Optimization of a new animal glue binder system cured by CO_2 for use in foundry

A new sand binder system cured by CO2 was prepared based on the animal bone glue.To overcome the disadvantages of animal glue such as agglomeration at room temperature,high energy consumption and low efficiency,an alkaline decomposition process was selected,and certain modifier was used to modify the performance of the animal glue binder.For the alkaline decomposition,NaOH was used as the catalyst with an addition of 4wt.% to the animal glue.A modifier was determined through the orthogonal experiment with a weight ratio of glycerin:glycol:dextrin:animal glue = 9:16:15:100,and the optimal modification reaction should be performed at 75 ℃ with a reaction time of 90 min.Ca(OH)2 was used as a promoter;the optimal CO2 gas flux blowing into the sand was 0.7 m3.h-1 for a duration of 60s under the experimental conditions.Results show that an original strength above 0.7 MPa and a final strength about 4.2 MPa can be achieved,which could meet the requirement of rapid moulding and core-making for foundry.The new binder was characterized and analyzed by means of IR,and the modification and CO2-cured mechanisms of this animal glue binder were also discussed.

Research progress on refractory composition and deformability of shell molds for TiAl alloy castings

At present, most TiAl components are produced by an investment casting process. Environmental and economic pressures have, however, resulted in a need for the industry to improve the current casting quality, reduce manufacturing costs and explore new markets for the process. Currently, the main problems for investment casting of TiAl alloys are cracks, porosities, and surface defects. To solve these problems, many studies have been conducted around the world, and it is found that casting defects can be reduced by improving composition and properties of the shell molds. It is important to make a summary for the related research progress for quality improvement of TiAl castings. So, the development on refractory composition of shell molds for TiAl alloy investment castings was reviewed, and research progress on deformability of shell mold for TiAl alloy castings both at home and abroad in recent years was introduced. The existing methods for deformability characterization and methods for improving the deformability of shell molds were summarized and discussed. The updated advancement in numerical simulation of TiAl alloy investment casting was presented, showing the necessity for considering the deformability of shell mold during simulation. Finally, possible research points for future studies on deformability of shell mold for TiAl alloy investment casting were proposed.

Advances in the research of nitrogen containing stainless steels

The current status of nitrogen containing stainless steels at home and aboard has been introduced. The function and existing forms of nitrogen in the stainless steels, influence of nitrogen on mechanical properties and anti-corrosion properties as well as the application of nitrogen containing cast stainless steels were discussed in this paper. It is clear that nitrogen will be a potential and important alloying element in stainless steels. And Argon Oxygen Decarbonization (AOD) refining can provide an advanced manufacture process for nitrogen containing stainless steels with ultra-low- carbon and high cleanliness.

Foundry technology and its applications of ductile iron castings produced by water-cooled copper alloy Mold

The high efficiency mechanized foundry technology of castings produced by using water-cooled copper alloy permanent mold has been systematically studied. Through the researching a Cu-Cr-Mg alloy with high conductivity and good combined mechanical properties used for making permanent mold was developed, and the basic design principles of the water-cooled permanent mold along with the control-range of relevant foundry processing parameters were also established. A cast production line equipped with water-cooled copper alloy mold was designed and fabricated for production of ductile iron automobile gear castings, This production line can consistently make automobile gear castJngs Jn QT500-15 and QT600-5 (Chinese Standard) grades of ductile iron with up to 95% casting success rate.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of(TiC+TiB)/TA15 composites prepared by an in-situ synthesis method

Titanium matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles are considered a promising engineering material due to their combination of high specific strength,low density,and high modulus.In this study,the TA15-based composites reinforced with a volume fraction of 10% to 25%(TiB+TiC)were prepared using powder metallurgy and casting technique.Microstructural characterization and phase constitution were examined using optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).In addition,the microhardness,room temperature(RT)and high temperature(HT)tensile properties of the composites were evaluated.Results revealed that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly even in the composites with a high volume of TiB and TiC.However,as the volume fraction exceeds 15%,TiB and TiC particles become coarsening and exhibit rod-like and dendritic-like morphology.Microhardness increases gradually from 321.2 HV for the base alloy to a maximum of 473.3 HV as the reinforcement increases to 25vol.%.Tensile test results indicate that a reinforcement volume fraction above 20% is beneficial for enhancing tensile strength and yield strength at high temperatures,but it has an adverse effect on room temperature elongation.Conversely,if the reinforcement volume fraction is below 20%,it can improve high-temperature elongation when the temperature exceeds 600℃.

Mechanical and damping performances of TPMS lattice metamaterials fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Lattice metamaterials based on three-period minimum surface(TPMS)are an effective means to achieve lightweight and high-strength materials which are widely used in various fields such as aerospace and ships.However,its vibration and noise reduction,and damping properties have not been fully studied.Therefore,in this study,the TPMS structures with parameterization were designed by the method of surface migration,and the TPMS structures with high forming quality was manufactured by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).The mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics of the beam and TPMS structures were studied and compared by quasi-static compression.The modal shapes of the beam lattice structures and TPMS structures were obtained by the free modal analysis,and the damping properties of two structures were obtained by modal tests.For the two structures after heat treatment with the same porosity of 70%,the yield strength of the beam lattice structure reaches 40.76 MPa,elastic modulus is 20.38 GPa,the energy absorption value is 32.23 MJ·m^(-3),the damping ratio is 0.52%.The yield strength,elastic modulus,energy absorption value,and damping ratio of the TPMS structure are 50.74 MPa,25.37 GPa,47.34 MJ·m^(-3),and 0.99%,respectively.The results show that TPMS structures exhibit more excellent mechanical properties and energy absorption,better damping performance,and obvious advantages in structural load and vibration and noise reduction compared with the beam lattice structures under the same porosity.

Study on binder system of CO_2-cured phenol-formaldehyde resin used in foundry

A new aqueous alkaline resol phenol-formaldehyde resin has been prepared from phenol and formaldehyde using NaOH as catalyst; the optimum synthetic process has been determined. With addition of some cross-linking agents, after passing carbon dioxide gas through the resin bonded sand, high as-gassed strength and 24 h strength are achieved. The bonding bridge of the resin bonded sand fracture has been analyzed by using SEM.

Role of processing parameters on relative density,microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted titanium alloy

The relationships between the selective laser melting(SLM)processing parameters including laser power,scanning speed and hatch space,the relative density,the microstructure,and resulting mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy were investigated in this work.The result shows that laser power acts a dominant role in determining the relative density in comparison with scanning speed and hatch space.The optimal SLM process window for fabricating relative density>99%samples is located in the energy density range of 34.72 J·mm^(-3)to 52.08 J·mm^(-3),where the laser power range is between 125 W and 175 W.An upward trend is found in the micro-hardness as the energy density is increased.The optimum SLM processing parameters of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy are:laser power of 150 W,scanning speed of 1,600 mm·s^(-1),hatch space of 0.08 mm,and layer thickness of 0.03 mm.The highest ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,and ductility under the optimum processing parameter are achieved,which are 1,205 MPa,1,099 MPa,and 8%,respectively.The results of this study can be used to guide SLM production Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy parts.

Elimination of cracks in stainless steel casings via 3D printed sand molds with an internal topology structure

The important supporting component in a gas turbine is the casing,which has the characteristics of large size,complex structure,and thin wall.In the context of existing 3DP sand casting processes,casting crack defects are prone to occur.This leads to an increase in the scrap rate of casings,causing significant resource wastage.Additionally,the presence of cracks poses a significant safety hazard after the casings are put into service.The generation of different types of crack defects in stainless steel casings is closely related to casting stress and the high-temperature concession of the sand mold.Therefore,the types and causes of cracks in stainless steel casing products,based on their structural characteristics,were systematically analyzed.Various sand molds with different internal topology designs were printed using the 3DP technology to investigate the impact of sand mold structures on high-temperature concession.The optimal sand mold structure was used to cast casings,and the crack suppression effect was verified by analyzing its eddy current testing results.The experimental results indicate that the skeleton structure has an excellent effect on suppressing cracks in the casing.This research holds important theoretical and engineering significance in improving the quality of casing castings and reducing production costs.

Advancements in machine learning for material design and process optimization in the field of additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing technology is highly regarded due to its advantages,such as high precision and the ability to address complex geometric challenges.However,the development of additive manufacturing process is constrained by issues like unclear fundamental principles,complex experimental cycles,and high costs.Machine learning,as a novel artificial intelligence technology,has the potential to deeply engage in the development of additive manufacturing process,assisting engineers in learning and developing new techniques.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research and applications of machine learning in the field of additive manufacturing,particularly in model design and process development.Firstly,it introduces the background and significance of machine learning-assisted design in additive manufacturing process.It then further delves into the application of machine learning in additive manufacturing,focusing on model design and process guidance.Finally,it concludes by summarizing and forecasting the development trends of machine learning technology in the field of additive manufacturing.

Role of elemental reduction in microstructure,microcrack,and mechanical properties of GH3230 by laser powder bed fusion

Two kinds of pre-alloyed GH3230 powders,each with different Si and Mn compositions,were employed to fabricate components through laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).Microstructural analysis reveals that microcrack formation in the GH3230 sample results from both microsegregation and thermal cycling-induced strain.Both samples with different contents of Si and Mn exhibit typical epitaxial growth of columnar dendrites with directional anisotropy,indicating minimal variation in microstructure under identical thermal cycling conditions.The occurrence of hot cracking is influenced by various factors,with chemical composition playing a crucial role.The presence of these cracks significantly impacts the mechanical properties of the component.The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the GH3230-L sample,which has reduced Si and Mn content,show significant improvements compared to the GH3230 sample.The ultimate tensile strength increases from 735.0 MPa to 790.0 MPa,and elongation rises substantially from 11.3%to 35.2%.Thermodynamic simulations confirm that variations in Si and Mn content influence hot cracking sensitivity.Reducing Si and Mn levels narrows the solidification range,which helps to minimize the formation of hot cracks by enhancing liquid filling at grain boundaries.

Formation law and criterion of nebulous macroscopic segregation in ZL205A alloy castings

The appearance of macroscopic segregation in ZL205A alloy castings bears a super resemblance to theappearance of shrinkage porosity, and the chemical composition of the segregation is Al2Cu whose microstructure isin the form of dentrite or skeleton crystal. According to the characteristic of nebulous segregation, the formationprocess could be divided into two steps by the eutectic temperature of Al2Cu. Then a criterion for each of the twosteps is brought forward on the basis of the shrinkage porosity criterion of low pressure casting.

Cavitation erosion behavior of WC coatings on CrNiMo stainless steel by laser alloying

The WC powder was precoated on the surface of CrNiMo stainless steel and then made into an alloying layer by using the laser alloying technique. Phases in the layers were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis and surface morphologies after cavitation erosion were observed with the help of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The cavitation erosion behavior of the CrNiMo stainless steel and WC laser alloying layer in distilled water was tested with the help of ultrasonic vibration cavitation erosion equipment. The results showed that the thickness of the laser alloying layer was about 0.13 mm. The layer had a dense microstructure, metallurgically bonded to the substrate, and no crack had been found. The cavitation erosion mass loss rate of the laser alloying layer was only 2/5 that of the CrNiMo stainless steel. The layer had better cavitation resistance properties because of its metallurgical combination and the strengthening effects of the precipitate phases.

Directional solidification casting technology of heavy-duty gas turbine blade with liquid metal cooling(LMC) process

In this work, some important factors such as ceramic shell strength, heat preservation temperature, standing time and withdrawal rate, which influence the formability of directionally solidified large-size blades of heavy-duty gas turbine with the liquid metal cooling(LMC) process, were studied through the method of microstructure analysis combining. The results show that the ceramic shell with medium strength(the high temperature flexural strength is 8 MPa, the flexural strength after thermal shock resistance is 12 MPa and the residual flexural strength is 20 MPa) can prevent the rupture and runout of the blade. The appropriate temperature(1,520 ℃ for upper region and 1,500 ℃ for lower region) of the heating furnace can eliminate the wide-angle grain boundary, the deviation of grain and the run-out caused by the shell crack. The holding time after pouring(3-5 min) can promote the growth of competitive grains and avoid a great deviation of columnar grains along the crystal orientation <001>, resulting in a straight and uniform grain structure. In addition, to avoid the formation of wrinkles and to ensure a smooth blade surface, the withdrawal rate should be no greater than the growth rate of grain. It is also found that the dendritic space of the blade decreases with the rise of solidification rate, and increases with the enlarging distance between the solidification position and the chill plate.

Elimination of misrun and gas hole defects of investment casting TiAl alloy turbocharger based on numerical simulation and experimental study

Casting technology of thin-wall TiAl alloy turbochargers was studied by investment casting and numerical simulation.Misruns and gas holes were the main defects observed in preliminary work due to the poor fluidity of alloy,and to gas entrapment.In order to eliminate these defects,cast parameters,such as centrifugal rotation rate and mould preheating temperature,were optimized by numerical simulation,meanwhile,the structure of the shell mould was optimized to improve the filling capacity of TiAl alloy.Pouring experiments were carried out by vacuum induction melting furnace equipped with a water-cooled copper crucible based on the above optimization.The quality of the TiAl alloy casting was analyzed by fluorescent penetrant inspection and X-ray detection.The results show that a centrifugal rotation rate of 200 rpm,mould preheating temperature of 600°C,shell preparation through organic fiber addition can dramatically improve the mould filling capacity,and integrated turbochargers were finally prepared.

Additive manufacturing technologies of porous metal implants

Biomedical metal materials with good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties are widely used in orthopedic surgery and dental implant materials,but they can easily cause stress shielding due to the significant difference in elastic modulus between the implant and human bones.The elastic modulus of porous metals is lower than that of dense metals.Therefore,it is possible to adjust the pore parameters to make the elastic modulus of porous metals match or be comparable with that of the bone tissue.At the same time,the open porous metals with pores connected to each other could provide the structural condition for bone ingrowth,which is helpful in strengthening the biological combination of bone tissue with the implants.Therefore,the preparation technologies of porous metal implants and related research have been drawing more and more attention due to the excellent features of porous metals.Selective laser melting(SLM)and electron beam melting technology(EBM)are important research fields of additive manufacturing.They have the advantages of directly forming arbitrarily complex shaped metal parts which are suitable for the preparation of porous metal implants with complex shape and fine structure.As new manufacturing technologies,the applications of SLM and EBM for porous metal implants have just begun.This paper aims to understand the technology status of SLM and EBM,the research progress of porous metal implants preparation by using SLM and EBM,and the biological compatibility of the materials,individual design and manufacturing requirements.The existing problems and future research directions for porous metal implants prepared by SLM and EBM methods are discussed in the last paragraph.

Effect of Gd addition on mechanical and microstructural properties of Mg-xGd-2.6Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr cast alloys

The Mg-xGd-2.6Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr(x=0,3.0,4.5 and 6.0,wt.%)alloys were prepared by gravity casting and then T6 treatment.Microstructures of the alloy were observed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.Results show that the as-cast alloys contained network Mg3Gd phases,blocky and needle-like Mg12(Nd,Gd)phases.The a(Zr)particle inclusions in the a(Mg)matrix are also observed.Content of the secondary phases decreases as Gd content increases.Tensile test results show that the tensile and yield strengths of all the alloys increase as Gd content increases under the as-cast and T6 conditions,but the elongation exhibits the opposite trend.The blocky Mg12(Nd,Gd)phases appear and act as crack initiator and deteriorates the experimental alloys’ductility with the increase of Gd content,especially as Gd content increases to 6.0 wt.%,so the Mg-6.0Gd-2.6Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy has the lowest elongation value compared to the other alloys studied.After T6 treatment,the Mg-4.5Gd-2.6Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy exhibits the optimal mechanical properties both at room temperature and 250℃.

Influence of a low-frequency alternating magnetic field on hot tearing susceptibility of EV31 magnesium alloy

The effect of a low-frequency alternating magnetic field (AMF,0 A 0 Hz,5 A 10 Hz,10 A 10 Hz,15 A 10 Hz) on the hot tearing susceptibility (HTS) of a magnesium alloy (EV31) was systematically studied using a combination of experiment and numerical simulation.By observing the macroscopic hot cracks in hot joints of the "T" samples,the hot tearing tendency of the samples was analyzed.The HTS of the alloy can be predicted via numerical simulation and the crack susceptibility coefficient (CSC).The microstructure and morphology of the hot tearing zone of EV31 were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Results show that increasing the magnetic field strength reduces both the alloy solidification temperature range and the dendrite coherency temperature,which increases the feeding time during solidification and decreases the HTS of the alloy.When the magnetic field parameters are 10 Hz 15 A,the EV31 alloy shows the lowest HTS.The main component of the second phase in the microstructure is Mg12Nd.This study also found that the electromagnetic field can effectively refine the grains,purify the melt,and reduce the oxide content in the melt.The obtained simulation results are consistent with the experimental results.

Numerical simulation and experimental validation on fabrication of nickel-based superalloy Kagome lattice sandwich structures

Nickel-based superalloy lattice sandwich structures present higher stiffness,higher strength and higher temperature resistance in comparison with other metals.In this study,the Kagome unit was adopted to design the lattice sandwich structure and ProCAST software was used to simulate the filling and solidification processes of the nickel-based superalloy.Grain morphology and sizes of the nickel-based superalloy lattice sandwich structures were simulated by using of cellular automaton coupled with finite element model(CAFE),and indirect additive manufacture combining with investment casting were carried out to fabricate the nickel-based superalloy lattice sandwich structures.The calculated grain morphology and sizes are in good agreement with the experimental results.The grains are mainly equiaxed with an average size of about 500µm.The simulated results also show that the superheat of melting and the mold preheated temperature have significant influence on the grain size of the Kagome lattice sandwich structures,lower superheat of melting and mold preheated temperatures are encouraged to obtain the fine grains while assuring the integrity of the Kagome lattice sandwich structures for industrial application.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser additive manufactured novel titanium alloy after heat treatment

A novel α+β titanium alloy with multi-alloying addition was designed based on the cluster formula 12[Al-Ti_(12)](AlTi_(2))+5[Al-Ti_(14)](AlV_(1.2)Mo_(0.6)Nb_(0.2))which was derived from Ti-6Al-4V.The nominal composition of this novel alloy was determined as Ti-6.83Al-2.28V-2.14Mo-0.69Nb-6.79Zr.In this study,the novel alloy and Ti-6Al-4V alloy samples were prepared by laser additive manufacturing.The microstructure,micro-hardness,room/high temperature tensile properties of the as-deposited samples were investigated.Compared to Ti-6Al-4V,the novel alloy has much higher room and high temperature(600℃)tensile strengths,which are 1,427.5 MPa and 642.2 MPa,respectively;however,it has a much lower elongation(3.2%)at room temperature because of the finer microstructure.To improve the elongation of the novel alloy,heat treatment was used.After solution at 960℃ or 970℃ for 1 h followed by air cooling and aging at 550℃ for 4 h followed by air cooling,a unique bi-modal microstructure which contains crab-like primaryαand residual β phase is obtained,improving the compression elongation by 80.9% compared to the as-deposited samples.The novel alloy can be used as a high-temperature and high-strength candidate for laser additive manufacturing.