Real-Time Slurry Characteristic Analysis During Ball Milling Using Vibration Data

The characteristics of an internal slurry were analyzed during ball milling, which is commonly utilized in ceramic processing. We used a device with a capacity of 50 L because this is the size employed in industries, and built a circulation system to collect the slurry during the milling process. The properties of the slurry were characterized in terms of their particle size and viscosity, while vibration data were collected from the side of the ball mill drum in real time. A fast Fourier transform was performed on the vibration data, allowing the energy to be calculated and compared with the slurry characteristics. The vibration data in the 3–4 kHz range showed a strong negative correlation with the slurry viscosity. Our results confirm that the characteristics of the internal slurry can be monitored in real time using vibration data collected during ball milling.

Nature-Inspired Unconventional Approaches to Develop 3D Bioceramic Scaffolds with Enhanced Regenerative Ability

Material science is a relevant discipline in support of regenerative medicine. Indeed, tissue regeneration requires the use of scaffolds able to guide and sustain the natural cell metabolism towards tissue regrowth. This need is particularly important in musculoskeletal regeneration, such as in the case of diseased bone or osteocartilaginous regions for which calcium phosphate-based scaffolds are considered as the golden solution. However, various technological barriers related to conventional ceramic processing have thus far hampered the achievement of biomimetic and bioactive scaffolds as effective solutions for still unmet clinical needs in orthopaedics. Driven by such highly impacting socioeconomic needs, new nature-inspired approaches promise to make a technological leap forward in the development of advanced biomaterials. The present review illustrates ion-doped apatites as biomimetic materials whose bioactivity resides in their unstable chemical composition and nanocrystallinity, both of which are, however, destroyed by the classical sintering treatment. In the following, recent nature-inspired methods preventing the use of high-temperature treatments, based on (i) chemically hardening bioceramics, (ii) biomineralisation process, and (iii) biomorphic transformations, are illustrated. These methods can generate products with advanced biofunctional properties, particularly biomorphic transformations represent an emerging approach that could pave the way to a technological leap forward in medicine and also in various other application fields.

Influence of Sb2O3 doping on the sintering and polarization characteristics of PbTiO3 ceramic materials

In this paper, the effect of Sb2O3 doping on the sintering and polarization stability of PbTiO3 ceramics was investigated. The Sb2O3-doped PbTiO3 ceramic materials were prepared viaa conventional piezoelectric ceramic processing. The results showed that the as-prepared PbTiO3 ceramics exhibit a good sintering stability without cracking during sintering because of reducing spontaneous strain stemmed from decrease the tetragonal degree of PbTiO3 by Sb2O3 doping. Furthermore, the polarization stability of Sb2O3-doped PbTiO3 ceramics was considerably enhanced by the relaxation of strain and stress concentration during poling stemmed from the formation of good microstructure with fine grain and high density, and by decreasing the loss stemmed from reduction of oxygen vacancy concentration due to the substitution of Sb[Formula: see text] ions for Ti[Formula: see text] ions under a polarization condition with temperature of 130–150[Formula: see text]C and applied electric field of 4.5–5.5 kV/mm, and its yield of polarization is achieved ca. 80%.

Durability of La0.20Sr0.25Ca0.45TiO3-based SOFC anodes: identifying sources of degradation in Ni and Pt/ceria co-impregnated fuel electrode microstructures

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) comprising LSM-YSZ/LSM composite cathodes, 6ScSZ electrolytes and La0.20Sr0.25Ca0.45TiO3 (LSCTA−) anode ‘backbone’ microstructures were prepared using thick-film ceramic processing techniques. Activation and decoration of the LSCTA−...