Synthesis and characterization of copper foams through a powder metallurgy route using a compressible and lubricant space-holder material

In the present work,a compressible and lubricating space-holder material commonly known as "acrawax" was used to process Cu foams with various pore sizes and various porosities.The foams were processed without using binders to avoid contamination of their metal matrices.The lubricant space-holder material was found to facilitate more uniform flow and distribution of metal powder around the surface of the space holder.In addition,the use of acrawax as a space-holder material yielded considerably dense cell walls,which are an essential prerequisite for better material properties.The foams processed with a smaller-sized space holder were found to exhibit better electrical and mechanical properties than those processed with a coarser-sized space holder.The isotropic pore shape,uniform pore distribution throughout the metal matrix,and uniform cell wall thickness were found to enhance the properties pertaining to fine-pore foam samples.The processed foams exhibit properties similar to those of the foams processed through the lost-carbonate sintering process.

Alkali Treatment to Maximize Adhesion of Polypyrrole Coatings for Electro-Conductive Textile Materials

In this paper polyester fabrics were pretreated with alkaline solution to improve the ability for the fabric surface to bond with polypyrrole(PPy)coating layer.In situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole monomer was performed on alkali treated polyester fabrics.Then the fabrics were characterized by FTIR and XRD analysis.The tensile properties of the yarns in both warp and weft directions were measured after alkali treatment and PPy coating processes.The abrasion resistance test was performed on PPy coated fabrics with and without alkali treatment.The surface electrical resistivity of PPy coated fabrics were searched.The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness(EMSE)properties of fabrics in terms of reflection,absorption and transmission behaviors were also investigated.A significant EMSE value increase(about 27%)was obtained with alkali treatment.

Analysis of Various Types Engineering Stripe Knit Fabrics of Bangladeshi Knit Industry

This experiment is generally based on the three types of engineering stripe fabrics named single jersey, full feeder lycra single jersey, and single lacoste fabric. In Bangladesh, conventional practices of engineering stripe fabric hardly seen. As the textile engineer, we focused to identify the basic difference between these fabrics. We kept the repeat length constant for all three fabrics. In these circumstances, how stitch length, yarn count, gsm, fabric dia, machine settings, machine maintenance, machine rpm varies into those three mentioned fabrics. It is the main motto of these experiments to make them more favourable into the trendy fashion world.

Optimization of Rolling Parameters for Enhancing Surface Integrity of Aluminum Alloy

In this current work,aluminum alloy grade 2024 is adopted as a plate material that is used in the rolling process with three different parameters including thickness reduction,forming temperature,and density of lubrication type.The experimental procedure of the rolling process is performed using the design of the experiment based on the Taguchi technique(L27),then surface roughness,surface hardness,and surface residual stresses are measured.The results showed that the lubrication density has a significant impact on the surface roughness which depends on the lubrication properties(mineral oil type,natural fat,and kinematic viscosity)while surface hardness and surface residual stresses were strongly affected by thickness reduction.On the other side,the augment in forming temperature can decrease the quality of the final surface finish and the surface hardness but reduce the induced residual stresses.The best surface finish is obtained based on the optimum condition of the rolling factors are(R%_(3),T_(1),andρ_(3))while the optimum condition of rolling parameters that generate higher hardness and compressive residual stresses are(R%_(3)T_(1)ρ_(1)).

Effect of heat treatment on eutectic silicon morphology and mechanical property of Al-Si-Cu-Mg cast alloys

Through morphology observation on silicon particles of Al-Si-Cu-Mg cast alloy, it is found that during solution treatment the evolution of eutectic silicon morphology and their effect on mechanical properties can be classified into three stages. In the initial stage, necking, stubbing and fragmentation of silicon particles result in the improvement of plasticity of alloy. In the intermediate stage, the mechanical properties of 354 alloy attain peak values due to spheroidization of silicon particles. In the final stage, the drop of hardness and strength is related to the deterioration of silicon morphology. The facets and lap occur in silicon particles and the coarsening process of silicon follows LSW model. During aging, the clusters of excess silicon can work as barriers for dislocation movement and thus enhance the strength of alloy. On the other hand, excess Si affects the process of aging precipitation and leads to a fine and highly dense distribution of GP zones, finally effectively strengthens the alloy.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC-particle-strengthening tri-metal Al/Cu/Ni composite produced by accumulative roll bonding process

In this study, a multilayer Al/Ni/Cu composite reinforced with Si C particles was produced using an accumulative roll bonding(ARB) process with different cycles. The microstructure and mechanical properties of this composite were investigated using optical and scanning microscopy and hardness and tensile testing. The results show that by increasing the applied strain, the Al/Ni/Cu multilayer composite converted from layer features to near a particle-strengthening characteristic. After the fifth ARB cycle, a composite with a uniform distribution of reinforcements(Cu, Ni, and SiC) was fabricated. The tensile strength of the composite increased from the initial sandwich structure to the first ARB cycle and then decreased from the first to the third ARB cycle. Upon reaching five ARB cycles, the tensile strength of the composite increased again. The variation in the elongation of the composite exhibited a tendency similar to that of its tensile strength. It is observed that with increasing strain, the microhardness values of the Al, Cu, and Ni layers increased, and that the dominant fracture mechanisms of Al and Cu were dimple formation and ductile fracture. In contrast, brittle fracture in specific plains was the main characteristic of Ni fractures.

Structure and Pozzolanic Activity of Calcined Coal Gangue during the Process of Mechanical Activation

On the basis of analyzing coal gangue＇s chemical and mineral compositions, the structure change of coal gangue during the mechanical activation was investigated by XRD, FTIR, NMR, and the mechanical strength of the cement doped coal gangue with various specific surface area was tested. The experimental results indicate that, the lattice structure of metakaolin in coal gangue samples calcined at 700 ℃ disorganizes gradually and becomes disordered, and the lattice structure of α-quartz is distorted slightly. The pozzolanic activity of the coal gangue increases obviously with its structural disorganization.

Early Hydration of Composite Cement with Thermal Activated Coal Gangue

Composite cement samples were prepared by mixing clinker, gypsum with burnt coal gangues which was calcined at various temperatures. The mechanical strength and Ca（OH）2 content in the cement paste were tested, and the paste composition and microstructure were analyzed by thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis （TG-DSC）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） and pore structure analysis. Results demonstrate that the thermal activated coal gangue could accelerate the early hydration of cement clinker obviously, which promotes the gangue hydration itself. The early hydrated products of the cement are C-S-H gel, Ca（OH）2 and AFt. The cement with 30% （in mass） the gangue exhibits higher mechanical strength, and among all the cement samples the one with the gangue burnt at 700 ℃ displays the highest hydration rate, mechanical strength, the most gel pores and the lowest total porosity.

Electrode degradation mechanism during resistance spot welding of zinc coated steel using Cu-TiB_2 electrodes

The TiB2 dispersion-reinforced copper-matrix composite used as electrode material in resistance spot welding of zinc coated steels was studied. The service life of the composite electrode reaches （7700） welds, which is 4 times that of the conventional Cu-Cr-Zr electrode. Little gross deformation is observed on the composite （electrodes） because of the higher thermal strength; therefore, it is believed that wear is the only mechanism for the composite （electrode） deterioration. However, both wear and plastic deformation are responsible for the large increase in the tip diameter of the Cu-Cr-Zr electrodes. Moreover, the large deformation of the Cu-Cr-Zr electrodes may contribute to the increased wear rate of the tips.

Austempering of Hot Rolled Si-Mn TRIP Steels

The austempering after hot roiling in hot roiled Si-Mn TRIP （transformation-induced plasticity） steels was investigated. The mechanism of TRIP was discussed through examination of the microstructure and the mechanical properties of this kind of steel. The results showed that the strain induced transformation to martensite of retained austenite occurs in hot rolled Si-Mn TRIP steels. The sample exhibited a good combination of ultimate tensile strength and total elongation when it was held at the bainite transformation temperature after hot deformation. The stability of retained austenite increases with an increase in isothermal holding time, and a further increase in the hold- ing duration resulted in the decrease of stability. The mechanical properties were optimal when holding for 25 min, and tensile strength and total elongation reached the maximum values （774 MPa and 33 ;, respectively）.

Evaluation of the mold-filling ability of alloy melt in squeeze casting

The mold-filling ability of alloy mclt in squceze casting process was evaluated by means of the maximum length of Archimedes spiral line. A theoretical evaluating model to predict the maximum filling length was built based on the flowing theory of the incompressible viscous fluid. It was proved by experiments and calculations that the mold-tilling pressure and velocity are prominent influencing factors on the mold-filling ability of alloy melt. The mold-filling ability increases with the increase of the mold-filling pressure and the decrease of the proper mold-filling velocity. Moreover, the pouring temperature relatively has less effect on the mold-filling ability under the experimental conditions. The maximum deviation of theoretical calculating values with experimental results is less than 15%. The model can quantitatively estimate the effect of every factor on the mold-filling ability.

Effects of thermomechanical treatments on the microstructures and mechanical properties of GTA-welded AZ31B magnesium alloy

Thermomechanical treatments were carried out to improve the properties of AZ31B joints prepared by gas tungsten arc welding. The microstructures of the joints were studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry. Tensile tests and hardness tests were performed to investigate the effects of thermomechanical treatments on the mechanical properties of the joints. It is found that the thermomechanical-treated joints show superior mechanical properties against the as-welded joints, and their ultimate tensile strength can reach more than 92% of the base material. This mainly attributes to the formation of fine equiaxed grains in the fusion zone. ARer thermomechanical treatments the dendrites are transformed to fine spherical grains, and the dendritic segregation can be effectively eliminated.

Assessment of natural frequency of installed offshore wind turbines using nonlinear finite element model considering soil-monopile interaction

A nonlinear finite element model is developed to examine the lateral behaviors of monopiles, which support offshore wind turbines(OWTs) chosen from five different offshore wind farms in Europe. The simulation is using this model to accurately estimate the natural frequency of these slender structures, as a function of the interaction of the foundations with the subsoil. After a brief introduction to the wind power energy as a reliable alternative in comparison to fossil fuel, the paper focuses on concept of natural frequency as a primary indicator in designing the foundations of OWTs. Then the range of natural frequencies is provided for a safe design purpose. Next, an analytical expression of an OWT natural frequency is presented as a function of soil-monopile interaction through monopile head springs characterized by lateral stiffness KL, rotational stiffness KRand cross-coupling stiffness KLRof which the differences are discussed. The nonlinear pseudo three-dimensional finite element vertical slices model has been used to analyze the lateral behaviors of monopiles supporting the OWTs of different wind farm sites considered. Through the monopiles head movements(displacements and rotations), the values of KL, KRand KLRwere obtained and substituted in the analytical expression of natural frequency for comparison. The comparison results between computed and measured natural frequencies showed an excellent agreement for most cases. This confirms the convenience of the finite element model used for the accurate estimation of the monopile head stiffness.

Phase transformation and properties of quasicrystal particles/Al matrix composites

Diffusion controlled phase transformations and tribological properties and hardness of Al 65 Cu 20 Cr 15 quasicrystal particles(QC p)/Al matrix composites have been studied. The mixtures of the quasicrystal particles with volume fractions of 15%, 20%, 25% , 30% and pure Al powder were hot pressed at 600, 650, 700 ℃. During the diffusion controlled phase transformation induced by hot pressing, a simple cubic icosahedric quasicrystal (SIQC) phase transforms into stable Θ phase with the microstructure of monoclinic of Al 13 Cr 2 through a transitional faced cubic icosahedric quasicrystal (FIQC), a decagonal quasicrystal (DQC) and an approximant of decagonal quasicrystal (DA) phases. And G. P. zones and Al Cu precipitates, θ′ Al 2Cu and θ Al 2Cu, are separated out from the Al matrix respectively after hot pressing. The QC p/Al composites have double strengthening effect after hot pressing. One is the strengthening of the particles that reinforce the matrix Al; the other is the dispersion strengthening of the precipitates in the Al matrix. The hardness of the composites increases with increasing volume fraction of quasicrystal particles. The maximum hardness reaches 1 200 MPa, being 4 times that of Al. The frictional coefficient and the wear rate of the QC p/Al are lower than those of Al. In comparison with SiC p/Al matrix composites, QC p/Al composites have higher hardness and lower frictional coefficient.

Determination of physical properties for the mixtures of [BMIM]Cl with different organic solvents

Physical properties including refractive index, density, viscosity and conductivity for binary mixtures of 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride([BMIM]Cl) and different organic solvents at 298.15 K have been investigated. Excess molar volumes have been calculated and obtained data has been fitted by the Redlich–Kister equation. The density and refractive index were found to increase with increasing concentration of [BMIM]Cl, however, exceptions do exist as in the case of dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)/[BMIM]Cl. For DMSO/[BMIM]Cl, the density decreases with increasing concentration. The addition of different organic solvents was able to disrupt the interactions within mixtures, leading to free mobility of ions. The free mobility of ions has been found to enhance conductivity and decrease viscosity to varying extents in all mixtures studied. It has been observed that solubility parameters,dielectric constants and composition of the solvents used play a vital role in determining the resultant properties.The data obtained will play an important role in understanding the effect of the addition of organic solvents in ILs to enhance their applicability.

Effect of SiO_2 addition on the dielectric properties and microstructure of BaTiO_3-based ceramics in reducing sintering

The effect of SiO2 doping on the sintering behavior, microstructure, and dielectric properties of BaTiO3-based ceramics has been investigated. Silica was added to the BaTiO3-based powder prepared by the solid state method with 0.075mol%, 0.15mol%, and 0.3mol%, respectively. The SiO2-doped BaTiO3-based ceramic with high density and uniform grain size were obtained, which were sintered in reducing atmosphere. A scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and LCR meter were used to determine the microstructure as well as the dielectric properties. SiO2 can form a liquid phase belonging to the ternary system of BaO-TiO2-SiO2, leading to the formation of BaTiO3 ceramics with high density at a lower sintering temperature. The SiO2-doped BaTiO3-based ceramics can be sintered to a theoretical density higher than 95% at 1220℃ with a soaking time of 2 h. The dielectric constants of the sample with 0.15mol% SiO2 addition sintered at 1220℃ is about 9000. Doping with a small amount of silica can improve the sintering and dielectric properties of BaTiO3-based ceramics.

Friction stir welding of pure magnesium and polypropylene in a lap-joint configuration: Microstructure and mechanical properties

A hybrid joint with a satisfactory mixture of pure magnesium and polypropylene(PP)was achieved via friction stir joining(FSW)in a lap-joint configuration.The tool rotational and travel speeds used in this work were 500–700 r/min and 50–100 mm/min,respectively.The mechanical properties and microstructural analysis of the resultant hybrid Mg/PP joint were examined.The results show that the maximum tensile shear strength(22.5 MPa)of the joint was attained at 700 r/min and 75 mm/min due to the optimum percentage fraction of mechanical interlocking(48%)and the presence of magnesium oxide.The interfacial joint center exhibits the maximum microhardness values because of the presence of refined and intertwined Mg fragments and density dislocations in the matrix of the PP.The joint failed via two different modes:interfacial line and weld zone fractures,respectively.

A M?ssbauer investigation of nano-NiFe alloy/expanded graphite for electromagnetic shielding

A new material is prepared by impregnating the expanded graphite(EG) into ethanol solutions of metal acetate and then drying and reducing it in H2.It contains the EG and the nanoparticles of the magnetic Ni–Fe alloy for the electromagnetic shielding.Its morphology,phase structure,magnetic properties,and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness(SE) are investigated in our experiment.It shows that the morphology,the phase structure,and the magnetic property of the composite can be modified by altering the Ni content in the alloy nanoparticles.Interestingly,the SE can be enhanced to 54–70 d B at low frequencies(300 kHz–10 MHz) by dispersing the magnetic nanoparticles onto EG.

Synthesis of PET and Its Copolymer with Rare Earth Catalysts

A new catalyst system was used in the synthesis of polyethylene terephthalate(PET) and its copolymers, which involved a Ln 3+ containing compound. The catalytic effects were studied, and it was found that the direct esterification reaction of terephthalate acid(TPA) with ethylene glycol(EG) can be accelerated by the addition of Ln 3+ containing compound, which acts as a promoter of the catalyst Sb 2O 3 in polycondensation of bis hydroxyethyl terephthalate(BHET).

High power nano-LiMn_2O_4 cathode materials with high-rate pulse discharge capability for lithium-ion batteries

Nano-LiMn2O4 cathode materials with nano-sized particles are synthesized via a citric acid assisted sol-gel route. The structure, the morphology and the electrochemical properties of the nano-LiMn204 are investigated. Compared with the micro-sized LiMn2O4, the nano-LiMn2O4 possesses a high initial capacity （120 mAh/g） at a discharge rate of 0.2 C （29.6 mA/g）. The nano-LiMn2O4 also has a good high-rate discharge capability, retaining 91% of its capacity at a discharge rate of 10 C and 73~ at a discharge rate of 40 C. In particular, the nano-LiMn2O4 shows an excellent high-rate pulse discharge capability. The cut-off voltage at the end of 50-ms pulse discharge with a discharge rate of 80 C is above 3.40 V, and the voltage returns to over 4.10 V after the pulse discharge. These results show that the prepared nano-LiMn2O4 could be a potential cathode material for the power sources with the capability to deliver very high-rate pulse currents.