PULSED Nd-YAG LASER WELDING OF AN AI-SiC_p METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE

A study is presented of the laser welding behaviour of an SiC particulate re-inforced Al-alloy comPOsite using a pulsed Nd-YAG laser. The influences of laser weldingparameters of laser intensity, pulse duration and the beamjs focus position on the depth ofweld penetration as well as the size of weld bead width were investigated. A typical mi-crostructure of a weld section reveals that the three distinct zones are present. Cracks andporosity were fOund to be two major defects in laser welded metal matrix composites(MMC). These investigations have led to an optimum welding condition proposed forlaser welding of SiC partiulate reinforced aluminium alloy comPosites with minimum de-fects.

Microstructure and formation mechanism of titanium matrix composites coating on Ti-6Al-4V by laser cladding

Laser cladding experiments were done on a 5-kW continuous wave CO2 laser to synthesize TiC and TiB rein- fowed titanium matrix composite coatings on Ti-6AI-4V alloy with a mixture of Ti and B4C precursor powder. The ther- modynamics of the reactions were calculated and analyzed. The microstructure and phase evolution of TiB and TiC com- posites were investigated. The results showed that the chemical reaction between Ti and B4C would release much heat, and these compounds, TiC, TiB, and small amount of TiB2, can be formed on the surface of Ti-6AI-4V alloy if the supplied en- ergy is sufficient to excite the reaction among the initial products. A good metallurgical bond between the coating and the substrate can be achieved. The microhardness of coating was irregular and the maximum value was approximately HV600.

A review of particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composites fabricated by selective laser melting

Selective laser melting(SLM)is an emerging layer-wise additive manufacturing technique that can generate complex components with high performance.Particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composites(PAMCs)are important materials for various applications due to the combined properties of Al matrix and reinforcements.Considering the advantages of SLM technology and PAMCs,the novel SLM PAMCs have been developed and researched in recent years.Therefore,the current research progress about the SLM PAMCs is reviewed.Firstly,special attention is paid to the solidification behavior of SLM PAMCs.Secondly,the important issues about the design and fabrication of high-performance SLM PAMCs,including the selection of reinforcement,the influence of parameters on the processing and microstructure,the defect evolution and phase control,are highlighted and discussed comprehensively.Thirdly,the performance and strengthening mechanism of SLM PAMCs are systematically figured out.Finally,future directions are pointed out on the advancement of high-performance SLM PAMCs.

Laser Additive Manufacturing on Metal Matrix Composites: A Review

Important progresses in the study of laser additive manufacturing on metal matrix composites(MMCs)have been made.Recent efforts and advances in additive manufacturing on 5 types of MMCs are presented and reviewed.The main focus is on the material design,the combination of reinforcement and the metal matrix,the synthesis principle during the manufacturing process,and the resulted microstructures as well as properties.Thereafter,the trend of development in future is forecasted,including:Formation mechanism and reinforcement principle of strengthening phase;Material and process design to actively achieve expected performance;Innovative structure design based on the special properties of laser AM MMCs;Simulation,monitoring and optimization in the process of laser AM MMCs.

Laser in-situ synthesis of titanium matrix composite coating with TiB-Ti network-like structure reinforcement

To avoid high crack sensitivity of TiB-Ti composite coating during laser cladding process,network-like structure composite coating was fabricated with laser in-situ technique on titanium alloy using 5 μm TiB2 powder as the cladding material.The microstructure,phase structure and properties of the coatings were analyzed by SEM,XRD,EPMA,TEM,hardness tester and fretting wear meter.It was observed that the outer ring of the network-like structure was mainly TiB strengthening phase,while the inner ring was α-Ti grain,and the interface between TiB and Ti matrix was very clean and had a consistent orientation relationship.The hardness of the cladding layer with network-like structure gradually decreased from the surface toward the interface,but the average hardness was nearly two times that of the substrate.In the fretting wear test,it was found that the wear resistance of the cladding layer with network-like structure was larger than that of the substrate under low load(40 N).The results revealed that the hardness and fretting wear resistance of the titanium-based composite coating could be improved by the introduction of network-like structure.

Microstructure and Strength of Laser Welds of Sub-micron Particulate-reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite Al_2O_(3p)/6061Al

The microstructure of laser welds of sub-micron particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composite Al_2O_(3p)/6061Al and the weldability of the material were studied. Experimental results indicated that because of the huge specific surface area of the reinforcement, the interfacial reaction between the matrix and the reinforcement was re- strained intenslvely at elevated temperature and pulsed laser beam. The main factor affecting the weldability of the com- posite was the reinforcement segregation in the weld resulting from the push of the liquid/solid interface during the soli- dification of the molten pool. The laser pulse frequency directly affected the reinforcement segregation and the reinfor- cement distribution in the weld, so that the weldability of the composite could be improved by increasing the laser pulse frequency. On the basis of this, a satisfactory welded joint of sub-micron paniculate-reinforced aluminum matrix com- posite Al_2O_(3p)/6061Al was obtained by using appopriate welding parameters.

Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded Joints of High Volume Fraction SiCp/Al Aluminum Matrix Composite

High volume fraction SiCp/Al aluminum matrix composite possesses a variety of outstanding properties,such as high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion.It is widely applied in many fields,especially in automotive and aerospace.An orthogonal experiment is conducted to study the effects of relevant parameters on the mechanical properties by CO2 laser.Then the micro-hardness in different regions is measured.The effects of such parameters as laser power,middle layer thickness and welding speed on the tensile strength of the welded joints are discussed.The experimental results indicate that the maximum of the tensile strength of the welded joints is attained at the laser power of 1 200 W,the welding speed of 1.5 m/min and the middle layer thickness of 0.3 mm.In addition,the mechanism of the improvement of micro-hardness on the weld bead is also analyzed.ing technology, surface tribology, wetting behavior and friction reduction.

Interface reaction in aluminium matrix composite at laser welding

Interface reaction of SiC w/6061Al aluminium matrix composite subjected to laser welding was studied. It is pointed out that the main reason for bad weldability of the material is concerned with the interface reaction during the welding. Effects of welding parameters on interface reaction were also investigated. The results show that the interface bonding state can be improved by laser beam, and the main welding parameter affecting the strength of weld is laser output power. The smaller the output power, the lower the extent of interface reaction and the better the mechanical properties.

Fabrication of Ni34.1Fe27.9B18Si18Nb2 amorphous matrix coating on mild steel by laser processing

Ni34.1 Fe27.9B18 Si18 Nb2 coating was deposited on mild steel substrate using high power laser cladding followed by laser remelting process. The laser processing was conducted by the powder feeding method using low purity materials without shielding box. To learn the surface amorphous matrix coating forming mechanism, the coating without remelting process was also studied. The phases and microstructures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning- and transmission-electron microscopy（ SEM, TEM）. The microhardness and corrosion resistance property of the coating were also measured. The results of SEM, XRD and TEM analysis show that the remelted coating has an amorphous matrix layer embedded with some crystals due to high cooling rate during remelting process. The crystals phases are identified as Fe2 B phase, γ （Fe, Ni ） phase and α- Fe phase. No oxidation phases are found in the coating surface. Hardness profiles reveal microhardness more than 1 100 HVo.5 over the full depth of the amorphous matrix layer, while the unremtled coating and the substrate show relatively lower hardness than the remelted layer. Corrosion resistance tests exhibit that the remelted coating is nobler than the unremelted coating and the substrate material.

Laser powder bed fusion of a novel high strength quasicrystalline Al–Fe–Cr reinforced Al matrix composite

Quasicrystal(QC)-reinforced metal matrix composites fabricated by rapid solidification present promising new opportunities to develop high-strength alloys with multiple functions.In this research,specially designed Al–Fe–Cr samples possessing an Al–Fe–Cr quasicrystal-reinforced Al matrix structure were manufactured using a laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)process.Based on the optimized process parameters of laser scanning speed and hatch distance,an almost dense(99.8%)free-crack sample was obtained with the multiscaled heterogenous structure induced by the nonuniform rapid solidification in a single molten pool.The results show that nanosized Al–Fe–Cr quasicrystalline particles of different sizes are heterogeneously distributed in theα-Al columnar grain structure.In detail,the coarseflower-like and spherical QC particles can be observed at the molten pool boundary,and thefine spherical Al–Fe–Cr QC is located inside the laser fusion zone.The orientation relationship between the Al matrix and the icosahedral Al–Fe–Cr QC is as follows:Al[112]||i5 with a semicoherency feature.The novel designed LPBF-processed Al–Fe–Cr alloy exhibits high mechanical strength due to the ultrafine multireinforced microstructure-induced Orowan strengthening effect.For instance,the ultimate tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the sample processed with LPBF are 530.803.19 MPa,395.066.44 MPa,and 4.16%0.38%,respectively.The fractographic analysis shows that the fracture mechanism presents a combination of ductile‒brittle fracture.

Effect of parameter setting and spectral normalization approach on study of matrix effect by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of Ag–Zn binary composites

The complex nature of laser-material interaction causes non-stoichiometric ablation of alloy samples.This is attributed to matrix effect, which reduces analyzing capability. To address this issue, the analytical performance of three different normalization methods, namely normalization with background, internal normalization and three point smoothing techniques at different parameter settings is studied for quantification of Ag and Zn by Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS).The LIBS spectra of five known concentration of silver zinc binary composites have been investigated at various laser irradiances(LIs). Calibration curves for both Ag(I) line(4d^(10)5s^2S_(1/2)→4d^(10)5p^2P_(1/2) at 338.28 nm) and Zn(I) line(4s5s^3S_1→4s4p^3P_2 at 481.053 nm) have been determined at LI of 5.86?×?10^(10)W cm^(-2). Slopes of these calibration curves provide the valuation of matrix effect in the Ag–Zn composites. With careful sample preparation and normalization after smoothing at optimum parameter setting(OPS), the minimization of sample matrix effect has been successfully achieved. A good linearity has been obtained in Ag and Zn calibration curve at OPS when normalized the whole area of spectrum after smoothing and the obtained coefficients of determination values were R^2?=?0.995 and 0.998 closer to 1. The results of matrix effect have been further verified by analysis of plasma parameters. Both plasma parameters showed no change with varying concentration at OPS. However, at high concentration of Ag, the observed significant changes in both plasma parameters at common parameter setting PS-1 and PS-2 were the gesture of matrix effect. In our case, the better analytical results were obtained at smoothing function with optimized parameter setting that indicates it is more efficient than normalization with background and internal normalization method.

Rapid Profiling of Alkaloids in Several Medicinal Herbs by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A simple method was developed for rapid and direct profiling of alkaloids in medical herbs via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF MS）. The dry herbs were first ground to powder and passed through a stainless steel sieve, mixed with the matrix solution to form a homogeneous suspension, which was then directly applied to MALDI analysis. Several matrices were investigated and 2,5- dihydroxybenzoic acid（DHB） was chosen as the optimized one, and the particle with small size was found to favor the analysis. Using this method, the profiles of alkaloids in several medical herbs were readily obtained, and the toxicities of crude and processed Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata were compared via the relative intensities of the peaks of the corresponding toxic components shown in their MALDI spectra. This method therefore provides a rapid and reliable protocol for obtaining profiles of alkaloids in medical herbs by using MALDI-TOF MS.

<i>In Situ</i>Analysis of Copper Alloys by Femtosecond Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: Constrains on Matrix Effects

Direct analysis of copper-base alloys using laser ablation techniques is an increasingly common procedure in cultural heritage studies. However, main discussions remain focused on the possibility of using non-matrix matched external reference materials. To evaluate the occurrence of matrix effects during in situ microanalysis of copper-base materials, using near infrared femtosecond laser ablation techniques (NIR fs-LA-ICP-MS), two bronzes, i.e., (Sn-Zn)-ternary and (Sn)-binary copper-matrix reference materials, as well as a reference synthetic glass (NIST-SRM-610) have been analyzed. The results have been compared to data obtained on a sulfide-matrix reference material. Similar values in relative sensitivity averages of 63Cu, 118Sn and 66Zn, as well as in 118Sn/63Cu and 66Zn/63Cu ratios were obtained, for all analyzed matrix types, i.e., copper-base-, silicate-, and sulfide-reference materials. Consequently, it is possible to determinate major and minor element concentrations in copper alloys, i.e., Cu, Sn and Zn, using silicate and sulfide reference materials as external calibrators, without any matrix effect and over a wide range of concentrations (from wt.% to ppm). Equally, Cu, Sn and Zn concentrations can be precisely determined in sulfides using homogeneous alloys (reference) materials as an external calibrator. Thus, it is possible to determine Cu, Sn and Zn in copper-base materials and their ore minerals, mostly sulfides, in a single analytical session, without requiring specific external calibrators for each matrix type. In contrast, immiscible elements in copper matrix, such as Pb and Fe show notable differences in their relative sensitivity values and ratios for different matrix-materials analyzed, implying that matrix-matched external calibrations remain to be applied for their trace quantification.

Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Human Paraoxonase 1 Gene(Q192R) with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Introduction Single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） are the most abundant DNA markers in the human genome occurring at a frequency of one in every 500--1000 nucleotides. A variety of methods have been used for the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms, including restriction fragment length polymorphism （RFLP）, direct sequencing by using laser-induced fluorescence detectionTM, fluorescence energy transfer, MALDI-TOF MS combined with primer extension or invasive cleavage, and fluorescence polarization. During the past two decades, mass spectrometry has become a very popular tool in the analysis of biomolecules and is perfectly suited to the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） due to its speed, low cost, and accuracy. In this work, we used MALDI TOF mass spectrometry to detect the fragments of restriction endonuclease hydrolysis of PCR products flanking a SNP located at paraoxonase 1（Q192R）. Compared with electrophoresis, this method requires less time of analysis and possess a higher accuracy.

A novel sample preparation method of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for polystyrene

A novel sample preparation method of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for polystyrene was reported. Compared to the conventional dried-droplet method, the efficiency of ionization and signal intensity of mass spectra were improved. The mechanism was also analyzed.

MicrobMatcher: a microbial comparison software based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was investigated as a method for the rapid identifica-tion of species. Current demand in microbial identi-fication is how to compare unknown strains to the known one quickly, semi-automatically and accurately. In this paper, we present a software tool that allows flexibly microbial matching in a user-friendly way, by letting the users to customize comparison parameters including: in vitro transcription enzyme, mass tolerance,minimum fragment length, intensity threshold and corresponding weights. We provide three spectral scoring functions to compute the affin-ity between the species. Therefore, the precision of microbial comparison increases. To test and verify this tool, we employed experimental spectral data based on MALDI-TOFMS and the gene sequences of E.coli and Salmonella. This software is written in Java for cross-platform intention.

Microstructure and property of sub-micro WC-10 %Co particulate reinforced Cu matrix composites prepared by selective laser sintering

The WC-10%Co particulate reinforced Cu matrix composite material with a WC-Co∶Cu mass ratio of 20∶80 was successfully fabricated by selective laser sintering(SLS) process. The following optimal processing parameters were used: laser power of 700 W, scan speed of 0.06 m/s, scan line spacing of 0.15 mm, and powder layer thickness of 0.3 mm. The microstructure, composition, and phase of the laser processed material were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray(EDX) spectroscopy. The results show that the bonding mechanism of this process is liquid phase sintering. The Cu and Co act as the binder phase, while the WC acts as the reinforcing phase. The non-equilibrium effects induced by laser melting, such as high degrees of undercooling and high solidification rate, result in the formation of a metastable phase CoC0.25. The WC reinforcing particulates typically have three kinds of morphology. They are agglomerated and undissolved, incompletely separated and partially dissolved, separated and dissolved, which indicates that particle rearrangement acts as the dominant sintering mechanism for the larger WC, while dissolution-precipitation prevails for the smaller WC particles. Microhardness tester was used to determine the Vickers hardness across the cross-section of the laser sintered sample, with the average value being HV0.1268.5. However, the hardness varied considerably, which might be attributed to the WC segregation and the high solidification rate experienced by the molten pool.

Cavitation-erosion mechanism of laser cladded SiC particle reinforced metal matrix composite

With 2 kW continuous wave Nd-YAG laser, SiC ceramic powder was laser-cladded on the AA6061 aluminium alloy surface. Within the range of process parameters investigated, the parameters were optimized to produce the SiC_p reinforced metal matrix composites(MMC) modified layer on AA6061 alloy surface. After being treated, the modified layer is crack-free, porosity-free, and has good metallurgical bond with the substrate. The microstructure and chemical composition of the modified layer were analyzed by such detection devices as scanning electronic microscope(SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffractometer(XRD). The performance of electrochemical corrosion and cavitation erosion and their mechanism were estimated by the microhardness tester, potentiostat and (ultrasonic-)(induced) cavitation device.

Significant improvement of machinability of C_(f)/SiC composites through matching laser scanning spacing and abrasive belt grain size

To improve the application and service of C_(f)/SiC composites as advanced hightemperature structural materials,it is critical to achieve their high-efficiency and low-damage machining.In this study,the laser-ablating assisted grinding(LAAG)method was presented,and the connection of damage behavior and removal mechanism with laser and grinding processes was revealed.The results demonstrated that the surface of C_(f)/SiC composites after laser ablation was covered with a substantial number of loose oxides primarily composed of SiO2.Laser ablating process,grinding parameter and abrasive belt selection have a significant impact on the machining results.By fabricating an ablative layer with small laser scanning spacing,and selecting small abrasive grains and feed rate during grinding,the machinability was improved and a relatively lowerdamage grinding surface could be obtained.Under the optimal combination of process parameters,the grinding force and temperature of LAAG could be reduced by up to 85%and 35%,respectively.In this case,the subsurface damage of C_(f)/SiC composites occurred only in the form of microcracks rather large-scale fracture,and the formation of interface debonding and matrix cracking was significantly reduced.Furthermore,the grinding chips were mostly shown as micron-sized powders,indicating that the removal mechanism of C_(f)/SiC composites was primarily the microfractured and attrition wear of laser-ablated layer.

Review on laser directed energy deposited aluminum alloys

Lightweight aluminum(Al)alloys have been widely used in frontier fields like aerospace and automotive industries,which attracts great interest in additive manufacturing(AM)to process high-value Al parts.As a mainstream AM technique,laser-directed energy deposition(LDED)shows good scalability to meet the requirements for large-format component manufacturing and repair.However,LDED Al alloys are highly challenging due to their inherent poor printability(e.g.low laser absorption,high oxidation sensitivity and cracking tendency).To further promote the development of LDED high-performance Al alloys,this review offers a deep understanding of the challenges and strategies to improve printability in LDED Al alloys.The porosity,cracking,distortion,inclusions,element evaporation and resultant inferior mechanical properties(worse than laser powder bed fusion)are the key challenges in LDED Al alloys.Processing parameter optimizations,in-situ alloy design,reinforcing particle addition and field assistance are the efficient approaches to improving the printability and performance of LDED Al alloys.The underlying correlations between processes,alloy innovation,characteristic microstructures,and achievable performances in LDED Al alloys are discussed.The benchmark mechanical properties and primary strengthening mechanism of LDED Al alloys are summarized.This review aims to provide a critical and in-depth evaluation of current progress in LDED Al alloys.Future opportunities and perspectives in LDED high-performance Al alloys are also outlined.