Scanning Electron Micro-Analysis for Hot Cracks in Directionally Solidi-fied Alloys

Through scanning electron microanalysis,it was discovered that dendritic bridges exist in hot cracks in directionally solidified alloys and the traces caused by dendritic bridges broken exist in the fracture of hot cracks.This proves the assumption that there are dendritic bridges in the final stage of solidification process and hot cracking is caused by the break of dendritic bridges.

Cracking on a nickel-based superalloy fabricated by direct energy deposition

Cracks have consistently been a significant challenge limiting the development of additive manufactured nickel-based superalloys.It is essential to investigate the location of cracks and their forming mechanism.This study extensively examines the impact of solidification process,microstructural evolution,and stress concentration on crack initiation during direct energy deposition(DED).The results emphasize that the crack formation is significantly related to large-angle grain boundaries,rapid cooling rates.Cracks caused by large-angle grain boundaries and a fast-cooling rate predominantly appear near the edge of the deposited samples.Liquation cracks are more likely to form near the top of the deposited sample,due to the presence ofγ/γ'eutectics.The secondary dendritic arm and the carbides in the interdendritic regions can obstruct liquid flow during the final stage of solidification,which results in the formation of solidification cracks and voids.This work paves the way to avoid cracks in nickel-based superalloys fabricated by DED,thereby enhancing the performance of superalloys.

Microstructures,micro-segregation and solidification path of directionally solidified Ti-45Al-5Nb alloy

To investigate the effect of solidification parameters on the solidification path and microstructure evolution of Ti-45Al-5Nb(at.%) alloy, Bridgman-type directional solidification and thermodynamics calculations were performed on the alloy. The microstructures, micro-segregation and solidification path were investigated.The results show that the β phase is the primary phase of the alloy at growth rates of 5-20 μm·s^(-1) under the temperature gradients of 15-20 K·mm^(-1), and the primary phase is transformed into an α phase at relatively higher growth rates(V >20 μm·s^(-1)). The mainly S-segregation and β-segregation can be observed in Ti-45Al-5Nb alloy at a growth rate of 10 μm·s^(-1) under a temperature gradient of 15 K·mm^(-1). The increase of temperature gradient to 20 K·mm^(-1) can eliminate β-segregation, but has no obvious effect on S-segregation. The results also show that 5 at.% Nb addition can expand the β phase region, increase the melting point of the alloy and induce the solidification path to become complicated. The equilibrium solidification path of Ti-45Al-5Nb alloy can be described as L L→β L+β L+β→αα+β_R β→ααα→γα+γα→α_2+γγ_R+(α_2+γ), in which β_R and γ_R mean the residual β and

Microstructure and Its Influence on Mechanical Behaviour of Directionally Solidified DZ38G Superalloy

The features of microstructure and their influence on mechanical properties on stress-rupture as well as thermal fatigue of directionally solidified DZ38G nickel-base su- peralloy have been investigated.It has been found that the contents of carbides on grain boundaries are increased and morphology of γ'- precipitates has been changed after testing. Particularly γ'-precipitates coalesced into raft-like in morphology perpendicular to the applied stress-axis have been observed that has no detrimental effect on the stress-rupture behaviour.The tendency of σ-formation has also been discussed.The σ-phase can be avoided when the process parameters are chosen appropriately during solidification.

CREEP CRACK PROPAGATION IN CONVENTIONAL CAST AND DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED SUPERALLOY RENE 80

The creep crack propagation in superalloy René80 of two different microstructures,i.e., equiaxed grain structure by conventional casting and columnar grain by directional solidification,was investigated under static load at 1123 K.The creep crack growth rate, da/dt,seems to be correlated with the stress intensity factor,K.The creep crack growth rate in the directionally solidified alloy is lower than that in the conventional cast alloy,owing to the elimination of transverse grain boundaries.The effect of microstructure on creep crack propagation has also been discussed.

THE STRAIN ENERGY DENSITY RATIO CRITERION FOR PREDICTING CRACKING DIRECTION IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS

The strain energy density ratio criterion for predicting cracking direction in composite materials is proposed. The Tsai-Hill criterion and Norris criterion of composite materials are extended to predict the cracking direction in composites. The three criteria are used to analyse the crack propagation problem of the unidirectional fibre composite sheet with various fibre directions. The predicted results are compared with those of the existing normal stress ratio criterion and strain energy density criterion.

ON CRACK-TIP STRAIA ENERGY RELEASE RATE IN NON-PRINCIPAL DIRECTIONS OF ELASTICITY FOR SIMPLE LAYER PLATE OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

In this paper,the fracture problem in non-principal directions of elasticity for a simple layer plate of linear-elastic orthotropic composite materials is studied.The formulae of transformation between characteristic roots,coefficients of elastic compliances in non-principal directions of elasticity and corresponding parameters in principal directions of elasticity are derived.Then,the computing formulae of strain energy release rate under skew-symmetric loading in terms of engineering parameters for principal directions of elasticity are obtained by substituting crack-tip stresses and displacements into the basic formula of the strain energy release rate.

Modeling of Microstructure Evolution during Directional Solidification Process

A model was presented to describe the microstructure evolution during the directional solidification process. In this model, the problem of different properties in the solid and liquid phase was solved by making the properties continuous at the solid/liquid interface. Furthermore, a random noise was incorporated to reflect the anisotropic growth. Moreover, the averaging solute conservation was developed to keep the total solute conservation in the interface region. A simple ingot was simulated by this method, the model can represent the microstructure evolution, solute concentration redistribution, micro-segregation and the columnar-to-equiaxed transition.

Reduction of Residual Stress in Low Alloy Steel with Magnetic Treatment in Different Directions

The behavior that different magnetic treatment directions induce various amounts of welding residual stress reductions in low alloy steel was studied. Reductions of 26%-28% in the longitudinal stress σ x were obtained when low frequency alternating magnetic treatment was applied perpendicularly to the welding bead, whereas reductions of 20%-21% in σ x were measured by using the same treatment parameters except that the field direction was applied parallel to the bead. It is proposed that different extent of stress reductions caused by the above two treatment directions is attributed primarily to the alteration of the energy absorbed by domains from the external magnetic field, which part of energy can arouse plastic deformation in microstructures by the motion of domain walls.

Directional sliding of water:biomimetic snake scale surfaces

Bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted many industrial and academic interests in recent years.Inspired by unique superhydrophobicity and anisotropic friction properties of snake scale surfaces,this study explores the feasibility to produce a bionic superhydrophobic stainless steel surface via laser precision engineering,which allows the realization of directional superhydrophobicity and dynamic control of its water transportation.Dynamic mechanism of water sliding on hierarchical snake scale structures is studied,which is the key to reproduce artificially bioinspired multifunctional materials with great potentials to be used for water harvesting,droplet manipulation,pipeline transportation,and vehicle acceleration.

Investigation of a non-explosive directional roof cutting technology for self-formed roadway

Traditional explosives have characteristics of high risk,large vibration,and poor directional fracturing.Consequently,an instantaneous expander with a single crack surface(IESCS),which is a novel nonexplosive directional rock-breaking technique,has been developed.The directional roof-cutting mechanism of the IESCS method,driven by high-pressure gas,was theoretically analyzed.Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations proved the directional slitting effect of the IESCS method to be excellent.Compared with shaped-charge blasting,the charge of IESCS was reduced by 8.9%,but the crack rate increased by 9%in field tests.After IESCS pre-splitting,the roof directionally collapsed along the cutting line,and the gangue filled the goaf.Moreover,the directional roof cutting by the IESCS could decrease roadway stress.The average pressure of hydraulic supports on the cutting side of the roof was 31%lower than that on the non-cutting side of the roof after pre-splitting.After the self-formed roadway constructed by the IESCS was stabilized,the final relative displacement of the roof and floor was 157.3 mm,meeting the required standard of the next working face.Thus,the IESCS was effectively applied to directional roof pre-splitting.The results demonstrate the promising potential of IESCS in the mining and geotechnical fields.

Bioinspired micro/nanostructured surfaces prepared by femtosecond laser direct writing for multi-functional applications

manufacturing of biomimetic micro/nanostructures due to its specific advantages including high precision,simplicity,and compatibility for diverse materials in comparison with other methods(e.g.ion etching,sol-gel process,chemical vapor deposition,template method,and self-assembly).These biomimetic micro/nanostructured surfaces are of significant interest for academic and industrial research due to their wide range of potential applications,including self-cleaning surfaces,oil-water separation,and fog collection.This review presents the inherent relationship between natural organisms,fabrication methods,micro/nanostructures and their potential applications.Thereafter,we throw a list of current fabrication strategies so as to highlight the advantages of FLDW in manufacturing bioinspired microstructured surfaces.Subsequently,we summarize a variety of typical bioinspired designs(e.g.lotus leaf,pitcher plant,rice leaf,butterfly wings,etc)for diverse multifunctional micro/nanostructures through extreme femtosecond laser processing technology.Based on the principle of interfacial chemistry and geometrical optics,we discuss the potential applications of these functional micro/nanostructures and assess the underlying challenges and opportunities in the extreme fabrication of bioinspired micro/nanostructures by FLDW.This review concludes with a follow up and an outlook of femtosecond laser processing in biomimetic domains.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MECHANISM AND TECHNOLOGY OF DIRECTED CRACK BLASTING

The dynamic stress-fields and their distribution characteristics around boreholes in the directed crack blasting were measured with the dynamic photo-elastic laser holography apparatus and the ultradymamic measurement system. The directed crack mechanism and its mechanical model have been analysed and expounded. Through the 43 production experiments using slotted cartridges and the double triangle center cut-holes for directed crack blasting in underground rock drift, the results of which the rates of half-hole marks and efficiency of borehole,and the nonsmooth grades of the cut contours are 96%, 98% and 10cm respectively have been achieved.

FORMULATION OF STATISTICAL EVOLUTION OF MICROCRACKS IN SOLIDS

The paper presents a principal formulation of statistical evolution of microcracks, occurring in solids, subjected to external loading. In particular, the concept of ideal microcracks is elaborated, in order to describe the fundamental features of damage resulting from nucleation and extension of microcracks. Relevant average damage functions are also discussed.

Micro-crack detection of nonlinear Lamb wave propagation in three-dimensional plates with mixed-frequency excitation

We propose a nonlinear ultrasonic technique by using the mixed-frequency signals excited Lamb waves to conduct micro-crack detection in thin plate structures.Simulation models of three-dimensional(3D)aluminum plates and composite laminates are established by ABAQUS software,where the aluminum plate contains buried crack and composite laminates comprises cohesive element whose thickness is zero to simulate delamination damage.The interactions between the S0 mode Lamb wave and the buried micro-cracks of various dimensions are simulated by using the finite element method.Fourier frequency spectrum analysis is applied to the received time domain signal and fundamental frequency amplitudes,and sum and difference frequencies are extracted and simulated.Simulation results indicate that nonlinear Lamb waves have different sensitivities to various crack sizes.There is a positive correlation among crack length,height,and sum and difference frequency amplitudes for an aluminum plate,with both amplitudes decreasing as crack thickness increased,i.e.,nonlinear effect weakens as the micro-crack becomes thicker.The amplitudes of sum and difference frequency are positively correlated with the length and width of the zero-thickness cohesive element in the composite laminates.Furthermore,amplitude ratio change is investigated and it can be used as an effective tool to detect inner defects in thin 3D plates.

ON THE STUDY OF THE INITIATION OF THE MICRO CRACK ON THE SMOOTH SURFACE OF POLYCRYSTALLINE

Crystallographic plasticity was applied to study the initiation of micro cracks on the smooth surface of polycrystalline under uniform applied stress. Even under the uniform external stress, due to the different crystallographic orientations of the grains in the polycrystalline, there is un-uniform stress distribution and the deformation is also not uniform. Under the fatigue loading, the roughness increases with the number of fatigue, and deformation will localize in some places, where micro cracks form.

Self-catalyzed Effect and Cracking Risk in Mass Concrete Containing Micro-slag

The main results obtained from the experimental and engineering investigation on the heat evolution and cracking risk of a furnace concrete block were presented. The heat evolution of experimental mortars containing micro-slag under different environmental temperatures was instrumented in order to investigate the self-catalyzed effect, which was discovered in engineering. More-over,the thermal stress of the furnace concrete due to heat temperature rise was calculated to evaluate the cracking risk of mass concrete containing micro-slag due to self-catalyzed effect. The experimental results illustrate that with the development of hydration and initial temperature of mixture, the hydra-tion can be also accelerated and temperature of concrete will be continued to rise, which was the self-catalyzed effect. And the thermal stress due to self-catalyzed effect could not result in the cracking of furnace concrete.

Diffusive healing of internal fatigue micro-cracks in pure titanium

The internal micro cracks with the critical length about 30?μm and thickness less than 1?μm were introduced into the pure titanium samples by uniaxial tension compression low cycle fatigue method. The experimental results indicate that the internal fatigue micro crack clearly evolves from the original penny shaped crack into a string of spherical voids in the longitudinal section plane of the fatigue sample after the vacuum diffusive healing at the high temperature. The quantitative relationship between the radius and the spacing of spherical voids depends on the crack position (within grains, on grain boundaries or transgranular sites) and its orientations within the grain. The diffusive healing, the related thermodynamics and mechanism, and the effect of the surface tension anisotropy on the relationship between void diameter and void spacing are also discussed.

A Straightforward Direct Traction Boundary Integral Method for Two-Dimensional Crack Problems Simulation of Linear Elastic Materials

This paper presents a direct traction boundary integral equation method(DTBIEM)for two-dimensional crack problems of materials.The traction boundary integral equation was collocated on both the external boundary and either side of the crack surfaces.The displacements and tractions were used as unknowns on the external boundary,while the relative crack opening displacement(RCOD)was chosen as unknowns on either side of crack surfaces to keep the single-domain merit.Only one side of the crack surfaces was concerned and needed to be discretized,thus the proposed method resulted in a smaller system of algebraic equations compared with the dual boundary element method(DBEM).A new set of crack-tip shape functions was constructed to represent the strain field singularity exactly,and the SIFs were evaluated by the extrapolation of the RCOD.Numerical examples for both straight and curved cracks are given to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the presented method.

Micro Crack of Aluminum Sheet During Cold Rolling

The micro crack of aluminum sheet during cold rolling lubricated with emulsions is investigated. Experi-ments show that micro cracks occur after cold rolling process and this is attributed to various parameters, for instance, the thin oxide film formed at the sheet surface. The micro crack spacing thus becomes an important parameter which deserves more concerns. The aspect ratio of these micro cracks is then analyzed theoreti-cally, which takes into consideration of the oxide fracture process. The good agreement between the obser-vations and the theoretical predictions validates the analysis. The approach can shed some new lights on the mechanical process of aluminium sheet during cold rolling.