Search

AlN/Er 2 O 3 multi-layer coatings, as a novel hydrogen isotope permeation barrier for nuclear reactor and hydrogen energy field, were prepared by magnetron sputtering coupled with metal-organic decomposition on the surface of reduced activation ferrite/martensitic steel. The thickness of the Er 2 O 3 layers was adjusted by spin coating several times, the adhesion of the layers was tested with a micron scratch tester, and the microstructure and surface composition of the layers were analyzed by TEM and XPS. The results indicate the absence of evident crack holes on the coating surface, uniform distribution of elements without segregation, and satisfactory densification. In comparison with the individual Er 2 O 3 coating, the multi-layer coating incorporating AlN as the interlayer exhibits enhanced adhesion strength, which could effectively mitigate the thermal mismatch phenomenon of Er 2 O 3 under high temperature conditions. Electrochemical hydrogen permeation and high temperature gas pressure driven deuterium permeation tests demonstrated that the permeability resistance of the AlN/Er 2 O 3 coating does not linearly increase with its thickness. The hydrogen permeation reduced factor of the coating reaches its maximum value when the thickness of the Er 2 O 3 coating is 1500 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the ferroelectric and structural properties of BiFeO3 thin films with four different RE2O3 (Nd2O3, Eu2O3, Ho2O3, and Er2O3) buffer layers fabricated on a SrRuO3/n+-Si substrate through spin-coating. To analyze the BiFeO3 films with RE2O3 buffer layers, various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry, atomic force microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to investigate the crystalline structures, depth profiles, surface topographies, and chemical compositions. It was found that the BiFeO3 film with RE2O3 buffer layers exhibited improved electrical properties such as leakage current, remnant polarization, and coercive field compared to the control BiFeO3 film without a buffer layer. Moreover, the Eu2O3 buffer layer exhibited the lowest leakage current of 2.05 × 10–6 A/cm2, the highest remnant polarization of 43.76 μC/cm2, and the smallest coercive field of 188 kV/cm among all the RE2O3 buffer layers. The outcome is likely to have been caused by the introduction of Eu3+ ion to the BiFeO3 film, which resulted in a reduction in surface roughness, a significant preferred orientation of (110), and an increased concentration of Fe3+ ion. Consequently, this inhibited the fluctuation of Fe3+ to Fe2+ ions and reduced the occurrence of oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses that contain Erbium oxide as a dopant exhibit garnered considerable interest for its use in photonic applications, primarily because of the intra-4f sublevel transitions of Erbium ions, which enable emission in the technologically significant 1.5 μm communications window. In this work, a series of Erbium oxide doped sodium lithium borate glasses were synthesized via melt quenching with compositions x Er 2 O 3 -(55-x)B 2 O 3 –25Li 2 O–10Na 2 O–5CaO–3SrO–2Al 2 O 3 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 mol%). An investigation was conducted to examine the consequences of Er3+ on the crystal structure and laser spectroscopy. Furthermore, the optical properties of the samples that were created. XRD analysis showed degradation of the glass network with increasing Er 2 O 3 content due to disruption of boroxol rings. FTIR spectra indicated variations in BO 3 /BO 4 ratios and Er–O vibrations with doping. Absorption spectra revealed characteristic Er3+ f-f transitions and a redshift in the UV edge. The bright field imaging proved the effect of Er3+ on the homogeneity of the surfaces. Meanwhile, 3D laser Raman mapping chemically proves the good distribution of Er 2 O 3 on the glass surface. With an excitation under 980 nm, visible emissions at 550 and 660 nm, along with NIR emission at 1550 nm arising from Er3+ 4f levels, were observed. The results demonstrate that Er3+ doping effectively modifies the glass structure and optical properties. The borate glass host provides an excellent platform for customized erbium-doped photonic devices operating in the telecom C-band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the ferroelectric and structural properties of BiFeO3 thin films with four different RE2O3 (Nd2O3, Eu2O3, Ho2O3, and Er2O3) buffer layers fabricated on a SrRuO3/n+-Si substrate through spin-coating. To analyze the BiFeO3 films with RE2O3 buffer layers, various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry, atomic force microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to investigate the crystalline structures, depth profiles, surface topographies, and chemical compositions. It was found that the BiFeO3 film with RE2O3 buffer layers exhibited improved electrical properties such as leakage current, remnant polarization, and coercive field compared to the control BiFeO3 film without a buffer layer. Moreover, the Eu2O3 buffer layer exhibited the lowest leakage current of 2.05 × 10–6 A/cm2, the highest remnant polarization of 43.76 μC/cm2, and the smallest coercive field of 188 kV/cm among all the RE2O3 buffer layers. The outcome is likely to have been caused by the introduction of Eu3+ ion to the BiFeO3 film, which resulted in a reduction in surface roughness, a significant preferred orientation of (110), and an increased concentration of Fe3+ ion. Consequently, this inhibited the fluctuation of Fe3+ to Fe2+ ions and reduced the occurrence of oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between internal mechanical stresses, surface morphology, nanoscale electrical properties, and optical characteristics in TiO2, Gd2O3, Er2O3, and SiO2 thin films on SiC substrates was investigated. The oxide films were synthesized using the rapid thermal annealing and analyzed through scanning spreading resistance microscopy, photoluminescence, and absorption spectroscopy. Tensile stresses were found in the films, they are attributed to thermal and lattice mismatch, oxidation, and grain boundaries. These stresses influence on surface morphology, resistivity variations, and photoluminescence intensity. Surface roughness and grain structure were found to correlate with variations in resistivity, which were attributed to conductive pathways along grain boundaries and possible metallic phases. Photoluminescence intensity was also observed to correlate with estimated lattice mismatch strain. Gd2O3/SiC exhibited the fewest defects, while Er2O3 and TiO2 showed more, with Er2O3 being the most mismatched and roughest. The results indicate that internal strains in oxide thin films on SiC substrates can influence on surface morphology, leading to formation of defects and spatial inhomogeneity. These fluctuations in local conductivity and luminescence center density have significant implications for dielectric and optical applications. The study provides insights for future processing refinements to mitigate internal strains and enhance the performance of oxide thin films in semiconductor and optical technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hyphaene thebaica fruits were used for the fabrication of spherical erbium oxide nanoparticles (HT-Er2O3 NPS) using a one-step simple bioreduction process. XRD pattern revealed a highly crystalline and pure phase with crystallite size of ~ 7.5 nm, whereas, the W–H plot revealed crystallite size of 11 nm. FTIR spectra revealed characteristic Er-O atomic vibrations in the fingerprint region. Bandgap was obtained as 5.25 eV using K-M function. The physicochemical and morphological nature was established using Raman spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy, SAED and HR-TEM. HT-Er2O3 NPS were further evaluated for antidiabetic potential in mice using in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays. The synthesized HT-Er2O3 NPS were screened for in vitro anti-diabetic potentials against α-glucosidase enzyme and α-amylase enzyme and their antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH free radical assay. A dose dependent inhibition was obtained against α-glucosidase (IC50 12 μg/mL) and α-amylase (IC50 78 μg/mL) while good DPPH free radical scavenging potential (IC50 78 μg mL−1) is reported. At 1000 μg/mL, the HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed 90.30% and 92.30% inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. HT-Er2O3 NPs treated groups were observed to have better glycemic control in diabetic animals (503.66 ± 5.92*** on day 0 and 185.66 ± 2.60*** on day 21) when compared with positive control glibenclamide treated group. Further, HT-Er2O3 NPS therapy for 21 days caused a considerable effect on serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL as compared to untreated diabetic group. In conclusion, our preliminary findings on HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed considerable antidiabetic potential and thus can be an effective candidate for controlling the post-prandial hyperglycemia. However, further studies are encouraged especially taking into consideration the toxicity aspects of the nanomaterial.

Highly transparent Er 2 O 3 ceramics were fabricated at varied temperatures in the range of 1700–1850 °C for 8 h in vacuum environment using commercial Er 2 O 3 powders as starting materials and 1 at.% ZrO 2 as sintering additive, for the first time. The influence of sintering temperature on the microstructure and optical properties of Er 2 O 3 ceramics was investigated. The Er 2 O 3 ceramic sintered at 1850 °C had an average grain size of 6.2 μm and an in-line transmittance of 69% at 1100 nm, which reached the best transmittance level compared to the open literature. Therefore, the Er 2 O 3 ceramic doped with 1 at.% ZrO 2 as sintering additive developed in this study presented relatively smaller grain size and excellent optical quality, and could be a potential material for laser and photonic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyphaene thebaica fruits were used for the fabrication of spherical erbium oxide nanoparticles (HT-Er2O3 NPS) using a one-step simple bioreduction process. XRD pattern revealed a highly crystalline and pure phase with crystallite size of ~ 7.5 nm, whereas, the W–H plot revealed crystallite size of 11 nm. FTIR spectra revealed characteristic Er-O atomic vibrations in the fingerprint region. Bandgap was obtained as 5.25 eV using K-M function. The physicochemical and morphological nature was established using Raman spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy, SAED and HR-TEM. HT-Er2O3 NPS were further evaluated for antidiabetic potential in mice using in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays. The synthesized HT-Er2O3 NPS were screened for in vitro anti-diabetic potentials against α-glucosidase enzyme and α-amylase enzyme and their antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH free radical assay. A dose dependent inhibition was obtained against α-glucosidase (IC50 12 μg/mL) and α-amylase (IC50 78 μg/mL) while good DPPH free radical scavenging potential (IC50 78 μg mL−1) is reported. At 1000 μg/mL, the HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed 90.30% and 92.30% inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. HT-Er2O3 NPs treated groups were observed to have better glycemic control in diabetic animals (503.66 ± 5.92*** on day 0 and 185.66 ± 2.60*** on day 21) when compared with positive control glibenclamide treated group. Further, HT-Er2O3 NPS therapy for 21 days caused a considerable effect on serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL as compared to untreated diabetic group. In conclusion, our preliminary findings on HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed considerable antidiabetic potential and thus can be an effective candidate for controlling the post-prandial hyperglycemia. However, further studies are encouraged especially taking into consideration the toxicity aspects of the nanomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The PVA-Er 2 O 3 nanocomposite films were prepared via casting technique. • The PVA-Er 2 O 3 structural was examined by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. • The PVA-Er 2 O 3 film's optical bandgap and refractive index was investigated. • The PVA-Er 2 O 3 film's thermal and mechanical stability were investigated. • The dielectric properties, Cole-Cole, and Argand plots were studied. This study explores the enhancement of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films by incorporating erbium oxide (Er 2 O 3) nanoparticles using the casting solution method. We investigated the structural, optical, electrical, dielectric, and mechanical properties of PVA-Er 2 O 3 nanocomposite films with varying Er 2 O 3 concentrations (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt%). Structural analyses confirmed successful nanoparticle integration. Optical measurements revealed reduced transparency and bandgap, alongside increased refractive index. Electrical conductivity showed significant improvement with Er 2 O 3 inclusion. Dielectric properties demonstrated enhanced performance, with frequency-dependent studies and Argand plot analysis providing insights into charge transport and relaxation mechanisms. Mechanical testing indicated increased tensile strength and Young's modulus, with the 10 wt% nanocomposite showing comparable performance to pure PVA. These findings highlight the potential of PVA-Er 2 O 3 films for advanced applications in electronics, sensors, and energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the effect of using 232Th instead of 238U on the neutronic characteristics and the main operating parameters of the pressurized water reactor (PWR). MCNPX version 2.7 was used to compare the neutronic characteristics of UO2 with (Th, 235U)O2 and (Th, 233U) O2. Firstly, the infinity multiplication factor (Kinf), thermal neutron flux, and power distribution have been studied for the investigated fuel types. Secondly, the effect of Gd2O3 and Er2O3 on the Kinf and on the radial thermal neutron flux and thermal power has been investigated to distinguish which of them is more suitable than the other in reactivity management. Thirdly, to illustrate the effectiveness of 232Th in decreasing the inventory of both the actinides and non-actinides, the concentration of plutonium (Pu) isotopes and minor actinides (MAs) has been simulated with the fuel burnup. Besides, due to their large thermal neutron absorption cross-section, the concentrations of 135Xe, 149Sm, and 151Sm with the fuel burnup have been investigated. Finally, the main safety parameters such as the reactivity worth of the control rods (ρCR), the effective delayed neutron fraction βeff, and the Doppler reactivity coefficient (DRC) were calculated to determine to which extent these fuel types achieve the acceptable limits.

A novel nanocomposite hydroxyapatite (HAP)/Er2O3/graphene oxide (GO) is synthesized to be suggested for bone replacement applications. HAP/Er2O3/GO is analyzed with XRD, FTIR, and XPS scan to prove the uniform distribution of HAP and Er2O3 within the GO sheet. TEM graphs illustrate the morphological alteration that occurred upon combining HAP and Er2O3 with GO sheets. The ternary composite shows an average diameter of 8-16 nm and length of 20–40 nm for HAP and a diameter of 4 nm for Er2O3. The SEM graphs showed the uniform distribution of HAP and Er2O3 particles over the GO sheets with a diameter of 0.3 μm for HAP and 0.4 μm for Er2O3. In addition, the roughness average (Ra) of the triple nanocomposite is 9.85 ± 0.40 nm. Further, HAP/Er2O3/GO cell viability is 96.9 ± 1%. Furthermore, its antibacterial activity shows a maximum value of 14.9 ± 1.9 mm against E. coli and 14.4 ± 1.4 mm against S. aureus. Moreover, HAP/Er2O3/GO obtained the maximum value in the hardness study of 5.3 ± 0.4 GPa. Therefore, HAP/Er2O3/GO shows a noticeable enhancement in surface roughness and hardness parameters as well as exhibiting antibacterial properties. Besides, the improvement in cell viability consequently enhances biocompatibility and bioactivity. Hence, HAP/Er2O3/GO composition is a promising bone implant material for bone replacement applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the optical, physical, and gamma-ray shielding abilities of some heavy rare-earth element oxides (HREOs: Dy2O3, Er2O3, and Yb2O3) doped zinc-borate glasses were investigated. Despite a relatively small increase in synthesized glasses' densities from 3.65995 g cm− 3 to 3.78644 g cm− 3, the effect of HREOs on the glasses' molar volume values caused the structure to be more stable and uniform. Optical band values (from 3.00 to 3.16 eV) and Urbach energies (from 0.450 to 0.570 eV) were calculated by examining the transmittance and absorbance values for heavy rare-earth element oxides doped zinc-borate glasses which give very different optical properties to the glass structure. Absorbed regions at different wavelengths were determined in Dy2O3-, Er2O3- and Yb2O3-doped glasses. Moreover, radiation shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient, half value layer and effective atomic number of glasses whose physical properties were determined were calculated using XCOM database between the range of 0.01 MeV and 10 MeV. It has been determined that Yb2O3-doped glasses show superior properties compared to other HREOs doped zinc-borate glass samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new type of Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner was prepared by exothermic dispersion, and the refiner was added to a ZL205 alloy to investigate the effect of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner on the refinement effect and corrosion resistance of the ZL205 alloy. The results reveal that, with the increase in the Er2O3 content, the refining effect is first enhanced and then reduced. The best refining effect of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner was observed by the addition of 6% Er2O3, which refined the grain size of the ZL205 alloy from 147 μm to 103.9 μm, and the grain size was 72% of the ZL205 alloy. The addition of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner led to the improved bias agglomeration of the CuAl2 phase at the grain boundaries in ZL205 and reduced the corrosion sensitivity of the alloy; moreover, the α-Al nucleation temperature of the ZL205 alloy increased, the crystallization interval ΔT of the CuAl2 phase increased from 7.4 °C to 9.3 °C, corresponding to an increase of 1.9 °C, and the self-corrosion current density (icorr) of the ZL205 alloy was reduced from (2.83 × 10−5 A/cm2) to (6.26 × 10−6 A/cm2), a decrease of 77.8%; the polarization resistance (R1 + R2) was 1808.62 Ω·cm2 in comparison with that of the original ZL205 alloy (480.42 Ω·cm2), corresponding to a 276.7% increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of Al–TiO2–C–XEr2O3 aluminum alloy refiner is prepared by exothermic dispersion method, and the effect of different Er2O3 content on the structure and refinement effect of Al–TiO2–C refiner is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and other methods. The results show that the refiners are composed of Al3Ti, TiC, Al2O3, Al20Ti2Er, and Al5O12Er3 phases. As the content of Er2O3 increases, the Al3Ti phase changes from flaky to massive. The amount of Al2O3 decreases, and the content of Al5Er3O12 increases and is dispersed in the matrix. When the content of Er2O3 in the refiner is 6%, the Al–5Cu alloy has the best refining effect. The grain size of the Al–5Cu alloy is refined from 500 to 180 μm, and the grain size can be reduced by 64%. At the same time, the tensile strength of Al–5Cu alloy is tested, and the results show that when the content of Er2O3 in the refiner is 6%, the tensile strength is the highest, which is 189.7 MPa. This is consistent with the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, hollow-sphere insulating materials are important for applications such as cryogenic engineering. In this study, a new type of precursor material, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of Er-EDTA complex and Y2O3 hollow spheres, was used as the deposition body, and pencil spraying and sintering was used to synthesize an Er2O3/Y2O3 hollow-sphere composite film on polished substrate. The thermal insulation capability of the film was evaluated by the thermal steady-state method, and influence of the film microstructure on the thermal insulation performance was discussed. Results show that the composite film has the highest thermal insulation capability at a jet-to-substrate distance of 150 mm and a mass ratio (g) of 3.5:1. For the composite films with the thickness of 38-92 μm, the cross-sectional hollow ratios of 0.8-8.7% and the void ratios of 6.3-13.1%, due to their complex microstructure with porous features attributed to the hollow spheres and voids, the temperature drop at 440 °C is ΔTf = 47 °C. Overall, the Er2O3/Y2O3 composite film has good thermal insulation performance, and highly porous structures were obtained by using the complex solutions with different compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is extremely associated with the evaluation of cathode ray tube (CRT) waste which is a growing hazardous waste management and disposal issue. The Er-added recycled glasses derived from CRT have been successfully fabricated as a component for Na 2 O–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –K 2 O–CaO–SrO–BaO–PbO–Fe 2 O 3 –TiO 2 –Er 2 O 3 glass systems. The waste cathode ray tube panel glass (WPG) series were obtained by inserting the Er 2 O 3 in substitution for CRT in the amounts of 0, 1, 3 and 5 mol%. The synthesized WPG series were then subjected to numerous characterization analysis. One can firmly report that the insertion ratio from 0 to 5 mol% in Er 2 O 3 increased the glass density from 2.9216 to 2.9763 g/cm3. Further, there exists no crystalline formation with the addition of Er 2 O 3 , instead, an amorphous nature in all WPG series emerges. Microstructural images captured by the SEM technique also confirm the non-crystallinity of the fabricated samples. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in SEM, besides, paved the way for revealing the elemental mapping of the WPG series. From the perspective of radiation shielding competencies, nuclear shielding features have been evaluated in terms of μ m and related attenuation parameters at several photon energies of 276.4–1332.5 keV by utilizing narrow beam transmission methods. The experimental data have been also confirmed to those of theoretical results by WinXCom software. The HVL results revealed superior photon radiation shielding performances for recycled WPG glasses in comparison to various concretes. In addition, exposure buildup factor (EBF) values estimated utilizing the G-P fitting approach would be useful to design or develop the synthesized glass systems for shielding applications. Furthermore, the macroscopic effective removal cross-sections for fast neutron (Σ R) have been estimated. In conclusion, the findings clearly demonstrated that Er-incorporated CRT glasses can effectively be implemented in radiation shielding applications instead of Pb having toxic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-structured Bi1.5(Lu, Er)0.5O3 was synthesized efficiently and utilized as a novel environmentally benign and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted imidazole derivatives in water under ultrasonic irradiation. This synthesis method offers the several advantages such as green and eco-friendly protocol, operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, short reaction time, higher yields, and easy work-up procedures. For this purpose, nano-structured bismuth oxide and Lu3+, Er3+ co-doped Bi2O3 with different Lu3+, Er3+ loadings (0.1, 0.5%mol) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The obtained catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. X-ray analyses of obtained bismuth oxide were indexed as monoclinic phase and nano co-doped bismuth oxides (Bi2 –x (Lu, Er)xO3, x = 0.1, 0.5%mol) have tetragonal phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology and microstructure of splats impact the comprehensive capability of a new coating methodology called chelate flame spraying (CFS). This study addresses the quantitative characterization of the spread morphologies of flame sprayed Er 2 O 3 splats directly deposited under different spray conditions on aluminum alloy substrates with a mirror finish. The influence of the in-flight particle temperature and velocity, carrier gas type, and carrier gas ratio on the solidification mechanism of molten droplets was investigated. Image analysis methods were employed to identify single splats from the morphology observed with field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). In addition, Er 2 O 3 films were synthesized on an Al–Mg alloy (A5052) substrate using N 2 or O 2 as the carrier gas. When O 2 was used as the carrier gas, 109-μm-thick films were deposited on the A5052 substrate. The cross-sectional porosity of the films was 3.8%. In contrast, films with 101-μm thickness were synthesized on the A5052 substrate when N 2 was used as the carrier gas. The cross-sectional porosity of these films was 13.8%. The results showed that the carrier gas type (N 2) and carrier gas ratio had a significant effect on the flattening behavior of the molten droplets. A spraying method combined with multidimensional modes is proposed to control the morphology of the splats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new type of Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner was prepared by exothermic dispersion, and the refiner was added to a ZL205 alloy to investigate the effect of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner on the refinement effect and corrosion resistance of the ZL205 alloy. The results reveal that, with the increase in the Er2O3 content, the refining effect is first enhanced and then reduced. The best refining effect of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner was observed by the addition of 6% Er2O3, which refined the grain size of the ZL205 alloy from 147 μm to 103.9 μm, and the grain size was 72% of the ZL205 alloy. The addition of the Al-TiO2-C-Er2O3 refiner led to the improved bias agglomeration of the CuAl2 phase at the grain boundaries in ZL205 and reduced the corrosion sensitivity of the alloy; moreover, the α-Al nucleation temperature of the ZL205 alloy increased, the crystallization interval ΔT of the CuAl2 phase increased from 7.4 °C to 9.3 °C, corresponding to an increase of 1.9 °C, and the self-corrosion current density (icorr) of the ZL205 alloy was reduced from (2.83 × 10−5 A/cm2) to (6.26 × 10−6 A/cm2), a decrease of 77.8%; the polarization resistance (R1 + R2) was 1808.62 Ω·cm2 in comparison with that of the original ZL205 alloy (480.42 Ω·cm2), corresponding to a 276.7% increase.

In this study, the melt-quenching technique was employed to fabricate a series of zinc tellurite glass systems doped with erbium oxide. At room temperature, raman spectroscopy, elastic and optical measurements were utilized to analyse and report the result of prepared glass samples. The raman spectra displays the existence of structural units of tellurite networks such as trigonal bipyramid and trigonal pyramid. The elastic parameters including Debye temperature, mean velocity, acoustic impedance and softening temperature provide a fluctuating trend against the concentration of erbium oxide. The increment and decrement of these parameters can be explained by the 'competition' of non-bridging and bridging oxygen atoms. In the aspect of optical approach, the oxide ion polarizability, optical basicity and metallization criterion display more than one trend. Again, this can be correlated to the presence of erbium oxide which affects the vicinity in the glass matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic coatings that can effectively prevent hydrogen permeation have a wide range of applications in hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion reactors. In this study, for the first time, the internal stress of Er 2 O 3 coatings was found to be a key factor that could determine their hydrogen permeation resistance and lifespan. The internal stress was controlled by designing layered Er 2 O 3 coatings. The internal stress increased with an increasing number of Er 2 O 3 layers. When the number of layers was below 15, the increased internal stress did not adversely affect the coating performance and might help to increase its hydrogen permeation resistance. Although the overall thickness of the 15-layer Er 2 O 3 coating was only 97 nm, its hydrogen permeation reduction factor (PRF) reached the highest value of 626, whereas a further increase in the internal stress detrimentally affected the ability of the coating to reduce hydrogen permeation. In addition, the experimental observations and simulation results revealed that the performance of the Er 2 O 3 coatings was related to the hydrogen atoms that penetrated the coating, which weakened the Er-O bonds and consequently decreased the Er 2 O 3 fracture limit. This study provides insights into the effects of internal stress and hydrogen penetration on the performance of ceramic coatings as hydrogen permeation barriers and will help guide strategies for the structure design of hydrogen permeation barriers possessing high PRFs and long lifespans.

In this study, the binary system of (ZrO2)1‐x(Er2O3)x was investigated in the doping range of x; 0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.12 by the Pechini method. According to X‐ray diffraction (XRD) measurement results, Er2O3 doping face‐centered cubic (fcc) ZrO2‐based solid solution was stabilized in the doping range of 0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.12 at 1200°C for 12 hours. Thick films of fcc‐ZrO2 type powders were produced using ethyl cellulose organic binder mixture and spin‐coating method. The crystallographic, microstructural, and electrical conductivity properties of the thick films were characterized via XRD, SEM, and a.c. impedance measurements, respectively. 8‐ESZ ((ZrO2)1‐x(Er2O3)x, x = 0.08) thick film electrolyte showed the highest electrical conduction level which is 2.51 × 10−2 ohm−1 cm−1 at 850°C under 150 mL min−1 O2 volumetric flow rate. All thick film properties of fcc‐ESZ materials were optimized and improved experimentally for using as a solid electrolyte component in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems. A pre‐treatment of 8‐ESZ and the cathode‐supported type electrochemical cell were primarily fabricated. The power density measurements of 40‐LNF (LaNi1‐xFexO3, x = 0.4) Cathode|Cathode Active (50:50 wt % 40‐LNF:8‐ESZ)| 8‐ESZ Electrolyte|Anode Active (60:40 wt % NiO:8‐ESZ)|NiO Anode Electrode cell stack suggest that the produced electrolytes had the usefully properties for SOFC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shenzhen University Science & Engineering is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Shenzhen University Science & Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tellurium, zinc, and erbium oxides glasses are made using the melt-quenching technique. The XRD results show that the glass samples are naturally amorphous. The TeO 4 units' extended vibration are performed using FTIR. On the other hand, the TeO 3 as well as Er 2 O 3 are detected using deconvolution. When the concentration of erbium ions increases, the density and molar volume will also increase. The high value of thermal diffusivity at 0.02 and 0.03 M fractions, a large value of glass stability (greater than 100 °C), and strong thermal stability are excellent for fibre drawing. As a result, the highest linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values are found for the sample with 5 mol% Er 2 O 3 content, where the values drop suddenly from 0.95744 to 0.21065 cm−1 over the tested energy which ranges between 0.284 and 2.51 MeV. Among the TZEr samples, TZEr 5 has the lowest half-value layer (HVL) values ranging from 0.00243 to 0.08252 cm. Thus, both LAC and HVL are considered as suitable options for radiation shielding materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on several properties of erbium-doped zinc tellurite glass system is thoroughly investigated recently. However, the introduction of silver oxide as a dopant plays a role on the fabrication of new optical materials specifically in optical application. By conducting the investigation, the use of melt-quenching technique is one of the techniques to fabricate a series of silver-doped zinc tellurite glass systems with the chemical composition of [[(TeO2)0.7(ZnO) 0.3] 0.96 (Er2O3)0.04]] 1-x (Ag2O) x at different molar fraction of x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05. The characterization of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, density, elastic and optical measurements were investigated to analyse the prepared glass samples. The result of the XRD, FTIR, density, elastic and optical properties were all reported at the room temperature. The glass samples are proven as amorphous in nature which can be seen by the XRD spectra. Besides that, the presence of functional vibration of tellurite network can be clearly observed through the analysis of FTIR spectra. The density of the glass system is found to increase with the increase of silver oxide concentration. Anyhow, the value of molar volume is noticed to be inversely proportional to the density. Therefore, the inclination in the density value causes the decrement of the molar volume which can be associated with the inclusion of silver oxide in the glass system. Plus, this also follows the theoretical formula where the density is equivalent to molar mass per molar volume. In the meantime, the ultrasonic velocity was employed in order to specify the elastic moduli of the glass systems. The elastic moduli for instance longitudinal modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, Young's modulus as well as other parameters come out with a varying trend against the concentration of silver oxide. The increment of the elastic moduli can be attributed to the high connectivity and rigidity of the glass structure. Nonetheless, the decrement of the elastic moduli can be associated with the breakage of bonds within the zinc tellurite glass system which impair the structure of the glass sample. The UV-Vis analysis can determine the optical properties of the prepared glass samples. The optical absorption was reported at room temperature within the wavelength ranging from 200 to 2000 nm. The optical absorption spectra unveil the fundamental absorption edge shifts to longer wavelength as the content of silver oxide increases. The values of direct and indirect band gap and metallization criterion have been evaluated and noticed to have a decreasing trend with the increasing content of silver oxide whereas the Urbach energy, refractive index, molar refraction, molar polarizability, oxide ion polarizability and optical basicity are obviously increasing as the concentration is included into the glass system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variety of rare earth oxide-doped CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by a wet impregnation method and evaluated for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene (EB) using CO2 as soft oxidant in vapor-phase atmospheric-pressure conditions. Amongst the bare CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts, 15 wt% CeO2/γ-Al2O3 exhibited excellent catalytic activity with noteworthy EB conversion and styrene selectivity. After incorporation of 3 wt% Er2O3, Pr2O3, or Nd2O3 oxide onto the 15 wt% CeO2/γ-Al2O3 (15CA) catalyst, unusual catalytic properties were observed in terms of formation of active solid-solution species. The greater fraction of CO2 molecule activation and dissociation phenomenon on the surface rare earth-doped CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts compared with the bare CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalyst were investigated. Among the rare earth-doped catalysts, 3ErCA showed superior mobile oxygen storage capacity and high CO2 utilization ability, along with optimal surface acidic properties compared with the rare earth solid-solution properties of (CexRE1−xO2−δ) Pr2O3 and Nd2O3 species. Moreover, the better catalytic activity of Er2O3 species can be explained on the basis of active metal–support synergistic interactions and noticeable surface acidic nature. All the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, H2-temperature programmed reduction, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and CO2 and O2 pulse chemisorption techniques to elucidate the metal oxide composition and influence of rare earth clusters such as Pr2O3, Nd2O3, and Er2O3 oxides on the catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is known that uniformly dispersed rare earth oxide (RE 2 O 3) nanoparticles in molybdenum matrix could improve the ductility of Mo. However, it is reported that the agglomeration of La 2 O 3 was quite serious when the addition amount of La 2 O 3 was over 2 wt%, which leaded to a dramatic decrease of the ductility of Mo. In this paper, a new type of uniformly dispersed Er 2 O 3 doped Mo powder was prepared, with the amount of Er 2 O 3 accounting for 4 wt%. It is found that the reduction temperature of MoO 3 was higher and the grain size was smaller for the Mo powders doped with Er 2 O 3 than those doped with La 2 O 3. First-principles calculations illustrate that La 2 O 3 /Er 2 O 3 had a strong trend to be absorbed on the surface of MoO 3 , and the inhibition capability for the reduction of MoO 3 to MoO 2 by Er3+ was larger than La3+ due to the stronger Er-O interactions. It gives a potential explanation of the higher reduction temperature of MoO 3 doped with Er 2 O 3 than that doped with La 2 O 3. Furthermore, the formation energies of Er-O and La-O pairs within the bulk Mo were in the sequence: La-O > Er-O > 0 eV, indicating that these systems are unstable and La 2 O 3 is easier to escape from the interior of Mo grains and agglomerate on the Mo surface than Er 2 O 3. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A new type of Er 2 O 3 doped Mo powder was prepared with a high amount of Er 2 O 3. • Er 2 O 3 doped Mo powders had smaller size and dispersed more evenly than La 2 O 3. • The effect of different RE 2 O 3 doping on the reduction of MoO 3 was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an Er 2 O 3 /Cr 2 O 3 composite coatings on 316L stainless steel were prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Effect of Cr 2 O 3 layer on the microstructure, mechanical properties and deuterium permeation properties of Er 2 O 3 coating was investigated. It was found grain sizes of the coatings enlarged with increasing the thickness of Cr 2 O 3 layer. The Er 2 O 3 /Cr 2 O 3 (80 nm) composite coating showed larger adhesion force value 9.2 N than the Er 2 O 3 coating. The Cr 2 O 3 layer adding could significantly enhance the deuterium permeation inhibition property of the coatings. The single-layer Er 2 O 3 coating exhibited the minimum reduction in deuterium permeability, and the permeation reduction factor (PRF) values were in the range of 95–146 at 823–973 K. The maximum reduction in deuterium permeability was obtained from the Er 2 O 3 /Cr 2 O 3 (80 nm) composite coating, and the PRF values were in the range of 463–206 at 823–973 K. With further increasing thickness of the Cr 2 O 3 layer to 120 nm, the hydrogen permeation inhibition performance of the composite coating lower instead. Furthermore, apparent delamination of coating was illustrated on the single-layer Er 2 O 3 coating after the permeation measurement, and this might be the main reason for the transformation to diffusion limiting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Er3+- doped alkali cadmium phosphate glasses are prepared using traditional melt quenching technique. • Judd–Ofelt theory is used to investigate the radiative transitions of Er3+ ions. • The high values of the branching ratios and lifetimes of the studied glasses indicate their good suitability for laser and optical amplifier applications. • The gain coefficient profile covers the two important communication bands: the conventional band (1530–1565 nm) and the long band (1565–1625 nm). • The studied glasses have the potential to design erbium doped fibre amplifiers for wavelength division multiplexing network system applications. Alkali cadmium phosphate glasses doped with erbium ions were prepared by traditional melt - quenching technique. The FTIR and Raman spectroscopies were performed and employed to investigate the structural changes of the glass network doped with different concentrations of Er3+ ions. The UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy was used to investigate the optical absorption spectra, optical bandgaps, refractive indices, and related parameters. The Judd – Ofelt (J – O) theory was used to explain the structural changes and to determine the bonds nature in the studied glasses by calculating the intensity parameters Ω 2 , Ω 4 , and Ω 6. The J – O intensity parameters followed the trend of Ω 2 > Ω 6 > Ω 4 and were used to evaluate some radiative parameters such as electric and magnetic radiative transition probabilities, branching ratios, and radiative lifetimes for the excited levels of the Er3+ ions. The absorption and emission cross-sections for the 4I 13/2 → 4I 15/2 transition of Er3+ ions were studied, and the gain coefficient was calculated. The higher values of the branching ratios (≥ 0.5) and lifetimes of the present glasses indicate their good suitability for lasers and amplifiers applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, three novel cyclopentadienyl precursors are evaluated for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of erbium oxide, with either ozone or water as the oxygen source. The erbium precursors evaluated are Er( iPrCp)3, Er(MeCp)2( iPr-amd), and Er( nBuCp)3. The films are deposited on silicon within the temperature range 200-400°C. Self-limiting growth is achieved with all three precursors, with both ozone and water. It is found that the water processes of all three precursors present significantly higher growth rates when compared to the ozone processes. An up to three-fold increase in the growth rate is observed for the water processes of Er( iPrCp)3 and Er(MeCp)2( iPr-amd) (amd: amidinate) when compared to their ozone processes. The films are smooth and uniform, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) (rms roughness < 3% of film thickness). The composition of the films is investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the films contain small amounts of carbon as an impurity, especially in the case of ozone-processed films. Using Er( nBuCp)3 together with ozone as the oxygen source, a highly conformal Er2O3 thin film is deposited on a 1:60 high-aspect-ratio substrate. This is the first report of the conformal growth of Er2O3 thin films by ALD on a high-aspect-ratio structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we demonstrated large-scale Er2O3@ZnO core-shell nanorods with great photoelectrochemical water splitting ability, which were successfully fabricated by a simple and facile electrodeposition. These Er2O3@ZnO core-shell nanorods exhibited improved photocurrent under the light irradiation, which can be attributed to the enhanced donor density by the covered Er2O3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• BS glasses containing Er 2 O 3 in varying amounts (0.5, 1, 3, and 5 mol%) were produced by the melt-quenching method. • Er3+ contributed to the network structure of the glass by connecting to oxygen atoms in the structure. • Er 2 O 3 shifted to red the emission and excitation bands of BS glass and emerged more intense stimulation peaks with the increase in the amount of Er 2 O 3. • Er 2 O 3 enhanced the shear, bulk, and elasticity modulus of BS glasses. • Er 2 O 3 improved the hardness and fracture toughness of the BS glasses. The present study aims to investigate the role of Er 2 O 3 doping on the structural, physical, and mechanical properties of borosilicate glasses, which have Al 2 O 3 -Na 2 O-B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 chemical composition. (100-x)[79.5SiO 2 –13B 2 O 3 –5Na 2 O–2.5Al 2 O 3 ] borosilicate glasses (BS) containing xEr 2 O 3 in varying amounts (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 mol%) were produced by the melt-quenching method. Structural, luminescence, and mechanical properties of Er 2 O 3 -doped BS glasses were investigated using an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, luminescence spectroscopy, and Vickers microhardness tester, respectively. Furthermore, the molecular model of Er 2 O 3 -doped BS glass was drawn in the GaussView program, and the theoretical calculation of this glass was performed in the gas phase at ground state using the Hartree-Fock (HF) / LANL2DZ basis set in the Gaussian 09W program. The total electronic energy of this glass structure and the difference between the HOMO-LUMO energy levels of the glass composition (∆E) were calculated as -150893.9 Hartree, and 3.14 eV, respectively. XRD results showed that all Er 2 O 3 -doped BS glasses had an amorphous glassy structure. According to the luminescence results, the wavelength of the emission and excitation bands shifted to red with the increase in the amount of Er 2 O 3 and emerged more intense stimulation peaks. The density, bulk, elastic, and shear modulus of BS glasses enhanced with Er 2 O 3 addition due to the increasing bridging oxygen number in the glass network structure. Furthermore, the hardness and fracture toughness of BS glasses were enhanced with the addition of Er 2 O 3 since the Er 2 O 3 caused the depolymerization in the network structure of the BS glass. The results indicated that Er 2 O 3 -doped BS glasses had higher mechanical and optical properties than BS glass. Hence, these glasses may use in many applications such as radiation shielding and the field of photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]