Lightweight structural materials with superior energy absorption capability are attracting growing attention in automotive, aerospace, and other engineering applications. In this work, nickel-coated carbon fiber reinforced Al-glass cenospheres syntactic foams (Ni-CFs/Al-GCs SFs) were fabricated via vacuum hot pressing. The effects of sintering pressure (10-20 MPa), temperature (580-620 degrees C), and Ni-CF volume fraction (0-0.5 vol%) on the microstructure and compressive behavior were systematically investigated. Excessively high sintering parameters caused damage to GCs and Ni-CFs, whereas insufficient parameters resulted in matrix porosity and interfacial debonding. At 600 degrees C and 15 MPa, the overall structural integrity was well maintained. Simultaneously, the NiCF volume fraction significantly influenced the energy absorption capacity. A superior performance was achieved with 0.3 vol% Ni-CFs, where the peak stress and plateau stress reached 124.5 f 2.5 MPa and 116.5 f 2.3 MPa, respectively, with a densification strain of 47.1 f 1.0% and an energy absorption capacity of 55.8 f 2.1 MJ m-3. The Ni coating promoted interfacial metallurgical bonding and suppressed the formation of Al4C3, leading to an approximately 107% increase in energy absorption capacity compared with Al-GCs SFs and approximately 84% compared with CFs/Al-GCs SFs. The developed foams exhibited high specific energy absorption (41 J g-1) and specific plateau strength (85 MPa g-1 cm-3), demonstrating strong potential for lightweight energy absorbing structures.

We studied the conductive and mechanical properties of polymer composites based on styrene butadiene rubber as a matrix and three different carbon fillers, namely graphite, graphene and carbon nanotubes. Based on the analysis of the resistivity dependences on the concentrations of various fillers, the values of percolation thresholds were determined. The sensitivity of the resistivity of all synthesized composites to the degree of their uniaxial stretching was investigated. The maximum values of the gauge factor were observed in composites with graphene filler. It was also found that in composites with carbon nanotubes as a filler, the deformations arising under applied stresses have an elastic character. After removing the tensile stresses, these composites completely relaxed to their initial size. Contrary to this, in composites with graphite and graphene, even minimal stresses caused the appearance of plastic deformations, and their complete relaxation did not occur after stress was removed.

This paper presents the results of a study and analysis of the dependence of the resistance of polymer composites based on single-walled carbon nanotubes and two types of polymer matrix styrene-butadiene rubber and thermoplastic polyurethane) on the filler content in the range of percolation conductivity. The experimental data were analyzed within the framework of percolation theory and described using a statistical model accounting for the spatial distribution of carbon nanotubes inside the polymer matrix. The values of the percolation threshold and the dimensions of the conductive network of filler particles in the studied composites were determined. It was found that the type of polymer matrix does not have a significant effect on the shape of single carbon nanotubes, but can cause their agglomeration. The results clarify the role of the polymer matrix in determining the percolation threshold and the formation of conductive networks.

The pursuit of eco-friendly and renewable power generation has driven technological breakthroughs in nanoscale engineering, particularly regarding triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). These devices have become a focus of interest due to their capacity to effectively transform kinetic energy into electrical power via combined triboelectrification and electrostatic charge separation mechanisms. TENGs now find expanding implementations across multiple fields including in flexible electronics, autonomous sensing systems, and ambient energy conversion technologies. Enhancing TENG performance critically depends on the strategic design and application of nanostructures and nanomaterials. Nonetheless, challenges such as material selection, compatibility, homogeneous dispersion, interfacial stability, and production scalability must be overcome to advance TENG technology. Moreover, the mechanisms by which nanomaterials contribute to the triboelectric effect remain insufficiently understood, underscoring the necessity for systematic theoretical models. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in integrating nanostructures and nanomaterials into TENGs, elucidating their roles, advantages, and underlying mechanisms in enhancing energy conversion efficiency, while identifying key challenges and proposing future research directions.

Phase evolution and strengthening of the FeNiCoCrMo0.5Al1.3 powder alloy produced via inert gas atomization and annealed in the temperature interval of 300-800°C have been studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and microhardness testing. It was found that annealing at 300-600°C leads to an increase of the element segregations between the several solid solutions with a rise of the lattice misfit (ε) to 1.5% and microhardness growth to 1070 HV. It was assumed that elastic stress caused by the element partitioning is the main strengthening mechanism: microhardness rises linearly with misfit rise with dHV/dε = 43400 MPa. Sigma arises after the maximum elastic deformation (in 1.5%) was reached. Formation of the dispersed coherent sigma phase in the annealing interval 600-800°C results in the microhardness rise. Oxidation that began at 800°C in 27 h is accompanied with FCC formation due to a depletion of the B2 in Al caused by Al2O3 formation. Estimation of the activation energy of the initial stage of the solid solution decomposition gives a very low value in 0.65eV, apparently caused by the high concentration of quenched vacancies. The activation energy of sigma formation approximately coincides with the activation energy of self-diffusion in BCC metals (about 2.60 eV).

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), as novel electronic devices for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, are better suited as signal-testing sensors or as components within larger wearable Internet of Things (IoT) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, where they handle small-device power supply and signal acquisition. Consequently, TENGs hold promising applications in self-powered sensor technology. As global energy supplies become increasingly tight, research into self-powered sensors has become critical. This study presents a self-powered sport sensor system utilizing a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which incorporates a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film doped with graphene and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as friction materials. The graphene-doped TPU nanocomposite film-based TENG (GT-TENG) demonstrates excellent working durability. Furthermore, the GT-TENG not only consistently powers an LED but also supplies energy to a sports timer and an electronic watch. It serves additionally as a self-powered sensor for monitoring human movement. The design of this self-powered motion sensor system effectively harnesses human kinetic energy, integrating it seamlessly with sport sensing capabilities.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have emerged as viable micro power sources for an array of applications. Since their inception in 2012, TENGs have been the subject of significant advancements in terms of structural design and the development of friction materials. Despite these advancements, the complexity of their structural designs and the use of costly friction materials hinder their practical application. This study introduces a simplified TENG model utilizing an economical composite film of fullerene carbon soot (FS)-doped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (FS-TENG). It confirms the FS-TENG’s ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, as demonstrated through experimental validation. The generated electricity by the FS-TENG can power devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), digital watches, kitchen timers, and sports stopwatches, highlighting its efficiency. This research enhances the development of TENGs featuring low-cost, streamlined structures for sustainable and autonomous energy sensing applications.

In this work, the effect of high-entropy alloy powder preparation on the coatings deposited via high-velocity oxygen fuel sprayings was studied. The powders of FeNiCoCrMo0.5Al1.3 composition were prepared by milling and gas atomization. The structures, porosity, phase composition, and microhardness of the coatings produced from mechanically alloyed and gas-atomized powders were compared. The influence of milling parameters on the powder phase composition and morphology was studied. Milling at 600 rpm for 1.5 h allowed the production of mechanically alloyed powder with a homogeneous distribution of Fe, Ni, and Al and thin lamellas enriched with Co, Cr, and Mo. Despite the difference in the feedstock powders’ phase compositions, the phase compositions of the coatings deposited from mechanically alloyed and gas-atomized powders are the same consisting of BCC, FCC solutions, and oxide. The amount of FCC solutions and oxide in the coating depends on the size distribution of the sprayed powder. It was found that the phase composition and the properties of the coatings deposited from the mechanically alloyed and gas-atomized powders of similar sizes are similar.

The work is devoted to the study of the effect of microalloying with yttrium (Y) additives to improve the corrosion resistance of Incoloy 825 superalloy. The influence of Y on microstructure was evaluated by metallographic methods using optical and scanning electron microscopes, resistance to pitting and intergranular corrosion was evaluated by electrochemical and chemical methods of analysis. The paper describes changes in the structure, phase composition and hardness of cast samples with yttrium content of 0, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 wt. %. The obtained data correlate with the results of thermodynamic calculations of phase formation during crystallization. The influence of additions on the structure after strain hardening was investigated. Small addition (up to 0.01 wt. %) promotes increase of mobility of recrystallized grain boundaries. With increasing Y amount, the grain size decreases and hardness increases. It is shown that the greatest deoxidizing ability is observed at small additions of Y in the amount up to 0.01 wt. %, while the total amount of dissolved [O] decreased five times. Increasing the Y content reduces the ability to remove heavy inclusions from the melt, resulting in an increase in the proportion of oxide inclusions. The effect of additives on nitrogen [N] was not observed, and the volume fraction of nitride inclusions did not change, but the size of nitride inclusions decreased and the character of their distribution changed to uniform than in the alloy without Y. The results of pitting and intergranular fracture resistance tests showed that Y is an element that can be used to improve the corrosion properties of Incoloy 825 alloy. The best combination of resistance to the two types of corrosion was observed for the 0.01 wt. % Y sample.

In this paper, we present the experimental results on the conductive and tensoresistive properties of polymer composites containing a small amount of carbon nanotubes. The experimental results on the resistivity dependence on the mass fraction of the CNT filler were analyzed within the classical percolation model. The sensitivity of the resistivity of synthesized composites with different mass fractions of the CNT filler to the degree of their uniaxial tension in a wide range of the applied strain was experimentally investigated. All obtained results were successfully described based on statistical percolation and resistive network models taking into account the influence of stretching on the curvature of carbon nanotubes.

One of the most promising applications of FeNiCoCrMoAl-based high-entropy alloy is the fabrication of protective coatings. In this work, gas-atomized powder of FeNiCoCrMo0.5Al1.3 composition was deposited via high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying. It was shown that in-flight oxidation of the powder influences the coating’s phase composition and properties. Powder oxidation and phase transformations were studied under HVOF deposition, and during continuous heating and prolonged isothermal annealing at 800 °C. Optical and scanning electron microscopy observation, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and microhardness tests were used for study. In a gas-atomized state, the powder consisted of BCC supersaturated solid solution. The high rate of heating and cooling and high oxygen concentration during spraying led to oxidation development prior to decomposition of the supersaturated solid solution. Depleted Al layers of BCC transferred to the FCC phase. An increase in the spraying distance resulted in an increase in α-Al2O3 content; however, higher oxide content does not result in a higher microhardness. In contrast, under annealing, the supersaturated BCC solid solution decomposition occurs earlier than pronounced oxidation, which leads to considerable strengthening to 910 HV.

The paper investigated the effect of fullerene soot (FS) additions into amorphous polysulfone (PSU) on its mechanical properties, adhesion to the pretreated surface of an aluminum alloy, and on the flexural properties of a PSU-based fiber metal laminate (FML). It was shown that even small additions of FS have a negative effect on polymer mechanical properties: a decrease in tensile strength and elongation to break; and the addition of more than 1% of FS led to the brittle fracture of PSU. At the same time, the addition of 0.5-1.0% FS increased adhesion between Al and PSU by 60-70%. Finally, it was shown that the use of PSU films filled with fullerene soot as an adhesive layer in an FML increases its flexural strength by 12% and elastic modulus by 20%.

Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics have been widely applied in areas of high-temperature thermal protection and nuclear radiation protection during the past decades. Both carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are regarded as highly ideal reinforcements for YSZ ceramics due to their natural excellent properties. However, is still a controversial topic how to make YSZ composites obtain better performance after adding CNTs and graphene. In particular, dispersion and sintering processes of CNTs and graphene in YSZ, are critical to the performance of the YSZ composites. So far, there is not a thorough analysis of the impact of CNTs and graphene on the mechanical characteristics and irradiation resistance of YSZ. Therefore, this paper focuses on the dispersion methods and sintering technologies of CNTs/YSZ and graphene/YSZ nanocomposites, as well as the mechanical properties and anti-irradiation properties. Furthermore, the potential applications are also prospected for CNTs/YSZ and graphene/YSZ nanocomposites.

The presented work demonstrates the capability of obtaining composite powder, silver-fullerene soot, by the electrolytic deposition of silver from an aqueous solution of silver nitrate. The morphology of particles was studied as a function of fullerene soot concentration and current density. The microstructure of compact materials obtained by hot pressing was investigated. The hardness of the compact material increased up to 30% and the same corrosion properties relative to pure silver were obtained using a similar technology.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered MoSe2 has been demonstrated to be a promising electrode material for new energy storage systems. However, its nature of poor conductivity and the undesirable interlayer spacing hinder its further application. In this paper, a general and simple plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method is proposed to produce 2D heterolayer-structured MoSe2-carbon (MoSe2/C) with carbon atoms inserted in the MoSe2 layers. After morphology optimization, when applying flat-type MoSe2/C-200 nanosheets with an enlarged interlayer spacing of 0.79 nm as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode, the assembled sodium-ion hybrid capacitors can reach a maximum energy/power density of 116.5 W h kg-1/107.5 W kg-1 and exhibit superior cycling durability (91.3% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles at 1 A g-1). The good electrochemical property can be ascribed to the enlarged interlayer spacing that can offer fast diffusion channels for Na ions, and the carbon layer sandwiched in the MoSe2 layer can not only enhance the electron transfer, accelerating the reaction kinetics, but also alleviate the volume change of MoSe2, ensuring the good stability of the electrode. The proposed approach can also be extended to other 2D transition metal chalcogenide (TMC) materials for constructing the TMC/C heterostructures for the application in energy storage systems.

Graphene-reinforced aluminium composites have been widely studied due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, only a few studies have reported their dynamic compression properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the quasi-static and dynamic compression properties of graphene-reinforced aluminium composites. The addition of graphene improved the compressive stress resistance and energy absorption capacity of the aluminium matrix. An aluminium-0.5 wt.% graphene composite exhibited good compressive properties due to the different interfacial wave impedance generated by the additional grain boundaries or Aluminium-Graphene interfaces.

In this work, we studied the influence of the geometry and degree of filling of glass dispersed particles on the optical and mechanical properties of flexible high-transmission composites, based on thermoplastic polyurethane. Glass spheres, glass flake and milling glass fiber were used as fillers. Studies of mechanical properties have shown that the introduction of any filler leads to a decrease in tensile strength and an increase in the elastic modulus of the composite material, however, with the introduction of glass flakes and milling glass fiber, a significant increase in the yield strength of the material is observed. The optical properties of composites with glass spheres decrease exponentially with an increase in the volume fraction of the filler. With an increase in the concentration of glass flakes and milling glass fiber to 10 vol.%, a sharp decrease in transmission is observed. With a further increase in concentration, the orientation of the filler along the film occurs, due to which the transmission in the visible range increases to values close to those of a pure polymer.

Glass microsphere/Al sandwich composites were manufactured by hot pressing to investigate their microstructure and compressive properties depending on the hot-press pressures (10-20 MPa). At the proper hot-press pressure, the composites had the highest dynamic compressive properties and maximal peak stress at quasi static compression. Compared to aluminum foam with similar density, glass microsphere/Al sandwich composites had better compressive properties mainly due to additional reinforcement with microspheres and the formation of a regular cellular structure.

Flexibility, light weight and high reliability are the development themes of space solar cells. Pseudomorphic Glass (PMG) is considered as a novel feasible flexible encapsulation solution for solar cells. In this paper, the degeneration and damage mechanism of PMG morphology, optical and mechanical properties under 170 keV electron irradiation were studied. The change of PMG surface wrinkles structure under the fluence of 1 x 10(13) cm(-2) to 1 x 10(16) cm(-2) was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). After electron irradiation, the defect optical absorption peak intensity of PMG was significantly lower than that of room-temperaturevulcanized silicon rubber (RTV) sheet, showing obviously excellent electron irradiation stability. The transmittance of PMG at the wavelength greater than 500 nm increased significantly while the RTV sheet remained unchanged when the fluence reached 1 x 10(16) cm(-2) , which was mainly caused by the decrease of scattering loss at the bead-adhesive interface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that "organic silicon" was transformed into "inorganic silicon" and Si-OH groups were formed during electron irradiation. Furthermore, the stress-strain test showed that the elongation at break (E-b) decreased from 113% to 9% and the modulus of elasticity increased from 2.5 MPa to 9 MPa.

The transport behaviors of proton into nanoporous materials were investigated using different Monte Carlo simulation codes such as GEANT4, Deeper and SRIM. The results indicated that porous structure could enhance the proton scattering effects due to a higher specific surface area and more boundaries. The existence of voids can deepen and widen the proton distribution in the targets due to relatively lower apparent density. Thus, the incident protons would transport deeper and form a wider Bragg peak in the end of the range, as the target materials are in a higher porosity state and/or have a larger pore size. The existence of voids also causes the local inhomogeneity of proton/energy distribution in micro/nano scales. As compared, the commonly used SRIM code can only be used to estimate roughly the incident proton range in nanoporous materials, based on a homogeneous apparent density equivalence rule. Moreover, the estimated errors of the proton range tend to increase with the porosity. The Deeper code (designed for evaluation of radiation effects of nuclear materials) can be used to simulate the transport behaviors of protons or heavy ions in a real porous material with porosity smaller than 52.3% due to its modeling difficulty, while the GEANT4 code has shown advantages in that it is suitable and has been proven to simulate proton transportation in nanoporous materials with porosity in its full range of 0~100%. The GEANT4 simulation results are proved consistent with the experimental data, implying compatibility to deal with ion transportation into homogeneously nanoporous materials.