Electrochemical Properties of Metallic Coatings

The metallic coating is an outstanding corrosion-protection option with extensive applications, especially in high-temperature environments. Considering the close relationship between anti-corrosion ability and constitutions, it is necessary to acquire the electrochemical properties of metallic coatings for optimizing their corrosion resistance, and further provide guidance for coating design based on the protection mechanism. Thus, this Special Issue aims at collecting research articles focusing on the electrochemical properties of various metallic coatings, especially on the application of new electrochemical techniques for analyzing the corrosion protection process and mechanism of these coatings. Both experimental and theoretical types of research are welcome for the contribution

Structure and Properties of Arc Ion Plating Deposited AlCrSiN Coatings Controlled by Pulsed Bias Voltage

AlCrSiN coatings are promising protective candidates for cutting and forming tools. During the coating deposition process, the microstructure and properties of the coatings were dramatically affected by bias voltages. To further optimize and enhance the AlCrSiN coating, a series of coatings were deposited at different pulse bias voltages using arc ion plating technology. By virtue of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scratch method, OCP, EIS, and other analytical methods, the effects of the pulse bias voltage on the crystal structure, microstructure, and mechanical, tribological, and electrochemical properties of the AlCrSiN coatings were analyzed. The study revealed that the pulse bias voltage exerted a slight influence on the aluminum and nitrogen content of the coatings. As the pulse bias voltage increased, the hardness, critical load, and tribological performance of the AlCrSiN coatings first increased gradually, and then were impaired slightly. When the pulse bias voltage was −100 V, the resulting AlCrSiN coating exhibited the densest structure, the highest hardness, the strongest adhesion, and the best wear resistance. In this case, the coating hardness and critical load reached 2668 HV and 72.7 N, respectively. The friction coefficient and wear rate were 0.35 and 1.02 × 10−3 μm3/N·μm, respectively. Simultaneously, the AlCrSiN coating demonstrated exceptional corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions, surpassing uncoated 304 steel by 3~4 times

The response speed and fatigue characteristics of a pulsed 778 nm -> 420 nm conversion in rubidium vapor

A strong 778 nm -> 420 nm conversion was realized in Rb vapor. With the help of the multi-spike structure of the 778 nm pumping laser, the response speed of the 778 nm -> 420 nm conversion was successfully measured. Experimental results showed that the conversion was a high-speed process, with a response bandwidth of 1 GHz. In addition, fatigue phenomenon of the 778 nm -> 420 nm conversion under strong pumping was observed, and the recovery time of such fatigue was measured with a dual pump method. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The strategy of energy-related carbon emission reduction in Shanghai

This paper presents a system analysis approach on carbon emission reduction at urban level, taking Shanghai as a case. Shanghai's current carbon emission was analyzed based on survey. The prospective carbon emission of Shanghai in 2010 and 2020 were estimated based on scenarios analysis. The main results are: (1) the primary energy consumption of Shanghai shows a continuously increasing trend in recent decades; (2) the energy consumption for production is where the majority of Shanghai's energy consumption is being used; (3) among the total energy consumed, secondary industry energy consumption occupies the biggest share; (4) computations indicate that Shanghai's current carbon emission steadily increased from 1990 to 2005 and reached 58.05 Mt C-eq in 2005, a factor of two times its 1990 emission; (5) if Shanghai can realistically meet the target of the 11th Five-Year Plan, the carbon emission reduction will reach to 17.26 and 111.04 Mt C-eq in 2010 and 2020, respectively, which represents a reduction of nearly 46% below its current growth trajectory in 2020. Based on these results, three strategic suggestions for developing low-carbon economy in Shanghai have been proposed, which can also be applied to other similar cities in China.Climate change Carbon emission System analysis approach

The Effect of Vacuum Annealing Temperature on the Properties of AlCrTiSiN Coating Prepared by Arc Ion Plating

In order to further improve the mechanical and tribological properties of AlCrTiSiN coating, annealing treatment was carried out in this work. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nanoindentation, scratch tester, friction, and a wear tester were used to characterize and explore the effects of annealing temperature on the coating composition, phase component, surface and cross-sectional morphology, and mechanical properties as well as the friction and wear performance of the AlCrTiSiN coatings. The results indicated that after the vacuum annealing the content of amorphous phase decreased and the average size of nanocrystals increased in varying degrees. With the increase in annealing temperature the coating surface became smoother and the cross-section morphology changed little. The coating hardness first increased and then decreased. The adhesion between the coating and substrate decreased after annealing, but the wear resistance was improved. When the annealing temperature was 800 °C, the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the resulting coating were the best. In this case, the coating hardness was 27 GPa, the critical load was 61 N, the friction coefficient was 0.66, and the wear rate was 1.97 × 10−3 μm3/N·μm−1