In the pharmaceutical industry,fluidized beds are typically used for pellets drying,coating and granulation.The gas-solids flow characteristic in the process plays an important role to control the heat and mass transfer as well as the end-point product quality.Therefore,it is necessary to investigate the flow characteristics based on advanced measurement technologies.In this research,electrical capacitance tomography(ECT)sensor with eight electrodes was used to investigate the pharmaceutical fluidized bed drying process with different operation conditions.Key process parameters including solids concentration,particle moisture and capacitance signals in the process are given and analysed based on the ECT sensor.In addition,the fluidized bed process with Wurster tube is also investigated based on this ECT sensor.The effect of Wurster tube on the hydrodynamic behaviour and the dominant frequency spectrum distribution in the chamber were analysed based on fast Fourier transform.Test results reveal that process moisture change can be addressed from the raw capacitance of adjacent electrode pair combined with calibration model.Experimental result also indicates that ECT technology can provide useful information for process monitor in a fluidized bed dryer.
Semiconductors and the associated methodologies applied to electrochemistry have recently grown as an emerging field in energy materials and technologies.For example,semiconductor membranes and heterostructure fuel cells are new technological trend,which differ from the traditional fuel cell electrochemistry principle employing three basic functional components:anode,electrolyte,and cathode.The electrolyte is key to the device performance by providing an ionic charge flow pathway between the anode and cathode while preventing electron passage.In contrast,semiconductors and derived heterostructures with electron(hole)conducting materials have demonstrated to be much better ionic conductors than the conventional ionic electrolytes.The energy band structure and alignment,band bending and built-in electric field are all important elements in this context to realize the necessary fuel cell functionalities.This review further extends to semiconductor-based electrochemical energy conversion and storage,describing their fundamentals and working principles,with the intention of advancing the understanding of the roles of semiconductors and energy bands in electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage,as well as applications to meet emerging demands widely involved in energy applications,such as photocatalysis/water splitting devices,batteries and solar cells.This review provides new ideas and new solutions to problems beyond the conventional electrochemistry and presents new interdisciplinary approaches to develop clean energy conversion and storage technologies.
Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)have developed rapidly owing to the high natural abundance,wide distribution,and low cost of sodium.Among the various materials used in SIBs,sodium superion conductor(NASICON)-based electrode materials with remarkable structural stability and high ionic conductivity are one of the most promising candidates for sodium storage electrodes.Nevertheless,the relatively low electronic conductivity of these materials makes them display poor electrochemical performance,significantly limiting their practical application.In recent years,the strategies of enhancing the inherent conductivity of NASICON-based cathode materials have been extensively studied through coating the active material with a conductive carbon layer,reducing the size of the cathode material,combining the cathode material with various carbon materials,and doping elements in the bulk phase.In this paper,we review the recent progress in the development of NASICON-based cathode materials for SIBs in terms of their synthesis,characterization,functional mechanisms,and performance validation/optimization.The advantages and disadvantages of such SIB cathode materials are analyzed,and the relationship between electrode structures and electrochemical performance as well as the strategies for enhancing their electrical conductivity and structural stability is highlighted.Some technical challenges of NASICON-based cathode materials with respect to SIB performance are analyzed,and several future research directions are also proposed for overcoming the challenges toward practical applications.
CBN/Cu-Sn-Ti(CBN: cubic boron nitride) composites are prepared by active brazing sintering at 1123 K,1173 K, 1223 K and 1273 K, respectively. The effects of brazing temperature on the wettability, interfacial characteristics, and elemental distribution variations are fully investigated. When the brazing temperature is below 1223 K, completely uncoated and/or partially coated CBN particles with sharp edges can still be observed, and the reaction layer, mainly composed of Ti N and Ti B2, appears to be thin and uneven.When the brazing temperature is 1223 K, all CBN particles are completely coated, suggesting that adequate wetting has taken place. Besides, as Ti diffuses thoroughly and enriches the interface, the reaction layer, filled primarily by Ti N, Ti B2 and Ti B, becomes thicker(about 1.30 μm), more uniform, stable and continuous. Further increasing the temperature to 1273 K is unnecessary or even harmful as the reaction layer thickness undergoes negligible change yet some tiny micro-cracks appear on the interface, which may likely deteriorate the grinding capability of the final brazing products.
