Abrasive Wear Characteristics of Carbon and Low Alloy Steels for Better Performance of Farm Implements

The low stress abrasion behaviours of heat treated mild, medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels, which are generally used in making farm implements, have been investigated. The simple heat treatment greatly improves the hardness, tensile strength and abrasion resistance of medium carbon and high C - low Cr steels. The results indicate that the material removal during abrasion is controlled by a number of factors, such as hardness, chemical composition, microstructure and heat treatment conditions. The conclusion is that the heat treated high C - low Cr steel and mild steel carburized by using coaltar pitch provide the best hardness and abrasion resistance and thus appear to be the most suitable materials for making agricultural tools.

Integrated Behavior of Carbon and Copper Alloy Heat Sink Under Different Heat Loads and Cooling Conditions

An actively water-cooled limiter has been designed for the long pulse operation of an HT-7 device, by adopting an integrated structure-doped graphite and a copper alloy heat sink with a super carbon sheet serving as a compliant layer between them. The behaviors of the integrated structure were evaluated in an electron beam facility under different heat loads and cooling conditions. The surface temperature and bulk temperature distribution were carefully measured by optical pyrometers and thermocouples under a steady state heat flux of 1 to 5 MW/m^2 and a water flow rate of 3 m^3/h, 4.5 m^3/h and 6 m^3/h, respectively. It was found that the surface temperature increased rapidly with the heat flux rising, but decreased only slightly with the water flow rate rising. The surface temperature reached approximately 1200℃ at 5 MW/m^2 of heat flux and 6 m^3/h of water flow. The primary experimental results indicate that the integrated design meets the requirements for the heat expelling capacity of the HT-7 device. A set of numerical simulations was also completed, whose outcome was in good accord with the experimental results.

Influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel

The influence of soaking time in deep cryogenic treatment on the tensile and impact properties of low-alloy medium-carbon HY-TUF steel was investigated in this study. Microstructural studies based on phase distribution mapping by electron backscatter diffraction show that the deep cryogenic process causes a decrease in the content of retained austenite and an increase in the volume fraction of η-carbide with increasing soaking time up to 48 h. The decrease in the content of retained austenite from ~1.23vol% to 0.48vol% suggests an isothermal martensitic transformation at 77 K. The η-type precipitates formed in deep cryogenic-treated martensite over 48 h have the Hirotsu and Nagakura orientation relation with the martensitic matrix. Furthermore, a high coherency between η-carbide and the martensitic matrix is observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The variations in macrohardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility with soaking time in the deep cryogenic process show a peak/plateau trend.

PHASE TRANSFORMATION UNIT OF BAINITIC FERRITE AND ITS SURFACE RELIEF IN LOW AND MEDIUM CARBON ALLOY STEELS

The lath-or plate-shaped bainitic ferrite of low and medium carbon alloy steels consists of packets of ferrite sublaths which are composed of many finer and regular ferrite blocks.They are uniform shear growth units of bainitic phase transformation.No carbide is precipitated from them.The bainitic O-carbides are precipitated from γ-α interface or carbon-rich austenite.The mode of arrangement of the units in ferrite sublath packet is in uni-or bi-di- rection.Single surface relief is produced by the accumulation of uniform shear strains with all the ferrite units arranged unidirectionally in a sublath packet,while tent-shaped surface relief is formed by the integration of the uniform shear strains of two groups with ferrite units piling up in two directions and growing face to face;whereas if they grow back to back,the integra- tion will be responsible for invert-tent-shaped surface relief.The interface trace between two groups of ferrite units in a sublath packet is shown as“midrib”.

EFFECT OF TRACE ELEMENTS WITH ZERO SELF－INTERACTIONCOEFFICIENT ON CRYSTALLIZATION TEMPERATUREOF IRON CARBON ALLOYS

The effect of trace elements with zero self-interaction coefficient on crystallization temperature of iron carbon alloys was studied and the mathematic equation was developed based on thermodynamics in the present researeh. With the equation developed in this paper, the effects of nitrogen on crystallization temperature of Fe-3.45C-2.15Si0. 16Mn and Fe-3.45C-2. 15Si-0. 80Mn alloys were discussed.

Effect of Rolling Process on Microstructure and Wear Properties of High Carbon Equivalent Gray Cast Iron

Rolling process based on the plastic deformation as a surface strengthening treatment was employed,aiming to improve the wear resistance ability and functional performance of the high carbon equivalent gray cast iron(HCEGCI).The microstructures and tribological performance of the untreated and rolled samples were characterized.In addition,the wear mechanism of HCEGCI samples was also studied via pin-on-disc tests.The experimental results show that the as-rolled samples possess the structure-refined layer of 15μm and work-hardened layer of 0.13 mm.In comparison with the surface hardness of untreated samples,the surface hardness of as-rolled samples increases by 84.6%(from 240HV0.1 to 443HV0.1)and the residual compressive stresses existed within the range of 0.2 mm.The wear rates of as-rolled samples were decreased by 38.4%,37.5%,and 44.4%under different loads of 5 N,10 N,and 15 N,respectively.The wear characteristics of the untreated samples mainly exhibit the peeling wear coupled with partial adhesive and abrasive wear.However,as for the as-rolled samples,the adhesive wear was limited by the structure-refined layer and the micro-crack propagation was controlled by the work-hardened layer.Therefore,the wear resistance of as-rolled samples can be improved significantly due to the low wearing degree of the friction contact zone.

NOVEL OXIDATION RESISTANT CARBON SILICON ALLOY FIBRES

Anovel silicon containing carbon precursor was synthesised by reacting a petroleum pitchfraction and polydimethylsilane. The precursor containing about 26wt% Si was meltspunintofibresand then oxidativelystabilised in airto renderthefibresinfusiblebefore pyrolysisat1200℃underinertatmospheretoproduceC Sialloy( CSA) fibres. Theextentofstabili sation wasfoundto becriticalto the development of mechanicalstrength of thefibres which varied with heattreatmenttemperature, showing a maximum at 1200 ℃when thestrength was 1 4 1 6 GPa. Thesestrengthsareremarkably goodconsideringthelow modulus whichis duetothe quite high failurestrains. Thefibrescanshow excellentresistanceto oxidation if given an initialshortexposureto oxygen athigh temperature duetotheformation of an im perceptiblelayer of silica. CSAfibreshavethe advantagesof both carbon fibresand SiCfi bres,thusextended application areascan beenvisaged .

The micro structure of high carbon low alloy steel for easy drawing

For better processing performance of high carbon low alloy steel wire rod,an investigation about the influence of cementite lamellar spacing on wire 'easy drawing' performance is completed.It is pointed out that too thin cementite lamellar spacing(<80 um) reduces the strain hardening level of wire drawing, and reduce the torsion performance of drawn wire at same time.For the wire or wire rod from industrial production,compared with the micro-structure with troostite,the micro-structure with sorbite or sorbite mixed with pearlite is more suitable to the drawing process with high reduction ratio.

New Heat Treatment Technology for Grain Refining of Structural Steel

The application of electrical contact heating （ECH） in austenitic grain refining of ultra-pure 42CrMoVNb steel was introduced. The ECH equipment was designed to reach uniform heating of uniform heat transfer in the sample. The 42CrMoVNb steel treated possesses uniform microstructure with an average austenite grain size of 1.4 μm, higher strength （1 538 MPa） and impact toughness （81J/cm^2）.

Transformation character of ferrite formation by a ledge mechanism under a mixed-control model

A mixed-control model was developed to study the transformation character of ferrite formation by a ledge mechanism. A nu- merical two-dimensional diffusion-field model was combined to describe the evolution of the diffusion field ahead of the migrating austenite/ferrite interface. The calculation results show that the bulk diffusion-controlled model leads to a deviation from experimental results under large solute supersaturation. In the mixed-control model, solute supersaturation and a parameter Z together determine the transformation character, which is quantified by the normalized concentration of carbon in austenite at the austenite/ferfite interface. By comparing with experimental data, thepre-exponential factor of interface mobility, M0, is estimated within the range from 0.10 to 0.60 mol-m·J^-1·s^-1 for the alloys with 0.1 lwt%-0.49wt% C at 700-740℃. For a certain Fe-C alloy, the trend of the transformation character relies on the magnitude of M0 as the transformation temperature decreases.

High-efficiency ultrasonic assisted drilling of CFRP/Ti stacks under non-separation type and dry conditions

In this study,to address the low efficiency for conventional ultrasonic-assisted drlling(UAD)of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and titanium alloy(CFRP/Ti)stacks,feasibility experiments of non-separation UAD,in which continuous cutting between the tool and the workpiece occurs at a high feed rate,are carried out.The experimental results indicate that,compared to conventional separation UAD,the non-separation UAD effectively reduces the cutting forces by 24.2%and 1.9%for CFRP stage and 22.1%and 2.6%for the Ti stage at the feed rates of 50 and 70μm/r,respectively.Furthermore,the non-separation UAD significantly improves hole quality,including higher hole diameter accuracy,lower hole surface roughness,and less hole damage.In addition,the non-separation UAD can decrease adhesive tool wear.This study demonstrates that,compared to conventional drilling(CD),the non-separation UAD can effectively improve drilling quality and tool life while maintaining high efficiency.

Effect of Prior Austenite Grain Size on the Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Martensite in Medium Carbon Steel

In industrial application,unintentional manufacturing line troubles often consequence in heating raw materials excessively,in terms of either time or temperature.One of the effects of such occurrence is a product with a variation of prior austenite grain size,even if after the heat treatment the end result is the same,martensite.The variation of the prior austenite grain size is believed to vary the end results of the martensite.This undesirable variation includes the variation of fatigue resistance,impact strength,yield strength,hardness,etc.This research studies the effect of the prior austenite grain size on the morphology of the martensite microstructure.The results show that within the typical industrial application of temperature and holding time set up,as holding time or the temperature increases,the prior austenite average diameter increases.The block and packet sizes in the martensite also increase.The variation of mechanical property dependence on the grain size is indeed due to the different characteristics reflected in the martensite morphology.With respect to the same area,smaller grain has more blocks and packets,which agrees with higher dislocation density verified with transmission electron microscopic evaluation.

Growth of carbon nanotube arrays on various CtxMey alloy films by chemical vapour deposition method

Carbon nanotube （CNT） arrays were fabricated on Ct-Me-N-（O） alloys with content of Ct in the range of 6-40 at.% by chemical vapour deposition. The Ct was a catalytic metal from the group of the following elements： Ni, Co, Fe, Pd, while Me was a transition metal from the group of IV-VII of the periodic table （where Me=Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ta, W, Re）. Carbon nanotubes were found to grow efficiently on the alloy surface with its composition containing Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Hf, Nb or Ta. The growth of CNTs was not observed when the alloy contained W or Re. Additions of oxygen and nitrogen in the alloy facilitated the formation of oxynitrides and catalyst extrusion on the alloy surface. Replacement of the metals in alloy composition affected the diameter of the resulting CNTs. The obtained results showed that the alloy films of varying thickness （10-500 nm） may be used for the CNTs growth. The resulting CNT material was highly homogenous and its synthesis reproducible.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-4.0Zn alloy reinforced by NiO-coated CNTs

Mg-4.0Zn alloy composite reinforced by NiO-coated CNTs （NiO@CNTs） was synthesized by combining ball-milling and a casting process. The yield strength （YS） and elongation to failure of the composite were dramatically increased by 44.9% and 38.6%, respectively, compared to its alloy counterpart. The signifi- cantly eahanced mechanical properties of the as-synthesized composite are mainly ascribed to an improved interracial bond, grain refinement and good dispersion of CNTs in the matrix via. coating NiO on CNTs. It is shown that the NiO-nanolayer on the CNTs significantly enhances the interfacial bonding strength and effectively prevents the agglomeration of CNTs. NiO@CNTs are, therefore, expected to be a highly sustainable and dispersible reinforcement for magnesium matrix composites with superior performance.

A review of friction stir welding of steels： Tool, material flow, microstructure, and properties

Considerable progress has been achieved in friction stir welding （FSW） of steels in every aspect of tool fab- rication, microstructure control and properties evaluation in the past two decades. With the development of reliable welding tools and precise control systems, FSW of steels has reached a new level of technical maturity. High-quality, long welds can be produced in many engineering steels. Compared to traditional fusion welding, FSW exhibits unique advantages producing joints with better properties. As a result of active control of the welding temperature and/or cooling rate, FSW has the capability of fabricating steel joints with excellent toughness and strength. For example, unfavorable phase transformations that usu- ally occur during traditional welding can be avoided and favorable phase fractions in advanced steels can be maintained in the weld zone thus avoiding the typical property degradations associated with fusion welding. If phase transformations do occur during FSW of thick steels, optimization of microstructure and properties can be attained by controlling the heat input and post-weld cooling rate.

Electrochemical Characteristics in Seawater for Cold Thermal Spray-Coated Al-Mg Alloy Layer

For corrosion protection of carbon steel in a marine environment,cold arc thermal spray coating was applied to the surface with Al and Al-Mg alloy wires.The surface hardness of Al and Al-Mg thermal spray coatings increased with Mg content.And the various electrochemical experiments were carried out to evaluate corrosion damage characteristics of the thermal spray coating layers.The Al and Al-Mg thermal spray coating layers presented negative potentials compared to carbon steel in corrosion potential measurements.And an anodic polarization experiment revealed a tendency of activation polarization with no passivation.Furthermore,the corrosion damage of the thermal spray coating layer in galvanostatic experiment was observed mainly at the defect area,and the Al-3Mg thermal spray coating layer presented less surface damages than others.In addition,the Al-3Mg thermal spray coating layer showed the lowest corrosion rate while having a sufficient driving voltage for cathodic corrosion protection.Therefore,it is an optimal thermal spray material for sacrificial anode.