Fast Water Transport in UTSA-280 via a Knock-Off Mechanism.

Water and other small molecules frequently coordinate within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These coordinated molecules may actively engage in mass transfer, moving together with the transport molecules, but this phenomenon has yet to be examined. In this study, we explore a unique water transfer mechanism in UTSA-280, where an incoming water molecule can displace a coordinated molecule for mass transfer. We refer to this process as the "knock-off" mechanism. Despite UTSA-280 possessing one-dimensional channels, the knock-off transport enables water movement along the other two axes, effectively simulating a pseudo-three-dimensional mass transfer. Even with a relatively narrow pore width, the knock-off mechanism enables a high water flux in the UTSA-280 membrane. The knock-off mechanism also renders UTSA-280 superior water/ethanol diffusion selectivity for pervaporation. To validate this unique mechanism, we conducted 1 H and 2 H solid-state NMR on UTSA-280 after the adsorption of deuterated water. We also derived potential energy diagrams from the density functional theory to gain atomic-level insight into the knock-off and the direct-hopping mechanisms. The simulation findings reveal that the energy barrier of the knock-off mechanism is marginally lower than the direct-hopping pathway, implying its potential role in enhancing water diffusion in UTSA-280.

Microstructure and Dry/Wet Tribological Behaviors of 1% Cu-Alloyed Austempered Ductile Iron.

In this study, different austempering conditions were applied to 1 wt.% Cu-alloyed ductile iron to produce various austempered ductile irons (ADIs). The study aimed to explore the variations in microstructure, hardness, and dry/wet wear behaviors of the ADIs. The experimental results indicated that the microstructure of the 300 °C-ADI has denser needle-like ausferrite, lower retained austenite content, and higher carbon content in austenite compared with the 360 °C-ADI. As the austempering time increased, the retained austenite content decreased, while the carbon content of austenite increased. Regardless of dry or wet abrasive behavior, the wear resistance of the ADIs was significantly superior to that of the as-cast material. The ADI obtained at 300 °C for 10 h demonstrated the best wear resistance performance.

Effect of (Ti, Al)N Nanostructured Arc-Coatings on Wear and Corrosion Properties of 4340 Alloy Steel.

This study utilized cathodic arc deposition technology to coat Ti-Al-N hard films on AISI 4340 alloy steel. Composition, morphology, and structure of the coatings were analyzed using EPMA, FESEM, XRD, and TEM. Both wear tests and polarization tests were conducted to determine the abrasion and corrosion properties of the steel before and after coating. The results showed that a specific (Ti, Al)N nanostructured multilayer was synthesized smoothly. The multilayer consisted of 10 nm-TiN and 15 nm-TiAlN interaction layers. The coating not only greatly reduced the friction coefficient of AISI 4340 alloy steel from 0.81 to 0.45, but also provided an effective improvement in corrosion resistance.