Anisotropy reduction and mechanical property improvement of additively manufactured stainless steel based on cyclic phase transformation

Owing to the special layer-by-layer deposition process of directed energy deposition(DED),columnar coarse grains,produced by cyclic reheating with intrinsic directional heat flow along the building direc-tion,are difficult to avoid.These grains result in strong anisotropic characteristics with poor mechanical properties,which restrict the application of DED products.This work proposes a novel fabrication strat-egy based on the cyclic-phase-transformation behavior,which can reduce the anisotropy and improve the mechanical properties of DED-printed stainless steel.Using this fabrication strategy,316 L powder(austenitic stainless steel)and 17-4PH powder(martensitic stainless steel)were mixed in different mass ratios to fabricate five types of DED-printed stainless steels.Among the five samples,P70(mixture of 70 wt%17-4PH powder and 30 wt%316 L powder)showed the weakest anisotropy and the best mechanical properties,which can be attributed to the cyclic phase transformation under cyclic reheating treatment and the transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)effect over a wide range of strains,respectively.Com-pared with the pure 316 L printed material,the tensile test results of P70 showed that the yield strength(YS)and ultimate tensile strength(UTS)increased by 35.4%and 34.5%,respectively,whereas the uniform elongation(UE)and total elongation(TE)were improved by 63.9%and 31.4%,respectively.In addition,the strength-ductility balance(UTS×UE)increased by as much as 120.4%.The proposed fabrication strategy is expected to reduce the anisotropy in other materials that undergo cyclic-phase-transformation phe-nomena during additive manufacturing.

Nanoscale mechanical property variations concerning mineral composition and contact of marine shale

Mechanical properties of shales are key parameters influencing hydrocarbon production – impacting borehole stability, hydraulic fracture extension and microscale variations in in situ stress. We use Ordovician shale(Sichuan Basin, China) as a type-example to characterize variations in mineral particle properties at microscale including particle morphology, form of contact and spatial distribution via mineral liberation analysis(MLA) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Deformation-based constitutive models are then built using finite element methods to define the impact of various architectures of fracture and mineral distributions at nanometer scale on the deformation characteristics at macroscale.Relative compositions of siliceous, calcareous and clay mineral particles are shown to be the key factors influencing brittleness. Shales with similar mineral composition show a spectrum of equivalent medium mechanical properties due to differing particle morphology and mineral heterogeneity. The predominance of small particles and/or point-point contacts are conducive to brittle failure, in general, and especially so when quartz-rich. Fracture morphology, length and extent of filling all influence shale deformability. High aspect-ratio fractures concentrate stress at fracture tips and are conducive to extension, as when part-filled by carbonate minerals. As fracture spacing increases, stress transfer between adjacent fractures weakens, stress concentrations are amplified and fracture extension is favored. The higher the fractal dimension of the fracture and heterogeneity of the host the more pervasive the fractures. Moreover, when fractures extend, their potential for intersection and interconnection contributes to a reduction in strength and the promotion of brittle failure. Thus, these results provide important theoretical insights into the role of heterogeneity on the deformability and strength of shale reservoirs with practical implications for their stimulation and in the recovery of hydrocarbons from them.

Formation process, microstructure and mechanical property of transient liquid phase bonded aluminium-based metal matrix composite joint

The formation process, microstructure and mechanical properties of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonded aluminium based metal matrix composite (MMC) joint with copper interlayer were investigated. The formation process of the TLP joint comprises a number of stages: plastic deformation and solid diffusion (stage 1), dissolution of interlayer and base metal (stage 2), isothermal solidification (stage 3) and homogenization (stage 4). The microstructure of the joint depends on the joint formation process (distinct stages). The plastic deformation and solid diffusion in stage 1 favoure the intimate contact at interfaces and liquid layer formation. The microstructure of joint consists of aluminium solid solution, alumina particle, Al 2Cu and MgAl 2O 4 compounds in stage 2. The most pronounced feature of joint microstructure in stage 3 is the alumina particle segregation in the center of the joint. The increase of joint shear strength with increasing bonding temperature is mainly attributed to improving the fluidity and wettability of liquid phase and decreasing the amount of Al 2Cu brittle phase in the joint. The principal reason of higher bonding temperature (>600 ℃) resulting in lowering obviously the joint shear strength is the widening of alumina particle segregation region that acts as a preferential site for failure. The increase of joint shear strength with increasing holding time is mainly associated with decreasing the amount of Al 2Cu brittle phase and promoting homogenization of joint.

The Formula of Dependence of Mechanical Characteristics of Materials on Crystalline Phase Composition in the Matrix

Objective: For materials science and generally, for long-term operation of work-pieces in industry the significant role is attributed to dependence of macro-mechanical properties of consolidated body on crystalline phase composition, its dimensions, form, distribution in matrix and the form factor. While working in responsible fields of technology of ceramics and ceramic composites the above referred properties are attributed extremely great role with the view of durability and endurance at the terms of heavy mechanical loads. For description of the resistance of any concrete type work-piece, the crystalline phase plays the greatest role in mechanical strength or deformation of any material. It plays the important role in correlative explanation of materials mechanics and matrix properties. In our case, in the process of destruction of ceramic materials and composites, which will give us exhaustive response to the role of macro- and micro-mechanical properties of materials, the role of a macro- and micro-structural component, that is, of crystalline phase in the process of transition of stable state of materials into meta-stable state is extremely big. Our study aims to develop a formula of dependence of macro-mechanical properties of ceramic and ceramic composites on crystalline phase, the most powerful component of their structure, which will enable theorists and practitioners to select and develop technologies and technological processes correctly. Method: On the basis of the study of micro- and macro-mechanical properties of ceramics and ceramic composites and the morphology of crystalline phase and the analysis of the study we determined and created parameters of the formula. Results: The formula covers macro-mechanical properties, that is when the work-piece is thoroughly destructed: mechanic at bending at three and four-point load, mechanic at contraction;among morphological characteristics: composition of crystalline phase and their spreading in matrix, their sizes, form factor;correlative dependence of the above listed properties. Absolutely new definition of a factor of spreading of crystalline phase in matrix is offered. Conclusion: The created formula is of consolidated nature and it can be used in technology of any ceramic material and ceramic composites. The formula will help practitioners to plan correctly and fulfill accurately all positions of technology of production of work-pieces, to carry out the most responsible thermal treatment process of technology of manufacture of work-pieces;to determine correlation between mechanical and matrix properties of materials.

First-Principles Study of Phase Stability and Mechanical Property of Co_3(Al,W) Precipitates with Different Ratio of Al to W in Co Base Alloys

The energetics, electronic structure and mechanical property of Co3(Al,W) precipitates with different ratio of Al to W in Co base alloys were investigated by the method of supercell and augmented plane waves plus local orbitals within generalized gradient approximation. The calculated results show that the L12 Co3(Al,W) precipitate is the most stable when the ratio of Al to W is equal to 1. When the content of W is higher than 18.5 at%, the L12 and hexagonal structures co-exist in Co3(Al,W) precipitates at 1173 K. It is also shown that the L12 ordered Co3(Al,W) precipitates have an obvious strengthening effect in the disordered fcc cobalt matrix.

Evolution of microstructure, phase composition, and tensile properties of severely cold deformed titanium metastable β alloy in rapid continuous heating

Influence of severe cold deformation of titanium alloy Ti-1.5%A1-6.8%Mo-4.5%Fe in metastable β condition on the evolution of phase composition, microstructure, and tensile properties during continuous rapid heating was studied. As-deformed alloy was characterized by quasi-amorphous single-phase β condition with an abnormal temperature dependence of electric resistance that was normalized after 48 h exposure at room temperature as a result of isothermal ω phase precipitation. Subsequent rapid heating with a rate of 5 ℃/s caused recovery and recrystallization. Tensile properties of the alloy after different treatments were determined and discussed.

Effects of MgO and TiO_2 on the viscous behaviors and phase compositions of titanium-bearing slag

The effects of MgO and TiO_2 on the viscosity, activation energy for viscous flow, and break-point temperature of titanium-bearing slag were studied. The correlation between viscosity and slag structure was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopy. Subsequently, main phases in the slag and their content changes were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Factsage 6.4 software package. The results show that the viscosity decreases when the MgO content increases from 10.00wt% to 14.00wt%. Moreover, the break-point temperature increases, and the activation energy for viscous flow initially increases and subsequently decreases. In addition, with increasing TiO_2 content from 5.00wt% to 9.00wt%, the viscosity decreases, and the break-point temperature and activation energy for viscous flow initially decrease and subsequently increase. FTIR analyses reveal that the polymerization degree of complex viscous units in titanium-bearing slag decreases with increasing MgO and TiO_2 contents. The mechanism of viscosity variation was elucidated. The basic phase in experimental slags is melilite. Besides, as the MgO content increases, the amount of magnesia–alumina spinel in the slag increases. Similarly, the sum of pyroxene and perovskite phases in the slag increases with increasing TiO_2 content.

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of in-situ Al-Cu/TiC Composites

An approach named direct reaction synthesis (DRS) has been developed to fabricate particulate composites with an extremely fine reinforcement size. ID situ Al matrix composites were fabri-cated by DRS. Extensive analysis of the composites microstructure using SEM and TEM identify that the reinforcement formed during the DRS process is Ti carbide (TiC) particle, generally less than 1.0 μm. The reacted, semisolid extruded samples exhibit a homogeneous distribution of fine TiC particles in Al-Cu matrix, Mechanical property evaluation of the composites has revealed a very high tensile strength relative to the matrix alloy. Fractographic analysis indicates ductile failure although the ductility and strength are limited by the presence of coarse titanium aluminides (Al3Ti).

Effect of Graphene Surface Functional Groups on the Mechanical Property of PMMA Microcellular Composite Foams

The functional groups on graphene sheets surface affect their dispersion and interfacial adhesion in polymer matrix. We compared the mechanical property of polymethymethacrylate（PMMA） microcellular foams reinforced with graphene oxide（GO） and reduced graphene oxide（RGO） to investigate this influence of functional groups. RGO sheets were fabricated by solvent thermal reduction in DMF medium. UV-Vis, FT-IR and XPS analyses indicate the difference of oxygen-containing groups on GO and RGO sheets surface. The observation of SEM illustrates that the addition of a smaller number of GO or RGO sheets causes a fine cellular structure of PMMA foams with a higher cell density(about 1011 cells/cm3) and smaller cell sizes（about 1-2 μm） owing to their remarkable heterogeneous nucleation effect. Compared to GO reinforced foams, the RGO/PMMA foams own lower cell density and bigger cell size in their microstructure, and their compressive strength is lower even when the reinforcement contents are the same and the foam bulk density is higher. These results indicate that the oxygen-containing groups on GO sheets’ surface are beneficial to adhere CO2 to realize a larger nucleation rate, and their strong interaction with PMMA matrix improves the mechanical property of PMMA foams.

Cross-sectional structure, microstructure and mechanical property evolutions of brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite during drawing

A solid/liquid continuous casting and composite technology was used to produce d8.5 mm brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite billet and the composite billet was then drawn. The results showed that the composite billet had good surface quality, metallurgical bonding interface between brass and pure copper as well as elongation of 53.1%. Synergistic deformation degree between pure copper wire and brass cladding layer was high during drawing. With an increase of the total deformation amount, the plastic deformation of the pure copper wire reduced triangular arc gaps between the pure copper wires and the triangular arc gaps were fully filled at 50%. When the total deformation amount was increased to 63%, dislocation cells and microbands successively formed in the pure copper wire. In the brass cladding layer, planar dislocation networks, twins and shear bands formed successively, and the main deformation mechanisms were dislocation sliding, twinning and shear deformation. The tensile strength increased from 240 MPa of the composite billet to 519 MPa of the one with the deformation amount of 63%, but the elongation decreased from 53.1% to 3.2%. A process of solid/liquid continuous casting and composite forming→drawing can work as a new compact method to produce brass cladding pure copper stranded wire composite as railway through grounding wire.

Effect of HEA/Al composite interlayer on microstructure and mechanical property of Ti/Mg bimetal composite by solid-liquid compound casting

In this study,HEA/AI composite interlayer was used to fabricate Ti/Mg bimetal composites by solidliquid compound casting process.The Al layer was prepared on the surface of TC4 alloy by hot dipping,and the FeCoNiCr HEA layer was prepared by magnetron sputtering onto the Al layer.The influence of the HEA layer thickness and pouring temperature on interface evolution was investigated based on SEM observation and thermodynamic analysis.Results indicate that the sluggish diffusion effect of HEA can effectively inhibit the interfacial diffusion between Al and Mg,which is conducive to the formation of solid solution,especially when the thickness of HEA is 800 nm.With the increase of casting temperature from 720 ℃ to 730 ℃,740℃,and 750 ℃,α-Al(Mg),α-Al(Mg)+Al3Mg2,Al3Mg2+Al12Mg17,and Al12Mg17+δ-Mg are formed at the interface of Ti/Mg bimetal,respectively.When the thickness of the HEA layer is 800 nm and the pouring temperature is 720 ℃,the bonding strength of the Ti/Mg bimetal can reach the maximum of 93.6 MPa.

Effect of tool rotational speed on the particle distribution in friction stir welding of AA6092/17.5 SiCp-T6 composite plates and its consequences on the mechanical property of the joint

This study investigates the effect of tool rotational speed(TRS)on particle distribution in nugget zone(NZ)through quantitative approach and its consequences on the mechanical property of friction stir welded joints of AA6092/17.5 SiCp-T6 composite.6 mm thick plates are welded at a constant tool tilt angle of 2°and tool traverse speed of 1 mm/s by varying the TRS at 1000 rpm,1500 rpm and 2000 rpm with a taper pin profiled tool.Microstructure analysis shows large quantity of uniformly shaped smaller size SiC particle with lower average particle area which are homogeneously distributed in the NZ.The fragmentation of bigger size particles has been observed because of abrading action of the hard tool and resulting shearing effect and severe stress generation due to the rotation of tool.The particles occupy maximum area in the matrix compared to that of the base material(BM)due to the redistribution of broken particles as an effect of TRS.The migration of particles towards the TMAZ-NZ transition zone has been also encountered at higher TRS(2000 rpm).The microhardness analysis depicts variation in average hardness from top to bottom of the NZ,minimum for 1500 rpm and maximum for 2000 rpm.The impact strength at 1000 rpm and 1500 rpm remains close to that of BM(21.6 J)while 2000 rpm shows the accountable reduction.The maximum joint efficiency has been achieved at 1500 rpm(84%)and minimum at 1000 rpm(68%)under tensile loading.Fractographic analysis shows mixed mode of failure for BM,1000 rpm and 1500 rpm,whereas 2000 rpm shows the brittle mode of failure.

PREDICTION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTY OF WHISKER REINFORCED METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE: PART-I. MODEL AND FORMULATION

Based on study of strain distribution in whisker reinforced metal matrix composites, an explicit precise stiffness tensor is derived. In the present theory, the effect of whisker orientation on the macro property of composites is considered, but the effect of random whisker position and the complicated strain field at whisker ends are averaged. The derived formula is able to predict the stiffness modulus of composites with arbitrary whisker orientation under any loading condition. Compared with the models of micro mechanics, the present theory is competent for modulus prediction of actual engineering composites. The verification and application of the present theory are given in a subsequent paper published in the same issue

Application of support vector machine in the prediction of mechanical property of steel materials

The investigation of the influences of important parameters including steel chemical composition and hot rolling parameters on the mechanical properties of steel is a key for the systems that are used to predict mechanical properties. To improve the prediction accuracy, support vector machine was used to predict the mechanical properties of hot-rolled plain carbon steel Q235B. Support vector machine is a novel machine learning method, which is a powerful tool used to solve the problem characterized by small sample, nonlinearity, and high dimension with a good generalization performance. On the basis of the data collected from the supervisor of hotrolling process, the support vector regression algorithm was used to build prediction models, and the off-line simulation indicates that predicted and measured results are in good agreement.

Effects of SiC amount on phase compositions and properties of Ti_3SiC_2-based composites

The phase compositions and properties of Ti3SiC2-based composites with SiC addition of 5%-30% in mass fraction fabricated by in-situ reaction and hot pressing sintering were studied. SiC addition effectively prevented TiC synthesis but facilitated SiC synthesis. The Ti3SiC2/Ti C-SiC composite had better oxidation resistance when SiC added quantity reached 20% but poorer oxidation resistance with SiC addition under 15% than Ti3SiC2/TiC composite at higher temperatures. There were more than half of the original SiC and a few Ti3SiC2 remaining in Ti3SiC2/Ti C-SiC with 20% SiC addition, but all constituents in Ti3Si2/TiC composite were oxidized after 12 h in air at 1500 °C. The oxidation scale thickness of TS30, 1505.78 μm, was near a half of that of T,2715 μm, at 1500 °C for 20 h. Ti3SiC2/Ti C composite had a flexural strength of 474 MPa, which was surpassed by Ti3SiC2/TiC-SiC composites when SiC added amount reached 15%. The strength reached the peak of 518 MPa at 20% SiC added amount.

Effect of Thermal Shock and Oxidation on Mechanical Property of Carbon/Carbon Composites with a Silicide Coating

A SiC whisker-toughened MoSi2-SiC-Si coating was prepared on carbon/carbon (C/C) composites surface by a two-step technique of slurry and pack cementation, and the effects of thermal shock and oxidation on the mechanical property of the coated C/C were studied. The flexural strength of C/C composites was improved by 6.8% after coated by SiC whisker-toughened MoSi2-SiC-Si. After thermal cycle between 1773 K and room temperature in air for 10 times, the mass loss of the coated sample was 5.08% and the percentage of remaining strength was 81.97%. After oxidation at 1773K in air for 60 min, the mass loss of the coated sample was 2.57% and the percentage of remaining strength was 89.63%. The decrease of the flexural strength during the thermal cycle and oxidation tests was primarily due to the oxidation of C/C substrate resulting from the cracking of coating.

Effect of La_2O_3, Y_2O_3 Additives on Structure and Mechanical Property of Ceramic-Lined Composite Pipe Under Centrifugation

The effect of additives containing rare earth elements La and Y on the structure and mechanical property of ceramic-lined composite pipe was studied in presence of centrifugation. The fracture and shearing strength of ceramic-lined composite pipe containing different additives were measured and analyzed through the fracture and shearing strength experiments. The distribution of shear stress on the interface of ceramic layer and the pipe is computed by finite element method.

Simulation Analysis on Mechanical Property Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Carbon nanotube(CNT)-reinforced composites have ultra-high elastic moduli,low densities,and fibrous structures.This paper presents the multi-scale finite element modeling of CNT-reinforced polymer composites from micro-to macro-scales.The nanocomposites were modeled using representative volume elements(RVEs),and finite element code was written to simulate the modeling and loading procedure and obtain equivalent mechanical properties of the RVEs with various volume fractions of CNTs,which can be used directly in the follow-up simulation studies on the macroscopic model of CNT-reinforced nanocomposites.When using the programming to simulate the deformation and fracture process of the CNT-reinforced epoxy composites,the mechanical parameters and stress-strain curves of the composites on themacro-scale were obtained by endowing the elements of the lattice models withRVE parameters.Tensile experiments of the CNT-reinforced composites were also carried out.The validity of the finite element simulation method was verified by comparing the results of the simulations and experiments.Finite element models of functionally graded CNT-reinforced composites(FG-CNTRC)with different distributions were established,and the tensile and three-point-bending conditions for various graded material models were simulated by the methods of lattice model and birth-death element to obtain the tensile and bending parameters.In addition,the influence of the distribution and volume ratio of the CNTs on the performance of the graded composite material structures was also analyzed.

Phase decomposition behavior and its impact on mechanical properties in bulk nanostructured Cu-20 at.%Fe supersaturated solid solution

Extended solid solution of immiscible systems,achieved by extreme processing approaches,can be trans-formed into nanostructured composites via phase decomposition,which are drawing great research atten-tion for their excellent thermal stability and high strength.Here we fabricated the supersaturated solid solution of Cu-20 at.%Fe,a typical immiscible alloy,in bulk state by high pressure torsion,which pro-vides a great freedom over powders for studying the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties in the process of the phase decomposition in immiscible alloys.We found that in the Cu-Fe solid solu-tion,spinodal decomposition of the Fe phases took place at the initial stage of annealing through volume diffusion.This process gives rise to:(1)metastableγ-Fe particles in the Cu grains with coherent Fe/Cu interface,and(2)the more stableα-Fe phase at the grain boundaries.This process was accompanied by moving boundary reaction which first proceeded in the pattern of spinodal decomposition and then changed into classical nucleation-growth mode with the depletion of Fe atoms in Cu.The resultant Cu-Fe nanocomposites were jointly strengthened by the ultrafine Cu andα-Fe grains according to the rule of mixture,including grain boundary strengthening and the hardening of nanoscaleγ-Fe precipitates in the Cu grains.The effects of different strengthening mechanisms were scrutinized and their contributions to mechanical properties were quantitatively evaluated.This work sheds light onto the opportunity of designing and fabricating nanostructured composites via phase decomposition in immiscible systems.