns showed their existing state as stable Ag crystals and carbon structure. The Ag particles are seaweedlike and uniform, being approximately 5-10 μm in size deposited on the surface of activated carbon. All of the samples had much more iodine adsorption capability after activation than before activation. The strength values of SACs increased with an increase of the amount of PR, and there was a smaller drop in the strength values of SACs with silver treatment than with non-silver treatment after activation. The Ag-SAC composites showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. Coli).
BaTiO3/epoxy composites have been widely investigated as promising materials for embedded capacitors in printed circuit boards. It is generally known that the dielectric constant (K) of the BaTiO3/epoxy composites increases with improvement of the dispersion of BaTiO3 particles in the epoxy matrix that comes from adding surfactant. The influences of surfactant addition on the dielectric properties of the BaTiO3/epoxy composites are reported in the present study. The dielectric constant of the BaTiO3/epoxy composites is not significantly affected by the surfactant addition. However, the temperature coefficient of capacitance increases and the peel strength decreases as the amount of added surfactant increases. The influences of surfactant addition on the dielectric properties of the neat epoxy are also very similar to those of the BaTiO3/epoxy composites. The residual surfactant in the BaTiO3/epoxy composites affects the temperature coefficient of capacitance and the peel strength of the epoxy matrix, which in turn affects the temperature coefficient of capacitance and the peel strength of the BaTiO3/epoxy composites.
Fe powders with elongated and aggregated structure as heat pellet material for thermal battery applications were prepared by spray pyrolysis under various preparation conditions. The precursor powders with spherical shapes and hollow morphologies turned into Fe powders after reduction at a temperature of 615˚C under 20% H2/Ar gas. The powders had pure Fe crystal structures irrespective of the preparation conditions of the precursor powders in the spray pyrolysis. The morphologies and mean sizes of the Fe powders are affected by the preparation conditions of the precursor powders in the spray pyrolysis. Therefore, the ignition sensitivities and the burn rates of the heat pellets formed from the Fe powders prepared by spray pyrolysis are affected by the preparations of the precursor powders. The Fe powders prepared under the optimum preparation conditions have a BET surface area of 2.9 m2g1. The heat pellets prepared from the Fe powders with elongated and aggregated structure have a good ignition sensitivity of 1.1W and a high burn rate of 18 cms1.
The knowledge of grain growth of carbide particles is very important for manufacturing micrograined cemented carbides. In the present study, continuous and discontinuous grain growth in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides is investigated using the Monte Carlo computer simulation technique. The Ostwald ripening process (solution/re-precipitation) and the grain boundary migration process are assumed in the simulation as the grain growth mechanism. The effects of liquid phase fraction, grain boundary energy and implanted coarse grain are examined. At higher liquid phase content, mass transfer via solid/liquid interfaces plays a major role in grain growth. Growth rate of the implanted grain was higher than that of the matrix grains through solution/re-precipitation and coalescence with neighboring grains. The results of these simulations qualitatively agree with experimental ones and suggest that distribution of liquid phase and carbide particle/carbide grain boundary energy as well as contamination by coarse grain are important factors controlling discontinuous grain growth in WC-Co and WC-VC-Co cemented carbides. The contamination by coarse grains must by avoided in the manufacturing process of fine grain cemented carbides, especially with low Co.
Electrochemical deposition characteristics of CdSe nanorods were investigated for hybrid solar cell applications. CdSe nanorods were fabricated by electrochemical method in CdSO4 and H2SeO3 dissolved aqueous solution using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. Uniformity of CdSe nanorods was dependent on the diameter and the height of holes in AAO. The current density, current mode, bath composition and temperature were controlled to obtain a 1:1 atomic composition of CdSe. CdSe nanorods deposited by direct-current method showed better uniformity compared to those deposited by purse-current and/or purse-reverse current methods due to the bottom-up filling characteristics. H2SeO3 concentration showed more significant effects on pH of solution and stoichiometry of deposits compared to that of CdSO4. A 1:1 stoichiometry of uniform CdSe nanorods was obtained from 0.25M CdSO4-5 mM H2SeO3 electrolytes with a direct current of 10 mA/cm2 at room temperature. X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction pattern investigations demonstrate that CdSe nanorods are a uniform cubic CdSe crystal.
BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were prepared on Pt/TiO2/Si substrate by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The effects of deposition pressure on electrical properties were investigated using measurement of dielectric properties, leakage current and polarization. When BFO targets were prepared, Fe atoms were substituted with Mn 0.05% to increase electrical resistivity of films. (Fe+Mn)/Bi ratio of BFO thin films increases with increasing partial pressure of O2 gas. The deposited films showed the only BFO phase at 10 mTorr, the coexistence of BFO and Bi2O3 phase at 30-50 mTorr, and the only Bi2O3 phase at 70 mTorr. The crystallinity of BFO films was reduced due to the higher Bi contents and the decrease of surface mobility of atoms at high temperature. The porosity and surface roughness of films increased with the increase of the deposition pressure. The films deposited at high pressure showed low dielectric constant and high leakage current. The dielectric constant of films deposited at various deposition pressures was 84~153 at 1 kHz. The leakage current density of the films deposited at 10~70 mTorr was about 7×10.6~1.5×10.2A/cm2 at 100 kV/cm. The leakage current was found to be closely related to the morphology and composition of the BFO films. BFO films showed poor P-E hysteresis loops due to high leakage current.
We investigated the effects of Co doping on the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with ZnO using pulsed laser deposition. Structural examinations clearly confirmed a distinct nanostructure of the CNTs coated with ZnO nanoparticles of an average diameter as small as 10 nm and showed little influence of doping 1 at.% Co into ZnO on the morphology of the ZnO-CNT composites. It was found from the gas sensing measurements that 1 at.% Co doping into ZnO gave rise to a significant improvement in the response of the ZnO-CNT composite sensor to NO gas exposure. In particular, the Co-doped ZnO-CNT composite sensor shows a highly sensitive and fast response to NO gas at relatively low temperatures and even at low NO concentrations. The observed significant improvement of the NO gas sensing properties is attributed to an increase in the specific surface area and the role as a catalyst of the doped Co elements. These results suggest that Co-doped ZnOCNT composites are suitable for use as practical high-performance NO gas sensors.
We designed new compositions for lead free and low temperature sealing glass frit of ZnO-V2O5-P2O5 system, which can be used for PDP (Plasma Display Panel) or other electronic devices. The ZnO-V2O5-P2O5 system can be used as a sealing material at temperatures even lower than 430˚C. This system, however, showed lower bonding strength with glass substrate compared to commercialized Pb based sealing materials. So, we added TiO2 as a promoter for bonding strength. We examined the effect of TiO2 addition on sealing behaviors of ZnO-V2O5-P2O5 glasses with the data for flow button, wetting angle, temporary & permanent residual stress of glass substrate, EPMA analysis of interface between sealing materials and glass substrate, and bonding strength. As a result, sealing characteristics of ZnO-V2O5-P2O5 system glasses were improved with TiO2 addition, but showed a maximum value at 5 mol% TiO2 addition. The reason for improved bonding characteristics was considered to be the chemical interaction between glass substrate and sealing glass, and structural densification of sealing glass itself.
Titanium alloys have been attractive due to a high ratio of strength to weight as well as good corrosion resistance. However, strengthening causes a decrease in ductility in Ti alloys, as is usual in other alloys. For enhanced strength without ductility reduction, grain refinement and tensile properties were investigated as functions of thickness reduction of cold rolling and annealing condition in Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al alloy with a β single phase. The average grain size of the specimen, which was cold-rolled by 90% and annealed at 700˚C for 5 min, was decreased to approximately 19 μm. The grain refinement of 63 μm to 19 μm increased yield stress by 90 MPa without a significant decrease in total elongation. The Ti-15-3 alloy exhibited very low work hardening during tensile test at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. This result was discussed based on dynamic recovery associated with dislocation annihilation in grain boundaries.
Embedding of active devices in a printed circuit board has increasingly been adopted as a future electronic technology due to its promotion of high density, high speed and high performance. One responsible technology is to embedded active device into a dielectric substrate with a build-up process, for example a chipin-substrate (CiS) structure. In this study, desmear treatment was performed before Cu metallization on an FR-4 surface in order to improve interfacial adhesion between electroless-plated Cu and FR-4 substrate in Cu via structures in CiS systems. Surface analyses using atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy were systematically performed to understand the fundamental adhesion mechanism; results were correlated with peel strength measured by a 90o peel test. Interfacial bonding mechanism between electrolessplated Cu and FR-4 substrate seems to be dominated by a chemical bonding effect resulting from the selective activation of chemical bonding between carbon and oxygen through a rearrangement of C-C bonding rather than from a mechanical interlocking effect. In fact, desmear wet treatment could result in extensive degradation of FR-4 cohesive strength when compared to dry surface-treated Cu/FR-4 structures.
We investigated the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with a thin layer of 1 wt% Al-doped ZnO using rf magnetron sputtering deposition. Morphological studies clearly revealed that the ZnO appeared to form beadshaped crystalline nanoparticles with an average diameter as small as 30 nm, attaching to the surface of the nanotubes. It was found that the NO gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT layered composites were dramatically improved over Al-doped ZnO thin films. It is reasoned from these observations that an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio associated with the numerous ZnO “nanobeads” on the surface of the CNTs results in the enhancement of the NO gas sensing properties. The ZnO-CNT layered composite sensors exhibited a maximum sensitivity of 13.7 to 2 ppm NO gas at a temperature of 200˚C and a low NO gas detection limit of 0.2 ppm in dry air.