{"title":"Synthesis and characterization of sol-gel derived alumina–cobalt composite by in–situ reduction","authors":"Sudhir Kumar Ghosh, Santosh Khan, Sathi Banerjee, Gopes Chandra Das, Rajib Dey","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01325-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01325-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In an effort to explore the potential of alumina composite particularly as structural material, gas sensors and microwave absorber, a 15 weight% cobalt–reinforced alumina composite was synthesized. The composite was produced via a novel in–situ reduction method, in which hexa–hydrated cobalt chloride was reduced by non toxic dextrose within the pores of alumina gel. This gel was derived through sol–gel process using aluminum isopropxide as precursor. The reduction was carried at various temperatures—850<sup>°</sup>C, 950<sup>°</sup>C, 1000<sup>°</sup>C, 1100<sup>°</sup>C, and 1150<sup>°</sup>C. Notably, perceptible metallic cobalt formation occurred only at temperatures of 950<sup>°</sup>C and above. The sample reduced at 1150<sup>°</sup>C consisted of stable alpha alumina, reinforced with nano–sized metallic cobalt particles (~ 30 nm), which were finer than those (~ 50 nm) obtained at 950<sup>°</sup>C. This refinement in particle size at high temperature is a novel observation confirmed through XRD, DLS, FESEM and TEM analysis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1353 - 1365"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148365888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Krushna Hial, Punyatoya Mishra, Sukanta K. Tripathy
{"title":"Design and optimization of BiFeO3 based perovskite solar cells to enhance PV performance","authors":"Krushna Hial, Punyatoya Mishra, Sukanta K. Tripathy","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01321-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01321-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Perovskite solar cells have high efficiency and excellent optoelectronic features, making them a low-cost alternative to old silicon PV technology. This work addresses the instability and toxicity issues related to lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by introducing a stable and lead-free BiFeO<sub>3</sub> (BFO) as perovskite absorber. Furthermore, it initially builds on an earlier published experimental BFO solar cell (SC). The mathematical models were validated by calibrating the simulated J-V curve with the experimental curve. Subsequently, novel material design and optimisation strategies were adopted to improve the efficiency in BFO.BFO PSCs, utilizing a variety of electron transport layers (ETLs) like ZnO, TiO<sub>2</sub>, C<sub>60</sub>, ZnS, PCBM and hole transport layers (HTLs) such as NiO, Cu<sub>2</sub>O, P3HT, PEDOT: PSS, and Spiro-OMeTAD were modelled numerically using SETFOS 5.3 software. An extensive analysis was conducted to determine the optimum thicknesses, doping densities of the active layer, ETLs, and HTLs. Additionally, the effects of the defects in the absorber, series and shunt resistance, various electrodes, and working temperature on device efficiency were investigated. After thorough optimization, the PV device with configuration FTO/ZnO/BiFeO<sub>3</sub>/Cu<sub>2</sub>O/Au demonstrates the highest performance. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.98%, a short-circuit current density (J<sub>sc</sub>) of 17.86 mA/cm², an open-circuit voltage (V<sub>oc</sub>) of 1.159 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 77.15% are achieved. It is 4% more than the highest PCE reported for BFO material in the literature.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1301 - 1317"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148366031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dao Son Lam, Ngo My Hoa, Bui Xuan Khuyen, Ngo Thu Huong, Nguyen Ngoc Tung, Nguyen Minh Hieu, Pham Xuan Thao, Bui Son Tung
{"title":"Wideband electromagnetic wave absorption in multiferroic composite materials based on perovskite structures","authors":"Dao Son Lam, Ngo My Hoa, Bui Xuan Khuyen, Ngo Thu Huong, Nguyen Ngoc Tung, Nguyen Minh Hieu, Pham Xuan Thao, Bui Son Tung","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01320-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01320-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Multiferroic composites of <i>x</i>CoFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/(1-<i>x</i>)(0.5Ba(Zr<sub>0.2</sub>Ti<sub>0.8</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>–0.5(Ba<sub>0.7</sub>Ca<sub>0.3</sub>)TiO<sub>3</sub>) with <i>x</i> = 0–1.0 (denoted as CFO/BZT-BCT) and an average particle size of 100 nm were prepared by high-energy ball milling combined with the thermal annealing methods. The X-ray diffraction shows a co-existence of the ferromagnetic phase of CFO and the ferroelectric phase of BZT-BCT. Our observations indicate that saturation, remanence, and coercivity progressively increase with increasing CFO content, specifically from <i>x</i> = 0 to <i>x</i> = 0.8. At <i>x</i> = 0.2, the maximum electric polarization, remanent electric polarization, coercivity and electric power loss density reach their maximum values of ~ 0.25 <i>µ</i>C/cm², 0.08 <i>µ</i>C/cm², 3.6 kV/cm and 0.156 mJ/cm³, respectively, for an applied electric field less than 12.5 kV/cm. These multiferroic composites demonstrate excellent electromagnetic wave absorption capabilities from 2 to 18 GHz. With a sample thickness of 2 mm, a minimum reflection loss of -41.17 dB was observed at 12.07 GHz. The effective absorption bandwidth for this sample is greater than 12.1 GHz, indicating optimal impedance and attenuation matching and effective absorption of electromagnetic waves throughout the X and K<sub>u</sub> frequency bands. These outcomes reveal the capability for wideband absorption uses in radar invisibility technology and electromagnetic insulation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1283 - 1300"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148366032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aluminium metal matrix composite casting defect detection using deep convolution neural networks","authors":"Natrayan Lakshmaiya","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01322-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01322-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Quality control is crucial for ensuring a flawless finished product after the traditional manufacturing process. Industry 4.0 has employed computer vision-based techniques to identify defects in machined products, enabling accurate detection and reducing time consumption and human interference. The present research focuses on engineering a cutting-edge inspection system that identifies various defects in casting products by implementing a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN). The system specifically targets the detection of four prevalent casting defects: blowholes, pinholes, shrinkage, and hot tears. The study introduces an innovative methodology that enhances model performance by segmenting the original image into smaller sub-parts and deploying multiple labeling techniques. This approach has been designed to capture intricate defect patterns often overlooked in conventional systems. The resultant model achieves a remarkable classification accuracy of 97.6%, as verified by a test dataset. This research is a milestone in integrating artificial intelligence into manufacturing quality control. It not only substantiates the efficacy of adopting computer vision-based techniques but also presents a scalable solution that can be generalized across various sectors in the manufacturing industry. With a nearly perfect classification accuracy, the proposed system stands as a testament to the potential of DCNN in automating and revolutionizing quality control procedures.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1319 - 1330"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148365881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Kaolin ceramic supports for carbon molecular sieve membrane development: a new approach","authors":"Thaís Martins Neves, Nilson Romeu Marcilio, Isabel Cristina Tessaro","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01316-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01316-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, supports for carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSM) development were prepared from kaolin, a low-cost and natural ore. The dry-pressing technique was employed, and the flat materials were sintered at different temperatures. A polyetherimide solution was applied to the surface of the supports by spin-coating technique, forming two or three layers, which were then pyrolyzed at 700 °C to form supported CMSM. The support sintered at 1400 °C exhibited lower total pore volume and pore diameter compared to supports sintered at lower temperatures. The CMSM prepared by pyrolysis of three polymer layers deposited on the kaolin support sintered at 1400 °C demonstrated promising performance for gas separation. The support preparation was optimized by sieving the kaolin through a finer mesh and pressing it under higher load, while the precursor polymeric layer was prepared using the immersion precipitation method, followed by pyrolysis. The resulting CMSM exhibited CO<sub>2</sub>/N<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub>/CH<sub>4</sub> selectivities comparable to membranes prepared on commercial supports. According to results, ceramic supports prepared from kaolin and sintered at 1400 °C, when combined with the immersion precipitation method, lead to a cost-effective approach for the development of CMSMs for gas separation applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1247 - 1257"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148365947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparison of compressive strength, surface microhardness, and surface microstructure of different types of bioceramics following varying surface treatments","authors":"Zeynep Hale Keleş, Vasfiye Işık, Soner Sismanoglu","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01317-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01317-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to evaluate the compressive strength, surface microhardness, and surface microstructure of different calcium silicate-based bioceramics following acid etching and subsequent adhesive application. Four bioceramic materials—Biodentine, NeoMTA Plus, NeoPUTTY, and TheraCal LC—were tested. A total of 36 specimens per material were prepared for both compressive strength and surface microhardness testing. Specimens were randomly assigned to three groups (<i>n</i> = 12) based on surface treatment: no treatment (control), acid etching with phosphoric acid, and acid etching followed by adhesive application. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and the Tukey HSD test. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were performed to evaluate the surface microstructure and Ca/Si ratio of each material following acid etching. Both compressive strength and surface microhardness were significantly influenced by surface treatment and bioceramic type (<i>p</i> < 0.01). TheraCal LC exhibited the highest compressive strength across all surface treatment conditions, while Biodentine showed the highest surface microhardness values (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Acid etching significantly reduced the compressive strength of TheraCal LC, Biodentine, and NeoMTA Plus, whereas adhesive application improved the compressive strength of Biodentine. Surface microhardness decreased after acid etching and increased following adhesive application for all materials tested (<i>p</i> < 0.05). SEM-EDX analysis revealed a decrease in the Ca/Si ratio on the surface of all bioceramics after acid etching. TheraCal LC demonstrated the highest compressive strength under all conditions, followed by Biodentine. Biodentine consistently showed superior surface microhardness, regardless of the surface treatment applied.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 2","pages":"949 - 959"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction: Optimization of calcined concrete waste powder as supplementary cementitious material: a comprehensive study on performance and sustainability","authors":"Nurullah Öksüzer, Muhammed Talha Ünal","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01308-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01308-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 2","pages":"961 - 961"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaichen Qian, Jintai Fan, Zongyun Shen, Kai Li, Weiwen Zhou, Minghui Feng, Benxue Jiang, Long Zhang
{"title":"Gd2O3-MgO nanocomposites for mid-wave infrared applications: the influence of Gd2O3 phase on microstructure, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties","authors":"Kaichen Qian, Jintai Fan, Zongyun Shen, Kai Li, Weiwen Zhou, Minghui Feng, Benxue Jiang, Long Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01292-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01292-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The influence of Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> phase on microstructure, optical, mechanical and thermal properties in Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MgO nanocomposite ceramics was investigated. A self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method was adopted to synthesize Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MgO nanopowders. The pressureless sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technique were applied to obtain IR-transparent composite ceramics. The Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> can be stabilized as the cubic structure with 10 at% Y-doping in Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MgO nanocomposite ceramics (named GYM). Optical and mechanical properties of the GYM were compared with the Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MgO without Y-doping samples (named GM) in which Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was monoclinic. The flexural strength, emittance of Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MgO nanocomposite ceramics at high temperature were measured for the first time as far as we know. The comparison demonstrated that the GM exhibiting a more promising potential application performance for MWIR windows, with an in-line transmittance of 79.2–83.3% at 3–5 μm, Vickers hardness of 9.6 GPa, flexural strength of 508 MPa, emissivity of 0.02 at 4 μm (800 ℃) and the Hasselman mild-thermal-shock figure of merit <i>R’</i>=2.0.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"963 - 972"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147899188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ömer Şahin, Abdurrahman Akdağ, Kaan Büyükkanber, Arzu Ekinci
{"title":"Ultrasonic spray synthesis of strontium-doped palladium nanocatalysts for enhanced ORR activity in PEM fuel cells","authors":"Ömer Şahin, Abdurrahman Akdağ, Kaan Büyükkanber, Arzu Ekinci","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01310-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01310-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, the electrochemical performance of palladium (Pd)-based catalysts synthesized via the Ultrasonic Spray (US) method, with and without strontium (Sr) doping, was investigated for application in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). Structural analyses demonstrated that undoped US-Pd/C contained crystalline and uniformly dispersed Pd nanoparticles, while 1 wt.% Sr doping reduced crystallite size and introduced structural distortions that enhanced defect sites and electronic interactions. In contrast, 3 wt.% Sr led to particle agglomeration, porosity loss, and decreased accessibility of active sites, as confirmed by SEM, TEM, and EDX analyses. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the US-PdSr/C catalyst with 1 wt.% Sr exhibited a lower Tafel slope (0.24 V/dec), higher mass activity (1838 mA/mg), reduced ohmic resistance (~ 0.0029 Ωcm<sup>2</sup>), and superior power density (59.4 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>) compared to conventionally synthesized Pd/C. Polarization curves demonstrated notable improvements in both activation and ohmic regions, while a lower overpotential (0.51 V) indicated enhanced energy conversion efficiency. These findings confirm that the Sr-doped Pd catalyst synthesized via the US method delivers significantly improved electrochemical activity and efficiency over conventional Pd/C catalysts, positioning it as a promising candidate for high-performance and sustainable PEMFC applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1167 - 1182"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148365944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tianpeng Wen, Ze Yu, Lei Yuan, Zhengguo Yan, Zhaoyang Liu, Jingkun Yu
{"title":"Improvement of sintering densification, wetting behavior and corrosion resistance of calcium hexaaluminate doped with La2Ce2O7 for prospective clean steel smelting","authors":"Tianpeng Wen, Ze Yu, Lei Yuan, Zhengguo Yan, Zhaoyang Liu, Jingkun Yu","doi":"10.1007/s41779-025-01309-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s41779-025-01309-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In view of application limitation of calcium hexaaluminate in metallurgical smelting caused by poor sintering densification, achieving the modification of the calcium hexaaluminate is highly expected. Therefore, this work explored the effect of La<sub>2</sub>Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> on the sintering densification, wetting behavior and corrosion resistance of the CA<sub>6</sub> materials, aiming to achieve the optimization design of the CA<sub>6</sub> materials. The research showed the La<sub>2</sub>Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> was incorporated into the CA<sub>6</sub> grains, where the introduced Ce<sup>4+</sup> would substitute Al<sup>3+</sup> in the spinel block and the La<sup>3+</sup> would substitute Ca<sup>2+</sup> in the mirror layers accompanied by the formation of cation vacancy defects. Such behavior greatly supported the CA<sub>6</sub> grains to grew along the direction perpendicular to the basal plane and was responsible for a more equiaxed morphology and highly dense microstructure with improved mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance. Moreover, reduction of apparent porosity and improvement of wettability inhibit the penetration and adhesion of molten steel on the material surface, thus achieving the improvement in corrosion resistance of molten steel. Consequently, the introduction of La<sub>2</sub>Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> is expected to design the CA<sub>6</sub> materials with improved sintering densification, wetting behavior and corrosion resistance, promoting its better application for prospective metallurgical smelting.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":673,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society","volume":"62 3","pages":"1157 - 1166"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148365885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}