Rapid Pressureless Sintering of Glasses

Carbon carrier-based rapid Joule heating technology: a review on the preparation and applications of functional nanomaterials

Compared to conventional heating techniques, the carbon carrier-based rapid Joule heating (CJH) method is a new class of technologies that offer significantly higher heating rates and ultra-high temperatures. Over the past few decades, CJH technology has spawned several techniques with similar principles for different application scenarios, including ultra-fast high temperature sintering (UHS), carbon thermal shock (CTS), and flash Joule heating (FJH), which have been widely used in material preparation research studies. Functional nanomaterials are a popular direction of research today, mainly including nanometallic materials, nanosilica materials, nanoceramic materials and nanocarbon materials. These materials exhibit unique physical, chemical, and biological properties, including a high specific surface area, strength, thermal stability, and biocompatibility, making them ideal for diverse applications across various fields. The CJH method is a remarkable approach to producing functional nanomaterials that has attracted attention for its significant advantages. This paper aims to delve into the fundamental principles of CJH and elucidate the efficient preparation of functional nanomaterials with superior properties using this technique. The paper is organized into three sections, each dedicated to introducing the process and characteristics of CJH technology for the preparation of three distinct material types: carbon-based nanomaterials, inorganic non-metallic materials, and metallic materials. We discuss the distinctions and merits of the CJH method compared to alternative techniques in the preparation of these materials, along with a thorough examination of their properties. Furthermore, the potential applications of these materials are highlighted. In conclusion, this paper concludes with a discussion on the future research trends and development prospects of CJH technology.

Room-Temperature Molding of Complex-Shaped Transparent Fused Silica Lenses

The high hardness, brittleness, and thermal resistance impose significant challenges in the scalable manufacturing of fused silica lenses, which are widely used in numerous applications. Taking advantage of the nanocomposites by stirring silica nanopowders with photocurable resins, the newly emerged low-temperature pre-shaping technique provides a paradigm shift in fabricating transparent fused silica components. However, preparing the silica slurry and carefully evaporating the organics may significantly increase the process complexity and decrease the manufacturing efficiency for the nanocomposite-based technique. By directly pressing pure silica nanopowders against the complex-shaped metal molds in minutes, this work reports an entirely different room-temperature molding method capable of mass replication of complex-shaped silica lenses without organic additives. After sintering the replicated lenses, fully transparent fused silica lenses with spherical, arrayed, and freeform patterns are generated with nanometric surface roughness and well-reserved mold shapes, demonstrating a scalable and cost-effective route surpassing the current techniques for the manufacturing of high-quality fused silica lenses.

Prediction of future breakthroughs in materials synthesis and manufacturing techniques: a new perspective of synthesis dynamics theory

The continuous development of different kinds of materials plays a significant role in social productivity. However, the lack of a complete synthesis kinetic theory has resulted in the absence of scientific guidance for the emergence of advanced manufacturing technologies, limiting the research and production of new types of materials. The present work aims at obtaining the basic form of the diffusion flux-driving force equation through the concept of ion diffusion so as to establish a synthesis kinetic theory. Using this theory, the scientific principles of existing synthesis technologies are summarized, and the key directions that future manufacturing technologies need to break through are proposed as well. Based on a comprehensive analysis of this theory, the feasible directions are discussed, providing strong support for the early realization of targeted design and manufacturing of new materials with specific functions.

Insulative Biobased Glaze from Wood Laminates Obtained by Self-Adhesion

The combination of optical transparency and mechanical strength is a highly desirable attribute of wood-based glazing materials. However, such properties are typically obtained by impregnation of the highly anisotropic wood with index-matching fossil-based polymers. In addition, the presence of hydrophilic cellulose leads to a limited water resistance. Herein, this work reports on an adhesive-free lamination that uses oxidation and densification to produce transparent all-biobased glazes. The latter are produced from multilayered structures, free of adhesives or filling polymers, simultaneously displaying high optical clarity and mechanical strength, in both dry and wet conditions. Specifically, high values of optical transmittance (≈85.4%), clarity (≈20% with low haze) at a thickness of ≈0.3 mm, and highly isotropic mechanical strength and water resistance (wet strength of ≈128.25 MPa) are obtained for insulative glazes exhibiting low thermal conductivity (0.27 W m-1 K-1 , almost four times lower than glass). The proposed strategy results in materials that are systematically tested, with the leading effects of self-adhesion induced by oxidation rationalized by ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. Overall, this work demonstrates wood-derived materials as promising solutions for energy-efficient and sustainable glazing applications.

Ultrafast materials synthesis and manufacturing techniques for emerging energy and environmental applications

Energy and environmental issues have attracted increasing attention globally, where sustainability and low-carbon emissions are seriously considered and widely accepted by government officials. In response to this situation, the development of renewable energy and environmental technologies is urgently needed to complement the usage of traditional fossil fuels. While a big part of advancement in these technologies relies on materials innovations, new materials discovery is limited by sluggish conventional materials synthesis methods, greatly hindering the advancement of related technologies. To address this issue, this review introduces and comprehensively summarizes emerging ultrafast materials synthesis methods that could synthesize materials in times as short as nanoseconds, significantly improving research efficiency. We discuss the unique advantages of these methods, followed by how they benefit individual applications for renewable energy and the environment. We also highlight the scalability of ultrafast manufacturing towards their potential industrial utilization. Finally, we provide our perspectives on challenges and opportunities for the future development of ultrafast synthesis and manufacturing technologies. We anticipate that fertile opportunities exist not only for energy and the environment but also for many other applications.