Tribological properties of nanostructured Al_2O_3-40%TiO_2 multiphase ceramic particles reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings

The Ni-based alloy composite coatings reinforced by nanostructured Al2O3-40%TiO2 multiphase ceramic particles were prepared on the surface of 7005 aluminum alloy by plasma spray technology. The microstructure and tribological properties of the composite coatings were researched. The results show that the composite coatings mainly consist of γ-Ni, α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3 and rutile-TiO2 etc, and exhibit lower friction coefficients and wear losses than the Ni-based alloy coatings at different loads and speeds. The composite coating bears low contact stress at 3 N and its wear mechanism is micro-cutting wear. As loads increase to 6-12 N, the contact stress is higher than the elastic limit stress of worn surface, and the wear mechanisms change into multi-plastic deformation wear, micro-brittle fracture wear and abrasive wear. With the increase of speeds, the contact temperature of worn surface increases. The composite coating experiences multi-plastic deformation wear, fatigue wear and adhesive wear.

Suppressing Al2O3 nanoparticle coarsening and Cu nanograin growth of milled nanostructured Cu-5vol.%Al2O3 composite powder particles by doping with Ti

Both the coarsening of Al2O3 nanoparticles and the growth of Cu nanograins of mechanically milled nanostructured Cu-5 vol.%Al2O3 composites with, and without, trace amounts of Ti during annealing at973 K for 1 h were investigated. It was found that doping with a small amount of Ti（e.g. 0.2 wt%） in a nanostructured Cu-5 vol.%Al2O3 composite effectively suppressed the coarsening of Al2O3 nanoparticles during exposure at this temperature. Further, the Ti addition also prevented the concomitant abnormal growth of the copper grains normally caused by the coarsening of the Al2O3 nanoparticles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the Al2O3 nanoparticles in the annealed Cu-5 vol.%Al2 O3-0.2 wt%Ti sample suggested that the Ti atoms either diffused into the Al2O3 nanoparticles or segregated to the Cu/Al2O3 interfaces to form Ti-doped Al2O3 nanoparticles, which was more stable than Ti-free Al2O3 nanoparticles during annealing at high homologous temperatures.

Effect of lubricant sulfur on the morphology and elemental composition of diesel exhaust particles

This work investigates the effects of lubricant sulfur contents on the morphology,nanostructure,size distribution and elemental composition of diesel exhaust particle on a light-duty diesel engine. Three kinds of lubricant（LS-oil,MS-oil and HS-oil,all of which have different sulfur contents：0.182%,0.583% and 1.06%,respectively）were used in this study. The morphologies and nanostructures of exhaust particles were analyzed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. Size distributions of primary particles were determined through advanced image-processing software. Elemental compositions of exhaust particles were obtained through X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）. Results show that as lubricant sulfur contents increase,the macroscopic structure of diesel exhaust particles turn from chain-like to a more complex agglomerate. The inner cores of the core-shell structure belonging to these primary particles change little; the shell thickness decreases,and the spacing of carbon layer gradually descends,and amorphous materials that attached onto outer carbon layer of primary particles increase. Size distributions of primary particles present a unimodal and normal distribution,and higher sulfur contents lead to larger size primary particles. The sulfur content in lubricants directly affects the chemical composition in the particles. The content of C（carbon）decreases as sulfur increases in the lubricants,while the contents of O（oxygen）,S（sulfur）and trace elements（including S,Si（silicon）,Fe（ferrum）,P（phosphorus）,Ca（calcium）,Zn（zinc）,Mg（magnesium）,Cl（chlorine）and Ni（nickel））all increase in particles.