Phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLED) have attracted a lot of attention in these years.Blue PhOLED is especially important because of short lifetime and low optoelectronic performance as comparing to red and green PhOLEDs.Researches have shown that performance of OLED devices is highly rely on the deposition rate of organic materials ,which attest the morphology of organic layers. To study how the deposition rate of host material on the performance of blue PhOLED,mCP is chosen a host material for a blue dopant - FIrpic and deposition rate of mCP on the performance of blue PhOLED performance is studied. It was found that UV-Vis spectrum of mCP varied with different deposition rate.Additionally,an PL emission peak (400nm~500nm) appeared on the thermal evaporated mCP,which was possibly originated from the aggregation of mCP.Surface roughness of the evaporated mCP film became smaller as the deposition rate increased.A high performance (8.52 lm/W@1.2mA/cm2) is fabricated at a deposition rate at 3 A/s.

Electrospinning is a method of producing nano structured material from a polymer solution or melt using high strength electric fields. It is a process that has yet to find extensive industrial application yet shows promise if obstacles such as low rate of production overcome perhaps by more complete theoretical modelling. This work examines the effects of adding an ionic salt to a solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) in water. The direct effect was an increase the charge density and electric current. It was found that an increase in charge density decreases the mass deposition rate and forms a thinner initial jet. When the sign of the charge on the polymer solution was changed from positive to negative the charge density increased and the initial jet diameter and mass deposition rate also decreased. It was proposed that a smaller radius of curvature is formed by the Taylor cone at higher charge densities resulting in a smaller “virtual orifice”. The extent of the bending instability was explored and it was found that adding ionic salt results in a decrease in the bending instability resulting in thicker fibres. Changing the sign of the charge on the polymer solution from positive to negative resulted in an increase in the bending instability and resulted in thinner fibres. The charge transfer mechanisms used in different electrospinning models are explored and some assumptions not explicitly stated are discussed. From this discussion a generalized equation describing the charge transport mechanisms is proposed.

Granular materials are in abundance both in nature and in industry. They are of considerable interest to both the engineering and physics communities, due to their practical importance and many unsolved scientific challenges. This thesis is concerned with the “pressure dip” phenomenon underneath a granular pile (commonly known as the “sandpile problem”) which has attracted great attention in the past few decades. Underneath a sandpile that is formed by funnel feeding, a significant minimum (dip) in the vertical base pressure is often found below the apex where a maximum pressure is intuitively expected. Despite a large amount of work undertaken, a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon remains elusive. This thesis presents an extensive study investigating the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon and also its implications on pressures in silos. The study started with a laboratory test programme of conical mini iron pellet piles. The results confirmed that the pressure dip is a robust phenomenon. It was shown that, under certain deposition radius with uniform deposition across the deposition area, a dip emerges firstly in a ring shape when the radius of the formed pile is small and comparable to the deposition radius. With the increase of the pile radius upon further deposition, the dip ring gradually evolves to a central dip as the pressure at outer radius eventually overtakes that in the centre. The magnitude of the dip was found to be significantly affected by the deposition rate but almost unaffected by the deposition height.

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) of ZrO2-7wt% Y2O3 were deposited by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) onto stationary flat plates and cylindrical surfaces in a multiple ingot coater. Crystallographic texture, microstructure, and deposition rate were investigated in this thesis. The crystallographic texture of EB-PVD TBCs deposited on stationary flat surfaces has been experimentally determined by comparing pole figure analysis data with actual column growth angle data. It was found that the TBC coating deposited directly above an ingot exhibits <220> single crystal type crystallographic texture. Coatings deposited between and off the centerline of the ingots the exhibited a <311>-type single crystal texture. For coatings deposited in the far corners of the coating chamber either a <111> fiber texture or a <311> single crystal type texture existed. The crystallographic texture of EB-PVD TBCs deposited on cylindrical surfaces was characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) at different angular positions on the cylinder substrate. XRD results revealed that crystallographic texture changes with angular position. Changes in crystallographic texture are attributed to the growth direction of the columns and substrate temperature. Growth direction is controlled by the direction of the incoming vapor flux (i.e. vapor incidence angle), in which competition occurs between crystallites growing at different rates. The fastest growing orientation takes over and dominates the texture. Substrate temperature variations throughout the coating chamber resulted in different growth rates and morphology. Morphology differences existed between cylindrical and flat plate surfaces. Flat cross sectional surfaces of the coatings exhibited a dense columnar structure in which the columns grew towards the closest vapor source. Surface features were found to be larger for coatings deposited directly above an ingot than coatings deposited away from the ingots. Morphological differences result from substrate temperature changes within the coating chamber, which influences growth kinetics of the coating. Cylindrical surfaces revealed a columnar structure in which columns grew towards the closest vapor. Porosity of the coating was found to increase when the angular position changed from the bottom of the cylinder. Change in angular position also caused the column diameter to decreases. Morphology changes are attributed to self-shadow effects caused by the surface curvature of the cylinder and vapor incidence angle changes. Overall, the microstructure and crystallographic texture of EB-PVD coatings was found to depend on the position in the coating chamber which was found to influence substrate temperature, growth directions, and shadowing effects. The coating thickness profiles for EB-PVD TBCs deposited on stationary cylinders have been experimentally measured and theoretically modeled using Knudsen's cosine law of emissions. A comparison of the experimental results with the model reveals that the model must to be modified to account for the sticking coefficient as well as a ricochet factor. These results are also discussed in terms of the effects of substrate temperature on the sticking coefficient, the ricochet factor, and coating density.

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), which are structurally similar to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), were synthesized in 1995 for the first time. They are made up by folding atom sheets which consist of boron and nitrogen atoms into cylindrical form. After their discovery, BNNTs have been attracting great attention due to their extraordinary mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. In this study, BNNTs were synthesized from the reaction of ammonia gas with the boron and iron powder mixture in a tubular reactor which was connected to a mass spectrometer for on-line chemical analysis of the reactor effluent stream. The synthesized materials were purified with acid treatment. Chemical analysis results showed that nitrogen and hydrogen gases were present in addition to ammonia gas. XRD results revealed that the solid phases in the synthesized material were hexagonal boron nitride, rhombohedral boron nitride, iron, and boron-iron compounds (FeB49 and Fe3B). Reactions taking place in BNNT synthesis were proposed as the decomposition of ammonia gas which was the only gas phase reaction, the formation of boron-iron compounds from the reaction of boron with iron, and boron nitride formation from the reaction of nitrogen with boron-iron compounds. Agglomerated, hollow, multi-walled nanotubes were synthesized with an outer diameter range of 10-550 nm. Both open and close-ended nanotubes were observed. The interlayer distance between BN sheets was measured about 0.33 nm and this distance indicated the d002 plane of hexagonal boron nitride. BNNTs exhibited Type II isotherms with a Type B hysteresis. A decrease in the surface area of the synthesized BNNTs was observed with an increase in temperature. The highest surface area was 147.6 m2/g. Average pore diameter of BNNTs synthesized at different temperatures was around 38 &Aring / . Deposition rate of boron nitride increased with an increase in temperature. After a certain temperature, deposition rate decreased with temperature due to the sintering effect. The highest deposition rate was observed when BNNTs were synthesized with the B/Fe weight ratio of 15/1 at 1300 &deg / C.

High-power diode lasers (HPDL) are being increasingly used in industrial applications. Deposition of nickel from nickel carbonyl (Ni(CO)4) precursor by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was studied with emphasis on achieving high deposition rates. An HPDL system was used to provide a novel energy source facilitating a simple and compact design of the energy delivery system. Nickel deposits on complex, 3-dimensional polyurethane foam substrates were prepared and characterized. The resulting “nickel foam” represents a novel material of high porosity (>95% by volume) finding uses, among others, in the production of rechargeable battery and fuel cell electrodes and as a specialty high-temperature filtration medium. Deposition rates up to ~19 µm/min were achieved by optimizing the gas precursor flow pattern and energy delivery to the substrate surface using a 480W diode laser. Factors affecting the transition from purely heterogeneous decomposition to a combined hetero- and homogeneous decomposition of nickel carbonyl were studied. High quality, uniform 3-D deposits produced at a rate more than ten times higher than in commercial processes were obtained by careful balance of mass transport (gas flow) and energy delivery (laser power). Cross-flow of the gases through the porous substrate was found to be essential in facilitating mass transport and for obtaining uniform deposits at high rates. When controlling the process in a transient regime (near the onset of homogenous decomposition), unique morphology features formed as part of the deposits, including textured surface with pyramid-shape crystallites, spherical and non-spherical particles and filaments. Operating the laser in a pulsed mode produced smooth, nano-crystalline deposits with sub-100 nm grains. The effect of H2S, a commonly used additive in nickel carbonyl CVD, was studied using both polyurethane and nickel foam substrates. H2S was shown to improve the substrate coverage and deposit uniformity in tests with polyurethane substrate, however, it was found to have no effect in improving the overall deposition rate compared to H2S-free deposition process. Deposition on other selected substrates, such as ultra-fine polymer foam, carbon nanofoam and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, was demonstrated. The HPDL system shows good promise for large-scale industrial application as the cost of HPDL energy continues to decrease.

High-power diode lasers (HPDL) are being increasingly used in industrial applications. Deposition of nickel from nickel carbonyl (Ni(CO)4) precursor by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was studied with emphasis on achieving high deposition rates. An HPDL system was used to provide a novel energy source facilitating a simple and compact design of the energy delivery system. Nickel deposits on complex, 3-dimensional polyurethane foam substrates were prepared and characterized. The resulting “nickel foam” represents a novel material of high porosity (>95% by volume) finding uses, among others, in the production of rechargeable battery and fuel cell electrodes and as a specialty high-temperature filtration medium. Deposition rates up to ~19 µm/min were achieved by optimizing the gas precursor flow pattern and energy delivery to the substrate surface using a 480W diode laser. Factors affecting the transition from purely heterogeneous decomposition to a combined hetero- and homogeneous decomposition of nickel carbonyl were studied. High quality, uniform 3-D deposits produced at a rate more than ten times higher than in commercial processes were obtained by careful balance of mass transport (gas flow) and energy delivery (laser power). Cross-flow of the gases through the porous substrate was found to be essential in facilitating mass transport and for obtaining uniform deposits at high rates. When controlling the process in a transient regime (near the onset of homogenous decomposition), unique morphology features formed as part of the deposits, including textured surface with pyramid-shape crystallites, spherical and non-spherical particles and filaments. Operating the laser in a pulsed mode produced smooth, nano-crystalline deposits with sub-100 nm grains. The effect of H2S, a commonly used additive in nickel carbonyl CVD, was studied using both polyurethane and nickel foam substrates. H2S was shown to improve the substrate coverage and deposit uniformity in tests with polyurethane substrate, however, it was found to have no effect in improving the overall deposition rate compared to H2S-free deposition process. Deposition on other selected substrates, such as ultra-fine polymer foam, carbon nanofoam and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, was demonstrated. The HPDL system shows good promise for large-scale industrial application as the cost of HPDL energy continues to decrease.

Electrospinning is a method of producing nano structured material from a polymer solution or melt using high strength electric fields. It is a process that has yet to find extensive industrial application yet shows promise if obstacles such as low rate of production overcome perhaps by more complete theoretical modelling. This work examines the effects of adding an ionic salt to a solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) in water. The direct effect was an increase the charge density and electric current. It was found that an increase in charge density decreases the mass deposition rate and forms a thinner initial jet. When the sign of the charge on the polymer solution was changed from positive to negative the charge density increased and the initial jet diameter and mass deposition rate also decreased. It was proposed that a smaller radius of curvature is formed by the Taylor cone at higher charge densities resulting in a smaller “virtual orifice”. The extent of the bending instability was explored and it was found that adding ionic salt results in a decrease in the bending instability resulting in thicker fibres. Changing the sign of the charge on the polymer solution from positive to negative resulted in an increase in the bending instability and resulted in thinner fibres. The charge transfer mechanisms used in different electrospinning models are explored and some assumptions not explicitly stated are discussed. From this discussion a generalized equation describing the charge transport mechanisms is proposed.

No description available.

Optimizing proppant pack conductivity and proppant-transport and -deposition patterns in a hydraulic fracture is of critical importance to sustain effective and economical production of petroleum hydrocarbons. In this research, a numerical modeling approach, combining the discrete element method (DEM) with the lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulation, was developed to provide fundamental insights into the factors regulating the interactions between reservoir depletion, proppant-particle compaction and movement, single-/multiphase flows and non-Darcy flows in a hydraulic fracture, and fracture conductivity evolution from a partial-monolayer proppant concentration to a multilayer proppant concentration. The potential effects of mixed proppants of different sizes and types on the fracture conductivity were also investigated. The simulation results demonstrate that a proppant pack with a smaller diameter coefficient of variation (COV), defined as the ratio of standard deviation of diameter to mean diameter, provides better support to the fracture; the relative permeability of oil was more sensitive to changes in geometry and stress; when effective stress increased continuously, oil relative permeability increased nonmonotonically; the combination of high diameter COV and high effective stress leads to a larger pressure drop and consequently a stronger non-Darcy flow effect. The study of proppant mixtures shows that mixing of similar proppant sizes (mesh-size-20/40) has less influence on the overall fracture conductivity than mixing a very fine mesh size (mesh-size-100); selection of proppant type is more important than proppant size selection when a proppant mixture is used. Increasing larger-size proppant composition in the proppant mixture helps maintain fracture conductivity when the mixture contains lower-strength proppants. These findings have important implications to the optimization of proppant placement, completion design, and well production. In the hydraulic-mechanical rock-proppant system, a fundamental understanding of multiphase flow in the formation rock is critical in achieving sustainable long-term productivity within a reservoir. Specifically, the interactions between the critical dimensionless numbers associated with multiphase flow, including contact angle, viscosity ratio, and capillary number (Ca), were investigated using X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning and LB modeling. The primary novel finding of this study is that the viscosity ratio affects the rate of change of the relative permeability curves for both phases when the contact angle changes continuously. Simulation results also indicate that the change in non-wetting fluid relative permeability was larger when the flow direction was switched from vertical to horizontal, which indicated that there was stronger anisotropy in larger pore networks that were primarily occupied by the non-wetting fluid. This study advances the fundamental understanding of the multiphysics processes associated with multiphase flow in geologic materials and provides insight into upscaling methodologies that account for the influence of pore-scale processes in core- and larger-scale modeling frameworks. During reservoir depletion processes, reservoir formation damage is an issue that will affect the reservoir productivity and various phases in fluid recovery. Invasion of formation fine particles into the proppant pack can affect the proppant pack permeability, leading to potential conductivity loss. The combined DEM-LB numerical framework was used to evaluate the role of proppant particle size heterogeneity (variation in proppant particle diameter) and effective stress on the migration of detached fine particles in a proppant supported fracture. Simulation results demonstrate that a critical fine particle size exists: when a particle diameter is larger or smaller than this size, the deposition rate increases; the transport of smaller fines is dominated by Brownian motion, whereas the migration of larger fines is dominated by interception and gravitational settling; this study also indicates that proppant packs with a more heterogeneous particle-diameter distribution provide better fines control. The findings of this study shed lights on the relationship between changing pore geometries, fluid flow, and fine particle migration through a propped hydraulic fracture during the reservoir depletion process. / Doctor of Philosophy / Hydraulic fracturing stimulation design is required for unconventional hydrocarbon energy (e.g., shale oil and gas) extraction due to the low permeability and complex petrophysical properties of unconventional reservoirs. During hydrocarbon production, fractures close after pumping due to the reduced fluid pressure and increased effective stress in rock formations. In the oil and gas industry, proppant particles, which are granular materials, typically sand, treated sand, or man-made ceramic materials, are pumped along with fracturing fluids to prevent hydraulic fractures from closing during hydrocarbon extraction. In order to relate the geomechanical (effective stress), geometric (pore structure and connectivity), and transport (absolute permeability, relative permeability, and conductivity) properties of a proppant assembly sandwiched in a rock fracture, a geomechanics-fluid mechanics framework using both experiment and simulation methods, was developed to study the interaction and coupling between them. The outcome of this research will advance the fundamental understanding of the coupled, multiphysics processes with respect to hydraulic fracturing and benefit the optimization of proppant placement, completion design, and well production.