Accelerating sample preparation of graded thermoelectric materials using an automatic powder feeding system

In recent years,the development of techniques for the controlled preparation of functional graded materials(FGMs)has become a vigorous research field.In this study,to improve the efficiency and accuracy of sample preparations,an automated feeding system based on gravimetric principles for dry powder with three dosing feeders is designed and realized.The feeding rate and accuracy can be regulated by coordinating the protruded length L(mm)and rotational speed V(r/min)of the feeder stirrer.To demonstrate this automatic sample preparation system,the well-known thermoelectric material BixSb2-x-Te3(x=0.3,0.4,0.5,0.6,0.7 and 0.8)is selected and prepared by the developed system,and the composition distribution of the functional graded material is characterized.Experimental results show that the BixSb2_xTe3(x=0.3-0.8)functionally graded material crystalizes in the rhombohedral phase after hot-pressing sintering and annealing and the prepared sample has a good gradient composition distribution.This verifies the reliability and accuracy of the feeding system.The concept of samples with a gradient component and application of the automatic powder feeding system could considerably accelerate the research and development of new materials.

In-situ TiC Reinforced Composite Coating Produced by Powder Feeding Laser Cladding

A Ni-base alloy composite coating reinforced with TiC particles of various shapes and sizes on medium carbon steel substrate was produced by multilayer laser cladding. The chemical compositions, microstructures and surface morphology of the cladded layer were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, and X-ray diffractometry （XRD）. The experimental results showed that an excellent metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate was obtained. The microstructure of the coating was mainly composed of γ-Ni dendrites, a small amount of CrB, Ni3B, M23C6 and dispersed TiC particles. Much more and larger TiC particles formed in the overlapping zone, which led to a slightly higher microhardness of this zone. The maximum microhardness of the coating was about HV0.21200. The effects of the laser processing parameters on the microstructures and properties of coating were also investigated.

A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF LASER CLADDING BY POWDER FEEDING

A novel model was presented to predict the evolutionary development of cladding layer, and a method based on Lambert-Beer theorem and Mie's theory was adopted to treat the interaction between powder stream and laser beam. By using the continuum model and enthalpy-porosity method, the fluid flow and heat transfer in solid-liquid phase change system were simulated. The commercial software PHOENICS, to which several modules were appended, was used to accomplish the simulation. Numerical computation was performed for Stellite 6 cladding on steel, the obtained results are coincident with those measured in experiment basically.

STUDYONANEWKINDOFPOWDER－FEEDINGAPPARATUSOFFLUX－COREDWIREPRODUCTIONLINE

A set of electromagnetic vibration powder feeding apparatus of the flux cored wire production line and its single chip controlling system have been designed in this paper. The parameters of the electromagnatic vibration powder feeding apparatus have been tested, the functional relation between powder feeding velocity V L and current I has been made out so that the controlling system can not only automatically make out the quantity of the powder according to the width of the steel belt, powder density, production speed and filling ratio, but also adjust the powder feeding speed according to the real production speed, keeping a stable filling ratio.

3-D transient numerical simulation on the process of laser cladding by powder feeding

A 3-D transient mathematical model for laser cladding by powder feeding wasdeveloped to examine the macroscopic heat and momentum transport during the process, based on whicha novel method for determining the configuration and thickness of cladding layer was presented. Byusing Lambert-Beer theorem and Mie's theory, the interaction between powder stream and laser beamwas treated to evoke their subtle effects on heat transfer and fluid flow in laser molten pool. Thenumerical study was performed in a co-ordinate system moving with the laser at a constant scanningspeed. A fixed grid enthalpy-porosity approach was used, which predicted the evolutionarydevelopment of the laser molten pool. The commercial software PHOENICS, to which several moduleswere appended, was used to accomplish the simulation. The results obtained by the simulation werecoincident with those measured in experiment basically.

Analysis of the Agglomeration of Powder in a Coaxial Powder Feeding Nozzle Used for Laser Energy Deposition

To improve the agglomeration of powder in a coaxial powder feeding nozzle used in the frame of a laser energy deposition technique,the influence of several parameters must be carefully assessed.In the present study the problem is addressed by means of numerical simulations based on a DEM-CFD(Discrete Element Method and Discrete Element Method)coupled model.The influence of the powder flow concentration,powder flow focal length and the amount of powder at the nozzle outlet on the rate of convergence of the powder flow is considered.The role played by the nozzle outlet width,the angle between the inner and outer walls and the powder incident angle in determining the powder flow concentration is also considered.The results show that,with increasing of nozzle outlet width,the powder flow concentration per unit volume at the nozzle focal point undergoes a non-monotonic behaviour(it first increases and then decreases).When the nozzle outlet widthδis 1.00 mm,the powder flow concentration at the focal point is maximal and the powder flow convergence can be considered optimal.By increasing the angle between the inner and outer walls,the powder flow concentration related to the upper focus decreases,the focus diameter increases and the powder flow aggregation worsens.The powder flow concentration increases first and then decreases with increasing incident angle.When the incident angleθis 30°,the powder flow exhibits the best agglomeration properties.When the outlet width is smaller,the angle between the inner and outer walls is larger,and when the incident angle is set at 30°,the powder flow concentration of the coaxial nozzle can be effectively improved.

Characterization of functionally graded ZrO_2 thermal barrier coatings sprayed by supersonic plasma spray with dual powder feed ports

The functionally graded thermal barrier coatings （FG-TBCs） with 80%ZrO2-13%CeO2-7%Y2O3 （C-YSZ）/NiCoCrAlY were prepared using a recently developed supersonic plasma spraying（S-PS） with dual powder feed ports system. The thermal shock experiment of FG-TBCs specimens was carried out by means of the automatic thermal cycle device, in which the samples were heated to 1200℃ by oxygen-acetylene flame jet then water-quenched to ambient temperature. The temperature—time curves of specimens and photographs can be watched on-line and recorded by a computer during the test. The results show that the totally 1mm-thick FG-TBCs have excellent thermal shock resistance due to the fact that the coatings have no any peeling-off after 200 thermal cycles. The microstructures and morphologies of FG-TBCs were characterized and analyzed by SEM.