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This paper presents the development of novel rechargeable cement-based batteries with carbon fiber mesh for energy storage applications. With the increasing demand for sustainable energy storage solutions, there is a growing interest in exploring unconventional materials and technologies. The batteries featured the carbon fiber mesh, which coated with nickel oxide and iron materials as electrodes and immersed in a cement-based electrolyte, offering a unique approach to energy storage. Experimental investigations, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge cycling, and rate performance assessments, were conducted to evaluate the batteries' performance. Results indicated that the batteries have promising features such as high ionic conductivity of the cement-based electrolyte and stable charge-discharge behaviors over 100 cycles. Cyclic voltammetry curves demonstrated quasi-reversible redox peaks, indicative of battery-type electrochemistry. The rechargeable cement-based batteries exhibited stability in discharge capacity, efficiency, and energy density, surpassing existing literatures on cement batteries, with a maximum energy density of 7.6 Wh/ m2. Despite challenges related to efficiency and energy density, this paper envisions the practical applications for the batteries, from powering light sensors to supporting 5G base stations and meeting daily electricity needs. Integration of rechargeable cement-based batteries and clean energy sources holds significant promise for global energy storage solutions. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into developing rechargeable cement-based batteries, highlights their potential as sustainable energy storage solutions with opportunities for further optimization and future advancements. 

A novel dislocation-density-based crystal plasticity model for nanocrystalline face-centered cubic metals is developed based on the thermally-activated mechanism of dislocations depinning from grain boundaries. Dislocations nucleated from grain boundary dislocation sources are assumed to be the primary carriers of plasticity in the nanocrystals. The evolution of the dislocation density thereby involves a competition between the nucleation of dislocations from grain boundary defect structures, such as ledges, and the absorption of dislocations into the grain boundary via diffusion processes. This model facilitates the simulation of plastic deformation in nanocrystalline metals, with consideration of the initial microstructure resulting from a particular processing method, to be computed as a direct result of dislocation-mediated plasticity only. The exclusion of grain boundary-mediated plasticity mechanisms in the formulation of the crystal plasticity model allows for the exploration of the fundamental role dislocations play in nanocrystalline plasticity. The combined effect of average grain size, grain size distribution shape, and initial dislocation density on the mechanical performance and strain-rate sensitivity are explored with the model. Further, the influence of the grain boundary diffusivity on post-yielding strain-hardening behavior is investigated to discern the impact that the choice of processing route has on the resulting deformation response of the material.