Structural distortions at the nanoscale are delicately linked with many exotic properties for ferroic thin films. Based on advanced aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we observe BiFeO3 thin films with variant tensile strain states and demonstrate at an atomic scale the interplay of intrinsic spontaneous structural distortions with external constraints. Structural parameters (the rhombohedral distortion and domain wall shear distortion) under zero (BiFeO3/GdScO3) and 1.5% (BiFeO3/PrScO3) lateral strain states are quantitatively analyzed which are suppressed within a few unit cells near the film/substrate interfaces. In particular, an interfacial layer with asymmetrical lattice distortions (enhanced and reduced out-of-plane lattice spacing) on the two sides of 109° domain wall is resolved. These structural distortions near the film/substrate interface in ferroic thin films reveal intense tanglement of intrinsic distortions of BiFeO3 with external boundary conditions, which could provide new insights for the development of nanoscale ferroelectric devices.

A novel approach based on the preceramic paper method was used for the fabrication of Ti3SiC2-based material. Elemental powders of Ti, TiC, Si, C, and organic additives were used as starting materials. The Rapid Köthen process was used to fabricate the preceramic papers. The high-loaded green body of preceramic papers was heat-treated up to varying temperatures of 1300, 1400, 1500, and 1600 °C for 1 h in an Ar atmosphere. By using an excess amount of Si powder in the basic composition, the amount of Ti3SiC2 in the sintered specimen could be increased while the amount of TiC could be reduced. X-ray analysis showed that the paper-derived sample with the basic powder composition 3Ti/3TiC/3Si/C was a single phase within the resolution limit of the instrument used. The high purity of Ti3SiC2 can be explained by the partial formation of amorphous C which could not be detected by X-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of fracture surfaces showed the characteristic lamellar structure of the paper-derived MAX phase.

Al–(12, 20, 35 wt%)Si alloys were fabricated using powder metallurgy process involving hot pressing followed by hot extrusion. The effect of Si content on the microstructure [by scanning electron microscopy], the mechanical properties (hardness and tensile tests), and the thermal expansion behavior were studied in detail, respectively. Due to the friction between the Si phase and the matrix, as well as the diffusion of the Si atoms, the Si phase becomes a particulate shape after hot extrusion, and the size increases with increasing Si content. The mechanical strength increases, whereas, the elongation decreases with increasing the Si content from 12 to 35 wt%, which lead to a variation of the fracture mechanism from ductile to brittle failure. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) decreases with increasing Si content as a result of restriction of Si on the Al matrix, and the measured CTE value is in good agreement with the Turner model below 573 K.

Recent advances in alumina ceramics are focused toward innovative processing routes to improve their mechanical reliability while retaining their superior wear resistance, which might be possible if a thin layer of dense alumina can be formed on a metallic substrate such as Ti–6Al–4V with high mechanical strength. For this purpose, we propose a new two-step process in which a dense layer of Al deposited on the Ti alloy by cold metal transfer method, formed a dense Al3Ti gradient reaction layer at their interface to improve adhesion in a single step. Subsequent micro-arc oxidation treatment transformed Al layer to a graded alumina layer in which γ-alumina decreased and α-alumina increased with increasing depth. Abrasion of outer regions revealed underlying pure α-alumina regions with high Vickers hardness matching with that of sintered alumina. The designed alumina/Ti alloy hybrid can be a potential candidate for wear resistance applications.

We have investigated theoretically the role of Cr-d states in the electronic and optical properties of the CdCr2X4 (X = S, Se) normal ferromagnetic spinels using the framework of an all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. The calculations are performed using Coulomb corrected Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE+U) and Tran–Blaha modified-Becke–Johnson (TB-mBJ) approximations with the adding of spin–orbit coupling in both schemes. The lattice parameters have been optimized and are in agreement with the existing experimental values. We found band gap values 1.606 eV and 0.972 eV of CdCr2X4 (X = S, Se), respectively, using the TB-mBJ scheme. Analysis of the site and momentum projected densities shows that the larger splitting of Cr-d states is responsible for the larger band gap by the use of the TB-mBJ scheme. Optical properties along the directions of lattice constants are studied on the basis of band to band transitions. We found the isotropic nature of the optical properties. Reflectivity stays low up to 1.6 eV, consistent with the energy gaps obtained using the TB-mBJ scheme in both the compounds. The refractive index, n(ω), and the extinction coefficient, k(ω), are also studied by the PBE and the TB-mBJ schemes.

A series CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts was modified with rare earth element (La, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Tm) using extrusion method. The catalytic activities of the obtained catalysts were measured for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 to screen suitable addition of rare earth element. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption (N2-BET), NH3 temperature-programmed desorption analyses (NH3-TPD), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), Raman spectra, pyridine adsorption Fourier-transform infrared (Py-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Results showed that the CeO2/Al2O3 exhibited excellent performance in resisting reactant poisoning caused by vapor and sulfur and the highest catalytic activity (98.35%) at 360 °C when the added Tm/Ce molar ratio is 0.10. The surface acidity of CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst would be enhanced with the addition of rare earth ions. Consequently, rare earth ion was beneficial to catalytic activity at low temperatures and corresponded to similar law. Analysis revealed that the higher number of acid sites and the more Ce3+ were conductive to obtain the excellent NH3-SCR activity.

Boron carbide (B4C) powder was consolidated at 45 MPa by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) for 20 min from 1450 to 2000 °C. The density of the B4C reached 99.6% at 2000 °C. A continuum model was applied to describe the densification mechanism of B4C powder under SPS conditions. The shrinkage rate was sensitive to particle size and temperature. The effect of porosity on thermal diffusion was significant, especially for small particle sizes. It appears that there is Joule heating, discharge, and electromagnetic field involved during the SPS of B4C. The current can enhance the sintering process, and it can obviously reduce the creep activation energy.