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A finite element method was developed to predict the effective thermal conductivity of particle filled epoxy composites. Three-dimensional models, which considered the effect of filler geometry, filler aspect ratio, conductivity ratio of filler to matrix, and interfacial layer were used to simulate the microstructure of epoxy composites for various filler volume fractions up to 30%. The calculated thermal conductivities were compared with results from existing theoretical models and experiments. Numerical estimation of ellipsoids-in-cube model accurately predicted thermal conductivity of epoxy composites with alumina filler particles. The number of length division during mesh process and particle numbers used in the finite element analysis affect the accuracy of calculated results. At a given value of filler content, the numerical results indicated a ratio of conductivity of filler to matrix for achieving the maximum thermal conductivity. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4000210] Keywords: composite materials, thermal analysis, encapsulant, underfill, finite element method

Traditionally, large quantities of ceramic fillers are added to polymers in order to obtain high thermally conductive polymer composites, which are used for electronic encapsulants. However, that is not cost effective enough. In this study, [Si.sub.3][N.sub.4] particle filled epoxy composite with a novel structure was fabricated by a processing method and structure design. Epoxy resin used in particle form was obtained by premixing and crushing. Different particle sizes were selected by sieving. High thermal conductivity was achieved at relative low volume fraction of the filler. The microstructure of the composites indicates that a continuous network is formed by the filler, which mainly completes the heat conduction. Thermal conductivity of the composites increases as the filler content increases, and the samples exhibit a highest thermal conductivity of 1.8 W/m K at 30% volume fraction of the filler in the composites using epoxy particles of 2 mm. The composites show low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. [DOI: 10.1115/1.2804097] Keywords: thermal conductivity, polymer composite, ceramic filler, dielectric properties

A silicon oxide (SiO2) nanoparticles‐decorated short carbon fiber (SCF) hybrid (SCF‐SiO2) was designed to improve the weak interfacial bonding between fibers and matrix. Nano‐SiO2 was grafted onto carbon fibers by introducing amino group and epoxy group on the surface of carbon fibers and SiO2, respectively. The chemical composition of SCF‐SiO2 was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and energy‐dispersive spectrometry, the microstructure of SCF‐SiO2 were investigated by scanning electron microscope, and then the hybrid filler was introduced into Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK). Due to the strong interfacial interaction between filler and matrix, the mechanical and tribological properties of SCF‐SiO2/PEEK composites were significantly better than SCF/PEEK composites. In order to further improve the tribological properties of the composites, micrometer‐sized cenosphere (CS) particles were introduced into the aforementioned system to prepare multicomponent composites. The test results of friction and wear indicate that the CS/SCF‐SiO2/PEEK composites have the optimal tribological properties. Compared with pure PEEK, the friction coefficient of CS/SCF‐SiO2/PEEK composites under 200 N load decreases by 56.4% and the specific wear rate decreases by 87.4%. Meanwhile, the thermal decomposition temperature of CS/SCF‐SiO2/PEEK composites is increased by 40 °C compared to pure PEEK. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48749. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbO–ZnO–B 2 O 3 (PZB) glass with low-melting temperature has been widely applied in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) packaging. However, the high thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of PZB glass usually leads to strict packaging requirements. Here, in order to achieve ideal TEC, we have introduced β -eucryptite into PZB/ β -eucryptite composite glass and optimized the composite fabrication process. Firstly, PbO:ZnO:B 2 O 3 in mol ratio of 65:15:20 was selected as glass matrix owing to its low-melting temperature and good wettability. Then, β -eucryptite ceramics with ultra-low TEC were synthesized via a facile solid-state reaction method to optimize subsequent composite TEC value. The combination of corresponding material and device characterizations suggest that the pure phase and regular columnar grains of β -eucryptite ceramic can be obtained by sintering at 1450 °C for three hours, which can result in the lowest negative TEC of α 30-300°C = −10.74 × 10−6 K−1. Furthermore, regarding the PZB/ β -eucryptite composite glasses, systematic experiments demonstrated that the β -eucryptite introduction can greatly impact the TEC of matrix glass with only negligible effect on the softening point (T s). Importantly, composite glasses with TEC of α 30-300°C = 3.26 × 10−6 K−1, T s = 380 °C and wetting angle < 30° are ideal for MEMS packaging. This work implements optimized fabrication process to obtain low-melting PZB/ β -eucryptite composite glasses with ideal TEC values, which can be envisaged to be applied in advanced MEMS packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient CaSi2O2N2:Eu2+ green phosphors were synthesized via solid-state reaction method. The produced phosphors are effectively excited with UV-vis light of wavelength between 300 and 460 nm and emit a single, intense, and broad emission band centered at 538 nm. The experimental results and their analysis suggest that the energy transfer mechanism should occur due to dipole-dipole interactions among Eu2+ ions, resulting in a shift in emission spectrum toward longer wavelengths with increasing Eu2+ concentration. The quenching concentration of Eu2+ (i.e., where the emission intensity maximizes) is approximately 2 at. %. Accordingly, the produced CaSi2O2N2:Eu2+ green phosphors are qualified for further consideration and experimentation for potential use in white light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the photoluminescence properties of [Eu.sup.2+]-activated Ca[Si.sub.2][O.sub.2][N.sub.2] using solid-state reaction method. Results reveal that the energy transfer mechanism must take place directly to dipole-dipole interactions between [Eu.sub.2+] ions, ensuing in a shift in emission spectrum toward longer wavelengths with increasing [Eu.sub.2+] concentration.

This work focused on the influence of hydrogen content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ER5183 Al-Mg-Mn alloy wires for aluminum alloy welding. The hydrogen content of the ER5183 wires was measured, the macroscopic and microscopic morphologies of fractures were observed as well as the microstructure of the wires, and the tensile strength of the wires was also tested and investigated. The experimental results demonstrated three typical irregular macroscopic fractures of the wires appeared during the drawing process when the hydrogen content exceeded 0.23 μg/g. In the meantime, the aggregated pores were observed in the microstructure of the ϕ5.2 mm wire with the hydrogen content of 0.38 μg/g. Such defects may become the origin of cracks in subsequent processing and tensile tests. Moreover, higher hydrogen content in the ϕ5.2 mm welding wire will bring obvious changes in the fracture surface, which are internal cracks and micropores replacing the original uniform and compact dimples. With the higher hydrogen content, the tensile strength and plastic strain rate of ϕ1.2 mm wires would decrease. At the same time, unstable crack propagation would occur during the process of plastic deformation, leading to fracture. Considering the mechanical properties and microstructure, the hydrogen content of the ER5183 wires should be controlled below 0.23 μg/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba1−xCax(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.02) perovskite ceramics were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The phase composition and microstructure were characterized by XRD and SEM, respectively. The result showed that all ceramics exhibited the 1:2 ordered perovskite structure, and the grain size decreased first and then increased with different substitution amount of Ca2+ for Ba2+. The dielectric properties were examined by Vector network analyzer, and the Raman spectra was used to interpret the dielectric properties of Ba1−xCax(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics. The dielectric constant (εr) were strongly depended on the Raman shift of A1g(O) stretch mode, and the quality factor (Q × f) manifested great correlated with the full width at half maxima (FWHM) of A1g(O) stretch mode. The Ba1−xCax(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics substituted of Ca2+ for Ba2+ in x = 0.005, which possessed the narrowest FWHM and the highest degree of 1:2 ordering, showed the best microwave dielectric properties: εr = 31.64, Q × f = 74421 GHz, τf = 14.59 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of BaO content (up to 15 mol%) on the crystallization behaviour, structure, thermal properties and microwave dielectric properties of the BaO-CaO-B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glasses and glass-ceramics system was investigated. The glasses were produced by melting at 1400 °C and quenching into water, and the glass-ceramics were produced via heat treatment at temperatures between 750 and 800 °C. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis showed that increasing the BaO content raised the resistance of the glass against crystallization and favoured the transformation of β-CaSiO 3 and α-CaSiO 3 phases, which crystallized in the Ba-free and in low BaO content compositions, into SiO 2 and Ba 4 Si 6 O 16 , which crystallized in compositions with higher concentrations of BaO. The BaO content had little influence on the glass transition temperature ( T g ) and the linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), but strongly reduced the softening point ( T s ). Even the addition of BaO as minor additives resulted in a dramatic reduction of the T s ; for example, the T s decreased from 902 °C for the Ba-free composition to 682 °C for the BaO-containing one (5%). Low values of the dielectric constant (5.9 ≤  ε r ≤ 6.63) and dielectric loss (1.12 × 10 −3 ≤ tan δ  ≤ 3.15 × 10 −3 ) were measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu2+ doped strontium aluminate phosphors CaySr4−x−yAl2O7:xEu2+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.1) were synthesized via a novel halide-assisted solid-state reaction method. The phase structure and photoluminescence properties of CaySr4−x−yAl2O7:xEu2+ were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The XRD patterns indicate that the α-Sr4Al2O7 phase structure with negligible impurities were produced in the samples of CaySr4−x−yAl2O7:xEu2+ (x ≤ 0.1 and y ≤ 0.1) at 1450 °C. Photoluminescence results show that the CaySr4−x−yAl2O7:xEu phosphor with NH4I as reductant presents typical intense Eu2+ red emission bands centered at 610 nm while excited by 450 nm. Accordingly, samples without NH4I only exhibit two weak Eu3+ emission peaks located at 598 and 619 nm, respectively. It can be ascribed to the reduction characteristic of I− ion. Furthermore, by partial replacement of Sr2+ with Ca2+ in Sr4Al2O7 host, the emission intensity is enhanced up to 260% with emission peak red shifted by 5-10 nm. These results indicate that partial substitution of Sr2+ by Ca2+ is an efficient way to increase the proportion of longer wavelength emission and luminescence intensity for Sr4Al2O7:Eu phosphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature stable microwave dielectric materials xBaTiO-(1 − x)BaSmTiO were produced through a conventional solid-state reaction procedure in the work. The structural and microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were determined with the purpose of finding a microwave ceramics with high dielectric constant (ε), high quality factor (Q × f) and zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ). Experimental results showed that BaTiO additions affected grain growth and densification, the grain size distribution, and tuned the dielectric properties of the produced ceramics. The amount of BaTiO strongly influenced the densification and the microstructure (i.e. grain shape and size) of the produced ceramics. Analysis of the experimental results suggests that the microstructural features can be correlated to the dielectric properties of these ceramics. Accordingly, the dielectric constant (ε) and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ) of the produced BaSmTiO ceramics can be tuned with the amount of BaTiO additions and the sintering process parameters. The best dielectric properties were achieved for BaSmTiO ceramics with 15% BaTiO (ε = 66, Q×f = 15,730 GHz and τ ≈ 0 ppm/°C). Experimental results suggest that BaTiO doping improves the dielectric properties of the sintered BaSmTiO perovskite ceramics, which are further enhanced by doping with BaTiO in small amounts. However, further increase of BaTiO content jeopardizes them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tungsten bronze-type-like single-phase polycrystalline ceramics (BaSr) SmTiO have been prepared through the solid-state ceramic route. The phases and structure of the ceramics were analyzed through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were studied using a network analyzer. In this paper, improvement of quality factor (Q × f) by substituting small Sr ions for Ba ions in (BaSr) SmTiO solid solutions in A1-sites, is reported. In addition, the relationship between crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties is discussed from the viewpoint of structural formula and occupational state of large cations such as Ba, Sr ions in A1-sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The copper layer was deposited on the surface of AlO ceramic substrate via thick film and nano-SiO/copper electroless composite plating methods. The morphologies and phase compositions of the metalized copper layers on ceramic substrate were investigated by the means of scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The electrical conductivity, adhesion strength and thermal cycling reliability were studied by four-probe method, peel test and temperature cycling test, respectively. Nano-SiO had great influence on the morphologies of copper layer plating on the thick film ceramic substrate, the nano-SiO played a role of the nuclei action for the copper plating, especially for the cavity on the surface of thick film copper layer. The copper layer of nano-SiO/copper electroless composite plating on the thick film ceramic substrate with 0.5 g L of nano-SiO represented lower porosity and higher electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of copper layer was consistent with theoretical results based on the modified Huang's formula. It is indicated that the electrical properties of nano-SiO/copper electroless composite plating copper layer could be predicted by the two-phase composite rule. The optimum adhesion strength and thermal cycling times were obtained when the content of nano-SiO was 0.5 g L. The reasons of these phenomena were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The production of composites of epoxy molding compounds (EMCs), which can feature a good balance between thermal conductivity and flame-retardant behavior in terms of flammability and burning behavior, was achieved by incorporating high thermal conductivity Si3N4 and flame retardant Al(OH)3 (ATH) fillers in the epoxy matrix. The experimental results were obtained from thermal conductivity measurements and limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94 tests. These results showed that the Si3N4 filler has a great influence on thermal conductivity, which markedly increased for Si3N4 volume fractions >40%, whereas the ATH filler greatly improved the flame resistance of EMCs. The simultaneous presence of both Si3N4 and ATH fillers in the EMCs positively influenced both properties. The aim of this study was to produce composites suitable for electronic packaging applications: an optimum combination of the two fillers was determined for a total volume fraction of fillers in EMC of 60vol.% and a volume ratio of Si3N4:ATH at 3:2; this composite had a thermal conductivity of 2.15W/mK, an LOI of 53.5, and a UL-94 vertical burning test ranking of V-0. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Single-phase broad-band red-emitting Ca3Si2O7:Eu2+ phosphors, with photoluminescence features that qualify them as candidates for white light-emitting diodes applications, were successfully synthesized via a modified solid-state reaction method that employed H3BO3 as a flux. The phosphors produced have an intense broad red emission band, with a peak at 603nm, a full width at half maximum of 110nm, and color coordinates of (0.550, 0.438). Concentration quenching occurred at 0.01mol Eu2+. The discussion of the results shows that Eu2+ ions should be accommodated at the Ca-sites of the lattice, dipole–dipole interactions should predominantly govern the energy transfer mechanism among them, and the critical distance between them is ∼31Å. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CaSi2O2N2 phosphors co-doped with Ce3+ and Eu2+ was synthesized via solid-state reaction method. The experiments aimed at optimizing the composition of those phosphors for achieving the highest luminescence intensity as well as at shedding light in the mechanism that governs their luminescence behavior. The overlap of the blue emission spectrum due to Ce3+ with the yellow excitation spectrum due to Eu2+ suggests resonance-type energy transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Eu2+ taking place in the CaSi2O2N2 host lattice, where electric dipole–dipole interactions dominate. The properties of the produced phosphors qualify them for further consideration in the technology of white light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ce3+/Eu2+ co-doped Li2SrSiO4 phosphor yields two emission bands consisted of blue and yellow components, which shows great potential as single host white phosphor for white LEDs. Effective energy transfer occurs in Ce3+/Eu2+ co-doped Li2SrSiO4 due to large spectral overlap between the emission of Ce3+ and excitation of Eu2+. Co-doping of Ce3+ enhances the emission intensity of Eu2+ greatly by transferring its excitation energy to Eu2+. The Ce3+ →Eu2+ energy transfer, thoroughly investigated by their absorption, excitation and photoluminescence decay behaviors, is demonstrated to be in the mechanism of electric dipole–dipole interaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of Ce3+ and Eu2+ co-doped SrSi2O2N2 phosphors, whose features qualify them for consideration in white-light UV or blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), was synthesized via a high temperature solid-state reaction under a reductive atmosphere. The dependence of luminescence properties of the produced powders on the Concentration of an activator (Eu2+) and a coactivator (Ce3+) was investigated. The experimentally recorded luminescence spectra and the calculations of the efficiency of energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ and the critical distance between Ce3+ and Eu2+ suggest a resonance-type energy-transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Eu2+ due to dipole-dipole interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eu2+ and Mn2+ co-doped SrSi2O2N2 green-phosphors, with promising luminescent properties (examined by their powder diffuse reflection, photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra) suitable for UV converted white LEDs, were produced by high temperature solid-state reaction method. The produced materials exhibited intense broad absorption bands at 220–500nm and a broad emission band centered at ca. 530nm, attributed to 4f–5d transitions of Eu2+. The emission intensity of Eu2+ ions was greatly enhanced by introducing Mn2+ ions into SrSi2O2N2:Eu2+ due to the energy transfer from Mn2+ to Eu2+. The energy transfer probability from Mn2+ to Eu2+ depends strongly on the Mn2+ concentration, which is maximized at a Mn2+ concentration of 3mol%. It drastically decreases for higher concentrations. The results indicated that SrSi2O2N2:Eu2+, Mn2+ is a promising green-emitting phosphor for white-light emitting diodes with near-UV LED chips. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study regarding the thermal conductivity in epoxy molding compounds (EMCs). The study used epoxy resin and multi-fillers of Si3N4 matrix and SiO2 filler. Results showed that the microstructure and morphology of the top of EMC indicated the formation of continuous network that anticipates heat conductivity. Moreover, the dielectric constant of EMC samples increased with Si3N4 content.

Different microstructures were obtained under various thermal conditions by adjusting the heat treatment parameters of the Cr-Co-Ni-Mo series of ultra-high strength stainless steel. The effect of organizational evolution on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the Cr-Co-Ni-Mo series of ultra-high strength stainless steel was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and other test methods in combination with slow strain rate tensile tests (SSRTs). The results show that the Mo- and Cr-rich clusters and precipitation of the Laves phase reduce the corrosion resistance, while increasing the austenite content can improve the corrosion resistance. The Cr-Co-Ni-Mo series of ultra-high strength stainless steel has a high SCC resistance after quenching at 1080 °C and undergoing deep cooling (DC) treatment at −73 °C. With increasing holding time, the strength of the underaged and peak-aged specimens increases, but the passivation and SCC resistance decreases. At the overaged temperature, the specimen has good SCC resistance after a short holding time, which is attributed to its higher austenite content and lower dislocation density. As a stable hydrogen trap in steel, austenite effectively improves the SCC resistance of steel. However, under the coupled action of hydrogen and stress, martensitic transformation occurs due to the decrease in the lamination energy of austenite, and the weak martensitic interface becomes the preferred location for crack initiation and propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Divalent europium-activated strontium orthosilicate Sr2SiO4:Eu2+ and Mg0.1Sr1.9SiO4:Eu2+ phosphors were synthesized through the solid-state reaction technique. Their luminescent properties under ultraviolet excitation were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that these phosphors are of α′-Sr2SiO4 phase with a trace of β-Sr2SiO4. Doping of Eu2+ ion into the crystal lattice results in the lattice constant being expended, while Mg2+ makes the lattice constant shrinking. A solid solution with the same crystal structure is formed when Eu2+ or Mg2+ substitutes part of Sr2+ ions and occupies the same lattice sites. The Sr2SiO4:Eu2+ phosphors show two emission spectra peaked at 535 and 473nm originated from the 5d–4f transition of Eu2+ ion doped in two different Sr2+ sites in the host lattice. By substitution of 0.1mol of Sr2+ with Mg2+, these two emission bands are tuned to be in the blue and yellow region (459 and 564nm for Mg0.1Sr1.88SiO4:Eu0.02), respectively. The tuning effect is discussed. With a combination of the blue and yellow emission bands the phosphors show white color, indicating that these phosphors may become promising phosphor candidates for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Porous sialon ceramics have been cost-effectively prepared by pressureless sintering from a mixture of elongated SHS β-sialon powders with an α-sialon precursor composition composed of α-Si3N4, AlN, Y2O3 and Al2O3. The obtained porous sialon ceramics exhibited low shrinkage and homogeneous pore size distribution. The results of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy showed that a uniform microstructure with elongated and intermingled β-SiAlON grains, which were strongly connected by α-SiAlON phase, has been obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aluminium nitride (AlN) powders were prepared by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). Aluminium and AlN powder mixtures with weight ratios of about 60:40, in the absence and in the presence of 3-wt.% NH4F and 3-wt.% NH4F+3-wt.% carbon powders as additives were ignited in a nitrogen atmosphere of 8 MPa. Highly crystalline AlN particles with regular hexagonal morphology were obtained in the presence of 3-wt.% NH4F+3-wt.% carbon. The microstructure development during the reaction and the influence of these additives were determined by SEM/EDS and XRD analysis of the resulting products. A mechanism for the formation of AlN with a regular hexagonal morphology has been suggested. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• B-site precursor method can effectively inhibit the appearance of second phase. • B-site precursor method can obtain high reactivity Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 powders. • B-site precursor method can promote integrality of the crystal structure. Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 ceramics have been prepared by B-site precursor method in this work. Experimental results demonstrate that the uniform particles-size distribution of Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 powders can be obtained, which exhibit high reactivity to promote the grain growth of Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 ceramics. Moreover, the Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 ceramics via B-site precursor method can be sintered at a wide range of sintering temperature from 1275 to 1375 °C with single phase Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 composition and high crystallinity. Compared to the conventional solid-state method, the Mg 4 Nb 2 O 9 ceramics prepared by B-site precursor method exhibit excellent Q × f value by above 168,756 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an insulating film was successfully prepared by sintering 35 wt % CaO-15 wt % Al2O3-10 wt % B2O3-40 wt % SiO2 glass at 875 °C. After sintering, the main component of the insulating film was glass-ceramics. The main crystal phase was CaAl2Si2O8, and the crystallization activation energy was 189.76 kJ/mol. After preparing the insulating film, its color turned yellow, and the diffusion of Ag was found by XPS and XRD data. When the temperature increased to 875 °C, the color of the insulating film became lighter, and the silver content decreased. The adhesion of the multilayer structure could reach 875 N. The dielectric constant of the insulating film in the multilayer structure was approximately 5, and the dielectric loss was 0.0011. After sintering, the dielectric strength of the insulating film could reach 13.11 kV/mm, which fully meets the requirements of a complex packaging structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tb-doped SrSi2O2N2 phosphors with promising luminescent properties were synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method, characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and studied by photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra. The synthesized materials exhibited a weak blue emission and a strong green emission in the region of 400–470nm and 480–650nm, which are attributed to 5D3→7F j (j=5, 4, 3) and 5D4→7Fj (j=6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb3+, respectively. The green emission from 5D4→7F5 at 543nm showed the highest intensity under the optimized concentration of 0.1mol, after which the quenching concentration became relevant. The quenching behavior of the emission of Tb3+ was explained by the cross-relaxation of its excited state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The oxygen content is usually difficult to control in direct bonding copper process. In this study a new method for preparation of direct bonding copper on alumina ceramic substrates was realized. 96% Al2O3 ceramic substrates were first oxidized by pasting a thin layer of Cu2O and firing at 1150 °C in air. Then copper foil was bonded to the substrate by heating to 1070 °C in pure N2 atmosphere. Microstructure and composition of the interface between the copper and Al2O3 ceramic were analyzed. The XRD and EDS results show that an interphase of CuAlO2 was formed and a eutectic transformation between oxygen and copper took place at the interface of the copper and the ceramic substrate. The interface was much thicker than the traditionally bonded substrates, which resulted in a better bonding strength. The directly bonded copper alumina substrate samples showed no evidence of de-bonding after 50 thermal cycles comprising quenching from 220 °C to room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rod-like single-phase crystals of Y-α-SiAlON were synthesized by combustion of Si, Al, α-Si3N4, SiO2 and Y2O3 powders. SEM observation of crystals, separated by chemical etching (HNO3/HF=2:1) followed by ultrasonic agitation in ethanol showed rod-like crystals, assigned to almost pure and well crystallized α-SiAlON. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This investigation focuses on the effects of cenosphere fillers on tribological properties of carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites. Dry sliding wear behavior of 15 wt % short carbon fiber (SCF) reinforced PEEK composites filled with 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt % cenosphere was reported in this study, pure PEEK and 15 wt % SCF reinforced PEEK composites were also prepared for comparative analysis. Friction and wear experiments were conducted on a ring‐on‐block apparatus under different loads (100–400 N). The experimental results showed that all the composites exhibited lower coefficient of friction and better wear resistance than the matrix resin under different load conditions. It is noted that 10 wt % of the cenosphere particles filled SCF reinforced PEEK composites show superior tribological properties when compared to the other composites in this study. The morphologies of the worn surface and the fracture surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and the transfer film was observed by optical microscope to understand the dominant wear mechanisms. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47245. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]