Evaluation of Cracking Resistance of Copper-Bearing Age Hardening Steel Weldment

The weldability of a low-carbon copper-bearing age hardening steel was evaluated using cracking suscepti- bility calculation, HAZ maximum hardness measurement, and Y-groove cracking evaluation test. The results show that the hardenability characteristics and cold cracking susceptibility of the steel are very low. The results also indicate that a crack-free weldment can be obtained during the welding of this type of steel even at an ambient temperature as low as -5 ℃ as well as in an absolute humidity lower than 4 000 Pa without any preheat treatment. A slight preheat treatment can prevent the joint from cracking when welding is carried out at lower ambient temperature or higher absolute humidity.

Effect of RE on Cracking Resistance and Microstructure of Coatings Formed by Plasma Jet Surface Metallurgy

Metallurgical coatings of iron-based alloy with RE oxide were prepared on low-carbon steel using a home-made DC-plasma jet surface metallurgy equipment. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were employed to observe the microstructure and analyze the chemical compositions of coatings. And the cracking susceptibility of coatings was studied in terms of RE addition. Experimental results show that addition of RE oxide (La_2O_3 and CeO_2) can refine and purify the microstructure, and can reduce the cracking susceptibility of coatings.

Multiscale Study on Low Temperature Crack Resistance Mechanism of Steel Slag Asphalt Mixture

The objective of this paper was to study low temperature crack resistance mechanism of steel slag asphalt mixture(SAM).Thermal stress restrained specimen test(TSRST)and three-point bending test were carried out to evaluate the low-temperature crack resistance of SAM and basalt asphalt mixture(BAM).Based on the digital image correlation technique(DIC),the strain field distribution and crack propagation of SAM were analyzed from the microscopic point of view,and a new index,crack length factor(C),was proposed to evaluate the crack resistance of the asphalt mixture.The crystal phase composition and microstructure of steel slag aggregate(SA)and basalt aggregate(BA)were studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)to explore the low-temperature crack resistance mechanism of SAM.Results show that the low-temperature crack resistance of SAM is better than that of BAM;SAM has good integrity and persistent elastic deformation,and its bending failure mode is a hysteretic quasi-brittle failure;The SA surface is evenly distributed with pores and has surface roughness.SA has the composition phase of alkaline aggregate-calcite(CaCO3),so it has good adhesion to asphalt,which reveals the mechanism of excellent low-temperature crack resistance of SAM.

Effect of rare earth elements on the thermal cracking resistance of high speed steel rolls

The effect of rare earth elements on the thermal cracking resistance of high speed steel （HSS） rolls was investigated. Laser rapid heating was used for thermal fatigue experiments. Thermal cracks and microstructure were observed using metalloscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that thermal cracks initiated from the interface between the matrix and eutectic carbides （including M6C and M7C3 type carbides）,and propagated along the interface between the two phases. MC type carbides enriched with vanadium could prevent the propagation of thermal cracks. The presence of rare earth elements decreased the quantity of big eutectic carbides,and proportionally increased spherical and rod-shaped MC type carbide content. HSS0 （0.00% RE） had approximately three times the thermal cracking density of HSS3 （0.12 wt.% RE）. Rare earth elements were shown to significantly improve the microstructure and thermal cracking resistance of HSS rolls.

Elasto-Plastic Test of Q235 Steel Bending Beam With Cracking Resistance

More than 30 bending beams with rectangular cross-section and different thicknesses and heights were pre- pared from Q295 steel. The specimen dimensions were about 240 mm （length） × 60 mm （height） ×70 mm （thick ness）. Flaws were cut along its middle line with a wire cutter, with lengths ranging from 6 to 35 mm. Each specimen was tested with three-point bend loading, and a process curve was obtained between load and the displacement of the loading point, in order to analyze the fracture process when opening the crack. A deformation near the prefabricated crack was observed in the testing period, and the variation of the fracture characteristic parameters was analyzed for different sizes. For a comprehensive understanding of carbon steel fracture resistance behavior, its elasticity and plas- ticity were established by determining its Young＇s modulus and Poisson＇s ratio with an optical strain gauge. This gauge was also used for the loading process test. It was found that the fracture toughness varied with the dimensions, and the toughness of the elastic limit loading was almost constant. Using the relationship of crack resistance stress intensity factor and fracture criterion, the bearing capacity of the material structure could be estimated, which shows a good agreement with the experimental test data.

Identification of parameter to assess cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures subjected to aging and moisture conditioning

This study comprehensively evaluated different parameters based on tensile strength testing to assess the cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures subjected to aging and moisture conditioning.For this purpose,two sources of aggregates were selected to produce hot and warm mix asphalt mixtures.Asphalt mixtures were subjected to short term and long term aging,three levels of moisture conditioning(freeze thaw cycles),and tested at two temperatures(15℃and 25℃).The load-displacement data was used to determine the fracture work density,fracture energy,toughness index,cracking resistance index,cracking tolerance index,and rate dependent cracking index.It was noticed that moisture conditioning increased the variability of the different parameters.The cracking tolerance index and rate dependent cracking index parameter had a much higher coefficient of variation(Co V)with a maximum value close to 50%.Indirect tensile strength,fracture energy,and fracture work density appropriately captured the effect of moisture on cracking resistance of mixtures.The cracking resistance index,cracking tolerance index,and rate dependent cracking index increased with an increase in the moisture conditioning level.The Statistical analysis showed that tensile strength,fracture work density,and fracture energy were significantly influenced by different aging and moisture conditions evaluated.Fracture energy showed better association with fatigue life of asphalt mixtures subjected to three freeze-thaw cycles compared to tensile strength.Further,the fatigue life prediction models showed that both indirect tensile strength and fracture energy significantly influence the fatigue life of asphalt mixtures subjected to aging and moisture conditioning.

Effect of RE Oxide on Cracking Resistance of Hardfacing Metal

The crack morphologies of hardfacing metal were observed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile, the cracking resistances of hardfacing metal were investigated. The results show that the solidification cracking and quench hardened cracking are the main forms of cracking in hardfacing metal. The cracking resistance of hardfacing metal can be improved by adding rare earth oxide in the coat of electrode.

A review on evaluation of crack resistance of asphalt mixture by semi-circular bending test

Although there are many kinds of fracture tests to choose from in evaluating the crack resistance of asphalt mixture,the semi-circular bending(SCB)test has attracted a lot of attention in the academic road engineering community because of its simplicity,stability,and flexibility in testing and evaluation.The SCB test has become a common method to study the cracking resistance of asphalt mixture in recent years.This paper mainly summarizes the overview of the SCB test,summarizes some research results and common characterization parameters of the SCB test method in monotone test and fatigue test in recent years,and predicts and suggests the research direction of the SCB test in the future.It is found that the research on the monotonic SCB test is more comprehensive,and the research on the SCB fatigue test needs to be further improved in the aspects of loading mode,characterization parameter selection,and so on.Researchers can flexibly adjust the geometric dimensions and the test parameters of semi-cylindrical specimens,and conduct comprehensive analysis combined with the results of numerical simulation.The crack resistance of asphalt mixture can be comprehensively evaluated by fracture energy,fracture toughness,stiffness,flexibility index and other fracture indicators,combined with the crack propagation of the specimen.The analysis of numerical simulation can confirm the test results.In order to standardize the setting of fatigue parameters for future application,it is necessary to standardize the setting of bending performance.

Effects of alloy elements on microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer

Effects of alloy elements on the microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer were investigated. The results show that microstructures of the layer mainly consist of carbides and austenite matrix. Increasing C and Cr contents impair the crack resistance of the layer due to increased amount of brittle carbides. The addition of Ni, Nb or Mo improves the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer by increasing the amount of austenite and forming fine NbC or M 7C 3 carbides in the layer. But, the excessive Nb (>2.50wt%) or Mo (>1.88wt%) impairs the crack resistance of the layer, which has relation with increased carbides or carbide coarsening and austenite matrix solid solution strengthening. The proper combination of C, Cr, Ni, Nb and Mo can further improve not only the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer but also the erosion resistance as a result of fine NbC and M 7C 3 carbides distributing uniformly in austenite matrix. The optimal layer compositions are 3.05wt%C, 20.58wt%Cr, 1.75wt%Ni, 2.00wt%Nb and 1.88wt%Mo.

Sensitive Evaluation on Early Cracking Tendency of Concrete with Inclusion of Light-burnt MgO

The advanced temperature and stress test machine was introduced to determine the early cracking tendency of concrete with inclusion of light-burnt MgO under full restraint by tracking the development of thermal,physical and deformation properties.Results showed that light-burnt MgO being incorporated ranging between 4 wt% and 6 wt% of cementitious materials was beneficial to increase the maximum compressive stress and cracking stress of concrete by 0.37 MPa and 0.2 MPa on average respectively.The second zero stress temperature was reduced by 11.4 ℃ and the maximum temperature was slightly reduced while cracking thermal impact was significantly enhanced from 59.8 ℃ to 66.2 ℃.Sensitive anti-cracking coefficient F was forwarded to assess the early cracking tendency of concrete and the inclusion of 4 wt% light-burnt MgO with activity of 109 s ranked the best in crack resistance.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Quenching Crack Resistance of Steel 9Cr2Mo

The effect of rare earth elements on quenching crack resistance of steel 9Cr2Mo was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Experimental results show that, by adding RE elements to steel 9Cr2Mo, the number of quenching for crack initiation is increased. Meanwhile the propagation of quenching cracks is postponed and the paths of crack propagation are changed. Therefore, quenching crack resistance can be improved by adding RE elements to steel 9Cr2Mo.

EFFECT OF Na,K AND Ce ON CRACK PROPAGATION RESISTANCE FOR ALLOY 8090

The crack propagation resistance for alloy 8090 sheet decreases with the increase of content of Na and K impurities.An improvement over the fracture toughness and crack initiation resist- ance for the alloy containing Na and K within certain limit may be made by adding 0.05% Ce.This beneficial modification would not be manifested if the alloy contained more Na and K.One of the reasons why Na and K injure the toughness of the alloy might be due to that they cause the precipitation of T_1 phase along grain and subgrain boundaries and accelerate the abnormal growth of recystallized grains.

Effect of Oils on SBS Modified Asphalt:Rheological Characteristics and Oxidation Aging

This study focuses on the effect of oils on rheology and oxidation aging of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene modified asphalt(SBSMA)in the long term,after reducing one low-temperature Performance Grade(PG)of SBSMA by incorporating oils.Two oils,including corn-based bio-oil and re-refined engine oil bottom(REOB),were selected to enhance the low-temperature performance of SBSMA.All samples were subjected to Rolling Thin Film Oven(RTFO)aging and 20-h as well as 40-h Pressure Aging Vessel(PAV20 and PAV40)aging,prior to multiple stress creep recovery(MSCR),frequency sweep and Flourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)scanning.A good high-temperature performance of oil/SBS modified asphalt blends was reflected in MSCR and PG results,meanwhile non-recoverable creep compliance(Jnr)and recovery(R)were found to share a highly correlated relationship during aging progress.In addition,Glover–Rowe(G–R)parameter and phase angle master curves suggest that the improvement of cracking property mainly came from the softening effect of oils.Adding oils into SBSMA was observed to increase oxidation kinetics,but the blends with oils still exhibited better anti-oxidation aging than the base binder,mainly due to the SBS addition.Bio-oil exhibited an effect of relieving age hardening susceptibility of SBSMA.

Development and Validation of a Laboratory Aging Method for the Accelerated Simulation of Reclaimed Asphalt

The paper presented first results elaborated during the European Research Project Re-road which aims at the development of techniques for increasing the recycling rates of reclaimed asphalt. During service life surface asphalt courses are subjected to aging due to oxidation effects which causes the hardening of the binder and thereby a change in the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the material. Surface courses often contain highly modified binders as well as special additives for improving the performance characteristics. As these layers inhibit the shortest service lives compared to other road construction layers every year high amounts of reclaimed surface asphalt are available for recycling. The question is raised how the reclaimed asphalt consisting of high quality and costly material components can be recycled for optimal added value. To analyze the asphalt mix service life performance and its recyclability during mix design a laboratory method was developed to simulate the real in-situ aging. First the effects of site aging on the binder and asphalt characteristics were presented. Three laboratory aging methods were discussed which aimed the accelerated aging which meets similar property changes as site aging. At last the effects of two different laboratory aging methods on the same SMA mixture were compared.

Laboratory Evaluation of Fiber-Modified Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Steel Slag Aggregates

Vigorous and continued efforts by researchers and engineers have contributed towards maintaining environmental sustainability through the utilization of waste materials in civil engineering applications as an alternative to natural sources.In this study,granite aggregates in asphaltic mixes were replaced by electric arc furnace(EAF)steel slag aggregates with different proportions to identify the best combination in terms of superior performance.Asphalt mixtures showing the best performance were further reinforced with polyvinyl alcohol(PVA),acrylic,and polyester fibers at the dosages of 0.05%,0.15%,and 0.3%by weight of the aggregates.The performance tests of this study were resilient modulus,moisture susceptibility,and indirect tensile fatigue cracking test.The findings of this study revealed that the asphalt mixtures containing coarse steel slag aggregate exhibited the best performance in comparison with the other substitutions.Moreover,the reinforced asphalt mixtures with synthetic fibers at the content of 0.05%exhibited an almost comparable performance to the unreinforced asphalt mixtures.Modifying the asphalt mixtures with PVA,acrylic,and polyester fibers at the proportion of 0.15%have improved the fatigue cracking resistance by 41.13%,29.87%,and 18.97%,respectively.Also,the fiber-modified asphalt mixtures with PVA,acrylic,and polyester have enhanced the fatigue cracking resistance by about 57%,44%,and 39%,respectively.The results of the resilient modulus demonstrated that as the fiber content increase,the resilient modulus of the reinforced asphalt mixtures decreases.Therefore,introducing synthetic fibers at the content of 0.3%has slightly decreased the resilient modulus in comparison with unreinforced mixtures.On the other hand,the results of the mechanisticempirical pavement design showed that the reinforced asphalt mixes with a high content of synthetic fibers have shown lower service life than the control mixes due to the low resilient modulus.On the contrary,based on the laboratory results,the asphalt mixes incorporating PVA,acrylic,and polyester fibers at the proportion of 0.15%have shown the potential to reduce the thickness of the asphalt layer by about 14.9%,11.80%,and 8.70%,respectively.

Research on material design and high-temperature friction and wear properties of new graphitic steel

To solve the problem of the severe mismatch between the product and roll materials in the preliminary rolling line,a new graphitic steel material was designed,its microstructure and high-temperature friction and wear properties were investigated.Moreover,the feasibility of replacing semi-steel with this new material in the V1 stand roll was studied herein.The results show that the graphitic steel matrix is strengthened by silicon and nickel elements.The presence of spherical graphite also provides self-lubrication and heat conduction and prevents the propagation of cracks.Carbides in the appropriate amount and size strengthen the matrix,reduce the cracking effect of the matrix,and are not easily broken,thereby reducing high-temperature abrasive wear.Under the same hightemperature friction and wear conditions,compared with semi-steel,the wear-scar surface of graphitic steel exhibits less wear-scar depth and wear volume,a smaller friction coefficient,reduced oxide layer thickness,and fewer instances of peeling and microcracks.Therefore,the newly designed graphitic steel has higher wear resistance and hot-crack resistance than semi-steel,which makes it feasible for use in replacing semi-steel as a new V1 frame roll material in the blooming mill.

DEVELOPMENT OF INCONEL~ ALLOY 783，A LOW THERMAL EXPANSION，CRACK GROWTH RESISTANT SUPERALLOY

Low thermal expansion superalloys have been used for a number of years in a variety of applications, including gas turbine engines. The low thermal expansion characteristics of the most widely used class of materials are derived from the ferromagnetic characteristics of Ni, Fe, and Co-based austenitic matrices containing little or no Cr.Alloy developments have been aimed at improving the oxidation resistance and stress accelerated grain boundary oxygen (SAGBO) attack.INCONEL alloy 783 is an oxidation resistant, low coefficient of thermal expansion superalloy developed for gas turbine applications. Alloy 783 represents a culmination in the development, of an alloy system with very high alumtnum content that, in addition to forming γ′,causes βaluminide phase precipitation in the austenitic matrix.This type of structure can be processed to resist both SAGBO and general oxidation,while providing low thermal expansion and useful mechanical properties up to 700℃.Key aspects of the alloy's development are presented.

Anti-Crack Performance of Low-Heat Portland Cement Concrete

The properties of low-heat Portland cement concrete（LHC） were studied in detail. The experimental results show that the LHC concrete has characteristics of a higher physical mechanical behavior, deformation and durability. Compared with moderate-heat Portland cement（MHC）, the average hydration heat of LHC concrete is reduced by about 17.5%. Under same mixing proportion, the adiabatic temperature rise of LHC concrete was reduced by 2 ℃-3 ℃,and the limits tension of LHC concrete was increased by 10× 10^-6-15×10^-6 than that of MHC. Moreover, it is indicated that LHC concrete has a better anti-crack behavior than MHC concrete.

Hydration Process and Crack Tendency of Concrete Based on Resistivity and Restrained Shrinkage Crack

Hydration process, crack potential and setting time of concrete grade C30, C40 and C50 were monitored by using a non-contact electrical resistivity apparatus, a novel plastic ring mould and penetration resistance methods, respectively. The results show the highest resistivity of C30 at the early stage until a point when C50 accelerated and overtook the others. It has been experimentally confirmed that the crossing point of C30 and C50 corresponds to the final setting time of C50. From resistivity derivative curve, four different stages were observed upon which the hydration process is classified; these are dissolution, induction, acceleration and deceleration periods. Consequently, restrained shrinkage crack and setting time results demonstrated that C50 set and cracked the earliest. The cracking time of all the samples occurred within a reasonable experimental period thus the novel plastic ring is a convenient method for predicting concrete＇s crack potential. The highest inflection time（t_i） obtained from resistivity curve and the final setting time（t_f） were used with crack time（t_c） in coming up with mathematical models for the prediction of concrete＇s cracking age for the range of concrete grade considered. Finally, an ANSYS numerical simulation supports the experimental findings in terms of the earliest crack age of C50 and the crack location.

Determination of the Fracture Toughness of Optomechanical Devices

Static fracture toughness characteristics are traditionally determined in tests of standard notched specimens using a P-V curve, where P is the load and V is the notch-opening displacement. This curve has a characteristic point Q. At the load PQ corresponding to this point, the crack starts to propagate. For this load, the fracture toughness characteristics are then calculated. In brittle (elastic) fracture, the P-V curve at the onset of crack propagation has an extremum (or a local extremum), from whose ordinate PQ is determined with sufficient accuracy. In ductile and elastic-ductile fracture, P-V curves are monotonically increasing, and PQ is calculated using the 5% secant offset method without taking into account the characteristics of the material, so that the PQ is determined inaccurately. To improve the accuracy of PQ determination, we propose a thermographic method for determining the fracture toughness of metals. This method involves plotting the load P against the temperature change ΔТ over a relatively short period of time at the notch tip. This plot is then transformed to a P-ΔS curve, where ΔS is the specific entropy increment at the notch tip, which is calculated through ΔТ. This thermodynamic diagram has a characteristic step at the beginning of crack propagation, and from the ordinate of this step, PQ can be determined much more accurately. Furthermore, in the thermographic method, the preparation of test specimens can be simplified by replacing the process of growing a fatigue crack at the tip of a notch by making a sharp cut, which provides significant time savings. Statistical processing and comparison of test results of steel 20 specimens using the conventional and thermographic methods have shown the advantages of the thermographic method in accuracy and complexity.