Thermal hydraulic and mechanical analysis of CH HCSB TBM

Based on the structure design and results of neutronics analysis of the CH HCSB TBM (Chinese helium cooled solid breeder test blanket module), thermal hydraulic and mechanical analyses have been carried out. Results show that the design of the CH HCSB TBM is reasonable and acceptable.

Thermal-Mechanical Fatigue Behavior and Life Analysis of Cast Ni-base Superalloy K417

In-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) thermal-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of cast Ni-base superalloy K417 was studied. All experiments were carried out under total strain control with temperature cycling between 400-850℃. Both in-phase and out-of-phase TMF specimens exhibited cyclic hardening followed by cyclic softening at the minimum temperature. Besides, they cyclically hardened in the early stage of life followed by cyclic softening at the maximum temperature. OP TMF life was longer than that of IP TMF. Various damage mechanisms operating in different controlled strain ranges and phasing were discussed. A few life prediction methods for isothermal fatigue were used to handle TMF fatigue and their applicability to superalloy K417 was evaluated. The SEM analysis of the fracture surface showed that transgranular fracture was the principal cracking mode for both IP and OP TMF. Oxidation was the main damage mechanism in causing shorter fatigue life for IP TMF compared with OP TMF.

Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for bimorph soft robot based on thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers

Thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) hold great promise in applications of soft robots and actuators because of the induced size and shape change with temperature. Experiments have successfully demonstrated that the LCE based bimorphs can be effective soft robots once integrated with soft sensors and thermal actuators. Here, we present an analytical transient thermo-mechanical model for a bimorph structure based soft robot, which consists of a strip of LCE and a thermal inert polymer actuated by an ultra-thin stretchable open-mesh shaped heater to mimic the unique locomotion behaviors of an inchworm. The coupled mechanical and thermal analysis based on the thermo-mechanical theory is carried out to underpin the transient bending behavior, and a systematic understanding is therefore achieved. The key analytical results reveal that the thickness and the modulus ratio of the LCE and the inert polymer layer dominate the transient bending deformation. The analytical results will not only render fundamental understanding of the actuation of bimorph structures, but also facilitate the rational design of soft robotics.

Effect of inorganic salt on the thermal degradation of nitrocellulose and reaction mechanism of its mixture

In this study,to better understand the reaction mechanism between inorganic salts and nitrocellulose,CaCO_(3) and Li_(2)CO_(3) were evaluated with respect to their effects on the thermal degradation of NC in nitrogen atmosphere using TG/DSC at three different heating rates(2,5,10 K/min).The numerical relationship between activation energy(E)and conversion rate was obtained by FWO and KAS method,and it was discovered that CaCO_(3) could improve the thermal stability of NC.Activation energy values were calculated by Kissinger method,and it was found that NC that contain Li2CO3had the highest activation energy while NC containing CaCO3had the lowest E value.By combining the thermal analysis data with Malek method,the most probable mechanism model of thermal degradation is obtained as Sesták-Berggren model,which expression is f(α)=α^(m)(1-α)^(n).As a result of this study,there are certain guiding principles that can be applied to the pyrolysis reaction model and to the actual production process of nitrocellulose.

The Effects of Stacking Sequence on Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Thermal Degradation of Kenaf/Jute Hybrid Composites

This research focused on the dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of woven mat jute/kenaf/jute(J/K/J)and kenaf/jute/kenaf(K/J/K)hybrid composites.Dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA)and Thermo-gravimetric Analysis(TGA)were used to study the effect of layering sequence on the thermal properties of kenaf/jute hybrid composites.The DMA results;it was found that the differences in the stacking sequence between the kenaf/jute composites do not affect their storage modulus,loss modulus and damping factor.From the TGA and DMA results,it has been shown that stacking sequence has given positive effect to the kenaf/jute hybrid composite compared to pure epoxy composite.This is because kenaf and jute fibre has increased the Tg values of the composites,thus affect the thermal degradation.Results showed that the storage modulus for kenaf/jute hybrid composites increased compared with pure epoxy composites with increasing temperature and the values of remained almost the same at glass transition temperature(Tg),the hybrid composite perhaps due to the improved fibre/matrix interface bonding.The preliminary analysis could provide a new direction for the creation of a novel hybrid composite which offers unique properties which cannot be accomplished in a single material system.

Study on the Effect of Surface Modification on the Mechanical and Thermal Behaviour of Flax,Sisal and Glass Fiber

Natural fiber-reinforced hybrid composites can be a better replacement for plastic composites since these plastic composites pose a serious threat to the environment.The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of surface modification of the natural fibers on the mechanical,thermal,hygrothermal,and water absorption behaviors of flax,sisal,and glass fiber-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites.The mechanical properties of alkaline treated sisal and flax fibers were found to increase considerably.Tensile,flexural and impact strength of glass/flax-fiber-reinforced hybrid samples improved by 58%,36%,and 51%,respectively,after surface alkaline treatment.In addition,the hygrothermal analysis and water absorption capacity are studied and also the Interfacial bonding properties were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopic images.The thermal analysis using thermogravimetric analyzer reveals that the decomposition temperature for hybrid fiber reinforced composites are between 306 and 312℃.In conclusion,surface treatment improves the performance of natural fiber in hybrid fiber-reinforced composites,particularly flax fiber.

Dynamic Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Cross-linked Polystyrene/Glass Fiber Composites

Cross-linked polystyrene/glass fiber composites were fabricated using cross-linked polystyrene （CLPS） as matrix and E-glass fiber as the reinforcement. Surfaces of E-glass fibers were modified by vinyl triethoxysilane （VTES）, vinyl trimethoxysilane （VTMS） and γ-methacryloylpropyl trimethoxysilane （MPS）. The treated glass fibers were analyzed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis （DMTA） and thermo-gravimetric analysis （TGA） were employed to investigate the effect of glass fibers surface modification on viscoelastic behavior and thermal properties. The morphology of fracture surfaces of various composites was observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results revealed that these coupling agents were connected to the surfaces of the fibers by chemical bonding. Dynamic mechanical properties as well as thermal stability of the composites were improved considerablely, but to varying degrees depending on the fiber modification. The diversities of improvement of properties were attributed to the different interfacial adhesion between CLPS matrix and the glass fibers.

Analysis and Design of Thermally Actuated Micro-Cantilevers for High Frequency Vibrations Using Finite Element Method

Vibrational behavior of thermally actuated cantilever micro-beams and their mechanical response at moderately high frequency under a non-harmonic periodic loading is studied in this paper. Two different configurations are considered: 1) a straight beam with two actuation layers on top and bottom which utilizes the bimorph effect to induce bending;2) a uniform beam with base excitation, where the beam is mounted on an actuator which moves it periodically at its base perpendicular to its axis. Generally, vibrating micro-cantilevers are required to oscillate at a specified frequency. In order to increase the efficiency of the system, and achieve deflections with low power consumption, geometrical features of the beams can be quantified so that the required vibrating frequency matches the natural frequencies of the beam. A parametric modal analysis is conducted on two configurations of micro-cantilever and the first natural frequency of the cantilevers as a function of geometrical parameters is extracted. To evaluate vibrational behavior and thermo-mechanical efficiency of micro-cantilevers as a function of their geometrical parameters and input power, a case study with a specified vibrating frequency is considered. Due to significant complexities in the loading conditions and thermo-mechanical behavior, this task can only be tackled via numerical methods. Selecting the geometrical parameters in order to induce resonance at the nominal frequency, non-linear time-history (transient) thermo-mechanical finite element analysis (using ANSYS) is run on each configuration to study its response to the periodic heating input. Approaches to improve the effectiveness of actuators in each configuration based on their implementation are investigated.

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Misch Metal Based Bulk Metallic Glasses

The formation, thermal stability and mechanical properties of Misch metal （Mm）-based alloy bulk metallic glasses （BMGs） with composition of Mm55Al25Cu10Ni5Co5 were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal analysis and compression test. The results indicate that the Mm-based BMGs exhibit a distinct glass transition and a wide supercooled liquid region Δ Tx（ 〉 60 K） before crystallization. The alloy can be fabricated into bulk glassy form of 3 mm in diameter by copper mold casting methods. Compared with the La55Al25Cu10 Ni5Co5 BMG, the Mm55Al25Cu10Ni5Co5 BMG shows higher compression fracture strength and lower cost. A new parameter γ and melting temperature Tl are closely correlated with the glass forming ability （GFA） of Mm-based alloys.

A MULTI-COUPLED FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING PROCESS

A two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is developed to analyze the transient thermal and mechanical behaviors of the Resistance Spot Welding （RSW） process using commercial software ANSYS. Firstly a direct-coupled electrical-thermal Finite Element Analysis （FEA） is performed to analyze the transient thermal characteristics of the RSW process. Then based on the thermal results a sequential coupled thermo-elastic-plastic analysis is conducted to determine the mechanical features of the RSW process. The thermal history of the whole process and the temperature distribution of the weldment are obtained through the analysis. The mechanical features, including the distributions of the contact pressure at both the faying surface and the electrode-workpiece interface, the stress and strain distributions in the weldment and their changes during the RSW process, the deformation of the weldment and the electrode displacement are also calculated.

Effect of element Gd on phase constituent and mechanical property of Mg-5Sn-1Ca alloy

The Mg-5Sn-1Ca-xGd (x=0, 1) alloys were chosen to investigate the change in solidification paths, phase formation and mechanical properties. The microstructure of as-cast Mg-5Sn-1Ca alloy is composed of α-Mg, Mg2Sn and CaMgSn phases. With the addition of Gd, the formation of the Mg2Sn phase is impeded and the CaMgSn phase is refined, whereas the ultimate tensile strength and elongation decrease. The possible reasons for the variation in microstructure and mechanical properties were discussed.

Simulation of the effects of different substrates, temperature,and substrate roughness on the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 coating as tritium penetration barrier

Residual thermal stress in the system is a serious problem that affects the application of tritium permeation barrier coatings in fusion reactors. The stress not only determines the adhesion between coating and substrate, but also changes the properties of the material. In this study,finite element analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the residual thermal stress and the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 tritium penetration barrier systems. Moreover, the residual thermal stress influenced by factors such as different substrates, temperature, and substrate roughness was also analyzed. The calculation showed that the hardness and elastic modulus increased with increasing compressive stress. However, the hardness and elastic modulus decreased with increasing tensile stress. The systems composed of Al_2O_3 coatings and different substrates exhibited different trends in mechanical properties. As the temperature increased, the hardness and the elastic modulus increased in an Al_2O_3/316 L stainless steel system; the trend was opposite in an Al_2O_3/Si system.Apart from this, the roughness of the substrate surface in the system could magnify the change in hardness and elastic modulus of the coating. Results showed that all these factors led to variation in the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 tritium permeation barrier systems. Thus, thedetailed reasons for the changes in mechanical properties of these materials need to be analyzed.

Temperature Dependency of Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Cement Asphalt Paste by DMTA Method

We investigated the temperature dependency of the dynamic mechanical properties of cement asphalt paste by the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis（DMTA） method. The experimental results show that the dynamic mechanical properties of cement asphalt pastes are sensitive to temperature due to the inclusion of asphalt, and may go through different states within a temperature range of-40 ℃ to 60 ℃, which is different from that of pure cement and asphalt. As the temperature of the cement asphalt paste increases, a considerable change of dynamic mechanical properties, including storage modulus（E＇）, loss modulus（E＇＇） and loss factor（tand） is observed. Moreover, the influence of asphalt to cement（A/C） ratio on the temperature sensitivity of the dynamic mechanical properties of cement asphalt composites was investigated. The temperature dependency of cement asphalt composites is ascribed to the temperature dependency of the asphalt and its interaction with cement paste. A simple fractional model is proposed to describe the viscoelastic behavior of cement asphalt composites.

Physical-Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of the Bast Fibers of <i>Triumfetta cordifolia</i>A.Rich. from the Equatorial Region of Cameroon

The project consists in the implementation of a biocomposite based on tannin resin and natural rubber matrices with the bast fibres of Triumfetta cordifolia A.Rich.“Okong” from the equatorial region of Cameroon as reinforcement. A study of this still little known fibre is necessary. This paper evaluates the physico-chemical and mechanical characteristics of the fibers. The fibers are extracted by us. A series of experiments is conducted for this purpose: morphological observation with a scanning electron microscope (SEM);density evaluation with a helium pycnometer;absorption rate evaluation according to the protocol available in the literature, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR), chemical composition evaluation according to ASTM 1972 and ASTM 1977 standards, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile tests on fiber bundles according to NF T25-501-3. The results show that the fiber is made up of several elementary fibers with oval cross-sections. A density of 1.477g/cm3 close to that of hemp. These fibers have a water absorption rate of 342.5%, which correlates with the presence of free hydroxyl functional groups obtained from the spectrometry study (FT-IR). Chemical analysis reveals that the fiber is made up of celluloses (44.4%), hemicelluloses (30.8%), lignins (18.9%), pectins (3.3%), waxes (0.5%) and minerals (2.1%). In addition, we learn that the fibers studied dehydrate at 11.49%, showinga notable thermal stability around 235°C with a peak thermal decomposition of cellulose located at 420°C. In terms of mechanical behaviour, the results reveal that the fibers offer a Young’s modulus in traction of 12.4 ± 6.9 GPa, a tensile strength of 526 ± 128 MPa and an elongation at break of 2.25%. The information thus obtained makes it possible to place these fibers in the same fiber group as flax and jute. They could therefore be used for the same types of applications. They also inform us that these fibers can withstand the temperatures of composite shaping by thermocompression.

Mechanical properties of Al-15Mg_(2)Si composites prepared under different solidification cooling rates

The effect of different cooling rates(2.7,5.5,17.1,and 57.5℃/s)on the solidification parameters,microstructure,and mechanical properties of Al-15Mg_(2)Si composites was studied.The results showed that a high cooling rate refined the Mg_(2)Si particles and changed their morphology to more compacted forms with less microcracking tendency.The average radius and fraction of primary Mg_(2)Si particles decreased from 20μm and 13.5%to about 10μm and 7.3%,respectively,as the cooling rate increased from 2.7 to 57.5℃/s.Increasing the cooling rate also improved the distribution of microconstituents and decreased the grain size and volume fraction of micropores.The mechanical properties results revealed that augmenting the cooling rate from 2.7 to about 57.5℃/s increased the hardness and quality index by 25%and245%,respectively.The high cooling rate also changed the fracture mechanism from a brittle-dominated mode to a high-energy ductile mode comprising extensive dimpled zones.

Effect of Ca addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y-0.7Zr alloy

In this study,the effects of Ca addition on the microstructure,thermal properties,and mechanical properties of a Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y-0.7Zr(ZWK611)alloy at room temperature and 150℃ were investigated.With an increase in the Ca content,the ignition resistance of the ZWK611 alloy improved and the grains became finer.The as-cast ZWK611 alloy consisted mainly of the dendriticα-Mg matrix and I-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(6)Y)at the grain boundaries.On the other hand,theτ-(Ca_(2)Mg_(6)Zn_(3))and I-phases were formed in the Ca-added ZWK611 alloy.The fraction of theτ-phase increased with an increase in the Ca content.After the solid-solution treatment,these phases remained partially at the grain boundaries of the Ca-added ZWK611 alloys and an additional W-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(3)Y)was observed.The phases remaining at the grain boundaries restricted the grain growth through the grain boundary pinning effect.The aging treatment resulted in the formation of MgZn'precipitates in theα-Mg matrix of the alloys.These precipitates were more uniformly distributed in the Ca-added alloys than in the alloys without Ca.Thus,the heat treatment-induced precipitation improved the tensile and creep properties of the T6-treated alloys.The T6-treated ZWK611+0.7Ca alloy exhibited the best mechanical properties at room temperature and 150℃ among all the tested alloys.

Effect of volume fraction of ramie cloth on physical and mechanical properties of ramie cloth/UP resin composite

Ramie cloth/UP resin composite was formed at 0.2 MPa and cured at room temperature for 24 h and treated at 80℃for 2 h. The physical and mechanical properties of the composites with different volume fractions of ramie cloth were studied. The results show that, with the increase of the volume fraction of the ramie cloth, densities of the composites become greater and greater, though all lower than the theoretical values, the linear shrinkage during the formation decreases from 1.20% of the original UP resin to 0.18% of the composite with 30% of ramie cloth in volume, all the composites also absorb more water than UP resin casting, greater volume fraction of the fiber, more water will be absorbed, but the increase in water absorption becomes smaller and smaller with time. As regards some mechanical properties, the tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength are all improved when more ramie fiber is added. Compared with those of pure UP resin casting, the mechanical properties are increased by 93.93%, 76.20%, 190.18% and 227.26% respectively when the volume fraction of the ramie cloth in the composite is 30%. The differential scanning calorimetry results show that only one peak will appear for the sample without or with less ramie fiber while two peaks will appear when more ramie cloth is added.

EFFECT OF Ti-ADDITION ON MECHANICAL ALLOYING OF NiAl

Mechanical alloying (MA) of Ni50Al45Ti5 (atomic per cent) is studied by in situ thermal analyses, XRD and metallography. The results showed that the alloying process of Ni50Al45Ti5 is similar to that of Ni50Al50. The addition of 5 at.%Ti prolongs the milling time of alloy prior to the explosive reaction in the alloy. The final product is nanocrystalline β-phase NiAl(Ti) (B2 structure). The addition of 5 at.% Ti shows little effect on the lattice parameter of β-phase.

Curing mechanism of furan resin modified with different agents and their thermal strength

The curing mechanism of furfuryl alcohol and urea-formaldehyde furan resins was investigated using infrared spectroscopy(IR) technique.The curing productions of urea-formaldehyde furan resins modified with different agents(i.e.sorbitol,polyester polyol,phenol and acetone) and the productions of incomplete curing were characterized by differential thermal analysis(DTA) and thermal gravity analysis(TG).The results indicate that except for polyester polyol,the other modifiers have little effect on the thermal strength of urea-formaldehyde furan resin.Furthermore,the thermal strength can be improved at a temperature of higher than 550℃.

Mechanical Properties Amelioration of Hybrid Composites by Concomitant Synergy Between Graphene Oxide and Silica Nanoparticles

Composite materials have attracted increasing attention to replace traditional materials such as metals for aerospace and automotive components due to their excellent mechanical and lightweight properties.By reinforcing with fillers,the material properties can be tailored to suit the needs of certain requirements.Nanofillers graphene oxide(GO) and silica(SiO_2) are incorporated into carbon fibre/epoxy(CF/E)composites to enhance epoxy resin properties by impregnating into the weak area of resin and boosting the interaction forces between resin and filler interfaces.The mechanical,thermal,and morphological properties of GO and SiO_2 fillers in the CF/E were investigated.Movever,after the exposure to distilled water and salt water,effect of moisture absorption on flexural and impact properties were investigated and the CF/E composite with hybrid nanofillers exhibited strong resistance to degradation in flexural and impact properties.FESEM images of the fracture surfaces indicated that the good performance of CF/E composite with bi-hybrid nanofillers originated from the synergistic GO and SiO_2 nanofillers,which limit the motion of epoxy polymer molecular chain and give sufficient stress transfer ability to the composite system.The overall results showed that GO and SiO_2 fillers can significantly enhance the mechanical properties as well as resistance to moisture environment.