Topic Review
Application of Geopolymers in Adsorption
Geopolymer is a porous inorganic material with a three-dimensional mesh structure, good mechanical properties, a simple preparation process (no sintering) and a low economic cost, and it is environmentally friendly. Geopolymer concrete has been widely used in the construction field, and many other studies have revealed that geopolymer will become one of the most promising inorganic materials with unique structure and properties. Geopolymer has a three-dimensional mesh structure that provides the geopolymer with high porosity and a significant number of mesopores that enhance the adsorption capacity by providing more exposed binding sites on the surface. The high mesoporous structure, high porosity, and three-dimensional mesh structure give geopolymers a larger specific surface area, which increases the contact sites with pollutants and impurities. 
  • 659
  • 14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Geopolymers vs. Cement Matrix Materials
Geopolymers are spreading more and more in the cementitious materials field, exhibiting technological properties that are highly competitive to conventional Portland concrete mixes.
  • 655
  • 24 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Sustainable Synthesis of MXenes
MXenes provide a major drawback involving environmentally harmful and toxic substances for its general fabrication in large-scale production and employing a high-temperature solid-state reaction followed by selective etching. Meanwhile, how MXenes are synthesized is essential in directing their end uses. Therefore, making strategic approaches to synthesize greener, safer, more sustainable, and more environmentally friendly MXenes is imperative to commercialize at a competitive price. 
  • 651
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Structure of Piezoelectric Accelerometers
Compared with other types of sensors, piezoelectric accelerometers have the advantages of a large range, a wide-frequency band, a simple structure, stable performance, good output linearity, etc. The principle of a piezoelectric accelerometer is based on the property of the active element, and its structure is mainly composed of a mass block, a piezoelectric sensitive element, and a base.
  • 604
  • 28 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Deposition Parameters on the Microstructure of Multilayer Films
Multilayer films with high-density layer interfaces have been studied widely because of the unique mechanical and functional properties. Magnetron sputtering is widely chosen to fabricate multilayer films because of the convenience in controlling the microstructure. 
  • 582
  • 28 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Research Progress on Preparation Methods of Skutterudites
Thermoelectric material is a new energy material that can realize direct conversion of thermal energy and electric energy. It has important and wide applications in the fields of the recycling of industrial waste heat and automobile exhaust, efficient refrigeration of the next generation of integrated circuits and full spectrum solar power generation. Skutterudites thermoelectric material has attracted much attention because of their excellent electrical transport performance in the medium temperature region. In order to obtain skutterudites thermoelectric materials with excellent properties, it is indispensable to choose an appropriate preparation method.
  • 569
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Critical Minerals
Critical minerals are paramount to the successful deployment of low-carbon technologies in future transportation, defense, agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure. They have a significant economic importance and their insecure supplies may hinder the development and industrial application of new technologies. An implementation of large quantities of minerals, in particular metals, into the clean energy transition will create new economic opportunities but also bring new challenges to energy security that could lead to unexpected dependencies on raw materials.
  • 565
  • 30 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Ceramic Nanostructured Coatings
Ceramic nanocoatings are widely used in many applications such as engine valves, boiler parts, automotive body parts, orthopaedic implants, etc., due to their excellent resistance to corrosion, oxidation and wear, as compared to metals, especially in high-temperature applications. They also have excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties.
  • 554
  • 29 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Effect of Grain Size on B4C and β-SiC
Nanocrystalline materials are categorized as having average grain sizes below 100 nm with a larger volume fraction of grain boundaries (GBs), leading to significant changes in their mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Lightweight polycrystalline ceramics possess promising physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, which can be used in a variety of important structural applications. However, these ceramics with coarse-grained structures are brittle and have low fracture toughness due to their rigid covalent bonding (more often consisting of high-angle grain boundaries) that can cause catastrophic failures. Owing to these failure mechanisms in polycrystalline ceramics, a reduction in grain size to a nano-regime, which is expected to enhance the combination of hardness (or strength), toughness, and ductility, provides a promising nanomechanical research direction compared to counterpart micro-sized polycrystalline ceramics. Apart from the effects of grain size itself, the mechanical properties of B4C and SiC also show high dependency on their properties such as composition variation, anisotropy, density, etc.
  • 553
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Thin-Film Fabrication for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are amongst the most widely used renewable alternative energy systems with near-zero carbon emission, high efficiency, and environment-friendly features. However, the high operating temperature of SOFCs is still considered a major challenge due to several issues regarding the materials’ corrosion, unwanted reactions between layers, etc. Thus, low-temperature SOFCs (LT-SOFCs) have gained significant interest during the past decades. Despite the numerous advantages of LT-SOFCs, material selection for each layer is of great importance as the common materials have not shown a desirable performance so far. In addition to the selection of the materials, fabrication techniques have a great influence on the properties of the SOFCs. As SOFCs with thinner layers showed lower polarisation resistance, especially in the electrolyte layer, different thin-film fabrication methods have been employed, and their effect on the overall performance of SOFCs has been evaluated.
  • 545
  • 23 Aug 2023
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