An experimental analysis on the turnover time of railway freight transportation based on the impact strength of factors

Based on the factors impact strength model(FISM), we studied on calculation formulas of influence strength and key elements of FISM, and analyzed the turnover time of railway freight transportation of China. The results show that wagon transfer time is the most critical factor among the three subjective factors of wagons turnover time. The FISM based analysis of wagon transfer time show that the wagon turnover time is significantly correlated with transit time with resorting. Among the seven factors of detention time of transit time with resorting, the time of waiting to departing, converging, and waiting to break-up are key factors, while the time of make-up, break-up, arrival and departure are general factors. We carried out one empirical research based on the data of Baoji East Railway Station in 2015. The results of empirical research and FISM are consistent completely.

EFFECT OF PROCESSING METHOD ON THE IMPACT STRENGTH OF POM/TPU/CaCO_3 TERNARY COMPOSITES

Polyoxymethylene （POM）/elastomer/filler ternary composites were prepared, in which thermoplastic polyurethane （TPU） and inorganic filler, namely, CaCO3, were used to achieve balanced mechanical properties of POM. The dispersion and phase morphology of POM/elastomer/filler composites were found to depend largely on processing method, CaCO3 content in masterbatch and the filler size. Two processing methods were employed to prepare POM/elastomer/filler ternary composites. One is called the one-step method, in which elastomer and the filler directly melt blended with POM matrix. The other is called the two-step method, in which the elastomer and the filler were mixed to get masterbatch first, which was then melt blended with pure POM of different content. The effect of phase morphology and processing method on impact strength was investigated. It was found that the two-step method results in an increase in impact strength but not for the one-step method. Additionally, the impact strength of POM ternary composites decreases with the increase in the size of CaCO3 particles.

Low temperature impact strength of heavy section ductile iron castings:effects of microstructure and chemical composition

A foundry research project has been recently initiated at RTIT in order to better understand the fabrication of as-cast heavy section DI parts meeting high impact energy requirements at low temperatures.The experimental castings have the following dimensions 180 mm x 180 mm x 190 mm.The achieved as-cast Charpy impact strengths were as follows:17 J (RT),16 J (-20℃) and 11 J (-40℃).The foundry process,the chemical composition and the microstructure of this experimental casting are compared to the ones of various examples in order to show the detrimental effects of residual elements,microshrinkage and microcarbide on the impact properties.Finally,quality index empirical models (based on casting chemical compositions) are used to analyse the impact tests results.This paper illustrates that an adequate nodule count can contribute to reducing the detrimental effects of the residual elements and microsegregation.

Impact strength and structural refinement of A380 aluminum alloy produced through gas-induced semi-solid process and Sr addition

Semi-solid processing of A380 aluminum alloy was performed by gas induced semi-solid(GISS)process.The effects of argon inert gas flow rate,starting temperature and duration of gas purging as key GISS parameters and also modification with Sr on the structural refinements,hardness and impact strength of GISS alloys were investigated.Microstructural evolution shows that there is an important effect of the pouring temperature and Sr addition on the morphology and size of primaryα(A1)in the alloy to change from coarse dendritic to fine globular structure.The best sample which has fine grains of 51.18μm in average size and a high level of globularity of 0.89 is achieved from a GISS processing of Sr modified alloy in which the gas purging started at 610℃.The impact strength of the GISS optimized samples((4.67±0.18)J/cm^(2))shows an increase of about 40%with respect to the as-cast sample due to the globular structure and fibrous Si morphology.Moreover,the hardness of the optimized GISS sample((89.34±2.85)HB)increases to(93.84±3.14)HB by modification with the Sr and GISS process.The fracture surface of Sr modified alloy is also dominated by complex topography showing typical ductile fracture features.

Evaluation of Impact Strength and Micro-Hardness of Denture Base Acrylic Resin （PMMA） Part Ⅱ

Poly （methyl methacrylate） is widely used as denture base material. During fabrication of a denture, the physical and mechanical properties are influenced by cure condition. Each cure cycle or fabrication technique is attempts to optimize the properties for a given application. The aim of this study was to compare two types of commercially available denture base materials （heat-cure and self-cure） in their mechanical properties. The samples were prepared according to the daily routine work for sample preparation in dental laboratories. After reaching dough stage the mix packed into dumbbell shaped of stainless steel mould and pressed in a hydraulic bench press for 25 mins at room temperature. For heat cure the polymerization cycle was carried out using water bath, while self cure was done at room temperature. The impact strength was evaluated using Charpy impact test. The hardness test was conducted using a calibrated Vickers hardness tester machine. The lowest impact strength was observed in self-cure denture base material （self cure material 6.2 kJ/m^2 while heat cure 12.69 kJ/m^2. It appears that the tendency of heat cure to fracture was lower than self-cure denture base materials. Heat cure denture base material has significantly higher hardness test values than self-cure denture base material. The observed VHN value of the heat-cure was 20.09 g/mm^2 while the self-cure value was 12.7 g/mm^2. This is may be due to the plasticizer effect of residual monomer which was higher in self curing material as reported in previous work. Generally, the heat cure material showed better properties compared to self cure material.

Effect of silica fume and glass powder for enhanced impact resistance in GGBFS-based ultra high-performance geopolymer fibrous concrete:An experimental and statistical analysis

Solid waste recycling is an economically sound strategy for preserving the environment,safeguarding natural resources,and diminishing the reliance on raw material consumption.Geopolymer technology offers a significant advantage by enabling the reuse and recycling of diverse materials.This research assesses how including silica fume and glass powder enhances the impact resistance of ultra-high-performance geopolymer concrete(UHPGC).In total,18 distinct mixtures were formulated by substituting ground granulated blast furnace slag with varying proportions of silica fume and glass powder,ranging from 10%to 40%.Similarly,for each of the mixtures above,steel fibre was added at a dosage of 1.5%to address the inherent brittleness of UHPGC.The mixtures were activated by combining sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solution to generate geopolymer binders.The specimens were subjected to drop-weight impact testing,wherein an examination was carried out to evaluate various parameters,including flowability,density at fresh and hardened state,compressive strength,impact numbers indicative of cracking and failure occurrences,ductility index,and analysis of failure modes.Additionally,the variations in the impact test outcomes were analyzed using the Weibull distribution,and the findings corresponding to survival probability were offered.Furthermore,the microstructure of UHPGC was scrutinized through scanning electron microscopy.Findings reveal that the specimens incorporating glass powder exhibited lower cracking impact number values than those utilizing silica fume,with reductions ranging from 18.63%to 34.31%.Similarly,failure impact number values decreased from 8.26%to 28.46%across glass powder contents.The maximum compressive and impact strength was recorded in UHPGC,comprising 10%silica fume with fibres.

Application of Hot Forming High Strength Steel Parts on Car Body in Side Impact

Lightweight structure is an important method to increase vehicle fuel efficiency. High strength steel is applied for replacing mild steel in automotive structures to decrease thickness of parts for lightweight. However, the lightweight structures must show the improved capability for structural rigidity and crash energy absorption. Advanced high strength steels are attractive materials to achieve higher strength for energy absorption and reduce weight of vehicles. Currently, many research works focus on component level axial crash testing and simulation of high strength steels. However, the effects of high strength steel parts to the impact of auto body are not considered. The goal of this research is to study the application of hot forming high strength steel（HFHSS） in order to evaluate the potential using in vehicle design for lightweight and passive safety. The performance of HFHSS is investigated by using both experimental and analytical techniques. In particular, the focus is on HFHSS which may have potential to enhance the passive safety for lightweight auto body. Automotive components made of HFHSS and general high strength steel（GHSS） are considered in this study. The material characterization of HFHSS is carried out through material experiments. The finite element method, in conjunction with the validated model is used to simulate the side impact of a car with GHSS and HFHSS parts according to China New Car Assessment Programme（C-NCAP） crash test. The deformation and acceleration characteristics of car body are analyzed and the injuries of an occupant are calculated. The results from the simulation analyses of HFHSS are compared with those of GHSS. The comparison indicates that the HFHSS parts on car body enhance the passive safety for the lightweight car body in side impact. Parts of HFHSS reduce weight of vehicle through thinner thickness offering higher strength of parts. Passive safety of lightweight car body is improved through reduction of crash deformation on car body by the application of HFHSS parts. The experiments and simulation are conducted to the HFHSS parts on auto body. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the application of HFHSS materials on automotive components for improved capability of passive safety and lightweight.

Low temperature impact toughness of laser hybrid welded joint of high strength low alloy steel

High strength low alloy steel with 16 mm thickness was welded by using high power laser hybrid welding. Microstrueture was characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy （ SEM ） , transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and selected area electron diffraction （SAED）. Low temperature impact toughness was estimated by using Charpy V-notch impact samples selected from the upper part and the lower part at the same heterogeneous joint. Results show that the low temperature impact absorbed energies of weld metal are （202,180,165 J） of upper samples and （178,145,160 J） of lower samples, respectively. All of them increase compared to base metal. The embrittlement of HAZ does not occur. Weld metal primarily consists of refined carbide free bainite and a little granular bainite since laser hybrid welding owns the character of low heat input. Retained austenite constituent film ＂locates among the lath structure of bainitie ferrite. Refined bainitic ferrite lath and retained austenite constituent film provide better low temperature impact toughness compared to base metal.

State of the art of impact testers for spot welds

Impact testing is a primary method to evaluate the impact property of resistance spot welding,which is an important quality index in automotive industry.For testing impact properties of spot welds,many customized testers have been developed.This paper summarized some of the impact testers reported in open literatures and the emphasis was placed on the equipment structures,functions,technical parameters,advantages and disadvantage,etc.Some key issues about the development of the testers such as kinematic energy input mode,fixture design,combined load testing,sensor and data acquisition were discussed.Finally,the problems and prospects in the research and development of impact testers for spot welds were pointed out.

Isocyanate-terminated Polyethers Toughened Epoxy Resin:Chemical Modification,Thermal Properties,and Mechanical Strength

The toughening of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin with isocyanateterminated polyethers （ITPE） was investigated. The progress of the reaction and the structural changes during modification process were studied using FTIR spectroscopy. The studies support the proposition that TDI （tolylene diisocyanate） acts as a coupling agent between the epoxy and polyethers, forming a urethane linkage with the former and the latter, respectively. Me THPA-cured ER/ITPs blends were characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis （DMA） and thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）. It is indicated the glass transition temperature （T） of systems was lower than the T of pure epoxy resin and overfull ITPE separated from the modified epoxy resin and formed another phase at an ITPE-content of more than 10wt%. The thermal stability was decreased by the introduction of ITPE. The impact strength and the flexural strength of the cured modifiedepoxy increased with increasing the ITPE content and a maximum plateau value of about 24.03 kJ/m^2 and 130.56 MPa was measured in 10wt% ITPE. From scanning electron microscopy （SEM） studies of the fractrue surfaces of ER/ITPE systems, the nature of the micromechanisms responsible for the increases in toughness of the systems was identified.

Fiber Loading of Date Palm and Kenaf Reinforced Epoxy Composites:Tensile,Impact and Morphological Properties

Date palm fiber(DPF)and kenaf fiber were reinforced in epoxy having various fiber loading 40%,50%,and 60%by weight.These hybrid samples were manufactured by hot press technique and then characterized for tensile,impact,and morphological behavior to evaluate the ratio of fibers in the hybrid composites;the addition of kenaf improved the tensile properties,Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)revealed the interfacial bonding of fiber/matrix,and dispersion and void content in composites.Impact test studies reflected the effect of natural fiber with epoxy,level of stress transfer from matrix to reinforced material,and reinforced material’s role in absorbing the impacts.It showed that 50%of DPF had the best shock-absorbing capacity.The obtained results indicated that 30%DPF in hybrid composite showed improved tensile properties and homogeneous distribution of fiber without void content;however,50%DPF loading in hybrid composites had the best impact properties.

Effect of Microstructure Refinement on the Strength and Toughness of Low Alloy Martensitic Steel

Martensitic microstructure in quenched and tempered 17CrNiMo6 steel with the prior austenite grain size ranging from 6 μm to 199 μm has been characterized by optical metallography （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The yield strength and the toughness of the steel with various prior austenite grain sizes were tested and correlated with microstructure characteristics. Results show that both the prior austenite grain size and the martensitic packet size in the 17CrNiMo6 steel follow a HalI-Petch relation with the yield strength. When the prior austenite grain size was refined from 199 μm to 6 μm , the yield strength increased by 235 MPa, while the Charpy U-notch impact energy at 77 K improved more than 8 times, indicating that microstructure refinement is more effective in improving the resistance to cleavage fracture than in increasing the strength. The fracture surfaces implied that the unit crack path for cleavage fracture is identified as being the packet.

Effects of Mn and Cu on the Mechanical Properties of a High Strength Low Alloy NiCrMoV Steel

The present study focuses on the effects of Mn and Cu on the mechanical properties, in particular, strength and toughness of a low alloy steel containing Ni, Cr, Mo and V. Specimens with different amounts of Mn （0.23%-0.85%）and Cu （0.15%-0.45%） were cast and forged, and then austenitized at 870℃ for 1h, followed by oil quenching. All specimens were tempered at 650℃ for 1h. The results show that as the amounts of Mn and Cu increase respectively from 0.35% to 0.85% and from 0.15% to 0.45%, the yield and tensile strength increase. The highest impact energies were observed in the specimen with 0.35% Mn and in the specimen with 0.25% Cu. The impact energy decreases with increasing the Mn and Cu from 0.35% to 0.85% and from 0.25% to 0.45%, respectively. Furthermore, the variation of Mn and Cu does not cause a considerable change in the tempered martensite microstructure. The optimum strength and toughness is observed in 0.35% Mn containing steel and in the 0.25% Cu containing steel.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Poly (Vinyl Chloride) Modified by Silica Fume /Acrylic Core-Shell Impact Modifier Blends

This research explored replacing acrylic core-shell impact modifier （AIM） by silica fume to toughen PVC. 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of AIM （8 phr） were substituted by silica fume in PVC respectively, and then processed by dry blending and twin-screw extrusion. Severe silica fume agglomeration was observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM） in the PVC matrix when 8 phr pure silica fume was used and processed by screw speed of 20 rpm. Its tensile strength was thereby reduced by 38% comparing to unmodified PVC. The silica fume was successfully dispersed while the screw speed was slowed down to 10 rpm to give a stronger screw torque and a longer melt residential time in the extruder. The tensile strength was ’recovered’ to a level comparable to unmodified PVC. Impact test were performed on all formulations extruded at 10 rpm screw speed and synergetic toughening effect was found with 50% substitution and it had the impact strength that was comparable to 8 phr pure AIM toughened PVC.

Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) System in Lao PDR

This study explores and seeks to explain the EIA procedures practice gap in Lao PDR. It reviews the literature and studies EIA legislation, administrative procedures, guidelines, and relevant documents by using a model proposed by Leu et al. (1996) and applying criteria proposed by Wood (1995) to evaluate the performance of EIA systems. Key EIA legislation in Lao PDR has many strengths, but also major weaknesses: Inadequate planning procedures, no secondary regulations, few trained and skilled personnel, inadequate public consultation, lack of environmental data, weak follow-up and monitoring, and no enforcement machinery. Additionally, the EIA approval procedure is very bureaucratic and easily derailed by political and economic pressures. In addition, coordination among EIA proponents, consultants, concerned ministries, local authorities, planners, and decision-makers is generally weak. This delays decision-making and hinders implementation of environmental regulations. Thus, procedures and evaluation are not always performed well. EIAs are more a project justification tool than a project planning tool for sustainable development. We conclude with recommendations to strengthen the system, such as improving capacity building, implementing an EIA consultants’ accreditation system, ensuring effective public participation and access to EIA reports, applying systematic EIAs, reviewing criteria, and promoting environmental awareness.

Improvement of Toughness of Ultrahigh Strength Steel Aermet 100

The influence of double aging on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ultrahigh strength steel Aermet 100 was analyzed. Under the double aging, there is no apparent decrease in the strength of steel. However, the impact fatigue life can be prolonged by 35.5% and dynamic fracture toughness be raised by 22.6% respectively, as compared with the normal aging. Based on the observation of microscopic structure, the physical mechanism of the prolongation of impact fatigue life and the enhancement of stability of the reverted austenite, AR, is analyzed further. The results show that this new technique is a breakthrough of combination optimization between strength and toughness for Aermet 100 steel. In the light of the current understanding on this subject, the volume fracture of soften and tough AR formed in process of heat preservation at higher temperature of double aging increases drastically. Moreover, during the treatment of lower temperature of double aging, the carbon separating from the martensitic ferrite will diffuse into AR, resulting that the martensitic brittleness decreases and the stability of AR increases.

Elevated-temperature properties of one long-life high-strength gun steel

The hardness, tensile strength and impact toughness of one quenched and tempered steel with nominal composition of Fe-0.25C-3.0Cr-3.0Mo-0.6Ni-0.1Nb (mass fraction) both at room temperature and at elevated temperatures were investigated in order to develop high-strength steel for long-life gun barrel use. It is found that the steel has lower decrease rate of tensile strength at elevated temperature in comparison with the commonly used G4335V high-strength gun steel, which contains higher Ni and lower Cr and Mo contents. The high elevated-temperature strength of the steel is attributed to the strong secondary hardening effect and high tempering softening resistance caused by the tempering precipitation of fine Mo-rich M2C carbides in the aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-Fe matrix. The experimental steel is not susceptible to secondary hardening embrittlement, meanwhile, its room-temperature impact energy is much higher than the normal requirement of impact toughness for high strength gun steels. Therefore, the steel is suitable for production of long-life high-strength gun barrels with the combination of superior elevated-temperature strength and good impact toughness.

Elevated-temperature properties of one long-life high-strength gun steel

The hardness, tensile strength and impact toughness of one quenched andtempered steel with nominal composition of Fe-0.25C-3.0Cr-3.0Mo-0.6Ni-0.1Nb (mass fraction) both atroom temperature and at elevated temperatures were investigated in order to develop high-strengthsteel for long-life gun barrel use. It is found that the steel has lower decrease rate of tensilestrength at elevated temperature in comparison with the commonly used G4335V high-strength gunsteel, which contains higher Ni and lower Cr and Mo contents. The high elevated-temperature strengthof the steel is attributed to the strong secondary hardening effect and high tempering softeningresistance caused by the tempering precipitation of fine Mo-rich M_2C carbides in the α-Fe matrix.The experimental steel is not susceptible to secondary hardening embrittlement, meanwhile, itsroom-temperature impact energy is much higher than the normal requirement of impact toughness forhigh strength gun steels. Therefore, the steel is suitable for production of long-life high-strengthgun barrels with the combination of superior elevated-temperature strength and good impacttoughness.

Flexural and Impact Resistance of FRC/Bamboo Laminate

The flexural and impact resistance of a newly developed FRC/bamboo laminate have been investigated. The laminate considered in this study was combined with reformed bamboo plate and extruded fiber reinforced cementitious (FRC) sheet. Innovated from the raw bamboo, reformed bamboo showed high tensile strength and high strength to weight ratio. It can not only remarkably strengthen the FRC sheet but also reduce the total weight of the laminate. Flexural and impact load, broken energy, deflection and duration were measured. Test results showed that the flexural strength value for the laminate can be improved to greater than 90 MPa, while the impact resistance is increased more than 10 times for the laminate when compared with the FRC sheet only.

Dynamic Impact Absorption Behaviour of Glass Coated with Carbon Nanotubes

Boro-silicate glass samples were coated with chemically treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to study the resistance offered by the coatings under the high strain rate impact. Impact testing of these glass samples was performed on Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB), where strain rates were varied from 500/s to 3300/s. However, the comparisons were limited to samples subjected to a strain rate of 2300/s to 3000/s so that the effect of only variable deposits of coatings on the stress-strain behavior of glass can be studied. Variable deposits (0.1 mg to 0.8 mg) of MWCNTs were coated uniformly on glass samples having a disc shape with a fixed surface area (79 mm2) to observe the effect of the coating on the impact absorption capacity of glass. It was observed that the small thickness of about 25 μm formed due to the fact that 0.2 mg of MWCNTs deposit spread over the surface increased the impact absorption capacity of the glass pieces by nearly 70%. However, beyond this amount when the deposit was increased to 0.4 mg, the coating thickness got doubled to nearly 49 μm and this led to a fall in absorption capacity which remained static till 0.8 mg deposit. However, even this decrease in capacity was able to absorb 30% more impact than offered by pure glass sample.