The Effect of Plastic Deformation on the Geometric Parameters of Nb-Ti-Based Superconducting Cable

The current carrying capacity of a superconductor depends on its microstructure, that is, the shape, size and volume content of particles released during the decomposition of a solid solution. At the technological stage, it is necessary to ensure continuity of the process and a given density of micro defects. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess and present the results of studies of the effect of plastic deformation (tension) on the structure of a multicore superconductor based on Nb-Ti alloy. Mechanical tests were carried out for uniaxial tension to failure on a Walter + Bai AG LFM-125 testing machine (maximum force up to 125 kN). The internal structure of the sample at the fracture site after the sample preparation was studied using a Neophot-21 optical microscope. The effect of deformation on the geometric parameters of NbTi fibers was studied. Sample preparation included thin sections, polishing and etching

Research of the plastic flow of electrolytically saturated with hydrogen (He) Al-Cu-Mg alloy

The effect of hydrogen embrittlement on the plastic flow of Al-Cu-Mg alloy was investigated (HE). The studies were performed for the test samples of aluminum alloy subjected to electrolytic hydrogenation in a three electrode electrochemical cell. It is found that the mechanical properties and plastic flow curves of aluminum alloy are affected adversely by HE. These are found to show all the plastic flow stages: the linear, parabolic and pre-failure stages. It is established that the hydrogenation enhances the localization of straining leads to significant changes in the characteristics distances between local straining zones. The patterns of localized plasticity appear to be useful for a detailed analysis of plasticity exhibited by aluminum alloys

The Effect of Hydrogen on the Parameters of Plastic Deformation Localization in Low Carbon Steel

In the present study, the effect of interstitial hydrogen atoms on the mechanical properties and plastic strain localization patterns in tensile tested polycrystals of low-carbon steel Fe-0.07%C has been studied using double exposure speckle photography technique. The main parameters of plastic flow localization at various stages of deformation hardening have been determined in polycrystals of steel electrolytically saturated with hydrogen in a three-electrode electrochemical cell at a controlled constant cathode potential. Also, the effect of hydrogen on changing of microstructure by using optical microscopy has been demonstrated

Microstructure of Modified Layer Produced Using Aluminum Oxy-Hydroxide Nanostructured Powders

The paper provides the results of experimental research into the influence of aluminum oxy-hydroxide nano-structured powders on the microstructure of modified layers. It has been demonstrated aluminum oxy-hydroxide nano-structured powders AlO(OH) applied as modifiers bring about the decrease in dendrite dimensions, support equilibrium microstructure formation, and cause the growth of microhardness

On the plastic flow localization of martensitic stainless steel saturated with hydrogen

The deformation behavior of tensile tested corrosion resistant high-chromium steel electrically saturated with hydrogen has been investigated. The studies were performed for high-temperature tempered steel with sorbitic structure and after electrolytic hydrogenation for 6 and 12 hours. It was found that hydrogen has markedly reduced the breaking stress and elongation leading to the fracture of the specimen. Using the method of double-exposed speckle photography, it was found that the plastic flow of the material had localized character. The evolution of localized-strain center distributions follows the law of plastic flow. The autowave parameters (autowave velocity and autowave length) were measured for every state of high-chromium steel under investigation and the difference between them is of great significance

Heterogeneity of plastic flow of bimetals electrolytically saturated with hydrogen

This paper presents the study of a corrosion-resistant bimetal composed of austenitic stainless steel (301 AISI) and low-carbon construction steel (A 283 Grade C) and the effect of its electrolytic hydrogenation on plastic flow of the test material. Localization patterns of plastic deformation in the process of uniaxial tension were obtained using the digital image correlation method. The evolution of localized plastic deformation zones was studied in the initial state and after electrolytic hydrogenation. The staging of stress-strain curves was analyzed

X-ray Spectroscopy Study of Defect Contribution to Lithium Adsorption on Porous Carbon

Lithium adsorption on high-surface-area porous carbon (PC) nanomaterials provides superior electrochemical energy storage performance dominated by capacitive behavior. In this study, we demonstrate the influence of structural defects in the graphene lattice on the bonding character of adsorbed lithium. Thermally evaporated lithium was deposited in vacuum on the surface of as-grown graphene-like PC and PC annealed at 400 °C. Changes in the electronic states of carbon were studied experimentally using surface-sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. NEXAFS data in combination with density functional theory calculations revealed the dative interactions between lithium sp2 hybridized states and carbon π*-type orbitals. Corrugated defective layers of graphene provide lithium with new bonding configurations, shorter distances, and stronger orbital overlapping, resulting in significant charge transfer between carbon and lithium. PC annealing heals defects, and as a result, the amount of lithium on the surface decreases. This conclusion was supported by electrochemical studies of as-grown and annealed PC in lithium-ion batteries. The former nanomaterial showed higher capacity values at all applied current densities. The results demonstrate that the lithium storage in carbon-based electrodes can be improved by introducing defects into the graphene layers

Brominated Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials for Sodium-Ion Storage

Chemical modification improves the performance of the carbon anode in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this work, porous nitrogen-doped carbon (PNC) was obtained by removing template nanoparticles from the thermal decomposition products of calcium glutarate and acetonitrile vapor. The treatment of PNC with a KOH melt led to the etching of the carbon shells at the nitrogen sites, which caused the replacement of some nitrogen species by hydroxyl groups and the opening of pores. The attached hydroxyl groups interacted with Br2 molecules, resulting in a higher bromine content in the brominated pre-activated sample (5 at%) than in the brominated PNC (3 at%). Tests of the obtained materials in SIBs showed that KOH activation has little effect on the specific capacity of PNC, while bromination significantly improves the performance. The largest gain was achieved for brominated KOH-activated PNC, which was able to deliver 234 and 151 mAh g−1 at 0.05 and 1 A g−1, respectively, and demonstrated stable long-term operation at 0.25 and 0.5 A g−1. The improvement was related to the separation of graphitic layers due to Br2 intercalation and polarization of the carbon surface by covalently attached functional groups. Our results suggest a new two-stage modification strategy to improve the storage and high-rate capability of carbon materials in SIBs

Tuning Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Electrodes via Synthesis Temperature Adjustment to Improve Sodium- and Lithium-Ion Storage

Structural imperfections, heteroatom dopants, and the interconnected pore structure of carbon materials have a huge impact on their electrochemical performance in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries due to the specific ion transport and the dominant storage mechanism at surface defect sites. In this work, mesopore-enriched nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) materials were produced with template-assisted chemical vapor deposition using calcium tartrate as the template precursor and acetonitrile as the carbon and nitrogen source. The chemical states of nitrogen, the volume of mesopores, and the specific surface areas of the materials were regulated by adjusting the synthesis temperature. The electrochemical testing of NC materials synthesized at 650, 750, and 850 °C revealed the best performance of the NC-650 sample, which was able to deliver 182 mA·h·g−1 in sodium-ion batteries and 1158 mA·h·g−1 in lithium-ion batteries at a current density of 0.05 A·g−1. Our study shows the role of defect sites, including carbon monovacancies and nitrogen-terminated vacancies, in the binding and accumulation of sodium. The results provide a strategy for managing the carbon structure and nitrogen states to achieve a high alkali-metal-ion storage capacity and long cycling stability, thereby facilitating the electrochemical application of NC materials

Electrochemical Performance of Potassium Hydroxide and Ammonia Activated Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon in Sodium-Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors

Carbon nanomaterials possessing a high specific surface area, electrical conductivity and chemical stability are promising electrode materials for alkali metal-ion batteries and supercapacitors. In this work, we study nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) obtained by chemical vapor deposition of acetonitrile over the pyrolysis product of calcium tartrate, and activated with a potassium hydroxide melt followed by hydrothermal treatment in an aqueous ammonia solution. Such a two-stage chemical modification leads to an increase in the specific surface area up to 1180 m2 g−1, due to the formation of nanopores 0.6–1.5 nm in size. According to a spectroscopic study, the pore edges are decorated with imine, amine, and amide groups. In sodium-ion batteries, the modified material mNC exhibits a stable reversible gravimetric capacity in the range of 252–160 mA h g−1 at current densities of 0.05–1.00 A g−1, which is higher than the corresponding capacity of 142–96 mA h g−1 for the initial NC sample. In supercapacitors, the mNC demonstrates the highest specific capacitance of 172 F g−1 and 151 F g−1 at 2 V s−1 in 1 M H2SO4 and 6 M KOH electrolytes, respectively. The improvement in the electrochemical performance of mNC is explained by the cumulative contribution of a developed pore structure, which ensures rapid diffusion of ions, and the presence of imine, amine, and amide groups, which enhance binding with sodium ions and react with protons or hydroxyl ions. These findings indicate that hydrogenated nitrogen functional groups grafted to the edges of graphitic domains are responsible for Na+ ion storage sites and surface redox reactions in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, making modified carbon a promising electrode material for electrochemical applications