This study addresses the advantages of using a lanthanum fluoride (LaF₃) nanocrystals-based fluoride ion sensor. We propose a method that enables the preparation of fluoride ion-selective LaF₃ nanocrystals at low temperatures (less than 80 °C) in contrast to the conventional method, wherein high temperatures (1000 °C and above) are required for preparing a single-crystal LaF₃. An LaF₃ nanocrystal with a diameter below 5 nm in the (001) plane was synthesized and subsequently deposited on a Ti electrode. The sensor exhibited a selective response to fluoride ions. This process does not require high-temperature and vacuum equipment and conditions, thus enabling easy production of fluoride ion sensors.

In the wet forming of ceramics, it is critical to control the cracking and deformation of the ceramic slurry during the drying process. This necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the changes in the internal structure of the slurry during the drying process using a high-resolution technique that enables direct and high speed observation. In this study, a combined system of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and thermogravimetry (TG) was developed for the operando observation of the evolution of the internal structure of a drying SiO₂ slurry. In the early stages of drying, the OCT signal intensity changed significantly owing to the Brownian motion of the SiO₂ particles in the slurry. The slurry was found to shrink as it dried and then lose its fluidity, and the ceramic particles were found to agglomerate from the surface. In the final stages of drying, localized dry regions developed in the vicinity of the slurry surface and expanded with drying. Crack formation was also observed in a part of the localized dry regions. Therefore, crack formation was attributed to inhomogeneous drying-induced shrinkage and stress generated in the drying object during the progression of localized drying. The novel operando observation technique using combined OCT-TG is successfully demonstrated to be an effective approach for understanding the internal structural changes in opaque slurries during their drying.

Microstructural control of MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ (MAS) glass-ceramic (GC) with precipitated enstatite (MgSiO₃) in the 0.68–12 µm range from a parent glass having one composition was achieved by using titanium oxides with varying particle sizes and crystallinities as nucleation agents. Specifically, compared with the MAS-GC prepared using TiO₂ with 50–200 nm and relative high crystallinity (TiO₂-L-H), the MAS-GC prepared by mixing TiO₂-L-H with TiO₂ having single nanometer size and relative low crystallinity displayed an increase in the average crystal particle size from 6.0 to 12 µm with the preservation of volume fraction. In addition, compared with the MAS-GC prepared using TiO₂-L-H, the MAS-GC prepared by TiO₂ having single nanometer size and relative high crystallinity exhibited a decrease in the average size of crystal particle from 6.0 to 0. 68 µm with a decrease in the volume fraction from 76 to 67 %. Therefore, these results indicated that the particle size and crystallinity of the raw glass materials are key parameters for controlling the microstructure of GCs.

Foamed ceramic is a novel lightweight wall material combining high strength, low density, and excellent thermal insulation. This study used coal bottom ash (CBA) to fabricate microporous foamed ceramics by the high-temperature foaming method. The CBA content and heating rate effects on the bulk density, compressive strength, pore structure, and phase components of foamed ceramics were systematically investigated. The results demonstrate that using CBA in foamed ceramics can effectively improve the green body foaming capacity. With the increased CBA content, the bulk density of foamed ceramics dropped, while the average pore size and shape factor increased, jointly reducing the compressive strength. Meanwhile, the quartz phase content decreased, and the mullite phase appeared gradually. The transition of the main crystalline phase from MgAl₂O₄ to Mg_0.7Fe_0.23Al_1.97O₄ with the increased CBA content gave rise to a change in the color of the foamed ceramic. The elevation in the heating rate can improve the foaming ability of the green body, contributing to increased porosity. However, the rapid heating rate of 10 °C/min results in an uneven pore size distribution in the foamed ceramics containing more than 70 wt % CBA. It increases the temperature difference in the sample, promoting a stratified distribution of pore size in samples with a CBA content of less than 30 wt %.