Search Results (4,912)

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts that are liquid at or below 100 °C. They are composed entirely of ions and have unique properties like negligible vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and tunable structures. These characteristics make them a promising alternative to traditional, often volatile and toxic organic solvents in the petrochemical industry. They have broad applications in chemical and petrochemical industry processes. Ionic liquids may be applied in the following processes: desulfurization, benzene toluene xylene (BTX) separation, alkylation, and carbon capture units. Two different ionic liquid-based process configurations have been evaluated for BTX separation. It has been found that the process configuration working with 1-ethyl-3methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide ([emim][TCM]) reduces the energy costs and capital expenditures associated with the Morphylane process by 67 and 63%, respectively. It also reduces solvent costs, confirming it as a cleaner alternative. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process is operated under harsh conditions, such as high temperature and high pressure and the requirement of a noble catalyst and hydrogen. High-Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) failure occurs at high temperatures between the gaseous molecular hydrogen contained inside the steel pressure vessel and the carbon atoms located in the steel matrix or in carbides. Methane molecules are produced during this reaction. This phenomenon can consequently lead to a loss of mechanical properties due to surface decarburization and to the formation of defects caused by methane bubbles mainly located at grain boundaries. The application of ionic liquids (ILs) in oil refineries offers significant advantages, such as safety, environmental sustainability, and process efficiency, primarily by serving as versatile alternatives to hazardous traditional solvents and catalysts. Across BTX extraction, carbon capture, and desulfurization/HDS-adjacent service, the recurring barriers are high viscosity, difficult regeneration, solvent cost/inventory and uncertain long-term stability. Full article

Nanostructured catalysts have become a core component of energy conversion in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis; however, successfully translating their performance from laboratory scale to industrial applications remains a long-standing challenge. This paper provides a critical assessment of the field, systematically tracing the entire development trajectory from catalyst design to practical application. We focus on five major classes of catalysts—monometallic catalysts, bimetallic/multimetallic alloy catalysts, metal compound catalysts, carbon-based composite catalysts, and single-atom catalysts—and explore synthetic strategies for achieving precise structural control, including hydrothermal/solvothermal methods, electrodeposition, template-assisted and MOF-derived syntheses, high-temperature pyrolysis, and post-treatment defect engineering. This paper delves into the mechanisms and performance descriptors governing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), urea oxidation, photocatalytic water splitting, and CO₂ reduction. Based on the above analysis, this paper lays the mechanistic foundation for five core strategies to improve catalyst performance: morphology control, elemental doping, heterostructure and interface engineering, defect and vacancy engineering, and support modification. Furthermore, this paper provides an in-depth evaluation of the applications of these catalysts in water splitting, CO₂ valorization, fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and energy-saving electrolysis, with a particular focus on earth-abundant alternatives to precious metals. We argue that in many well-studied reactions, intrinsic activity may no longer be the primary bottleneck restricting their development; instead, the core challenge now lies in maintaining excellent catalytic performance under harsh and industrially relevant conditions, especially under high-current densities, impurity-containing feed systems, and long-term operating conditions. In response to this shift in research focus, this paper clearly identifies the key obstacles hindering the industrial application of catalysts and proposes practical directions for future research. Full article

Copper azides are promising energetic materials for miniaturized pyrotechnic devices and micro explosive trains owing to their short detonation growth distance and high initiation energy. However, controllable preparation of copper nanoparticle precursors and their in situ conversion to copper azides under mild conditions remains challenging. In this study, copper nanoparticles were synthesized via a coordination-assisted aqueous reduction method at room temperature under air atmosphere using nitrilotriacetic acid disodium salt (NTA·H·2Na) as the complexing agent. The resulting nanoparticles were pressed into polyester rings to construct confined precursor structures, and copper azide micro-charges were prepared through in situ gas–solid reaction with HN₃ gas generated from NaN₃ and concentrated phosphoric acid at 60 °C. SEM characterization revealed that the morphological evolution of copper azides followed a three-stage pattern: “product island nucleation, branch/block coalescence growth, and continuous product layer formation and structural reconstruction”. Detonation velocity tests using the electrical probe method showed an average value of (5.10 ± 0.07) × 10³ m/s. Flyer impact initiation tests demonstrated that, with a charge thickness of 1.00 mm, both a 30 μm polyimide flyer and a 40 μm titanium flyer could successfully initiate a HNS–IV explosive. The preparation methodology and performance characterization established in this work provide an experimental basis for the application of copper azides in micro-initiation systems. Full article

We report a low-temperature plasma–liquid synthesis of crystalline β-Ga₂O₃ nanoparticles directly from aqueous solution. Pulsed discharge plasma bubbles generate reactive species that drive in situ dehydration and crystallization, bypassing the high-temperature calcination required by conventional methods. By varying the carrier gas, we tune morphology from uniform nanorice structures (He, Ar, and N₂) to amorphous microspheres (O₂ and air), revealing how plasma composition governs interfacial hydroxyl radical chemistry and growth kinetics. This approach demonstrates that localized plasma heating and reactive-species flux can achieve phase-selective oxide crystallization under ambient conditions, establishing plasma bubble reactors as a broadly applicable, low-temperature route for direct aqueous synthesis of crystalline wide-bandgap oxides that bridge solution chemistry and plasma nanomaterials design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Natural calcium carbonate materials such as Rügen chalk have a long history of use in balneology and rehabilitation, particularly for musculoskeletal disorders, yet their application remains largely confined to traditional, labour-intensive forms such as powders, suspensions, and packs, which limit usability and broader clinical translation. This study aimed to develop an alginate-based solid foam incorporating Rügen chalk and to evaluate how key formulation components influence its structural, mechanical, and thermal properties relevant for therapeutic use. Methods: Alginate–chalk foams were prepared by mechanical mixing of a sodium alginate–Rügen chalk paste with an amino acid-based surfactant, while in situ CO₂ generation from D–glucono–δ–lactone (GDL) induced calcium-mediated alginate gelation and foam stabilization. A central composite design with response surface methodology was used to assess the effects of alginate, chalk, and Perlastan^®–GDL content on foam pH, overrun, firmness, springiness, pore volume, sphericity, pore density, specific internal surface area, and heat-loss time. Foam microstructure was characterized by optical microscopy and microcomputed tomography (µCT), and the thermal conductivity and cooling behaviour of the selected formulation were compared with therapeutic peat. Results: Stable, elastic solid foams with a three-dimensional porous architecture were obtained across the investigated composition range. Foam overrun (30.8–57.1%) was primarily governed by sodium alginate and Rügen chalk concentrations, while firmness (7.4–15.2 N) increased predominantly with alginate content, and springiness remained high (70–78%), indicating good elastic recovery. Response surface modelling and ANOVA confirmed sodium alginate as the dominant factor influencing both mechanical and structural properties, with statistically significant effects on overrun, firmness, springiness, heat loss, porosity, and specific internal surface. µCT analysis revealed that all foam formulations were predominantly composed of fine, closed-cell pores, with over 96% of pores having volumes below 0.5 mm³ and a consistent median pore volume of 0.02 mm³. Structural differences between formulations were governed primarily by pore number and spatial distribution rather than pore size. Strong correlations were identified between µCT-derived parameters, particularly between specific internal surface, porosity, and pore density, confirming that internal architecture is controlled by pore population rather than individual pore dimensions. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the optimized formulation exhibited thermal conductivity comparable to therapeutic peat and maintained clinically relevant temperatures (35–45 °C) for more than one hour. Based on predefined performance criteria (overrun ≥ 50%, firmness ≤ 10 N, heat loss ≥ 120 s), formulation 7 was identified as optimal, combining favourable mechanical properties, structural uniformity and thermal retention. Conclusions: Alginate-based solid foams incorporating Rügen chalk constitute a feasible and tunable platform that combines efficient mineral loading, elastic porosity, and effective heat retention, offering a practical and modern alternative to conventional mineral-based therapeutic applications in balneology and rehabilitation. Full article

Two-dimensional black phosphorus (2D BP) has emerged as one of the most promising two-dimensional semiconductors for next-generation micro and nanoelectronics beyond Moore’s Law. It is distinguished by its unique combination of a layer dependent direct bandgap, broadband photoresponse, and pronounced in-plane anisotropy, addressing key intrinsic limitations that have hindered the widespread application of graphene and conventional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). This review provides a systematic and comprehensive overview of recent advances in the controllable fabrication of 2D BP and its applications in transistors and photodetectors. We first elucidate its crystal lattice structure and fundamental physical properties, then categorize and summarize synthesis strategies based on production scale ranging from small scale methods (e.g., mechanical exfoliation and solution based exfoliation) to large scale methods (e.g., Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)), with a particular focus on recent advances in high-speed field-effect transistors and broadband photodetectors. In summary, the key to achieving large-scale controllable synthesis lies in addressing the challenges of high-temperature oxidation of black phosphorus and the uncontrollable diffusion of phosphorus sources. In the future, industrial applications are expected to be realized through CVD based regulation of phosphorus sources, low-temperature growth by PLD, and deep integration with silicon-based processes. Full article

High-temperature structural components are susceptible to creep deformation, which can ultimately lead to failure. In this work, an AI-based framework was developed capable of predicting the creep time of 316 austenitic stainless steel. Here, creep time refers to both the time to reach specific strain levels and the time to rupture. However, the scope of the present work is limited to rupture-time prediction, while the application of the framework to strain-level prediction will be reported in future work. The dataset consisted of creep strain curves from four heats, including both rupture and non-rupture curves. Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Support Vector Regressor (SVR), Gaussian Process Regressor (GPR), and Neural Network (NN) were employed. The effects of square-root and cube-root transformations on data distribution and model learning behaviour were analysed using model learning curves. An Optuna (version 4.3.0)-based hyperparameter tuning strategy was employed. The cube-root transformation improved the learning performance of SVR, GPR, and NN, whereas RF, GB, and XGB remained unaffected. Learning curves revealed mild overfitting for RF, GB, and XGB, and very minimal overfitting for SVR, GPR, and NN. NN achieved the best predictive performance (${\mathrm{R}}^2=0.92,\mathrm{R}\mathrm{M}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{E}=0.195$, deviation factor of 1.57). The findings demonstrated that the combined useof creep strain curves, data transformation, learning curve guided model selection, and rigorous hyperparameter tuning can improve the prediction accuracy under a limited dataset. Full article

Magnesium ammonium phosphate cement (MAPC) exhibits rapid setting, high early strength, and potential resistance to elevated temperatures, making it a promising material for rapid repair and fire-resistant applications. Gold tailings (GT), which contain thermally stable Si- and Al-rich components, show potential for improving the high-temperature performance of MAPC. However, the mechanisms by which GT affects the residual performance and phase evolution of MAPC after exposure to elevated temperatures remain insufficiently understood. In this study, GT was used to replace the total binder in MAPC mortar at mass replacement levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%, while the MgO/NH₄H₂PO₄ mass ratio in the remaining binder was kept constant. The effects of GT content on the workability of MAPC mortar, as well as its visual appearance, mechanical properties, mass loss rate, phase evolution, and microstructure after exposure to elevated temperatures, were investigated. The results showed that GT incorporation shortened the setting time and reduced the fluidity and room-temperature strength. After exposure to elevated temperatures, the GT-containing specimens exhibited higher strength retention and lower mass loss rates. After exposure to 1000 °C, the compressive strength of the specimen containing 30% GT reached 15.37 MPa, which was approximately 44.0% higher than that of the specimen without GT. Its flexural strength retention and mass loss rate were 47.42% and 9.84%, respectively. XRD and SEM results indicated that the formation of high-temperature residual phases, including Mg₃(PO₄)₂, Mg₂SiO₄, and aluminosilicates, may contribute to the improvement of the residual matrix structure after exposure to elevated temperatures. Overall, GT incorporation improved the residual mechanical properties of MAPC after exposure to elevated temperatures, and the specimen containing 30% GT showed comparatively superior performance within the experimental scope of this study. These findings provide a reference for the resource utilization of GT in MAPC-based heat-resistant repair materials. Full article

Deep unconventional oil and gas reservoirs are critical to hydrocarbon exploration and development in China. However, their complex geological and petrophysical features, including high temperature, high pressure, high salinity, multiple pressure systems, and intricate pore–fracture structures, make them highly susceptible to formation damage during drilling, completion, stimulation, and production. Effective reservoir protection is therefore essential for minimizing damage and improving development efficiency. This paper systematically reviews recent advances in reservoir protection for deep unconventional reservoirs, with a focus on evaluation methods and protective materials. Laboratory evaluation methods, including permeability recovery, nuclear magnetic resonance, pressure decay, and spontaneous imbibition, together with field-based approaches such as well testing and production decline analysis, are summarized and assessed for their applicability to complex damage characterization. Major damage mechanisms, including liquid-phase trapping, solid invasion, sensitivity damage, stress sensitivity, and wettability alteration, are analyzed with emphasis on working fluid–reservoir interactions under multi-field coupling conditions. Recent progress in protective materials is also reviewed, covering polymer-based materials such as gel sealing agents, delayed-swelling hydrogels, water-/oil-soluble temporary plugging agents, and film-forming polymers, as well as ultrafine CaCO₃ and fiber-based materials. In addition, related protection technologies, including temporary plugging, film-forming fluid-loss control, underbalanced drilling, and low-damage completion fluids, are discussed. Existing models developed for conventional sandstone reservoirs are insufficient for deep unconventional systems. Future research should prioritize integrated evaluation and protection methods tailored to deep tight, shale, and fractured–vuggy carbonate reservoirs. This review provides a basis for understanding complex damage mechanisms, developing functional protective materials, and advancing integrated reservoir protection technologies for the efficient development of deep unconventional resources. Full article

Porous ceramics have garnered widespread attention in high-temperature insulation, aerospace, and other fields due to their excellent thermal stability, low density, and superior thermal insulation performance. However, traditional preparation technologies suffer from limitations such as poor pore structure controllability, unstable mechanical properties, and long production cycles. In recent years, 3D printing (additive manufacturing) technology has emerged as a disruptive approach to address these challenges, enabling precise fabrication of porous ceramics with complex structures and tailored properties. This review comprehensively summarizes the research progress on 3D-printed porous ceramics, focusing on preparation technologies, structure optimization, and performance regulation. First, the principles and drawbacks of traditional preparation methods are analyzed. Then, four mainstream 3D printing technologies (Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, Vat Photopolymerization, and Material Jetting) for porous ceramics are elaborated on in terms of forming mechanisms, process characteristics, typical cases, and performance advantages/disadvantages. Additionally, the structure–property optimization strategies, including the design of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface structures and the application of computational modeling and simulation, are discussed to achieve the balance between thermal insulation and mechanical properties. Finally, current challenges and future development trends of 3D-printed porous ceramics are prospected. This review provides a systematic reference for the rational selection of preparation technologies, structural design, and performance optimization of porous ceramics, promoting their engineering applications in high-value fields. Full article

This study investigates the influence of PLA flowability and talc content on the performance of compostable thermoplastic starch/poly(butylene succinate) (TPS/PBS)-based systems for rigid applications. Different PLA grades with varying melt flow index (PLA23, PLA8 and PLA70) and talc contents (0, 5 and 10 wt%) were incorporated. Twelve formulations were compounded by twin-screw extrusion and processed by injection moulding. FTIR confirmed the coexistence of TPS, PBS and PLA phases without evidence of chemical interactions. Morphological analysis showed that PLA flowability plays a key role in phase distribution, with higher-flow PLA promoting improved dispersion and interfacial adhesion, while talc addition (5 and 10 wt%) increased structural heterogeneity; at higher loadings, particularly, DSC analysis revealed that talc acted as a nucleating agent for the PBS phase, increasing crystallisation temperatures from approximately 73 °C to 81 °C depending on formulation. Mechanical results showed that Young’s modulus increased from approximately 1.4 GPa to 2.7 GPa with decreasing PLA flowability and increasing talc content. Formulations containing low-flow PLA reached tensile strengths close to 32 MPa, although elongation at break decreased to values near 2%. In contrast, high-flow PLA formulations exhibited a more balanced mechanical response, with elongation values up to approximately 8%, associated with improved phase dispersion. Hybrid PLA systems showed intermediate behaviour, reaching elongations up to 22% while maintaining modulus values around 1.8 GPa. Talc provided additional reinforcement but reduced deformation capacity. HDT values remained relatively constant, indicating limited improvement in thermomechanical resistance despite increased stiffness. These results demonstrate that the combined control of PLA molecular characteristics and talc content enables tuning of the mechanical and thermomechanical performance of TPS/PBS/PLA/talc systems for rigid packaging applications. Full article

6082 aluminum alloy is widely applied in marine engineering, rail transportation and other industries owing to its excellent comprehensive performance. Welding heat source characteristics exert a decisive influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints and become a major constraint for the application of medium-thick aluminum alloy welded structures. In this work, comparative tests of TIG and MIG welding were carried out on 16 mm thick 6082 aluminum alloy plates. Combining thermal simulation, metallographic observation and mechanical property tests, the temperature field distribution, microstructure, microhardness, tensile properties and bending properties of the two kinds of joints were systematically studied. The results show that TIG welding possesses high heat input, forming a broad temperature field with steep thermal gradients. Its weld microstructure is coarse and accompanied by severe coarsening of Mg₂Si precipitates, and the joint presents a highly fluctuating M-shaped microhardness distribution. The average tensile strength of TIG welded joints is 194 MPa, and all specimens fracture in the heat-affected zone. By contrast, MIG welding with low heat input produces a uniform temperature field, as well as a fine and homogeneous weld microstructure with dispersed precipitates. Its microhardness distribution is stable, and the average tensile strength reaches 256 MPa, 32% higher than that of TIG joints. Both welding methods deliver favorable bending performance. The difference in heat input and cooling behavior changes the grain evolution and precipitate characteristics and further dominates the final mechanical performance of joints. MIG welding is more suitable for multi-layer, multi-pass welding of 16 mm thick 6082 aluminum alloy. This work clarifies the correlation between heat input, microstructure and mechanical properties, and the optimized process can effectively improve the microstructural uniformity of the weld joint and enhance its mechanical properties. Full article

Porous ceramics have shown great application potential in aerospace, electronics, and lithium-ion battery thermal management due to their low density, high specific strength, and excellent thermal insulation. Material Jetting (MJ), a high-precision 3D printing technology, enables the fabrication of porous ceramics with tailored pore structures, but the synergistic effects of pore structure parameters (configuration, porosity, and number of periods) on their thermal insulation performance remain insufficiently explored. This study systematically investigates the thermal insulation behavior of zirconia porous ceramics fabricated by MJ through experimental tests and numerical simulations. Three typical lattice configurations (Octet, Schwarz, and Gyroid) were selected, and samples with varying porosities (40%, 50%, 60%) and numbers of periods (1, 2, 3) were prepared. The results indicate that the Octet configuration (60% porosity, 3 periods) exhibits the optimal thermal insulation performance, with a minimum cold-end temperature of 58.5 °C (experiment) and 59.21 °C (simulation), attributed to its strut-based structure that forms a more tortuous heat conduction path. For the Gyroid configuration, thermal insulation performance improves with increasing porosity (reducing solid conduction dominance under non-forced convection) and decreases with decreasing number of periods (due to inhomogeneous pore distribution extending heat transfer paths). Notably, the trend of porosity affecting thermal insulation is opposite to that of compressive performance. Numerical simulation results are consistent with experimental data in both values and trends, verifying the reliability of the model. This work clarifies the key factors regulating the thermal insulation of MJ-fabricated porous ceramics and provides practical structural design guidelines for applications such as lithium-ion battery thermal runaway management. Full article

Self-healing biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to their ability to restore structural integrity, extend material lifetime, and reduce maintenance costs without external intervention. In this study, Polyvinyl Alcohol/Graphene Oxide/Eggshell Particle (PVA/GO/ESP) composite hydrogels were synthesized via a freeze–thawing method and characterized using XRD, SEM/EDS, and FTIR analyses. The effect of ESP incorporation on the self-healing and mechanical properties of the hydrogels was systematically investigated. Tensile test results demonstrated that incorporation of 1 wt% ESP improved the tensile strength up to 0.326 MPa while maintaining high strain capacity. Healing efficiency values calculated from recovered tensile strength showed approximately 69%, 47%, and 67% recovery for PVA/GO, PVA/GO/ESP (0.5%), and PVA/GO/ESP (1%) hydrogels, respectively. The developed hydrogels demonstrated rapid self-healing behavior at room temperature without external stimuli. These findings suggest that ESP-reinforced PVA/GO hydrogels may serve as promising candidates for future biomaterial and soft tissue engineering studies. The developed hydrogels demonstrated enhanced tensile strength, rapid self-healing behavior, and promising swelling properties, indicating their potential use in soft tissue engineering and biomaterial applications. Full article

Heat-treatable aluminum alloys are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries for high-performance structural applications. However, their processing through conventional fusion-based additive manufacturing is limited by solidification-related defects, such as hot cracking, porosity, and elemental segregation. To overcome these limitations, friction-based additive manufacturing (FBAM) has emerged as a promising solid-state alternative. FBAM primarily includes friction stir additive manufacturing (FSAM), additive friction stir deposition (AFSD), friction screw extrusion additive manufacturing (FSEAM), and friction rolling additive manufacturing (FRAM), which differ in feedstock form and process configuration. In these processes, feed material is consolidated through frictional heat generated below the melting temperature, enabling the formation of refined equiaxed microstructures while minimizing solidification defects. Despite these advantages, significant challenges persist in processing heat-treatable aluminum alloys, particularly the 2xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx series. These include non-uniform microstructure and mechanical properties along the build direction; precipitation instability; process-induced defects, such as tunnel formation; and mechanical properties that are often inferior to those of the corresponding base materials (BMs). Reported FBAM builds generally exhibit equiaxed ultrafine grains below 1 μm; however, the strength and microhardness of heat-treated alloy builds commonly remain around 70–75% of the corresponding BM. Following post-heat treatment, microhardness can be nearly fully recovered, whereas UTS typically reaches about 80–85% of BMs, often with an associated ductility reduction of nearly 50%. This review critically analyzes research reported over the past decade on FBAM processing of heat-treatable aluminum alloys, covering FSAM, AFSD, FSEAM, and FRAM. The key challenges related to microstructural evolution and mechanical performance are systematically discussed for each alloy series. Furthermore, mitigation strategies proposed in the literature, including process parameter optimization, in-process cooling, post-heat treatment, and nanoparticle reinforcement (e.g., SiC, TiC, Ni and ZrO₂), are evaluated. Finally, existing research gaps are identified, and future directions are proposed to support the development of robust, scalable, and high-performance FBAM processes for heat-treatable aluminum alloys. Full article