Production and fluoride treatment of Mg-Ca-Zn-Co alloy foam for tissue engineering applications

Highly porous Mg-Ca-Zn-Co alloy scaffolds for tissue engineering applications were produced by powder metallurgy based space holder-water leaching method.Mg-Ca-Zn-Co alloy foam can be used as a scaffold material in tissue engineering.Carbamide was used as a space holder material.Fluoride conversion coating was synthesized on the alloy by immersion treatment in hydrofluoric acid(HF).Increasing Zn content of the alloy increased the elastic modulus.Ca addition prevented the oxidation of the specimens during sintering.Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the specimens was examined in simulated body fluid.Corrosion rate decreased with Zn addition from1.0%up to3.0%(mass fraction)and then increased.Mass loss of the specimens initially decreased with Zn addition up to about3%and then increased.Fluoride conversion coating increased the corrosion resistance of the specimens.

Characterization of Cu–Ti powder metallurgical materials

Powder metallurgical Cu-Ti alloys with different titanium additions produced by hot pressing were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and hardness, wear and bending tests. The addition of titanium to copper caused the formation of different intermetallic layers around titanium particles. The titanium content of the intermetallics decreased from the center of the particle to the copper matrix. The hardness, wear resistance, and bending strength of the materials increased with increasing Ti content, whereas strain in the bending test decreased. Worn surface analyses showed that different wear mechanisms were active during the wear test of specimens with different chemical compositions. Changes in the properties of the materials with titanium addition were explained by the high hardness of different Cu-Ti intermetallic phases.

Effect of heat input and filler metals on weld strength of gas tungsten arc welding of AISI 316 weldments

The present work investigates the effect of filler metals and heat input on weld bead geometry and mechanical properties of alloy316 welded by using GTAW.ER309 L,ER316 L and ERNi Cr Mo-3 filler metals,are applied to study their effect on the weldment.Weld defects are examined using radiographic testing.The mechanical properties of welds are evaluated through uniaxial testing,hardness measuring,and bending test.The mechanical properties and cooling rate decrease with increasing heat input.Tensile strength,yield stress and percentage elongation of weldments using three fillers are determined.Best results are obtained using ERNi Cr Mo-3.Besides,weld nugget area,cooling time and solidification time increases with increasing heat input.Finally,applying bending test on weld samples,cracks,tearing and surface defects are not observed.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-doped NiAl-28Cr-6Mo eutectic alloys

Room temperature and high temperature microstructural and mechanical properties of arc melted Ni Al-28Cr-6Mo eutectic alloys doped with 0.1% Fe, 0.2% Fe and 0.5% Fe(mole fraction) were investigated. The homogenization heat treatment of the alloys was conducted at 1300℃ in Ar atmosphere. Microscopic analyses, hardness measurements, XRD measurements and compression tests were used to characterize the alloys. As-cast and homogenized alloys exhibit fine cellular eutectic structures with coarse intercellular eutectic structure. The increase in the content of Fe results in coarsening eutectic layers and the decrease in eutectic cells. All alloys have very high compressive stress and strain at room temperature. The addition of Fe has small negative impact on the strength and ductility of the alloys at room temperature. However, the addition of Fe increases the high temperature strength of the alloy. High temperature XRD patterns show that peaks shift to lower Bragg angles. This indicates that the lattice parameter of the alloys increases.

Anticorrosion properties and thin film composite deposition of ZnSiC-Cr_3C_2 coating on mild steel

This work considered the influence of Cr3 C2 particle loading on microstructure and mechanical properties of Zn-SiC-Cr3 C2 nanocomposite produced via electrocodeposition are investigated. The surface nature of the nanocomposite coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with the energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). Abrasive wear behaviour and hardness property of Zn-SiC-Cr3 C2 nanocomposite produced were investigated using CERT UMT-2 multi-functional tribological tester and Dura Scan hardness tester. The corrosion property was evaluated through linear polarization approach. The result showed that the coatings exhibited good stability and Cr_3 C_2 nanocomposite loading significantly improved the micro structural performance, hardness property,wear resistance as well as corrosion resistance of the coatings.

Nondestructive evaluation of mechanical properties of nanostructured Al-Cu alloy at room and elevated temperatures

The influence of processing variables on the mechanical properties of a nanostructured Al-10 wt.%Cu alloy was investigated.Stress-strain microprobe®system(SSM)and its automated ball indentation®(ABI®)test were used for evaluating the mechanical properties of this alloy.The tests were conducted at 21℃ on the bulk samples that were mechanically alloyed for 6 h at two ball-to-powder mass ratios(BPR)of 30:1 and 90:1.Furthermore,the tests were conducted at 200 and 400℃ on the samples that were processed at BPR of 90:1.Increasing BPR resulted in raising the final indentation load from(316±26)to(631±9)N and reducing the final indentation depth from 111 to 103μm.Regarding the samples that were processed at BPR of 90:1,increasing the test temperature from 21 to 400℃ resulted in decreasing the final load from(631±9)to(125±1)N and increasing the final depth from 103 to(116±1)μm.The sample processed at BPR of 90:1 and tested at 21℃ revealed the highest strength and the least deformability while the sample processed at BPR of 90:1 and tested at 400℃ exhibited the lowest strength and the greatest deformability,as compared to all samples under study.

Synthesis and characterization of Ti-Co alloy foam for biomedical applications

Highly porous Ti-Co alloy specimens for biomedical applications were synthesized by powder metallurgy based space holder technique. Ti alloys have high melting temperature and affinity for oxygen, which makes Ti alloys difficult to be processed. The Co addition reduces the melting temperature and Ti-Co alloy was sintered at lower temperatures. The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the specimens was examined in the artificial saliva solution. The effects of Co content of the alloy, the p H value and fluoride concentration of the artificial saliva solution on the electrochemical corrosion properties of the specimens were investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the specimens were examined. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the specimens decreases at high fluoride concentrations and low p H value. The defect density increases with increasing the fluoride concentration and decreasing the p H value of artificial saliva according to Mott-Schottky analysis.

Effect of heat treatment conditions on microstructure and wear behaviour of Al4Cu2Ni2Mg alloy

Al4Cu2Ni2Mg alloy is an age-hardenable aluminum alloy. The effect of different solution and aging heat treatment conditions on the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of the alloy was studied. The cast specimens were solution treated and then artificially aged. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the microstructures of the specimens. The hardness and wear tests were applied to understanding the effects of heat treatment. After aging for 8 h, the hardness of the alloy increases from HV 10 96.5 to 151.1. Aging treatment for a longer duration causes a drop in the hardness because of over aging. Increasing the hardness of the alloy increases the wear resistance. As a result of all tests, solution heat treatment at 540 °C for 8 h and aging at 190 °C for 8 h were chosen for optimum heat treatment conditions for this alloy.

Effects of yttrium addition and aging on mechanical properties of AA2024 fabricated through multi-step stir casting

The effects of yttrium and artificial aging on AA2024 alloy were investigated.The developed samples were further subjected to artificial aging at 190℃for 1-10 h with an interval of 1 h.The metallurgical characterization was done by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction.The mechanical characterization like hardness and tensile strength of the samples was done using computerized Vickers hardness testing machine and universal testing machine.The microstructures revealed that addition of yttrium refined theα(Al)matrix and led to the formation of Al-Cu-Y intermetallic in the shape of Chinese script which strengthened the samples.Compared to the base metal,samples with yttrium addition showed better mechanical properties.The sample reinforced with 0.3 wt.%yttrium showed the highest mechanical properties with the hardness of 66 HV,UTS of 223 MPa,YS of 180 MPa,and elongation of 20.9%.The artificially aged samples showed that the peak hardening of all the samples took place within 5 h of aging at 190℃with Al2 Cu precipitation.Aging changed the intermetallic from Chinese script to the fibrous form.The optimum amount of yttrium addition to AA2024 was found to be 0.3 wt.%.

Characterization of mechanical properties and microstructures of spark plasma sintered and cryo-rolled AA2024−Y composites

The relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the spark plasma sintered AA2024 Y composites subjected to cryo-rolling was investigated. Yttrium addition enhances the mechanical properties of the composites by promoting grain refinement and precipitation. However, there is a clear trend of initial increase and later decrease in the properties. Also, it is observed that 0.3 wt.% of yttrium is the optimum amount of reinforcement content to obtain the highest mechanical properties. To further improve the tensile strength of the composites, cryo-rolling was performed on the composites under standard cryogenic conditions by several passes up to a reduction of 25%. The mechanical properties and the corresponding microstructures of composites after cryo-rolling were correlated. The SEM and TEM microstructures reveal that the samples exhibit dual size grains, i.e., nanograins are formed as sub-grains within the actual grain. Due to the grain size reduction and the increase in the dislocation density, the tensile properties are remarkably improved compared to those of the composites before cryo-rolling. The highest mechanical properties like hardness, YS and UTS are found to be 153 HV, 539 MPa and 572 MPa, respectively, with a reasonable ductility in the composite with 0.3 wt.% Y.

Effect of twin-roll casting parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of AA5083-H321 sheet

Thepurpose of the present paper is to study the mechanical propertiesand microstructureof the twin-roll cast and cold rolled AA5083 aluminum alloy sheet in strain-hardened H321 temper. To reach this goal, first, a sound surface slab of 8.90 mm thick and 1260 mm wide was cast by a 15°; tilt back twin roll caster at a casting speed of 490 mm/min. After homogenization at 520 ℃, the product was cold rolled to two thicknesses of 6.30 mm and 3.85 mm with an intermediate annealing at 370 ℃ and final stabilization at 180 ℃. Opticalmicroscopyand scanning electron microscopy （SEM） investigations of the as-cast state depicted the segregation of intermetallic particles mainly in grain boundaries which wasthe cause of grain removal observed in the fracture surface of tensile test samples. In addition, mechanical properties indicated an increase in total elongation after homogenization heat treatment dueto the elimination of the grain boundary segregations. Finally, it was observed that the properties of the 3.85 mmthick sheet were consistent with the H321 temper requirements according to ASTM B 290M standard due to applying sufficient cold reduction during cold rolling stage.

Synthesis, characterization and radioluminescence properties of erbium-doped yttria phosphors

Radioluminescence(RL)behaviour of erbium-doped yttria nanoparticles(Y2O_(3):Er^(3+)NPs)which were produced by sol-gel method was reported for future scintillator applications.NPs with dopant rates of 1 at%,5 at%,10 at%and 20 at%Er were produced and calcined at 800℃,and effect of increased calcination temperature(1100℃)on the RL behaviour was also reported.X-ray diffraction(XRD)results showed that all phosphors had the cubic Y2O_(3) bixbyite-type structure.The lattice parameters,crystallite sizes(CS),and lattice strain values were calculated by Cohen-Wagner(C-W)and Williamson-Hall(W-H)methods,respectively.Additionally,the optimum solubility value of the Er^(3+)dopant ion in the Y2O_(3) host lattice was calculated to be approximately 4 at%according to Vegard’s law,which was experimentally obtained from the 5 at%Er^(3+)ion containing solution.Both peak shifts in XRD patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analyses confirmed that Er^(3+)dopant ions were successfully incorporated into the Y2O_(3) host structure.High-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)results verified the average CS values and agglomerated NPs morphologies were revealed.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)results showed the neck formation between the particles due to increased calcination temperature.As a result of the RL measurements under a Cu KαX-ray radiation(wavelength,λ=0.154 nm)source with 50 kV and 10 mA beam current,it was determined that the highest RL emission belonged to 5 at%Er doped sample.In the RL emission spectrum,the emission peaks were observed in the wavelength ranges of 510-575 nm(2H11/2,4S3/2-4I15/2;green emission)and 645-690 nm(4F9/2-4I15/2;red emission).The emission peaks at 581,583,587,593,601,611 and 632 nm wavelengths were also detected.It was found that both dopant rate and calcination temperature affected the RL emission intensity.The color shifted from red to green with increasing calcination temperature which was attributed to the increased crystallinity and reduced crystal defects.

Post Heat Treatment of Plasma Sprayed Pure and Alumina-Titania Reinforced Hydroxyapatite Coating on SS 304 Steel

It has been reported by previous research work that in plasma spray process hydroxyapatite decomposes into some amorphous phases due to rapid cooling of the coated substrate during the coating process, which causes instability of coated implant. Post coating heat treatment has been expected to minimize these phases and also enhance the long term reliability of hydroxyapatite coatings on metal substrates. In this paper post coating heat treatment is carried out at different temperatures suggested by the literature to study its effect on the microstructural and mechanical properties of coating. Coated substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM/EDAX analysis.

Comparative Beneficiation Study of Gyel Columbite Ore Using Double Stage (Magnetic-to-Magnetic and Magnetic-to-Gravity) Separation Techniques

The comparative beneficiation study of Gyel columbite ore using double stage (magnetic-to-magnetic and magnetic-to-gravity), located in the vicinity of Gyel village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State to metallurgical grade was carried out. The ore sample was sourced from 20 different pits each 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 meters deep, 50 meter apart covering a land of 50 hectares. The samples from the 20 pits were crushed, pulverized and homogenized. 200 kg of the homogenized ore sample was used for the experiment and laboratory works. Chemical characterization of the ore sample was carried out using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XFR). Single and double stage concentration tests using magnetic and gravity methods were carried out respectively. The results of the chemical analysis of ore sample reveal that, Pit 1 contains 12.26% Nb2O5, 21.6% Fe2O3, 36.1% SiO2;Pit 20 contains 4.78% Nb2O5, 19.34% Fe2O3, 23.96% SiO2 and the homogenized sample contains 6.71% Nb2O5, 23.1% Fe2O3 and 27.0% SiO2 averagely. The liberation study reveals that the niobium of ore can be liberated over a range of sieve size fractions of -355 + 63 μm for the coarse and -63 + 45 μm for the fine particle size fractions. On the basis of this, sieve size fractions of -1400 + 355 μm (as coarse size), -355 + 90 μm (as medium size) and -90 + 45 μm (as fine size) were used for the concentration tests. The concentration test using the double stage processes revealed that the air-floatation followed by rapid magnetic method produced a concentrate with the highest percent assay of 54.48% Nb2O5 with a recovery of 96.53% followed by the rapid-to-rapid magnetic method which produced a concentrate assaying 52.12% Nb2O5 with a recovery of 86.96%. These results meet and surpass the 50% Nb2O5 stipulated as the acceptable metallurgical grade concentrate for niobium metal production in the literature.

Sliding Wear Performance Evaluation of Red Mud (RM), RM + Fly Ash (FA) and RM + FA + Al Coatings on Mild Steel

The research paper focuses on evaluating the dry sliding wear behaviour of plasma sprayed coatings like red mud (RM), RM + 5% Fly Ash (FA) and RM + 5% FA + 5% Al on mild steel cylindrical shape substrate. Spraying was done at 10 kW operating power level. A conventional pin on disc wear tester is adopted for wear analysis. The wear test was performed at track diameter of 50 mm and sliding speed of 60 rpm (0.157 m/s) with normal load of 10 N. The duration of sliding varies from 54 minutes for pure red mud coating to a maximum value of 102 minutes for RM + 5% FA + 5% Al composite coating. A significant decrease in wear rate (in terms of mass loss) is observed by reinforcement of fly ash and aluminium to red mud, which might be due to improved interfacial properties.

Effect of Red Mud (RM) Reinforcement on Physio-Chemical Characteristics of Ordinary Portland Slag Cement (OPSC) Mortar

The investigation focuses on evaluating the effect of varying % of Red Mud (RM) reinforcement with Ordinary Portland Slag Cement (OPSC). Characterisation is done by adding 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% of RM by weight to OPSC. RM + OPSC composite mortars are made in an 8.5 × 5 × 4 cm3 cast iron mould with external vibration keeping water-binder ratio 0.4 by weight. The mortars are cured in water for 28 days and their physio-chemical characteristics are investigated. Mortar performances like compressive strength, hardness, XRD, FTIR, SEM are diagnosed. The composite mortars cementing properties are compared with original OPSC. The result reveals the augmentation of RM with OPSC increases the hydration capacity of OPSC with improved compressive strength. The experimental optimization shows a maximum value up to 10% - 20% OPSC can be replaced by RM as filling material.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Powder by Sol-Gel Method for Biomedical Application

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is effectively used as a bioimplant material because it closely resembles bone apatite and exhibits good biocompatibility. This paper describe synthesis technique of HA powder by sol-gel method. The product was sintered twice at two different temperatures 400°C to 750°C to improve its crystallinity. The final powder sintered at two temperatures was characterized by X-ray analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) to reveal its phase content, morphology and types of bond present within it. Thermal analysis (TG–DTA) was carried out to investigate the thermal stability of the powder.

Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of Plasma Sprayed Pure and Reinforced HA Coatings in Simulated Body Fluid

To evaluate the corrosion behavior in simulated body fluid pure and 10wt% 80Al2O3-20TiO2 reinforced HA coatings were successfully deposited by atmospheric plasma spray technique on SS-304L substrate alloy. To eliminate non favorable phases on the as sprayed coatings the coatings were heat treated at 700°C and 800°C for post coating heat treatment technique. Both pure and reinforced as sprayed and post coating heat treated coatings were characterized by XRD and SEM/EDAX analysis for surface characterization and further evaluated by electrochemical test for corrosion behavior in simulated body fluids.

Production of Refractory Lining for Diesel Fired Rotary Furnace, from Locally Sourced Kaolin and Potter’s Clay

This research was conducted to formulate a refractory lining recipe for lining diesel fired rotary furnace from locally sourced kaolin, using locally sourced potter’s clay as binder. Six samples (A-F) of kaolin clay mined locally from Apata II area, Ondo road, in Ile-Ife,Nigeria, were roasted at 1200oC held for 8 hours, mixed with different percentages of raw kaolin and appropriately made into briquettes using potter’s clay of good plasticity as binder. The samples were tested for various refractory properties. The result showed that sample mixes A (100% chamotte), B (80% chamotte, 20% rawkaolin) and C (60% chamotte, 40% raw kaolin) are considered to have good properties. However, the optimum material-mix for the refractory bricks lining, with particular reference to the highest thermal shock resistance was found to be 80% chamotte mixed with 20% raw kaolin.

Characterization of Plasma Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coatings on AISI 316L SS and Titanium Substrate and their Corrosion Behavior in Simulated Body Fluid

In order to increase the bone bioactivity of metallic implants, hydroxyapatite (HA: Ca10(PO4)2(OH)6) is often coated on their surface so that real bond with surrounding bone tissue can be formed. In present study, HA coatings were deposited on AISI 316L SS and titanium using shrouded plasma spray process. The coated specimens were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM/EDAX). The polarization studies in simulated body fluid (SBF) were conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance of bare and coated specimens. It was found that the hydroxyapatite coating provided excellent corrosion resistance. The resistance to corrosion was found independent on