Effect of asymmetric rolling process on the microstructure,mechanical properties and texture of AZ31 magnesium alloys sheets produced by twin roll casting technique

Symmetric rolling(SR)and asymmetric rolling(ASR)processes were carried out on 6 mm thick AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets that were produced by twin roll casting(TRC)technique.Before rolling processes,sheets were heat treated in order to obtain a homogenized microstructure.In this study,for the ASR process the rolling speed ratio between upper roller and lower was selected as 1.25.Both SR and ASR processes were utilized with 40%reduction per passes using 2 pass schedule for a total reduction ratio of 0.67.Symmetric and asymmetric rolled sheets were characterized using optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)techniques.Texture measurements were performed by using X-ray diffraction(XRD)technique and mechanical properties were investigated by tensile tests and also hardness measurements.

Corrosion behavior of cold-rolled and post heat-treated 316L stainless steel in 0.9wt%NaCl solution

The effect of cold rolling and post-rolling heat treatment on the microstructural and electrochemical properties of the 316L stainless steel was investigated.Two-pass and four-pass cold-rolled stainless steel specimens were heat-treated by annealing at 900℃followed by quenching in water.During the cold rolling,the microstructure of the as-received specimen transformed from austenite to strain-inducedα′-martensite due to significant plastic deformation that also resulted in significant grain elongation(i.e.,~33%and 223%increases in the grain elongation after two and four rolling passes,respectively).The hardness of the heat-treated as-received specimen decreased from HV 190 to 146 due to the recovery and recrystallization of the austenite grain structure.The cyclic polarization scans of the as-rolled and heat-treated specimens were obtained in 0.9wt%NaCl solution.The pitting potential of the four-pass rolled specimen was significantly increased from 322.3 to 930.5 mV after post-rolling heat treatment.The beneficial effect of the heat treatment process was evident from~10-times-lower corrosion current density and two-orders-of-magnitude-lower passive current density of the heat-treated specimens compared with those of the as-rolled specimens.Similarly,appreciably lower corrosion rate(3.302×10^(−4)mm/a)and higher pitting resistance(1115.5 mV)were exhibited by the postrolled heat-treated specimens compared with the as-rolled 316L stainless steel specimens.

Microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of Al-2024 alloy processed via a rheocasting route

This article reports the effects of stirring speed and T6 heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-2024 alloy synthesized by a rheocasting process. There was a decrease in grain size ofα-Al particles corresponding to an increase in stirring speed. By increasing the stirring speed, however, the globularity of matrix particles first increased and then declined. It was also found that the hardness, compressive strength, and compressive strain increased with the increase of stirring speed. Microstructural studies revealed the presence of nonsoluble Al15（CuFeMn）3Si2 phase in the vicinity of CuAl2 in the rheocast samples. The required time for the solution treatment stage was also influenced by stirring speed;the solution treatment time decreased with the increase in stirring speed. Furthermore, the rheo-cast samples required a longer homogenization period compared to conventionally wrought alloys. Improvements in hardness and compres-sive properties were observed after T6 heat treatment.

Numerical and experimental investigations of weld pool geometry in GTA welding of pure aluminum

A 2-D numerical model was developed to predict the shape of weld pool in stationary GTA welding of commercial pure aluminium,without considering fluid flow in the weld pool.A Gaussian current density and heat input distribution on the surface of the workpiece were considered.The parameters of Gaussian distribution were modified by comparing calculated results with experimental ones.It was found that these distribution parameters are functions of applied current and arc length.Effects of arc length,applied current and welding time on the geometry of the weld pool were investigated.To check the validity of the model,a series of experiments were also conducted.In general,the agreement between calculated overall shape of the weld pool and the experimental one was acceptable,especially in low applied currents.Therefore,it can be concluded that in pure aluminium,the heat conduction is dominant mechanism of heat transfer in the weld pool.

Synthesis and characterization of salt-impregnated anodic aluminum oxide composites for low-grade heat storage

Thermochemical heat storage(THS)systems have recently attracted a lot of attention in research and development.In this study,an anodic aluminum oxide(AAO)template,fabricated by a two-step anodization method,was used for the first time as the matrix material for a THS system.Different salts were studied as thermochemical materials for their suitability in low-grade heat storage application driven by solar energy for an open system.Compositions were prepared by absorbing CaCl2,MgCl2,LiCl,LiNO3 and mixtures of these salts under a vacuum in an AAO matrix.Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to examine the morphology of the produced AAO composites.Thermal energy storage capacities of the composites were characterized using a differential scanning calorimeter.Characterization analysis showed that anodized Al plates were suitable matrix materials for THS systems,and composite sorbent prepared with a 1:1 ratio LiCl/LiNO3 salt mixture had the highest energy value among all composites,with an energy density of 468.1 k J·kg-1.

Mechanical properties and microstructure of composites produced by recycling metal chips

In this study, the processing and mechanical properties of porous metal matrix composites(MMCs) composed of spheroidal cast iron chips(GGG40) and bronze chips(CuSn10) and formed by hot isostatic pressing were investigated. Bronze chips(CuSn10) were used as a matrix component, and spheroidal cast iron(GGG40) chips were used as a reinforcement component. The MMCs were produced with different CuSn10 contents(90 wt%, 80 wt%, 70 wt%, and 60 wt%). The hot isostatic pressing process was performed under three different pressures and temperatures. The produced MMCs were characterized using density tests, Brinell hardness tests, and compression tests. In addition, the consolidation mechanism was investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The test results were compared with those for bulk CuSn10 and bulk GGG40. Mechanical tests results revealed that the metallic chips can be recycled by using hot pressing and that the mechanical properties of the produced MMCs were similar to those of bulk CuSn10. XRD and microscopy studies showed that no intermetallic compounds formed between the metallic chips. The results showed that the CuSn10 and GGG40 chips were consolidated by mechanical interlocking.

Influence of shielding gas on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of DP-GMA-welded 5083-H321 aluminum alloy

In the present research, 6-mm-thick 5083-H321 aluminum alloy was joined by the double-pulsed gas metal arc welding （DP-GMAW） process. The objective was to investigate the influence of the shielding gas composition on the microstructure and properties of GMA welds. A macrostructural study indicated that the addition of nitrogen and oxygen to the argon shielding gas resulted in better weld penetration. Furthermore, the tensile strength and bending strength of the welds were improved when oxygen and nitrogen （at concentrations as high as approximately 0. 1vol%） were added to the shielding gas; however, these properties were adversely affected when the oxygen and nitrogen contents were increased further. This behavior was attributed to the formation of excessive brown and black oxide films on the bead surface, the formation of intermetallic compounds in the weld metal, and the formation of thicker oxide layers on the bead surface with increasing nitrogen and oxygen contents in the argon-based shielding gas. Analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that most of these compounds are nitrides or oxides.

Cell morphology,porosity,microstructure and mechanical properties of porous Fe–C–P alloys

Open cell steel foams were successfully fabricated through the powder metallurgy route using urea granules as the water leachable space holder in the present study.The influence of different amounts of phosphorus(0,0.5wt%,1wt%,2wt%,and 4wt%)was investigated on the cell morphology,porosity,microstructure of cell walls,and mechanical properties of steel foams.The cell morphology and microstructure of the cell walls were evaluated using an optical microscope equipped with image processing software and a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.In addition,the compression tests were conducted on the steel foams using a universal testing machine.Based on microscopic images,the porous structure consists of spherical cells and irregularly shaped pores that are distributed in the cell walls.The results indicated that by increasing the phosphorus content,the porosity increases from 71.9%to 83.2%.The partially distributed ferrite and fine pearlite was observed in the microstructure of the cell walls,andα-Fe and Fe3P eutectic extended between the boundaries of agglomerated iron particles.Furthermore,elastic and long saw-toothed plateau regions were observed before fracture in the compressional stress–strain curves.According to the results,by increasing the phosphorus content from 0 to 4wt%,the plateau region of the stress–strain curves shifts to the right and upward.Therefore,increasing phosphorus content causes improvement in the mechanical properties of steel foams.

Influence of sulfate ion concentration and pH on the corrosion of Mg-Al-Zn-Mn(GA9) magnesium alloy

The corrosion behavior of Mg-Al-Zn-Mn(GA9)alloy in sodium sulfate solutions was studied over a range of concentrations and solution temperatures at different pH conditions by electrochemical techniques like Tafel extrapolation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The studies were carried out in solutions with sodium sulfate concentrations 0.1M,0.5M,1M,1.5M and 2M;and at five different temperatures of 30,35,40,45 and 50℃ in a pH range of 3-12.As per the experimental data,the corrosion rate of the alloy increased with the increase in temperature,and also with the increase in concentration of sodium sulfate in the medium.It was observed that the rate of corrosion decreased with the increase in pH.The activation parameters like activation energy,enthalpy of activation and entropy of activation for the corrosion process were calculated.The surface morphology of the alloy was examined before and after corrosion using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).

Structural and optical analysis of Cr_2N thin films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering

Chromium nitride （Cr2N） thin films were prepared by a DC magnetron sputtering technique. The deposition temperature was raised from 50 to 300℃, and its influence on the film structure and refractive index was investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the crystalline strucure of the films transforms from the （101） to （002） oriented hexagonal CrzN phase as the increase of substrate tempera- ture above 50℃, and a highly texatred film grows at 100℃. An empirical relation between the crystalline orientation and infrared active modes of the films is obtained, i.e., the Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectrum of the film prepared at 50℃ exhibits only A1 （TO） mode. The prominent peak in the FTIR spectra of the film prepared above 50℃is assigned to the E1 （TO） mode and is correlated with the （002） or c-axis oriented hexagonal wurtzite phase of Cr2N. In the surface analysis of atomic force microscopy, a transformation from the featureless surface to columnar-type morphology is observed with the increase of substrate temperature from 50 to 100℃, exhibiting c-axis oriented crystallite growth. A further increase in substrate temperature to 200℃ causes the c-axis crystallites to merge, resulting in the formation of voids. The refractive index （n） of the deposited films is obtained using spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Dissolution Behaviour and Electrodeposition of Strontium and its Alloys

The electromotive force(EMF)was determined by electrochemical method at 760～950℃ for the concen- tration cell:(Mo)Sr|SrCl_2,--Sr sat.||SrCl_2,--xSr|Mo. The dissolution behavior of Sr and alloyed strontium (i.e.Cu--Sr or Al--Sr) in molten salt containing SrCl_2 was studied. The electrolysis of SrCl_2 for production of Sr and its alloys(Al-Sr and Cu-Sr) was also conducted on the basis of electrochemical measurement. The disso- lution data so obtained well agree with the results from phase diagram.

Effects of Ni doping on the structural properties and collapse of magnetic ordering in NdFe_(1-x)Ni_xO_3(0.1 ≤x≤ 0.7) orthoferrites

Nd Fe_（1-x）Ni_xO_3（0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.7） orthoferrites are synthesized by solid state reaction method, and the structural properties of these materials are investigated by employing x-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and M o¨ssbauer spectroscopy. The orthorhombic structure is observed in all systems; however, with the increase in Ni doping,the increase in tolerance factor and the decrease in the cell volume are observed. Orthorhombic distortion decreases with Ni content increasing up to 50%, while above 50% Ni doping it increases. SEM examination indicates the increases in grain size and intermixing of grains with increase in Ni concentration. Comparison between bulk and theoretical densities shows that in each of all samples porosity is less than 2%. M？ssbauer spectroscopic investigations are performed to explain local structure, Fe oxidation states and collapse of the magnetic ordering. In these samples the Fe oxidation state remains＋3 and there is no considerable increase in hole states observed; however due to mismatch of the ionic radii between Fe^（3＋） and Ni^（3＋）, octahedral distortions, sagging and distribution of hyperfine parameters increase with increase in Ni concentration. The major factors behind the collapse of magnetic ordering in the Ni-doped systems are the weakening of the super-exchange interactions, decrease in the Neel temperature, increase in spin–spin relaxation frequency and high spin to low spin transition.

AlTiN and AlTiON-coated hot work tool steels for tooling in steel thixoforming

X32CrMoV33 hot work tool steel samples coated with AlTiN and AlTiON were submitted to thermal cycling under conditions that approximate thixoforming of steels and to sliding wear tests at 750 ℃,measured to be the cavity surface temperature shortly after the steel slurry is forced into the thixoforming die.AlTiN and AlTiON coatings provide adequate protection against oxidation of the tool steel substrate,but fail to avoid thermal fatigue cracking.This is attributed to the extensive softening of the substrate,the thermal expansion mismatch between the hot work tool steel and the coatings and residual compressive stresses inherited from the deposition process.The impact of AlTiN and AlTiON coatings on the high temperature wear resistance,on the other hand,is favourable.The improved wear resistance is attributed to the stable,protective surface oxide films.

MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF Nb-(10, 15)A1-20V ALLOYS

Compression tests at room and high temperature and creep tests at high temperature have been performed on B2 Nb15A120V and Nb10Al20V alloys. At room temperature, in the as-cast state, both alloys exhibited significant ductility in compression. The Burgers vectors of the dislocations were found to be 1/2<111>lipping on {112}. The dislocations showed good mobility. Dislocation clusters also triggered the formation of pseudotwins, which resulted in serrated yielding. In steady state creep, deformation occurred by a combination of dislocation glide and climb, giving a homogeneous mi-crostructure. The dislocations in NblOAl20V were determined to be 1/2(111) slipping on {110} with some <100>egments. After creep at 1100℃, Nb 15A120V showed a two phase structure with a few dislocations in the A15 phase but no dislocations in the A2 phase.

Effect of Al₂O₃Content and Process Variables on Structure and Properties of Al-Al₂O₃Compacts

Aluminium-alumina compacts with varying wt% of alumina were compacted in the pressure range of 115 - 290 MPa. Compacts prepared at 290 MPa pressure, were sintered in an argon atmosphere at 573, 673, 773 and 873 K for 1 hour. The green density, % porosity, % spring back and hardness of the green compacts were determined. Scanning Electron Microscopy was carried out to observe the morphology of pores and alumina particles in green and sintered compacts. The present study indicates that, densification of the compact increases with increasing compacting pressure and decreases with increasing alumina content. Maximum density achieved is 93% for pure aluminium compacts and decreases to 85% for Al-20 wt% alumina compacts. Grain growth of aluminium particles is noticed in the compacts after sintering at 773 and 873 K. Dispersion of fine alumina particle in the aluminium matrix occurs predominantly in the compact when sintered at 773 K which results in increase in hardness value.

Optical and Mechanical Study of Mineral and Synthetic Nano Layered Silicate Reinforced Polyurethane Resin

In the present investigation, the effect of two different mineral nano clays and a synthetic nano layered silicate on the properties of a transparent polyurethane resin has been studied. Both high rotator Torusmill and high intensity ultrasonic deagglomerator are utilized for the dispersion process. Observations by means of the X-ray diffraction technique indicate the presence of different dispersion status of nano layers in polymer matrix. The optical effect of nano-filled clear coat was studied using goniospectrophotometer and compared with a blank clear coat to determine if it can be identified by human eye. Scratch and mar resistance tests presented considerable improvement. Gloss retention against rubbing increased significantly in the presence of merely 3 wt% of synthetic nano-filler.