We developed several low-cost catalysts with high catalytic activity, which were used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). They showed higher efficiencies than that of Pt. The efficiencies were improved by 18-42% for the DSCs composed of active carbon, niobium dioxide, ordered mesoporous carbon and commercial titanium carbide.

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to measure the concentrations of cobalt, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and chromium in solutions of tungsten carbide. The main advantage of the method described here lies in the speed, convenience and effectiveness of the dissolution procedure. Aliquots of powdered tungsten carbide were dissolved in a solution of 5% aqua...

Porous titanium carbide (TiC) and TiC/Ti composites were synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). Titanium and carbon powders were blended by various Ti/C blending ratios. The heat of reaction between titanium and carbon was high enough to induce the self-sustaining reaction of TiC formation on condition that some processing parameters (Ti/C ratio and porosity of the pr...

This study is an investigation of the machinability of experimental Ti-Cu alloys (2, 5, and 10mass% Cu) as new dental titanium alloy candidates for CAD/CAM use. The alloys were slotted with a vertical milling machine and carbide square end mills under two cutting conditions. Their machinability was evaluated through cutting force using a three-component force transducer fixed on the table of th...

The fatigue behavior of the unnotched and notched silicon carbide fiber-reinforced titanium/titanium aluminide hybrid laminated composite was investigated at room temperature. The evolution of microstructural damage and its effect on stiffness and strength degradation was quantified as a function of loading cycles and applied stress levels. Fatigue crack propagation behavior and damage mechanis...

The chemical pathway responsible for the conversion of the organotitanium compound tetraneopentyltitanium to titanium carbide has been studied under chemical vapor conditions and on single crystals in ultra-high vacuum. For every equivalent of TiNp4 consumed in the deposition process, 3.28 equiv of neopentane and 0.16 equiv of isobutane are produced; other organic species are also formed but in...