SrFeO3-based oxides have emerged as promising cathodes for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H-SOFCs), yet their performance at intermediate temperatures remains unsatisfactory. To overcome this limitation, we developed a multielement doping strategy, resulting in the synthesis of a novel oxide, SrFe0.9Nb0.025Ta0.025Mo0.025W0.025O3 (ME-SFO). Unlike conventional SrFeO3 materials doped with single elements, ME-SFO has a remarkable synergistic effect that substantially enhances both proton and oxygen transport kinetics. Compared with the SrFe0.9X0.1O3 cathode, the ME-SFO cathode has superior reaction kinetics, achieving the lowest polarization resistance and activation energy. This enhanced catalytic activity translates into outstanding performance in H-SOFC applications, delivering a peak power density of 1748 mW∙cm−2 at 700 °C—surpassing not only single-doped SrFe0.9X0.1O3 variants but also other SrFeO3-based cathodes reported for H-SOFCs. Although good long-term stability is achieved at a fixed temperature, ME-SFO suffers from high thermal expansion, which compromises cycling stability, leading to noticeable current density degradation after 10 test cycles. To mitigate this issue, we incorporated the negative thermal expansion oxide NdMnO3 into the cathode, effectively counterbalancing the thermal expansion of ME-SFO. The optimized composition, ME-SFO (80 wt%) + NdMnO3 (20 wt%), significantly improved cycling stability while maintaining high performance. This modification enhances the cathode/electrolyte interfacial condition, further increasing the fuel cell output to 1888 mW∙cm−2 at 700 °C. Coupling NdMnO3 with ME-SFO represents a “one stone, two birds” strategy, simultaneously improving both the power output and cycling stability. This advancement positions ME-SFO as a highly competitive cathode material for H-SOFCs, offering a balanced combination of electrochemical performance, durability, and cycling stability.
Next-generation processing and computing technologies (NGPTs), being new platforms that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in the ceramic and glass manufacturing sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of ceramics and glass stakeholders’ interviews and workshop data, twelve consolidated barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological factors. The Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) technique was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies among the barriers, structuring them into seven hierarchical layers. This ISM output was further complemented with a MICMAC analysis to determine the dependence and driving powers of the barriers. Regulatory ambiguity alongside a lack of digital strategy were established to be the two most influential barriers, with knock-on effects on the remaining ones, in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and digital transformation towards net-zero, in both sectors. The results offer uniquely useful policy insights and practical managerial levers for ceramics and glass stakeholders regarding targeted intervention options prioritisation when designing response strategies for overcoming the barriers.
Souhaila Nider, Femke De Ceulaer, Berfu Göksel
et al.
Direct Ink Writing (DIW) has been extensively studied for creating hierarchical porous structures over recent decades. It finds applications in various fields, including aeronautics, industry, energy, and healthcare. On the other hand, capillary suspensions are an emerging field with significant potential for porous material development. These suspensions, typically three-phase systems, consist of solid particles interconnected by a secondary fluid (usually < 5 vol%), which is immiscible with the main one. Upon fluid removal and subsequent thermal treatment, they form a spanning particle network.This study explores the utilisation of β-TCP-based capillary suspensions as DIW inks for fabricating hierarchically porous scaffolds with two different secondary fluids. Rheological assessment of the inks demonstrates shear thinning behaviour, high yield stress, high moduli, and network rebuilding capabilities. While sucrose-based inks exhibit better printability, the ink incorporating silica nanoparticles exhibit structures with the highest porosity.
Ferroelectric materials are highly promising for next-generation electro–optic (EO) modulators because of their ultrafast and efficient light modulation. However, efforts to maximize polarization freedom for large refractive index modulation—through domain engineering, epitaxial strain, and defect engineering—have hit limitations, leaving intrinsic polarization mechanisms largely unexplored. Here, we report a giant effective EO coefficient (~233.5 pm/V) in PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) films, which surpasses all reported values measured under an in-plane electric field and significantly exceeds the theoretical limit (~13 pm/V) as well as the value of LiNbO3 (~31 pm/V). Beyond conventional domain switching, phase transitions and domain wall variations critically enhance the EO effect. The highly relaxed structure of the PZT film, with mixed [001] and [100] orientations and disordered nanoscale phases, enables unprecedented polarization control. This unique configuration breaks the theoretical EO coefficient limit, bridging the gap between predictions and experimental results. Owing to its high Curie temperature and compatibility with wafer-scale fabrication, PZT has emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation high-performance EO modulators. Our findings not only advance the frontiers of ferroelectric EO materials but also pave the way for exploring other ferroelectric thin-film devices, such as those for energy storage and electrocaloric cooling, by leveraging enhanced polarization modulation mechanisms.
This work focused on removing iron with oxalic acid from red clay samples collected from Kapasia Upazila, Gazipur District, Bangladesh. To characterize the red clay, the study employed several techniques: particle size analysis, WDXRF (wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence), AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), and FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy). Additionally, leaching experiments were conducted with varying concentrations of oxalic acid, temperatures and times. After leaching, the red clay composition changed significantly: SiO₂ increased from 53.6 % to 63.13 %, Fe₂O₃ decreased from 17.1 % to 3.64 %, Al₂O₃ remained relatively stable at 18 %–18.22 %, and other oxides showed minor variations. 78.71 % of the iron was removed at optimal leaching conditions (1.0 M oxalic acid, 100 °C, 150 min, and 250 rpm). Mineralogically, the red clay samples are composed of illite, kaolinite, quartz, feldspar, hematite and chlorite. Thermal analysis showed significant weight loss at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C. Ceramic trials were conducted at firing temperatures of 900 °C and 1100 °C to evaluate the mechanical properties of tiles. The results obtained showed significant improvements in red clay quality for ceramics. Being a low-cost and eco-friendly process, this becomes a very prominent alternative to conventional iron removal techniques and helps produce high-quality ceramic tiles, contributing towards economic growth in Bangladesh.
ABSTRACT A series of low‐carbon fly ash cenosphere plates was prepared using solid waste based cementitious material as binder through a simple process; meanwhile, effects of cenosphere's particle size and size distribution on microstructure and properties were investigated. In the range of 20–200 mesh, as particle size decreases, sound absorption performance decreases while strength improves. Appropriate particle grading can effectively improve the compressive strength, but it will lead to a significant decrease in sound absorption performance. Samples prepared from fly ash cenosphere with a particle size of 20–40 mesh show good sound absorption performance: when the cavity size is 0 mm, the maximum sound absorption coefficient is 0.64 and the average value is 0.36 in the range of 50–1 600 Hz; when the cavity size is 100 mm, sound absorption coefficient at 100 Hz is 0.47, the maximum sound absorption coefficient in the range of 50–1 600 Hz is 0.90, and the average value is 0.57 in the range of 100–500 Hz. The prepared low‐carbon fly ash cenosphere plates show excellent sound absorption performance at low‐frequency and are expected to have broad application prospects in low‐frequency noise reduction and absorption.
In this study, advanced solar steam technologies are explored for their potential applications in seawater desalination and wastewater purification. We have developed a three-dimensional photothermal evaporator using MXene, luffa sponge (LS), graphitic-carbon nitride (GCN) and activated carbon (AC). The hierarchical Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite photothermal evaporator exhibits superior thermostability, pH stability, and mechanical durability. The Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite evaporator having a dimension of 1.25 cm displays excellent performance, leading to a high evaporation rate of 2.6 kg m−2h−1 and a high solar-thermal conversion efficiency of 96 % under 1 sun illumination. This high efficiency is attributed to the good light absorption by the Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite coupled with a better wetting through the internal microchannels of the LS, which envisages a faster water delivery and evaporation of water. The Ti3C2Tx MXene/GCN/AC@LS composite captures the residual heat from the sidewall surface as an additional source of energy.
The presentation will focus on the quality monitoring of the different stages of the safety glass processing. Defects in processed glass are extremely expensive, causing unnecessary work, energy costs and increasing CO2 emissions. Quality monitoring can be carried out at many different stages of production. This presentation will mainly focus on the problems of the tempering process and how to avoid different quality problems. I will also explain what causes defects and how and by what changes in settings defects can be avoided. Defects will focus on tempering process problems such as roller wave, edge kink, anisotropy, white haze, scratches, flaws, coating defects and how to indicate them. Measuring glass output temperature from bottom surface is one key indicator to good quality especially on coated glass. The latest quality control systems and their new possibilities will be examined from different perspectives. I will do some practical test runs and show how changes in the different settings affect the final quality. It has been estimated that the various degrees of error at different stages of glass production are up to more than 15%. Removing faulty glass from production at an early stage will save large amounts of money.
Energy-efficient scheduling is highly necessary for energy-intensive industries, such as glass, mould or chemical production. Inspired by a real-world glass-ceramics production process, this paper investigates a bi-criteria energy-efficient two-stage hybrid flow shop scheduling problem, in which parallel machines with eligibility are at stage 1 and a batch machine is at stage 2. The performance measures considered are makespan and total energy consumption. Time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices and different states of machines (working, idle and turnoff) are integrated. To tackle this problem, a mixed integer programming (MIP) is formulated, based on which an augmented ε-constraint (AUGMECON) method is adopted to obtain the exact Pareto front. A problem-tailored constructive heuristic method with local search strategy, a bi-objective tabu search algorithm and a bi-objective ant colony optimisation algorithm are developed to deal with medium- and large-scale problems. Extensive computational experiments are conducted, and a real-world case is solved. The results show effectiveness of the proposed methods, in particular the bi-objective tabu search.
Sludge is created during a variety of industrial processes, including industrial ceramics. Considering sludge waste is often disposed of in landfills, the expense of treating sludge waste is becoming uneconomical, and landfill area is diminishing. The industrial ceramics sludge has been identified as a potential alternative ingredient in making bricks. In this research, the optimum percentage of ceramic industry sludge incorporation with fired clay is determined according to its physical properties in order to improved compressive strength in fired clay brick. From the result shows that by incorporation of 30% of ceramic sludge into fired clay brick complied with the British Standard (BS) requirement and Eco-Labelling criteria in SIRIM ECO 023:2016 for building material usage. Therefore, ceramic sludge can be material for brick production with appropriate mix and design and as an alternative substitution of reasonable material that offers eco-friendly disposal method.
<p>Composite coatings or films with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are typically utilized to offer superhydrophobic surfaces. However, the superhydrophobic surfaces usually have limited durability and require complicated fabrication methods. Herein, we report the successful integration of PTFE with ZnO ceramics to achieve superhydrophobicity via a one-step sintering method, cold sintering process (CSP), at 300 ℃. (1–<italic>x</italic>) ZnO–<italic>x</italic> PTFE ceramic composites with <italic>x</italic> ranging from 0 to 70 vol% are densified with relative density of over 97%. Micro/nano-scale PTFE polymer is dispersed among ZnO grains forming polymer grain boundary phases, which modulate surface morphology and surface energy of the ZnO–PTFE ceramic composites. For the 60 vol% ZnO–40 vol% PTFE ceramic composite, superhydrophobic properties are optimized with static water contact angles (WCAs) and sliding angles (SAs) of 162° and 7°, respectively. After abrading into various thicknesses (2.52, 2.26, and 1.99 mm) and contaminating with graphite powders on the surface, WCA and SA are still maintained with a high level of 157°–160° and 7°–9.3°, respectively. This work indicates that CSP provides a promising pathway to integrate polymers with ceramics to realize stable superhydrophobicity.</p>
Silicone sealants have a long history of successful use in high performance windows and curtainwalls, such as structural glazing (bonding) systems which can contribute to bomb blast mitigating window designs. Previous experimental work illustrated the increase in strength and elongation for silicone sealants at the typically higher strain rates of blast loading. These values have been used as design values for joint dimensioning. With the advent of more sophisticated analysis methods using finite element analysis (FEA) software and the desire to optimize geometries of structural joints in high performance designs with extreme blast loads, there is a need to provide better material behavior models for silicones able to reproduce the typical loading during blast events. In a first step, small scale testing of various joint configurations at increased speeds was used to determine suitable material models. Next, the material model was validated using experimental test results of blast loaded adhesively bonded assemblies. Based on the obtained results, criteria for failure prediction are identified and suitable design strength values as well as joint dimensioning guidelines for engineering bonded systems are provided.
Cristina Fabuel Bartual, M. Jesús Máñez Pitarch, Esteban García Martínez
et al.
The influence of the molecular weight of carboxymethylcellulose as solid binder for additive manufacturing was studied. Three sodium carboxymethyl celluloses with different molecular weights were added to a stoneware. The powders were used on a binder jetting machine using a water-based liquid as a bonding agent. Differential Thermal Analysis and Fusion Tests (Hot Stage Microscope) were carried out to determine the correct firing cycle. The printed parts were characterised before and after firing. The density, roughness, pore size and mechanical strength of the sintered samples were tested.
The kinetics of the thermally induced glass / crystal phase transformation of chalcogenide glasses plays an important role in determining their candidacy for optical phase change memory applications. The rate of crystallization and the corresponding activation energy are the two crucial kinetic parameters that reflect the durability and quality (i.e., storage properties) of phase change materials. This script deals with metal-induced effects on thermally regulated non-isothermal crystallization in a new glass alloy of Se-Te-Sn using calorimetric measurements. The elements Antimony (Sb), Cadmium (Cd) and Indium (In) have been used as structural modifiers for this purpose. The crystallization and glass transition kinetics of these glass alloys have been investigated by thermal analysis of several kinetic parameters such as the parameter of order n, the maximum crystallization temperature Tc, the crystallization rate K and the consequent activation energy Ec). A DSC is used in non-isothermal mode for the present studies. The values of the activation energy Ec are determined using the data obtained from the displacement of the exothermic peaks of crystallization in non-isothermal DSC plots at various heating rates. The role of the additives Sb, Cd and In in the variation in the rate of crystallization K of and the Avrami index (n) for each glass alloy is also examined. Detailed thermal analysis of the kinetic data confirms the superiority of Cd over the other two additives (In and Sb) for optimization of the kinetic properties of the main SeTeSn glass. Resumen: La cinética de la transformación de fase vidrio/cristal inducida térmicamente de los vidrios calcogenuros desempeña un papel importante en la determinación de su candidatura para las aplicaciones de memoria óptica de cambio de fase. La tasa de cristalización y la energía de activación correspondiente son los dos parámetros cinéticos cruciales que reflejan la durabilidad y la calidad (es decir, las propiedades de almacenamiento) de los materiales de cambio de fase.El presente guión trata de los efectos inducidos por metales sobre la cristalización no isotérmica regulada térmicamente en una nueva aleación vítrea de Se-Te-Sn, utilizando mediciones calorimétricas. Los elementos antimonio (Sb), cadmio (Cd) e indio (In) se han empleado como modificadores estructurales para este propósito. La cinética de cristalización y transición vítrea de estas aleaciones de vidrio se ha investigado mediante el análisis térmico de varios parámetros cinéticos como el de orden n, la temperatura máxima de cristalización (Tc), la velocidad de cristalización (K) y la energía de activación consiguiente (Ec). Se usa un DSC en modo no isotérmico para los presentes estudios. Los valores de la energía de activación Ec se determinan utilizando los datos obtenidos del desplazamiento de los picos exotérmicos de cristalización en gráficos de DSC no isotérmicos a diversas velocidades de calentamiento. También se examina el papel de los aditivos Sb, Cd e In en la variación en la K y el índice de Avrami (n) para cada aleación vítrea. El análisis térmico detallado de los datos cinéticos confirma la superioridad del Cd sobre los otros dos aditivos (In y Sb) para la optimización de las propiedades cinéticas del vidrio principal Se-Te-Sn.
Kazuki Murai, Yosuke Funamizu, Toshihiko Ogura
et al.
Biomineralization is the process by which biominerals, minerals composed of bioinorganic matter possessing a controlled structure and orientation and a biomacromolecular assembly with an ordered structure that acts as a 3D template, are formed. In this study, we investigated the fabrication of organic/inorganic hybrid gels by bioinspired mineralization in peptide hydrogels. An Ac-(VHVEVS)3-CONH2 peptide was used as a multifunctional template with a mineral source supply capability and structural controllability that facilitates the formation of hydrogels via self-assembly. Hydrogels with varying viscoelastic strengths were prepared from the designed peptide by controlling the concentration of calcium ions added as cross-linking agents. The peptide hydrogel supplied carbonate anions as the mineral source through the hydrolysis of urea and mineralized CaCO3 with controlled morphology on the peptide network. With increases in the concentration of calcium ions added, the morphology of the mineralized CaCO3 changed from a fibrous structure to a thin film. This implies that the nucleation and growth mechanisms of CaCO3 formed by bioinspired mineralization were affected not only by the morphology and supply rate of the mineral source by the peptide network acting as a multifunctional template, but also by the viscoelastic strength of the hydrogel that served as a 3D reaction field.