Hybrid metal-ceramic or metal-polymer nanocomposite layers containing dispersed second-phase particulates usually have various special properties such as dispersion hardening, self-lubricity, high temperature inertness, good wear and corrosion resistance, or tribocorosion resistance and chemical compatibility. This accounts for the increased application of metal-based hybrid nanocomposite in industry applications and opens also a way to biocompatible films. In order to meet the requirement for developing novel metal-based hybrid nanocomposite, many preparation techniques have been investigated. As a technique conducted at a normal pressure and ambient temperature and of low cost and high deposition rate, electrodeposition is considered to be one of the most important techniques for producing hybrid and nanocomposite coatings with micro or nano structured surfaces. Electrodeposition is exceptionally versatile, so that new and exciting applications are still being invented. The paper presents some challenges and some results regarding the electrodeposition of nano bio ceramic dispersed phases as CeO2,TiO2,TiC, or polymeric dispersed phases as UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) during cobalt or nickel electroplating processes in view of obtaining bio composite layers or resistant industrial hybrid coating applications.
The micro and nano particles incorporation into the metal matrix by electrodeposition usually causes a noticeable grain refinement and thus an increase in the corrosion and tribocorrosion resistance of hybrid or nanocomposite layers obtained in aqueous or in vitro simulating body fluids (SBF) specific environments.

Different types of carbon nanomaterials, especially carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphenes, have been studied carefully during last years bacause of their importance for the majority of actual apllications. Due to a unique set of physicochemical and mechanical characteristics, they are promising objects for the production of diverse composite materials for energy storage and harvesting, polymer industry, adsorption, catalysis.
Synthesis of multi-walled CNTs is technologically most simple, and, depending on the synthesis conditions, products can represent a system of either concentrated embedded cylinder (cy-CNTs) or cones (co-CNTs) from graphene sheets. The surface of cy-CNTs consists of sp2-hybridazed carbon atoms which make it fairly inert, whereas the near-surface layer of co-CNTs contain both sp2- and sp3-hybridized atoms, making them more active in chemical interactions. Graphenes depends on the size, can have a comparable amount of both types of carbon atoms.
Development of new composite materials is impossible without preliminary functionalization of CNTs by carboxyl or hydroxyl groups, which, also, open ways to their subsequent modification with more advanced fragments.
In generally, there is no analytical technique, providing all the information about CNMs. Only a few of them are suitable for mass qualitative analysis of chemically modified CNTs – thermal analysis with IR and mass spectral control of outgoing gases, elemental CHNSO analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Among these techniques CHNSO and thermal analysis allow to determine the general contents of oxygen in the material, while XPS can be used only to distinguish surface groups. There are also some indirect, but effective, techniques for making similar estimations, such as bomb calorimetry. Present lecture is focused on correlations of the experimental results obtained by different analytical methods of structures carbon nanomaterials analysis and search for the unified set of techniques for their characterization during mass production.

Although solid-state electrolytes are old stories, they have recently received intensive attention due to their stability within a wide potential voltage window. In addition to that, solid-state electrolytes are chemically stable in compared with their counterpart, the organic electrolytes. Owing to superior safety and long lives, all-solid-state batteries are regarded as the most advanced materials of the devices for next-generation power storage. One of the crucial components in the all-solid-state battery is solid-state electrolyte materials that require high lithium ion conductivity and good chemical stability against lithium metal and cathode materials have been received great attention in order to fulfil application demand.[1]
One of the potential solid-state electrolytes is the NASICON-structured system including LiTi2(PO4)3, LiZr2(PO4)3 and LiGe2(PO4)3 system. We have studied lithium analogues based on sodium superionic conductor structure, one of the most potential material as a solid electrolyte. Dopants with lower valence such as Al, Ga, In, Ti, Sc, Y, La, Cr are also adopted to substitute A4+ site and therefore enhance the material’s ionic conductivity.[2, 3] However, the application of NASICON material is still restricted by relatively low total ionic conductivity.
To explore a possible solution, we have investigated the synthesis process of lithium aluminum phosphate (LAGP) in this study. Different synthesis methods are used to decrease the porosity of the material as well as increase the uniformity of composition. Detailed parameters were studied to understand their influence on phase transformation progress and to obtain the optimal processing procedure. Systematic characterizations on crystal structure and morphology are conducted for further analysis.
Acknowledgement
This research is supported by National University of Singapore, and the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its Competitive Research Programme (CRP Award No. NRF-CRP10-2012-06) and by National Science Foundation of China (NSFC 51572182).

« Back To Technical Program