Functionally graded structure of a nitride-strengthened Mg_(2)Si-based hybrid composite

The ex-situ incorporation of the secondary SiC reinforcement,along with the in-situ incorporation of the tertiary and quaternary Mg_(3)N_(2) and Si_(3)N_(4) phases,in the primary matrix of Mg_(2)Si is employed in order to provide ultimate wear resistance based on the laser-irradiation-induced inclusion of N_(2) gas during laser powder bed fusion.This is substantialized based on both the thermal diffusion-and chemical reactionbased metallurgy of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.This study also proposes a functional platform for systematically modulating a functionally graded structure and modeling build-direction-dependent architectonics during additive manufacturing.This strategy enables the development of a compositional gradient from the center to the edge of each melt pool of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.Consequently,the coefficient of friction of the hybrid composite exhibits a 309.3%decrease to–1.67 compared to–0.54 for the conventional nonreinforced Mg_(2)Si structure,while the tensile strength exhibits a 171.3%increase to 831.5 MPa compared to 485.3 MPa for the conventional structure.This outstanding mechanical behavior is due to the(1)the complementary and synergistic reinforcement effects of the SiC and nitride compounds,each of which possesses an intrinsically high hardness,and(2)the strong adhesion of these compounds to the Mg_(2)Si matrix despite their small sizes and low concentrations.

In-Situ Synthesis and Characteristics of TiC-Fe Cermet Graded Composite Coating on a Steel Substrate

By means of an inherent elevated-temperature of poured liquid steel,a Ti-C-30wt%Fe preform,which was pre-placed in a mould cavity,was directly ignited and a combustion synthesis reaction took place.As a result,a TiC-Fe cermet coating with a thickness of about 10mm was simultaneously synthesized on the solidified steel matrix.The synthesized coating exhibits a feature of graded composite structure,in which both the amount and size of TiC particles decrease gradually with an increasing distance from the furface of the coating.Moreover,by a proper casting technique,the pores formed during the combustion synthesis of the preform could be centrally distributed in 2-3mm in outer layer of the coating.When this outer porous layer was worn off,the rest coating with a thickness of about 8mm possesses a dense structure and a high abrasive wear resistance.

In-situ fabrication of Al(Zn)-Al_2O_3 graded composite using the aluminothermic reaction during hot pressing

In INs study, the fabrication of multilayer AI（Zn）-A1203 with different volume fractions of A1203 was investigated. A1 and ZnO powders were milled by a plaaetaxy ball mill, after which five-layer functionally graded samples were produced flarough hot pressing at 580~C and 90 MPa pressure for 30 min. Formation of reinforcing A1203 particles occurred in the aluminum matrix via the aluminolkermic reaction. Determination of the ignition temperature of the aluminolkennic reaction was accomplished using differential lkermal and lkermo- gravimelric amlyses. Scaaming electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometery amlyses were utilized to characterize the specimens. The lkermal amlysis results showed that the ignition temperatures for the aluminolkennic reaction of layers with the highest and lowest ZnO contents were 667 and 670~C, respectively. Microslxuctural observation and chemical amlysis confirmed the fa- brication of AI（Zn）-A1203 functionally graded materials composites with precipitation of additional Zn in the matrix. Moreover, nearly dense functionally graded samples demonstrated minimum and maximum hacdness values of HV 75 and HV 130, respectively.

Preparation of in-situ Cu/NbC nanocomposite and its functionally graded behavior for electrical contact applications

Cu–15%NbC (volume fraction) powder was synthesized using the starting powders of Cu, Nb and graphite in a high energy vibratory disc mill for 7 h of milling under argon atmosphere. A composite sample and a Cu/NbC functionally graded material (FGM) sample were produced by using the two-step press and sintering at 900 °C for 1 h under vacuum. The microstructure and physical and mechanical properties of the specimens were investigated. The field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the synthesis of the nanostructure matrix of 18–27 nm with the nanoparticles reinforcement of 42 nm after sintering, verifying the thermal stability of this composite at high temperature. The hardness of Cu–15%NbC was five times greater than that of the pure Cu specimen. The volume reduction of the sample after the wear test decreased in comparison with the pure Cu specimen. The electrical conductivity of the composite specimen decreased to 36.68% IACS. The FGM specimen exhibited high electrical conductivity corresponding to 75.83% IACS with the same hardness and wear properties as those of the composite sample on the composite surface. Thus, Cu/NbC FGM with good mechanical and electrical properties can be a good candidate for electrical contact applications.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of(TiC+TiB)/TA15 composites prepared by an in-situ synthesis method

Titanium matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles are considered a promising engineering material due to their combination of high specific strength,low density,and high modulus.In this study,the TA15-based composites reinforced with a volume fraction of 10% to 25%(TiB+TiC)were prepared using powder metallurgy and casting technique.Microstructural characterization and phase constitution were examined using optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).In addition,the microhardness,room temperature(RT)and high temperature(HT)tensile properties of the composites were evaluated.Results revealed that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly even in the composites with a high volume of TiB and TiC.However,as the volume fraction exceeds 15%,TiB and TiC particles become coarsening and exhibit rod-like and dendritic-like morphology.Microhardness increases gradually from 321.2 HV for the base alloy to a maximum of 473.3 HV as the reinforcement increases to 25vol.%.Tensile test results indicate that a reinforcement volume fraction above 20% is beneficial for enhancing tensile strength and yield strength at high temperatures,but it has an adverse effect on room temperature elongation.Conversely,if the reinforcement volume fraction is below 20%,it can improve high-temperature elongation when the temperature exceeds 600℃.

In-situ additive manufacturing of high strength yet ductility titanium composites with gradient layered structure using N_(2)

It has always been challenging work to reconcile the contradiction between the strength and plasticity of titanium materials.Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) is a convenient method to fabricate innovative composites including those inspired by gradient layered materials.In this work,we used LPBF to selectively prepare Ti N/Ti gradient layered structure(GLSTi)composites by using different N_(2)–Ar ratios during the LPBF process.We systematically investigated the mechanisms of in-situ synthesis Ti N,high strength and ductility of GLSTi composites using microscopic analysis,TEM characterization,and tensile testing with digital image correlation.Besides,a digital correspondence was established between the N_(2) concentration and the volume fraction of LPBF in-situ synthesized Ti N.Our results show that the GLSTi composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to pure titanium fabricated by LPBF under pure Ar.Specifically,the tensile strength of GLSTi was more than 1.5times higher than that of LPBF-formed pure titanium,reaching up to 1100 MPa,while maintaining a high elongation at fracture of 17%.GLSTi breaks the bottleneck of high strength but low ductility exhibited by conventional nanoceramic particle-strengthened titanium matrix composites,and the hetero-deformation induced strengthening effect formed by the Ti N/Ti layered structure explained its strength-plasticity balanced principle.The microhardness exhibits a jagged variation of the relatively low hardness of 245 HV0.2 for the pure titanium layer and a high hardness of 408 HV0.2 for the N_(2) in-situ synthesis layer.Our study provides a new concept for the structure-performance digital customization of 3D-printed Ti-based composites.

Thermal transport in composition graded silicene/germanene heterostructures

Through equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations,we have demonstrated the inhibitory effect of composition graded interface on thermal transport behavior in lateral heterostructures.Specifically,we investigated the influence of composition gradient length and heterogeneous particles at the silicene/germanene(SIL/GER)heterostructure interface on heat conduction.Our results indicate that composition graded interface at the interface diminishes the thermal conductivity of the heterostructure,with a further reduction observed as the length increases,while the effect of the heterogeneous particles can be considered negligible.To unveil the influence of composition graded interface on thermal transport,we conducted phonon analysis and identified the presence of phonon localization within the interface composition graded region.Through these analyses,we have determined that the decrease in thermal conductivity is correlated with phonon localization within the heterostructure,where a stronger degree of phonon localization signifies poorer thermal conductivity in the material.Our research findings not only contribute to understanding the impact of interface gradient-induced phonon localization on thermal transport but also offer insights into the modulation of thermal conductivity in heterostructures.

Development of functionally graded aluminium composites using centrifugal casting and influence of reinforcements on mechanical and wear properties

Functionally graded Al/B_4C, Al/Si C, Al/Al_2O_3 and Al/TiB_2 composites with constant 12%(mass fraction) of reinforcement were fabricated by centrifugal casting and hollow cylindrical components were obtained. Microstructural characteristics were investigated at outer surface of all composites and segregation of reinforcement particles was observed. Graded property of the composites with different reinforcements was investigated through hardness and tensile measurements. Results revealed that the outer peripheries of all composites exhibit higher hardness except in Al/B_4C composite and the outer zones of all composites show higher tensile strength. Abrasive wear test was conducted on the outer peripheries of all composites and Al/TiB_2 composite exhibits less wear rate.

Nonlinear vibration of functionally graded graphene platelet-reinforced composite truncated conical shell using first-order shear deformation theory

In this study,the first-order shear deformation theory(FSDT)is used to establish a nonlinear dynamic model for a conical shell truncated by a functionally graded graphene platelet-reinforced composite(FG-GPLRC).The vibration analyses of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell are presented.Considering the graphene platelets(GPLs)of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell with three different distribution patterns,the modified Halpin-Tsai model is used to calculate the effective Young’s modulus.Hamilton’s principle,the FSDT,and the von-Karman type nonlinear geometric relationships are used to derive a system of partial differential governing equations of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell.The Galerkin method is used to obtain the ordinary differential equations of the truncated conical shell.Then,the analytical nonlinear frequencies of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell are solved by the harmonic balance method.The effects of the weight fraction and distribution pattern of the GPLs,the ratio of the length to the radius as well as the ratio of the radius to the thickness of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell on the nonlinear natural frequency characteristics are discussed.This study culminates in the discovery of the periodic motion and chaotic motion of the FG-GPLRC truncated conical shell.

Love Waves in Layered Graded Composite Structures with Imperfectly Bonded Interface

Theoretical analysis and numerical calculations of Love wave propagation in layered graded composites with imperfectly bonded interface are described in this paper. On the basis of WKB method, the approximate analytic solutions for Love waves are obtained. By the interface shear spring model, the dispersion relations for Love waves in layered graded composite structures with rigid, slip, and imperfectly bonded interfaces are given, and the effects of the interface conditions on the phase velocities of Love waves in SiC/Al layered graded composites are discussed. Numerical analysis shows that the phase velocity decreases when the defined flexibility parameter is greater. For the general imperfectly bonded interface, the phase velocity changes in the range of the velocities for the rigid and slip interface conditions.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of functionally graded Al2024/SiC composites prepared by powder metallurgy techniques

Al2024/SiC functionally graded materials (FGMs) with different numbers of graded layers and different amounts of SiC were fabricated successfully by powder metallurgy method and hot pressing process. The effects of increasing SiC content and number of layers of Al2024/SiC FGMs on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses indicated that Al and SiC were dominant components as well as others such as Al4C3, CuAl2, and CuMgAl2

Characterization of aluminum based functionally graded composites developed via friction stir processing

Al/SiC functionally graded material(FGM) was developed through a novel multi-step friction stir processing(FSP) method. Si C particles with a mean size of 27.5 μm were embedded in the groove on the 6082-Al plate. To create a graded structure over a predefined value, FSP was carried out with three tools with different pin lengths and with varying volume fractions of SiC particles. The structure was formed by passing tools with 1-3 passes with a constant rotational and traveling speeds of 900 r/min and 20 mm/min, respectively. The experiments were conducted at room temperature. Microstructural features of functionally graded(FG) samples were examined by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and 3D light microscopy. Mechanical properties in terms of wear resistance and microhardness were thoroughly assessed. The results indicate that the increase in FSP pass number causes more uniform SiC particle dispersion. The microhardness values were impacted by the number of passes and improved by 51.54% for Pass 3 when compared to as-received 6082-Al. Wear resistance of Al/SiC FG samples was found to increase as a result of the addition of SiC particles.

Electric field distribution and effective nonlinear AC and DC responses of graded cylindrical composites

The perturbation method is used to study the localization of electric field distribution and the effective nonlinear response of graded composites under an external alternating-current（AC） and direct-current（DC） electric field E app = E 0（1 ＋ sin ωt）.The dielectric profile of the cylindrical inclusions is modeled by function ε i（r） = C k r k（r ≤ a）,where r is the radius of the cylindrical inclusion,and C k,k,a are parameters.In the dilute limit,the local potentials and the effective nonlinear responses at all harmonics are derived.Meanwhile,the general effective nonlinear responses are also derived and compared with the effective nonlinear responses at harmonics under the AC and DC external field.It is found that the effective nonlinear AC and DC responses at harmonics can be calculated by those of the general effective nonlinear of the graded composites under the external DC electric field.Moreover,the obtained local electrical fields show that the electrical field distribution in the cylindrical inclusions is controllable,and the maximum of the electric field inside the cylinder is at its center.

Effective Dielectric Response of Composites with Graded Material

The effective dielectric response of linear composites containing graded material is investigated under an applied electric field E_0.For the cylindrical inclusion with gradient dielectric function,ει(r)=b+cr,randomly embedded in a host with dielectric constant εm,we have obtained the exact solution of local electric potential of the composite media regions,which obeys a linear constitutive relation D=εE,using hypergeometric function.In dilute limit,we have derived the effective dielectric response of the linear composite media.Furthermore,for larger volume fraction,the formulas of effective dielectric response of the graded composite media are given.

Nonlinear stability of advanced sandwich cylindrical shells comprising porous functionally graded material and carbon nanotube reinforced composite layers under elevated temperature

The nonlinear stability of sandwich cylindrical shells comprising porous functionally graded material(FGM) and carbon nanotube reinforced composite(CNTRC)layers subjected to uniform temperature rise is investigated. Two sandwich models corresponding to CNTRC and FGM face sheets are proposed. Carbon nanotubes(CNTs) in the CNTRC layer are embedded into a matrix according to functionally graded distributions. The effects of porosity in the FGM and the temperature dependence of properties of all constituent materials are considered. The effective properties of the porous FGM and CNTRC are determined by using the modified and extended versions of a linear mixture rule, respectively. The basic equations governing the stability problem of thin sandwich cylindrical shells are established within the framework of the Donnell shell theory including the von K’arm’an-Donnell nonlinearity. These equations are solved by using the multi-term analytical solutions and the Galerkin method for simply supported shells.The critical buckling temperatures and postbuckling paths are determined through an iteration procedure. The study reveals that the sandwich shell model with a CNTRC core layer and relatively thin porous FGM face sheets can have the best capacity of thermal load carrying. In addition, unlike the cases of mechanical loads, porosities have beneficial effects on the nonlinear stability of sandwich shells under the thermal load. It is suggested that an appropriate combination of advantages of FGM and CNTRC can result in optimal efficiency for advanced sandwich structures.

On Co-precipation Fabrication of Continuously Graded Composites

The manner by which the particles settle in the laminar flow region is first described and the characteristics of co sedimentation of two species particles are summarized.The subsequent introduction is focused on the fabrication process of continuously graded composites using co sedimentation technique.Finally,the authors point out the key problem that should be solved immediately,based on their current work.

Enhanced optical nonlinear absorption of graded Au-TiO_2 composite films

This paper reports that single-layer and graded Au-TiO2 granular composite films with Au atom content 15%- 66% were prepared by using reactive co-sputtering technique. The third-order optical nonlinearity of single-layer and graded composite films was investigated by using s- and p-polarized Z-scans in femtosecond time scale. The nonlinear absorption coefficient βeff of single-layer Au-TiO2 films is measured to be -2.3×10^3-0.76×10^3 cm/GW with Au atom content 15%-66%. The βeff value of the 10-layer Au-TiO2 graded film is enhanced to be -2.1×10^4cm/GW calculated from p-polarized Z-scans, which is about ten times the maximum βeff of single-layer films. Broadened response in the wavelength region 730-860 nm of the enhanced optical nonlinearity of graded Au-TiO2 composite films was also investigated.

Dielectric responses of graded composites having generalized gradation profiles

Under an external uniform electric field, the dielectric response of graded cylindrical composites having generalized dielectric profile inclusions is investigated. The generalized dielectric profile of graded cylindrical inclusion is expressed in the form, εi（r） = c（b ＋ r）^keβr where r is the radial variable of the cylindrical inclusions and c, b, k and β are parameters. The local potential solution of generalized dielectric profile graded composites is derived by means of the power series method and the effective dielectric response is predicted in the dilute limit. Moreover, from the result of generalized profile, the analytical solutions of local potentials and the effective responses of graded composites having three cases of dielectric profiles, i.e., the exponential profile εi（r） = ce^βr, the general power law profile εi（r） = c（b ＋ r）^k and the profile εi（r） = cr^keβr, are sorted out, respectively. In the dilute limit, our exact results are used to test the validity of differential effective dipole approximation （DEDA） for estimating the effective response of graded cylindrical composites, and it is shown that the DEDA is in excellent agreement with the exact result.

The effect of initial geometric imperfection on the nonlinear resonance of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite rectangular plates

The purpose of the present study is to examine the impact of initial geometric imperfection on the nonlinear dynamical characteristics of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite(FG-CNTRC) rectangular plates under a harmonic excitation transverse load. The considered plate is assumed to be made of matrix and single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs). The rule of mixture is employed to calculate the effective material properties of the plate. Within the framework of the parabolic shear deformation plate theory with taking the influence of transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia into account, Hamilton’s principle is utilized to derive the geometrically nonlinear mathematical formulation including the governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions of initially imperfect FG-CNTRC plates. Afterwards, with the aid of an efficient multistep numerical solution methodology, the frequency-amplitude and forcing-amplitude curves of initially imperfect FG-CNTRC rectangular plates with various edge conditions are provided, demonstrating the influence of initial imperfection,geometrical parameters, and edge conditions. It is displayed that an increase in the initial geometric imperfection intensifies the softening-type behavior of system, while no softening behavior can be found in the frequency-amplitude curve of a perfect plate.

Processing and characterization of B_4C/Cu graded composite as plasma facing component for fusion reactors

A new approach for fabricating B4C/Cu graded composite by rapid self-resistance sintering under ultra-high pressure was presented, by which a near dense B4C/Cu graded composite with a compositional spectrum of 0-100% was successfully fabricated. Plasma relevant performances of sintered B4C/Cu composite were preliminarily characterized, it is found that its chemical sputtering yield is 70% lower than that of SMF800 nuclear graphite under 2.7keV D+ irradiation, and almost no damages after 66 shots of in situ plasma discharge in HL-1 Tokamak facility, which indicates B4C/Cu plasma facing component has a good physical and chemical sputtering resistance performance compared with nuclear graphite.