The technology of high-density electropulsing has been applied to increase the performance of metallic materials since the 1990s and has shown significant advantages over traditional heat treatment in many aspects. However, the microstructure changes in electropulsing treatment (EPT) metals and alloys have not been fully explored, and the effects vary significantly on different material. When high-density electrical pulses are applied to metals and alloys, the input of electric energy and thermal energy generally leads to structural rearrangements, such as dynamic recrystallization, dislocation movements and grain refinement. The enhanced mechanical properties of the metals and alloys after high-density electropulsing treatment are reflected by the significant improvement of elongation. As a result, this technology holds great promise in improving the deformation limit and repairing cracks and defects in the plastic processing of metals. This review summarizes the effect of high-density electropulsing treatment on microstructural properties and, thus, the enhancement in mechanical strength, hardness and corrosion performance of metallic materials. It is noteworthy that the change of some properties can be related to the structure state before EPT (quenched, annealed, deformed or others). The mechanisms for the microstructural evolution, grain refinement and formation of oriented microstructures of different metals and alloys are presented. Future research trends of high-density electrical pulse technology for specific metals and alloys are highlighted.
Hydrophobically associated (HA) hydrogels have attracted great concerns with their admirable properties, such as self-healing and shape memory. However, a few works have been devoted to apply HA hydrogels in practice, especially in wastewater treatment. This may be because of the non-ionic monomer composition and the poor mechanical properties after swelling. In this work, in order to improve the mechanical properties and absorption behavior of HA polyacrylamide (HPAM) hydrogel, hydrophobically associated polyacrylamide/cellulose nanofiber (HPAMF) composite hydrogels were prepared. It was found that by incorporating CNF (2 wt%), the tensile strength (≈0.276 MPa) was largely increased by 632% compared to HPAM hydrogels. The maximum Cu ion adsorption capacity of the HPAMF hydrogel (containing 2 wt% CNF) was 2.33 mmol g −1 , about 86% over the HPAM hydrogel. The HPAMF hydrogels with self-healing, excellent mechanical and adsorption properties can be promisingly served as reliable absorbents, consequently satisfying the needs of practical application of heavy metal treatment.
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