Effects of carbon content and solidification rate on thermal conductivity of grey cast iron

The thermal conductivity or diffusivity of pearlitic grey irons with various carbon contents is investigated by the laser flash method. The materials are cast in controlled thermal environments and produced in three dissimilar cooling rates. The cooling rate together with the carbon content largely influence the thermal conductivity of grey iron. Linear relationships exist between the thermal conductivity and the carbon content,the carbon equivalent and the fraction of former primary solidified austenite transformed into pearlite. The work shows that optimal thermal transport properties are obtained at medium cooling rates. Equations describing the thermal conductivity of pearlite,solidified as pre-eutectic austenite,and the eutectic of grey iron are derived. The thermal conductivity of pearlitic grey iron is modeled at both room temperature and elevated temperature with good accuracy.

Shear band formation in shaped rheocast aluminium component at various plunger velocities

Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding and modelling the rheology of semi-solid metals.These models show the effects of the microstructure in terms of size and morphology of globules on the material response.More recently it has been shown that semi-solid metals can behave as compacted granular materials such as sand.A particular signature of such deformation is that the deformation becomes concentrated into shear bands which are 10-20 grains wide.Such bands have also been observed in a range of cast products.Recently, it has been clearly shown that shear bands in high pressure die cast (HPDC) products are also the results of Reynolds dilatancy.Shear bands are also known to be a common feature in semi-solid metal products.The segregation banding in semi-solid metal (SSM) material and its dependence of plunger velocity were investigated.Shaped castings were made with the RHEOMETALTM process with a range of different plunger velocities.The microstructural characteristics were investigated, with a particular emphasis on shear bands.It is shown that ingate velocities influence the location and characteristics of the shear bands.

Framework for assessing quality of care for inflammatory bowel disease in Sweden

AIM: To create and apply a framework for quality assessment and improvement in care for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. METHODS A framework for quality assessment and improvement was created for IBD based on two generally acknowledged quality models. The model of Donabedian (Df) offers a logistical and productive perspective and the Clinical Value Compass (CVC) model adds a management and service perspective. The framework creates a pedagogical tool to understand the balance between the dimensions of clinical care (CVC) and the components of clinical outcome (Df). The merged models create a framework of the care process dimensions as a whole, reflecting important parts of the IBD care delivery system in a local setting. Clinical and organizational quality measures were adopted from clinical experience and the literature and were integrated into the framework. Data were collected at the yearly check-up for 481 IBD patients during 2008. The application of the quality assessment framework was tested and evaluated in a local clinical IBD care setting in Jnkping County, Sweden. RESULTS: The main outcome was the presentation of how locally-selected clinical quality measures, integrated into two complementary models to develop a frame-work, could be instrumental in assessing the quality of care delivered to patients with IBD. The selected quality measures of the framework noted less anemia in the population than previously reported, provided information about hospitalization rates and the few surgical procedures reported, and noted good access to the clinic. CONCLUSION: The applied local quality framework was feasible and useful for assessing the quality of care delivered to IBD patients in a local setting.

Effect of sodium modification on microstructure and mechanical properties of thick-walled AlSi6Cu2.5 rheocast component

The microstructure and tensile properties were investigated in a thick-walled section （approximately 45 mm×43 mm） of a rheocast component produced by the RheoMetalTM process. Due to the long solidification period of such components, it is expected that the A1-Si eutectic formed will be coarse. Therefore, sodium （Na） was used as a modifying agent to reduce the coarseness of the eutectic. Tensile test bars were machined from three different sets of materials： 1） non-modified melt, 2） modified melt cast directly after Na addition, and 3） modified melt cast 30 min after Na addition. The alloy used was a secondary AlSi6Cu2.5 alloy （STENAL Rheol）, specially developed for rheocasting. The material was studied in the as-cast condition as well as after a T6 heat treatment. The results show that the Al-Si eutectic is significantly refined by the Na addition, even after a fading time of 30 min. However, it is observed that the Na modification generally has a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties, despite the structure refinement. This is especially true in the T6 heat treated condition, where the yield strength is reduced by more than 30%. Some possible mechanisms for the degradation of mechanical performance are discussed.

Effects of Carbon Content and Solidification Rate on the Thermal Conductivity of Grey Cast Iron

The thermal conductivity/diffusivity of pearlitic grey irons with various carbon contents was investigated by the laser flash method. The materials were cast in controlled thermal environments producing three dissimilar cooling rates. The cooling rates together with the carbon content largely influence the thermal conductivity of grey iron. Linear relationships exist between the thermal conductivity and the carbon content, the carbon equivalent, and the fraction of the former primary solidified austenite transformed into pearlite. The results show that the optimal thermal transport properties are obtained at medium cooling rates. Equations are given for the thermal conductivity of pearlite, solidified as pre-eutectic austenite, and the eutectic of grey iron. The thermal conductivity of pearlitic grey iron is modelled at both room temperature and elevated temperatures with good accuracy.