Flow characteristics and hot workability of a typical low-alloy high-strength steel during multi-pass deformation

Heavy components of low-alloy high-strength(LAHS) steels are generally formed by multi-pass forging. It is necessary to explore the flow characteristics and hot workability of LAHS steels during the multi-pass forging process, which is beneficial to the formulation of actual processing parameters. In the study, the multi-pass hot compression experiments of a typical LAHS steel are carried out at a wide range of deformation temperatures and strain rates. It is found that the work hardening rate of the experimental material depends on deformation parameters and deformation passes, which is ascribed to the impacts of static and dynamic softening behaviors. A new model is established to describe the flow characteristics at various deformation passes. Compared to the classical Arrhenius model and modified Zerilli and Armstrong model, the newly proposed model shows higher prediction accuracy with a confidence level of 0.98565. Furthermore, the connection between power dissipation efficiency(PDE) and deformation parameters is revealed by analyzing the microstructures. The PDE cannot be utilized to reflect the efficiency of energy dissipation for microstructure evolution during the entire deformation process, but only to assess the efficiency of energy dissipation for microstructure evolution in a specific deformation parameter state.As a result, an integrated processing map is proposed to better study the hot workability of the LAHS steel, which considers the effects of instability factor(IF), PDE, and distribution and size of grains. The optimized processing parameters for the multi-pass deformation process are the deformation parameters of 1223–1318 K and 0.01–0.08 s^(-1). Complete dynamic recrystallization occurs within the optimized processing parameters with an average grain size of 18.36–42.3 μm. This study will guide the optimization of the forging process of heavy components.

Anthropogenic Influence on Decadal Changes in Concurrent Hot and Dry Events over China around the Mid-1990s

The frequency and duration of observed concurrent hot and dry events(HDEs) over China during the growing season(April–September) exhibit significant decadal changes across the mid-1990s. These changes are characterized by increases in HDE frequency and duration over most of China, with relatively large increases over southeastern China(SEC), northern China(NC), and northeastern China(NEC). The frequency of HDEs averaged over China in the present day(PD,1994–2011) is double that in the early period(EP, 1964–81);the duration of HDEs increases by 60%. Climate experiments with the Met Office Unified Model(MetUM-GOML2) are used to estimate the contributions of anthropogenic forcing to HDE decadal changes over China. Anthropogenic forcing changes can explain 60%–70% of the observed decadal changes,suggesting an important anthropogenic influence on HDE changes over China across the mid-1990s. Single-forcing experiments indicate that the increase in greenhouse gas(GHG) concentrations dominates the simulated decadal changes,increasing the frequency and duration of HDEs throughout China. The change in anthropogenic aerosol(AA) emissions significantly decreases the frequency and duration of HDEs over SEC and NC, but the magnitude of the decrease is much smaller than the increase induced by GHGs. The changes in HDEs in response to anthropogenic forcing are mainly due to the response of climatological mean surface air temperatures. The contributions from changes in variability and changes in climatological mean soil moisture and evapotranspiration are relatively small. The physical processes associated with the response of HDEs to GHG and AA changes are also revealed.

Hot Compressive Deformation Characteristics of Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu Alloy

To understand the hot compression deformation characteristics of the self-developed Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg^(-1).1Cu alloy,the hot compression tests of Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg^(-1).1Cu alloy were investigated by Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator to determine the best hot processing conditions.The hot deformation temperatures were 300,350,400,and 450℃,and the strain rates were 1,0.1,0.01,and 0.003 s^(-1),respectively.Based on the experimental results,the constitutive equation and hot processing maps are established,and the corresponding strain rate and temperature-sensitive index are analyzed.The results show that Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg^(-1).1Cu alloy has a dynamic softening trend and high strain rate sensitivity during the isothermal compression process.The hot deformation behavior can be described by an Arrhenius-type equation after strain compensation.The temperature has a negligible effect on the hot processing properties,while a low strain rate is favorable for the hot working of alloy.The processing maps and microstructure show that the optimal processing conditions were in the temperature range of 400-450℃and strain rate range of 0.003-0.005 s^(-1).

Two-stage dynamic recrystallization and texture evolution in Al-7Mg alloy during hot torsion

Hot torsion tests were performed on the Al-7Mg alloy at the temperature ranging from 300 to 500℃ and strain rates between 0.05 and 5 s^(-1) to explore the progressive dynamic recrystallization(DRX)and texture behaviors.The DRX behavior of the alloy manifested two distinct stages:Stage 1 at strain of≤2 and Stage 2 at strains of≥2.In Stage 1,there was a slight increase in the DRXed grain fraction(X_(DRX))with predominance of discontinuous DRX(DDRX),followed by a modest change in X_(DRX) until the transition to Stage 2.Stage 2 was marked by an accelerated rate of DRX,culminating in a substantial final X_(DRX) of~0.9.Electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD)analysis on a sample in Stage 2 revealed that continuous DRX(CDRX)predominantly occurred within the(121)[001]grains,whereas the(111)[110]grains underwent a geometric DRX(GDRX)evolution without a noticeable sub-grain structure.Furthermore,a modified Avrami’s DRX kinetics model was utilized to predict the microstructural refinement in the Al-7Mg alloy during the DRX evolution.Although this kinetics model did not accurately capture the DDRX behavior in Stage 1,it effectively simulated the DRX rate in Stage 2.The texture index was employed to assess the evolution of the texture isotropy during hot-torsion test,demonstrating significant improvement(>75%)in texture randomness before the commencement of Stage 2.This initial texture evolution is attributed to the rotation of parent grains and the substructure evolution,rather than to an increase in X_(DRX).

Evolution of microstructure and texture of AZ80 magnesium alloy under hot torsion with constant decreasing temperature rate

Hot torsion tests for AZ80 magnesium alloy were carried out in the temperature range of 380℃-260℃,with a constant decreasing temperature rate of 10℃/s in order to weaken the basal texture and refine the grains.The results indicated that the average grain sizes were refined forming gradient structure with increasing specimen radial position from center(12.2-5.4μm),and that the initial basal texture intensity of the extruded magnesium alloy was weakened from 46.2 to 8.3.Furthermore,the extension twins(ETs)could be disintegrated from the twins forming separated twins with smaller sizes.Interestingly,ETs with the same twin variant intersecting with each other could be coalesced forming grains with similar orientation,while ETs with different twin variants were separated by twins boundaries contributing to grain refinement.Moreover,in addition to the conventional continuous dynamic recrystallized(CDRX)grains with 30˚orientation rotated around C-axis of the parent grains,CDRXed grains with 30˚rotation around a-axis and random rotation axis were also discerned.Besides,the CDRX evolution induced twins were also elaborated,exhibiting the complex competition between CDRX and twining.Hot torsion deformation with constant decreasing temperatures rate is an effective way of grain refinement and texture modification.

Enhanced Cooling Efficiency of Urban Trees on Hotter Summer Days in 70 Cities of China

Increasing the urban tree cover percentage(TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter days, depending on the physiological response of urban trees to rising ambient temperature. However, the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature remains poorly quantified for China's cities. In this study, we quantify the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature at noontime [~1330 LT(local time), LT=UTC+8] in 17summers(June, July, and August) from 2003–19 in 70 economically developed cities of China based on satellite observations. The results show that urban trees have stronger cooling efficiency with increasing temperature, suggesting additional cooling benefits provided by urban trees on hotter days. The enhanced cooling efficiency values of urban trees range from 0.002 to 0.055℃ %-1 per 1℃ increase in temperature across the selected cities, with larger values for the lowTCP-level cities. The response is also regulated by background temperature and precipitation, as the additional cooling benefit tends to be larger in warmer and wetter cities at the same TCP level. The positive response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature is explained mainly by the stronger evapotranspiration of urban trees on hotter days.These results have important implications for alleviating urban heat risk by utilizing urban trees, particularly considering that extreme hot days are becoming more frequent in cities under global warming.

Microstructure and Hot Tearing Sensitivity Simulation and Parameters Optimization for the Centrifugal Casting of Al-Cu Alloy

Four typical theories on the formation of thermal tears:strength,liquid film,intergranular bridging,and solidifica-tion shrinkage compensation theories.From these theories,a number of criteria have been derived for predicting the formation of thermal cracks,such as the stress-based Niyama,Clyne,and RDG(Rapaz-Dreiser-Grimaud)criteria.In this paper,a mathematical model of horizontal centrifugal casting was established,and numerical simulation analysis was conducted for the centrifugal casting process of cylindrical Al-Cu alloy castings to investigate the effect of the centrifugal casting process conditions on the microstructure and hot tearing sensitivity of alloy castings by using the modified RDG hot tearing criterion.Results show that increasing the centrifugal rotation and pouring speeds can refine the microstructure of the alloy but increasing the pouring and mold preheating temperatures can lead to an increase in grain size.The grain size gradually transitions from fine grain on the outer layer to coarse grain on the inner layer.Meanwhile,combined with the modified RDG hot tearing criterion,the overall distribution of the castings’hot tearing sensitivity was analyzed.The analysis results indicate that the porosity in the middle region of the casting was large,and hot tearing defects were prone to occur.The hot tearing tendency on the inner side of the casting was greater than that on the outer side.The effects of centrifugal rotation speed,pouring temperature,and preheating temperature on the thermal sensitivity of Al-Cu alloy castings are summarized in this paper.This study revealed that the tendency of alloy hot cracking decreases with the increase of the centrifugal speed,and the maximum porosity of castings decreases first and then increases with the pouring temperature.As the preheating temperature increases,the overall maximum porosity of castings shows a decreasing trend.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of high -performance powder metallurgy TA15 titanium alloy by hot rolling

Hot deformation of sintered billets by powder metallurgy(PM)is an effective preparation technique for titanium alloys,which is more significant for high-alloying alloys.In this study,Ti–6.5Al–2Zr–Mo–V(TA15)titanium alloy plates were prepared by cold press-ing sintering combined with high-temperature hot rolling.The microstructure and mechanical properties under different process paramet-ers were investigated.Optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction,and others were applied to characterize the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties strengthening mechanism.The results showed that the chemical compositions were uniformly dif-fused without segregation during sintering,and the closing of the matrix craters was accelerated by increasing the sintering temperature.The block was hot rolled at 1200℃ with an 80%reduction under only two passes without annealing.The strength and elongation of the plate at 20–25℃ after solution and aging were 1247 MPa and 14.0%,respectively,which were increased by 24.5%and 40.0%,respect-ively,compared with the as-sintered alloy at 1300℃.The microstructure was significantly refined by continuous dynamic recrystalliza-tion,which was completed by the rotation and dislocation absorption of the substructure surrounded by low-angle grain boundaries.After hot rolling combined with heat treatment,the strength and plasticity of PM-TA15 were significantly improved,which resulted from the dense,uniform,and fine recrystallization structure and the synergistic effect of multiple slip systems.

Temperature dependence of mechanical properties and damage evolution of hot dry rocks under rapid cooling

Understanding the differences in mechanical properties and damage characteristics of granitoid under high temperatures is crucial for exploring deep geothermal resources.This study analyzes the evolution of the acoustic emission(AE)characteristics and mechanical parameters of granodiorite and granite after heating and water cooling by uniaxial compression and variable-angle shear tests under different temperature gradients.We identify their changes in mesostructure and mineral composition with electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy.Results show that these two hot dry rocks have similar diagenetic minerals and microstructure,but show significantly different mechanical and acoustic characteristics,and even opposing evolution trends in a certain temperature range.At the temperatures ranging from 100℃to 500℃,the compressive and shear mechanical properties of granodiorite switch repeatedly between weakening and strengthening,and those of granite show a continuous weakening trend.At 600℃,both rocks exhibit a deterioration of mechanical properties.The damage mode of granite is characterized by initiating at low stress,exponential evolutionary activity,and intensified energy release.In contrast,granodiorite exhibits the characteristics of initiating at high stress,volatile evolutionary activity,and intermittent energy release,due to its more stable microstructure and fewer thermal defects compared to granite.As the temperature increases,the initiation and propagation of secondary cracks in granodiorite are suppressed to a certain extent,and the seismicity and brittleness are enhanced.The subtle differences in grain size,microscopic heterogeneity,and mineral composition of the two hot dry rocks determine the different acoustic-mechanical characteristics under heating and cooling,and the evolution trends with temperature.These findings are of great significance for the scientific and efficient construction of rock mass engineering by rationally utilizing different rock strata properties.

Design,preparation,microstructure and mechanical property of the lightweight radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al composites basing differential temperature hot rolling

A novel lightweight,radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al layered metal-matrix composite(LMC)was successful designed by doping the extremely refractory metal(Ta)into Mg sheets.These Mg-based LMCs sheets shows excellent radiation-dose shield effect,about 145 krad·a^(−1),which is about 17 times of traditional Mg alloy,while its surface density is only about 0.9 g·cm^(−2),reducing by 60%than that of pure Ta.The quantitate relationship between radiation-dose and the materials’thickness was also confirmed to the logistic function when the surface density is in the range of 0.6-1.5 g·cm^(−2).Meantime,the rolling parameters,interface microstructure and mechanical properties in both as-rolled and annealing treated samples were evaluated.The sheets possess a special dissimilar atoms diffusion transitional zone containing an obvious inter-diffusion Mg-Al interface and the unique micro-corrugated Ta-Al interface,as well as a thin Al film with a thickness of about 10μm.The special zone could reduce the stress concentration and enhance the strength of Mg-Ta-Al LMCs.The interface bonding strength reaches up to 54-76 MPa.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(TYS)of the Mg-Ta-Al sheet were high to 413 MPa and 263 MPa,respectively,along with an elongation of 5.8%.The molecular dynamics(MD)analysis results show that the two interfaces exhibit different formation mechanism,the Mg-Al interface primarily depended on Mg/Al atoms diffusion basing point defects movement,while the Ta-Al interface with a micro-interlock pining shape formed by close-packed planes slipping during high temperature strain-induced deformation process.

Effect of hot isostatic pressure on the microstructure and tensile properties of γ'-strengthened superalloy fabricated through induction-assisted directed energy deposition

The microstructure characteristics and strengthening mechanism of Inconel738LC(IN-738LC) alloy prepared by using induction-assisted directed energy deposition(IDED) were elucidated through the investigation of samples subjected to IDED under 1050℃ preheating with and without hot isostatic pressing(HIP,1190℃,105 MPa,and 3 h).Results show that the as-deposited sample mainly consisted of epitaxial columnar crystals and inhomogeneously distributed γ’ phases in interdendritic and dendritic core regions.After HIP,grain morphology changed negligibly,whereas the size of the γ’ phase became increasingly even.After further heat treatment(HT,1070℃,2 h + 845℃,24 h),the γ’ phase in the as-deposited and HIPed samples presented a bimodal size distribution,whereas that in the as-deposited sample showed a size that remained uneven.The comparison of tensile properties revealed that the tensile strength and uniform elongation of the HIP + HTed sample increased by 5% and 46%,respectively,due to the synergistic deformation of bimodal γ’phases,especially large cubic γ’ phases.Finally,the relationship between phase transformations and plastic deformations in the IDEDed sample was discussed on the basis of generalized stability theory in terms of the trade-off between thermodynamics and kinetics.

Research status and hotspots of tight junctions and colorectal cancer:A bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death.Over the past two decades,numerous researchers have provided important evidence regarding the role of tight junction(TJ)proteins in the occurrence and progression of CRC.The causal relationship between the presence of specific TJ proteins and the development of CRC has also been confirmed.Despite the large number of publications in this field,a bibliometric study to review the current state of research and highlight the research trends and hotspots in this field has not yet been performed.AIM To analyze research on TJs and CRC,summarize the field’s history and current status,and predict future research directions.METHODS We searched the Science Citation Index Expanded database for all literature on CRC and TJs from 2001-2023.We used bibliometrics to analyze the data of these papers,such as the authors,countries,institutions,and references.Co-authorship,co-citation,and co-occurrence analyses were the main methods of analysis.CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize the results.RESULTS A total of 205 studies were ultimately identified.The number of publications on this topic has steadily increased since 2007.China and the United States have made the largest contributions to this field.Anticancer Research was the most prolific journal,publishing 8 articles,while the journal Oncogene had the highest average citation rate(68.33).Professor Dhawan P was the most prolific and cited author in this field.Co-occurrence analysis of keywords revealed that“tight junction protein expression”,“colorectal cancer”,“intestinal microbiota”,and“inflammatory bowel disease”had the highest frequency of occurrence,revealing the research hotspots and trends in this field.CONCLUSION This bibliometric analysis evaluated the scope and trends of TJ proteins in CRC,providing valuable research perspectives and future directions for studying the connection between the two.It is recommended to focus on emerging research hotspots,such as the correlations among intestinal microbiota,inflammatory bowel disease,TJ protein expression,and CRC.

Development status and research recommendations for thermal extraction technology in deep hot dry rock reservoirs

Based on a comprehensive review of domestic and foreign literature, this article discusses the technical difficulties and development status of enhanced geothermal system(EGS) concerning the thermal energy extraction of deep hot dry rock(HDR) reservoirs and proposes suggestions for the research focus of numerical simulation of HDR reservoir stimulation. Additionally, it summarizes the existing methods and mainstream working fluids for HDR reservoir stimulation. The article emphasizes the significance of factors such as well location, production well depth, artificial fracture orientation, and complexity in optimizing the thermal production efficiency of the EGS. Furthermore, this article delves into a detailed discussion on the influence of fracture spacing, fracture permeability,fracture length, fluid injection rate, and injected fluid temperature on the performance of the EGS. In light of the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling challenges associated with high-temperature reservoirs, it is suggested that future research efforts should focus on investigating the impact of thermo-induced stresses on the stability of the artificial fracture network within the EGS during long-term(>30 years) circulation of hot and cold fluids.

Prediction of Hot Deformation Behavior of 7Mo Super Austenitic Stainless Steel Based on Back Propagation Neural Network

The hot compression tests of 7Mo super austenitic stainless(SASS)were conducted to obtain flow curves at the temperature of 1000-1200℃and strain rate of 0.001 s^(-1)to 1 s^(-1).To predict the non-linear hot deformation behaviors of the steel,back propagation-artificial neural network(BP-ANN)with 16×8×8 hidden layer neurons was proposed.The predictability of the ANN model is evaluated according to the distribution of mean absolute error(MAE)and relative error.The relative error of 85%data for the BP-ANN model is among±5%while only 42.5%data predicted by the Arrhenius constitutive equation is in this range.Especially,at high strain rate and low temperature,the MAE of the ANN model is 2.49%,which has decreases for 18.78%,compared with conventional Arrhenius constitutive equation.

Potential of Applying Artificial Intelligence to Hot Metal Logistics Management

The steel industry,known for its complexity and the need to reduce CO_(2)emissions,is adopting advanced digitalization tools to move towards a more sustainable,integrated,and agile operating model.Digital twins with artificial intelligence-based optimization and scheduling models can improve decision-making in logistics,refractory maintenance,and energy efficiency.By incorporating advanced AI algorithms into this decision support system,the hot metal route scenarios can be evaluated,resulting in minimized hot metal temperature losses and increased scrap utilization.This paper integrated digital twins with reinforcement learning algorithms to investigate the logistics of torpedoes and hot metal ladles.It considered important input parameters such as the ladles and torpedoes'thermal state and location,refractory thickness,hot metal volume and temperature,and crane availability.By incorporating advanced AI algorithms into this decision support system,energy-efficient scenarios can be evaluated,increasing scrap utilization and resulting in a possible reduction of 15°C in hot metal temperature losses.

Large-scale physical simulation of injection and production of hot dry rock in Gonghe Basin,Qinghai Province,China

Based on the independently developed true triaxial multi-physical field large-scale physical simulation system of in-situ injection and production,we conducted physical simulation of long-term multi-well injection and production in the hot dry rocks of the Gonghe Basin,Qinghai Province,NW China.Through multi-well connectivity experiments,the spatial distribution characteristics of the natural fracture system in the rock samples and the connectivity between fracture and wellbore were clarified.The injection and production wells were selected to conduct the experiments,namely one injection well and two production wells,one injection well and one production well.The variation of several physical parameters in the production well was analyzed,such as flow rate,temperature,heat recovery rate and fluid recovery.The results show that under the combination of thermal shock and injection pressure,the fracture conductivity was enhanced,and the production temperature showed a downward trend.The larger the flow rate,the faster the decrease.When the local closed area of the fracture was gradually activated,new heat transfer areas were generated,resulting in a lower rate of increase or decrease in the mining temperature.The heat recovery rate was mainly controlled by the extraction flow rate and the temperature difference between injection and production fluid.As the conductivity of the leak-off channel increased,the fluid recovery of the production well rapidly decreased.The influence mechanisms of dominant channels and fluid leak-off on thermal recovery performance are different.The former limits the heat exchange area,while the latter affects the flow rate of the produced fluid.Both of them are important factors affecting the long-term and efficient development of hot dry rock.

Clinical Observation of the Hot and Humid Compress Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type of Lumbar Disc Herniation

Background: Although a number of studies have reported that the hot and humid compress from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is effective in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with qi stagnation and blood stasis, clinical evidence is limited. Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness of the traditional Chinese hot and humid compress in the treatment of LDH with qi stagnation and blood stasis. Methods: From October 2021 to November 2023, 86 patients with LDH of qi stagnation and blood stasis type were recruited in our hospital and divided into a control (n = 43) and an observation group (n = 43) according to the random number table method. The control group was given routine clinical treatment, and the observation group was treated with the hot and humid compress therapy for two weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, TCM syndrome score, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were observed and compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated. Results: After treatment, the VAS score, TCM symptom score, and serum IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels decreased in both groups (P P P P P Conclusions: The hot and humid compress of traditional Chinese medicine can effectively relieve pain, restore lumbar function, improve TCM syndromes, reduce the level of inflammatory factors, and have a curative effect in treating LDH.

A thermal stress loading technique for large-sized hot dry rock mechanical tests

Testing of large-sized specimens is becoming increasingly important in deep underground rock mechanics and engineering.In traditional mechanical loading,stresses on large-sized specimens are achieved by large host frames and hydraulic pumps,which could lead to great investment.Low-cost testing machines clearly always have great appeal.In this study,a new approach is proposed using thermal expansion stress to load rock specimens,which may be particularly suitable for tests of deep hot dry rock with high temperatures.This is a different technical route from traditional mechanical loading through hydraulic pressure.For the rock mechanics test system of hot dry rock that already has an investment in heating systems,this technology may reduce the cost of the loading subsystem by fully utilizing the temperature changes.This paper presents the basic principle and a typical design of this technical solution.Preliminary feasibility analysis is then conducted based on numerical simulations.Although some technical details still need to be resolved,the feasibility of this loading approach has been preliminarily confirmed.

Effect of chromium on hot corrosion behavior of arc-sprayed NiCr coatings

In this article,NiCr coatings with chromium content of 13%,27%and 41%were prepared by arc spraying.They were exposed in molten salts(NaCl-Na_(2)SO_(4))at 800℃for 200 hours.The effect of chromium content on the hot corrosion behavior of the coatings was in-vestigated.X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersion spectrum(SEM-EDS)were used to analyze the phase compositions,morphologies and chemical compositions of the coatings.The results show that NiCr13 coating exhibited the worst hot corrosion resistance due to the low chromium content,which resulted in NiO being the major reaction product.It should be noted that the hot corrosion resistance of NiCr27 coating was better than that of NiCr41 coating.The basic fluxing of Cr_(2)O_(3) lowered its protection during the hot corrosion process and led to the formation of porous Cr_(2)O_(3) on the NiCr41 coating.The molten salts accelerated the oxidation reac-tion resulting in thicker and porous oxide scales formed on the surfaces of coatings.

Optimisation of Thermal Comfort of Building in a Hot and Dry Tropical Climate: A Comparative Approach between Compressed Earth/Concrete Block Envelopes

Compressed earth blocks (CEB) are an alternative to cement blocks in the construction of wall masonry. However, the optimal architectural construction methods for adequate thermal comfort for occupants in hot and arid environments are not mastered. This article evaluates the influence of architectural and constructive modes of buildings made of CEB walls and concrete block walls, to optimize and compare their thermal comfort in the hot and dry tropical climate of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Two identical pilot buildings whose envelopes are made of CEB and concrete blocks were monitored for this study. The thermal models of the pilot buildings were implemented in the SketchUp software using an extension of EnergyPlus. The models were empirically validated after calibration against measured thermal data from the buildings. The models were used to do a parametric analysis for optimization of the thermal performances by simulating plaster coatings on the exterior of walls, airtight openings and natural ventilation depending on external weather conditions. The results show that the CEB building displays 7016 hours of discomfort, equivalent to 80.1% of the time, and the concrete building displays 6948 hours of discomfort, equivalent to 79.3% of the time. The optimization by modifications reduced the discomfort to 2918 and 3125 hours respectively;i.e. equivalent to only 33.3% for the CEB building and 35.7% for the concrete building. More study should evaluate thermal optimizations in buildings in real time of usage such as residential buildings commonly used by the local middle class. The use of CEB as a construction material and passive means of improving thermal comfort is a suitable ecological and economical option to replace cementitious material.