Textile-reinforced mortars; an experimental comparative study of tensile strength improvement methods

In this article, an experimental study is conducted to compare eight improvement methods for the tensile strength of textile-reinforced mortars (TRM). 12 series of samples with different modification methods are compared to determine the most effective factors on crack initiation force and tensile strength of TRM. Eight modification methods are categorized under three main groups of mortar modification, fabric modification, and fabric-mortar interface modification. TRM's first crack force and ultimate force are considered as indices of method performance. One-way ANOVA and factorial analysis were also conducted to statically determine the most significant methods for improving TRM tensile behavior. The results showed that the modification of mortar by short fiber is the most effective method for the enhancement of TRM's first crack force. Also, the methods which led to the transfer of failure mode from mortar to fabrics were the most effective methods on TRM ultimate force improvement. The result showed that coating fabrics with epoxy affects TRM tensile strength more than all other methods. Extra enhancement of TRM ultimate force is achieved by adding silica fume to epoxy before coating the fabrics and spreading the sand and short fibers on impregnated fabrics.

Mg-Li Hybrid Batteries: The Combination of Fast Kinetics and Reduced Overpotential

It is imperative for the development of cost-effective and high-performance batteries. Currently, lithium-ion batteries still occupy most of the market. However, limited lithium (Li) resource and energy density retard their further development. The magnesium (Mg) metal has several significant advantages; those make it a viable alternative to Li as anode, including high volume specific capacity and dendrite-free plating during cycling and high abundance. The Mg-Li hybrid batteries can combine the advantages of Li ion and Mg metal to achieve fast electrode kinetics and smooth anode deposition morphology. This review summarizes recent progresses in cathode material design and anode interface modification for Mg-Li hybrid batteries. We aim to illustrate the contribution of Li+ to the electrochemical performance improvement at both cathode and anode sides and to provide inspiration for the future research in this field.