Jun Guo,Peng Qin,Zheng Ma,Qiong-Lian Yang,Jing Feng,Zhen-Hua Ge
A new approach was developed for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of In 2 O 3 (ZnO) 5 ceramics. Ni coating layer on the surface of In 2 O 3 (ZnO) 5 powders was prepared by chemical plating. The Ni-Coated In 2 O 3 (ZnO) 5 powders was densified to composite bulk with Ni enrichment in the grain boundaries. The composite sample obtained a remarkably enhanced dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.39 at 973 K, which is 3.6 times higher than that of a pristine In 2 O 3 (ZnO) 5 sample.
Xiuyong Chen,Jianhui Yuan,Jing Huang,Kun Ren,Yi Liu,Shaoyang Lu,Hua Li
This study aims to further enhance the anti-corrosion performances of Al coatings by constructing superhydrophobic surfaces. The Al coatings were initially arc-sprayed onto steel substrates, followed by deposition of polyurethane (PU)/nano-Al 2 O 3 composites by a suspension flame spraying process. Large-scale corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic PU/nano-Al 2 O 3 -Al coatings were successfully fabricated. The coatings showed tunable superhydrophilicity/superhydrophobicity as achieved by changing the concentration of PU in the starting suspension. The layer containing 2.0 wt.%PU displayed excellent hydrophobicity with the contact angle of ∼151° and the sliding angle of ∼6.5° for water droplets. The constructed superhydrophobic coatings showed markedly improved anti-corrosion performances as assessed by electrochemical corrosion testing carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The PU/nano-Al 2 O 3 -Al coatings with superhydrophobicity and competitive anti-corrosion performances could be potentially used as protective layers for marine infrastructures. This study presents a promising approach for fabricatiing superhydrophobic coatings for corrosion-resistant applications.