Microstructural characterization and density change of 304 stainless steel reflector blocks after long-term irradiation in EBR-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Y., E-mail: yina.huang@materials.ox.ac.uk [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Wiezorek, J.M.K. [University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Garner, F.A. [Radiation Effects Consulting, 2003 Howell Ave., Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Freyer, P.D. [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 (United States); Okita, T. [University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Sagisaka, M.; Isobe, Y. [Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd., Osaka (Japan); Allen, T.R. [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

2015-10-15

While thin reactor structural components such as cladding and ducts do not experience significant gradients in dpa rate, gamma heating rate, temperature or stress, thick components can develop strong local variations in void swelling and irradiation creep in response to gradients in these variables. In this study we conducted microstructural investigations by transmission electron microscopy of two 52 mm thick 304-type stainless steel hex-blocks irradiated for 12 years in the EBR-II reactor with accumulated doses ranging from ∼0.4 to 33 dpa. Spatial variations in the populations of voids, precipitates, Frank loops and dislocation lines have been determined for 304 stainless steel sections exposed to different temperatures, different dpa levels and at different dpa rates, demonstrating the existence of spatial gradients in the resulting void swelling. The microstructural measurements compare very well with complementary density change measurements regarding void swelling gradients in the 304 stainless steel hex-block components. The TEM studies revealed that the original cold-worked-state microstructure of the unirradiated blocks was completely erased by irradiation, replaced by high densities of interstitial Frank loops, voids and carbide precipitates at both the lowest and highest doses. At large dose levels the amount of volumetric void swelling correlated directly with the gamma heating gradient-related temperature increase (e.g. for 28 dpa, ∼2% swelling at 418 °C and ∼2.9% swelling at 448 °C). Under approximately iso-thermal local conditions, volumetric void swelling was found to increase with dose level (e.g. ∼0.2% swelling at 0.4 dpa, ∼0.5% swelling at 4 dpa and ∼2% swelling at 28 dpa). Carbide precipitate formation levels were found to be relatively independent of both dpa level and temperature and induced a measurable densification. Void swelling was dominant at the higher dose levels and caused measurable decreases in density. Void

Microstructural characterization and density change of 304 stainless steel reflector blocks after long-term irradiation in EBR-II

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Y.; Wiezorek, J. M. K.; Garner, F. A.; Freyer, P. D.; Okita, T.; Sagisaka, M.; Isobe, Y.; Allen, T. R.

2015-10-01

While thin reactor structural components such as cladding and ducts do not experience significant gradients in dpa rate, gamma heating rate, temperature or stress, thick components can develop strong local variations in void swelling and irradiation creep in response to gradients in these variables. In this study we conducted microstructural investigations by transmission electron microscopy of two 52 mm thick 304-type stainless steel hex-blocks irradiated for 12 years in the EBR-II reactor with accumulated doses ranging from ∼0.4 to 33 dpa. Spatial variations in the populations of voids, precipitates, Frank loops and dislocation lines have been determined for 304 stainless steel sections exposed to different temperatures, different dpa levels and at different dpa rates, demonstrating the existence of spatial gradients in the resulting void swelling. The microstructural measurements compare very well with complementary density change measurements regarding void swelling gradients in the 304 stainless steel hex-block components. The TEM studies revealed that the original cold-worked-state microstructure of the unirradiated blocks was completely erased by irradiation, replaced by high densities of interstitial Frank loops, voids and carbide precipitates at both the lowest and highest doses. At large dose levels the amount of volumetric void swelling correlated directly with the gamma heating gradient-related temperature increase (e.g. for 28 dpa, ∼2% swelling at 418 °C and ∼2.9% swelling at 448 °C). Under approximately iso-thermal local conditions, volumetric void swelling was found to increase with dose level (e.g. ∼0.2% swelling at 0.4 dpa, ∼0.5% swelling at 4 dpa and ∼2% swelling at 28 dpa). Carbide precipitate formation levels were found to be relatively independent of both dpa level and temperature and induced a measurable densification. Void swelling was dominant at the higher dose levels and caused measurable decreases in density. Void swelling

Impact of Weight Loss With Intragastric Balloon on Bone Density and Microstructure in Obese Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Madeira, Eduardo; Madeira, Miguel; Guedes, Erika Paniago; Mafort, Thiago Thomaz; Moreira, Rodrigo Oliveira; de Mendonça, Laura Maria Carvalho; Lima, Inayá Correa Barbosa; Neto, Leonardo Vieira; de Pinho, Paulo Roberto Alves; Lopes, Agnaldo José; Farias, Maria Lucia Fleiuss

2018-03-21

The historical concept that obesity protects against bone fractures has been questioned. Weight loss appears to reduce bone mineral density (BMD); however, the results in young adults are inconsistent, and data on the effects of weight loss on bone microstructure are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of weight loss using an intragastric balloon (IGB) on bone density and microstructure. Forty obese patients with metabolic syndrome (mean age 35.1 ± 7.3 yr) used an IGB continuously for 6 mo. Laboratory tests, areal BMD, and body composition measurements via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and volumetric BMD and bone microstructure measurements via high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography were conducted before IGB placement and after IGB removal. The mean weight loss was 11.5%. After 6 mo, there were significant increases in vitamin D and carboxyterminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen levels. After IGB use, areal BMD increased in the spine but decreased in the total femur and the 33% radius. Cortical BMD increased in the distal radius but tended to decrease in the distal tibia. The observed trabecular bone loss in the distal tibia contributed to the decline in the total volumetric BMD at this site. There was a negative correlation between the changes in leptin levels and the measures of trabecular quality in the tibia on high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Weight loss may negatively impact bone microstructure in young patients, especially for weight-bearing bones, in which obesity has a more prominent effect. Copyright © 2018 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of UO2 fuel microstructure and density on fuel in-reactor performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansson, L.

1988-02-01

The volume changes of UO 2 fuel pellets, produced by neutron irradiation, can be characterized by two processes: fission spike induced densification through pore skrinkage and later fission produced induced swelling of UO 2 matrix. In-pile densification is controlled by the initial density and microstructure of the fuel, particularly by the pore size distribution. The extent of swelling depends mainly on the amount of fission products produced, but the fission gas release as well as the swelling may be reduced by increasing the grain size of UO 2 . Fabrication of fuel pellets having certain in-reactor properties requires detailed knowledge of the effects of individual fabrication parameters. The irradiation experience of fuels fabricated by using different conversion and pelletizing methods is extensive. Based on this experience, some general characteristics of stable/well-performing fuel microstructures have been summarized

SEM Characterization of the High Burn-up Microstructure of U-7Mo Alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dennis D. Keiser, Jr.; Jan-Fong Jue; Jian Gan; Brandon Miller; Adam Robinson; Pavel Medvedev; James Madden; Dan Wachs; M. Teague

2014-04-01

During irradiation, the microstructure of U-7Mo evolves until at a fission density near 5x1021 f/cm3 a high-burnup microstructure exists that is very different than what was observed at lower fission densities. This microstructure is dominated by randomly distributed, relatively large, homogeneous fission gas bubbles. The bubble superlattice has collapsed in many microstructural regions, and the fuel grain sizes, in many areas, become sub-micron in diameter with both amorphous fuel and crystalline fuel present. Solid fission product precipitates can be found inside the fission gas bubbles. To generate more information about the characteristics of the high-fission density microstructure, three samples irradiated in the RERTR-7 experiment have been characterized using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a focused ion beam. The FIB was used to generate samples for SEM imaging and to perform 3D reconstruction of the microstructure, which can be used to look for evidence of possible fission gas bubble interlinkage.

Effect of Target Density on Microstructural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Guisheng; Zhi, Li; Yang, Huijuan; Xu, Huarui; Yu, Aibing

2012-09-01

In this paper, indium tin oxide (ITO) targets with different densities were used to deposit ITO thin films. The thin films were deposited from these targets at room temperature and annealed at 750°C. Microstructural, electrical, and optical properties of the as-prepared films were studied. It was found that the target density had no effect on the properties or deposition rate of radiofrequency (RF)-sputtered ITO thin films, different from the findings for direct current (DC)-sputtered films. Therefore, when using RF sputtering, the target does not require a high density and may be reused.

Effect of electrodeposition current density on the microstructure and the degradation of electroformed iron for degradable stents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moravej, Maryam [Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering and University Hospital Research Center, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Que. G1V 0A6 (Canada); Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot, 1065 avenue de la Medecine, Local 1745-E, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Que. G1V 0A6 (Canada); Amira, Sofiene [Aluminium Technology Centre, Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council Canada, 501, boul. de l' Universite Est, Saguenay, Que. G7H 8C3 (Canada); Prima, Frederic [Laboratory for Physical Metallurgy, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Paris, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6 (France); Rahem, Ahmed [Aluminium Technology Centre, Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council Canada, 501, boul. de l' Universite Est, Saguenay, Que. G7H 8C3 (Canada); Fiset, Michel [Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot, 1065 avenue de la Medecine, Local 1745-E, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Que. G1V 0A6 (Canada); and others

2011-12-15

Pure iron has become one of the most interesting candidate materials for degradable metallic stents due to its high mechanical properties and moderate degradation. In this work we studied the effect of electrodeposition current density on microstructure and degradation of pure iron films electrodeposited on Ti alloy substrate for degradable metallic stent application. Iron sheets were produced by electrodeposition using four different current densities 1, 2, 5 and 10 A dm{sup -2}. The films were then studied by SEM (scanning electron microscope) and EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) to observe the surface morphology, grain size and orientation. Potentiodynamic polarization and static immersion tests were used to determine the corrosion rate and to study the degradation behavior of iron films, respectively. The current density was found to significantly influence the texture, the grain size and the grain shape of the electrodeposited iron. At current densities of 1, 5 and 10 A dm{sup -2}, weak textures corresponding to Left-Pointing-Angle-Bracket 1 0 1 Right-Pointing-Angle-Bracket , Left-Pointing-Angle-Bracket 1 1 1 Right-Pointing-Angle-Bracket and Left-Pointing-Angle-Bracket 1 1 2 Right-Pointing-Angle-Bracket in the normal (electrodeposition) direction were obtained, respectively. At these current densities, average grain sizes smaller than 3 {mu}m were also obtained. However, at 2 A dm{sup -2}, a strong Left-Pointing-Angle-Bracket 1 1 1 Right-Pointing-Angle-Bracket //ND texture with density of 7.4 MUD was obtained with larger average grain size of 4.4 {mu}m. The microstructure of iron samples changed after annealing at 550 Degree-Sign C because of the induced recrystallization. Different corrosion rates were obtained from potentiodynamic polarization curves of iron films deposited at different current densities because of their microstructures. Fe-2 showed the lowest corrosion rate due to its larger grains size and its texture. The corrosion rates of all

Age-related changes in trabecular and cortical bone microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huayue; Zhou, Xiangrong; Fujita, Hiroshi; Onozuka, Minoru; Kubo, Kin-Ya

2013-01-01

The elderly population has substantially increased worldwide. Aging is a complex process, and the effects of aging are myriad and insidious, leading to progressive deterioration of various organs, including the skeleton. Age-related bone loss and resultant osteoporosis in the elderly population increase the risk for fractures and morbidity. Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions associated with aging, and age is an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. With the development of noninvasive imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), micro-CT, and high resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT), imaging of the bone architecture provides important information about age-related changes in bone microstructure and estimates of bone strength. In the past two decades, studies of human specimens using imaging techniques have revealed decreased bone strength in older adults compared with younger adults. The present paper addresses recently studied age-related changes in trabecular and cortical bone microstructure based primarily on HR-pQCT and micro-CT. We specifically focus on the three-dimensional microstructure of the vertebrae, femoral neck, and distal radius, which are common osteoporotic fracture sites.

Evaluation of microstructure and phase relations in a powder processed Ti-44Al-12Nb alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.G.; Reddy, R.G.; Wu, J.; Holthus, J.

1995-01-01

Titanium aluminides based on the ordered face-centered tetragonal γTiAl phase possess attractive properties, such as low density, high melting point, good elevated temperature strength, modulus retention, and oxidation resistance, making these alloys potential high-temperature structural materials. These alloys can be processed by both ingot metallurgy and powder metallurgy routes. In the present study, three variations of the powder metallurgy route were studied to process a Ti-44Al-12Nb (at.%) alloy: (a) cold pressing followed by reaction sintering (CP process); (b) cold pressing, vacuum hot pressing, and then sintering (HP process); and (c) arc melting, hydride-dehydride process to make the alloy powder, cold isostatic pressing, and then sintering (AM process). Microstructural and phase relations were studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The phases identified were Ti 3 Al and TiAl; an additional Nb 2 Al phase was observed in the HP sample. The microstructures of CP and HP processed samples are porous and chemically inhomogeneous whereas the AM processed sample revealed fine equiaxed microstructure. This refinement of the microstructure is attributed to the fine, homogeneous powder produced by the hydride-dehydride process and the high compaction pressures

Improvement in current density of nano- and micro-structured Si solar cells by cost-effective elastomeric stamp process

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Kiseok; Jee, Hongsub; Lim, Sangwoo; Park, Min Joon; Jeong, Chaehwan

2018-03-01

Effective incident light should be controlled for improving the current density of solar cells by employing nano- and micro-structures on silicon surface. The elastomeric stamp process, which is more cost effective and simpler than conventional photolithography, was proposed for the fabrication of nano- and micro-structures. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was poured on a mother pattern with a diameter of 6 μm and a spacing of 2 μm; then, curing was performed to create a PDMS mold. The regular micropattern was stamped on a low-viscosity resin-coated silicon surface, followed by the simple reactive ion etching process. Nano-structures were formed using the Ag-based electroless etching process. As etching time was increased to 6 min, reflectance decreased to 4.53% and current density improved from 22.35 to 34.72 mA/cm2.

Age-Related Changes in Trabecular and Cortical Bone Microstructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huayue Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The elderly population has substantially increased worldwide. Aging is a complex process, and the effects of aging are myriad and insidious, leading to progressive deterioration of various organs, including the skeleton. Age-related bone loss and resultant osteoporosis in the elderly population increase the risk for fractures and morbidity. Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions associated with aging, and age is an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. With the development of noninvasive imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT, micro-CT, and high resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT, imaging of the bone architecture provides important information about age-related changes in bone microstructure and estimates of bone strength. In the past two decades, studies of human specimens using imaging techniques have revealed decreased bone strength in older adults compared with younger adults. The present paper addresses recently studied age-related changes in trabecular and cortical bone microstructure based primarily on HR-pQCT and micro-CT. We specifically focus on the three-dimensional microstructure of the vertebrae, femoral neck, and distal radius, which are common osteoporotic fracture sites.

Characteristic of Polymer-Impregnated Cement Mortar: Composites: Bulk Density and Microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Younes, M.M.; Abo-El-Enein, S.A.; El-Saft, M.M.; Sadek, M.A.; Zohdy, K.M.

2010-01-01

The effect of radiation initiated polymerization of some monomers on the physical properties of polymer-incorporated mortar was studied. The monomers used were: castor oil (C.O.), 4, 4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). Polymerization was carried out by subjecting the monomer-impregnated mortar specimens to different doses of gamma radiation. Where polyurethane (pu) and polyurethane -methyl methacrylate copolymers were formed within the pore system. The influence of polymer impregnation on the various physico-mechanical characteristics of the resulting composites was studied with respect to bulk density and polymer loading. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to study the micro-structural characteristics of the neat hardened Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) mortar pastes and their polymer-impregnated composites

NODDI and Tensor-Based Microstructural Indices as Predictors of Functional Connectivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fani Deligianni

Full Text Available In Diffusion Weighted MR Imaging (DWI, the signal is affected by the biophysical properties of neuronal cells and their relative placement, as well as extra-cellular tissue compartments. Typically, microstructural indices, such as fractional anisotropy (FA and mean diffusivity (MD, are based on a tensor model that cannot disentangle the influence of these parameters. Recently, Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI has exploited multi-shell acquisition protocols to model the diffusion signal as the contribution of three tissue compartments. NODDI microstructural indices, such as intra-cellular volume fraction (ICVF and orientation dispersion index (ODI are directly related to neuronal density and orientation dispersion, respectively. One way of examining the neurophysiological role of these microstructural indices across neuronal fibres is to look into how they relate to brain function. Here we exploit a statistical framework based on sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis (sCCA and randomised Lasso to identify structural connections that are highly correlated with resting-state functional connectivity measured with simultaneous EEG-fMRI. Our results reveal distinct structural fingerprints for each microstructural index that also reflect their inter-relationships.

Angle-adjustable density field formulation for the modeling of crystalline microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zi-Le; Liu, Zhirong; Huang, Zhi-Feng

2018-05-01

A continuum density field formulation with particle-scale resolution is constructed to simultaneously incorporate the orientation dependence of interparticle interactions and the rotational invariance of the system, a fundamental but challenging issue in modeling the structure and dynamics of a broad range of material systems across variable scales. This generalized phase field crystal-type approach is based upon the complete expansion of particle direct correlation functions and the concept of isotropic tensors. Through applications to the modeling of various two- and three-dimensional crystalline structures, our study demonstrates the capability of bond-angle control in this continuum field theory and its effects on the emergence of ordered phases, and provides a systematic way of performing tunable angle analyses for crystalline microstructures.

Miscibility gap alloys with inverse microstructures and high thermal conductivity for high energy density thermal storage applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugo, Heber; Kisi, Erich; Cuskelly, Dylan

2013-01-01

New high energy-density thermal storage materials are proposed which use miscibility gap binary alloy systems to operate through the latent heat of fusion of one component dispersed in a thermodynamically stable matrix. Using trial systems Al–Sn and Fe–Cu, we demonstrate the development of the required inverse microstructure (low melting point phase embedded in high melting point matrix) and excellent thermal storage potential. Several other candidate systems are discussed. It is argued that such systems offer enhancement over conventional phase change thermal storage by using high thermal conductivity microstructures (50–400 W/m K); minimum volume of storage systems due to high energy density latent heat of fusion materials (0.2–2.2 MJ/L); and technical utility through adaptability to a great variety of end uses. Low (<300 °C), mid (300–400 °C) and high (600–1400 °C) temperature options exist for applications ranging from space heating and process drying to concentrated solar thermal energy conversion and waste heat recovery. -- Highlights: ► Alloys of immiscible metals are proposed as thermal storage systems. ► High latent heat of fusion per unit volume and tunable temperature are advantageous. ► Thermal storage systems with capacities of 0.2–2.2 MJ/L are identified. ► Heat delivery is via a rigid non-reactive high thermal conductivity matrix. ► The required inverse microstructures were developed for Sn–Al and Cu–Fe systems

Assessment of the microstructure evolution of an austempered ductile iron during austempering process through strain hardening analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Donnini, Riccardo; Fabrizi, Alberto; Bonollo, Franco; Zanardi, Franco; Angella, Giuliano

2017-09-01

The aim of this investigation was to determine a procedure based on tensile testing to assess the critical range of austempering times for having the best ausferrite produced through austempering. The austempered ductile iron (ADI) 1050 was quenched at different times during austempering and the quenched samples were tested in tension. The dislocation-density-related constitutive equation proposed by Estrin for materials having high density of geometrical obstacles to dislocation motion, was used to model the flow curves of the tensile tested samples. On the basis of strain hardening theory, the equation parameters were related to the microstructure of the quenched samples and were used to assess the ADI microstructure evolution during austempering. The microstructure evolution was also analysed through conventional optical microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure observations resulted to be consistent with the assessment based on tensile testing, so the dislocation-density-related constitutive equation was found to be a powerful tool to characterise the evolution of the solid state transformations of austempering.

Evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties during thermomechanical processing of a low-density multiphase steel for automotive application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rana, R.; Liu, C.; Ray, R.K.

2014-01-01

The evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties in a low-density, low-alloy steel containing 6.57Al–3.34Mn–0.18C (wt.%) has been investigated as a function of processing. The steel was designed to have a duplex microstructure with ferrite as the major phase and austenite as the minor phase within the temperature range 800–1350 °C. The steel was processed to sheet form, which was thermomechanically treated and characterised by a variety of techniques such as optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, tensile testing and density and elastic modulus measurements. The amount of austenite was found to decrease with an increase in the annealing temperature. While C and Mn partitioned into the austenite phase, Al partitioned into the ferrite. The tensile elongation increased with an increase in the amount of austenite in the microstructure. However, the austenite showed only a small transformation induced plasticity effect during tensile deformation due to its high stability. After annealing, mostly κ-carbide precipitates with a (Fe + Mn)/Al ratio of 3.6 appeared in the ferrite matrix, along with some cementite and complex carbides. These precipitates became coarser (330 nm) during a short time overageing treatment at 400 °C, causing a significant increase in elongation. The κ-carbides were found to have a close to Nishiyama–Wasserman type orientation relationship with the ferrite matrix. Although the Young’s modulus of the steel dropped due to the large amount of Al added, the reduced density was found to be beneficial for automotive applications, overriding the effect of a drop in Young’s modulus

Inhomogeneous microstructural growth by irradiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krishan, K.; Singh, Bachu Narain; Leffers, Torben

1985-01-01

In the present paper we discuss the development of heterogeneous microstructure for uniform irradiation conditions. It is shown that microstructural inhomogeneities on a scale of 0.1 μm can develop purely from kinematic considerations because of the basic structure of the rate equations used...... to describe such evolution. Two aspects of the growth of such inhomogeneities are discussed. Firstly, it is shown that a local variation in the sink densities of the various microstructural defects will tend to enhance the inhomogeneity rather than remove it. Secondly, such inhomogeneities will lead to point...... defect fluxes that result in a spatial growth of the inhomogeneous region, which will be stopped only when the microstructural density around this region becomes large. The results have important implications in the formation of denuded zones and void formation in metals....

The relation between herbivore density and relative resource ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The relation between kudu density and the relative density of habitat patches in each landscape was significant, with exponential models producing more significant statistics than linear models. Regressions of resource density against animal density are useful to understand 'carrying capacity' for wild herbivores, and ...

Microstructural modelling of nuclear graphite using multi-phase models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berre, C.; Fok, S.L.; Marsden, B.J.; Mummery, P.M.; Marrow, T.J.; Neighbour, G.B.

2008-01-01

This paper presents a new modelling technique using three-dimensional multi-phase finite element models in which meshes representing the microstructure of thermally oxidised nuclear graphite were generated from X-ray micro-tomography images. The density of the material was related to the image greyscale using Beer-Lambert's law, and multiple phases could thus be defined. The local elastic and non-linear properties of each phase were defined as a function of density and changes in Young's modulus, tensile and compressive strength with thermal oxidation were calculated. Numerical predictions compared well with experimental data and with other numerical results obtained using two-phase models. These models were found to be more representative of the actual microstructure of the scanned material than two-phase models and, possibly because of pore closure occurring during compression, compressive tests were also predicted to be less sensitive to the microstructure geometry than tensile tests

Local microstructure and flow stress in deformed metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Xiaodan; Hansen, Niels; Nielsen, Chris Valentin

2017-01-01

The microstructure and flow stress of metals are related through many well-known strength-structure relationships based on structural parameters, where grain size and dislocation density are examples. In heterogeneous structures, the local stress and strain are important as they will affect...... the bulk properties. A microstructural method is presented which allows the local stress in a deformed metal to be estimated based on microstructural parameters determined by an EBSD analysis. These parameters are the average spacing of deformation introduced boundaries and the fraction of high angle...... boundaries. The method is demonstrated for two heterogeneous structures: (i) a gradient (sub)surface structure in steel deformed by shot peening; (ii) a heterogeneous structure introduced by friction between a tool and a workpiece of aluminum. Flow stress data are calculated based on the microstructural...

Critical current density and microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7-x films as a function of film thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mogro-Campero, A.; Turner, L.G.; Hall, E.L.; Lewis, N.

1990-01-01

Thin films of nominal composition YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) were produced on (100) SrTiO 3 substrates by coevaporation and furnace annealing. Film thicknesses in the range of 0.2 to 2.4 μm were analyzed. Microstructural investigations by cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a continuous layer of about 0.4 μm thickness adjacent to the substrate with c-axis normal to the substrate plane. In thicker films the remaining top portion has the c-axis in the film plane. The critical current density (J c ) at 77 K decreases with increasing thickness in the thickness range exceeding 0.4 μm, qualitatively consistent with the microstructural observation, but quantitatively inconsistent with a simple model based on the microstructural data

Microstructural changes during creep and life assessment of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Kota; Maruyama, Kouichi; Komine, Ryuji; Nagae, Yuji.

1997-01-01

Several microstructural changes take place in a material during the course of creep. These changes can be a measure of creep life. In this paper, microstructural changes in Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were studied and it was examined which is a good measure of creep life. Microscopic structural changes, such as void growth, lath structure uniformly oriented to the tensile axis and elongation of grains, are evident only in the necked portion of ruptured specimens. These macroscopic structural changes are not useful for creep life assessment. Lath width increases and dislocation density within lath decreases with increasing creep duration. These changes in dislocation substructure start in the early stage of creep life, and cause the increase of strain rate in the tertiary creep stage. The lath width and the dislocation density reach a saturated value before rupture. The saturated values are independent of temperature, and uniquely related to creep stress normalized by shear modulus. The extent of these microstructural changes are greater at lower stresses under which the material is practically used. These facts suggest that the lath width and the dislocation density within lath can be a useful measure of creep life. Hardness of crept specimens is closely related to the lath width and the dislocation density within lath. The changes of these microstructural features can be evaluated by the measurement of hardness. (author)

Microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted magnesium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, C.C.; Savalani, M.M.; Lau, M.L.; Man, H.C.

2011-01-01

The effects of laser processing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser-melted magnesium were investigated. The results show that the microstructure characteristics of the laser-melted samples are dependent on the grain size of SLM magnesium. The grains in the molten zone coarsen as the laser energy density increases. In addition, the average hardness values of the molten zone decreases significantly with an increase of the laser energy densities and then decreased slowly at a relatively high laser energy density irrespective of mode of irradiation. The hardness value was obtained from 0.59 to 0.95 GPa and corresponding elastic modulus ranging from 27 to 33 GPa. The present selective laser-melted magnesium parts are promising for biomedical applications since the mechanical properties are more closely matched with human bone than other metallic biomaterials.

Age-related changes in vertebral and iliac crest 3D bone microstructure-differences and similarities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jesper Skovhus; Jensen, Michael Vinkel; Niklassen, Andreas Steenholt

2015-01-01

Summary Age-related changes of vertebra and iliac crest 3D microstructure were investigated, and we showed that they were in general similar. The 95th percentile of vertebral trabecular thickness distribution increased with age for women. Surprisingly, vertebral and iliac crest bone microstructure...... was only weakly correlated (r = 0.38 to 0.75), despite the overall similar age-related changes.Introduction The purposes of the study were to determine the age-related changes in iliac and vertebral bone microstructure for women and men over a large age range and to investigate the relationship between...... the bone microstructure at these skeletal sites.Methods Matched sets of transiliac crest bone biopsies and lumbar vertebral body (L2) specimens from 41 women (19–96 years) and 39 men (23–95 years) were micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanned, and the 3D microstructure was quantified.Results For both women...

Trabecular bone microstructure is impaired in the proximal femur of human immunodeficiency virus-infected men with normal bone mineral density.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazakia, Galateia J; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Lai, Andrew; Nardo, Lorenzo; Facchetti, Luca; Pasco, Courtney; Zhang, Chiyuan A; Han, Misung; Parrott, Amanda Hutton; Tien, Phyllis; Krug, Roland

2018-02-01

There is evidence that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are independent risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture which is not solely explained by changes in bone mineral density. Thus, we hypothesized that the assessment of trabecular microstructure might play an important role for bone quality in this population and might explain the increased fracture risk. In this study, we have assessed bone microstructure in the proximal femur using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as in the extremities using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in HIV-infected men and healthy controls and compared these findings to those based on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) derived from dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) which is the standard clinical parameter for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Eight HIV-infected men and 11 healthy age-matched controls were recruited and informed consent was obtained before each scan. High-resolution MRI of the proximal femur was performed using fully balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) on a 3T system. Three volumes of interest at corresponding anatomic locations across all subjects were defined based on registrations of a common template. Four MR-based trabecular microstructural parameters were analyzed at each region: fuzzy bone volume fraction (f-BVF), trabecular number (Tb.N), thickness (Tb.Th), and spacing (Tb.Sp). In addition, the distal radius and distal tibia were imaged with HR-pQCT. Four HR-pQCT-based microstructural parameters were analyzed: trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Tb.Sp. Total hip and spine aBMD were determined from DXA. Microstructural bone parameters derived from MRI at the proximal femur and from HR-pQCT at the distal tibia showed significantly lower bone quality in HIV-infected patients compared to healthy controls. In contrast, DXA aBMD data showed no significant differences between HIV

Alterations of bone density, microstructure, and strength of the distal radius in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study with HR-pQCT.

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Zhu, Tracy Y; Griffith, James F; Qin, Ling; Hung, Vivian W; Fong, Tsz-Ning; Au, Sze-Ki; Li, Martin; Lam, Yvonne Yi-On; Wong, Chun-Kwok; Kwok, Anthony W; Leung, Ping-Chung; Li, Edmund K; Tam, Lai-Shan

2014-09-01

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone microstructure, and biomechanical competence of the distal radius in male patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study cohort comprised 50 male RA patients of average age of 61.1 years and 50 age-matched healthy males. Areal BMD (aBMD) of the hip, lumbar spine, and distal radius was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) of the distal radius provided measures of cortical and trabecular vBMD, microstructure, and biomechanical indices. aBMD of the hip but not the lumbar spine or ultradistal radius was significantly lower in RA patients than controls after adjustment for body weight. Total, cortical, and trabecular vBMD at the distal radius were, on average, -3.9% to -23.2% significantly lower in RA patients, and these differences were not affected by adjustment for body weight, testosterone level, or aBMD at the ultradistal radius. Trabecular microstructure indices were, on average, -8.1% (trabecular number) to 28.7% (trabecular network inhomogeneity) significantly inferior, whereas cortical pore volume and cortical porosity index were, on average, 80.3% and 63.9%, respectively, significantly higher in RA patients. RA patients also had significantly lower whole-bone stiffness, modulus, and failure load, with lower and more unevenly distributed cortical and trabecular stress. Density and microstructure indices significantly correlated with disease activity, severity, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL] 12p70, tumor necrosis factor, IL-6 and IL-1β). Ten RA patients had focal periosteal bone apposition most prominent at the ulnovolar aspect of the distal radius. These patients had shorter disease duration and significantly higher cortical porosity. In conclusion, HR-pQCT reveals significant alterations of bone density, microstructure, and strength of the distal radius in

Scaling relations between trabecular bone volume fraction and microstructure at different skeletal sites.

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Räth, Christoph; Baum, Thomas; Monetti, Roberto; Sidorenko, Irina; Wolf, Petra; Eckstein, Felix; Matsuura, Maiko; Lochmüller, Eva-Maria; Zysset, Philippe K; Rummeny, Ernst J; Link, Thomas M; Bauer, Jan S

2013-12-01

In this study, we investigated the scaling relations between trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and parameters of the trabecular microstructure at different skeletal sites. Cylindrical bone samples with a diameter of 8mm were harvested from different skeletal sites of 154 human donors in vitro: 87 from the distal radius, 59/69 from the thoracic/lumbar spine, 51 from the femoral neck, and 83 from the greater trochanter. μCT images were obtained with an isotropic spatial resolution of 26μm. BV/TV and trabecular microstructure parameters (TbN, TbTh, TbSp, scaling indices ( and σ of α and αz), and Minkowski Functionals (Surface, Curvature, Euler)) were computed for each sample. The regression coefficient β was determined for each skeletal site as the slope of a linear fit in the double-logarithmic representations of the correlations of BV/TV versus the respective microstructure parameter. Statistically significant correlation coefficients ranging from r=0.36 to r=0.97 were observed for BV/TV versus microstructure parameters, except for Curvature and Euler. The regression coefficients β were 0.19 to 0.23 (TbN), 0.21 to 0.30 (TbTh), -0.28 to -0.24 (TbSp), 0.58 to 0.71 (Surface) and 0.12 to 0.16 (), 0.07 to 0.11 (), -0.44 to -0.30 (σ(α)), and -0.39 to -0.14 (σ(αz)) at the different skeletal sites. The 95% confidence intervals of β overlapped for almost all microstructure parameters at the different skeletal sites. The scaling relations were independent of vertebral fracture status and similar for subjects aged 60-69, 70-79, and >79years. In conclusion, the bone volume fraction-microstructure scaling relations showed a rather universal character. © 2013.

Effect of the hydration temperature on the microstructure of Class G cement: C-S-H composition and density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahafid, Sara; Ghabezloo, Siavash; Duc, Myriam; Faure, Pamela; Sulem, Jean

2017-01-01

Curing temperature has a significant influence on cement paste microstructure and the properties of its principal hydrate C-S-H. In this paper, the effect of the hydration temperature in the range of 7 °C to 90 °C on the microstructure of a class G oil-well cement is studied. This is done by combining various experimental methods, including X-ray diffraction associated with the Rietveld analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry and porosity evaluation by drying. The experimental results show an increase of the capillary porosity and a decrease of the gel porosity by increasing the hydration temperature. This is attributed to a decrease of the C-S-H intrinsic porosity and a corresponding increase of the C-S-H density for higher curing temperatures. The experimental results are used in a simple analysis method to evaluate the density of C-S-H, as well as its C/S ratio and H/S ratio in dry and saturated conditions. The evaluated C-S-H density varies from 1.88 g/cm 3 at 7 °C to 2.10 g/cm 3 at 90 °C. The results also show a decrease of molar C/S ratio with increasing hydration temperature from 1.93 at 7 °C to 1.71 at 90 °C and of the H/S ratio from 5.1 at 7 °C to 2.66 at 90 °C.

Vibronic coupling density and related concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Tohru; Uejima, Motoyuki; Iwahara, Naoya; Haruta, Naoki; Shizu, Katsuyuki; Tanaka, Kazuyoshi

2013-01-01

Vibronic coupling density is derived from a general point of view as a one-electron property density. Related concepts as well as their applications are presented. Linear and nonlinear vibronic coupling density and related concepts, orbital vibronic coupling density, reduced vibronic coupling density, atomic vibronic coupling constant, and effective vibronic coupling density, illustrate the origin of vibronic couplings and enable us to design novel functional molecules or to elucidate chemical reactions. Transition dipole moment density is defined as an example of the one-electron property density. Vibronic coupling density and transition dipole moment density open a way to design light-emitting molecules with high efficiency.

Microstructure, consolidation and mechanical behaviour of Mg/n-TiC composite

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N. Vijay Ponraj

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, the microstructure, consolidation and mechanical properties of pure magnesium, magnesium based composite containing with different fractions (5, 10, 15 wt% of Titanium carbide nanoparticles (n-TiC were fabricated via powder metallurgy technique. The fabricated composites exhibited homogeneous distribution of TiC with little porosity. Microstructure of the composite and powders was studied using X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscope, and Transmission electron microscope. Microstructural characterization of the materials exposed that the accumulation of nanosized titanium carbide reinforcement enhanced the homogenization during mechanical blending. The relative density, compressibility, green compressive strength, sinterability and hardness of the nanocomposites were also examined. The effect of reinforcement on the densification was studied and reported in terms of the relative density and consolidation behaviour of the Magnesium matrix with n-TiC was studied and best compacted fit obtained through the Heckel, Panelli Ambrosio Filho and Ge equations. The compressive strength of the composite significantly increases from 230 MPa to 389 MPa with content of n-TiC and sintering temperature. Experiments have been performed under different conditions of temperature, n-TiC Content, and compacting pressure.

Effect of current density on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of microarc oxidized ZK60 magnesium alloy.

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You, Qiongya; Yu, Huijun; Wang, Hui; Pan, Yaokun; Chen, Chuanzhong

2014-09-01

The application of magnesium alloys as biomaterials is limited by their poor corrosion behavior. Microarc oxidation (MAO) treatment was used to prepare ceramic coatings on ZK60 magnesium alloys in order to overcome the poor corrosion resistance. The process was conducted at different current densities (3.5 and 9.0 A/dm(2)), and the effect of current density on the process was studied. The microstructure, elemental distribution, and phase composition of the MAO coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry, and x-ray diffraction, respectively. The increment of current density contributes to the increase of thickness. A new phase Mg2SiO4 was detected as the current density increased to 9.0 A/dm(2). A homogeneous distribution of micropores could be observed in the coating produced at 3.5 A/dm(2), while the surface morphology of the coating formed at 9.0 A/dm(2) was more rough and apparent microcracks could be observed. The coating obtained at 3.5 A/dm(2) possessed a better anticorrosion behavior.

Influence of current density on microstructure and properties of electrodeposited nickel-alumina composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Góral, Anna; Nowak, Marek; Berent, Katarzyna; Kania, Bogusz

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Current density of the electrodeposition affects the incorporation of Al 2 O 3 in Ni matrix. • Ni/Al 2 O 3 composite coatings exhibit changes in crystallographic texture. • The pitting corrosion effects were observed in Ni/Al 2 O 3 coatings. • Residual stresses were decreased with increasing current density and coating thickness. - Abstract: Electrodeposition process is a very promising method for producing metal matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles. In this method insoluble particles suspended in an electrolytic bath are embedded in a growing metal layer. This paper is focused on the investigations of the nickel matrix nanocomposite coatings with hard α-Al 2 O 3 nano-particles, electrochemically deposited from modified Watts-type baths on steel substrates. The influence of various current densities on the microstructure, residual stresses, texture, hardness and corrosion resistance of the deposited nickel/alumina coatings was investigated. The surface morphology, cross sections of the coatings and distribution of the ceramic particles in the metal matrix were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The phase composition, residual stresses and preferred grain orientation of the coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction techniques. The coating morphology revealed that α-Al 2 O 3 particles show a distinct tendency to form agglomerates, approximately uniformly distributed into the nickel matrix

Microstructure of Tablet-Pharmaceutical Significance, Assessment, and Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changquan Calvin

2017-05-01

To summarize the microstructure - property relationship of pharmaceutical tablets and approaches to improve tablet properties through tablet microstructure engineering. The main topics reviewed here include: 1) influence of material properties and manufacturing process parameters on the evolution of tablet microstructure; 2) impact of tablet structure on tablet properties; 3) assessment of tablet microstructure; 4) development and engineering of tablet microstructure. Microstructure plays a decisive role on important pharmaceutical properties of a tablet, such as disintegration, drug release, and mechanical strength. Useful information on mechanical properties of a powder can be obtained from analyzing tablet porosity-pressure data. When helium pycnometry fails to accurately measure true density of a water-containing powder, non-linear regression of tablet density-pressure data is a useful alternative method. A component that is more uniformly distributed in a tablet generally exerts more influence on the overall tablet properties. During formulation development, it is highly recommended to examine the relationship between any property of interest and tablet porosity when possible. Tablet microstructure can be engineered by judicious selection of formulation composition, including the use of the optimum solid form of the drug and appropriate type and amount of excipients, and controlling manufacturing process.

Effects of short-term swimming exercise on bone mineral density, geometry, and microstructural properties in sham and ovariectomized rats

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Foong Kiew Ooi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Little information exists about the effects of swimming exercise on bone health in ovariectomized animals with estrogen deficiency, which resembles the postmenopausal state and age-related bone loss in humans. This study investigated the effects of swimming exercise on tibia and femur bone mineral density (BMD, geometry, and microstructure in sham and ovariectomized rats. Forty 3-month-old female rats were divided into four groups: sham operated-sedentary control (Sham-control, sham operated with swimming exercise group (Sham-Swim, ovariectomy-sedentary control (OVx-control, and ovariectomy and swimming exercise (OVx-Swim groups. Swimming sessions were performed by the rats 90 minutes/day for 5 days/week for a total of 8 weeks. At the end of the study, tibial and femoral proximal volumetric total BMD, midshaft cortical volumetric BMD, cross-sectional area, and cross-sectional moment of inertia (MOI, and bone microstructural properties were measured for comparison. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA. The Sham-Swim group exhibited significantly (p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA greater values in bone geometry parameters, that is, tibial midshaft cortical area and MOI compared to the Sham-control group. However, no significant differences were observed in these parameters between the Ovx-Swim and Ovx-control groups. There were no significant differences in femoral BMD between the Sham-Swim and Sham-control groups. Nevertheless, the Ovx-Swim group elicited significantly (p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA higher femoral proximal total BMD and improved bone microstructure compared to the Ovx-Sham group. In conclusion, the positive effects of swimming on bone properties in the ovariectomized rats in the present study may suggest that swimming as a non- or low-weight-bearing exercise may be beneficial for enhancing bone health in the postmenopausal population.

The density-salinity relation of standard seawater

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Schmidt, Hannes; Seitz, Steffen; Hassel, Egon; Wolf, Henning

2018-01-01

The determination of salinity by means of electrical conductivity relies on stable salt proportions in the North Atlantic Ocean, because standard seawater, which is required for salinometer calibration, is produced from water of the North Atlantic. To verify the long-term stability of the standard seawater composition, it was proposed to perform measurements of the standard seawater density. Since the density is sensitive to all salt components, a density measurement can detect any change in the composition. A conversion of the density values to salinity can be performed by means of a density-salinity relation. To use such a relation with a target uncertainty in salinity comparable to that in salinity obtained from conductivity measurements, a density measurement with an uncertainty of 2 g m-3 is mandatory. We present a new density-salinity relation based on such accurate density measurements. The substitution measurement method used is described and density corrections for uniform isotopic and chemical compositions are reported. The comparison of densities calculated using the new relation with those calculated using the present reference equations of state TEOS-10 suggests that the density accuracy of TEOS-10 (as well as that of EOS-80) has been overestimated, as the accuracy of some of its underlying density measurements had been overestimated. The new density-salinity relation may be used to verify the stable composition of standard seawater by means of routine density measurements.

Assessment of Choroidal Microstructure and Subfoveal Thickness Change in Eyes With Different Stages of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

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Lu, Linna; Xu, Shiqiong; He, Fangling; Liu, Yan; Zhang, Yidan; Wang, Jing; Wang, Zhiliang; Fan, Xianqun

2016-03-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of irreversible blindness. Choroidal structural changes seem to be inevitable in AMD pathogenesis. Our study revealed associated choroidal microstructural changes in AMD eyes.The aim of the study was to compare choroidal microstructural changes in eyes with AMD of different stages.The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional case series.The participants comprised of 32 age-matched normal eyes as controls, and 26 fellow uninvolved eyes of intermediate/late AMD, 29 of early AMD, 28 of intermediate AMD, and 39 of late AMD.All subjects underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. The choroid images, including subfoveal choroidal thickness, percentage of Sattler layer area, and en face images of the choroid, were obtained using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.The main outcome measures were subfoveal choroidal thickness changes, percentage of Sattler layer area changes, and en face images of the choroid in AMD eyes.One hundred fifty-four eyes of 96 individuals with mean age of 67.1±9.2 years were included. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was 295.4 ± 56.8 μm in age-matched normal eyes, 306.7 ± 68.4 μm in fellow uninvolved eyes with AMD, 293.8 ± 80.4 μm in early AMD, 215.6 ± 80.4 μm in intermediate AMD, and 200.4 ± 66.6 μm in late AMD (F = 14.2, all P < 0.001). Choroidal thickness was greater in early AMD eyes than in intermediate/late AMD eyes (P < 0.001). Mean percentage of Sattler layer area in each group showed a similar tendency. Microstructure of the choroid showed reduced vascular density of Sattler layer areas in late AMD eyes compared with normal eyes.Decreasing subfoveal choroidal thickness and percentage of Sattler layer area were demonstrated in the progression of AMD. The choroidal change was related to atrophy of the microstructural changes of underlying capillaries and medium-sized vessels.

Brain Microstructural Abnormalities Are Related to Physiological Alterations in End-Stage Renal Disease.

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Zhigang Bai

Full Text Available To study whole-brain microstructural alterations in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD and examine the relationship between brain microstructure and physiological indictors in the disease.Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 35 patients with ESRD (28 men, 18-61 years and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs, 32 men, 22-58 years. A voxel-wise analysis was then used to identify microstructural alterations over the whole brain in the ESRD patients compared with the HCs. Multiple biochemical measures of renal metabolin, vascular risk factors, general cognitive ability and dialysis duration were correlated with microstructural integrity for the patients.Compared to the HCs, the ESRD patients exhibited disrupted microstructural integrity in not only white matter (WM but also gray matter (GM regions, as characterized by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA and increased mean diffusivity (MD, axial diffusivity (AD and radial diffusivity (RD. Further correlation analyses revealed that the in MD, AD and RD values showed significantly positive correlations with the blood urea nitrogen in the left superior temporal gyrus and significantly negative correlations with the calcium levels in the left superior frontal gyrus (orbital part in the patients.Our findings suggest that ESRD is associated with widespread diffusion abnormalities in both WM and GM regions in the brain, and microstructural integrity of several GM regions are related to biochemical alterations in the disease.

Model for the evolution of network dislocation density in irradiated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, F.A.; Wolfer, W.G.

1982-01-01

It is a well-known fact that the total dislocation density that evolves in irradiated metals is a strong function of irradiation temperature. The dislocation density comprises two components, however, and only one of these (Frank loops) retains its temperature dependence at high fluence. The network dislocation density approaches a saturation level which is relatively insensitive to starting microstructure, stress, irradiation temperature, displacement rate and helium level. The latter statement is supported in this paper by a review of published microstructural data. A model has been developed to explain the insensitivity to many variables of the saturation network dislocation density in irradiated metals. This model also explains how the rate of approach to saturation can be sensitive to displacement rate and temperature while the saturation level itself is not dependent on temperature

Comparative Evaluations and Microstructure: Mechanical Property Relations of Sintered Silicon Carbide Consolidated by Various Techniques

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Barick, Prasenjit; Chatterjee, Arya; Majumdar, Bhaskar; Saha, Bhaskar Prasad; Mitra, Rahul

2018-04-01

A comparative evaluation between pressureless or self-sintered silicon carbide (SSiC), hot-pressed silicon carbide (HP-SiC), and spark plasma-sintered silicon carbide (SPS-SiC) has been carried out with emphasis on examination of their microstructures and mechanical properties. The effect of sample dimensions on density and properties of SPS-SiC has been also examined. Elastic modulus, flexural strength, and fracture toughness measured by indentation or testing of single-edge notched beam specimens have been found to follow the following trend, HP-SiC > SSiC > SPS-SiC. The SPS-SiC samples have shown size-dependent densification and mechanical properties, with the smaller sample exhibiting superior properties. The mechanical properties of sintered SiC samples appear to be influenced by relative density, grain size, and morphology, as well as the existence of intergranular glassy phase. Studies of fracture surface morphologies have revealed the mechanism of failure to be transgranular in SSiC or HP-SiC, and intergranular in case of SPS-SiC, indicating the dominating influence of grain size and α-SiC formation with high aspect ratio.

Qualitative relations between the kinetics of sintering in hydrogen and the observed microstructures of uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francois, B.; Delmas, R.; Caillat, F.; Lacombe, P.

1975-01-01

The microscopic study of uranium dioxide sintered in hydrogen, together with density measurements, shows on the one hand that the large scale appearance of pores trapped at the grain boundaries in the course of sintering has the effect of practically stopping densification, and on the other hand that this particular microstructure is stable over a wide range of time and temperature. (author)

Microstructural examination of commercial ferritic alloys at 299 DPA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelles, D.S.

1995-11-01

Microstructures and density change measurements are reported for Martensitic commercial steels HT-9 and Modified 9Cr-lMo (T9) and oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic alloys MA956 and NU957 following irradiation in the FFTF/MOTA at 420 degrees C to 200 DPA. Swelling as determined by density change remains below 2% for all conditions. Microstructures are found to be stable except in recrystallized grains of MA957, which are fabrication artifacts, with only minor swelling in the Martensitic steels and α' precipitation in alloys with 12% or more chromium. These results further demonstrate the high swelling resistance and microstructural stability of the ferritic alloy class

Effect of Austenite Deformation on the Microstructure Evolution and Grain Refinement Under Accelerated Cooling Conditions

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Zhao, H.; Palmiere, E. J.

2017-07-01

Although there has been much research regarding the effect of austenite deformation on accelerated cooled microstructures in microalloyed steels, there is still a lack of accurate data on boundary densities and effective grain sizes. Previous results observed from optical micrographs are not accurate enough, because, for displacive transformation products, a substantial part of the boundaries have disorientation angles below 15 deg. Therefore, in this research, a niobium microalloyed steel was used and electron backscattering diffraction mappings were performed on all of the transformed microstructures to obtain accurate results on boundary densities and grain refinement. It was found that with strain rising from 0 to 0.5, a transition from bainitic ferrite to acicular ferrite occurs and the effective grain size reduces from 5.7 to 3.1 μm. When further increasing strain from 0.5 to 0.7, dynamic recrystallization was triggered and postdynamic softening occurred during the accelerated cooling, leading to an inhomogeneous and coarse transformed microstructure. In the entire strain range, the density changes of boundaries with different disorientation angles are distinct, due to different boundary formation mechanisms. Finally, the controversial influence of austenite deformation on effective grain size of low-temperature transformation products was argued to be related to the differences in transformation conditions and final microstructures.

Creep life assessment of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel. Pt. 1. Quantitative evaluation of microstructural damage in creep rupture specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Kota; Maruyama, Kouichi; Komine, Ryuji; Nagae, Yuji

1997-03-01

Several microstructural changes take place in a material during the course of creep. These changes can be a measure of creep life consumption. In this paper, microstructural changes in Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were studied in order to examine their ability as the measure of creep life consumption. Macroscopic structural changes, such as void growth, rotation of lath structure toward the tensile axis and elongation of grains, are evident only in the necked portion of ruptured specimens. These macroscopic structural changes are not useful for creep life assessment. Lath width increases and dislocation density within lath decreases with increasing creep duration. These changes in dislocation substructure start in the early stage of creep life, and cause the increase of strain rate in the tertiary creep stage. The lath width and the dislocation density reach a stationary value before rupture. The stationary values are independent of temperature, and uniquely related to creep stress normalized by shear modulus. The extent of these microstructural changes are greater at lower stresses under which the material is practically used. These facts suggest that the lath width and the dislocation density within lath can be a useful measure of creep life consumption. Hardness of crept specimens is closely related to the lath width and the dislocation density within lath. The changes of these microstructural features can be evaluated by the measurement of hardness. (author)

Effect of etching current density on microstructure and NH3-sensing properties of porous silicon with intermediate-sized pores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Mingda; Hu, Ming; Zeng, Peng; Ma, Shuangyun; Yan, Wenjun; Qin, Yuxiang

2013-01-01

In this work, porous silicon with intermediate-sized pores (intermediate–PS) was prepared by using galvanostatic electrochemical etching method and the effect toward sensing response characteristics of NH 3 gas was also studied. The morphology and surface chemical bonds of intermediate–PS were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The results showed the intermediate–PS microstructure can be significantly modulated by the etching current density. Moreover, the freshly prepared intermediate–PS surface could achieve reliable passivation after storage in ethanol. Furthermore, the gas-sensing measurements of the intermediate–PS sensors were carried out versus different concentrations of NH 3 . The PS sensor exhibited good NH 3 -sensing performances at room temperature owing to its unique microstructure features, including large specific surface area and highly ordered pore channels. In addition, the conceivable pore formation mechanism as well as gas sensing mechanism was also discussed

Neural Networks Relating Alloy Composition, Microstructure, and Tensile Properties of α/ β-Processed TIMETAL 6-4

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Peter C.; Koduri, Santhosh; Welk, Brian; Tiley, Jaimie; Fraser, Hamish L.

2013-03-01

Bayesian neural networks have been developed, which relate composition, microstructure, and tensile properties of the alloy TIMETAL 6-4 (nominal composition: Ti-6Al-4V (wt pct) after thermomechanical processing (TMP) in the two-phase ( α + β)-phase field. The developed networks are able to make interpolative predictions of properties within the ranges of composition and microstructural features that are in the population of the database used for training and testing of the networks. In addition, the neural networks have been used to conduct virtual experiments which permit the functional dependencies of properties on composition and microstructural features to be determined. In this way, it is shown that in the microstructural condition resulting from TMP in the two-phase ( α + β) phase field, the most significant contribution to strength is from solid solution strengthening, with microstructural features apparently influencing the balance of a number of properties.

Microstructure and anisotropic swelling behaviour of compacted bentonite/sand mixture

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Simona Saba

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Pre-compacted elements (disks, torus of bentonite/sand mixture are candidate materials for sealing plugs of radioactive waste disposal. Choice of this material is mainly based on its swelling capacity allowing all gaps in the system to be sealed, and on its low permeability. When emplaced in the gallery, these elements will start to absorb water from the host rock and swell. Thereby, a swelling pressure will develop in the radial direction against the host rock and in the axial direction against the support structure. In this work, the swelling pressure of a small scale compacted disk of bentonite and sand was experimentally studied in both radial and axial directions. Different swelling kinetics were identified for different dry densities and along different directions. As a rule, the swelling pressure starts increasing quickly, reaches a peak value, decreases a little and finally stabilises. For some dry densities, higher peaks were observed in the radial direction than in the axial direction. The presence of peaks is related to the microstructure change and to the collapse of macro-pores. In parallel to the mechanical tests, microstructure investigation at the sample scale was conducted using microfocus X-ray computed tomography (μCT. Image observation showed a denser structure in the centre and a looser one in the border, which was also confirmed by image analysis. This structure heterogeneity in the radial direction and the occurrence of macro-pores close to the radial boundary of the sample can explain the large peaks observed in the radial swelling pressure evolution. Another interesting result is the higher anisotropy found at lower bentonite dry densities, which was also analysed by means of μCT observation of a sample at low bentonite dry density after the end of test. It was found that the macro-pores, especially those between sand grains, were not filled by swelled bentonite, which preserved the anisotropic microstructure caused by

Alterations of bone microstructure and strength in end-stage renal failure.

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Trombetti, A; Stoermann, C; Chevalley, T; Van Rietbergen, B; Herrmann, F R; Martin, P-Y; Rizzoli, R

2013-05-01

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have a high risk of fractures. We evaluated bone microstructure and finite-element analysis-estimated strength and stiffness in patients with ESRD by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography. We observed an alteration of cortical and trabecular bone microstructure and of bone strength and stiffness in ESRD patients. Fragility fractures are common in ESRD patients on dialysis. Alterations of bone microstructure contribute to skeletal fragility, independently of areal bone mineral density. We compared microstructure and finite-element analysis estimates of strength and stiffness by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in 33 ESRD patients on dialysis (17 females and 16 males; mean age, 47.0 ± 12.6 years) and 33 age-matched healthy controls. Dialyzed women had lower radius and tibia cortical density with higher radius cortical porosity and lower tibia cortical thickness, compared to controls. Radius trabecular number was lower with higher heterogeneity of the trabecular network. Male patients displayed only a lower radius cortical density. Radius and tibia cortical thickness correlated negatively with bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP). Microstructure did not correlate with parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Cortical porosity correlated positively with "Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes" working group PTH level categories (r = 0.36, p microstructure and calculated bone strength are altered in ESRD patients, predominantly in women. Bone microstructure and biomechanical assessment by HR-pQCT may be of major clinical relevance in the evaluation of bone fragility in ESRD patients.

Microstructure-electrical properties relation of zirconia based ceramic composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Fabio Coral

2001-01-01

The electrical properties of zirconia based ceramic composites were studied by impedance spectroscopy. Three materials were prepared with different relative compositions of the conducting and insulating phases: (ZrO 2 :8 mol% Y 2 ) 3 ) + MgO, (ZrO 2 :8 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) + Y 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 + 8 mol% Y 2 O 3 . All specimens were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy for microstructural characterization and for correlation of microstructural aspects with electrical properties. For (ZrO 2 :8 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) + MgO the main results show that the dependence of the different (microstructural constituents) contributions to the electrical resistivity on the magnesia content follows two stages: one below and another above the solubility limit of magnesia in Yttria-stabilized zirconia. The same dependence is found for the lattice parameter determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. The impedance diagrams of the composites have been resolved allowing the identification of contributions due to the presence of each microstructural constituent in both stages. Magnesia as a second phase is found to inhibit grain growth in Yttria-stabilized zirconia and the solubility limit for magnesia in the zirconia matrix is around 10 mol%. For (ZrO 2 :8 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) + Y 2 O 3 the main results show that: Yttria is present as a second phase for 1350 deg C /0.1 h sintering; the addition of 2 mol% of Yttria does not modify significantly the electrical properties; the solubility limit for Yttria is around 2 mol% according to electrical measurements. Similarly to magnesia, Yttria inhibits grain growth on Yttria-stabilized zirconia. The general effective medium theory was used to analyze the percolation of the insulating phase; the percolation threshold is different if one considers separately the total, bulk and grain boundary contributions to the electrical conductivity: 32.0, 38.5 and 27.8 vol% for total, intra and intergranular contributions, respectively. The increase of

Preparation, microstructures, and properties of PuO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bickford, D.F.; Rankin, D.T.; Smith, P.K.

1976-01-01

PuO 2 pellets with controlled microstructures were fabricated to meet operational requirements for packaged heat sources. Size distributions, morphologies (forms and structures), and packing densities were measured on calcined and milled powders, slugged compacts, and presintered granules. These variables influence microstructure, porosity distribution, and fracture behavior of hot-pressed and sintered PuO 2

Microstructural and mechanical characterization of injection molded 718 superalloy powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Özgün, Özgür [Bingol University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Mechanical Eng. Dep., 12000 Bingol (Turkey); Gülsoy, H. Özkan, E-mail: ogulsoy@marmara.edu.tr [Marmara University, Technology Faculty, Metallurgy and Materials Eng. Dep., 34722 Istanbul (Turkey); Yılmaz, Ramazan [Sakarya University, Technology Faculty, Metallurgy and Materials Eng. Dep., 54187 Sakarya (Turkey); Fındık, Fehim [Sakarya University, Technology Faculty, Metallurgy and Materials Eng. Dep., 54187 Sakarya (Turkey) and International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegowina)

2013-11-05

Highlights: •Microstructural and mechanical properties of injection molded Nickel 718 superalloy were studied. •The maximum sintered density achieved this study was 97.3% at 1290 °C for 3 hours. •Tensile strength of 1022 MPa and elongation of 5.3% were achieved for sintered-heat treated samples. -- Abstract: This study concerns with the determination of optimum production parameters for injection molding 718 superalloy parts. And at the same time, microstructural and mechanical characterization of these produced parts was also carried out. At the initial stage, 718 superalloy powders were mixed with a multi-component binder system for preparing feedstock. Then the prepared feedstock was granulated and shaped by injection molding. Following this operation, the shaped samples were subjected to the debinding process. These samples were sintered at different temperatures for various times. Samples sintered under the condition that gave way to the highest relative density (3 h at 1290 °C) were solution treated and aged respectively. Sintered, solution treated and aged samples were separately subjected to microstructural and mechanical characterization. Microstructural characterization operations such as X-ray diffraction, optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and elemental analysis showed that using polymeric binder system led to plentiful carbide precipitates to be occurred in the injection molded samples. It is also observed that the volume fractions of the intermetallic phases (γ′ and γ″) obtained by aging treatment were decreased due to the plentiful carbide precipitation in the samples. Mechanical characterization was performed by hardness measurements and tensile tests.

Investigation on the evolution of microstructure and texture of electroplated Ni–Ti composite coating by Rietveld method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Yuantao, E-mail: zhaoyuantao@sjtu.edu.cn; Cai, Fei, E-mail: caifei32@126.com; Wang, Chengxi, E-mail: sjtucxw@sjtu.edu.cn; Chai, Ze, E-mail: zechaisjtu@163.com; Zhu, Kaiyuan, E-mail: xrd125@163.com; Xu, Zhou, E-mail: xuzhou@sjtu.edu.cn; Jiang, Chuanhai, E-mail: chjiang-sjtu@hotmail.com

2015-10-30

Highlights: • Ni–Ti composite coatings were prepared by electroplating. • Morphology and Ti content of Ni–Ti coatings were studied upon SEM and EDXS. • Microstructures of Ni–Ti coatings were studied upon the Rietveld method. • The texture of Ni–Ti coatings was studied upon the pole figure. - Abstract: Rietveld refinement was utilized to investigate the evolution of microstructure and texture of the Ni–Ti composite coatings electroplated at different applied current densities. Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy were utilized to investigate the morphology and chemical composition of the coatings. Relative texture coefficients (RTC) and measured pole figures were utilized to investigate the texture evolution of the coatings. The results showed that the surface morphology of the coatings changed from a colonial structure to a polyhedral one. And the incorporated Ti content decreased with increasing applied current density. As the applied current density increased, the crystallite sizes increased and their distribution got less uniform, and the microstrain and dislocation density decreased. The results of simulated pole figures obtained from Rietveld refinement illustrated that the texture of the coatings changed from no obvious texture to a strong [2 0 0] fiber texture with increasing applied current density. The texture evolution obtained from simulated pole figures was confirmed by the result of RTC and the measured pole figures. The evolutions of the microstructure and texture were derived from the change of the applied current density and incorporated Ti content in the Ni–Ti composite coatings.

The effect of hot pressing time on the microstructure and properties of Laves phase NbCr{sub 2} alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, X. [College of Electromechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautical and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Nanchang 330063 (China); Lu, S.Q. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Nanchang 330063 (China)], E-mail: niatlusq@126.com; Hu, P.; Huang, M.G.; Nie, X.W. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Nanchang 330063 (China); Fu, M.W. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

2008-06-25

The microstructure and properties were investigated on the Laves phase NbCr{sub 2} alloys prepared through 20 h mechanical alloying of niobium and chromium powders and subsequent hot pressing at 1250 deg. C for different time. The results indicate that the Laves phase NbCr{sub 2} alloy with homogeneous microstructure and fine grains and high relative density is obtained. With the increase of hot pressing time, the density, grain size and Vickers hardness increase, the fracture toughness, however, decreases gradually. The alloy fabricated by hot pressing at 1250 deg. C for 30 min has the best overall properties. Its average grain size reaches about 248 nm, the relative density is 97.8% and the fracture toughness at room temperature is more than 4.7 MPa m{sup 1/2}. Compared with the Laves phase NbCr{sub 2} alloy prepared by arc-melting, which has the fracture toughness of 1.2 MPa m{sup 1/2}, the fracture toughness in this research is increased significantly.

Hippocampus age-related microstructural changes in schizophrenia: a case-control mean diffusivity study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiapponi, Chiara; Piras, Fabrizio; Fagioli, Sabrina; Girardi, Paolo; Caltagirone, Carlo; Spalletta, Gianfranco

2014-08-01

Macrostructural-volumetric abnormalities of the hippocampus have been described in schizophrenia. Here, we characterized age-related changes of hippocampal mean diffusivity as an index of microstructural damage by carrying out a neuroimaging study in 85 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia and 85 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We performed analyses of covariance, with diagnosis as fixed factor, mean diffusivity as dependent variable and age as covariate. Patients showed an early increase in mean diffusivity in the right and left hippocampus that increased with age. Thus, microstructural hippocampal changes associated with schizophrenia cannot be confined to a specific time window. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructure, Properties and Atomic Level Strain in Severely Deformed Rare Metal Niobium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lembit KOMMEL

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The mechanical and physical properties relationship from atomic level strain/stress causes dislocation density and electrical conductivity relationship, as well as crystallites deformation and hkl-parameter change in the severely deformed pure refractory rare metal Nb at ambient temperature and during short processing times. The above mentioned issues are discussed in this study. For ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline microstructure forming in metal the equal-channel angular pressing and hard cyclic viscoplastic deformation were used. The flat deformation and heat treatment at different parameters were conducted as follows. The focused ion beam method was used for micrometric measures samples manufacturied under nanocrystalline microstructure study by transmission electron microscope. The microstructure features of metal were studied under different orientations by X-ray diffraction scattering method, and according to the atomic level strains, dislocation density, hkl-parameters and crystallite sizes were calculated by different computation methods. According to results the evolutions of atomic level strains/stresses, induced by processing features have great influence on the microstructure and advanced properties forming in pure Nb. Due to cumulative strain increase the tensile stress and hardness were increased significantly. In this case the dislocation density of Nb varies from 5.0E+10 cm–2 to 2.0E+11 cm–2. The samples from Nb at maximal atomic level strain in the (110 and (211 directions have the maximal values of hkl-parameters, highest tensile strength and hardness but minimal electrical conductivity. The crystallite size was minimal and relative atomic level strain maximal in (211 orientation of crystal. Next, flat deformation and heat treatment increase the atomic level parameters of severely deformed metal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.4.3091

Microstructure evolution and microstructure/mechanical properties relationships in alpha+beta titanium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eunha

In this study, the microstructural evolution of Timetal 550 was investigated. Timetal 550 showed two types of phase transformations (martensitic and nucleation and growth) depending on the cooling rate from the beta region. The alpha phase initially precipitated at the prior beta grain boundaries, and it had a Burgers OR with one of the adjacent grains. It was found that colonies could grow, even in the fast-cooled Timetal 550 sample, from the grain boundary alpha into the prior beta grain with which it exhibited the Burgers OR. Three orientation relationships were also found between alpha laths in the basketweave microstructure. Microhardness testing demonstrated that fast-cooled Timetal 550 samples with basketweave microstructure were harder than slowly-cooled samples with colony microstructure. Orientation-dependent deformation was found in the colony microstructure. Specifically, when the surface normal is perpendicular to the [0001] of alpha, the material deforms easily in the direction perpendicular to the [0001] of alpha. Fuzzy logic and Bayesian neural network models were developed to predict the room temperature tensile properties of Timetal 550. This involved the development of a database relating microstructural features to mechanical properties. A Gleeble 3800 thermal-mechanical simulator was used to develop various microstructures. Microstructural features of tensile-tested samples were quantified using stereological procedures. The quantified microstructural features and the tensile properties were used as inputs and outputs, respectively, for modeling the relationships between them. The individual influence of five microstructural features on tensile properties was determined using the established models. The microstructural features having the greatest impact on UTS and YS were the thickness of alpha laths and the width of grain boundary alpha layer, and the microstructural features having the greatest impact on elongation were the thickness of

Microstructural characterization of fly ash particulate reinforced AA6063 aluminium alloy for aerospace applications

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaq, A. M.; Majid, D. L. Abang Abdul; Ishak, M. R.; Uday, M. B.

2017-12-01

Aluminium-fly ash (FA) particulate reinforced composites (AA6063-FA) have been used in automotive and aerospace industries because of their low density and good mechanical properties. Three different weight fraction of FA: 2%, 4% and 6% are added to AA6063 alloy using compocasting method. The effect of FA particulates on microstructure, density and compression strength of AA6063- FA composites are investigated. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) micrographs reveal that the FA particulates are uniformly distributed in AA6063 alloy. The results also show that density, compression strength and microstructure of the AA6063-FA composites are significantly influenced by the FA amount. The increase in the weight fraction of FA will improve the microstructure and enhance the compression strength. The density of AA6063-FA composites decreases as the incorporation of FA increases.

Effect of two-stage sintering process on microstructure and mechanical properties of ODS tungsten heavy alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyong H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Kusong-dong, Yusong-gu, Taejon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Cha, Seung I. [International Center for Young Scientists, National Institute for Materials Science 1-1, Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044 (Japan); Ryu, Ho J. [DUPIC, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Deokjin-dong, Yusong-gu, Taejon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Kusong-dong, Yusong-gu, Taejon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: shhong@kaist.ac.kr

2007-06-15

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) tungsten heavy alloys have been considered as promising candidates for advanced kinetic energy penetrator due to their characteristic fracture mode compared to conventional tungsten heavy alloy. In order to obtain high relative density, the ODS tungsten heavy alloy needs to be sintered at higher temperature for longer time, however, induces growth of tungsten grains. Therefore, it is very difficult to obtain controlled microstructure of ODS tungsten heavy alloy having fine tungsten grains with full densification. In this study, two-stage sintering process, consisted of primary solid-state sintering and followed by secondary liquid phase sintering, was introduced for ODS tungsten heavy alloys. The mechanically alloyed 94W-4.56Ni-1.14Fe-0.3Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} powders are solid-state sintered at 1300-1450 deg. C for 1 h in hydrogen atmosphere, and followed by liquid phase sintering temperature at 1465-1485 deg. C for 0-60 min. The microstructure of ODS tungsten heavy alloys showed high relative density above 97%, with contiguous tungsten grains after primary solid-state sintering. The microstructure of solid-state sintered ODS tungsten heavy alloy was changed into spherical tungsten grains embedded in W-Ni-Fe matrix during secondary liquid phase sintering. The two-stage sintered ODS tungsten heavy alloy from mechanically alloyed powders showed finer microstructure and higher mechanical properties than conventional liquid phase sintered alloy. The mechanical properties of ODS tungsten heavy alloys are dependent on the microstructural parameters such as tungsten grain size, matrix volume fraction and tungsten/tungsten contiguity, which can be controlled through the two-stage sintering process.

Relationship of microstructure and tensile properties for neutron-irradiated vanadium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, B.A.; Smith, D.L.

1990-01-01

The microstructures in V-15Cr-5Ti, V-10Cr-5RTi, V-3Ti-1Si, V-15Ti-7.5Cr, and V-20Ti alloys were examined by transmission electron microscopy after neutron irradiation at 600 degree C to 21--84 atom displacements per atom in the Materials Open Test Assembly of the Fast Flux Test Facility. The microstructures in these irradiated alloys were analyzed to determine the radiation-produced dislocation density, precipitate number density and size, and void number density and size. The results of these analyses were used to compute increases in yield stress and swelling of the irradiated alloys. The computed increase in yield stress was compared with the increase in yield stress determined from tensile tests on these irradiated alloys. This comparison made it possible to evaluate the influence of alloy composition on the evolution of radiation-damaged microstructures and the resulting tensile properties. 11 refs

STRAIGHTENING THE DENSITY-DISPLACEMENT RELATION WITH A LOGARITHMIC TRANSFORM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falck, Bridget L.; Neyrinck, Mark C.; Aragon-Calvo, Miguel A.; Lavaux, Guilhem; Szalay, Alexander S.

2012-01-01

We investigate the use of a logarithmic density variable in estimating the Lagrangian displacement field motivated by the success of a logarithmic transformation in restoring information to the matter power spectrum. The logarithmic relation is an extension of the linear relation, motivated by the continuity equation, in which the density field is assumed to be proportional to the divergence of the displacement field; we compare the linear and logarithmic relations by measuring both of these fields directly in a cosmological N-body simulation. The relative success of the logarithmic and linear relations depends on the scale at which the density field is smoothed. Thus we explore several ways of measuring the density field, including Cloud-In-Cell smoothing, adaptive smoothing, and the (scale-independent) Delaunay tessellation, and we use both a Fourier-space and a geometrical tessellation approach to measuring the divergence. We find that the relation between the divergence of the displacement field and the density is significantly tighter and straighter with a logarithmic density variable, especially at low redshifts and for very small (∼2 h –1 Mpc) smoothing scales. We find that the grid-based methods are more reliable than the tessellation-based method of calculating both the density and the divergence fields, though in both cases the logarithmic relation works better in the appropriate regime, which corresponds to nonlinear scales for the grid-based methods and low densities for the tessellation-based method.

Influence of pre-strain on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures in a low alloy steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Chao; Yang, Shanwu; Wang, Xian; Zhang, Rui; He, Xinlai

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► High pre-strain and low pre-strain influence differently on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures. ► High pre-strain, in which dislocation sources can be actuated and dislocation density is increased excessively, will markedly promote recrystallization. ► Low pre-strain, in which dislocations are induced to redistribute into a low-energy structure, can slow down microstructure evolution. -- Abstract: Non-equilibrium microstructures in steels including martensite and bainite, which are main phases in current high strength steels, possess high strength and hardness. However, these microstructures are metastable due to their high density of crystal defects. In the present investigation, hardness test, optical microscopy and electron microscopy have been carried out to detect microstructure evolution in a low alloy steel, which was reheated and held isothermally at 550 °C. Special emphasis was put on influence of pre-strain on thermal stability of non-equilibrium microstructures. It is found that high pre-strain, in which dislocation sources can be actuated and dislocation density is increased excessively, will markedly promote recrystallization of non-equilibrium microstructures at 550 °C, while low pre-strain, in which only can mono-glide of dislocations can be operated in each grain and dislocations are induced to redistribute into a low-energy structure, can slow down microstructure evolution

The three-dimensional microstructure of polycrystalline materials unravelled by synchrotron light; La microstructure 3D des materiaux polycristallins vue sous la lumiere synchrotron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludwig, W.; Herbig, M. [Universite de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, MATEIS, UMR 5510 CNRS, LyonTech Campus, Bat. Saint-Exupery, 25 avenue Jean Capelle, F-69621 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Ludwig, W.; King, A; Reischig, P. [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 rue J. Horowitz, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble (France); Marrow, J. [University of Oxford, Department of Materiels, Parks road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Babout, L. [Computer Engineering Department, Technical University of Lodz, ul. Stefanowskiego 18/22, PL-90- 537 Lodz (Poland); Mejdal Lauridsen, E. [Materials Research Department, Riso National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Building 228, PO Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Proudhon, H. [MINES ParisTech, Centre des Materiaux, UMR 7633 CNRS, BP 87, F-91003 Evry Cedex (France)

2011-07-01

Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging and diffraction techniques offer new possibilities for non-destructive bulk characterization of polycrystalline materials. Minute changes in electron density (different crystallographic phases, cracks, porosities) can be detected using 3D imaging modes exploiting Fresnel diffraction and the coherence properties of third generation synchrotron beams. X-ray diffraction contrast tomography, a technique based on Bragg diffraction imaging, provides access to the 3D shape, orientation and elastic strain state of the individual grains from polycrystalline sample volumes containing several hundred up to a few thousand grains. Combining both imaging modalities allows a comprehensive description of the microstructure of the material at the micrometer length scale. Repeated observations during (interrupted) mechanical tests provide unprecedented insight into crystallographic and grain microstructure related aspects of polycrystal deformation and degradation mechanisms in materials, fulfilling some conditions on grain size and deformation state. (authors)

Corpus callosum vasculature predicts white matter microstructure abnormalities following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Wendel, Kara M; Lee, Jeong Bin; Affeldt, Bethann; Hamer, Mary; Harahap-Carrillo, Indira S; Pardo, Andrea C; Obenaus, Andre

2018-05-09

Emerging data suggest that pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with impaired developmental plasticity and poorer neuropsychological outcomes than adults with similar head injuries. Unlike adult mild TBI (mTBI), the effects of mTBI on white matter (WM) microstructure and vascular supply are not well-understood in the pediatric population. The cerebral vasculature plays an important role providing necessary nutrients and removing waste. To address this critical element, we examined the microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC) following pediatric mTBI using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and investigated myelin, oligodendrocytes, and vasculature of WM with immunohistochemistry. We hypothesized that pediatric mTBI leads to abnormal WM microstructure and impacts the vasculature within the CC, and that these alterations to WM vasculature contribute to the long-term altered microstructure. We induced a closed head injury mTBI at postnatal day 14, then at 4, 14, and 60 days post injury (DPI) mice were sacrificed for analysis. We observed persistent changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) within the ipsilateral CC following mTBI, indicating microstructural changes, but surprisingly changes in myelin and oligodendrocyte densities were minimal. However, vasculature features of the ipsilateral CC such as vessel density, length, and number of junctions were persistently altered following mTBI. Correlative analysis showed a strong inverse relationship between ADC and vessel density at 60 DPI, suggesting increased vessel density following mTBI may restrict WM diffusion characteristics. Our findings suggest that WM vasculature contributes to the long-term microstructural changes within the ipsilateral CC following mTBI.

Normal Bone Microstructure and Density But Worse Physical Function in Older Women Treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Berit; Mellström, Dan; Johansson, Lisa; Nilsson, Anna G; Lorentzon, Mattias; Sundh, Daniel

2018-05-05

Depression in the elderly is today often treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) because of their favorable adverse effect profile. However, treatment with SSRIs is associated with increased risk of fractures. Whether this increased risk depends on reduced bone strength or increased fall risk due to reduced physical function is not certain. The aim was therefore to investigate if treatment with SSRIs is associated with impaired bone microstructure, bone density, or physical function in older women. From an ongoing population-based study, 1057 women (77.7 ± 1.5 years) were included. Validated questionnaires were used to assess information regarding medical history, medications, smoking, mental and physical health, and physical activity. Physical function was measured using clinically used tests: timed up and go, walking speed, grip strength, chair stand test, and one leg standing. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the hip and spine with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic Discovery A). Bone geometry and microstructure were measured at the ultradistal and distal (14%) site of radius and tibia using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT; XtremeCT). Treatment with SSRIs was associated with higher BMD at the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine, whereas no associations were found for any HR-pQCT-derived measurements. The use of SSRIs was associated with lower grip strength, walking speed, and fewer chair stand rises. These associations were valid also after adjustments for known risk factors for falls. Treatment with SSRIs was, independently of covariates, associated with worse physical function without any signs of inferior bone geometry and microstructure.

A Markov random field approach for microstructure synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, A; Nguyen, L; DeGraef, M; Sundararaghavan, V

2016-01-01

We test the notion that many microstructures have an underlying stationary probability distribution. The stationary probability distribution is ubiquitous: we know that different windows taken from a polycrystalline microstructure are generally ‘statistically similar’. To enable computation of such a probability distribution, microstructures are represented in the form of undirected probabilistic graphs called Markov Random Fields (MRFs). In the model, pixels take up integer or vector states and interact with multiple neighbors over a window. Using this lattice structure, algorithms are developed to sample the conditional probability density for the state of each pixel given the known states of its neighboring pixels. The sampling is performed using reference experimental images. 2D microstructures are artificially synthesized using the sampled probabilities. Statistical features such as grain size distribution and autocorrelation functions closely match with those of the experimental images. The mechanical properties of the synthesized microstructures were computed using the finite element method and were also found to match the experimental values. (paper)

Carbonation-Related Microstructural Changesin Long-Term Durability Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudio A. Rigo da Silva

2002-09-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the effects of carbonation on the microstructure of Portland cement concrete for long-term durability applications. A class C40 concrete (characteristic compression strength between 40 MPa and 44 MPa on the 28th day, according to Brazilian standard NBR 8953 was chosen for the experimental study of the carbonation effects, from which test samples were molded for accelerated test under a 100%-CO2 atmosphere after physical and mechanical characterization. It was observed that carbonation provoked a reduction of 5% to 12% of the concrete open porosity accessible to water. Flexural strength values obtained after the carbonation tests revealed a decrease of 12% and 25% in relation to the values obtained before tests on the 28th and 91st days, respectively.

Engineering related neutron diffraction measurements probing strains, texture and microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, Bjorn [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Brown, Donald W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Tome, Carlos N [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Balogh, Levente [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Vogel, Sven C [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

Neutron diffraction has been used for engineering applications for nearly three decades. The basis of the technique is powder diffraction following Bragg's Law. From the measured diffraction patterns information about internal, or residual, strain can be deduced from the peak positions, texture information can be extracted from the peak intensities, and finally the peak widths can provide information about the microstructure, e.g. dislocation densities and grain sizes. The strains are measured directly from changes in lattice parameters, however, in many cases it is non-trivial to determine macroscopic values of stress or strain from the measured data. The effects of intergranular strains must be considered, and combining the neutron diffraction measurements with polycrystal deformation modeling has proven invaluable in determining the overall stress and strain values of interest in designing and dimensioning engineering components. Furthelmore, the combined use of measurements and modeling has provided a tool for elucidating basic material properties, such as critical resolved shear stresses for the active deformation modes and their evolution as a function of applied deformation.

Microstructures (clumps) in turbulent plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balescu, R.; Misguich, J.H.

1977-01-01

A general analysis of binary correlations in a turbulent plasma leads to a functional relation relating correlations to the one-particle distribution function. Such a relation allows to understand the mechanism of generation of the microstructures or clumps introduced by Dupree. The expressions introduced by this author appear as a lowest approximation of the general equation. The features and interpretation of these microstructures are briefly discussed [fr

Microstructural characteristics of PWR [pressurized water reactor] spent fuel relative to its leaching behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, C.N.

1986-01-01

Microstructural, compositional and thermochemical properties of spent nuclear fuel are discussed relative to its potential performance as a high-level waste form under proposed Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project tuff repository conditions. Pressurized water reactor spent fuel specimens with various artificially induced cladding defects were leach tested in deionized water and in a reference tuff groundwater under ambient hot cell air and temperature conditions. Greater fractional actinide release was observed with bare fuel than with clad fuel leached through a cladding defect. Congruent actinide release and preferential release of cesium and technetium were observed in both water types. Selected summary radionuclide release data are presented and correlated to pre- and post-test microstructural characterization data

Unique Microstructural Changes in the Brain Associated with Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS Revealed by Diffusion Tensor MRI, Super-Resolution Track Density Imaging, and Statistical Parameter Mapping: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davis Woodworth

Full Text Available Studies have suggested chronic pain syndromes are associated with neural reorganization in specific regions associated with perception, processing, and integration of pain. Urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS represents a collection of pain syndromes characterized by pelvic pain, namely Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS and Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS, that are both poorly understood in their pathophysiology, and treated ineffectively. We hypothesized patients with UCPPS may have microstructural differences in the brain compared with healthy control subjects (HCs, as well as patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, a common gastrointestinal pain disorder. In the current study we performed population-based voxel-wise DTI and super-resolution track density imaging (TDI in a large, two-center sample of phenotyped patients from the multicenter cohort with UCPPS (N = 45, IBS (N = 39, and HCs (N = 56 as part of the MAPP Research Network. Compared with HCs, UCPPS patients had lower fractional anisotropy (FA, lower generalized anisotropy (GA, lower track density, and higher mean diffusivity (MD in brain regions commonly associated with perception and integration of pain information. Results also showed significant differences in specific anatomical regions in UCPPS patients when compared with IBS patients, consistent with microstructural alterations specific to UCPPS. While IBS patients showed clear sex related differences in FA, MD, GA, and track density consistent with previous reports, few such differences were observed in UCPPS patients. Heat maps illustrating the correlation between specific regions of interest and various pain and urinary symptom scores showed clustering of significant associations along the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical loop associated with pain integration, modulation, and perception. Together, results suggest patients with UCPPS have extensive

Effect of the sintering method on microstructure and thermal and mechanical properties of zirconium oxophosphate ceramics Zr2O(PO4)2

Science.gov (United States)

Bregiroux, Damien; Cedelle, Julie; Ranc, Isabelle; Barreteau, Céline; Mata Osoro, Gustavo; Wallez, Gilles

2017-12-01

Due to an ultra-low thermal expansion, Zr2O(PO4)2 could find many applications as a thermal shock resistant material. To this end, ceramic processing is a key step in order to reach best properties. In this work, Zr2O(PO4)2 was sintered by conventional sintering and by the spark plasma sintering technique (SPS) with and without additive. Samples made by conventional sintering with ZnO as sintering aid have a maximum relative density of around 92%. Microstructure is composed of large grains and microcracks can be observed. When doped with 5 wt. % of MgO, samples can be densified by SPS up to 99.6% of the relative density and the grain size maintained between 0.5 and 1.5 μm. Thermal conductivity and Vickers microhardness were investigated as a function of the microstructure. Best values were obtained for the ceramic doped with 5 wt.% MgO and sintered by SPS, thanks to a fine microstructure and a small amount of residual microcracks.

MICROSTRUCTURE OF SUPERCONDUCTING MGB(2).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ZHU,Y.; LI,Q.; WU,L.; VOLKOV,V.; GU,G.; MOODENBAUGH,A.R.

2001-07-12

Recently, Akimitsu and co-workers [1] discovered superconductivity at 39 K in the intermetallic compound MgB{sub 2}. This discovery provides a new perspective on the mechanism for superconductivity. More specifically, it opens up possibilities for investigation of structure/properties in a new class of materials. With the exceptions of the cuprate and C{sub 60} families of compounds, MgB{sub 2} possesses the highest superconducting transition temperature T{sub c}. Its superconductivity appears to follow the BCS theory, apparently being mediated by electron-phonon coupling. The coherence length of MgB{sub 2} is reported to be longer than that of the cuprates [2]. In contrast to the cuprates, grain boundaries are strongly coupled and current density is determined by flux pinning [2,3]. Presently, samples of MgB{sub 2} commonly display inhomogeneity and porosity on the nanoscale, and are untextured. In spite of these obstacles, magnetization and transport measurements show that polycrystalline samples may carry large current densities circulating across many grains [3,4]. Very high values of critical current densities and critical fields have been recently observed in thin films [5,6]. These attributes suggest possible large scale and electronic applications. The underlying microstructure can be intriguing, both in terms of basic science and in applied areas. Subsequent to the discovery, many papers were published [1-13], most dealing with synthesis, physical properties, and theory. There have yet been few studies of microstructure and structural defects [11, 14]. A thorough understanding of practical superconducting properties can only be developed after an understanding of microstructure is gained. In this work we review transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of sintered MgB{sub 2} pellets [14]. Structural defects, including second phase particles, dislocations, stacking faults, and grain boundaries, are analyzed using electron diffraction, electron

3-D image-based numerical computations of snow permeability: links to specific surface area, density, and microstructural anisotropy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Calonne

2012-09-01

Full Text Available We used three-dimensional (3-D images of snow microstructure to carry out numerical estimations of the full tensor of the intrinsic permeability of snow (K. This study was performed on 35 snow samples, spanning a wide range of seasonal snow types. For several snow samples, a significant anisotropy of permeability was detected and is consistent with that observed for the effective thermal conductivity obtained from the same samples. The anisotropy coefficient, defined as the ratio of the vertical over the horizontal components of K, ranges from 0.74 for a sample of decomposing precipitation particles collected in the field to 1.66 for a depth hoar specimen. Because the permeability is related to a characteristic length, we introduced a dimensionless tensor K*=K/r_es², where the equivalent sphere radius of ice grains (r_es is computed from the specific surface area of snow (SSA and the ice density (ρ_i as follows: r_es=3/(SSA×ρ_i. We define K and K* as the average of the diagonal components of K and K*, respectively. The 35 values of K* were fitted to snow density (ρ_s and provide the following regression: K = (3.0 ± 0.3 r_es² exp((−0.0130 ± 0.0003ρ_s. We noted that the anisotropy of permeability does not affect significantly the proposed equation. This regression curve was applied to several independent datasets from the literature and compared to other existing regression curves or analytical models. The results show that it is probably the best currently available simple relationship linking the average value of permeability, K, to snow density and specific surface area.

Micromagnetism and the microstructure of ferromagnetic solids

CERN Document Server

Kronmüller, Helmut

2003-01-01

Here is a fundamental introduction to microstructure magnetic property relations where microstructures on atomic, nano- and micrometer scales are considered. The authors demonstrate that outstanding magnetic properties require an optimization of microstructural properties where the microstructures in crystalline materials are point defects and dislocations as well as grain and phase boundaries. In amorphous alloys the type of microstructures on atomic scales are defined and used to describe intrinsic and extrinsic properties.

Effect of Microstructure on the Thermal Conductivity of Plasma Sprayed Y2O3 Stabilized Zirconia (8% YSZ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ningning Hu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the effect of microstructure on the thermal conductivity of plasma-sprayed Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ thermal barrier coatings (TBCs is investigated. Nine freestanding samples deposited on aluminum alloys are studied. Cross-section morphology such as pores, cracks, m-phase content, grain boundary density of the coated samples are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD. Multiple linear regressions are used to develop quantitative models that describe the relationship between the particle parameters, m-phase content and features of the microstructure such as porosity, crack-porosity, and the length density of small and big angle-cracks. Moreover, the relationship between the microstructure and thermal conductivity is investigated. Results reveal that the thermal conductivity of the coating is mainly determined by the microstructure and grain boundary density at room temperature (25 °C, and by the length density of big-angle-crack, monoclinic phase content and grain boundary density at high temperature (1200 °C.

Effects of magnetic flux densities on microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of molecular-beam-vapor-deposited nanocrystalline Fe_3_0Ni_7_0 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Yongze; Wang, Qiang; Li, Guojian; Ma, Yonghui; Du, Jiaojiao; He, Jicheng

2015-01-01

Nanocrystalline Fe_3_0Ni_7_0 (in atomic %) thin films were prepared by molecular-beam-vapor deposition in magnetic fields with different magnetic flux densities. The microstructure evolution of these thin films was studied by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy; the soft magnetic properties were examined by vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. The results show that all our Fe_3_0Ni_7_0 thin films feature an fcc single-phase structure. With increasing magnetic flux density, surface roughness, average particle size and grain size of the thin films decreased, and the short-range ordered clusters (embryos) of thin films increased. Additionally, the magnetic anisotropy in the in-plane and the coercive forces of the thin films gradually reduced with increasing magnetic flux density. - Highlights: • With increasing magnetic flux density, average particle size of films decreased. • With increasing magnetic flux density, surface roughness of thin films decreased. • With increasing magnetic flux density, short-range ordered clusters increased. • With increasing magnetic flux density, the coercive forces of thin films reduced. • With increasing magnetic flux density, soft magnetic properties are improved.

Recrystallization - Fundamental aspects and relations to deformation microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, N.; Huang, X.; Juul Jensen, D.; Lauridsen, E.M.; Leffers, T.; Pantleon, W.; Sabin, T.J.; Wert, J.A.

2000-01-01

This Symposium, and hence this proceedings volume, is concerned with the mechanisms that control recrystallization of deformed metals and alloys. Central themes are the fundamental microstructural, orientational, and kinetic aspects of the recrystallization process; especially as they relate to the nature of the deformed state, to nucleation and growth of recrystallizing grains, and to models based on experimental observations. In recent years, significant progress has been made using a plethora of advanced techniques to characterize the morphology and local orientations in deformed metals and alloys. Thus, a key topic of the Symposium is enhanced insight into the characteristics of the deformation substructure, and into modification of the substructure by recovery, which is essential for understanding fundamental recrystallization mechanisms. Microstructures in highly strained materials will be a topic of special interest. Elucidation of the deformation substructure, and thus the local distribution of stored energy, sets the stage for progress in understanding nucleation of recrystallizing grains. It also provides a basis for new insights into the growth of nuclei, in particular concerning the means by which the deformation substructure is absorbed by and becomes incorporated into the recrystallization interface. Aspects of recrystallization of relevance to this symposium span the range from experimental and model exploration of fundamental mechanisms to methods that link scientific understanding to industrial practice. Models developed by considering the physical mechanisms elucidated by experimental studies will be addressed, as will models that enable industrial exploitation of the fundamental knowledge. Altogether, one of the significant aims of the symposium is to enhance the exploitation of the expanding knowledge of fundamental recrystallization mechanisms in industrial practice (au)

Bone-related Circulating MicroRNAs miR-29b-3p, miR-550a-3p, and miR-324-3p and their Association to Bone Microstructure and Histomorphometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Feichtinger, Xaver; Muschitz, Christian; Heimel, Patrick; Baierl, Andreas; Fahrleitner-Pammer, Astrid; Redl, Heinz; Resch, Heinrich; Geiger, Elisabeth; Skalicky, Susanna; Dormann, Rainer; Plachel, Fabian; Pietschmann, Peter; Grillari, Johannes; Hackl, Matthias; Kocijan, Roland

2018-03-20

The assessment of bone quality and the prediction of fracture risk in idiopathic osteoporosis (IOP) are complex prospects as bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) do not indicate fracture-risk. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising new biomarkers for bone diseases, but the current understanding of the biological information contained in the variability of miRNAs is limited. Here, we investigated the association between serum-levels of 19 miRNA biomarkers of idiopathic osteoporosis to bone microstructure and bone histomorphometry based upon bone biopsies and µCT (9.3 μm) scans from 36 patients. Four miRNAs were found to be correlated to bone microarchitecture and seven miRNAs to dynamic histomorphometry (p microstructure parameters. miR-29b-3p and miR-324-p were found to be reduced in patients undergoing anti-resorptive therapy. This is the first study to report that serum levels of bone-related miRNAs might be surrogates of dynamic histomorphometry and potentially reveal changes in bone microstructure. Although these findings enhance the potential value of circulating miRNAs as bone biomarkers, further experimental studies are required to qualify the clinical utility of miRNAs to reflect dynamic changes in bone formation and microstructure.

Transport critical current density and microstructure in extruded YBa2Cu3O7-x wires processed by zone melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, D.; Krishnan, H.; Hong, J.M.; Miller, D.; McGinn, P.J.; Chen, W.H.; Xu, M.; Chen, J.G.; Fang, M.M.; Welp, U.; Lanagan, M.T.; Goretta, K.C.; Dusek, J.T.; Picciolo, J.J.; Balachandran, U.

1990-01-01

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x compounds were extruded into long wires with the diameter of 1 mm after sintering. The sintered wires were subsequently zone melted to develop a highly textured microstructure. Magnetization experiments at 77 K indicated a J c value of 1x10 5 A/cm 2 at 1 T. Transport measurements at 77 K showed a greatly enhanced field dependence of the critical current density. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an important grain-boundary feature which eliminated the weak-link behavior. Large amounts of dislocations have also been found in the zone-melted sample which may contribute to flux pinning in the system

The role of deformation microstructure in recovery and recrystallization of heavily strained metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Niels

2012-01-01

Metals deformed to high and ultrahigh strains are characterized by a nanoscale microstructure, a large fraction of high angle boundaries and a high dislocation density. Another characteristic of such a microstructure is a large stored energy that combines elastic energy due to dislocations and bo...

Microstructure Optimization of Dual-Phase Steels Using a Representative Volume Element and a Response Surface Method: Parametric Study

Science.gov (United States)

Belgasam, Tarek M.; Zbib, Hussein M.

2017-12-01

Dual-phase (DP) steels have received widespread attention for their low density and high strength. This low density is of value to the automotive industry for the weight reduction it offers and the attendant fuel savings and emission reductions. Recent studies on developing DP steels showed that the combination of strength/ductility could be significantly improved when changing the volume fraction and grain size of phases in the microstructure depending on microstructure properties. Consequently, DP steel manufacturers are interested in predicting microstructure properties and in optimizing microstructure design. In this work, a microstructure-based approach using representative volume elements (RVEs) was developed. The approach examined the flow behavior of DP steels using virtual tension tests with an RVE to identify specific mechanical properties. Microstructures with varied martensite and ferrite grain sizes, martensite volume fractions, carbon content, and morphologies were studied in 3D RVE approaches. The effect of these microstructure parameters on a combination of strength/ductility of DP steels was examined numerically using the finite element method by implementing a dislocation density-based elastic-plastic constitutive model, and a Response surface methodology to determine the optimum conditions for a required combination of strength/ductility. The results from the numerical simulations are compared with experimental results found in the literature. The developed methodology proves to be a powerful tool for studying the effect and interaction of key microstructural parameters on strength and ductility and thus can be used to identify optimum microstructural conditions.

Smart density: A more accurate method of measuring rural residential density for health-related research.

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Peter M; Titus-Ernstoff, Linda; Gibson, Lucinda; Beach, Michael L; Beauregard, Sandy; Dalton, Madeline A

2010-02-12

Studies involving the built environment have typically relied on US Census data to measure residential density. However, census geographic units are often unsuited to health-related research, especially in rural areas where development is clustered and discontinuous. We evaluated the accuracy of both standard census methods and alternative GIS-based methods to measure rural density. We compared residential density (units/acre) in 335 Vermont school neighborhoods using conventional census geographic units (tract, block group and block) with two GIS buffer measures: a 1-kilometer (km) circle around the school and a 1-km circle intersected with a 100-meter (m) road-network buffer. The accuracy of each method was validated against the actual residential density for each neighborhood based on the Vermont e911 database, which provides an exact geo-location for all residential structures in the state. Standard census measures underestimate residential density in rural areas. In addition, the degree of error is inconsistent so even the relative rank of neighborhood densities varies across census measures. Census measures explain only 61% to 66% of the variation in actual residential density. In contrast, GIS buffer measures explain approximately 90% of the variation. Combining a 1-km circle with a road-network buffer provides the closest approximation of actual residential density. Residential density based on census units can mask clusters of development in rural areas and distort associations between residential density and health-related behaviors and outcomes. GIS-defined buffers, including a 1-km circle and a road-network buffer, can be used in conjunction with census data to obtain a more accurate measure of residential density.

Smart density: a more accurate method of measuring rural residential density for health-related research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gibson Lucinda

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies involving the built environment have typically relied on US Census data to measure residential density. However, census geographic units are often unsuited to health-related research, especially in rural areas where development is clustered and discontinuous. Objective We evaluated the accuracy of both standard census methods and alternative GIS-based methods to measure rural density. Methods We compared residential density (units/acre in 335 Vermont school neighborhoods using conventional census geographic units (tract, block group and block with two GIS buffer measures: a 1-kilometer (km circle around the school and a 1-km circle intersected with a 100-meter (m road-network buffer. The accuracy of each method was validated against the actual residential density for each neighborhood based on the Vermont e911 database, which provides an exact geo-location for all residential structures in the state. Results Standard census measures underestimate residential density in rural areas. In addition, the degree of error is inconsistent so even the relative rank of neighborhood densities varies across census measures. Census measures explain only 61% to 66% of the variation in actual residential density. In contrast, GIS buffer measures explain approximately 90% of the variation. Combining a 1-km circle with a road-network buffer provides the closest approximation of actual residential density. Conclusion Residential density based on census units can mask clusters of development in rural areas and distort associations between residential density and health-related behaviors and outcomes. GIS-defined buffers, including a 1-km circle and a road-network buffer, can be used in conjunction with census data to obtain a more accurate measure of residential density.

Microstructural evolution of cold-sprayed Inconel 625 superalloy coatings on low alloy steel substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhuri, Atanu; Raghupathy, Y.; Srinivasan, Dheepa; Suwas, Satyam; Srivastava, Chandan

2017-01-01

This study illustrates microstructural evolution of INCONEL 625 superalloy coatings cold-sprayed on a 4130 chrome alloy steel with medium carbon content. INCONEL 625 powder (5–25 μm) were successfully cold sprayed without any oxidation. The comprehensive microstructure analysis of the as-sprayed coatings and of the substrate-coating interface was carried out using EBSD, TEM, and XRD. The coating microstructure at the substrate-coating interface was markedly different from the microstructure away from the interface. The coating microstructure at steel-coating interface consisted of a fine layer of small grains. The microstructure beyond this fine layer can be divided into splats, inter splat and intra splat boundaries. Both splat and splat boundaries exhibited deformation induced dislocations. Dynamic recovery of dislocations-ridden regions inside the splat was responsible for the development of sub grain structure inside a splat with both low and high angle grain boundaries. Splat-splat (inter splat) boundary consisted of a relatively high density of dislocations and shear bands as a result of adiabatic shear flow localisation. This flow instability is believed to enhance the microstructural integrity by eliminating porosity at splat-splat boundaries. Based on the microstructural analysis using electron microscopy, a plausible mechanism for the development of microstructure has been proposed in this work. Cold spray technique can thus be deployed to develop high quality coatings of commercial importance. - Graphical abstract: Schematics of the evolution of microstructure at the 4130 steel substrate close to interface. i) initial deformation close to interface. ii) Accumulation of dislocation in the substrate. iii) Formation of cell structure due to dislocation tangling and arrangement. iv) Dislocation rearrangement and subgrain formation. v.a) Formation HAGB from dislocation accumulation into LAGB. v.b) HAGB formation through DRX by progressive lattice rotation

A comparison of microstructures in copper irradiated with fission, fusion, and spallation neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muroga, T.; Heinisch, H.L.; Sommer, W.F.; Ferguson, P.D.

1992-01-01

The objective of this work is to investigate the effects of the neutron energy spectrum in low dose irradiations on the microstructure and mechanical properties of metals. The microstructures of pure copper irradiated to low doses at 36-90 C with spallation neutrons, fusion neutrons and fission neutrons are compared. The defect cluster densities for the spallation and fusion neutrons are very similar when compared on the basis of displacements per atom (dpa). In both cases, the density increases in proportion to the square root of the dpa. The difference in defect density between fusion neutrons and fission neutrons corresponds with differences observed in data on yield stress changes

Analytical relation between effective mode field area and waveguide dispersion in microstructure fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moenster, Mathias; Steinmeyer, Günter; Iliew, Rumen; Lederer, Falk; Petermann, Klaus

2006-11-15

For optical fibers exhibiting a radially symmetric refractive index profile, there exists an analytical relation that connects waveguide dispersion and the Petermann-II mode field radius. We extend the usefulness of this relation to the nonradially symmetric case of microstructure fibers in the anomalous dispersion regime, yielding a simple relation between dispersion and effective mode field area. Assuming a Gaussian mode distribution, we derive a fundamental upper limit for the effective mode field area that is required to obtain a certain amount of anomalous waveguide dispersion. This relation is demonstrated to show excellent agreement for fiber designs suited for supercontinuum generation and soliton lasers in the near infrared.

AxTract: Toward microstructure informed tractography.

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, Gabriel; Daducci, Alessandro; Petit, Laurent; Thiran, Jean-Philippe; Whittingstall, Kevin; Deriche, Rachid; Wassermann, Demian; Descoteaux, Maxime

2017-11-01

Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tractography has become the tool of choice to probe the human brain's white matter in vivo. However, tractography algorithms produce a large number of erroneous streamlines (false positives), largely due to complex ambiguous tissue configurations. Moreover, the relationship between the resulting streamlines and the underlying white matter microstructure characteristics remains poorly understood. In this work, we introduce a new approach to simultaneously reconstruct white matter fascicles and characterize the apparent distribution of axon diameters within fascicles. To achieve this, our method, AxTract, takes full advantage of the recent development DW-MRI microstructure acquisition, modeling, and reconstruction techniques. This enables AxTract to separate parallel fascicles with different microstructure characteristics, hence reducing ambiguities in areas of complex tissue configuration. We report a decrease in the incidence of erroneous streamlines compared to the conventional deterministic tractography algorithms on simulated data. We also report an average increase in streamline density over 15 known fascicles of the 34 healthy subjects. Our results suggest that microstructure information improves tractography in crossing areas of the white matter. Moreover, AxTract provides additional microstructure information along the fascicle that can be studied alongside other streamline-based indices. Overall, AxTract provides the means to distinguish and follow white matter fascicles using their microstructure characteristics, bringing new insights into the white matter organization. This is a step forward in microstructure informed tractography, paving the way to a new generation of algorithms able to deal with intricate configurations of white matter fibers and providing quantitative brain connectivity analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5485-5500, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk highly faulted fcc/hcp nanostructured cobalt microstructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barry, Aliou Hamady [Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LSPM CNRS UPR 3407, 93430 Villetaneuse (France); Laboratoire Chimie des Matériaux, Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences et Technique, Université de Nouakchott (Mauritania, Islamic Republic of); Dirras, Guy, E-mail: dirras@unv-paris13.fr [Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LSPM CNRS UPR 3407, 93430 Villetaneuse (France); Schoenstein, Frederic; Tétard, Florent; Jouini, Noureddine [Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LSPM CNRS UPR 3407, 93430 Villetaneuse (France)

2014-05-01

Nanostructured cobalt powders with an average particle size of 50 nm were synthesized using a polyol method and subsequently consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). SPS experiments performed at 650 °C with sintering times ranging from 5 to 45 min under a pressure of 100 MPa, yielded to dense bulk nanostructured cobalt (relative density greater than 97%). X-ray diffraction patterns of the as-prepared powders showed only a face centered cubic (fcc) crystalline phase, whereas the consolidated samples exhibited a mixture of both fcc and hexagonal close packed (hcp) phases. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed a lamellar substructure with a high density of nanotwins and stacking faults in every grain of the sintered samples. Room temperature compression tests, carried out at a strain rate of 10{sup −3} s{sup −1}, yielded to highest strain to fracture values of up to 5% for sample of holding time of 15 min, which exhibited a yield strength of 1440 MPa, an ultimate strength as high as 1740 MPa and a Young's modulus of 205 GPa. The modulus of elasticity obtained from the nanoindentation tests, ranges from 181 to 218 GPa. The lowest modulus value of 181 GPa was obtained for the sample with the highest sintering time (45 min), which could be related to mass density loss as a consequence of trapped gases releasing. - Highlights: • Co nanopowder (50 nm) was prepared by reduction in polyol medium. • SPS was used to process bulk nanostructured Co specimens. • Microstructures were made of intricate fcc/hcp, along with nanotwins and SFs. • High strengths and moderate compressive ductility were obtained. • Deformation mechanisms related to complex interplay of different length scales.

Disease-Related Microstructural Differences in the Brain in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Arpana; Woodworth, Davis C; Ellingson, Benjamin M; Rapkin, Andrea J; Naliboff, Bruce; Kilpatrick, Lisa A; Stains, Jean; Masghati, Salome; Tillisch, Kirsten; Mayer, Emeran A; Labus, Jennifer S

2018-05-01

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic pelvic pain disorder affecting 16% of the female population. Neuroimaging studies have highlighted central abnormalities in PVD, similar to other chronic pelvic pain disorders, including brain regions involved in sensory processing and modulation of pain. The aim of the study was to determine alterations in the subvoxel, microstructural organization within tissues in PVD compared with healthy control participants (HCs) and a disease control group (irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]). Diffusion tensor imaging magnetic resonance imaging was conducted in 87 age-matched premenopausal women (29 PVD, 29 HCs, 29 IBS). Statistical parameter mapping of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps were used to identify microstructural difference in the brain specific to PVD or shared with IBS. PVD alterations in microstructural organization of the brain were predominantly observed in fibers associated with sensorimotor integration and pain processing that relay information between the thalamus, basal ganglia, sensorimotor, and insular cortex. PVD, compared with HCs, showed extensive increases in the FA of somatosensory and basal ganglia regions. In contrast, PVD and IBS subjects did not show any FA-related group differences. PVD subjects showed greater MD in the basal ganglia compared with HCs (higher MD in the internal capsule and pallidum) and IBS (higher MD in the putamen and pallidum). Increases in MD were associated with increased vaginal muscle tenderness and vulvar pain. The current findings highlight possible shared mechanisms between 2 different pelvic pain disorders, but also highlight the widespread alterations observed specifically in PVD compared with HCs. Alterations in microstructure in PVD were observed in fibers associated with sensorimotor integration and pain processing, which were also associated with increased vaginal muscle tenderness and vulvar pain. These alterations may be contributing to increased

The three-dimensional microstructure of polycrystalline materials unravelled by synchrotron light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludwig, W.; Herbig, M.; Ludwig, W.; King, A; Reischig, P.; Marrow, J.; Babout, L.; Mejdal Lauridsen, E.; Proudhon, H.

2011-01-01

Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging and diffraction techniques offer new possibilities for non-destructive bulk characterization of polycrystalline materials. Minute changes in electron density (different crystallographic phases, cracks, porosities) can be detected using 3D imaging modes exploiting Fresnel diffraction and the coherence properties of third generation synchrotron beams. X-ray diffraction contrast tomography, a technique based on Bragg diffraction imaging, provides access to the 3D shape, orientation and elastic strain state of the individual grains from polycrystalline sample volumes containing several hundred up to a few thousand grains. Combining both imaging modalities allows a comprehensive description of the microstructure of the material at the micrometer length scale. Repeated observations during (interrupted) mechanical tests provide unprecedented insight into crystallographic and grain microstructure related aspects of polycrystal deformation and degradation mechanisms in materials, fulfilling some conditions on grain size and deformation state. (authors)

The Influence of Spark Plasma Sintering Temperature on the Microstructure and the Thermoelectric Properties of Al, Ga dually-doped ZnO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Han, Li; Le, Thanh Hung; Van Nong, Ngo

2012-01-01

Al, Ga dually-doped ZnO was prepared by spark plasma sintering with different sintering temperatures. The microstructural evolution and thermoelectric properties of the samples were investigated in detail. The samples with a sintering temperature above 1223K obtained higher relative densities...

Microstructural study of multiaxial low cycle fatigue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masao Sakane

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the relationship between the stress response and the microstructure under tension-torsion multiaxial proportional and nonproportional loadings. Firstly, this paper discusses the material dependency of additional hardening of FCC materials in relation with the stacking fault energy of the materials. The FCC materials studied were Type 304 stainless steel, pure copper, pure nickel, pure aluminum and 6061 aluminum alloy. The material with lower stacking fault energy showed stronger additional hardening, which was discussed in relation with slip morphology and dislocation structures. This paper, next, discusses dislocation structures of Type 304 stainless steel under proportional and nonproportional loadings at high temperature. The relationship between the microstructure and the hardening behavior whether isotropic or anisotropic was discussed. The re-arrangeability of dislocation structure was discussed in loading mode change tests. Microstructures of the steel was discussed in more extensively programmed multiaxial low cycle fatigue tests at room temperature, where three microstructures, dislocation bundle, stacking fault and cells, which were discussed in relation with the stress response. Finally, temperature dependence of the microstructure was discussed under proportional and nonproportional loadings, by comparing the microstructures observed at room and high temperatures.

Preparation and microstructure of hot-pressed YIG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Halim Shaari; Mansor Hashim; Sidek Haji Abd Aziz

1992-01-01

Bulk magnetic ceramics such as yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) and nickel-zinc ferrite were prepared by the conventional-firing and hot-press techniques. Pre-sintering and sintering, both in air, were carried out at temperature ≥ 1200 0 C. Initial density and microstructural measurements show that the high density samples with uniform grain size can be readily achieved by hot-pressing. The well-defined microstructures, the high density attained. The agreement of saturation magnetization 4πMs values and the high resistivities indicated that the optimized preparation conditions for conventional firing yielded yttrium-iron-garnet of good quality. Quenched and isochronally annealed, the YIG samples were also found to retain their room-temperature saturation-magnetization and resonance linewidth values after any single heat treatment. However, the electrical resistivity and the effective linewidth clearly exhibited isochronal recovery. A possible model to explain this behaviour and its implications on microwave applications are discussed. Ferrites of the type MFe 2 O 4 where M=Mg, Mn, Co, Fe, Cu, Zn and Cd and of the type Ni1-2xSnxFe 2 O4 have also been prepared and their properties are being studied

Microstructure Reconstruction of Sheet Molding Composite Using a Random Chips Packing Algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Tianyu; Xu, Hongyi; Chen, Wei

2017-04-06

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are strong candidates for structural materials to replace steel and light alloys in lightweight vehicle design because of their low density and relatively high strength. In the integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) development of carbon fiber composites, microstructure reconstruction algorithms are needed to generate material microstructure representative volume element (RVE) based on the material processing information. The microstructure RVE reconstruction enables the material property prediction by finite element analysis (FEA)This paper presents an algorithm to reconstruct the microstructure of a chopped carbon fiber/epoxy laminate material system produced by compression molding, normally known as sheet molding compounds (SMC). The algorithm takes the result from material’s manufacturing process as inputs, such as the orientation tensor of fibers, the chopped fiber sheet geometry, and the fiber volume fraction. The chopped fiber sheets are treated as deformable rectangle chips and a random packing algorithm is developed to pack these chips into a square plate. The RVE is built in a layer-by-layer fashion until the desired number of lamina is reached, then a fine tuning process is applied to finalize the reconstruction. Compared to the previous methods, this new approach has the ability to model bended fibers by allowing limited amount of overlaps of rectangle chips. Furthermore, the method does not need SMC microstructure images, for which the image-based characterization techniques have not been mature enough, as inputs. Case studies are performed and the results show that the statistics of the reconstructed microstructures generated by the algorithm matches well with the target input parameters from processing.

Role of oxygen partial pressure in microstructural development and properties of YBCO superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, J.P.; Guttschow, R.; Dusek, J.T.; Poeppel, R.B.

1991-01-01

Results are presented for the effect of oxygen partial pressure (pO 2 ) on the sintered density and microstructure of YBCO superconductors. Extruded YBCO wires were sintered at 910C at different values of pO 2 . Generally, the density increased with decreasing pO 2 , and a density of 91% was achieved at pO 2 = 0.01 atm. Wires sintered at pO 2 = 0.01 atm had a fine microstructure with an average grain size of ∼3 μm and an average strength of 191 MPa. The high strength is due to the small grain size, which causes a decrease in residual tensile stress because of grain anisotropy

Microstructures and properties of aluminum die casting alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. M. Makhlouf; D. Apelian; L. Wang

1998-10-01

This document provides descriptions of the microstructure of different aluminum die casting alloys and to relate the various microstructures to the alloy chemistry. It relates the microstructures of the alloys to their main engineering properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, fatigue life, impact resistance, wear resistance, hardness, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. Finally, it serves as a reference source for aluminum die casting alloys.

The CONNECT project: Combining macro- and micro-structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Assaf, Yaniv; Alexander, Daniel C; Jones, Derek K; Bizzi, Albero; Behrens, Tim E J; Clark, Chris A; Cohen, Yoram; Dyrby, Tim B; Huppi, Petra S; Knoesche, Thomas R; Lebihan, Denis; Parker, Geoff J M; Poupon, Cyril; Anaby, Debbie; Anwander, Alfred; Bar, Leah; Barazany, Daniel; Blumenfeld-Katzir, Tamar; De-Santis, Silvia; Duclap, Delphine; Figini, Matteo; Fischi, Elda; Guevara, Pamela; Hubbard, Penny; Hofstetter, Shir; Jbabdi, Saad; Kunz, Nicolas; Lazeyras, Francois; Lebois, Alice; Liptrot, Matthew G; Lundell, Henrik; Mangin, Jean-François; Dominguez, David Moreno; Morozov, Darya; Schreiber, Jan; Seunarine, Kiran; Nava, Simone; Poupon, Cyril; Riffert, Till; Sasson, Efrat; Schmitt, Benoit; Shemesh, Noam; Sotiropoulos, Stam N; Tavor, Ido; Zhang, Hui Gary; Zhou, Feng-Lei

2013-10-15

In recent years, diffusion MRI has become an extremely important tool for studying the morphology of living brain tissue, as it provides unique insights into both its macrostructure and microstructure. Recent applications of diffusion MRI aimed to characterize the structural connectome using tractography to infer connectivity between brain regions. In parallel to the development of tractography, additional diffusion MRI based frameworks (CHARMED, AxCaliber, ActiveAx) were developed enabling the extraction of a multitude of micro-structural parameters (axon diameter distribution, mean axonal diameter and axonal density). This unique insight into both tissue microstructure and connectivity has enormous potential value in understanding the structure and organization of the brain as well as providing unique insights to abnormalities that underpin disease states. The CONNECT (Consortium Of Neuroimagers for the Non-invasive Exploration of brain Connectivity and Tracts) project aimed to combine tractography and micro-structural measures of the living human brain in order to obtain a better estimate of the connectome, while also striving to extend validation of these measurements. This paper summarizes the project and describes the perspective of using micro-structural measures to study the connectome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cyclil Oxidation Behaviors of MoSi2 with Different Relative Density

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YAN Jianhui; ZHANG Houan; TANG Siwen; XU Jianguang

2008-01-01

The influence of different relative density on the cyclic oxidation behaviors of MoSi2 at 1 273 K were studied. "Pesting" was not found in all MoSi2 materials after being oxidized for 480 h. All samples exhibited continuous mass gain during the oxidation process. The mass gains of MoSi2 with the lowest relative density (78.6%) and the highest relative density (94.8%) are increased by 8.15 mg·cm2 and 3.48 mg·cm-2, respectively. The surface of the material with lower relative density formed a loose, porous and discontinuous oxidation scale, which accelerated oxygen diffusion and aggravated the oxidation process. However, a dense scale in the material with higher relative density is formed, which acts a diffusion barrier to the oxygen atoms penetrating into the matrix. The high temperature oxidation resistance of MoSi2 can be improved by increasing its relative density.

Self-ion emulation of high dose neutron irradiated microstructure in stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Z.; Michalicka, J.; Was, G. S.

2018-04-01

Solution-annealed 304L stainless steel (SS) was irradiated to 130 dpa at 380 °C, and to 15 dpa at 500 °C and 600 °C, and cold-worked 316 SS (CW 316 SS) was irradiated to 130 dpa at 380 °C using 5 MeV Fe++/Ni++ to produce microstructures and radiation-induced segregation (RIS) for comparison with that from neutron irradiation at 320 °C to 46 dpa in the BOR60 reactor. For the 304L SS alloy, self-ion irradiation at 380 °C produced a dislocation loop microstructure that was comparable to that by neutron irradiation. No voids were observed in either the 380 °C self-ion irradiation or the neutron irradiation conditions. Irradiation at 600 °C produced the best match to radiation-induced segregation of Cr and Ni with the neutron irradiation, consistent with the prediction of a large temperature shift by Mansur's invariant relations for RIS. For the CW 316 SS alloy irradiated to 130 dpa at 380 °C, both the irradiated microstructure (dislocation loops, precipitates and voids) and RIS reasonably matched the neutron-irradiated sample. The smaller temperature shift for RIS in CW 316 SS was likely due to the high sink (dislocation) density induced by the cold work. A single self-ion irradiation condition at a dose rate ∼1000× that in reactor does not match both dislocation loops and RIS in solution-annealed 304L SS. However, a single irradiation temperature produced a reasonable match with both the dislocation/precipitate microstructure and RIS in CW 316 SS, indicating that sink density is a critical factor in determining the temperature shift for self-ion irradiations.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties on an ARB processed IF steel studied by X-ray diffraction and EBSD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz-Gandarilla, Francisco, E-mail: fcruz@ipn.mx [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Edificio 9, U.P.A.L.M., Zacatenco, Del. G. A. Madero, México, D.F. C.P. 07738, México (Mexico); Salcedo-Garrido, Ana María, E-mail: salcedo_marya@yahoo.com.mx [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Edificio 9, U.P.A.L.M., Zacatenco, Del. G. A. Madero, México, D.F. C.P. 07738, México (Mexico); Bolmaro, Raúl E., E-mail: bolmaro@ifir-conicet.gov.ar [Instituto de Física Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000 Rosario (Argentina); Baudin, Thierry, E-mail: thierry.baudin@u-psud.fr [CNRS, UMR 8182, ICMMO, Lab. de Synthèse, Propriétés et Modélisation des Matériaux, Université de Paris-Sud, Orsay F-91405 (France); De Vincentis, Natalia S., E-mail: devincentis@ifir-conicet.gov.ar [Instituto de Física Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000 Rosario (Argentina); and others

2016-08-15

Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) is one of the so-called severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes, allowing the production of metals and alloys with ultrafine (micro-nano) structures. Materials with ultrafine grains present attractive properties like the simultaneous increase in strength and ductility. Our interest in these materials is focused on their microstructural evolution during ARB processing, eventually responsible for the enhancement of those mechanical properties. In the current work we follow the evolution of the microstructure in an interstitial-free (IF) steel deformed by ARB after consecutive processing cycles, by means of Electron BackScatter Diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particularly, we present results related to texture, grain (GS) and domain sizes, grain boundary character, density of Geometrically Necessary Dislocations (GND), Grain Orientation Spread (GOS), lattice parameters, microstrain, dislocation density and their spatial arrangement. After 5 ARB cycles the system shows a microstructure constituted mainly by submicrometric grains with high angle boundaries and low presence of dislocations inside the grains. - Highlights: •The evolution of microstructure is followed simultaneously by using GAM, GOS and GND (EBSD) and XRD. •LAGBs and subgrains disappear after few cycles SSDs and HAGBs persist at the end. •Dynamic recrystallization counterbalances dislocation arrays and diminishes hardening rate. •Grain size stabilization is revealed as a mechanism for increasing ductility after few ARB cycles.

Evaluation of microstructural parameters of human dentin by digital image analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Tavares Coutinho

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Digital image analysis was used to fully characterize the microstructure of human dentin. With the automatic routine implemented, field and region parameters related to human dentin characterization were obtained in significant statistical quantities. The results obtained for the density, area fraction, distance between neighbors, tilt angle, area and average diameter of the dentinary tubules are presented for unerupted third molars. The results, grouped per class of dentin or per tooth, are discussed in the light of the previous data found on the literature.

Relation between microstructure and thermal conductivity in aluminium nitride substrates; Relations entre la microstructure et la conductivite thermique dans les substrats de nitrure d`aluminium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarrige, J.; Lecompte, J.P.; Seck, O. [Faculte des Sciences (CNRS), 87 - Limoges (France). Laboratoire de Materiaux Ceramiques et Traitements de Surface

1996-12-31

Sintered aluminium nitride is a promising ceramic substrate for future power electronics applications. This ceramic is characterized by a high thermal conductivity (100 to 200 W/m.K) which depends on two main factors: the oxygen content of the AlN powder used for the sintering process and the microstructure of the sintered material. The oxygen content changes with sintering additions. For instance, boron nitride allows the diffusion of oxygen from the nitride grains to the grain joints. With a complement of yttrium oxide in the liquid phase, the BN/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} couple allows to increase the conductivity to 190 W/m.K with a reduction of the oxygen content. The second part of the study concerns the microstructure of sintered materials. A control of conductivity can be obtained using an adjustment of the sintering cycles. Only two types of microstructure, the secondary phase dispersed in the AlN matrix and the secondary phase that concentrates around triple junctions, allow a better contact between nitride grains and thus higher conductivities of 210 W/m.K. (J.S.) 6 refs.

Microstructure degradation of LSM-YSZ cathode in SOFCs operated at various conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yi-Lin; Thydén, Karl Tor Sune; Chen, Ming

2012-01-01

Systematic microstructural analyses have been carried out on a series of technological SOFCs that went through long-term cell tests with various operating parameters including temperature, current load and time length under current. For the LSM-YSZ cathode, a number of microstructure degradation...... mechanisms have been identified. And it has been observed that different mechanisms dominate the degradation process under different test conditions. The severe cathode degradation at 750 °C operation with high current density is attributed to a loss of the cathode/electrolyte interface stability....... For the cells tested at 850 °C, the interface stability is maintained due to further sintering during cell operation. A cell test lasting for 2 years (17500 h) at 850 °C with a moderate current density (not greater than 1 A/cm2) has shown that the cathode microstructure is fairly robust to the degradation...

Magnetism, microstructure and First Principles calculations of atomized and annealed Ni3Al

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

García-Escorial, A.; Crespo, P.; Hernando, A.; Lieblich, M.; Marín, P.; Velasco, V.; Ynduráin, F.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The microstructure and order of as-atomized Ni 3 Al powder change with annealing. • The change of the magnetic properties shows the influence of the chemical order. • First Principles calculations show the effect of the density of states to the order. - Abstract: In this work Ni 3 Al powder particles obtained by atomization were characterized magnetically and microstructurally in as-atomized state and after annealing. Upon annealing the X-ray diffraction patterns show a noticeable increase of the signal of the ordered phase γ′-Ni 3 Al, L1 2 , phase and the microstructure evolves from a lamellar and dendrite to a large grain microstructure. The Curie temperature of the as-atomized powder particles is 85 K and decreases after annealing down to 50 K. First Principles calculations were carried out to correlate the experimental observations with local order of Ni and Al atoms and illustrate the importance of the local order in the density of states at the Fermi level, showing how the magnetic moment depends on the Ni and Al atomic position

Stochastic Effects in Microstructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glicksman M.E.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available We are currently studying microstructural responses to diffusion-limited coarsening in two-phase materials. A mathematical solution to late-stage multiparticle diffusion in finite systems is formulated with account taken of particle-particle interactions and their microstructural correlations, or "locales". The transition from finite system behavior to that for an infinite microstructure is established analytically. Large-scale simulations of late-stage phase coarsening dynamics show increased fluctuations with increasing volume fraction, Vv, of the mean flux entering or leaving particles of a given size class. Fluctuations about the mean flux were found to depend on the scaled particle size, R/, where R is the radius of a particle and is the radius of the dispersoid averaged over the population within the microstructure. Specifically, small (shrinking particles tend to display weak fluctuations about their mean flux, whereas particles of average, or above average size, exhibit strong fluctuations. Remarkably, even in cases of microstructures with a relatively small volume fraction (Vv ~ 10-4, the particle size distribution is broader than that for the well-known Lifshitz-Slyozov limit predicted at zero volume fraction. The simulation results reported here provide some additional surprising insights into the effect of diffusion interactions and stochastic effects during evolution of a microstructure, as it approaches its thermodynamic end-state.

Microstructural evolution at high strain rates in solution-hardened interstitial free steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenishi, A.; Teodosiu, C.; Nesterova, E.V.

2005-01-01

Comprehensive transmission electron microscopical studies have been conducted for solution-hardened steels deformed at high (1000 s -1 ) and low (0.001 s -1 ) strain rates, in order to clarify the effects of strain rate and a jump in strain rate on the evolution of the microstructure and its connection with the mechanical response. It was revealed that the various types of microstructure, observed even within the same specimen, depend on the corresponding grain orientations and their evolution with progressive deformation depends on these microstructure types. At high strain rates, the dislocation density increases especially at low strains and the onset of dislocation organization is delayed. A jump in strain rate causes an increase of the dislocation density inside an organized structure. These results corroborated the mechanical behaviour at high strain rates after compensation for the cross-sectional reduction and temperature increase. The higher work-hardening rate at high strain rates could be connected to a delay in the dislocation organization. The high work-hardening rate just after a jump could be due to an increase of the density of dislocations distributed uniformly inside an organized structure

Microstructure and Properties of AlSi10Mg Powder for Selective Laser Melting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TANG Pengjun

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The AlSi10Mg powder was prepared by supersonic gas atomization. After classified, the powder was fabricated into block by selective laser melting (SLM. The microstructure, phase, and evolutions of powder and block were investigated by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and X-Ray Diffraction. The tensile properties of SLM block were tested by tensile experiments at room temperature. The results show that the size distribution of AlSi10Mg powder after classified can meet the requirements of SLM technology. The powder always is spherical and spherical-like. Meanwhile, the microstructure of powders is fine and uniform, which contain α(Al matrix and (α+Si eutectic. In addition, the melt pool boundaries of SLM block are legible. The microstructure is also uniform and densified, the relative density approaches to 99.5%. On the other hand, only α(Al and few Silicon phase are detected in this condition, due to the most alloying elements are dissolved in α(Al matrix. At room temperature, the ultimate tensile strength of SLM block reaches up to 442 MPa.

Physio-Microstructural Properties of Aerated Cement Slurry for Lightweight Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, Talal; Hamadna, Sameer; Darsanasiri, A. G. N. D.; Soroushian, Parviz; Balchandra, Anagi; Al-Chaar, Ghassan

2018-01-01

Cementitious composites, including ferrocement and continuous fiber reinforced cement, are increasingly considered for building construction and repair. One alternative in processing of these composites is to infiltrate the reinforcement (continuous fibers or chicken mesh) with a flowable cementitious slurry. The relatively high density of cementitious binders, when compared with polymeric binders, are a setback in efforts to introduce cementitious composites as lower-cost, fire-resistant, and durable alternatives to polymer composites. Aeration of the slurry is an effective means of reducing the density of cementitious composites. This approach, however, compromises the mechanical properties of cementitious binders. An experimental program was undertaken in order to assess the potential for production of aerated slurry with a desired balance of density, mechanical performance, and barrier qualities. The potential for nondestructive monitoring of strength development in aerated cementitious slurry was also investigated. This research produced aerated slurries with densities as low as 0.9 g/cm3 with viable mechanical and barrier qualities for production of composites. The microstructure of these composites was also investigated. PMID:29649163

Preserved sleep microstructure in blind individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aubin, Sébrina; Christensen, Julie A.E.; Jennum, Poul

2018-01-01

, as light is the primary zeitgeber of the master biological clock found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. In addition, a greater number of sleep disturbances is often reported in blind individuals. Here, we examined various electroencephalographic microstructural components of sleep, both...... during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep, between blind individuals, including both of early and late onset, and normal-sighted controls. During wakefulness, occipital alpha oscillations were lower, or absent in blind individuals. During sleep, differences were observed across...... electrode derivations between the early and late blind samples, which may reflect altered cortical networking in early blindness. Despite these differences in power spectra density, the electroencephalography microstructure of sleep, including sleep spindles, slow wave activity, and sawtooth waves, remained...

Differences observed in the surface morphology and microstructure of Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films electrochemically deposited at low and high applied current densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarac, U; Kaya, M; Baykul, M C

2016-01-01

In this research, nanocrystalline Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films using electrochemical deposition technique were produced at low and high applied current densities onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated conducting glass substrates. Change of surface morphology and microstructural properties of the films were investigated. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements showed that the Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films exhibit anomalous codeposition behaviour during the electrochemical deposition process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, it was revealed that there are two segregated phases such as Cu- rich and Ni-rich within the films. The crystallographic structure of the films was face-centered cubic (FCC). It was also observed that the film has lower lattice micro-strain and higher texture degree at high applied current density. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the films have rounded shape particles on the base part and cauliflower-like structures on the upper part. The film electrodeposited at high current density had considerably smaller rounded shape particles and cauliflower-like structures. From the atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses, it was shown that the film deposited at high current density has smaller particle size and surface roughness than the film grown at low current density. (paper)

Quantitative XRD analysis of {110} twin density in biotic aragonites.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Michio; Kim, Hyejin; Mukai, Hiroki; Nagasawa, Hiromichi; Kogure, Toshihiro

2012-12-01

{110} Twin densities in biotic aragonite have been estimated quantitatively from the peak widths of specific reflections in powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, as well as direct confirmation of the twins using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Influence of the twin density on the peak widths in the XRD pattern was simulated using DIFFaX program, regarding (110) twin as interstratification of two types of aragonite unit layers with mirrored relationship. The simulation suggested that the twin density can be estimated from the difference of the peak widths between 111 and 021, or between 221 and 211 reflections. Biotic aragonite in the crossed-lamellar microstructure (three species) and nacreous microstructure (four species) of molluscan shells, fish otoliths (two species), and a coral were investigated. The XRD analyses indicated that aragonite crystals in the crossed-lamellar microstructure of the three species contain high density of the twins, which is consistent with the TEM examination. On the other hand, aragonite in the nacre of the four species showed almost no difference of the peak widths between the paired reflections, indicating low twin densities. The results for the fish otoliths were varied between the species. Such variation of the twin density in biotic aragonites may reflect different schemes of crystal growth in biomineralization. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Executive Functions in Healthy Older Adults Are Differentially Related to Macro- and Microstructural White Matter Characteristics of the Cerebral Lobes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Hirsiger

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Aging is associated with microstructural white matter (WM changes. WM microstructural characteristics, measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, are different in normal appearing white matter (NAWM and WM hyperintensities (WMH. It is largely unknown how the microstructural properties of WMH are associated with cognition and if there are regional effects for specific cognitive domains. We therefore examined within 200 healthy older participants (a differences in microstructural characteristics of NAWM and WMH per cerebral lobe; and (b the association of macrostructural (WMH volume and microstructural characteristics (within NAWM and WMH separately of each lobe with measures of executive function and processing speed. Multi-modal imaging (i.e., T1, DTI, and FLAIR was used to assess WM properties. The Stroop and the Trail Making Test were used to measure inhibition, task-switching (both components of executive function, and processing speed. We observed that age was associated with deterioration of white matter microstructure of the NAWM, most notably in the frontal lobe. Older participants had larger WMH volumes and lowest fractional anisotropy values within WMH were found in the frontal lobe. Task-switching was associated with cerebral NAWM volume and NAWM volume of all lobes. Processing speed was associated with total NAWM volume, and microstructural properties of parietal NAWM, the parietal WMH, and the temporal NAWM. Task-switching was related to microstructural properties of WMH of the frontal lobe and WMH volume of the parietal lobe. Our results confirm that executive functioning and processing speed are uniquely associated with macro- and microstructural properties of NAWM and WMH. We further demonstrate for the first time that these relationships differ by lobar region. This warrants the consideration of these distinct WM indices when investigating cognitive function.

Summary of high field diffusion MRI and microscopy data demonstrate microstructural aberration in chronic mild stress rat brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Ahmad Raza; Chuhutin, Andrey; Wiborg, Ove

2016-01-01

amygdala of the same brain hemispheres is also included with three different stains: DiI and Hoechst stained microscopic images (confocal microscopy) andALDH1L1 antibody based immunohistochemistry.These stains may be used to evaluate neurite density (DiI), nuclear density (Hoechst) and astrocytic density...... (ALDH1L1). This combination of high field diffusion data and high resolution images from microscopy enables comparison of microstructural parameters derived from diffusion MRIto histological microstructure. The data provided here is used in the article (Jespersen, 2016) [1]....

Longitudinal development of thalamic and internal capsule microstructure in autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Kristine; Travers, Brittany G; Dadalko, Olga I; Dean, Douglas C; Tromp, Do; Adluru, Nagesh; Destiche, Daniel; Freeman, Abigail; Prigge, Molly D; Froehlich, Alyson; Duffield, Tyler C; Zielinski, Brandon A; Bigler, Erin D; Lange, Nicholas; Anderson, Jeff S; Alexander, Andrew L; Lainhart, Janet E

2018-03-01

The thalamus is a key sensorimotor relay area that is implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is unknown how the thalamus and white-matter structures that contain thalamo-cortical fiber connections (e.g., the internal capsule) develop from childhood into adulthood and whether this microstructure relates to basic motor challenges in ASD. We used diffusion weighted imaging in a cohort-sequential design to assess longitudinal development of the thalamus, and posterior- and anterior-limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC and ALIC, respectively) in 89 males with ASD and 56 males with typical development (3-41 years; all verbal). Our results showed that the group with ASD exhibited different developmental trajectories of microstructure in all regions, demonstrating childhood group differences that appeared to approach and, in some cases, surpass the typically developing group in adolescence and adulthood. The PLIC (but not ALIC nor thalamus) mediated the relation between age and finger-tapping speed in both groups. Yet, the gap in finger-tapping speed appeared to widen at the same time that the between-group gap in the PLIC appeared to narrow. Overall, these results suggest that childhood group differences in microstructure of the thalamus and PLIC become less robust in adolescence and adulthood. Further, finger-tapping speed appears to be mediated by the PLIC in both groups, but group differences in motor speed that widen during adolescence and adulthood suggest that factors beyond the microstructure of the thalamus and internal capsule may contribute to atypical motor profiles in ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 450-462. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microstructure of the thalamus, a key sensory and motor brain area, appears to develop differently in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Microstructure is important because it informs us of the density and organization of different brain tissues. During

The microstructure of MX-80 clay with respect to its bulk physical properties under different environmental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.

2001-03-01

A model of microstructural evolution of MX-80 buffer is presented in the report.Quantification of the microstructure is made by use of digitalized micrographs taken by transmission electron microscopy using suitably impregnated specimens with appropriate thickness. The model is termed MMM, a successor of the earlier GMM. Practically useful microstructural parameters refer to the fraction of a thin section that represents dense and soft parts of the clay matrix. The derived microstructural parameters are directly coupled to the most important bulk physical properties, i.e. the hydraulic conductivity, gas penetrability, swelling pressure and cation/anion diffusion capacities. The study has shown that even at very high densities, softer and more pervious zones exist in the form of interconnected 'external' voids filled with more or less dense clay gels. At bulk densities exceeding 2000 kg/m 3 after water saturation, the gel density is also high but for low bulk densities it may be so much reduced that the gels do not remain stable at high electrolyte content of the pore water. The fact that the density variations are small for high bulk densities means that the separation of matrix components ('fracturing') that is required for letting gas through is on the same order of magnitude as the bulk swelling pressure. For lower bulk densities, displacement or consolidation of the clay gels in 'external' voids is concluded to take place in conjunction with gas penetration. At high densities the limited degree of continuity and constrictions of the channels leading to anion-excluding charge conditions mean that the anion diffusion capacity is very low, while cation diffusion may be extensive because it takes place not only through channels but also through the inter lamellar space and along the surfaces of stacks of lamellae, i.e. by surface diffusion. Two Pre-Quaternary clays that have been investigated and characterized with respect to the microstructure represent two

The microstructure of MX-80 clay with respect to its bulk physical properties under different environmental conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pusch, R. [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

2001-03-01

A model of microstructural evolution of MX-80 buffer is presented in the report.Quantification of the microstructure is made by use of digitalized micrographs taken by transmission electron microscopy using suitably impregnated specimens with appropriate thickness. The model is termed MMM, a successor of the earlier GMM. Practically useful microstructural parameters refer to the fraction of a thin section that represents dense and soft parts of the clay matrix. The derived microstructural parameters are directly coupled to the most important bulk physical properties, i.e. the hydraulic conductivity, gas penetrability, swelling pressure and cation/anion diffusion capacities. The study has shown that even at very high densities, softer and more pervious zones exist in the form of interconnected 'external' voids filled with more or less dense clay gels. At bulk densities exceeding 2000 kg/m{sup 3} after water saturation, the gel density is also high but for low bulk densities it may be so much reduced that the gels do not remain stable at high electrolyte content of the pore water. The fact that the density variations are small for high bulk densities means that the separation of matrix components ('fracturing') that is required for letting gas through is on the same order of magnitude as the bulk swelling pressure. For lower bulk densities, displacement or consolidation of the clay gels in 'external' voids is concluded to take place in conjunction with gas penetration. At high densities the limited degree of continuity and constrictions of the channels leading to anion-excluding charge conditions mean that the anion diffusion capacity is very low, while cation diffusion may be extensive because it takes place not only through channels but also through the inter lamellar space and along the surfaces of stacks of lamellae, i.e. by surface diffusion. Two Pre-Quaternary clays that have been investigated and characterized with respect to the

Nanostructured pure copper fabricated by simple shear extrusion (SSE): A correlation between microstructure and tensile properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagherpour, E., E-mail: e.bagherpour@semnan.ac.ir [Faculty of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394 (Japan); Qods, F., E-mail: qods@semnan.ac.ir [Faculty of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ebrahimi, R., E-mail: ebrahimy@shirazu.ac.ir [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Miyamoto, H., E-mail: hmiyamot@mail.doshisha.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394 (Japan)

2017-01-02

In the present paper the variation of microstructural parameters and tensile properties of ultrafine-grained copper processed by simple shear extrusion (SSE) via namely route C in 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 passes is described. TEM analysis showed that the microstructure evolves from lamellar boundaries and elongated cells towards a more equiaxed homogeneous microstructure. After 12 passes, the grain fragmentation occurred in all the directions without any significant elongation in the grains. The minimum cell size is achieved after eight passes. Evaluation of dislocation density using scanning transmission electron microscopy observations shows a gradual increase of dislocation from one to eight passes following a reduction afterward. Yield stress and ultimate tensile stress reach a maximum after eight passes. The uniform elongation attains its minimum after eight passes. Reduction in dislocation density, grain growth, formation of Moiré fringes and twinning after twelve passes of SSE are some of the evidences for the softening. The critical grain size for the formation of nano twins (the onset of grain growth) is predicted. Prosperous prediction of yield stress using a strength–structure relationship helps in the understanding of the effect of dislocation density and microstructural observations.

MicroTrack: an algorithm for concurrent projectome and microstructure estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherbondy, Anthony J; Rowe, Matthew C; Alexander, Daniel C

2010-01-01

This paper presents MicroTrack, an algorithm that combines global tractography and direct microstructure estimation using diffusion-weighted imaging data. Previous work recovers connectivity via tractography independently from estimating microstructure features, such as axon diameter distribution and density. However, the two estimates have great potential to inform one another given the common assumption that microstructural features remain consistent along fibers. Here we provide a preliminary examination of this hypothesis. We adapt a global tractography algorithm to associate axon diameter with each putative pathway and optimize both the set of pathways and their microstructural parameters to find the best fit of this holistic white-matter model to the MRI data. We demonstrate in simulation that, with a multi-shell HARDI acquisition, this approach not only improves estimates of microstructural parameters over voxel-by-voxel estimation, but provides a solution to long standing problems in tractography. In particular, a simple experiment demonstrates the resolution of the well known ambiguity between crossing and kissing fibers. The results strongly motivate further development of this kind of algorithm for brain connectivity mapping.

Positron probing of electron momentum density in GaAs-AlAs superlattices and related materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arutyunov, N.Y.; Sekkal, N.

2008-08-01

The band structure calculations based on the method proposed by Jaros et al. (Phys. Rev. B 31, 1205 (1985)) have been performed for the defect-free GaAs-AlAs superlattice and related AlAs and GaAs single crystals; the electron-positron momentum density distributions have been computed and analyzed. The results of calculations are in good agreement with the experimental data obtained ad hoc for GaAs and AlAs bulk materials by measuring the angular correlation of the annihilation radiation (ACAR). Small (but marked) features of the electron-positron momentum density of the valence band have been revealed both for constituent materials and GaAs-AlAs superlattice. The delocalization of positron in 'perfect' defect-'free' AlAs and GaAs single crystals to be observed experimentally is borne out by the results of pseudo-potential band calculations performed on the basis of method proposed by Sekkal et al. (Superlattices and Microstructures, 33, 63 (2003)). The prediction of the possibility of a certain confinement of positron in the interstitial area of GaAs- AlAs superlattice is confirmed by the agreement between the results of calculations and relevant experimental data obtained for GaAs and AlAs single crystals. No considerable effect of the enhancement of the annihilation rate (due to electron-positron interaction) upon the electron-positron momentum density distribution both in the superlattice and its constituent bulk materials has been found. The results of ACAR measurements and calculations performed suggest that a tangible improvement of the sensitivity of existing positron annihilation techniques is necessary for studying details of the electron-positron momentum density distributions in defect-'free' superlattices to be created on the basis of the diamond-like semiconductors possessing close values of the electron momentum densities. On the contrary, the positron-sensitive vacancy-type defects of various types in the superlattice may become a source of the

Magnetism, microstructure and First Principles calculations of atomized and annealed Ni{sub 3}Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

García-Escorial, A., E-mail: age@cenim.csic.es [CENIM-CSIC, Avda. Gregorio del Amo, 8, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Crespo, P.; Hernando, A. [Instituto de Magnetismo Aplicado, IMA-UCM, P.O. Box 155, 28230 Madrid (Spain); Lieblich, M. [CENIM-CSIC, Avda. Gregorio del Amo, 8, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Marín, P.; Velasco, V. [Instituto de Magnetismo Aplicado, IMA-UCM, P.O. Box 155, 28230 Madrid (Spain); Ynduráin, F. [Dpto. de Física de la Materia Condensada, UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain)

2014-12-05

Highlights: • The microstructure and order of as-atomized Ni{sub 3}Al powder change with annealing. • The change of the magnetic properties shows the influence of the chemical order. • First Principles calculations show the effect of the density of states to the order. - Abstract: In this work Ni{sub 3}Al powder particles obtained by atomization were characterized magnetically and microstructurally in as-atomized state and after annealing. Upon annealing the X-ray diffraction patterns show a noticeable increase of the signal of the ordered phase γ′-Ni{sub 3}Al, L1{sub 2}, phase and the microstructure evolves from a lamellar and dendrite to a large grain microstructure. The Curie temperature of the as-atomized powder particles is 85 K and decreases after annealing down to 50 K. First Principles calculations were carried out to correlate the experimental observations with local order of Ni and Al atoms and illustrate the importance of the local order in the density of states at the Fermi level, showing how the magnetic moment depends on the Ni and Al atomic position.

A local leaky-box model for the local stellar surface density-gas surface density-gas phase metallicity relation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Guangtun Ben; Barrera-Ballesteros, Jorge K.; Heckman, Timothy M.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Sánchez, Sebastian F.; Yan, Renbin; Brinkmann, Jonathan

2017-07-01

We revisit the relation between the stellar surface density, the gas surface density and the gas-phase metallicity of typical disc galaxies in the local Universe with the SDSS-IV/MaNGA survey, using the star formation rate surface density as an indicator for the gas surface density. We show that these three local parameters form a tight relationship, confirming previous works (e.g. by the PINGS and CALIFA surveys), but with a larger sample. We present a new local leaky-box model, assuming star-formation history and chemical evolution is localized except for outflowing materials. We derive closed-form solutions for the evolution of stellar surface density, gas surface density and gas-phase metallicity, and show that these parameters form a tight relation independent of initial gas density and time. We show that, with canonical values of model parameters, this predicted relation match the observed one well. In addition, we briefly describe a pathway to improving the current semi-analytic models of galaxy formation by incorporating the local leaky-box model in the cosmological context, which can potentially explain simultaneously multiple properties of Milky Way-type disc galaxies, such as the size growth and the global stellar mass-gas metallicity relation.

Sintering and microstructure of ZnO varistor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leite, E.R.; Longo, E.; Varela, J.A.

1987-01-01

The sintering and microstructure of ZnO-Bi 2 O 3 (ZB) and ZuO-Sb 2 O 3 -CoO-Bi 2 O 3 (ZSCB) varistors in several temperatures, for one hour in dry air temperature were studied. The compounds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and the density and porosity were determined by mercury picnometry. The experimental results showed that the ZB and ZSCB system sinters by liquid means and that liquid will control the density and grain growth mechanisms. (E.G.) [pt

Influence of relative density on the cyclic shear strength of sands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arab A.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a laboratory study of the influence of relative density on the liquefaction potential of a soil. The study is based on undrained triaxial tests that were performed on samples with relative density Id = 0.15, 0.5 and 0.65. The article is composed of three parts. First, we present the materials and characteristics of the studied sands. the second part deals with the procedure and the device used. The third part studies the influence of the relative density on the liquefaction potential of the three sands (Hostun Rf, Chlef and Rass. This study also makes it possible to explore the influence of granulometry on the liquefaction potential. The results of the tests show that concordant results have been obtained which clearly show that the increase of the relative density leads to a significant improvement in the resistance to liquefaction of the sands. This effect is very significant when the initial relative density Id = 0.50 to Id = 0.65.

Relational invariance of expressive microstructure across global tempo changes in music performance: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Repp, B H

1994-01-01

This study addressed the question of whether the expressive microstructure of a music performance remains relationally invariant across moderate (musically acceptable) changes in tempo. Two pianists played Schumann's "Träumerei" three times at each of three tempi on a digital piano, and the performance data were recorded in MIDI format. In a perceptual test, musically trained listeners attempted to distinguish the original performances from performances that had been artificially speeded up or slowed down to the same overall duration. Accuracy in this task was barely above chance, suggesting that relational invariance was largely preserved. Subsequent analysis of the MIDI data confirmed that each pianist's characteristic timing patterns were highly similar across the three tempi, although there were statistically significant deviations from perfect relational invariance. The timing of (relatively slow) grace notes seemed relationally invariant, but selective examination of other detailed temporal features (chord asynchrony, tone overlap, pedal timing) revealed no systematic scaling with tempo. Finally, although the intensity profile seemed unaffected by tempo, a slight overall increase in intensity with tempo was observed. Effects of musical structure on expressive microstructure were large and pervasive at all levels, as were individual differences between the two pianists. For the specific composition and range of tempi considered here, these results suggest that major (cognitively controlled) temporal and dynamic features of a performance change roughly in proportion with tempo, whereas minor features tend to be governed by tempo-independent motoric constraints.

Microstructural examination of V-(4-5%) Cr-(4-5%)Ti irradiated in X530

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gelles, D.S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States); Chung, H.M. [Argonne Natinonal Lab., IL (United States)

1997-08-01

Microstructural examination results are reported for two heats of V-(4-5%)Cr-(4-5%)Ti irradiated in the X530 experiment to {approximately}400{degrees}C to provide an understanding of the microstructural evolution that may be associated with degradation of mechanical properties. Fine precipitates were observed in high density intermixed with small defect clusters for all conditions examined following the irradiation. The irradiation-induced precipitation does not appear to be affected by preirradiation heat treatment at 950-1125{degrees}C. There was no evidence for a significant density of large (diameter >10 nm) dislocation loops or network dislocations.

Mapping White Matter Microstructure in the One Month Human Brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, D C; Planalp, E M; Wooten, W; Adluru, N; Kecskemeti, S R; Frye, C; Schmidt, C K; Schmidt, N L; Styner, M A; Goldsmith, H H; Davidson, R J; Alexander, A L

2017-08-29

White matter microstructure, essential for efficient and coordinated transmission of neural communications, undergoes pronounced development during the first years of life, while deviations to this neurodevelopmental trajectory likely result in alterations of brain connectivity relevant to behavior. Hence, systematic evaluation of white matter microstructure in the normative brain is critical for a neuroscientific approach to both typical and atypical early behavioral development. However, few studies have examined the infant brain in detail, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Here, we utilize quantitative techniques of diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to investigate neonatal white matter microstructure in 104 infants. An optimized multiple b-value diffusion protocol was developed to allow for successful acquisition during non-sedated sleep. Associations between white matter microstructure measures and gestation corrected age, regional asymmetries, infant sex, as well as newborn growth measures were assessed. Results highlight changes of white matter microstructure during the earliest periods of development and demonstrate differential timing of developing regions and regional asymmetries. Our results contribute to a growing body of research investigating the neurobiological changes associated with neurodevelopment and suggest that characteristics of white matter microstructure are already underway in the weeks immediately following birth.

Microstructured reactor for electroorganic synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouzek, Karel, E-mail: bouzekk@vscht.c [Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Jiricny, Vladimir [Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rozvojova 2, 165 02 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Kodym, Roman [Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Kristal, Jiri [Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rozvojova 2, 165 02 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Bystron, Tomas [Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2010-11-30

In the present work a brief overview of microstructured devices, the advantages and disadvantages as well as the principles of a multiscale design approach are presented. The advantages mainly comprise uniform current density distribution, local control of the process parameters, high single-pass conversion of the reactant and reduced concentration of the supporting electrolyte needed to perform the reaction. The main challenge with this type of cell is gas evolution, a typical reaction taking place at the counter-electrode. The phenomena discussed are documented using the example of anodic methoxylation of 4-methylanisole. An analysis was made of the two-phase flow hydrodynamics inside the microstructured cell. The range of operational conditions suitable for the desired reaction was identified. The results were used together with the information on the electrode reaction kinetics in the form of the Butler-Volmer-type equation for the design of a suitable bipolar microstructured cell. A bipolar cell optimized to perform the desired reaction is reported. The results are compared with the published data. An analysis was performed that proved that the performance of the existing technology is more demanding in terms of energy consumption for the separation of the final product from the reaction mixture. The process intensification was evaluated on the basis of the available data.

Relationship of microstructure and mechanical properties for V-Cr-Ti alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, B.A.; Gazda, J.; Nowicki, L.J.; Smith, D.L.; Danyluk, S.

1993-08-01

Relation of composition, number density, and diameter of precipitates in microstructures of unalloyed V and V-Cr-Ti alloys to the yield strength, hardness, creep stress, and ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) for these materials was determined from analytical electron microscopy analyses of precipitates in these materials and from mechanical properties data. Unalloyed V and V-Cr-Ti alloys with ≤3 wt. % Ti contained VC and TI(CNO) precipitates that were coherent with the matrix. The most common precipitates in the alloys were Ti(C 1-x-y N x O y ) that were non-coherent with the matrix. The number density of non-coherent precipitates was maximum in V-3Ti and V-5Cr-3Ti alloys, and the average diameter of non-coherent precipitates was minimum in V-(1--3)Ti and V-5Cr-3Ti alloys. The increase of yield strength and hardness of V on alloying with Ti and Cr was shown to be primarily due to coherent precipitate, solute-atom misfit, and shear-modulus difference effects. The creep stress for rupture in 1000 hours was related to the number density of precipitates, whereas the DBTT was related to the volume fraction of precipitates

VLSI electronics microstructure science

CERN Document Server

1982-01-01

VLSI Electronics: Microstructure Science, Volume 4 reviews trends for the future of very large scale integration (VLSI) electronics and the scientific base that supports its development.This book discusses the silicon-on-insulator for VLSI and VHSIC, X-ray lithography, and transient response of electron transport in GaAs using the Monte Carlo method. The technology and manufacturing of high-density magnetic-bubble memories, metallic superlattices, challenge of education for VLSI, and impact of VLSI on medical signal processing are also elaborated. This text likewise covers the impact of VLSI t

High-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type GaAs and InP created by proton beam writing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menzel, F.; Spemann, D.; Butz, T.

2011-01-01

With proton beam writing (PBW) and subsequent electrochemical etching in HF-solution the creation of high-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type InP was performed for the first time. Microstructures with high surface quality as well as high-aspect ratio possessing lateral dimensions down to 1 μm were produced. Furthermore, free-standing microstructures were created in this material by a combined irradiation with 2.25 MeV protons and 1.125 MeV H 2 + molecules, were the smallest structure dimension of 0.6 μm was achieved for a horizontal needle. The creation of nearly perfect circular microstructures indicates that the crystal structure has little effect on the structuring process by PBW in this material. Moreover, the effect of reduced etching inside of closed irradiation patterns, already known from Si and GaAs, was observed also in InP. In further PBW experiments and subsequent electrochemical etching with KOH-solution p-type GaAs microstructures were produced. By using a 4-fold higher etch current density of 45 mA/cm 2 compared to former PBW experiments on this material the quality of the microstructures could be improved significantly leading to high aspect-ratio structures with minimum lateral sizes of ∼1 μm, nearly vertical side walls as well as circular microstructures. This shows the reduced influence of the crystal structure on the shape of the microstructures compared to experiments with lower etch current density where only flat microstructures with inclined side walls determined by the crystal structure could be created.

Microstructure of HIPed and SPSed 9Cr-ODS steel and its effect on helium bubble formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Chenyang; Lu, Zheng; Xie, Rui; Liu, Chunming; Wang, Lumin

2016-01-01

Two 9Cr-ODS steels with the same nominal composition were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP, named COS-1) and spark plasma sintering (SPS, named COS-2). Helium ions were implanted into COS-1, COS-2 and non-ODS Eurofer 97 steels up at 673 K. Microstructures before and after helium ion implantations were carefully characterized. The results show a bimodal grain size distribution in COS-2 and a more uniform grain size distribution in COS-1. Nanoscale clusters of GP-zone type Y–Ti–O and Y_2Ti_2O_7 pyrochlore as well as large spinel Mn(Ti)Cr_2O_4 particles are all observed in the two ODS steels. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in COS-1 exhibit higher number density and smaller size than in COS-2. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in fine grains of COS-2 show higher number density and smaller size than that in coarse grains of COS-2. Nano-oxides effectively trap helium atoms and lead to the formation of high density and ultra-fine helium bubbles. - Highlights: • The microstructure changes of two ODS steels before and after helium ion implantation have been elucidated. • The mechanism of the microstructures of ODS steels under varied thermal mechanical processing paths have been explored. • The dependence of the size, density and distribution of helium bubbles on the specific microstructure features are explored.

Microstructure of HIPed and SPSed 9Cr-ODS steel and its effect on helium bubble formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Chenyang [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States); Lu, Zheng, E-mail: luz@atm.neu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Xie, Rui; Liu, Chunming [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Wang, Lumin, E-mail: lmwang@umich.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States)

2016-06-15

Two 9Cr-ODS steels with the same nominal composition were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP, named COS-1) and spark plasma sintering (SPS, named COS-2). Helium ions were implanted into COS-1, COS-2 and non-ODS Eurofer 97 steels up at 673 K. Microstructures before and after helium ion implantations were carefully characterized. The results show a bimodal grain size distribution in COS-2 and a more uniform grain size distribution in COS-1. Nanoscale clusters of GP-zone type Y–Ti–O and Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} pyrochlore as well as large spinel Mn(Ti)Cr{sub 2}O{sub 4} particles are all observed in the two ODS steels. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in COS-1 exhibit higher number density and smaller size than in COS-2. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in fine grains of COS-2 show higher number density and smaller size than that in coarse grains of COS-2. Nano-oxides effectively trap helium atoms and lead to the formation of high density and ultra-fine helium bubbles. - Highlights: • The microstructure changes of two ODS steels before and after helium ion implantation have been elucidated. • The mechanism of the microstructures of ODS steels under varied thermal mechanical processing paths have been explored. • The dependence of the size, density and distribution of helium bubbles on the specific microstructure features are explored.

Study of microstructure and fracture properties of blunt notched and sharp cracked high density polyethylene specimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Huanyu; Devasahayam, Sheila; Bandyopadhyay, Sri

2017-07-21

This paper examines the effect of a broad range of crosshead speed (0.05 to 100 mm/min) and a small range of temperature (25 °C and 45 °C) on the failure behaviour of high density polyethylene (HDPE) specimens containing a) standard size blunt notch and b) standard size blunt notch plus small sharp crack - all tested in air. It was observed that the yield stress properties showed linear increase with the natural logarithm of strain rate. The stress intensity factors under blunt notch and sharp crack conditions also increased linearly with natural logarithm of the crosshead speed. The results indicate that in the practical temperature range of 25 °C and 45 °C under normal atmosphere and increasing strain rates, HDPE specimens with both blunt notches and sharp cracks possess superior fracture properties. SEM microstructure studies of fracture surfaces showed craze initiation mechanisms at lower strain rate, whilst at higher strain rates there is evidence of dimple patterns absorbing the strain energy and creating plastic deformation. The stress intensity factor and the yield strength were higher at 25 °C compared to those at 45 °C.

Density limits imposed by the microstructure of magnetic recording media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, H.J.

2009-01-01

The fundamental limit of magnetic recording density on conventional media is set by the grain size. Once this grain size limit is reached, only a reduction of the grain size allows an increased SNR and thus an increased areal density. It is shown that, whilst maintaining thermal stability, scaling demands that the required anisotropy energy density K is proportional to the areal density, or the square of the areal density if the medium thickness reaches the critical thickness 4√(A/K) (A is the exchange stiffness of the material). Recording onto materials with such a high anisotropy requires some form of a write-assist. It is furthermore shown that the grain size limit cannot be obtained with intergranular exchange present, and six different requirements are listed that constitute ideal media. An alternative path for increasing areal density of magnetic recording is to use patterned media, where each bit contains only one grain. In this case, written-in errors dominate system performance and the maximum achievable areal density is estimated to be about 6 Tbit/in 2 . Patterned media need to exhibit narrow distributions of their physical and structural properties with standard deviations of the order of 5% or less

Microstructure changes in the low stacking fault energy steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodak, K.; Kuc, D.; Niewielski, G.; Hetmanczyk, M.

1999-01-01

A Cr-Ni austenitic steel (type 304) was investigated using TEM. It is shown that some structural parameters (dislocations density within the subgrains and the subgrains size) change with temperature and strain rate after hot temperature deformation. The subgrain microstructure was characterized quantitatively for different characteristics. (author)

Biophysical modeling of high field diffusion MRI demonstrates micro-structural aberration in chronic mild stress rat brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Ahmad Raza; Chuhutin, Andrey; Wiborg, Ove

2016-01-01

anhedonia is considered to be a realistic model of depression in studies of animal subjects. Stereological and neuronal tracing techniques have demonstrated persistent remodeling of microstructure in hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala of CMS brains. Recent developments in diffusion MRI (d...... microstructure in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, caudate putamen and amygdala regions of CMS rat brains by comparison to brains from normal controls. To validate findings of CMS induced microstructural alteration, histology was performed to determine neurite, nuclear and astrocyte density. d-MRI based...... neurite density and tensor-based mean kurtosis (MKT) were significantly higher, while mean diffusivity (MD), extracellular diffusivity (Deff) and intra-neurite diffusivity(DL) were significantly lower in the amygdala of CMS rat brains. Deff was also significantly lower in the hippocampus and caudate...

Misorientation related microstructure at the grain boundary in a nickel-based single crystal superalloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Ming; Zhuo, Longchao; Liu, Zhanli; Lu, Xiaogang; Shi, Zhenxue; Li, Jiarong; Zhu, Jing

2015-01-01

The mechanical properties of nickel-based single crystal superalloys deteriorate with increasing misorientation, thus the finished product rate of the casting of single crystal turbine airfoils may be reduced due to the formation of grain boundaries especially when the misorientation angle exceeds to some extent. To this day, evolution of the microstructures at the grain boundaries with misorientation and the relationship between the microstructures and the mechanical properties are still unclear. In this work a detailed characterization of the misorientation related microstructure at the grain boundary in DD6 single crystal superalloy has been carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques; the elemental distribution at the grain boundaries has been analyzed by energy dispersive (EDS) X-ray mapping; and the effect of precipitation of μ phases at the grain boundary on the mechanical property has been evaluated by finite element calculation. It is shown that the proportion of γ phase at the grain boundaries decreases, while the proportion of γ′ phase at the grain boundaries increases with increasing misorientation; the μ phase is precipitated at the grain boundaries when the misorientation angle exceeds about 10° and thus it could lead to a dramatic deterioration of the mechanical properties, as well as that the enrichment of Re and W gradually disappears as the misorientation angle increases. All these factors may result in the degradation of the mechanical properties at the grain boundaries as the misorientation increases. Furthermore, the finite element calculation confirms that precipitation of μ phases at the grain boundary is responsible for the significant deterioration of the mechanical properties when the misorientation exceeds about 10°. This work provides a physical imaging of the microstructure for understanding the relationship between the mechanical properties and the misorientation

Effects of microstructure on light ion irradiation creep in nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henager, C.H. Jr.; Simonen, E.P.; Bradley, E.R.; Stang, R.G.

1982-10-01

The concept of inhomogeneous slip or localized deformation is introduced to account for a weak dependence of irradiation creep on initial microstructure. Specimens of pure Ni with three different microstructures were irradiated at 473 0 K with 15 to 17 MeV deuterons in the PNL light ion irradiation creep apparatus. A dispersed barrier model for climb-glide creep was unable to account for the observed creep rates and creep strains. The weak dependence on microstructure was consistent with the SIPA creep mechanism but a high stress enhanced bias had to be assumed to account for the creep rates. Also, SIPA was unable to account for the observed creep strains. The modeling utilized rate theory calculations of point defect fluxes and transmission electron microscopy for sink sizes and densities

Microstructural defects in EUROFER 97 after different neutron irradiation conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Dethloff

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Characterization of irradiation induced microstructural evolution is essential for assessing the applicability of structural steels like the Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steel EUROFER 97 in upcoming fusion reactors. In this work Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM is used to determine the defect microstructure after different neutron irradiation conditions. In particular dislocation loops, voids and precipitates are analyzed concerning defect nature, density and size distribution after irradiation to 15 dpa at 300 °C in the mixed spectrum High Flux Reactor (HFR. New results are combined with previously obtained data from irradiation in the fast spectrum BOR-60 reactor (15 and 32 dpa, 330 °C, which allows for assessment of dose and dose rate effects on the aforementioned irradiation induced defects and microstructural characteristics.

Variations of microstructure and properties of 690 MPa grade low carbon bainitic steel after tempering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Rui [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China); Li, Shengli, E-mail: lishengli@sdu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China); Li, Zhenshun; Tian, Lei [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan Shandong 250061 (China)

2012-12-15

The variations of microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of 690 MPa grade low carbon bainitic steel tempered at different temperatures were investigated with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and double-arm Bridge. The results show that the appearance of granular bainite, decomposition of retained austenite, variations of dislocation density and solid solution of microalloying elements are the main reasons for variations of mechanical properties and electrical resistivity. Electrical resistivity reflects the solution content of microalloying elements and variations of dislocation density, which can be used as a fast and effective way to analyze the microstructure of materials.

Mesoscale modeling and simulation of microstructure evolution during dynamic recrystallization of a Ni-based superalloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Fei [University of Nottingham, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Institute of Forming Technology and Equipment, Shanghai (China); Cui, Zhenshan [Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Institute of Forming Technology and Equipment, Shanghai (China); Ou, Hengan [University of Nottingham, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Long, Hui [University of Sheffield, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

2016-10-15

Microstructural evolution and plastic flow characteristics of a Ni-based superalloy were investigated using a simulative model that couples the basic metallurgical principle of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) with the two-dimensional (2D) cellular automaton (CA). Variation of dislocation density with local strain of deformation is considered for accurate determination of the microstructural evolution during DRX. The grain topography, the grain size and the recrystallized fraction can be well predicted by using the developed CA model, which enables to the establishment of the relationship between the flow stress, dislocation density, recrystallized fraction volume, recrystallized grain size and the thermomechanical parameters. (orig.)

Microstructure and thermal stability of nickel layers electrodeposited from an additive-free sulphamate-based electrolyte

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Anette Alsted; Møller, Per; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2006-01-01

and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction; the Vickers hardness was measured in cross sections. The present is meant as a reference for forthcoming articles on the investigation of various strengthening mechanisms on the microstructure, hardness and thermal stability of Ni (alloys) electrodeposits.......The influences of the current density and the temperature on the microstructure and hardness of Ni layers electrodeposited from an additive-free sulphamate bath were investigated. The microstructure and thermal stability of the electrodeposits was investigated with a combination of transmission...

The three-dimensional microstructure of polycrystalline materials unravelled by synchrotron light

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ludwig, W.; King, A.; Herbig, M.

2011-01-01

The three-dimensional microstructure of polycrystalline materials unravelled by synchrotron light Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging and diffraction techniques offer new possibilities for non-destructive bulk characterization of polycrystalline materials. Minute changes in electron density (diff...

Relationships between microstructure and microfissuring in alloy 718

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, R. G.

1985-01-01

Microfissures which occur in the weld heat affected zone of alloy 718 can be a limiting factor in the material's weldability. Several studies have attempted to relate microfissuring susceptibility to processing conditions, microstructure, and/or heat-to-heat chemistry differences. The present investigation studies the relationships between microstructure and microfissuring by isolating a particular microstructural feature and measuring microfissuring as a function of that feature. Results to date include the identification of a microstructure-microfissure sequence, microfissuring susceptibility as a function of grain size, and microfissuring susceptibility as a function of solution annealing time.

Production of litter and detritus related to the density of mangrove

Science.gov (United States)

Budi Mulya, Miswar; Arlen, HJ

2018-03-01

Research about the production of leaf litter and detritus related to the density of mangrove trees has been done. The aims of this research are to know and analyze the amount of litter and detritus produced to the density of mangrove trees. The production and collection of leaf litter were carried out in five stations. Production of detritus and decomposition rate were calculated by measuring its dry weight. The density and level of mangrove trees were determined using transect quadratic method. The relationship between the leaf litter and detritus production ratio related to mangrove density were then analyzed. Results showed that mangrove trees with the density of 766.67 ind ha‑1 ccould produce the amount of litter and detritus to about 28597.33 gha‑1day‑1and 1099.35 gha‑1day‑1 while mangrove trees with the density of 1300 ind ha‑1 could produce the amount of litter and detritus to about 35093.33 g/ha/day and 1216.68 gha‑1day‑1 respectively. Data analysis showed that the increment of mangrove density is linearly related to the production increment of litter and detritus.

Microstructural stability of a self-ion irradiated lanthana-bearing nanostructured ferritic steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasebani, Somayeh; Charit, Indrajit; Burns, Jatuporn; Price, Lloyd M.; M Univ., College Station, TX; Shao, Lin; M Univ., College Station, TX

2015-01-01

Thermally stable nanofeatures with high number density are expected to impart excellent high temperature strength and irradiation stability in nanostructured ferritic steels (NFSs) which have potential applications in advanced nuclear reactors. A lanthana-bearing NFS (14LMT) developed via mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering was used in this study. The sintered samples were irradiated by Fe 2+ ions to 10, 50 and 100 dpa at 30 °C and 500 °C. Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of the irradiated samples were studied using different microscopy techniques and nanoindentation, respectively. Overall morphology and number density of the nanofeatures remained unchanged after irradiation. Average radius of nanofeatures in the irradiated sample (100 dpa at 500 °C) was slightly reduced. A notable level of irradiation hardening and enhanced dislocation activity occurred after ion irradiation except at 30 °C and ≥50 dpa. Other microstructural features like grain boundaries and high density of dislocations also provided defect sinks to assist in defect removal.

Evolution of microstructure of U-Mo alloys in as cast and sintered forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, V.P.; Hegde, P.V.; Prasad, G.J.; Kamath, H.S.; Dey, G.K.

2009-01-01

Over the years U 3 Si 2 compound dispersed in aluminium matrix has been successfully used as potential Low Enriched Uranium (LEU 235 ) base dispersion fuel in new research and test reactors and also for converting High Enriched Uranium (HEU > 85% U 235 ) cores to LEU in most of the existing research and test reactors. The maximum density achievable with U 3 Si 2 -AI dispersion fuel is around 4.8 g U cm -3 . To achieve a uranium density of 8.0 to 9.0 g U cm -3 in dispersion fuel with aluminium as matrix material, it is required to use γ-stabilized uranium metal powders. At Metallic Fuels Division, R and D efforts are on to develop these high density uranium alloys. Molybdenum plays a crucial role in metastabilising the γ-phase of uranium at room temperature which is very much evident when we see the microstructures of different U-Mo alloys with varying molybdenum concentration as solute atom. The paper describes the role of molybdenum in imparting metastability in U-Mo alloys from their microstructures in as cast and sintered forms. The paper also covers the role of tailored microstructure in U-Mo alloy for the purpose of hydriding and dehydriding treatment to generate alloy powders. (author)

Microstructures and critical currents in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suenaga, Masaki

1998-01-01

Microstructural defects are the primary determining factors for the values of critical-current densities in a high T c superconductor after the electronic anisotropy along the a-b plane and the c-direction. A review is made to assess firstly what would be the maximum achievable critical-current density in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 if nearly ideal pinning sites were introduced and secondly what types of pinning defects are currently introduced or exist in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and how effective are these in pinning vortices

Non-linear effects of initial melt temperatures on microstructures and mechanical properties during quenching process of liquid Cu{sub 46}Zr{sub 54} alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mo, Yun-Fei [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Liu, Rang-Su, E-mail: liurangsu@sina.com [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Tian, Ze-An; Liang, Yong-Chao [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Zhang, Hai-Tao [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China); Department of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Changsha University, Changsha 410003 (China); Hou, Zhao-Yang [Department of Applied Physics, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064 (China); Liu, Hai-Rong [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Zhang, Ai-long [College of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde 415000 (China); Zhou, Li-Li [Department of Information Engineering, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000 (China); Peng, Ping [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Xie, Zhong [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 (China)

2015-05-15

A MD simulation of liquid Cu{sub 46}Zr{sub 54} alloys has been performed for understanding the effects of initial melt temperatures on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties during quenching process. By using several microstructural analyzing methods, it is found that the icosahedral and defective icosahedral clusters play a key role in the microstructure transition. All the final solidification structures obtained at different initial melt temperatures are of amorphous structures, and their structural and mechanical properties are non-linearly related to the initial melt temperatures, and fluctuated in a certain range. Especially, there exists a best initial melt temperature, from which the glass configuration possesses the highest packing density, the optimal elastic constants, and the smaller extent of structural softening under deforming.

Effects of TiN nanoparticles on the microstructure and properties of W–30Cu composites prepared via electroless plating and powder metallurgy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Li-Mei; Luo, Lai-Ma; Zhao, Mei-Ling; Luo, Guang-Nan; Zhu, Xiao-Yong; Cheng, Ji-Gui; Zan, Xiang; Wu, Yu-Cheng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • TiN-doped W–Cu composite was successfully prepared by electroless plating and powder metallurgy. • TiN-doped W–Cu significantly affected the microstructure and properties of the composites. • W–Cu composite with 0.25 wt.% TiN possesses the best comprehensive performance. - Abstract: W–30Cu/(0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2) wt.% TiN composites were prepared via electroless plating with simplified pretreatment and powder metallurgy. The phase and morphology of W–Cu/TiN composite powders and sintered W–Cu/TiN samples were characterized via X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to characterize the microstructure of the sintered W–Cu/TiN samples. The relative density, hardness, electrical conductivity, and compressive strength of the sintered samples were examined. Results showed that W–30Cu composite powders with a uniform structure can be obtained using W powder pretreated with nitric acid, ammonium fluoride, and hydrofluoric acid followed by electroless Cu plating. The addition of TiN nanoparticles significantly affected the microstructure and properties of the W–30Cu composites. A good combination of the compressive strength and hardness of the W–30Cu composite material can be obtained by incorporating the TiN additive at 0.25 wt.%. However, the relative density and electrical conductivity slightly decreased

Microstructural influence on the local behaviour of 16MND5 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekfali, S.

2004-06-01

16MND5 Steel or A508 Cl3 is used for manufacture by forging of nuclear reactor vessels. This material presents a good compromise in term of tenacity and yield stress, its microstructure is mainly bainitic tempered. Because of the chemical composition local variation and process of development, this material presents microstructural heterogeneities which can locally modify the properties of damage. In particular, some zones present a martensitic microstructure. The goal of this thesis is to bring some explanations on the influence of the microstructure; more particularly, size of the crystallographic entities and their spatial distribution on the local behaviour of 16MND5 steel. Two microstructures were elaborated for this purpose, a tempered bainitic microstructure and a tempered martensitic microstructure. An experimental characterization was carried out on the two microstructures in order to determine morphology, spatial distribution of the crystallographic orientations and tensile behaviour. A deposit of micro grid was carried out on tensile specimens to determine the experimental deformation field on a beforehand EBSD analyzed zone. The determination of the tensile behaviour allowed the identification of a multi crystalline behaviour law by a reverse method using the density of dislocation on each system of slip. This behaviour law was used in simulations with a finite element method to simulate the local mechanical field of the two microstructures and to compare with the obtained experimental deformation fields. It results, a good adequacy between simulations and experiments and the description of the influence of the neighbor grain's orientation on the local behaviour. (author)

Microstructure of Homoepitaxial SrTiO3 Films Deposited by Laser Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tse, Y Y; Jackson, T J; Koutsonas, Y; Passerieux, G; Jones, I P

2006-01-01

Homoepitaxial strontium titanate thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on (001) SrTiO 3 (STO) substrates with pulse rates ranging from 0.15 Hz to 100 Hz. The microstructure of the as-deposited films has been characterised by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the growth mode and microstructure of the films are strongly influenced by the intervals between the laser pulses. Films have homogeneous microstructure under a critical thickness, above which the film breaks into toothlike columns. The growth is unstable against the formation of low angle boundaries which result in the formation of grains elongated in the direction of film growth. These become toothlike structures and the size of the tooth depends on the pulse rate and the growth time. The diffusion of point defects in films grown over a long time can lead instead to the development of elongated vacancy clusters directed normal to the film-vacuum interface. All films grow with a high density of point defects which may be related to deviation from the stoichiometry of the ceramic ablation target. Microanalysis suggests that there is strontium loss in the film, which causes defect formation inside the STO films

Effects of SYN1Q555X mutation on cortical gray matter microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabana, Jean-François; Gilbert, Guillaume; Létourneau-Guillon, Laurent; Safi, Dima; Rouleau, Isabelle; Cossette, Patrick; Nguyen, Dang Khoa

2018-04-19

A new Q555X mutation on the SYN1 gene was recently found in several members of a family segregating dyslexia, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder. To describe the effects of this mutation on cortical gray matter microstructure, we performed a surface-based group study using novel diffusion and quantitative multiparametric imaging on 13 SYN1 Q555X mutation carriers and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. Specifically, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and neurite orientation and dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) were used to analyze multi-shell diffusion data and obtain parametric maps sensitive to tissue structure, while quantitative metrics sensitive to tissue composition (T1, T2* and relative proton density [PD]) were obtained from a multi-echo variable flip angle FLASH acquisition. Results showed significant microstructural alterations in several regions usually involved in oral and written language as well as dyslexia. The most significant changes in these regions were lowered mean diffusivity and increased fractional anisotropy. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to successfully use diffusion imaging and multiparametric mapping to detect cortical anomalies in a group of subjects with a well-defined genotype linked to language impairments, epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical properties and microstructure study of stainless steel 316L alloy fabricated by selective laser melting

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Nurul Kamariah Md Saiful; Harun, Wan Sharuzi Wan; Ghani, Saiful Anwar Che; Omar, Mohd Asnawi; Ramli, Mohd Hazlen; Ismail, Muhammad Hussain

2017-12-01

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) demonstrates the 21st century's manufacturing infrastructure in which powdered raw material is melted by a high energy focused laser, and built up layer-by-layer until it forms three-dimensional metal parts. SLM process involves a variation of process parameters which affects the final material properties. 316L stainless steel compacts through the manipulation of building orientation and powder layer thickness parameters were manufactured by SLM. The effect of the manipulated parameters on the relative density and dimensional accuracy of the 316L stainless steel compacts, which were in the as-build condition, were experimented and analysed. The relationship between the microstructures and the physical properties of fabricated 316L stainless steel compacts was investigated in this study. The results revealed that 90° building orientation has higher relative density and dimensional accuracy than 0° building orientation. Building orientation was found to give more significant effect in terms of dimensional accuracy, and relative density of SLM compacts compare to build layer thickness. Nevertheless, the existence of large number and sizes of pores greatly influences the low performances of the density.

MR-based trabecular bone microstructure is not altered in subjects with indolent systemic mastocytosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Thomas; Karampinos, Dimitrios C; Brockow, Knut; Seifert-Klauss, Vanadin; Jungmann, Pia M; Biedermann, Tilo; Rummeny, Ernst J; Bauer, Jan S; Müller, Dirk

2015-01-01

Subjects with indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) have an increased risk for osteoporosis. It has been demonstrated that trabecular bone microstructure analysis improves the prediction of bone strength beyond dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-based bone mineral density. The purpose of this study was to obtain Magnetic Resonance (MR)-based trabecular bone microstructure parameters as advanced imaging biomarkers in subjects with ISM (n=18) and compare them with those of normal controls (n=18). Trabecular bone microstructure parameters were not significantly (P>.05) different between subjects with ISM and controls. These findings revealed important pathophysiological information about ISM-associated osteoporosis and may limit the use of trabecular bone microstructure analysis in this clinical setting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microstructure of bentonite in relation to its physical properties within nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laine, E.

1998-01-01

High-level nuclear waste in Finland is planned to be placed in bedrock at a depth of several hundred metres. The spent fuel containers in boreholes drilled in the floors of deposition tunnels will be surrounded by bentonite blocks. The upper parts of the tunnels will be filled with mixture of bentonite and crushed rock. The behaviour of the bentonite around the containers during several years after deposition of nuclear waste should be predicted. In the present report, a short literature study of the microstructure of bentonite is presented. The report concentrates on bentonite MX-80. The use of stochastic imaging of microstructure was tested by using the Boolean simulation. Using stochastic imaging, the effect of changes of bentonite microstructure on its physical properties can be evaluated and predicted. (orig.)

A microstructurally based fracture model for nuclear graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burchell, T.D.

1991-01-01

This paper reports the physical basis of, and assumptions behind, a fracture model for nuclear graphites. Microstructurally related inputs, such as filler particle size, filler particle fracture toughness (K Ic ), density, pore size distribution, number of pores and specimen geometry (size and volume), are utilized in the model. The model has been applied to two graphites, Great Lakes Carbon Corporation grade H-451 and Toyo Tanso grade IG-110. For each graphite, the predicted tensile failure probabilities are compared with experimental data generated using ASTM Standard C-749 tensile test specimens. The predicted failure probabilities are in close agreement with the experimental data, particularly in the case of the H-451. The model is also shown to qualitatively predict the influence on the failure probabilities of changes in filler particle size, density, pore size, pore size distribution, number of pores and specimen geometry (stressed volume). The good performance is attributed to the sound physical basis of the model, which recognizes the dominant role of porosity in controlling crack initiation and propagation during graphite fracture. 8 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab

The influence of sintering temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni-Al intermetallics fabricated by SPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thömmes, A., E-mail: thoemmes.alexander@gmail.com; Shevtsova, L. I., E-mail: edeliya2010@mail.ru; Laptev, I. S., E-mail: ilya-laptev-nstu@mail.ru; Mul, D. O., E-mail: ddariol@yandex.ru [Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk, 630073 (Russian Federation); Mali, V. I., E-mail: vmali@mail.ru; Anisimov, A. G., E-mail: anis@hydro.nsc.ru [Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation)

2015-10-27

In the present study PN85Yu15 was used as elemental powder to produce a sintered compound with Ni3Al as main phase. The Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique is used to compact the powders. The powder was sintered in a temperature range between 1000°C and 1150°C to observe the influence of the sintering temperature on the microstructure and the mechanical properties. The microstructure was observed with optical microscope (OM), the phase composition was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Density and microhardness were observed and compared the values with the results of other researchers. The compressive-, density- and microhardness tests show as clear result that with increasing the sintering temperature nearly all properties become better and also the microstructure studies show that porous places become less.

Microstructure, mechanical behavior and biocompatibility of powder metallurgy Nb-Ti-Ta alloys as biomedical material.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jue; Chang, Lin; Liu, Hairong; Li, Yongsheng; Yang, Hailin; Ruan, Jianming

2017-02-01

Microstructures, mechanical properties, apatite-forming ability and in vitro experiments were studied for Nb-25Ti-xTa (x=10, 15, 20, 25, 35at.%) alloys fabricated by powder metallurgy. It is confirmed that the alloys could achieve a relative density over 80%. Meanwhile, the increase in Ta content enhances the tensile strength, elastic modulus and hardness of the as-sintered alloys. When increasing the sintering temperatures, the microstructure became more homogeneous for β phase, resulting in a decrease in the modulus and strength. Moreover, the alloys showed a good biocompatibility due to the absence of cytotoxic elements, and were suitable for apatite formation and cell adhesion. In conclusion, Nb-25Ti-xTa alloys are potentially useful in biomedical applications with their mechanical and biological properties being evaluated in this work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of microstructure on light ion irradiation creep in nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henager, C.H. Jr.; Simonen, E.P.; Bradley, E.R.; Stang, R.G.

1983-01-01

The concept of inhomogeneous slip or localized deformation is introduced to account for a weak dependence of irradiation creep on initial microstructure. Specimens of pure nickel (Ni) with three different microstructures were irradiated at 473 K with 15-17 MeV deuterons in the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) light ion irradiation creep apparatus. A dispersed barrier model for Climb-Glide (CG) creep was unable to account for the observed creep rates and creep strains. The weak dependence on microstructure was consistent with the Stress Induced Preferential Absorption (SIPA) creep mechanism but a high stress enhanced bias had to be assumed to account for the creep rates. Also, SIPA was unable to account for the observed creep strains. The CG and SIPA modeling utilized rate theory calculations of point defect fluxes and transmission electron microscopy for sink sizes and densities. (orig.)

Microstructural changes and strain hardening effects in abrasive contacts at different relative velocities and temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojacz, H., E-mail: rojacz@ac2t.at [AC2T research GmbH, Viktor-Kaplan-Straße 2C, 2700 Wiener Neustadt (Austria); Mozdzen, G. [Aerospace & Advanced Composites GmbH, Viktor-Kaplan-Straße 2F, 2700 Wiener Neustadt (Austria); Weigel, F.; Varga, M. [AC2T research GmbH, Viktor-Kaplan-Straße 2C, 2700 Wiener Neustadt (Austria)

2016-08-15

Strain hardening is commonly used to reach the full potential of materials and can be beneficial in tribological contacts. 2-body abrasive wear was simulated in a scratch test, aimed at strain hardening effects in various steels. Different working conditions were examined at various temperatures and velocities. Strain hardening effects and microstructural changes were analysed with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), micro hardness measurements and nanoindentation. Statistical analysing was performed quantifying the influence of different parameters on microstructures. Results show a crucial influence of temperature and velocity on the strain hardening in tribological contacts. Increased velocity leads to higher deformed microstructures and higher increased surface hardness at a lower depth of the deformed zones at all materials investigated. An optimised surface hardness can be achieved knowing the influence of velocity (strain rate) and temperature for a “tailor-made” surface hardening in tribological systems aimed at increased wear resistance. - Highlights: •Hardening mechanisms and their intensity in tribological contacts are dependent on relative velocity and temperature. •Beneficial surface hardened zones are formed at certain running-in conditions; the scientific background is presented here. •Ferritic-pearlitic steels strain hardens via grain size reduction and decreasing interlamellar distances in pearlite. •Austenitic steels show excellent surface hardening (120% hardness increase) by twinning and martensitic transformation. •Ferritic steels with hard phases harden in the ferrite phase as per Hall-Petch equation and degree of deformation.

Microstructural changes and strain hardening effects in abrasive contacts at different relative velocities and temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojacz, H.; Mozdzen, G.; Weigel, F.; Varga, M.

2016-01-01

Strain hardening is commonly used to reach the full potential of materials and can be beneficial in tribological contacts. 2-body abrasive wear was simulated in a scratch test, aimed at strain hardening effects in various steels. Different working conditions were examined at various temperatures and velocities. Strain hardening effects and microstructural changes were analysed with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), micro hardness measurements and nanoindentation. Statistical analysing was performed quantifying the influence of different parameters on microstructures. Results show a crucial influence of temperature and velocity on the strain hardening in tribological contacts. Increased velocity leads to higher deformed microstructures and higher increased surface hardness at a lower depth of the deformed zones at all materials investigated. An optimised surface hardness can be achieved knowing the influence of velocity (strain rate) and temperature for a “tailor-made” surface hardening in tribological systems aimed at increased wear resistance. - Highlights: •Hardening mechanisms and their intensity in tribological contacts are dependent on relative velocity and temperature. •Beneficial surface hardened zones are formed at certain running-in conditions; the scientific background is presented here. •Ferritic-pearlitic steels strain hardens via grain size reduction and decreasing interlamellar distances in pearlite. •Austenitic steels show excellent surface hardening (120% hardness increase) by twinning and martensitic transformation. •Ferritic steels with hard phases harden in the ferrite phase as per Hall-Petch equation and degree of deformation.

Evolution of microstructure in zirconium alloy core components of nuclear reactors during service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, M.; Coleman, C.E.; Holt, R.A.; Sagat, S.; Urbanic, V.F.; Chow, C.K.

1993-03-01

X-ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy have been used to characterise microstructural and microchemical changes produced by neutron irradiation of Zr-2.5Nb, Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 nuclear reactor core components. In many cases there is a clear relationship between the radiation damage microstructure and the physical properties of in-service core components. For example, the difference in delayed hydride cracking velocity between the inlet and outlet ends of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes in pressurised heavy water reactors can be directly correlated with variations in a-dislocation density and β-Zr phase decomposition. For the same tubes, the variation of fracture toughness has the same fluence dependence as dislocation loop density and improvements in corrosion behaviour can be linked with decreases in the Nb concentration in the α-Zr matrix due to Nb precipitation during irradiation. For pressurised water reactors and boiling water reactors the onset of 'breakaway' growth in Zircaloy-4 guide tubes can be directly correlated with the appearance of basal plane dislocation loops in the microstructure. (author). 37 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs

Evolution of microstructure in zirconium alloy core components of nuclear reactors during service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffiths, M; Coleman, C E; Holt, R A; Sagat, S; Urbanic, V F [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada). Chalk River Nuclear Labs.; Chow, C K [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment

1993-03-01

X-ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy have been used to characterise microstructural and microchemical changes produced by neutron irradiation of Zr-2.5Nb, Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 nuclear reactor core components. In many cases there is a clear relationship between the radiation damage microstructure and the physical properties of in-service core components. For example, the difference in delayed hydride cracking velocity between the inlet and outlet ends of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes in pressurised heavy water reactors can be directly correlated with variations in a-dislocation density and {beta}-Zr phase decomposition. For the same tubes, the variation of fracture toughness has the same fluence dependence as dislocation loop density and improvements in corrosion behaviour can be linked with decreases in the Nb concentration in the {alpha}-Zr matrix due to Nb precipitation during irradiation. For pressurised water reactors and boiling water reactors the onset of `breakaway` growth in Zircaloy-4 guide tubes can be directly correlated with the appearance of basal plane dislocation loops in the microstructure. (author). 37 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs.

Microstructural evaluation of the NbC-20Ni cemented carbides during sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, D.; Cannizza, E.

2016-01-01

Full text: Fine carbides in a metallic matrix (binder) form the microstructure of the cemented carbides. Grain size and binder content are the main variables to adjust hardness and toughness. These products are produced by Powder Metallurgy, and traditional route involves mixing carbides with binder by high energy milling, pressing and sintering. During sintering, a liquid phase promotes densification, and a final relative density higher than 99% is expected. Sintering is carried out at high temperatures, and dissolution of the carbides changes the chemical composition of the binder. To control grain growth of the main carbide, which reduces hardness, small quantities of secondary carbides are used. These additives limit dissolution and precipitation of the main carbides reducing the final grain size. This paper focused the structural and chemical evolution during sintering using NbC-20Ni cermets. Mixtures of very fine NbC carbides and carbonyl Ni powders were produce by intense milling. These mixtures were pressed using uniaxial pressures from 50 to 200MPa. Shrinkage was evaluated using dilatometric measurements under an atmosphere of dynamic argon. Samples were also sintered under vacuum in high temperature industrial furnace. The sintered samples were characterized in terms of density hardness, toughness and microstructure. DRX was the main tool used to evaluate the structural evolution of the binder. In situ chemical analysis helped to understand the dissolution mechanisms. (author)

On the link between column density distribution and density scaling relation in star formation regions

Science.gov (United States)

Veltchev, Todor; Donkov, Sava; Stanchev, Orlin

2017-07-01

We present a method to derive the density scaling relation ∝ L^{-α} in regions of star formation or in their turbulent vicinities from straightforward binning of the column-density distribution (N-pdf). The outcome of the method is studied for three types of N-pdf: power law (7/5≤α≤5/3), lognormal (0.7≲α≲1.4) and combination of lognormals. In the last case, the method of Stanchev et al. (2015) was also applied for comparison and a very weak (or close to zero) correlation was found. We conclude that the considered `binning approach' reflects rather the local morphology of the N-pdf with no reference to the physical conditions in a considered region. The rough consistency of the derived slopes with the widely adopted Larson's (1981) value α˜1.1 is suggested to support claims that the density-size relation in molecular clouds is indeed an artifact of the observed N-pdf.

White Matter Microstructure of the Human Mirror Neuron System Is Related to Symptom Severity in Adults with Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Fründt, Odette; Schulz, Robert; Schöttle, Daniel; Cheng, Bastian; Thomalla, Götz; Braaß, Hanna; Ganos, Christos; David, Nicole; Peiker, Ina; Engel, Andreas K.; Bäumer, Tobias; Münchau, Alexander

2018-01-01

Mirror neuron system (MNS) dysfunctions might underlie deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Diffusion tensor imaging based probabilistic tractography was conducted in 15 adult ASD patients and 13 matched, healthy controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was quantified to assess group differences in tract-related white matter microstructure of…

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of porous Ti-6Al-4V parts obtained by selective laser melting.

Science.gov (United States)

Sallica-Leva, E; Jardini, A L; Fogagnolo, J B

2013-10-01

Rapid prototyping allows titanium porous parts with mechanical properties close to that of bone tissue to be obtained. In this article, porous parts of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with three levels of porosity were obtained by selective laser melting with two different energy inputs. Thermal treatments were performed to determine the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical properties. The porous parts were characterized by both optical and scanning electron microscopy. The effective modulus, yield and ultimate compressive strength were determined by compressive tests. The martensitic α' microstructure was observed in all of the as-processed parts. The struts resulting from the processing conditions investigated were thinner than those defined by CAD models, and consequently, larger pores and a higher experimental porosity were achieved. The use of the high-energy input parameters produced parts with higher oxygen and nitrogen content, their struts that were even thinner and contained a homogeneous porosity distribution. Greater mechanical properties for a given relative density were obtained using the high-energy input parameters. The as-quenched martensitic parts showed yield and ultimate compressive strengths similar to the as-processed parts, and these were greater than those observed for the fully annealed samples that had the lamellar microstructure of the equilibrium α+β phases. The effective modulus was not significantly influenced by the thermal treatments. A comparison between these results and those of porous parts with similar geometry obtained by selective electron beam melting shows that the use of a laser allows parts with higher mechanical properties for a given relative density to be obtained. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain microstructure mapping using quantitative and diffusion MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebois, Alice

2014-01-01

), in order to better understand their relations and to explain the observed variability along the fascicles and the interhemispheric asymmetries. The second part was focused on the brain tissue modeling at the cell scale to extract the quantitative parameters characterizing the geometry of the cellular membranes, such as the axonal diameter and the axonal density. A diffusion MRI sequence was developed on the 3 Teslas and 7 Teslas Siemens clinical systems of NeuroSpin which is able to apply any kind of gradient waveforms to fall within an approach where the gradient waveform results from an optimization under the hypothesis of a geometrical tissue model, hardware and time constraints induced by clinical applications. This sequence was applied in the study of fourteen healthy subjects in order to build the first quantitative atlas of the axonal diameter and the local axonal density at 7 T. We also proposed a new geometrical model to model the axon, dividing the axonal compartment, usually modelled using a simple cylinder, into two compartments: one being near the membranes with low diffusivity and one farther from the membranes, less restricted and with higher diffusivity. We conducted a theoretical study showing that under clinical conditions, this new model allows, in part, to overcome the bias induced by the simple cylindrical model leading to a systematic overestimation of the smallest diameters. Finally, in the aim of going further in the physiopathology of the autism, we added to the current 3 T imaging protocol the dMRI sequence developed in the framework of this thesis in order to map the axonal diameter and density. This study is ongoing and should validate shortly the contribution of these new quantitative measures of the microstructure in the comprehension of the atrophies of the corpus callosum, initially observed using less specific diffusion parameters such as the generalized fractional anisotropy. There will be other clinical applications in the future

Overview of microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maziasz, P.J.

1993-01-01

Austenitic stainless steels are important structural materials common to several different reactor systems, including light water and fast breeder fission, and magnetic fusion reactors (LWR, FBR, and MFR, respectively). The microstructures that develop in 300 series austenitic stainless steels during neutron irradiation at 60-700 C include combinations of dislocation loops and networks, bubbles and voids, and various kinds of precipitate phases (radiation-induced, or -enhanced or -modified thermal phases). Many property changes in these steels during neutron irradiation are directly or indirectly related to radiation-induced microstructural evolution. Even more important is the fact that radiation-resistance of such steels during either FBR or MFR irradiation is directly related to control of the evolving microstructure during such irradiation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the large and complex body of data accumulated from various fission reactor irradiation experiments conducted over the many years of research on microstructural evolution in this family of steels. The data can be organized into several different temperature regimes which then define the nature of the dominant microstructural components and their sensitivities to irradiation parameters (dose, helium/dpa ratio, dose rate) or metallurgical variables (alloy composition, pretreatment). The emphasis in this paper will be on the underlying mechanisms driving the microstructure to evolve during irradiation or those enabling microstructural stability related to radiation resistance. (orig.)

Relative Density of Backfilled Soil Material around Monopiles for Offshore Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Søren Peder Hyldal; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Frigaard, Peter

2012-01-01

The relative density of backfilled soil material around offshore monopiles is assessed through experimental testing in the Large Wave Channel (GWK) of the Coastal Research Centre (FZK) in Hannover. The relative density of the backfill material was found to vary between 65 and 80 %. The dependency...... of the relative density of backfill on the maximum pile bending moment is assessed through three-dimensional numerical modeling of a monopile foundation located at the offshore wind farm at Horns Reef, Denmark....

Microstructural characterization of silicon added titanium aluminide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.N.

2009-01-01

Titanium aluminides intermetallic compounds have received great attention during the past decade, since they have the potential, in aircraft and automotive engines, to replace the high density Ni-base superalloys However, these intermetallics possess poor oxidation properties at high temperatures. Previous studies showed that protective alumina scale formation on gamma-TiAl can be obtained by small additions (around 2 at.%) of Ag. In the present study, a number of cast Ti-Al-Si alloys were investigated in relation to transient oxide formation in air at 1300 deg. C. After various oxidation times the oxide composition, microstructure and morphology were studied by combining a number of analysis techniques. The TiAl-Si alloys appear to form Al Ti and Si oxides. However, the formation of silicon oxide at the interface of base metal and scale slows down the oxidation rate significantly. (author)

Effects of white matter microstructure on phase and susceptibility maps.

Science.gov (United States)

Wharton, Samuel; Bowtell, Richard

2015-03-01

To investigate the effects on quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and susceptibility tensor imaging (STI) of the frequency variation produced by the microstructure of white matter (WM). The frequency offsets in a WM tissue sample that are not explained by the effect of bulk isotropic or anisotropic magnetic susceptibility, but rather result from the local microstructure, were characterized for the first time. QSM and STI were then applied to simulated frequency maps that were calculated using a digitized whole-brain, WM model formed from anatomical and diffusion tensor imaging data acquired from a volunteer. In this model, the magnitudes of the frequency contributions due to anisotropy and microstructure were derived from the results of the tissue experiments. The simulations suggest that the frequency contribution of microstructure is much larger than that due to bulk effects of anisotropic magnetic susceptibility. In QSM, the microstructure contribution introduced artificial WM heterogeneity. For the STI processing, the microstructure contribution caused the susceptibility anisotropy to be significantly overestimated. Microstructure-related phase offsets in WM yield artifacts in the calculated susceptibility maps. If susceptibility mapping is to become a robust MRI technique, further research should be carried out to reduce the confounding effects of microstructure-related frequency contributions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Performance of tablet disintegrants: impact of storage conditions and relative tablet density.

Science.gov (United States)

Quodbach, Julian; Kleinebudde, Peter

2015-01-01

Tablet disintegration can be influenced by several parameters, such as storage conditions, type and amount of disintegrant, and relative tablet density. Even though these parameters have been mentioned in the literature, the understanding of the disintegration process is limited. In this study, water uptake and force development of disintegrating tablets are analyzed, as they reveal underlying processes and interactions. Measurements were performed on dibasic calcium phosphate tablets containing seven different disintegrants stored at different relative humidities (5-97%), and on tablets containing disintegrants with different mechanisms of action (swelling and shape recovery), compressed to different relative densities. Disintegration times of tablets containing sodium starch glycolate are affected most by storage conditions, which is displayed in decreased water uptake and force development kinetics. Disintegration times of tablets with a swelling disintegrant are only marginally affected by relative tablet density, whereas the shape recovery disintegrant requires high relative densities for quick disintegration. The influence of relative tablet density on the kinetics of water uptake and force development greatly depends on the mechanism of action. Acquired data allows a detailed analysis of the influence of storage conditions and mechanisms of action on disintegration behavior.

X-ray diffraction study on the microstructure of a Mg-Zn-Y alloy consolidated by high-pressure torsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenei, Peter [Department of Materials Physics, Eoetvoes Lorand University, Budapest, P.O.B. 32, H-1518 (Hungary); Gubicza, Jeno, E-mail: gubicza@metal.elte.hu [Department of Materials Physics, Eoetvoes Lorand University, Budapest, P.O.B. 32, H-1518 (Hungary); Yoon, Eun Yoo; Kim, Hyoung Seop [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-25

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mg{sub 95}Zn{sub 4.3}Y{sub 0.7} powder was consolidated by HPT at RT and 373 K. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The consolidated disks comprised ultrafine grains with high density of dislocations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quasicrystalline dispersoids strengthen the material by increasing the dislocation density. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Twinning in the Mg matrix was marginal during HPT. - Abstract: Mg{sub 95}Zn{sub 4.3}Y{sub 0.7} (at.%) alloy powder produced by an inert gas-atomizer was consolidated by high-pressure torsion (HPT) at room temperature and 373 K. The phase composition and the microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction and the microstructural parameters were correlated to the yield strength. HPT-processing yielded an ultrafine-grained microstructure with high dislocation density, leading to a large yield strength of the samples. Both the gas-atomized powder and the consolidated samples contained an icosahedral Mg{sub 3}YZn{sub 6} phase (I-phase) besides the main phase of {alpha}-Mg. It turned out that the I-phase dispersoids strengthen the consolidated material indirectly by increasing the dislocation density due to their pinning effect.

Investigation of influence of radioactive irradiation on the microstructure of oxide dispersion strengthened steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlasenko, S.V.; Benediktovich, A.I.; Ul'yanenkova, T.A.; O’Konnell, Zh.; Nitling, I.

2015-01-01

The microstructure of unirradiated and irradiated samples of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels was investigated by X-ray diffraction in order to determine the influence of radiation on mechanical properties of steels. The microstructural parameters of ODS steels from measured diffraction profiles were evaluated using an approach where the complex oxide nanoparticles (Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 and Y 4 Al 2 O 9 ) are modeled as spherical inclusions in the steel matrix with coherent boundaries. The proposed method enables processing of diffraction data from materials containing spherical inclusions by treating them as one more source of peak broadening in addition to straight dislocations, and taking into account broadening due to crystallite size and instrumental effects. The microstructural parameters were obtained on the basis of fitting of experimental data by theoretical curve. The parameters of crystallite size distribution modeled by a lognormal distribution function (the median m and the variance σ), the strain anisotropy parameter q, the dislocation density, the dislocation arrangement parameter M, the density of oxide nanoparticles and the nanoparticle radius r 0 were determined for the ODS steel samples. It was established that irradiation has no significant influence on microstructure. The results obtained for physical parameters are in good agreement with the results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). (authors)

Fabrication, phase, microstructure and electrical properties of BNT-doped (Sr,La)TiO{sub 3} ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eaksuwanchai, Preeyakarn; Promsawat, Methee; Jiansirisomboon, Sukanda; Watcharapasorn, Anucha [Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai (Thailand)

2014-08-15

This research studied the effects of Bi{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BNT) doping on the phase, density, microstructure and electrical properties of (Sr,La)TiO{sub 3} (SLTO) ceramics. Separately calcined SLTO and BNT powders were mixed together to form (1-x)SLTO-xBNT (where x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07 mol fraction) compounds that were pressed into pellets and then sintered at 1500 .deg. C for 3 h under ambient atmosphere. The relative bulk densities of all the ceramics were greater than 95% their theoretical values which were confirmed by their nearly zero-porosity microstructure. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated complete solid solutions with a cubic structure and a slight lattice contraction when BNT was added. The electrical conductivity was found to decrease with BNT addition, suggesting a reduced number of mobile charges. The dielectric constant also showed limited polarization due to defect dipoles formed by aliovalent ionic substitution of BNT. Further optimization in terms of composition and defect chemistry could lead to a compound suitable for thermoelectric applications.

Autonomous patterning of cells on microstructured fine particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Iwori; Kawanabe, Masato; Kaneko, Arata

2015-01-01

Regularly patterned cells can clarify cellular function and are required in some biochip applications. This study examines cell patterning along microstructures and the effect of microstructural geometry on selective cellular adhesion. Particles can be autonomously assembled on a soda-lime glass substrate that is chemically patterned by immersion in a suspension of fine particles. By adopting various sizes of fine particles, we can control the geometry of the microstructure. Cells adhere more readily to microstructured fine particles than to flat glass substrate. Silica particles hexagonally packed in 5–40 μm line and space microstructures provide an effective cell scaffold on the glass substrate. Cultured cells tend to attach and proliferate along the microstructured region while avoiding the flat region. The difference in cell adhesion is attributed to their geometries, as both of the silica particles and soda-lime glass are hydrophilic related with cell adhesiveness. After cell seeding, cells adhered to the flat region migrated toward the microstructured region. For most of the cells to assemble on the scaffold, the scaffolding microstructures must be spaced by at most 65 μm. - Highlights: • PS and SiO 2 particles provide effective scaffolds for cells. • Cells that adhere to microstructured particles successfully proliferate and differentiate. • Selective adhesion and growth along the scaffold can be achieved by patterning the fine particle microstructure. • Cells adhered to flat regions migrate toward microstructured regions. • Selective adhesion by cells depends on the microstructural geometry; specifically, on the inter-line spacing

Correlation of microstructure and strain hardening behavior in the ultrafine-grained Nb-bearing dual phase steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghatei Kalashami, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kermanpur, A., E-mail: ahmad_k@cc.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghassemali, E. [Jönköping University, School of Engineering, Department of Materials and Manufacturing, P.O. Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping (Sweden); Najafizadeh, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mazaheri, Y. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65178-38695 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-12-15

Ultrafine-grained dual phase (DP) steels with different Nb contents (0.00, 0.06 and 0.12 wt%) were produced by cold-rolling followed by intercritical annealing of ferrite/martensite starting microstructure at 770 °C for different holding times. Scanning electron microscopy, equipped with electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) detector, nanoindentation and tensile testing were used to characterize microstructural evolutions and their correlations to the strain hardening and fracture behavior. EBSD results confirmed the retardation effect of Nb on recrystallization. It was found that the strains stored in the grains and density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) were increased with the addition of Nb. Strain hardening analysis showed that plastic deformation of the DP steels occurred in three distinct stages, which based on the EBSD results, nanoindentation and fracture analysis, were controlled by microstructural features such martensite volume fraction and size, density of GNDs and individual ferrite and martensite tensile properties.

Martensitic microstructural transformations from the hot stamping, quenching and partitioning process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Heping; Jin Xuejun; Dong Han; Shi Jie

2011-01-01

Hot stamping, which combines forming and quenching in one process, produces high strength steels with limited ductility because the quenching is uncontrolled. A new processing technique has been proposed in which the hot stamping step is followed by a controlled quenching and partitioning process, producing a microstructure containing retained austenite and martensite. To investigate this microstructure, specimens were heated at a rate of 10 deg. C/s to the austenitizing temperature of 900 deg. C, held for 5 min to eliminate thermal gradients, and cooled at a rate of 50 deg. C/s to a quenching temperature of 300 deg. C, which is between the martensite start temperature and the martensite finish temperatures. The resulting microstructure was examined using optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The material produced contains irregular, fragmented martensite plates, a result of the improved strength of the austenite phase and the constraints imposed by a high dislocation density. - Research Highlights: → A novel heat treatment of advanced high strength steels is proposed. → The processing technique is hot stamping plus quenching and partitioning process. → The material produced contains irregular, fragmented martensite plates. → The reason is strength of austenite phase and constraint of dislocation density.

Observation of asphalt binder microstructure with ESEM.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhailenko, P; Kadhim, H; Baaj, H; Tighe, S

2017-09-01

The observation of asphalt binder with the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) has shown the potential to observe asphalt binder microstructure and its evolution with binder aging. A procedure for the induction and identification of the microstructure in asphalt binder was established in this study and included sample preparation and observation parameters. A suitable heat-sampling asphalt binder sample preparation method was determined for the test and several stainless steel and Teflon sample moulds developed, finding that stainless steel was the preferable material. The magnification and ESEM settings conducive to observing the 3D microstructure were determined through a number of observations to be 1000×, although other magnifications could be considered. Both straight run binder (PG 58-28) and an air blown oxidised binder were analysed; their structures being compared for their relative size, abundance and other characteristics, showing a clear evolution in the fibril microstructure. The microstructure took longer to appear for the oxidised binder. It was confirmed that the fibril microstructure corresponded to actual characteristics in the asphalt binder. Additionally, a 'bee' micelle structure was found as a transitional structure in ESEM observation. The test methods in this study will be used for more comprehensive analysis of asphalt binder microstructure. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

The Impact of the Prior Density on a Minimum Relative Entropy Density: A Case Study with SPX Option Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cassio Neri

2014-05-01

Full Text Available We study the problem of finding probability densities that match given European call option prices. To allow prior information about such a density to be taken into account, we generalise the algorithm presented in Neri and Schneider (Appl. Math. Finance 2013 to find the maximum entropy density of an asset price to the relative entropy case. This is applied to study the impact of the choice of prior density in two market scenarios. In the first scenario, call option prices are prescribed at only a small number of strikes, and we see that the choice of prior, or indeed its omission, yields notably different densities. The second scenario is given by CBOE option price data for S&P500 index options at a large number of strikes. Prior information is now considered to be given by calibrated Heston, Schöbel–Zhu or Variance Gamma models. We find that the resulting digital option prices are essentially the same as those given by the (non-relative Buchen–Kelly density itself. In other words, in a sufficiently liquid market, the influence of the prior density seems to vanish almost completely. Finally, we study variance swaps and derive a simple formula relating the fair variance swap rate to entropy. Then we show, again, that the prior loses its influence on the fair variance swap rate as the number of strikes increases.

The role of pores and microstructural heterogeneity on the tooth root fatigue strength of sintered spur gears

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedetti Matteo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The automotive industry employs a considerable amount of sintered parts, mainly as transmission and engine components. Gears are the parts that mostly benefit, in terms of cost saving, from the near net shape P/M technology. However, the porosity along with the heterogeneous microstructure can detrimentally affect the mechanical behaviour, especially the fatigue strength. The possibility of increasing sintered density up to 90% and more, the use of high strength alloys, as well as post sintering treatments have been extensively investigated obtaining consistent increases in the fatigue strength. The present study focuses on the effects of porosity and microstructure on tooth root bending fatigue of small module spur gears. The aim is to investigate the synergistic contribution of pore morphology and microstructure heterogeneity to the initiation of fatigue cracks and to the following crack paths. High density parts produced by high strength pre-alloyed powders were studied. Part of the specimens was case-hardened to obtain a martensitic/bainitic microstructure in the surface layer. Bending fatigue tests up to a fatigue endurance of three million cycles were performed. A careful fractographic analysis was conducted. The obtained results were discussed using the fracture mechanics approach of Murakami, considering the pores as pre-existing defects, whose propagation strongly depends on the microstructural heterogeneity.

Some observations on the relationship between microstructures, fatigue and creep behaviours in a type 316 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, C.A.P.; Lai, J.K.L.; Skelton, R.P.

Comparisons have been made between microstructures in Type 316 steel after high strain fatigue or creep at 625 deg. C and which had been subjected to various pre-test ageing treatments. The microstructures observed in the specimens generally consisted of a three dimensional dislocation network together with 'cells' delineated by dislocation sub-boundaries. In fatigue, under strain control conditions, pre-ageing reduced the dislocation density and coarsened the cell structure produced during test. This was related to less solute hardening and strain induced precipitation after pre-ageing and was accompanied by a lower rate of cyclic strain hardening. During fatigue with dwell, the dislocations introduced led to five times more precipitation than that observed during stress free ageing solution treated material. The 'cell' structure produced by fatigue was retained even after solution treatment at 1050 deg. C. In creep, under constant loads, a coarser and more clearly defined dislocation sub-grain structure developed and its size was not influenced by pre-ageing. However, creep testing after various pre-treatments, including fatigue, demonstrated that the creep resistance was dependent on a combination of solution strengthening, cell size and dislocation density. Consequently prior fatigue considerably increased the creep resistance. The work has demonstrated the microstructural aspects of creep-fatigue interaction and that the use of creep data obtained from solution treated material is likely to lead to errors in creep-fatigue life fraction summations

Microstructural and thermodynamic evaluation of as-cast U-rich U-Zr alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basak, Chandrabhanu; Prasad, G.J.; Kamath, H.S.

2009-01-01

The present study involves evaluation of microstructures and some basic properties of as-cast uranium rich U-Zr alloys; i.e. uranium alloys containing 2wt%, 5wt%, 7wt% and 10 wt% zirconium. Microstructural evaluation, both optical and SEM, with hardness values are reported. It was shown that a definite correlation exists between the microstructure and the hardness of the alloy. Lattice parameter and densities are determined with the help of XRD analysis. Also the phase transformation mechanism is proposed based on the microstructures and XRD analysis. Thermodynamic analysis coupled with the experimental observation reveals that the lamellar structure found in the as-cast U-rich U-Zr alloys originates from the monotectoid reaction (γ→β + γ'). As Zr concentration increases in the alloy the gamma phase can remain in the metastable state even at lower T. So, with increasing Zr content the monotectoid reaction takes place at lower temperature causing generation of finer lamellae. (author)

Quantification of microstructural features in α/β titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiley, J.; Searles, T.; Lee, E.; Kar, S.; Banerjee, R.; Russ, J.C.; Fraser, H.L.

2004-01-01

Mechanical properties of α/β Ti alloys are closely related to their microstructure. The complexity of the microstructural features involved makes it rather difficult to develop models for predicting properties of these alloys. Developing predictive rules-based models for α/β Ti alloys requires a huge database consisting of quantified microstructural data. This in turn requires the development of rigorous stereological procedures capable of quantifying the various microstructural features of interest imaged using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs. In the present paper, rigorous stereological procedures have been developed for quantifying four important microstructural features in these alloys: thickness of Widmanstaetten α laths, colony scale factor, prior β grain size, and volume fraction of Widmanstaetten α laths

Optical fabrication of large area photonic microstructures by spliced lens

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Wentao; Song, Meng; Zhang, Xuehua; Yin, Li; Li, Hong; Li, Lin

2018-05-01

We experimentally demonstrate a convenient approach to fabricate large area photorefractive photonic microstructures by a spliced lens device. Large area two-dimensional photonic microstructures are optically induced inside an iron-doped lithium niobate crystal. The experimental setups of our method are relatively compact and stable without complex alignment devices. It can be operated in almost any optical laboratories. We analyze the induced triangular lattice microstructures by plane wave guiding, far-field diffraction pattern imaging and Brillouin-zone spectroscopy. By designing the spliced lens appropriately, the method can be easily extended to fabricate other complex large area photonic microstructures, such as quasicrystal microstructures. Induced photonic microstructures can be fixed or erased and re-recorded in the photorefractive crystal.

Dispersal patterns of red foxes relative to population density

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Stephen H.; Sargeant, Alan B.

1993-01-01

Factors affecting red fox (Vulpes vulpes) dispersal patterns are poorly understood but warranted investigation because of the role of dispersal in rebuilding depleted populations and transmission of diseases. We examined dispersal patterns of red foxes in North Dakota based on recoveries of 363 of 854 foxes tagged as pups and relative to fox density. Foxes were recovered up to 8.6 years after tagging; 79% were trapped or shot. Straight-line distances between tagging and recovery locations ranged from 0 to 302 km. Mean recovery distances increased with age and were greater for males than females, but longest individual recovery distances were by females. Dispersal distances were not related to population density for males (P = 0.36) or females (P = 0.96). The proportion of males recovered that dispersed was inversely related to population density (r = -0.94; n = 5; P = 0.02), but not the proportion of females (r = -0.49; n = 5; P = 0.40). Dispersal directions were not uniform for either males (P = 0.003) or females (P = 0.006); littermates tended to disperse in similar directions (P = 0.09). A 4-lane interstate highway altered dispersal directions (P = 0.001). Dispersal is a strong innate behavior of red foxes (especially males) that results in many individuals of both sexes traveling far from natal areas. Because dispersal distance was unaffected by fox density, populations can be rebuilt and diseases transmitted long distances regardless of fox abundance.

Determination of Basic Structure-Property Relations for Processing and Modeling in Advanced Nuclear Fuel: Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, Kirk; Parra, Manuel; Peralta, Pedro

2009-01-01

The project objective is to study structure-property relations in solid solutions of nitrides and oxides with surrogate elements to simulate the behavior of fuels of inert matrix fuels of interest to the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), with emphasis in zirconium-based materials. Work with actual fuels will be carried out in parallel in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Three key aspects will be explored: microstructure characterization through measurement of global texture evolution and local crystallographic variations using Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD); determination of mechanical properties, including fracture toughness, quasi-static compression strength, and hardness, as functions of load and temperature, and, finally, development of structure-property relations to describe mechanical behavior of the fuels based on experimental data. Materials tested will be characterized to identify the mechanisms of deformation and fracture and their relationship to microstructure and its evolution. New aspects of this research are the inclusion of crystallographic information into the evaluation of fuel performance and the incorporation of statistical variations of microstructural variables into simplified models of mechanical behavior of fuels that account explicitly for these variations. The work is expected to provide insight into processing conditions leading to better fuel performance and structural reliability during manufacturing and service, as well as providing a simplified testing model for future fuel production

Microstructure taxonomy based on spatial correlations: Application to microstructure coarsening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fast, Tony; Wodo, Olga; Ganapathysubramanian, Baskar; Kalidindi, Surya R.

2016-01-01

To build materials knowledge, rigorous description of the material structure and associated tools to explore and exploit information encoded in the structure are needed. These enable recognition, categorization and identification of different classes of microstructure and ultimately enable to link structure with properties of materials. Particular interest lies in the protocols capable of mining the essential information in large microstructure datasets and building robust knowledge systems that can be easily accessed, searched, and shared by the broader materials community. In this paper, we develop a protocol based on automated tools to classify microstructure taxonomies in the context of coarsening behavior which is important for long term stability of materials. Our new concepts for enhanced description of the local microstructure state provide flexibility of description. The mathematical description of microstructure that capture crucial attributes of the material, although central to building materials knowledge, is still elusive. The new description captures important higher order spatial information, but at the same time, allows down sampling if less information is needed. We showcase the classification protocol by studying coarsening of binary polymer blends and classifying steady state structures. We study several microstructure descriptions by changing the microstructure local state order and discretization and critically evaluate their efficacy. Our analysis revealed the superior properties of microstructure representation is based on the first order-gradient of the atomic fraction.

Banks-Casher-type relation for the BCS gap at high density

OpenAIRE

Kanazawa, Takuya; Wettig, Tilo; Yamamoto, Naoki

2012-01-01

We derive a new Banks-Casher-type relation which relates the density of complex Dirac eigenvalues at the origin to the BCS gap of quarks at high density. Our relation is applicable to QCD and QCD-like theories without a sign problem, such as two-color QCD and adjoint QCD with baryon chemical potential, and QCD with isospin chemical potential. It provides us with a method to measure the BCS gap through the Dirac spectrum on the lattice.

Effects of nano-silica on mechanical performance and microstructure of ultra-high performance concrete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendes, T. M., E-mail: thiagomendes@utfpr.edu.br [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Londrina, PR (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental; Repette, W.L., E-mail: wellington.repette@gmail.br [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Civil; Reis, P.J., E-mail: pjlondrina@yahoo.com.br [Univeridade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), PR (Brazil). Lab. de Fisica Nuclear Aplicada

2017-07-15

The use of nanoparticles in ultra-high strength concretes can result in a positive effect on mechanical performance of these cementitious materials. This study evaluated mixtures containing 10 and 20 wt% of silica fume, for which the optimum nano-silica content was determined, i.e. the quantity of nano-silica that resulted on the higher gain of strength. The physical characterization of raw materials was done in terms of particle size distribution, density and specific surface area. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of materials were obtained through fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. The mechanical performance was evaluated by compressive strength, flexural strength and dynamic elastic modulus measurements. The microstructural analysis of mixtures containing nano-silica was performed by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained results indicate an optimum content of nano-silica of 0.62 wt%, considering compressive and flexural strengths. This performance improvement was directly related to two important microstructural aspects: the packing effect and pozzolanic reaction of nano-silica. (author)

Effects of nano-silica on mechanical performance and microstructure of ultra-high performance concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, T. M.; Repette, W.L.; Reis, P.J.

2017-01-01

The use of nanoparticles in ultra-high strength concretes can result in a positive effect on mechanical performance of these cementitious materials. This study evaluated mixtures containing 10 and 20 wt% of silica fume, for which the optimum nano-silica content was determined, i.e. the quantity of nano-silica that resulted on the higher gain of strength. The physical characterization of raw materials was done in terms of particle size distribution, density and specific surface area. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of materials were obtained through fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. The mechanical performance was evaluated by compressive strength, flexural strength and dynamic elastic modulus measurements. The microstructural analysis of mixtures containing nano-silica was performed by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained results indicate an optimum content of nano-silica of 0.62 wt%, considering compressive and flexural strengths. This performance improvement was directly related to two important microstructural aspects: the packing effect and pozzolanic reaction of nano-silica. (author)

Enhancing Piezoelectric Performance of CaBi2Nb2O9 Ceramics Through Microstructure Control

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huanbei; Zhai, Jiwei

2012-08-01

Calcium bismuth niobate (CaBi2Nb2O9, CBN) is a high-Curie-temperature ( T C) piezoelectric material with relatively poor piezoelectric performance. Attempts were made to enhance the piezoelectric and direct-current (DC) resistive properties of CBN ceramics by increasing their density and controlling their microstructural texture, which were achieved by combining the templated grain growth and hot pressing methods. The modified CBN ceramics with 97.5% relative density and 90.5% Lotgering factor had much higher piezoelectric constant ( d 33 = 20 pC/N) than those prepared by the normal sintering process ( d 33 = 6 pC/N). High-temperature alternating-current (AC) impedance spectroscopy of the CBN ceramics was measured by using an impedance/gain-phase analyzer. Their electrical resistivity was approximately 6.5 × 104 Ω cm at 600°C. Therefore, CBN ceramics can be used for high-temperature piezoelectric applications.

Nutrient density of beverages in relation to climate impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annika Smedman

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The food chain contributes to a substantial part of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and growing evidence points to the urgent need to reduce GHGs emissions worldwide. Among suggestions were proposals to alter food consumption patterns by replacing animal foods with more plant-based foods. However, the nutritional dimensions of changing consumption patterns to lower GHG emissions still remains relatively unexplored. This study is the first to estimate the composite nutrient density, expressed as percentage of Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR for 21 essential nutrients, in relation to cost in GHG emissions of the production from a life cycle perspective, expressed in grams of CO2-equivalents, using an index called the Nutrient Density to Climate Impact (NDCI index. The NDCI index was calculated for milk, soft drink, orange juice, beer, wine, bottled carbonated water, soy drink, and oat drink. Due to low-nutrient density, the NDCI index was 0 for carbonated water, soft drink, and beer and below 0.1 for red wine and oat drink. The NDCI index was similar for orange juice (0.28 and soy drink (0.25. Due to a very high-nutrient density, the NDCI index for milk was substantially higher (0.54 than for the other beverages. Future discussion on how changes in food consumption patterns might help avert climate change need to take both GHG emission and nutrient density of foods and beverages into account.

Effects of deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial pure zirconium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Chao; Wang, Yunpeng; Sang, Deli; Li, Yijun; Jing, Lei; Fu, Ruidong, E-mail: rdfu@ysu.edu.cn; Zhang, Xiangyi

2015-01-15

Highlights: • The microstructure and mechanical properties of DCT-treated Zr were investigated. • DCT induced a change in grain orientation and improved internal stress. • Changes in grain orientation and internal stress increased dislocation density. • Hardness in basal planes was significantly larger than that in prism planes. • Strength levels were high and good ductility could still be achieved after DCT. - Abstract: The effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial pure zirconium were investigated. Experimental results indicated that DCT induced a change in grain orientation and improved internal stress, which in turn increased dislocation density that led to improved hardness. Hardness in basal planes was found to be significantly larger than that in prism planes. Moreover, strength was enhanced in DCT-treated zirconium and the ductility was comparable to that of as-annealed zirconium. This phenomenon was due to the increase in dislocation density and the good ductility resulting from the motion of pre-existing dislocations and specific dislocation configurations. DCT led to the transformation of tensile fracture mode from mixed-rupture characteristics of quasi-cleavage and dimples to quasi-cleavage, thereby increasing compatible deformation capabilities. The possible mechanisms underlying microstructural modification, tensile strength, and hardness improvement were discussed.

Effects of deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial pure zirconium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Chao; Wang, Yunpeng; Sang, Deli; Li, Yijun; Jing, Lei; Fu, Ruidong; Zhang, Xiangyi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The microstructure and mechanical properties of DCT-treated Zr were investigated. • DCT induced a change in grain orientation and improved internal stress. • Changes in grain orientation and internal stress increased dislocation density. • Hardness in basal planes was significantly larger than that in prism planes. • Strength levels were high and good ductility could still be achieved after DCT. - Abstract: The effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial pure zirconium were investigated. Experimental results indicated that DCT induced a change in grain orientation and improved internal stress, which in turn increased dislocation density that led to improved hardness. Hardness in basal planes was found to be significantly larger than that in prism planes. Moreover, strength was enhanced in DCT-treated zirconium and the ductility was comparable to that of as-annealed zirconium. This phenomenon was due to the increase in dislocation density and the good ductility resulting from the motion of pre-existing dislocations and specific dislocation configurations. DCT led to the transformation of tensile fracture mode from mixed-rupture characteristics of quasi-cleavage and dimples to quasi-cleavage, thereby increasing compatible deformation capabilities. The possible mechanisms underlying microstructural modification, tensile strength, and hardness improvement were discussed

Microstructure of ultra high performance concrete containing lithium slag.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhi-Hai; Du, Shi-Gui; Chen, Deng

2018-04-03

Lithium slag (LS) is discharged as a byproduct in the process of the lithium carbonate, and it is very urgent to explore an efficient way to recycle LS in order to protect the environments and save resources. Many available supplementary cementitious materials for partial replacement of cement and/or silica fume (SF) can be used to prepare ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). The effect of LS to replace SF partially by weight used as a supplementary cementitious material (0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of binder) on the compressive strengths and microstructure evolution of UHPC has experimentally been studied by multi-techniques including mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscope and nanoindentation technique. The results show that the use of LS degrades the microstructure of UHPC at early ages, and however, the use of LS with the appropriate content improves microstructure of UHPC at later ages. The hydration products of UHPC are mainly dominated by ultra-high density calcium-silicate-hydrate (UHD C-S-H) and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in UHPC has similar compact microstructure with the matrix. The use of LS improves the hydration degree of UHPC and increases the elastic modulus of ITZ in UHPC. LS is a promising substitute for SF for preparation UHPC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ODS steel fabrication: relationships between process, microstructure and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couvrat, M.

2011-01-01

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steels are promising candidate materials for generation IV and fusion nuclear energy systems thanks to their excellent thermal stability, high-temperature creep strength and good irradiation resistance. Their superior properties are attributed both to their nano-structured matrix and to a high density of Y-Ti-O nano-scale clusters (NCs). ODS steels are generally prepared by Mechanical Alloying of a pre-alloyed Fe-Cr-W-Ti powder with Y 2 O 3 powder. A fully dense bar or tube is then produced from this nano-structured powder by the mean of hot extrusion. The aim of this work was to determine the main parameters of the process of hot extrusion and to understand the link between the fabrication process, the microstructure and the mechanical properties. The material microstructure was characterized at each step of the process and bars were extruded with varying hot extrusion parameters so as to identify the impact of these parameters. Temperature then appeared to be the main parameter having a great impact on microstructure and mechanical properties of the extruded material. We then proposed a cartography giving the microstructure versus the process parameters. Based on these results, it is possible to control very accurately the obtained material microstructure and mechanical properties setting the extrusion parameters. (author) [fr

Al-Co Alloys Prepared by Vacuum Arc Melting: Correlating Microstructure Evolution and Aqueous Corrosion Behavior with Co Content

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Angeliki Lekatou

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Hypereutectic Al-Co alloys of various Co contents (7–20 weight % (wt.% Co were prepared by vacuum arc melting, aiming at investigating the influence of the cobalt content on the microstructure and corrosion behavior. Quite uniform and directional microstructures were attained. The obtained microstructures depended on the Co content, ranging from fully eutectic growth (7 wt.% and 10 wt.% Co to coarse primary Al9Co2 predominance (20 wt.% Co. Co dissolution in Al far exceeded the negligible equilibrium solubility of Co in Al; however, it was hardly uniform. By increasing the cobalt content, the fraction and coarseness of Al9Co2, the content of Co dissolved in the Al matrix, and the hardness and porosity of the alloy increased. All alloys exhibited similar corrosion behavior in 3.5 wt.% NaCl with high resistance to localized corrosion. Al-7 wt.% Co showed slightly superior corrosion resistance than the other compositions in terms of relatively low corrosion rate, relatively low passivation current density and scarcity of stress corrosion cracking indications. All Al-Co compositions demonstrated substantially higher resistance to localized corrosion than commercially pure Al produced by casting, cold rolling and arc melting. A corrosion mechanism was formulated. Surface films were identified.

Annual Screening Mammogram and its Relation to Breast Density

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Sabek EAS

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Current national screening programs totally depend on mammographic evaluation. After increased incidence of breast cancer in women under the age of 35, mammography sensitivity in now a question. Several factors added to decrease sensitivity of mammography, such as increased density in older age groups and increased aggressiveness of tumour biology. All these factors will change the reliability of the screening program. The study is a retrospective study conducted at Ain Shams University. Method: 138 patients diagnosed with cancer breast underwent both mammography and sonography to determine percentage of patient with more than one focus, age and density distribution breast cancer in the affected patient and accuracy of both mammography and US. Results: By studying this population, we found that around 61,44% have areas of density ranging from dense breast, heterogenous density or scattered density. These areas of density render the mammography a less sensitive tool as its sensitivity fall to 34.09%, while that of US was 77.27%. Conclusion: As breast cancer is prevalent in younger population, also with increased density in older population who are relatively insensitive to mammography, we recommended the use of Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS in the national screening program.

Additive manufacturing of metals: a brief review of the characteristic microstructures and properties of steels, Ti-6Al-4V and high-entropy alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Gorsse, Stéphane; Hutchinson, Christopher; Gouné, Mohamed; Banerjee, Rajarshi

2017-01-01

Abstract We present a brief review of the microstructures and mechanical properties of selected metallic alloys processed by additive manufacturing (AM). Three different alloys, covering a large range of technology readiness levels, are selected to illustrate particular microstructural features developed by AM and clarify the engineering paradigm relating process–microstructure–property. With Ti-6Al-4V the emphasis is placed on the formation of metallurgical defects and microstructures induced by AM and their role on mechanical properties. The effects of the large in-built dislocation density, surface roughness and build atmosphere on mechanical and damage properties are discussed using steels. The impact of rapid solidification inherent to AM on phase selection is highlighted for high-entropy alloys. Using property maps, published mechanical properties of additive manufactured alloys are graphically summarized and compared to conventionally processed counterparts. PMID:28970868

Predicting the in-reactor mechanical behavior of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes from postirradiation microstructural examination data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, M.; Davies, P.H.; Davies, W.G.; Sagat, S.

2002-01-01

Postirradiation microstructure examinations of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes removed from service in CANDU reactors have shown clear trends in the dislocation structure and the state of the β-phase, as a function of operating temperature, neutron flux, and time. These microstructural parameters correlate well with changes in the mechanical properties. For example, the rapid increase in dislocation loop density in the early stages of irradiation corresponds with a rapid increase in tensile strength and DHC velocity, and a corresponding decrease in fracture toughness. There is also a strong negative correlation between the degree of β-phase decomposition and DHC velocity. In addition to the effects of microstructure evolution on the mechanical properties, changes in the a-type and c-component dislocation loop densities also affect irradiation deformation (creep and growth). Statistical analyses of the irradiation microstructure data have been used to derive empirical relationships between dislocation densities and β-phase structure with temperature, flux, and time. The relationships thus derived are useful in predicting where the mechanical properties are most affected by the in-reactor operating conditions. The predictions are compared with mechanical test data for samples from various axial and circumferential locations of 42 pressure tubes removed from operating CANDU reactors. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms controlling tensile strength, fracture, delayed-hydride-cracking, and in-reactor deformation. (author)

The epoxy resin variation effect on microstructure and physical properties to improve bonded NdFeB flux magnetic density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusnaeni, N.; Sarjono, Priyo; Muljadi; Noer, Nasrudin

2016-01-01

NdFeB magnets have been fabricated from a mixture of powder NdFeB (MPQ-B+) and epoxy resins (ER) with a variation of 0% wt, 2% wt, 4% wt and 6% wt. The pellets samples were made by pressing 4 tons of the mixture powder at room temperature before curing at 100°C for 1 hour. The SEM-EDX results showed the microstructure with ER were evenly smeared the NdFeB magnetic particles due to higher percent C and lower transition metals value. Sample with 2% wt epoxy resin was able to achieve the highest density of 5.35 g/cm 3 and the highest magnetic flux of 2121 Gauss. The magnetic properties characterization using the permagraph indicates that the sample pellets with 2% wt epoxy resin has a value of remanence (Br) = 4.92 kG, coercivity (Hc) = 7.76 kOe, and energy product (Bhmax) = 4.58 MGOe. Despite low remanence value in the pellet samples, the resistance to demagnetization value was still acceptable. (paper)

The epoxy resin variation effect on microstructure and physical properties to improve bonded NdFeB flux magnetic density

Science.gov (United States)

Rusnaeni, N.; Sarjono, Priyo; Muljadi; Noer, Nasrudin

2016-11-01

NdFeB magnets have been fabricated from a mixture of powder NdFeB (MPQ-B+) and epoxy resins (ER) with a variation of 0% wt, 2% wt, 4% wt and 6% wt. The pellets samples were made by pressing 4 tons of the mixture powder at room temperature before curing at 100°C for 1 hour. The SEM-EDX results showed the microstructure with ER were evenly smeared the NdFeB magnetic particles due to higher percent C and lower transition metals value. Sample with 2% wt epoxy resin was able to achieve the highest density of 5.35 g/cm3 and the highest magnetic flux of 2121 Gauss. The magnetic properties characterization using the permagraph indicates that the sample pellets with 2% wt epoxy resin has a value of remanence (Br) = 4.92 kG, coercivity (Hc) = 7.76 kOe, and energy product (Bhmax) = 4.58 MGOe. Despite low remanence value in the pellet samples, the resistance to demagnetization value was still acceptable.

Spinning solutions in general relativity with infinite central density

Science.gov (United States)

Flammer, P. D.

2018-05-01

This paper presents general relativistic numerical simulations of uniformly rotating polytropes. Equations are developed using MSQI coordinates, but taking a logarithm of the radial coordinate. The result is relatively simple elliptical differential equations. Due to the logarithmic scale, we can resolve solutions with near-singular mass distributions near their center, while the solution domain extends many orders of magnitude larger than the radius of the distribution (to connect with flat space-time). Rotating solutions are found with very high central energy densities for a range of adiabatic exponents. Analytically, assuming the pressure is proportional to the energy density (which is true for polytropes in the limit of large energy density), we determine the small radius behavior of the metric potentials and energy density. This small radius behavior agrees well with the small radius behavior of large central density numerical results, lending confidence to our numerical approach. We compare results with rotating solutions available in the literature, which show good agreement. We study the stability of spherical solutions: instability sets in at the first maximum in mass versus central energy density; this is also consistent with results in the literature, and further lends confidence to the numerical approach.

Effects of curing time and line addition on the microstructure and physical properties of hydrated burnt clay-lime mixes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajjaji, M.; Mleza, Y.

2012-01-01

The change of the microstructure of hydrated burnt illitic-kaolinitic clay-lime blends as a fonction of curing time and line addition were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The relation between physical properties - bending strenght, density and water absorption - and the operating factors were formulated using response surface methodology. It was found that floculation-agglomeration, carbonation and hydrates formation where the main happening transformations. The pozzolanic reactions essentially involved metakaolin, derived from heated kaolinite. Based on the RSM results, both factors had positive effects on the strength and their interactions were synergistic. However, they manifested opposite effects and significant antaginistic interactions on density and water absorption

Microstructural, densitometric and metabolic variations in bones from rats with normal or altered skeletal states.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew N Luu

Full Text Available High resolution μCT, and combined μPET/CT have emerged as non-invasive techniques to enhance or even replace dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA as the current preferred approach for fragility fracture risk assessment. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of µPET/CT imaging to differentiate changes in rat bone tissue density and microstructure induced by metabolic bone diseases more accurately than current available methods.Thirty three rats were divided into three groups of control, ovariectomy and vitamin-D deficiency. At the conclusion of the study, animals were subjected to glucose ((18FDG and sodium fluoride (Na(18F PET/CT scanning. Then, specimens were subjected to µCT imaging and tensile mechanical testing.Compared to control, those allocated to ovariectomy and vitamin D deficiency groups showed 4% and 22% (significant increase in (18FDG uptake values, respectively. DXA-based bone mineral density was higher in the vitamin D deficiency group when compared to the other groups (cortical bone, yet μCT-based apparent and mineral density results were not different between groups. DXA-based bone mineral density was lower in the ovariectomy group when compared to the other groups (cancellous bone; yet μCT-based mineral density results were not different between groups, and the μCT-based apparent density results were lower in the ovariectomy group compared to the other groups.PET and micro-CT provide an accurate three-dimensional measurement of the changes in bone tissue mineral density, as well as microstructure for cortical and cancellous bone and metabolic activity. As osteomalacia is characterized by impaired bone mineralization, the use of densitometric analyses may lead to misinterpretation of the condition as osteoporosis. In contrast, µCT alone and in combination with the PET component certainly provides an accurate three-dimensional measurement of the changes in both bone tissue mineral density, as well as

Effect of initial as-cast microstructure on semisolid microstructure of AZ91D alloy during the strain-induced melt activation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.G.; Lin, H.Q.; Li, Y.Q.; Jiang, Q.C.

2008-01-01

The effects of different as-cast microstructures which were initially cast in graphite, metal, sand and firebrick moulds, respectively on the semisolid microstructure of AZ91D alloy, have been investigated during the strain-induced melt activation (SIMA) process. The experimental results showed that the moulds with high cooling capacity could produce the fine-grained as-cast microstructure in which the fine α-Mg dendrites were surrounded by a narrow layer of eutectic mixtures. After compressive deformation, in the fine-grained as-cast microstructure, the more systemic strain energy would be gradually accumulated and abundantly stored due to uniform inner crystal lattice distortion, so the recrystallization was easily induced by the stored strain energy at the elevated temperature. As a channel for the diffusion of atoms, the subgrain boundary along which Al element was enriched, foremost melted above the eutectic temperature and resulted in the separation of neighboring subgrains from primary dendrites. Therefore, the refining role of recrystallization on the microstructural evolution from dendrite to globular particles in morphology was easier to play in the fine-grained as-cast microstructure, which was advantageous for the production of fine-grained semisolid microstructure. Additionally, in the fine-grained as-cast microstructure, the melting fracture of narrow secondary dendritic arms was easy to occur in their roots, which also attributed to the production of fine globular grains in semisolid microstructure from primary dendrites. The finer dendrites in the initial as-cast alloy could evolve into the finer globular grains with relatively small grain size distribution range in the semisolid microstructure during partial remelting; therefore, the finer the dendrites in the initial as-cast microstructure, the better were the tensile properties of the evolved semisolid microstructure

Melanin-based color of plumage: role of condition and of feathers' microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alba, Liliana; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Spencer, Karen A.; Heidinger, Britt J.; Gill, Lisa; Evans, Neil P.; Monaghan, Pat; Handel, Colleen M.; Shawkey, Matthew D.

2014-01-01

Whether melanin-based colors honestly signal a bird's condition during the growth of feathers is controversial, and it is unclear if or how the physiological processes underlying melanogenesis or color-imparting structural feather microstructure may be adversely affected by condition. Here we report results from two experiments designed to measure the effect of condition on expression of eumelanic and pheomelanic coloration in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), respectively. In chickadees, we compared feathers of birds affected and unaffected by avian keratin disorder, while in zebra finches we compared feathers of controls with feathers of those subjected to an unpredictable food supply during development. In both cases we found that control birds had brighter feathers (higher total reflectance) and more barbules, but similar densities of melanosomes. In addition, the microstructure of the feathers explained variation in color more strongly than did melanosome density. Together, these results suggest that melanin-based coloration may in part be condition-dependent, but that this may be driven by changes in keratin and feather development, rather than melanogenesis itself. Researchers should be cautious when assigning variation in melanin-based color to melanin alone and microstructure of the feather should be taken into account.

Microstructure in Zircaloy Creep Tested in the R2 Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersson, Kjell

2004-12-01

Tubular specimens of Zircaloy-4 have been creep tested in bending in the R2 reactor in Studsvik. The creep deformation in the reactor core is accelerated in comparison with creep deformation outside the reactor core. The possible mechanisms behind this behaviour are described briefly. In order to determine which the actual mechanism is, the microstructure of the material creep tested in the R2 reactor has been examined by transmission electron microscopy. Due to the bending, material subjected to both tensile and compressive stress during creep was available. Since some of the proposed mechanisms might give microstructures which are different when the material is subjected to compressive or tensile stress it was assumed that examination of both types of material would give valuable information with regard to the operating mechanism. The result of the examination was that in the as-irradiated condition there were no obvious differences detected between materials which had been deformed in tension or compression. After a heat treatment to coarsen the irradiation induced microstructure there were still no significant differences between the two types of material. However it was now observed that in addition to dislocation loops the microstructure also contained network dislocations which presumably had been invisible in the electron microscope before heat treatment due to the high density of small dislocation loops in this state. It is therefore concluded that the most probable mechanism for irradiation creep in this case is climb and glide of the network dislocations. The role of irradiation is two-fold: It accelerates climb due to the production of point defects of which more interstitials than vacancies arrive to the network dislocations stopped at an obstacles. This leads to a net climb after which a dislocation is released from the obstacle and an amount of glide takes place. The second effect is the production of loops which serve as an increasing density of

Encapsulation of low density plastic foam materials for the fast ignition realization experiment (FIREX). Control of microstructure and density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Keiji; Yang, H.; Iwamoto, A.

2008-10-01

Development of foam capsule fabrication for cryogenically cooled fuel targets is overviewed in the present paper. The fabrication development was initiated as a part of the Fast Ignition Realization Experiment (FIREX) Project at the ILE, Osaka University in the way of bilateral collaboration between Osaka University and National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS). A foam cryogenic target was designed where low-density foam shells with a conical light guide will be cooled down to the cryogenic temperature and will be fueled through a narrow pipe. The required diameter and thickness of the capsule are 500 μm and 20 μm, respectively. The material should be low-density plastics foam. We have prepared such capsules using 1) mixtureing a new material of (phloroglucinolcarboxylic acid)/formalin (PF) linear polymer to control kinematic viscosity of the precursor, 2) phase-transfer-catalyzed gelation process to keep density matching of three phases of the emulsion. 3) non-volatile silicone oil as outer oil of emulsion in order to prevent hazard halogenated hydrocarbon and flammable mineral oil. The obtained foam capsule had fine structure of 180 nm (outer surface) to 220 nm (inner surface) and uniform thickness reaching to resolution limit of optical analysis (∼0.5 μm). A small hole was made before the solvent exchange and the drying process to prevent distortion due to volume changes. The density of dried foam was 0.29 g/cm 3 . After attaching the petawatt laser guiding cone and fueling glass tube, poly([2,2]paracyclophane) was coated on the foam surface and supplied for a fueling test of cryogenic hydrogen. Generally, lower density is from larger pore, then precise control of thickness and its encapsulation becomes more difficult. We have clarified the relation between pore size and preparation conditions using several precursor materials, and revealed how to control pore size of low density foams, where the solvent affinity for the polymer chain plays fundamental

One-step fabrication of nanostructure-covered microstructures using selective aluminum anodization based on non-uniform electric field

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yong Min; Kim, Byeong Hee; Seo, Young Ho

2016-06-01

This paper presents a selective aluminum anodization technique for the fabrication of microstructures covered by nanoscale dome structures. It is possible to fabricate bulging microstructures, utilizing the different growth rates of anodic aluminum oxide in non-uniform electric fields, because the growth rate of anodic aluminum oxide depends on the intensity of electric field, or current density. After anodizing under a non-uniform electric field, bulging microstructures covered by nanostructures were fabricated by removing the residual aluminum layer. The non-uniform electric field induced by insulative micropatterns was estimated by computational simulations and verified experimentally. Utilizing computational simulations, the intensity profile of the electric field was calculated according to the ratio of height and width of the insulative micropatterns. To compare computational simulation results and experimental results, insulative micropatterns were fabricated using SU-8 photoresist. The results verified that the shape of the bottom topology of anodic alumina was strongly dependent on the intensity profile of the applied electric field, or current density. The one-step fabrication of nanostructure-covered microstructures can be applied to various fields, such as nano-biochip and nano-optics, owing to its simplicity and cost effectiveness.

Whole-brain grey matter density predicts balance stability irrespective of age and protects older adults from falling.

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Boisgontier, Matthieu P; Cheval, Boris; van Ruitenbeek, Peter; Levin, Oron; Renaud, Olivier; Chanal, Julien; Swinnen, Stephan P

2016-03-01

Functional and structural imaging studies have demonstrated the involvement of the brain in balance control. Nevertheless, how decisive grey matter density and white matter microstructural organisation are in predicting balance stability, and especially when linked to the effects of ageing, remains unclear. Standing balance was tested on a platform moving at different frequencies and amplitudes in 30 young and 30 older adults, with eyes open and with eyes closed. Centre of pressure variance was used as an indicator of balance instability. The mean density of grey matter and mean white matter microstructural organisation were measured using voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging, respectively. Mixed-effects models were built to analyse the extent to which age, grey matter density, and white matter microstructural organisation predicted balance instability. Results showed that both grey matter density and age independently predicted balance instability. These predictions were reinforced when the level of difficulty of the conditions increased. Furthermore, grey matter predicted balance instability beyond age and at least as consistently as age across conditions. In other words, for balance stability, the level of whole-brain grey matter density is at least as decisive as being young or old. Finally, brain grey matter appeared to be protective against falls in older adults as age increased the probability of losing balance in older adults with low, but not moderate or high grey matter density. No such results were observed for white matter microstructural organisation, thereby reinforcing the specificity of our grey matter findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What lies beneath? Diffusion EAP-based study of brain tissue microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zucchelli, Mauro; Brusini, Lorenza; Andrés Méndez, C; Daducci, Alessandro; Granziera, Cristina; Menegaz, Gloria

2016-08-01

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance signals convey information about tissue microstructure and cytoarchitecture. In the last years, many models have been proposed for recovering the diffusion signal and extracting information to constitute new families of numerical indices. Two main categories of reconstruction models can be identified in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI): ensemble average propagator (EAP) models and compartmental models. From both, descriptors can be derived for elucidating the underlying microstructural architecture. While compartmental models indices directly quantify the fraction of different cell compartments in each voxel, EAP-derived indices are only a derivative measure and the effect of the different microstructural configurations on the indices is still unclear. In this paper, we analyze three EAP indices calculated using the 3D Simple Harmonic Oscillator based Reconstruction and Estimation (3D-SHORE) model and estimate their changes with respect to the principal microstructural configurations. We take advantage of the state of the art simulations to quantify the variations of the indices with the simulation parameters. Analysis of in-vivo data correlates the EAP indices with the microstructural parameters obtained from the Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) model as a pseudo ground truth for brain data. Results show that the EAP derived indices convey information on the tissue microstructure and that their combined values directly reflect the configuration of the different compartments in each voxel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of tempering temperature on the hydrogen diffusion in a 34CrMo4 martensitic steel and the related embrittlement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moli-Sanchez, L.

2012-01-01

The evaluation of the Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) of high strength steels remains a major issue for the development of hydrogen (H) applications for the energy. A better understanding of the phenomena involved in the HE (role of the environment, the H-microstructure and H-plasticity interactions) is crucial in the 'H economy'. The aim of this study is to characterize the H behaviour in tempered martensitic steels (34CrMo 4 ). A particular interest was put on the determination of the microstructural defects (dislocations, interfaces, precipitates...) that control the H absorption, diffusion, desorption and trapping and the related HE sensibility. The combined use of electrochemical permeation technique and H isotopic tracers (deuterium and tritium) (TDS, SIMS and β-counting) allowed the characterization of the H behaviour in the microstructures. The kinetics of H absorption/desorption, related with trapping phenomena on microstructural defects, give access to the density of trapping sites and the occupancy ratio associated to each defects population. The comparison of mechanical tests (pre-hydrogenated and in situ hydrogenated tests) evidenced the major role of diffusible H in the HE mechanisms thanks to the H-plasticity interactions that promote the H segregation at some microstructural defects. A detailed analysis of the results allows to suggest some recommendations concerning the type of microstructure (dislocations densities, precipitates coherency...) to be favoured during the elaboration processes or heat treatments of martensitic steels in order to increase their HE resistance. (author) [fr

Flaking behavior and microstructure evolution of nickel and copper powder during mechanical milling in liquid environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Xiao; Zeng Zigao; Zhao Zhongwei; Xiao Songwen

2008-01-01

To prepare metal flakes with a high flaking level and investigate the microstructure of metal flakes, nickel and copper powder were mechanically milled in liquid environment and the microstructure of powders was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The milling process can be divided into flaking and broken stages. At the flaking stage, milled metal powders exhibited high flaking level and flaky microshape, and became preferred orientation. While at the broken stage, the milled powders presented a low flaking level and irregular microshape, and was not preferred orientation any longer. The grain size, microstrain and dislocation density along direction varied with milling time differently from that along direction. The flaking level of the milled powders was related to the preferred orientation, and more closely to the deformation mechanism. We can strengthen the formation of preferred orientation to obtain metal powders with a high flaking level

Additive Genetic Effects on Circulating Periostin Contribute to the Heritability of Bone Microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnet, N; Biver, E; Durosier, C; Chevalley, T; Rizzoli, R; Ferrari, S

2015-07-01

Genetic factors account for 60-80% of the areal bone mineral density (aBMD) variance, whereas the heritability of bone microstructure is not clearly established. aBMD and microstructure are under the control of osteocytes, which regulate bone formation through the expression of molecules such as sclerostin (SOST) and periostin (POSTN). We hypothesized that additive genetic effects contribute to serum levels of SOST and POSTN and thereby to the individual variance of bone microstructure. In a retrospective analysis of 432 subjects from the Geneva Retiree Cohort age 64.9 ± 1.4 years and 96 of their offspring age 37.9 ± 5.7 years, we measured serum SOST (sSOST) and serum POSTN (sPOSTN), distal radius and tibia microstructure, hip and lumbar spine aBMD, and bone turnover markers, Heritability (h(2), %) was calculated as twice the slope of the regression (β) between parents and offspring. cPOSTN levels were significantly higher in men than women and in offspring than parents. h(2) values for bone microstructural traits ranged from 22-64% depending on the envelope (trabecular [Tb] or cortical [Ct]) and skeletal site (radius or tibia), whereas h(2) for sPOSTN and sSOST was 50% and 40%, respectively. sPOSTN was positively associated with Tb bone volume on total volume and Ct thickness, and negatively with Ct porosity. The associations for Ct parameters remain significant after adjustment for propetide of type-I procollagen, cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen, femoral neck aBMD, sex or age. After adjustment of bone traits for sPOSTN, h(2) values decreased for several Tb and Ct bone parameters, but not for aBMD. In contrast, adjusting for sSOST did not alter h(2) values for bone traits. Additive genetic effects account for a substantial proportion of the individual variance of bone microstructure, sPOSTN, and sSOST. sPOSTN is largely inherited as a sex-related trait and carries an important contribution to the heritability of bone microstructure, indicating that

Studies on densification, mechanical, micro-structural and structure–properties relationship of magnesium aluminate spinel refractory aggregates prepared from Indian magnesite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Chandrima; Ghosh, Arup; Haldar, Manas Kamal

2015-01-01

The present work intends to study the development of magnesium aluminate spinel aggregates from Indian magnesite in a single firing stage. The raw magnesite has been evaluated in terms of chemical analysis, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The experimental batch containing Indian magnesite and calcined alumina has been sintered in the temperature range of 1550 °C–1700 °C. The sintered material has been characterized in terms of physico-chemical properties like bulk density, apparent porosity, true density, relative density and thermo-mechanical/mechanical properties like hot modulus of rupture, thermal shock resistance, cold modulus of rupture and structural properties by X-ray diffraction in terms of phase identification and evaluation of crystal structure parameters of corresponding phases by Rietveld analysis. The microstructures developed at different temperatures have been analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope study and compositional analysis of the developed phase has been carried out by energy dispersive X-ray study. - Highlights: • The studies have been done to characterize the developed magnesium aluminate spinel. • The studies reveal correlation between refractory behavior of spinel and developed microstructures. • The studies show the values of lattice parameters of developed phases

Effect of degassing temperature on the microstructure of a nanocrystalline Al-Mg alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Byungmin; Newbery, A. Piers; Lavernia, Enrique J.; Nutt, Steven R.

2007-01-01

The microstructural evolution of a nanocrystalline Al-Mg alloy was investigated to determine the effects of degassing temperature. Al 5083 powder was ball-milled in liquid nitrogen to obtain a nanocrystalline structure, then vacuum degassed to remove contaminants. The degassed powder was consolidated by cold isostatic pressing and then forged to produce bulk, low-porosity material. The material microstructure was analyzed at different stages using optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and density measurements. The impurity concentration of the final product was also measured. The forged material exhibited a bimodal grain size distribution, consisting of both ultra fine and coarse grains. The bimodal distribution was attributed to the presence of residual coarse grains in the as-milled powder. Higher degassing temperatures resulted in higher density values and lower hydrogen content in the consolidated materials, although these materials also exhibited more extensive grain growth

Flux Density through Guides with Microstructured Twisted Clad DB Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Baqir

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the study of flux density through a newly proposed twisted clad guide containing DB medium. The inner core and the outer clad sections are usual dielectrics, and the introduced twisted windings at the core-clad interface are treated under DB boundary conditions. The pitch angle of twist is supposed to greatly contribute towards the control over the dispersion characteristics of the guide. The eigenvalue equation for the guiding structure is deduced, and the analytical investigations are made to explore the propagation patterns of flux densities corresponding to the sustained low-order hybrid modes under the situation of varying pitch angles. The emphasis has been put on the effects due to the DB twisted pitch on the propagation of energy flux density through the guide.

Effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties of superhigh strength aluminum alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo Yubo; Cui Jianzhong; Dong Jie; Yu Fuxiao

2005-01-01

A new superhigh strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy was made by low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) and conventional direct chill (DC) casting, respectively. The effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that under the low frequency electromagnetic field (25 Hz, 32 mT), the microstructures of LFEC ingot from the border to the center on the cross section are all fine equiaxed or nearly equiaxed grains. The grains are much finer and more uniform than that of DC ingot. It was found that magnetic flux density plays an important role on the microstructure formation of LFEC ingots. With increasing the magnetic flux density, grains become finer and more uniform. In the range of experimental parameters, the optimum magnetic flux density for LFEC process is found to be 32 mT. The mechanical tests show that for this new superhigh strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, the as-cast mechanical properties of LFEC ingot are much higher than that of DC ingot

Simulations of Precipitate Microstructure Evolution during Heat Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kaisheng; Sterner, Gustaf; Chen, Qing; Jou, Herng-Jeng; Jeppsson, Johan; Bratberg, Johan; Engström, Anders; Mason, Paul

Precipitation, a major solid state phase transformation during heat treatment processes, has for more than one century been intensively employed to improve the strength and toughness of various high performance alloys. Recently, sophisticated precipitation reaction models, in assistance with well-developed CALPHAD databases, provide an efficient and cost-effective way to tailor precipitate microstructures that maximize the strengthening effect via the optimization of alloy chemistries and heat treatment schedules. In this presentation, we focus on simulating precipitate microstructure evolution in Nickel-base superalloys under arbitrary heat treatment conditions. The newly-developed TC-PRISMA program has been used for these simulations, with models refined especially for non-isothermal conditions. The effect of different cooling profiles on the formation of multimodal microstructures has been thoroughly examined in order to understand the underlying thermodynamics and kinetics. Meanwhile, validations against several experimental results have been carried out. Practical issues that are critical to the accuracy and applicability of the current simulations, such as modifications that overcome mean-field approximations, compatibility between CALPHAD databases, selection of key parameters (particularly interfacial energy and nucleation site densities), etc., are also addressed.

Microstructural evaluation and magnetic Ni-Zn ferrite sintered by microwave energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diniz, Veronica Cristhina S.; Vieira, Debora A.; Costa, Ana Cristina F.M.; Kiminami, R.H.G.A.; Cornejo, Daniel Reinaldo

2011-01-01

The present Ni-Zn ferrite magnetic properties sensitive to microstructure and obtain a ferrite with a uniform microstructure is the biggest challenge in the advancement of new technologies. This study proposes to evaluate the microstructure and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn ferrite sintered by microwave energy. The samples were previously synthesized by combustion reaction using urea and glycine, with 1200 deg C/2h sintered at a heating rate of 5 deg C/min, and characterized by density, XRD, SEM and magnetic measurements. The results show that the sample synthesized with glycine showed the formation of ferrite phase and traces of secondary phase hematite, grains with undefined format, and a high porosity and inter intragranular. The sample synthesized with urea gave only the ferrite phase, with hexagonal grains, and low intergranular porosity. The sample synthesized with urea showed better magnetic characteristics when compared with the samples synthesized with glycine. (author)

Dose dependence of the microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinkle, S.J.; Maziasz, P.J.; Stoller, R.E.

1993-01-01

Microstructural data on the evolution of the dislocation loop, cavity, and precipitate populations in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels are reviewed in order to estimate the displacement damage levels needed to achieve the 'steady state' condition. The microstructural data can be conveniently divided into two temperature regimes. In the low temperature regime (below about 200 degrees C) the microstructure of austenitic stainless steel is dominated by 'black spot' defect clusters and faulted interstitial dislocation loops. The dose needed to approach saturation of the loop and defect cluster densities is generally on the order of 1 displacement per atom (dpa) in this regime. In the high temperature regime (∼300 to 700 degrees C), cavities, precipitates, loops and network dislocations are all produced during irradiation; doses in excess of 10 dpa are generally required to approach a 'steady state' microstructural condition. Due to complex interactions between the various microstructural components that form during irradiation, a secondary transient regime is typically observed in commercial stainless steels during irradiation at elevated temperatures. This slowly evolving secondary transient may extend to damage levels in excess of 50 dpa in typical 300-series stainless steels, and to >100 dpa in radiation-resistant developmental steels. The detailed evolution of any given microstructural component in the high-temperature regime is sensitive to slight variations in numerous experimental variables, including heat-to-heat composition changes and neutron spectrum

Microstructural characteristics of pure gold processed by equal-channel angular pressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gubicza, J.; Chinh, N.Q.; Szommer, P.; Vinogradov, A.; Langdon, T.G.

2007-01-01

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the microstructural characteristics of pure (4N) gold processed by equal-channel angular pressing using routes A or B c . Using atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction, it is shown that, although these two routes lead to similar dislocation densities of ∼1.5-1.7 x 10 15 m -2 and similar average grain sizes of ∼460-490 nm, there are significant differences in the shearing patterns and in the densities of planar faults

Microstructure evolution during cyclic tests on EUROFER 97 at room temperature. TEM observation and modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giordana, M.F., E-mail: giordana@ifir-conicet.gov.ar [Instituto de Fisica Rosario, CONICET-UNR, Bv. 27 de Febrero 210 Bis, 2000 Rosario (Argentina); Giroux, P.-F. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, DEN/DANS/DMN/SRMA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Alvarez-Armas, I. [Instituto de Fisica Rosario, CONICET-UNR, Bv. 27 de Febrero 210 Bis, 2000 Rosario (Argentina); Sauzay, M. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, DEN/DANS/DMN/SRMA, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Armas, A. [Instituto de Fisica Rosario, CONICET-UNR, Bv. 27 de Febrero 210 Bis, 2000 Rosario (Argentina); Kruml, T. [CEITEC IPM, Institute of Physics of Materials, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Zizkova 22, Brno, 616 62 (Czech Republic)

2012-07-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low cycle fatigue test are carried out on EUROFER 97 at room temperature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EUROFER 97 shows a pronounced cyclic softening accompanied by microstructural changes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cycling induces a decrement in dislocation density and subgrain growth. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A simple mean-field model based on crystalline plasticity is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The mean subgrain size evolution is predicted by modelling. - Abstract: The 9% Cr quenched and tempered reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steel EUROFER 97 is one of the candidates for structural components of fusion reactors. Isothermal, plastic strain-controlled, low-cycle fatigue tests are performed. Tested at room temperature, this steel suffers a cyclic softening effect linked to microstructural changes observed by transmission electron microscopy, such as the decrease of dislocation density inside subgrains or the growth of subgrain size. From the assumed mechanisms of softening a simple mean-field model based on crystalline plasticity is proposed to predict these microstructure evolutions during cycling and monotonic deformation.

Generalization of the existing relations between microstructure and yield stress from ferrite-pearlite to high strength steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iza-Mendia, A., E-mail: aiza@ceit.es [CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizabal 15, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country (Spain); Gutierrez, I. [CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizabal 15, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country (Spain)

2013-01-20

A series of available equations allows the yield and the tensile strength of low carbon ferrite-pearlite microstructures to be expressed as a function of the optical grain size, steel composition and interstitials in solution. Over the years, as the complexity of steel microstructures has increased, some additional terms have been added to account for precipitation and forest dislocation contributions. In theory, this opens the door for an extension of these equations to bainitic microstructures. Nevertheless, there is a series of difficulties that needs to be overcome in order to improve prediction accuracy. In the present work, different microstructures (ferrite-pearlite, bainite, quenched, and quenched and tempered) were produced and tension tested in a C-Mn-Nb steel. Optical microscopy and EBSD (Electron Back Scattered Diffraction) were applied and the results were compared as a function of the tolerance angle. Based on this work, an adaptation to Pickering's equation is proposed, including its extension to other microstructures rather than ferrite-pearlite.

Innovative microstructures in nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutty, T.R.G.; Kumar, Arun; Kamath, H.S.

2009-01-01

For cleaner and safe nuclear power, new processes are required to design better nuclear fuels and make more efficient reactors to generate nuclear power. Therefore, one must understand how the microstructure changes during reactor operation. Accordingly, the materials scientists and engineers can then design and fabricate fuels with higher reliability and performance. Microstructure and its evolution are big unknowns in nuclear fuel. The basic requirements for the high performance of a fuel are: a) Soft pellets - To reduce Pellet clad mechanical interaction (PCMI) b) Large grain size - To reduce fission gas release (FGR). The strength of the pellet at room temperature is related to grain size by the Hall-Petch relation. Accordingly, the lower grain sized pellets will have high strength. But at high temperature (above equicohesive temperature) the grain boundaries becomes weaker than grain matrix. Since the small grain sized pellets have more grain boundary areas, these pellet become softer than pellet that have large grain sizes. Also as grain size decreases, creep rate of the fuel increases. Therefore, pellets with small grain size have higher creep rate and better plasticity. Therefore, these pellets will be useful to reduce the PCMI. On the other hand, pellet with large grain size is beneficial to reduce the fission gas release. In developing thermal reactor fuels for high burn-up, this factor should be taken into consideration. The question being asked is whether the microstructure can be tailored for irradiation hardening, fracture resistance, fission-gas release. This paper deals with the role played by microstructure for better irradiation performance. (author)

Microstructure and superconducting properties of YBCO bulk superconductors with RE substitutions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Volochová, D.; Antal, V.; Piovarči, S.; Kováč, J.; Jirsa, Miloš; Noudem, J.; Diko, P.

2016-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 3 (2016), s. 1-4, č. článku 7200604. ISSN 1051-8223 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : yttrium barium copper oxide * critical current density (superconductivity) * powders * magnetic fields * microstructure * temperature measurement Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.092, year: 2015

[Analysis of correlation between trabecular microstructure and clinical imaging parameters in fracture region of osteoporotic hip].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jing; Zhou, Yong; Min, Li; Zhang, Wenli; Luo, Yi; Zhang, Xuelei; Zou, Chang; Shi, Rui; Tu, Chongqi

2014-05-01

To analyze the correlation between the trabecular microstructure and the clinical imaging parameters in the fracture region of osteoporotic hip so as to provide a simple method to evaluate the trabecular microstructure by a non-invasive way. Between June 2012 and January 2013, 16 elderly patients with femoral neck fracture underwent hip arthroplasty were selected as the trial group; 5 young patients with pelvic fracture were selected as the control group. The hip CT examination was done, and cancellous bone volume/marrow cavity volume (CV/MV) was analyzed with Mimics 10.01 software in the control group. The CT scan and bone mineral density (BMD) measurement were performed on normal hips of the trial group, and cuboid specimens were gained from the femoral necks at the place of the tensional trabeculae to evaluate the trabecular microstructure parameters by Micro-CT, including bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), connect density (Conn.D), and structure model index (SMI). The correlation between imaging parameters and microstructure parameters was analyzed. In the trial group, the BMD value was 0.491-0.698 g/cm2 (mean, 0.601 g/cm2); according to World Health Organization (WHO) standard, 10 cases were diagnosed as having osteoporosis, and 6 cases as having osteopenia. The CV/MV of the trial group (0.670 1 +/- 0.102 0) was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.885 0 +/- 0.089 1) (t = -4.567, P = 0.000). In the trial group, CV/MV had correlation with BV/TV, Tb.Th, and SMI (P 0.05). BV/TV had correlation with Tb.Th, Tb.N, Tb.Sp, and SMI (P microstructure parameters (P > 0.05). CV/MV obviously decreases in the osteoporotic hip, and there is a correlation between CV/MV and the microstructure parameters of BV/TV, Tb.Th, and SMI, to some extent, which can reflect the variety of the microstructure of the trabeculae. There is no correlation between BMD of femoral neck and

The relation between food price, energy density and diet quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margareta Bolarić

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Low energy density diet, high in fruits and vegetables, is related to lower obesity risk and to better health status, but is more expensive. High energy density diet, high in added sugar and fats, is more affordable, but is related to higher obesity and chronic diseases risk. The aim of this study was to report prices according to energy density (low vs. high of food items and to show how food affordability could affect food choice and consumers’ health. Data was collected for 137 raw and processed foods from three purchase sites in Zagreb (one representative for supermarket, one smaller shop and green market. Results showed that low energy density food is more expensive than high energy density food (for example, the price of 1000 kcal from green zucchini (15 kcal/100 g is 124.20 kn while the price of 1000 kcal from sour cream (138 kcal/100 g is 13.99 kn. Food energy price was significantly different (p<0.05 between food groups with highest price for vegetable products (159.04 ± 36.18 kn/1000 kcal and raw vegetables (97.90 ± 50.13 kn/1000 kcal and lowest for fats (8.49 ± 1.22 kn/1000 kcal and cereals and products (5.66 ± 0.76 kn/1000 kcal. Negative correlation (Spearman r=-0.72, p<0.0001 was observed for energy density (kcal/100 g and price of 1000 kcal. Therefore, it is advisable to develop strategies in order to reduce price of low energy density food and encourage its intake since it would improve diet quality, which could lead to better costumers’ health.

Microstructure Modeling of Third Generation Disk Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Jou, Herng-Jeng

2010-01-01

The objective of this program was to model, validate, and predict the precipitation microstructure evolution, using PrecipiCalc (QuesTek Innovations LLC) software, for 3rd generation Ni-based gas turbine disc superalloys during processing and service, with a set of logical and consistent experiments and characterizations. Furthermore, within this program, the originally research-oriented microstructure simulation tool was to be further improved and implemented to be a useful and user-friendly engineering tool. In this report, the key accomplishments achieved during the third year (2009) of the program are summarized. The activities of this year included: Further development of multistep precipitation simulation framework for gamma prime microstructure evolution during heat treatment; Calibration and validation of gamma prime microstructure modeling with supersolvus heat treated LSHR; Modeling of the microstructure evolution of the minor phases, particularly carbides, during isothermal aging, representing the long term microstructure stability during thermal exposure; and the implementation of software tools. During the research and development efforts to extend the precipitation microstructure modeling and prediction capability in this 3-year program, we identified a hurdle, related to slow gamma prime coarsening rate, with no satisfactory scientific explanation currently available. It is desirable to raise this issue to the Ni-based superalloys research community, with hope that in future there will be a mechanistic understanding and physics-based treatment to overcome the hurdle. In the mean time, an empirical correction factor was developed in this modeling effort to capture the experimental observations.

Tissue microstructure estimation using a deep network inspired by a dictionary-based framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Chuyang

2017-12-01

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) captures the anisotropic pattern of water displacement in the neuronal tissue and allows noninvasive investigation of the complex tissue microstructure. A number of biophysical models have been proposed to relate the tissue organization with the observed diffusion signals, so that the tissue microstructure can be inferred. The Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) model has been a popular choice and has been widely used for many neuroscientific studies. It models the diffusion signal with three compartments that are characterized by distinct diffusion properties, and the parameters in the model describe tissue microstructure. In NODDI, these parameters are estimated in a maximum likelihood framework, where the nonlinear model fitting is computationally intensive. Therefore, efforts have been made to develop efficient and accurate algorithms for NODDI microstructure estimation, which is still an open problem. In this work, we propose a deep network based approach that performs end-to-end estimation of NODDI microstructure, which is named Microstructure Estimation using a Deep Network (MEDN). MEDN comprises two cascaded stages and is motivated by the AMICO algorithm, where the NODDI microstructure estimation is formulated in a dictionary-based framework. The first stage computes the coefficients of the dictionary. It resembles the solution to a sparse reconstruction problem, where the iterative process in conventional estimation approaches is unfolded and truncated, and the weights are learned instead of predetermined by the dictionary. In the second stage, microstructure properties are computed from the output of the first stage, which resembles the weighted sum of normalized dictionary coefficients in AMICO, and the weights are also learned. Because spatial consistency of diffusion signals can be used to reduce the effect of noise, we also propose MEDN+, which is an extended version of MEDN. MEDN

Connectivity Measures in EEG Microstructural Sleep Elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakellariou, Dimitris; Koupparis, Andreas M; Kokkinos, Vasileios; Koutroumanidis, Michalis; Kostopoulos, George K

2016-01-01

During Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) the brain is relatively disconnected from the environment, while connectedness between brain areas is also decreased. Evidence indicates, that these dynamic connectivity changes are delivered by microstructural elements of sleep: short periods of environmental stimuli evaluation followed by sleep promoting procedures. The connectivity patterns of the latter, among other aspects of sleep microstructure, are still to be fully elucidated. We suggest here a methodology for the assessment and investigation of the connectivity patterns of EEG microstructural elements, such as sleep spindles. The methodology combines techniques in the preprocessing, estimation, error assessing and visualization of results levels in order to allow the detailed examination of the connectivity aspects (levels and directionality of information flow) over frequency and time with notable resolution, while dealing with the volume conduction and EEG reference assessment. The high temporal and frequency resolution of the methodology will allow the association between the microelements and the dynamically forming networks that characterize them, and consequently possibly reveal aspects of the EEG microstructure. The proposed methodology is initially tested on artificially generated signals for proof of concept and subsequently applied to real EEG recordings via a custom built MATLAB-based tool developed for such studies. Preliminary results from 843 fast sleep spindles recorded in whole night sleep of 5 healthy volunteers indicate a prevailing pattern of interactions between centroparietal and frontal regions. We demonstrate hereby, an opening to our knowledge attempt to estimate the scalp EEG connectivity that characterizes fast sleep spindles via an "EEG-element connectivity" methodology we propose. The application of the latter, via a computational tool we developed suggests it is able to investigate the connectivity patterns related to the occurrence

Towards Quantification of Relations Between Electrode Polarisation and Microstructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramos, Tania; Hjelm, Johan; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2011-01-01

The total cell resistances of three Riso DTU solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were broken down into individual contributions, by the combined use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and complex non-linear least squares fitting (CNLS). Information on the number of contributing processes....... The proposed electrochemical analysis correlated well with the exhibited microstructural features of the cells, which were produced with different compositions and/or production parameters. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3587113] All rights reserved....

Evaluation of microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened steels from X-ray diffraction profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlasenko, Svetlana; Benediktovitch, Andrei; Ulyanenkova, Tatjana; Uglov, Vladimir; Skuratov, Vladimir; O'Connell, Jacques; Neethling, Johannes

2016-01-01

The microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels from measured diffraction profiles were evaluated using an approach where the complex oxide nanoparticles (Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 and Y 4 Al 2 O 9 ) are modeled as spherical inclusions in the steel matrix with coherent or incoherent boundaries. The proposed method enables processing of diffraction data from materials containing spherical inclusions in addition to straight dislocations, and taking into account broadening due to crystallite size and instrumental effects. The parameters of crystallite size distribution modeled by a lognormal distribution function (the parameters m and σ), the strain anisotropy parameter q, the dislocation density ρ, the dislocation arrangement parameter M, the density of oxide nanoparticles ρ np and the nanoparticle radius r 0 were determined for the ODS steel samples. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). - Highlights: • The microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened steels were obtained. • The microstructure of irradiated and unirradiated samples was investigated. • Oxide nanoparticles are modeled as spherical inclusions. • We considered the influence of dislocations, inclusions and size effects.

Evaluation of microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened steels from X-ray diffraction profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vlasenko, Svetlana, E-mail: svetlana.vlasenko.bsu@gmail.com [Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti Avenue 4, Minsk (Belarus); Benediktovitch, Andrei [Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti Avenue 4, Minsk (Belarus); Ulyanenkova, Tatjana [Rigaku Europe SE, Am Hardtwald 11, Ettlingen (Germany); Uglov, Vladimir [Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti Avenue 4, Minsk (Belarus); Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenina Avenue 2a, Tomsk (Russian Federation); Skuratov, Vladimir [Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); O' Connell, Jacques; Neethling, Johannes [Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)

2016-03-15

The microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels from measured diffraction profiles were evaluated using an approach where the complex oxide nanoparticles (Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Y{sub 4}Al{sub 2}O{sub 9}) are modeled as spherical inclusions in the steel matrix with coherent or incoherent boundaries. The proposed method enables processing of diffraction data from materials containing spherical inclusions in addition to straight dislocations, and taking into account broadening due to crystallite size and instrumental effects. The parameters of crystallite size distribution modeled by a lognormal distribution function (the parameters m and σ), the strain anisotropy parameter q, the dislocation density ρ, the dislocation arrangement parameter M, the density of oxide nanoparticles ρ{sub np} and the nanoparticle radius r{sub 0} were determined for the ODS steel samples. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). - Highlights: • The microstructural parameters of oxide dispersion strengthened steels were obtained. • The microstructure of irradiated and unirradiated samples was investigated. • Oxide nanoparticles are modeled as spherical inclusions. • We considered the influence of dislocations, inclusions and size effects.

Nanoscale microstructural characterization of a nanobainitic steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timokhina, I.B., E-mail: ilana.timokhina@eng.monash.edu.au [Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Beladi, H. [Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Xiong, X.Y. [Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Adachi, Y. [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Hodgson, P.D. [Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Victoria 3216 (Australia)

2011-08-15

A 0.79 C-1.5 Si-1.98 Mn-0.98 Cr-0.24 Mo-1.06 Al-1.58 Co (wt.%) steel was isothermally heat treated at 200 deg. C for 10 days and 350 deg. C for 1 day to form a nanoscale bainitic microstructure consisting of nanobainitic ferrite laths with high dislocation density and retained austenite films. The microstructures of the samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Despite the formation of nanoscale bainite with a high volume fraction of retained austenite in both steels, the ductility of both steels was surprisingly low. It is believed that this was associated with the formation of carbon-depleted retained austenite after isothermal transformation at 200 deg. C due to the formation of high number of Fe-C clusters and particles in the bainitic ferrite laths and carbon-enriched austenite after isothermal transformation at 350 deg. C.

Speed of sound reflects Young's modulus as assessed by microstructural finite element analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergh, van den J.P.W.; Lenthe, van G.H.; Hermus, A.R.M.M.; Corstens, F.H.M.; Smals, A.G.H.; Huiskes, H.W.J.

2000-01-01

We analyzed the ability of the quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameter, speed of sound (SOS), and bone mineral density (BMD), as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), to predict Young's modulus, as assessed by microstructural finite element analysis (muFEA) from microcomputed

Online traffic flow model applying dynamic flow-density relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.

2002-01-01

This dissertation describes a new approach of the online traffic flow modelling based on the hydrodynamic traffic flow model and an online process to adapt the flow-density relation dynamically. The new modelling approach was tested based on the real traffic situations in various homogeneous motorway sections and a motorway section with ramps and gave encouraging simulation results. This work is composed of two parts: first the analysis of traffic flow characteristics and second the development of a new online traffic flow model applying these characteristics. For homogeneous motorway sections traffic flow is classified into six different traffic states with different characteristics. Delimitation criteria were developed to separate these states. The hysteresis phenomena were analysed during the transitions between these traffic states. The traffic states and the transitions are represented on a states diagram with the flow axis and the density axis. For motorway sections with ramps the complicated traffic flow is simplified and classified into three traffic states depending on the propagation of congestion. The traffic states are represented on a phase diagram with the upstream demand axis and the interaction strength axis which was defined in this research. The states diagram and the phase diagram provide a basis for the development of the dynamic flow-density relation. The first-order hydrodynamic traffic flow model was programmed according to the cell-transmission scheme extended by the modification of flow dependent sending/receiving functions, the classification of cells and the determination strategy for the flow-density relation in the cells. The unreasonable results of macroscopic traffic flow models, which may occur in the first and last cells in certain conditions are alleviated by applying buffer cells between the traffic data and the model. The sending/receiving functions of the cells are determined dynamically based on the classification of the

Microstructural and mechanical properties of Al–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite foams produced by an ultrasonic technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salehi, A., E-mail: am_salehi85@yahoo.com [Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Mashhad Branch (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Babakhani, A., E-mail: babakhani@um.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zebarjad, S. Mojtaba, E-mail: mojtabazebarjad@shirazu.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-06-25

In this study, nanocomposite foams reinforced with different weight percentages of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 wt%) were fabricated using the ultrasonic and stir casting techniques. For this purpose heat treated TiH{sub 2} was used as foaming agent. Microstructural studies were done by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Hardness evaluation of precursor nanocomposites showed that the hardness was significantly increased by the addition of SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and Al–0.75 wt% SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite makes the highest hardness. Evaluation of compressive behavior of Al–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite foams showed that the plateau stress increases more than 3 times as the foam relative density increases from 0.09 to 0.16. Energy absorption of Al–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite foams has been found to be dependent on both relative density and structural properties.

Altered microstructural connectivity of the superior cerebellar peduncle is related to motor dysfunction in children with autistic spectrum disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanaie, Ryuzo; Mohri, Ikuko; Kagitani-Shimono, Kuriko; Tachibana, Masaya; Azuma, Junji; Matsuzaki, Junko; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Fujita, Norihiko; Taniike, Masako

2013-10-01

Many studies have reported motor impairments in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the brain mechanism underlying motor impairment in ASD remains unclear. Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested that underconnectivity between the cerebellum and other brain regions contributes to the features of ASD. In this study, we investigated the microstructural integrity of the cerebellar pathways, including the superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles, of children with and without ASD by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography to determine whether the microstructural integrity of the cerebellar pathways is related to motor function in children with ASD. Thirteen children with ASD and 11 age-, gender-, handedness-, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) controls were enrolled in this study. DTI outcome measurements, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), for the cerebellar pathways were calculated. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (M-ABC 2) was used for assessing motor functions. There were no significant differences between the two groups in RD. However, compared to the TD subjects, patients with ASD had a significantly lower FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle and lower AD in the left superior cerebellar peduncle, in addition to a significantly lower score in ball skills and the total test score of M-ABC 2. There was a significant positive correlation between the total test score of M-ABC 2 and FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle in the ASD group. These findings suggest that the altered microstructural integrity of the superior cerebellar peduncle may be related to motor impairment in ASD.

Analysis of microstructure-dependent shock dissipation and hot-spot formation in granular metalized explosive

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravarthy, Sunada; Gonthier, Keith A.

2016-07-01

Variations in the microstructure of granular explosives (i.e., particle packing density, size, shape, and composition) can affect their shock sensitivity by altering thermomechanical fields at the particle-scale during pore collapse within shocks. If the deformation rate is fast, hot-spots can form, ignite, and interact, resulting in burn at the macro-scale. In this study, a two-dimensional finite and discrete element technique is used to simulate and examine shock-induced dissipation and hot-spot formation within low density explosives (68%-84% theoretical maximum density (TMD)) consisting of large ensembles of HMX (C4H8N8O8) and aluminum (Al) particles (size ˜ 60 -360 μm). Emphasis is placed on identifying how the inclusion of Al influences effective shock dissipation and hot-spot fields relative to equivalent ensembles of neat/pure HMX for shocks that are sufficiently strong to eliminate porosity. Spatially distributed hot-spot fields are characterized by their number density and area fraction enabling their dynamics to be described in terms of nucleation, growth, and agglomeration-dominated phases with increasing shock strength. For fixed shock particle speed, predictions indicate that decreasing packing density enhances shock dissipation and hot-spot formation, and that the inclusion of Al increases dissipation relative to neat HMX by pressure enhanced compaction resulting in fewer but larger HMX hot-spots. Ensembles having bimodal particle sizes are shown to significantly affect hot-spot dynamics by altering the spatial distribution of hot-spots behind shocks.

Microstructural analyses and critical current densities in the high-Tc superconductor system ReBa2Cu3OX, with RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schindler, G.; Seebacher, B.

1989-01-01

The authors report on investigations into the impact of the rare earths (RE) as given in the title on the ceramic microstructure and the critical current density j c in the superconductor system REBa 2 Cu 3 O x . With RE = Sm, Eu, or Gd, the material is homogeneous in phase and crystallizes in platelets with maximum sizes of up to 350 μm. Material with RE = Y, Dy, or Ho exhibits grain sizes up to 500 μm, and a low amount of phase inhomogeneities. The critical currents measured are between 25 Acm -2 and 290 Acm -2 at 77 K, without external field. The highest values are found in systems with RE = Eu or Gd. (orig.) [de

Flaking behavior and microstructure evolution of nickel and copper powder during mechanical milling in liquid environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao Xiao [College of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan (China); Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Changsha 410012, Hunan (China); Zeng Zigao [Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Changsha 410012, Hunan (China); Zhao Zhongwei [College of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan (China); Xiao Songwen [Changsha Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Changsha 410012, Hunan (China)], E-mail: swinxiao@yahoo.com.cn

2008-02-25

To prepare metal flakes with a high flaking level and investigate the microstructure of metal flakes, nickel and copper powder were mechanically milled in liquid environment and the microstructure of powders was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The milling process can be divided into flaking and broken stages. At the flaking stage, milled metal powders exhibited high flaking level and flaky microshape, and <2 0 0> became preferred orientation. While at the broken stage, the milled powders presented a low flaking level and irregular microshape, and <2 0 0> was not preferred orientation any longer. The grain size, microstrain and dislocation density along <2 0 0> direction varied with milling time differently from that along <1 1 1> direction. The flaking level of the milled powders was related to the <2 0 0> preferred orientation, and more closely to the deformation mechanism. We can strengthen the formation of <2 0 0> preferred orientation to obtain metal powders with a high flaking level.

Microstructure characteristics and effect of aging process on the mechanical properties of squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, G.M.; Han, Z.Q.; Luo, A.A.; Liu, B.C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Characterization of three-dimensional morphologies of precipitates using AFM. • Quantitative microstructure of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. • The non-uniform continuous precipitation during aging of squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. • The relationship between microstructure and property of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. - Abstract: Quantitative microstructure information is critical to modeling and prediction of mechanical properties of structural components. In this study, the microstructure characteristics of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. Particularly, a study of the three-dimensional morphology of continuous precipitation during heat treatment was carried out using a combination of TEM and AFM. The results showed that a typical precipitate consisted of three kinds of faces, namely, broad, side, and end faces. The precipitate also presented a lath-shaped morphology with lozenge ends. Combined SEM and TEM analyses revealed quantitative information on the sizes and area number densities of precipitates after aging at different temperatures with different times. In general, the length and width of precipitates increased more rapidly than thickness during aging. The area number density initially increased and then slowly decreased because of coarsening. Furthermore, a special microstructure characteristic of the non-uniform continuous precipitation during aging was investigated using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The relationship between hardness response and yield strength was established

Is multidetector CT-based bone mineral density and quantitative bone microstructure assessment at the spine still feasible using ultra-low tube current and sparse sampling?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, Kai; Kopp, Felix K.; Schwaiger, Benedikt J.; Gersing, Alexandra S.; Sauter, Andreas; Muenzel, Daniela; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Bippus, Rolf; Koehler, Thomas; Fehringer, Andreas; Pfeiffer, Franz; Kirschke, Jan S.; Noel, Peter B.; Baum, Thomas

2017-01-01

Osteoporosis diagnosis using multidetector CT (MDCT) is limited to relatively high radiation exposure. We investigated the effect of simulated ultra-low-dose protocols on in-vivo bone mineral density (BMD) and quantitative trabecular bone assessment. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Twelve subjects with osteoporotic vertebral fractures and 12 age- and gender-matched controls undergoing routine thoracic and abdominal MDCT were included (average effective dose: 10 mSv). Ultra-low radiation examinations were achieved by simulating lower tube currents and sparse samplings at 50%, 25% and 10% of the original dose. BMD and trabecular bone parameters were extracted in T10-L5. Except for BMD measurements in sparse sampling data, absolute values of all parameters derived from ultra-low-dose data were significantly different from those derived from original dose images (p<0.05). BMD, apparent bone fraction and trabecular thickness were still consistently lower in subjects with than in those without fractures (p<0.05). In ultra-low-dose scans, BMD and microstructure parameters were able to differentiate subjects with and without vertebral fractures, suggesting osteoporosis diagnosis is feasible. However, absolute values differed from original values. BMD from sparse sampling appeared to be more robust. This dose-dependency of parameters should be considered for future clinical use. (orig.)

Is multidetector CT-based bone mineral density and quantitative bone microstructure assessment at the spine still feasible using ultra-low tube current and sparse sampling?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mei, Kai; Kopp, Felix K.; Schwaiger, Benedikt J.; Gersing, Alexandra S.; Sauter, Andreas; Muenzel, Daniela; Rummeny, Ernst J. [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Munich (Germany); Bippus, Rolf [Research Laboratories, Philips GmbH Innovative Technologies, Hamburg (Germany); Koehler, Thomas [Research Laboratories, Philips GmbH Innovative Technologies, Hamburg (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, TUM Institute for Advanced Studies, Garching (Germany); Fehringer, Andreas [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Lehrstuhl fuer Biomedizinische Physik, Garching (Germany); Pfeiffer, Franz [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Munich (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, TUM Institute for Advanced Studies, Garching (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Lehrstuhl fuer Biomedizinische Physik, Garching (Germany); Kirschke, Jan S. [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Section of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Munich (Germany); Noel, Peter B. [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Munich (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Lehrstuhl fuer Biomedizinische Physik, Garching (Germany); Baum, Thomas [Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Munich (Germany); Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Section of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Munich (Germany)

2017-12-15

Osteoporosis diagnosis using multidetector CT (MDCT) is limited to relatively high radiation exposure. We investigated the effect of simulated ultra-low-dose protocols on in-vivo bone mineral density (BMD) and quantitative trabecular bone assessment. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Twelve subjects with osteoporotic vertebral fractures and 12 age- and gender-matched controls undergoing routine thoracic and abdominal MDCT were included (average effective dose: 10 mSv). Ultra-low radiation examinations were achieved by simulating lower tube currents and sparse samplings at 50%, 25% and 10% of the original dose. BMD and trabecular bone parameters were extracted in T10-L5. Except for BMD measurements in sparse sampling data, absolute values of all parameters derived from ultra-low-dose data were significantly different from those derived from original dose images (p<0.05). BMD, apparent bone fraction and trabecular thickness were still consistently lower in subjects with than in those without fractures (p<0.05). In ultra-low-dose scans, BMD and microstructure parameters were able to differentiate subjects with and without vertebral fractures, suggesting osteoporosis diagnosis is feasible. However, absolute values differed from original values. BMD from sparse sampling appeared to be more robust. This dose-dependency of parameters should be considered for future clinical use. (orig.)

Material microstructures analyzed by using gray level Co-occurrence matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Yansu; Wang Zhijun; Fan Xiaoguang; Li Junjie; Gao Ang

2017-01-01

The mechanical properties of materials greatly depend on the microstructure morphology. The quantitative characterization of material microstructures is essential for the performance prediction and hence the material design. At present, the quantitative characterization methods mainly rely on the microstructure characterization of shape, size, distribution, and volume fraction, which related to the mechanical properties. These traditional methods have been applied for several decades and the subjectivity of human factors induces unavoidable errors. In this paper, we try to bypass the traditional operations and identify the relationship between the microstructures and the material properties by the texture of image itself directly. The statistical approach is based on gray level Co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), allowing an objective and repeatable study on material microstructures. We first present how to identify GLCM with the optimal parameters, and then apply the method on three systems with different microstructures. The results show that GLCM can reveal the interface information and microstructures complexity with less human impact. Naturally, there is a good correlation between GLCM and the mechanical properties. (paper)

Homogeneity and microstructure study of Gd2O3-UO2 pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Ying; Gao Dihua; Guo Yibai; Zhu Shuming

1994-10-01

The microstructure of Gd 2 O 3 -UO 2 pellets (0∼10 wt%) prepared in different conditions, the homogeneity distribution of Gd 2 O 3 in the pellets and the lattice parameter of solid solution are studied by metalloscope, WDS, EDAX, SEM-image processing system, XRD and image analyzer. The theoretical density has been calculated. The effect of size and content of Gd 2 O 3 particles, the blend process, the sintering temperature and time, and the sintering atmosphere on the microstructure of Gd 2 O 3 pellets and the homogeneity of Gd 2 O 3 in the pellets are studied. (16 refs., 10 figs., 8 tabs.)

Relative density: the key to stocking assessment in regional analysis—a forest survey viewpoint.

Science.gov (United States)

Colin D. MacLean

1979-01-01

Relative density is a measure of tree crowding compared to a reference level such as normal density. This stand attribute, when compared to management standards, indicates adequacy of stocking. The Pacific Coast Forest Survey Unit assesses the relative density of each stand sampled by summing the individual density contributions of each tree tallied, thus quantifying...

Hierarchical evolution and thermal stability of microstructure with deformation twins in 316 stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, S.J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Jozaghi, T. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Karaman, I., E-mail: ikaraman@tamu.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Arroyave, R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Chumlyakov, Y.I. [Siberian Physical Technical Institute, Tomsk State University, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation)

2017-05-10

We report extensive nano-twin formation in 316 stainless steel (SS) and the evolution of a hierarchical microstructure through the formation of multi-scale twin bundles after uniaxial tension with uniform elongation levels of 20%, 30%, and 40%. Multiscale characterization techniques were employed to reveal the nature of these twins. The twin density increases with the increasing strain level, however, the twin width remains the same, notably reducing the mean free path of dislocations. Concurrently, significant work hardening is observed during subsequent deformation. The deformation-induced nano-twins are thermally stable up to ~800 °C, shown by both interrupted and in-situ transmission electron microscopy experiments, above which the recrystallization takes place in the vicinity of the twins. Such favorable thermal stability of the twins in nano-twin strengthened 316 SS offers a promising approach for microstructurally engineering these materials for potential applications at elevated temperatures. The related strengthening mechanisms are discussed in the light of the mean free path of dislocations and the dislocation interactions with twin boundaries.

Boron effect on the microstructure of 9% Cr ferritic–martensitic steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimenkov, M.; Materna-Morris, E.; Möslang, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Detailed TEM characterization of BN, M 23 C 6 , VN and TaC precipitates in B-alloyed EUROFER97. • Determination of B content influence on density and composition of M 23 C 6 and MX precipitates and herewith on microstructure. • α-Al 2 O 3 –BN–TaC–VN precipitation sequence of different phases during cooling was proposed. • Decreasing of thermal stability of microstructure with boron content was measured. - Abstract: The microstructure of reduces-activation 9Cr–WTaV steel alloyed with 83 and 1160 wt. ppm 10 B was detailed analysed using transmission electron microscopy. The influence of boron content on the precipitation behaviour of M 23 C 6 and MX (VN and TaC) phases and, hence, on the formation process of steel’s grain and lath structure was studied. VN precipitates, which play an important role in the stabilisation of the lath structure, exhibit most sensitive reaction on presence of boron. Their spatial density significantly reduces in the alloy with 83 ppm boron. In the steel with 1160 wt. ppm boron, no formation of VN was detected, whereas TaC particles precipitate at the lath and grain boundaries. These changes in the structure stabilisation mechanism lead to an increasing lath width and a decreasing thermal stability of laths and grains. Analytical investigations of several BN particles reveal their complex multi-phase structure and allow conclusions to be drawn with respect to their precipitation sequence

Accelerated Microstructure Imaging via Convex Optimization (AMICO) from diffusion MRI data.

Science.gov (United States)

Daducci, Alessandro; Canales-Rodríguez, Erick J; Zhang, Hui; Dyrby, Tim B; Alexander, Daniel C; Thiran, Jean-Philippe

2015-01-15

Microstructure imaging from diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) data represents an invaluable tool to study non-invasively the morphology of tissues and to provide a biological insight into their microstructural organization. In recent years, a variety of biophysical models have been proposed to associate particular patterns observed in the measured signal with specific microstructural properties of the neuronal tissue, such as axon diameter and fiber density. Despite very appealing results showing that the estimated microstructure indices agree very well with histological examinations, existing techniques require computationally very expensive non-linear procedures to fit the models to the data which, in practice, demand the use of powerful computer clusters for large-scale applications. In this work, we present a general framework for Accelerated Microstructure Imaging via Convex Optimization (AMICO) and show how to re-formulate this class of techniques as convenient linear systems which, then, can be efficiently solved using very fast algorithms. We demonstrate this linearization of the fitting problem for two specific models, i.e. ActiveAx and NODDI, providing a very attractive alternative for parameter estimation in those techniques; however, the AMICO framework is general and flexible enough to work also for the wider space of microstructure imaging methods. Results demonstrate that AMICO represents an effective means to accelerate the fit of existing techniques drastically (up to four orders of magnitude faster) while preserving accuracy and precision in the estimated model parameters (correlation above 0.9). We believe that the availability of such ultrafast algorithms will help to accelerate the spread of microstructure imaging to larger cohorts of patients and to study a wider spectrum of neurological disorders. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micro-computer system for quantitative image analysis of damage microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, A.; Kohno, Y.; Satoh, K.; Igata, N.

1984-01-01

Quantitative image analysis of radiation induced damage microstructure is very important in evaluating material behaviors in radiation environment. But, quite a few improvement have been seen in quantitative analysis of damage microstructure in these decades. The objective of this work is to develop new system for quantitative image analysis of damage microstructure which could improve accuracy and efficiency of data sampling and processing and could enable to get new information about mutual relations among dislocations, precipitates, cavities, grain boundaries, etc. In this system, data sampling is done with X-Y digitizer. The cavity microstructure in dual-ion irradiated 316 SS is analyzed and the effectiveness of this system is discussed. (orig.)

Microstructure and texture evolution in cryorolled Al 7075 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayaganthan, R.; Brokmeier, H.-G.; Schwebke, Bernd; Panigrahi, S.K.

2010-01-01

The present work investigates the microstructure and texture evolution of cryorolled Al 7075 alloy using FE-SEM, TEM, and neutron diffraction, respectively. The solution treated bulk Al 7075 alloy is subjected to rolling at liquid nitrogen temperature to produce sheets with different thickness reductions such as 35%, 50%, 70%, and 90%, respectively. It is evident from the microstructural characterisations of cryorolled samples that with the increasing deformation strain induced in the materials, the grains are fragmented and produce high amount of dislocation density due the suppression of dynamic recovery. The texture analysis of the cryorolled Al 7075 alloy has shown that the ideal fibres observed in the starting solution treated alloy has been destroyed during rolling. The Goss/Brass orientation of the cryorolled Al alloy is shifting towards the Brass components with increasing deformation strain induced in the samples. The orientation distribution functions of the cryorolled Al 7075 alloy clearly indicate the progressive weakening of the texture components, during cryorolling, with increasing strain, therefore, fragmentation and reorientation of micron sized grains occurs easily for the formation of subgrains and ultrafine-grained microstructures as evident from EBSD and TEM micrographs.

Effect of microstructure on the nucleation and initiation of adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) during impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boakye Yiadom, Solomon, E-mail: boakyeys@cc.umanitoba.ca; Khaliq Khan, Abdul, E-mail: abdulkhaliq.khan@umanitoba.ca; Bassim, Nabil, E-mail: nabil.bassim@ad.umanitoba.ca

2014-10-06

While instability may occur homogenously during plastic deformation, the formation of adiabatic shear band (ASBs) does not follow a homogenous instability during impact. Geometrical stress concentration sites and/or microstructural inhomogeneities result in the nucleation and initiation of shear strain localization. In this study, initial microstructural inhomogeneity was found to produce nucleation sites for the initiation of ASBs. It was observed that double misfit interfaces and boundary layers with random arrangement of atomic columns are formed around precipitated carbides and they increase the volume fraction of dislocation sources within the specimens. The AISI 4340 steel specimens which were tempered at the lowest temperature had smaller precipitated carbides with high aspect ratios densely distributed within the matrix and were easily susceptible to the formation of ASBs. As the tempering temperature increased, the relative sizes of the carbides increased with a corresponding reduction in their aspect ratios and their distribution density within the matrix and thus were more resistant to the formation of ASBs. In this study, it is demonstrated that the intersection of an activated dislocation source with the direction of maximum shear (regions of stress concentrations) within the specimens during impact, is a necessary condition for the point of intersection to act as a possible site for the nucleation of ASBs, depending on the rate of dislocation generation, local strain and strain rate. At a constant carbide volume fraction, the higher susceptibility of the tempered specimens to the initiation of ASBs is attributed to the volume fraction of the points of intersection between activated dislocation sources and direction of maximum shear during impact. Additionally, the smaller carbides, with their higher aspect ratios and distribution densities, accentuate the effect of strain gradients and the microstructural inhomogeneities associated with the tempered

Complex strain paths in polycrystalline copper: microstructural aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.F. Vieira

1999-07-01

Full Text Available Microstructural aspects of polycrystalline copper sheets subjected to complex strain paths were analysed in this work. Dislocation structures developed during the strain paths (rolling and tension and the evolution of this microstructure during reloading have been studied. The active slip systems developed in each strain path were used to explain the microstructural evolution. The heterogeneous surface deformation observed on polished tensile specimens prestrained in rolling was also analysed. The structural aspects are related with the mechanical behaviour of the material, namely with the increase in yield stress in reloading, the work hardening evolution and the premature occurrence of plastic instability for some prestrain values.

Effects of diet-induced obesity and voluntary wheel running on the microstructure of the murine distal femur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timonen Jussi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity and osteoporosis, two possibly related conditions, are rapidly expanding health concerns in modern society. Both of them are associated with sedentary life style and nutrition. To investigate the effects of diet-induced obesity and voluntary physical activity we used high resolution micro-computed tomography (μCT together with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT to examine the microstructure of the distal femoral metaphysis in mice. Methods Forty 7-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to 4 groups: control (C, control + running (CR, high-fat diet (HF, and high-fat diet + running (HFR. After a 21-week intervention, all the mice were sacrificed and the left femur dissected for pQCT and μCT measurements. Results The mice fed the high-fat diet showed a significant weight gain (over 70% for HF and 60% for HFR, with increased epididymal fat pad mass and impaired insulin sensitivity. These obese mice had significantly higher trabecular connectivity density, volume, number, thickness, area and mass, and smaller trabecular separation. At the whole bone level, they had larger bone circumference and cross-sectional area and higher density-weighted maximal, minimal, and polar moments of inertia. Voluntary wheel running decreased all the cortical bone parameters, but increased the trabecular mineral density, and decreased the pattern factor and structure model index towards a more plate-like structure. Conclusions The results suggest that in mice the femur adapts to obesity by improving bone strength both at the whole bone and micro-structural level. Adaptation to running exercise manifests itself in increased trabecular density and improved 3D structure, but in a limited overall bone growth

Optimization of consolidation parameters of 18Cr-ODS ferritic steel through microstructural and microtexture characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Manmath Kumar; Mythili, R.; Dasgupta, Arup; Saroja, S.

2018-04-01

This paper reports the optimization of consolidation process based on the evolution of microstructure, microtexture and densification in 18%-Cr Oxide Dispersion Strengthened steel. The steel powder of composition Fe-18Cr-0.01C-2W-0.25Ti-0.35Y2O3 has been consolidated by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) for green compaction after mechanical milling. Sintering (1000-1250 °C) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at 1150 °C has been employed to achieve good densification on compacted CIP specimen. The effect of sintering temperatures on densification behavior was evaluated and sintering at 1150°C was identified to be optimum for achieving good compaction (92% density) and homogeneous polygonal microstructure with a uniform distribution of fine pores. In addition, HIP of CIP product at 1150°C was found to yield a more homogeneous microstructure as compared to sintered product with 97% density. A static/dynamic recrystallization associated with (1 1 1) texture is observed during consolidation process. A statistical comparison has been made based on frequency of grain boundary distribution and associated texture with its theoretical attributes.

The effect of inhomogeneity of microstructure on ducility in superplasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manonukul, A.; Dunne, F.P.E.

1996-01-01

Finite element cell models have been developed to represent inhomogeneous grain size fields that occur in commercial Ti-6Al-4V. The models are used to investigate the influence of microstructure on superplastic stress-strain behaviour, inhomogeneity of deformation, and on ductility in superplastic deformation. It is shown that increasing the level of initial microstructural inhomogeneity leads to increasing flow stress for given strain, and that the microstructural inhomogeneity leads to inhomogeneous deformation. As superplasticity proceeds, the level of microstructural inhomogeneity diminishes, but the inhomogeneity itself is preserved during the deformation. It is shown that the inhomogeneity of microstructure leads to strain localisation which increases in severity with deformation until material necking and failure occur. Increasing the initial microstructural inhomogeneity is shown to lead to a decrease in ductility, but the effect diminishes for grain size ranges in excess of 30 μm. An empirical relationship is presented that relates the ductility to the initial grain size range through a power law. (orig.)

Microstructure characterization and strengthening mechanisms of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe-9%Cr and Fe-14%Cr extruded bars

Science.gov (United States)

Chauhan, A.; Bergner, F.; Etienne, A.; Aktaa, J.; de Carlan, Y.; Heintze, C.; Litvinov, D.; Hernandez-Mayoral, M.; Oñorbe, E.; Radiguet, B.; Ulbricht, A.

2017-11-01

The collaborative study is focused on the relationship between microstructure and yield stress for an ODS Fe-9%Cr-based transformable alloy and an ODS Fe-14%Cr-based ferritic alloy. The contributions to the total room temperature yield stress arising from various strengthening mechanisms are addressed on the basis of a comprehensive description of the microstructures uncovered by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and atom probe tomography (APT). While these methods provide a high degree of complementarity, a reasonable agreement was found in cases of overlap of information. The derived set of microstructure parameters along with reported strengthening equations was used to calculate the room temperature yield stress. The estimates were critically compared with the measured yield stress for an extended set of alloys including data reported for Fe-Cr model alloys and steels thus covering one order of magnitude or more in grain size, dislocation density, particle density and yield stress. The comparison shows that particle strengthening, dislocation forest strengthening, and Hall-Petch strengthening are the major contributions and that a mixed superposition rule reproduces the measured yield stress within experimental scatter for the whole extended set of alloys. The wide variation of microstructures additionally underpins the conclusions and goes beyond previous work, in which one or few ODS steels and narrow microstructure variations were typically covered.

Ambiguities and symmetry relations associated with fermionic tensor densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dallabona, G.; Battistel, O. A.

2004-01-01

We consider the consistent evaluation of perturbative (divergent) Green functions associated with fermionic tensor densities and the derivation of symmetry relations for them. We show that, in spite of current algebra methods being not applicable, it is possible to derive symmetry properties analogous to the Ward identities of vector and axial-vector densities. The proposed method, which is applicable to any previously chosen order of perturbative calculation, gives the same results as those of current algebra when such a tool is applicable. By using a very general calculational strategy, concerning the manipulations and calculations involving divergent Feynman integrals, we evaluate the purely fermionic two-point functions containing tensor vertices and derive their symmetry properties. The present investigation is the first step in the study and characterization of possible anomalies involving fermionic tensor densities, particularly in purely fermionic three-point functions

Contribution to the study of the microstructure of uranium dioxide (1962); Contribution a l'etude de la microstructure du dioxyde d'uranium (1962)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porneuf, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-05-15

The microstructure of sintered uranium dioxide is studied in relation with several parameters, specially the sintering temperatures and atmospheres. The external surface and the internal microstructure of the sintered are examined, using fractography and ceramography. Various techniques for preparing surfaces (mechanical and electrolytic polishing) and for revealing the structure (chemical and anodic attack, ionic bombardment oxidation) have been experienced and compared. Patterns similar to those revealed in metals and probably related with interactions between dislocations and vacancies have been observed. (author) [French] La microstructure de frittes d'oxyde d'uranium est etudiee en fonction de divers parametres, en particulier de la temperature et de l'atmosphere de frittage, par examen de la surface externe des frittes, puis de leur microstructure interne (fractographie, ceramographie). Differentes techniques de preparation des surfaces (polissage mecanique ou electrolytique) et de revelation de la structure (attaque chimique ou anodique, bombardement ionique, oxydation preferentielle) ont ete experimentees et comparees. Des figures comparables a celles revelees dans les metaux et liees probablement a des interactions entre dislocations et lacunes ont ete observees. (auteur)

Effect of microstructure on the impact toughness of high strength steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutierrez, I.

2014-07-01

One of the major challenges in the development of new steel grades is to get increasingly high strength combined with a low ductile brittle transition temperature and a high upper shelf energy. This requires the appropriate microstructural design. Toughness in steels is controlled by different microstructural constituents. Some of them, like inclusions, are intrinsic while others happening at different microstructural scales relate to processing conditions. A series of empirical equations express the transition temperature as a sum of contributions from substitutional solutes, free nitrogen, carbides, pearlite, grain size and eventually precipitation strengthening. Aimed at developing a methodology that could be applied to high strength steels, microstructures with a selected degree of complexity were produced at laboratory in a Nb-microalloyed steel. As a result a model has been developed that consistently predicts the Charpy curves for ferrite-pearlite, bainitic and quenched and tempered microstructures using as input data microstructural parameters. This model becomes a good tool for microstructural design. (Author)

Effect of Sintering Atmosphere and Solution Treatment on Density, Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Duplex Stainless Steels Developed from Pre-alloyed Powders

Science.gov (United States)

Murali, Arun Prasad; Mahendran, Sudhahar; Ramajayam, Mariappan; Ganesan, Dharmalingam; Chinnaraj, Raj Kumar

2017-10-01

In this research, Powder Metallurgy (P/M) of Duplex Stainless Steels (DSS) of different compositions were prepared through pre-alloyed powders and elemental powders with and without addition of copper. The powder mix was developed by pot mill for 12 h to obtain the homogeneous mixture of pre-alloyed powder with elemental compositions. Cylindrical green compacts with the dimensions of 30 mm diameter and 12 mm height were compacted through universal testing machine at a pressure level of 560 ± 10 MPa. These green compacts were sintered at 1350 °C for 2 h in hydrogen and argon atmospheres. Some of the sintered stainless steel preforms were solution treated at 1050 °C followed by water quenching. The sintered as well as solution treated samples were analysed by metallography examination, Scanning Electron Microscopy and evaluation of mechanical properties. Ferrite content of sintered and solution treated DSS were measured by Fischer Ferritoscope. It is inferred that the hydrogen sintered DSS depicted better density (94% theoretical density) and tensile strength (695 MPa) than the argon sintered steels. Similarly the microstructure of solution treated DSS revealed existence of more volume of ferrite grains than its sintered condition. Solution treated hydrogen sintered DSS A (50 wt% 316L + 50 wt% 430L) exhibited higher tensile strength of 716 MPa and elongation of 17%, which are 10-13% increment than the sintered stainless steels.

Nanosheet-assembled NiO microstructures for high-performance supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Purushothaman, Kamatchi Kamaraj; Babu, Inbamani Manohara; Sethuraman, Balasubramanian; Muralidharan, Gopalan

2013-11-13

Nanosheet-assembled NiO microstructures have been synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The presence of anionic surfactant in the fabrication process initiates the formation of lamellar micelles and a self-assembling process. This leads to the formation of NiO nanosheets and organizes it into microstructures. The effect of preparation temperature on the morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties and stability upon continuous charge/discharge cycles has been examined for supercapacitor applications. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated that NiO nanosheets prepared at 160 °C are capable of delivering a specific capacitance of 989 F g(-1) at a scan rate of 3 mV s(-1) for the potential window of 0-0.6 V. The nanosheets exhibit excellent capacity retention, 97% retention after 1000 continuous charge/discharge cycles, and an energy density of 49.45 W h kg(-1).

Microstructure and local texture of partially recrystallized titanium sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaefferer, S.; Schwarzer, R.A.

1993-01-01

The microstructure of TiAl6V4 sheet was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Two types of microstructure were found: regions with a recrystallized and regions with a deformed structure. They could be distinguished from each other by grain size and shape, by the dislocation density and local texture. The orientations of individual grains were measured by on-line interpretation of Kikuchi patterns with a TEM. The results were represented on inverse pole figures. The deformed structure showed a strong preferred orientation (11 anti 20)[10 anti 10], while the texture of the recrystallized areas was substantially weaker containing other preferred orientations. The global texture of the sample was investigated by measuring pole figures with an x-ray texture goniometer. The ODF as well as inverse pole figures were calculated and compared to the TEM pole figures. (orig.)

Microstructure formation and corrosion behaviour in HVOF-sprayed Inconel 625 coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, D.; Harris, S.J.; McCartney, D.G.

2003-01-01

The nickel-based alloy Inconel 625 was thermally sprayed by two different variants of the high velocity oxy-fuel process. In this study, coatings deposited by a liquid-fuelled gun were compared with those produced by a gas-fuelled system; in general, the former generates higher particle velocities but lower particle temperatures. Investigations into the microstructural evolution of the coatings, using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, are presented along with results on their aqueous corrosion behaviour, obtained from salt spray and potentiodynamic tests. It is inferred from coating microstructures that, during spraying, powder particles generally comprised three separate zones as follows: fully melted regions; partially melted zones; and an unmelted core. However, the relative proportions formed in an individual powder particle depended on its size, trajectory through the gun, the gas dynamics (velocity/temperature) of the thermal spray gun and the type of gun employed. Cr 2 O 3 was the principal oxide phase formed during spraying and the quantity appeared to be directly related to the degree to which particles were melted. The salt spray test provides a sensitive means of determining the presence of interconnected porosity in coatings and those produced with the liquid-fuelled gun exhibited reduced interconnected porosity and increased corrosion resistance compared with deposits obtained from the gas-fuelled system. In addition, potentiodynamic tests revealed that passive current densities are 10-20 times lower in liquid-fuel coatings than in those sprayed with the gas-fuelled gun

A Study on the Microstructural Evolution of a Low Alloy Steel by Different Shot Peening Treatments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan González

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that severe shot peening can be categorized as a severe plastic deformation surface treatment that is able to strongly modify the microstructure of the surface layer of materials, by both increasing the dislocation density and introducing a large number of defects that define new grain boundaries and form ultrafine structure. In this work, conventional shot peening and severe shot peening treatments were applied to 39NiCrMo3 steel samples. The samples were characterized in terms of microstructure, surface roughness, microhardness, residual stresses, and surface work-hardening as a function of surface coverage. Particular attention was focused on the analysis of the microstructure to assess the evolution of grain size from the surface to the inner material to capture the gradient microstructure. Severe shot peening proved to cause a more remarkable improvement of the general mechanical characteristics compared to conventional shot peening; more significant improvement was associated with the microstructural alteration induced by the treatment. Our datas provide a detailed verification of the relationship between shot peening treatment parameters and the microstructure evolution from the treated surface to the core material.

Microstructural evolution of aged heat-resistant cast steel following strain controlled fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golański, Grzegorz; Zielińska-Lipiec, Anna; Mroziński, Stanisław; Kolan, Cezary

2015-01-01

The paper presents the results of research on the microstructure of high-chromium martensitic GX12CrMoVNbN9-1 (GP91) cast steel after the isothermal ageing process and fatigue process. The fatigue process was performed at room temperature and elevated temperature (600 °C), with the value of total strain amplitude ε ac amounting to 0.25% and 0.60%. Microstructural tests of GP91 cast steel were carried out by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Quantitative study performed by means of TEM included the characteristics of changes in the dislocation substructure and morphology of M 23 C 6 carbides. Performed research has shown that the microstructure of the examined cast steel after ageing is characterized by partly remaining lath microstructure with numerous precipitations of the MX and M 23 C 6 type, as well as the Laves phase. It has been shown that the fatigue test at room temperature contributes to the process of dislocation strengthening of the examined cast steel. The increase of fatigue test temperature influences the degree of increase in the matrix softening. The degree of softening of the cast steel microstructure at elevated temperature depends also on the value of strain amplitude ε ac . The softening process of the examined cast steel was connected with the decrease of dislocation density and increase of subgrains

9-12% Cr heat resistant steels. Alloy design, TEM characterisation of microstructure evolution and creep response at 650 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Jara, David

2011-01-01

response was established. All crept samples showed a significant increase of sub-grain size and a reduction of the dislocation density. Hot deformed samples showed better creep strength than non hot-deformed samples, due to homogenisation of the microstructure. The tempering temperature affected the dislocation density and the sub-grain sizes, influencing the creep behaviour. 9% Cr alloys were designed supported by ThermoCalc. Two sets of alloys were produced: 9% Cr alloys with 0.1 % C and 0.05% C and 9% Cr alloys containing ∝ 0.03% Ti again with 0.1% C and 0.05% C (always wt%). Microstructure investigations showed good agreement with the predicted phases of the thermodynamic modeling. The volume fraction of precipitated M 23 C 6 carbides is directly related to the carbon content of the alloys. Hardening of the Ti-containing alloys by precipitation of fine dispersed Ti-based MX particles was achieved. The precipitation of these carbides was limited to the austenisation and tempering treatment used. The microstructure evolution (sub-grain and particle size) during creep at 650 C / 100MPa was investigated by STEM-HAADF. The sub-grain size evolution and the coarsening of precipitates (MX carbonitrides, M 23 C 6 and Laves phase) were more pronounced for Ti-containing alloys. 9Cr alloys without Ti and with low carbon content presented the highest creep strength of all investigated alloys.

9-12% Cr heat resistant steels. Alloy design, TEM characterisation of microstructure evolution and creep response at 650 C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojas Jara, David

2011-03-21

evolution and creep response was established. All crept samples showed a significant increase of sub-grain size and a reduction of the dislocation density. Hot deformed samples showed better creep strength than non hot-deformed samples, due to homogenisation of the microstructure. The tempering temperature affected the dislocation density and the sub-grain sizes, influencing the creep behaviour. 9% Cr alloys were designed supported by ThermoCalc. Two sets of alloys were produced: 9% Cr alloys with 0.1 % C and 0.05% C and 9% Cr alloys containing ∝ 0.03% Ti again with 0.1% C and 0.05% C (always wt%). Microstructure investigations showed good agreement with the predicted phases of the thermodynamic modeling. The volume fraction of precipitated M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides is directly related to the carbon content of the alloys. Hardening of the Ti-containing alloys by precipitation of fine dispersed Ti-based MX particles was achieved. The precipitation of these carbides was limited to the austenisation and tempering treatment used. The microstructure evolution (sub-grain and particle size) during creep at 650 C / 100MPa was investigated by STEM-HAADF. The sub-grain size evolution and the coarsening of precipitates (MX carbonitrides, M{sub 23}C{sub 6} and Laves phase) were more pronounced for Ti-containing alloys. 9Cr alloys without Ti and with low carbon content presented the highest creep strength of all investigated alloys.

Characterization, Microstructure, and Dielectric properties of cubic pyrochlore structural ceramics

KAUST Repository

Li, Yangyang

2013-05-01

The (BMN) bulk materials were sintered at 1050°C, 1100°C, 1150°C, 1200°C by the conventional ceramic process, and their microstructure and dielectric properties were investigated by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (including the X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry EDS and high resolution transmission electron microscopy HRTEM) and dielectric impedance analyzer. We systematically investigated the structure, dielectric properties and voltage tunable property of the ceramics prepared at different sintering temperatures. The XRD patterns demonstrated that the synthesized BMN solid solutions had cubic phase pyrochlore-type structure when sintered at 1050°C or higher, and the lattice parameter (a) of the unit cell in BMN solid solution was calculated to be about 10.56Å. The vibrational peaks observed in the Raman spectra of BMN solid solutions also confirmed the cubic phase pyrochlore-type structure of the synthesized BMN. According to the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images, the grain size increased with increasing sintering temperature. Additionally, it was shown that the densities of the BMN ceramic tablets vary with sintering temperature. The calculated theoretical density for the BMN ceramic tablets sintered at different temperatures is about 6.7521 . The density of the respective measured tablets is usually amounting more than 91% and 5 approaching a maximum value of 96.5% for sintering temperature of 1150°C. The microstructure was investigated by using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Combined with the results obtained from the STEM and XRD, the impact of sintering temperature on the macroscopic and microscopic structure was discussed. The relative dielectric constant ( ) and dielectric loss ( ) of the BMN solid solutions were measured to be 161-200 and (at room temperature and 100Hz-1MHz), respectively. The BMN solid

Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, P.

1986-01-01

One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. One way to assess the validity of LTE-derived densities is to construct cloud models and then to interpret them in the same way as the observed data. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T sub R*(13CO)/T sub R*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths (and hence column densities) can be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO

Shape tunable synthesis of Eu- and Sm-doped ZnO microstructures ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Shape tunable synthesis of Eu- and Sm-doped ZnO microstructures: a morphological ... different microstructures material at relatively low temper- ..... Chem. C 114. 2776. 5. Gao P X and Wang Z L 2003 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125 11299. 6.

Relating microstructure, sensory and instrumental texture of processed oat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. SALMENKALLIO-MARTTILA

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This study is a part of a larger project aiming to produce new, healthy, and tasty food ingredients from oat. Germination and different heating processes can be used to improve the texture and flavour of cereals. In this study effects of germination and wet and dry heating on the microstructure, instrumental structure and sensory properties of two oat varieties were assessed. The microstructure of native, germinated, autoclaved and extruded grains of the hulled cv. Veli and hull-less cv. Lisbeth was examined by light microscopy, the texture was measured by determining the milling energy and hardness of the grains and sensory characteristics were evaluated with descriptive sensory profile analysis. In cv. Veli the cells of the starchy endosperm were smaller than in cv. Lisbeth and ß-glucan was concentrated in the subaleurone layer. In cv. Lisbeth ß-glucan was evenly distributed in the starchy endosperm. The grains of cv. Lisbeth were more extensively modified in the germination process than the grains of cv. Veli, otherwise the effects of processing on the grains of the two cultivars were similar. Germination caused cell wall degradation, autoclaving and extrusion cooking caused starch gelatinization. Autoclaving resulted in the hardest perceived texture in oat. Gelatinization of starch appeared to contribute more to the hardness of oat groats than the cell wall structure. Of the instrumental methods used in this study the milling energy measurement appeared to be the most useful method for the analysis of the effects of processing on grain structure.;

Relating microstructures to SCC in Inconel 718

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheth, N.K.; Sanchez, J.M.; Hendrix, B.C.; Ide, H.; Miglin, M.T.

1993-01-01

Inconel 718, a nickel-iron-base superalloy, is used for stressed applications in the nuclear and oil industries. A major concern facing the continued and expanding use of Inconel 718 in these applications has been their susceptibility to Inter-Granular Stress Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC). Efforts to reduce stress corrosion cracking (SCC) have been aimed at reducing the susceptibility in this alloy to the formation of the deleterious delta (Ni 3 Nb) phase. Microstructural evaluation of SCC test specimens of different thermo-mechanical histories shows that inhomogeneities of all types, including carbides, nitrides, and different morphologies of δ phase, worsen the SCC resistance of IN718. Here the authors study five samples of IN718 with measured hardness and SCC growth rates. A preliminary ranking of the factors mentioned above on SCC resistance finds that precipitation of a fine δ phase, due to over-aging, has the most profound effect on SCC susceptibility of IN718

Surface tension and contact angles: Molecular origins and associated microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, H. T.

1982-01-01

Gradient theory converts the molecular theory of inhomogeneous fluid into nonlinear boundary value problems for density and stress distributions in fluid interfaces, contact line regions, nuclei and microdroplets, and other fluid microstructures. The relationship between the basic patterns of fluid phase behavior and the occurrence and stability of fluid microstructures was clearly established by the theory. All the inputs of the theory have molecular expressions which are computable from simple models. On another level, the theory becomes a phenomenological framework in which the equation of state of homogeneous fluid and sets of influence parameters of inhomogeneous fluids are the inputs and the structures, stress tensions and contact angles of menisci are the outputs. These outputs, which find applications in the science and technology of drops and bubbles, are discussed.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of open-cellular biomaterials prototypes for total knee replacement implants fabricated by electron beam melting.

Science.gov (United States)

Murr, L E; Amato, K N; Li, S J; Tian, Y X; Cheng, X Y; Gaytan, S M; Martinez, E; Shindo, P W; Medina, F; Wicker, R B

2011-10-01

Total knee replacement implants consisting of a Co-29Cr-6Mo alloy femoral component and a Ti-6Al-4V tibial component are the basis for the additive manufacturing of novel solid, mesh, and foam monoliths using electron beam melting (EBM). Ti-6Al-4V solid prototype microstructures were primarily α-phase acicular platelets while the mesh and foam structures were characterized by α(')-martensite with some residual α. The Co-29Cr-6Mo containing 0.22% C formed columnar (directional) Cr(23)C(6) carbides spaced ~2 μm in the build direction, while HIP-annealed Co-Cr alloy exhibited an intrinsic stacking fault microstructure. A log-log plot of relative stiffness versus relative density for Ti-6Al-4V and Co-29Cr-6Mo open-cellular mesh and foams resulted in a fitted line with a nearly ideal slope, n = 2.1. A stress shielding design graph constructed from these data permitted mesh and foam implant prototypes to be fabricated for compatible bone stiffness. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microstructure of high-strength foam concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Just, A.; Middendorf, B.

2009-01-01

Foam concretes are divided into two groups: on the one hand the physically foamed concrete is mixed in fast rotating pug mill mixers by using foaming agents. This concrete cures under atmospheric conditions. On the other hand the autoclaved aerated concrete is chemically foamed by adding aluminium powder. Afterwards it is cured in a saturated steam atmosphere. New alternatives for the application of foam concretes arise from the combination of chemical foaming and air curing in manufacturing processes. These foam concretes are new and innovative building materials with interesting properties: low mass density and high strength. Responsible for these properties are the macro-, meso- and microporosity. Macropores are created by adding aluminium powder in different volumes and with different particle size distributions. However, the microstructure of the cement matrix is affected by meso- and micropores. In addition, the matrix of the hardened cement paste can be optimized by the specific use of chemical additives for concrete. The influence of aluminium powder and chemical additives on the properties of the microstructure of the hardened cement matrices were investigated by using petrographic microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy.

Neutron and X-ray diffraction analysis of the effect of irradiation dose and temperature on microstructure of irradiated HT-9 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosbrucker, P.L.; Brown, D.W.; Anderoglu, O.; Balogh, L.; Maloy, S.A.; Sisneros, T.A.; Almer, J.; Tulk, E.F.; Morgenroth, W.; Dippel, A.C.

2013-01-01

Material harvested from several positions within a nuclear fuel duct (the ACO-3 duct) used in a 6-year irradiation of a fuel assembly in the Fast Flux Test Reactor Facility (FFTF) was examined using neutron and high-energy X-ray diffraction. Samples with a wide range of irradiation dose and irradiation temperature history, reaching doses of up to 147 dpa and temperatures of up to 777 K, were examined. The response of various microstructural characteristics such as the weight fraction of M 23 C 6 carbides, the dislocation density and character, and the crystallographic texture were determined using whole profile analysis of the diffraction data and related to the macroscopic mechanical behavior. For instance, the dislocation density was observed to be intimately linked with observed flow strength of the irradiated materials, following the Taylor law. In general, at the high doses studied in this work, the irradiation temperature is the predominant controlling factor of the dislocation density and, thus, the flow strength of the irradiated material. The results, representing some of the first diffraction work done on samples exposed to such a high received dose, demonstrate how non-destructive and stand-off diffraction techniques can be used to characterize irradiation induced microstructure and at least estimate mechanical properties in irradiated materials without exposing workers to radiation hazards

Investigation on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Hydroxyapatite-SiCw Composite Bioceramics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2005-01-01

Hydroxyapatite-SiCw composite micropowder was synthesized using in-situ composite method,and hydroxyapatite-SiCw composite bioceramics with different content of SiCw were produced by hot pressing sintering method. The microstructures of the materials were analyzed by SEM, and the relative density, bending strength and fracture toughness of the materials were tested. The results show that the mechanical properties of composite material are best when the whisker content is 20-23.7% . The mechanical properties of the material are the best when the tensile stress acted on the composite material is parallel with the hot pressing plane, and they are the worst when the tensile stress acted on the composite material is normal to the hot pressing plane.

Modification of polyimide wetting properties by laser ablated conical microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Least, Brandon T.; Willis, David A.

2013-01-01

Laser texturing of Kapton ® HN polyimide was performed by low-fluence ablation using a pulsed, frequency tripled (349 nm) Nd:YLF laser. The laser was scanned in two dimensions in order to generate texture over a large area. The laser overlap percentage and fluence were varied and the resulting texture was studied. The texture features were inspected by electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS), while the static contact angle of de-ionized water was measured by a contact angle goniometer. Rounded bump features were formed at all fluences, which decreased in areal density with fluence and number of laser pulses. Conical microstructures or “cones” were also formed at most fluences. Cones were larger than the bumps and thus had lower areal density, which increased as a function of the number of laser pulses. The polyimide was hydrophilic before texturing, with a contact angle of approximately 76°. For most of the experimental conditions the contact angle increased as a result of texturing, with the contact angle exceeding 90° for some textured surfaces, and reaching values as high as 118°. In general, the surfaces with significant increases in contact angle had high density of texture features, either bumps or cones. The surfaces that experienced a decrease in contact angle generally had low density of texture features. The increase in contact angle from a wetting (θ 90°) cannot be explained by texturing alone. EDS measurements indicate that textured regions had higher carbon content than the untextured regions due to depletion of oxygen species. The increase in carbon content relative to the oxygen content increased the native contact angle of the surface, causing the transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic behavior. The contact angle of a textured surface increased as the relative spacing of features (diameter to spacing) decreased.

Microstructure evolution of SiC sintered bodies activated by boron and carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gubernat, A.; Stobierski, L.

2003-01-01

Investigation on the role of sintering aids on densification of silicon carbide indicate that boron and carbon modify mass transport mechanisms. It leads to changes of microstructure of polycrystalline silicon carbide. In the present work the influence of varying proportions of sintering aids on the material microstructure was studied. The microstructural changes were related to the changes of the selected properties of the resulting materials. (author)

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Aluminum Alloy Plate AA 7055

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Junzhou

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Through-thickness microstructure and mechanical property of AA 7055-T7751 aluminum alloy plate were investigated by using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD, transmission electron microscope (TEM and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS. The results indicate an inhomogeneous distribution of microstructure through the thickness. The degree of recrystallization decreases gradually from 69% to 19.1%, as deepening from the surface to the center of the plate. The size of subgrains decreases from 10 μm at the surface to around 2 μm at the center. Strong texture of rolling type is observed near the center but the intensity decreases gradually as nearing the surface and the shear texture becomes the dominant. High density of plate-like η' phases are observed in the alloy, indicating the sufficient precipitation. η' precipitates of this condition are around 3.7 nm in radius, 1-3 nm in thickness and are found coherent with the Al matrix with a coherent strain of 0.0133, showing a strong strengthening effect. The heterogeneity in grain scale does not influence the distribution and the morphology of precipitates. The yield strength (L direction varies linearly along the thickness direction of the plate, fitting an equation of σy=-38.7S+604.8 (0≤S≤1. The variation of yield strength is related to the heterogeneity of grain structure.

Quantitative Analysis of Ductile Iron Microstructure – A Comparison of Selected Methods for Assessment

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Mrzygłód B.

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Stereological description of dispersed microstructure is not an easy task and remains the subject of continuous research. In its practical aspect, a correct stereological description of this type of structure is essential for the analysis of processes of coagulation and spheroidisation, or for studies of relationships between structure and properties. One of the most frequently used methods for an estimation of the density Nv and size distribution of particles is the Scheil - Schwartz - Saltykov method. In this article, the authors present selected methods for quantitative assessment of ductile iron microstructure, i.e. the Scheil - Schwartz - Saltykov method, which allows a quantitative description of three-dimensional sets of solids using measurements and counts performed on two-dimensional cross-sections of these sets (microsections and quantitative description of three-dimensional sets of solids by X-ray computed microtomography, which is an interesting alternative for structural studies compared to traditional methods of microstructure imaging since, as a result, the analysis provides a three-dimensional imaging of microstructures examined.

Isothermal relaxation current and microstructure changes of thermally aged polyester films impregnated by epoxy resin

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiongwei; Sun, Potao; Peng, Qingjun; Sima, Wenxia

2018-01-01

In this study, to understand the effect of thermal aging on polymer films degradation, specimens of polyester films impregnated by epoxy resin with different thermal aging temperatures (80 and 130 °C) and aging times (500, 1600, 2400 and 3000 h) are prepared, then charge de-trapping properties of specimens are investigated via the isothermal relaxation current (IRC) measurement, the distributions of trap level and its corresponding density are obtained based on the modified IRC model. It is found that the deep trap density increases remarkably at the beginning of thermal aging (before 1600 h), but it decreases obviously as the aging degree increases. At elevated aging temperature and, in particular considering the presence of air gap between two-layer insulation, the peak densities of deep traps decrease more significant in the late period of aging. It can be concluded that it is the released energy from de-trapping process leads to the fast degradation of insulation. Moreover, after thermal aging, the microstructure changes of crystallinity and molecular structures are analyzed via the x-ray diffraction experiment and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The results indicate that the variation of the deep trap density is closely linked with the changes of microstructure, a larger interface of crystalline/amorphous phase, more defects and broken chains caused by thermal aging form higher deep trap density stored in the samples.

Size-density relations in dark clouds: Non-LTE effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maloney, P.

1986-01-01

One of the major goals of molecular astronomy has been to understand the physics and dynamics of dense interstellar clouds. Because the interpretation of observations of giant molecular clouds is complicated by their very complex structure and the dynamical effects of star formation, a number of studies have concentrated on dark clouds. Leung, Kutner and Mead (1982) (hereafter LKM) and Myers (1983), in studies of CO and NH 3 emission, concluded that dark clouds exhibit significant correlations between linewidth and cloud radius of the form delta v varies as R(0.5) and between mean density and radius of the form n varies as R(-1), as originally suggested by Larson (1981). This result suggests that these objects are in virial equilibrium. However, the mean densities inferred from the CO data of LKM are based on an local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) analysis of their 13CO data. At the very low mean densities inferred by LKM for the larger clouds in their samples, the assumption of LTE becomes very questionable. As most of the range in R in the density-size correlation comes from the clouds observed in CO, it seems worthwhile to examine how non-LTE effects will influence the derived densities. Microturbulent models of inhomogeneous clouds of varying central concentration with the linewidth-size and mean density-size relations found by Myers show sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO line in the larger clouds, with the result that LTE analysis considerbly underestimates the actual column density. A more general approach which doesn't require detailed modeling of the clouds is to consider whether the observed T/sub R/*(13CO)/T/sub R/*(12CO) ratios in the clouds studied by LKM are in the range where the LTE-derived optical depths be seriously in error due to sub-thermal excitation of the 13CO molecule

Effects of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency field on microstructure and bone metabolism of femur in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ling; Zhang, Jun-Ping; Zhang, Ke-Ying; Wang, Huan-Bo; Wang, Huan; An, Guang-Zhou; Zhou, Yan; Meng, Guo-Lin; Ding, Gui-Rong

2018-04-30

To investigate the effects of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency (RF) field on bone microstructure and metabolism of femur in mice, C57BL/6 mice (male, age 4 weeks) were whole-body exposed or sham exposed to 1.8 GHz RF field. Specific absorption rates of whole body and bone were approximately 2.70 and 1.14 W/kg (6 h/day for 28 days). After exposure, microstructure and morphology of femur were observed by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Masson staining. Subsequently, bone parameters were calculated directly from the reconstructed images, including structure model index, bone mineral density, trabecular bone volume/total volume, connectivity density, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, and trabecular separation. Biomarkers that reflect bone metabolism, such as serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b), were determined by biochemical assay methods. Micro-CT and histology results showed that there was no significant change in bone microstructure and the above parameters in RF group, compared with sham group. The activity of serum ALP and BALP increased 29.47% and 16.82%, respectively, in RF group, compared with sham group (P microstructure; however, it might promote metabolic function of osteoblasts in mice. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Temperature fluctuation effect on microstructural evolution of vanadium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Hideo; Ochiai, Kenso; Yoshida, Naoaki [Kyushu Univ., Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

1996-04-01

To compare the damage structure of vanadium and it`s alloy by irradiation at a constant and fluctuating temperature, the microstructure of samples irradiated by heavy ion were observed by an electron microscope. Pure vanadium (99.9%) from China was used as samples. After preparing the samples for the electron microscope, they are covered with Zr and Ta film, vacuum sealed and annealed for 2h at 1323K. Then the samples were irradiated by 3 MeV Cu ion of 0.75-100 dpa at 473-873K. Temperature was changed from low to high (473K/673K, 473K/873K, 673K/873K). On the irradiation experiments at constant temperature, the density of dislocation decreased with increasing temperature, but, more than 773K, the density became very low and the needle precipitation grown to <100> and void were observed. On the irradiation experiment at 673K/873K, the density of number of precipitation and void were decreased. (S.Y.)

Are energy-dense foods really cheaper? Reexamining the relation between food price and energy density.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipsky, Leah M

2009-11-01

The inverse relation between energy density (kcal/g) and energy cost (price/kcal) has been interpreted to suggest that produce (fruit, vegetables) is more expensive than snacks (cookies, chips). The objective of this study was to show the methodologic weakness of comparing energy density with energy cost. The relation between energy density and energy cost was replicated in a random-number data set. Additionally, observational data were collected for produce and snacks from an online supermarket. Variables included total energy (kcal), total weight (g), total number of servings, serving size (g/serving), and energy density (kcal/g). Price measures included energy cost ($/kcal), total price ($), unit price ($/g), and serving price ($/serving). Two-tailed t tests were used to compare price measures by food category. Relations between energy density and price measures within food categories were examined with the use of Spearman rank correlation analysis. The relation between energy density and energy cost was shown to be driven by the algebraic properties of these variables. Food category was strongly correlated with both energy density and food price measures. Energy cost was higher for produce than for snacks. However, total price and unit price were lower for produce. Serving price and serving size were greater for produce than for snacks. Within food categories, energy density was uncorrelated with most measures of food price, except for a weak positive correlation with serving price within the produce category. The findings suggest the relation between energy density and food price is confounded by food category and depends on which measure of price is used.

TRACING THE STAR-FORMATION-DENSITY RELATION TO z {approx} 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quadri, Ryan F.; Williams, Rik J. [Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Franx, Marijn; Hildebrandt, Hendrik, E-mail: quadri@obs.carnegiescience.edu [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)

2012-01-10

Recent work has shown that the star formation (SF) density relation-in which galaxies with low SF rates are preferentially found in dense environments-is still in place at z {approx} 1, but the situation becomes less clear at higher redshifts. We use mass-selected samples drawn from the UKIDSS Ultra-Deep Survey to show that galaxies with quenched SF tend to reside in dense environments out to at least z {approx} 1.8. Over most of this redshift range we are able to demonstrate that this SF-density relation holds even at fixed stellar mass. The environmental quenching of SF appears to operate with similar efficiency on all galaxies regardless of stellar mass. Nevertheless, the environment plays a greater role in the buildup of the red sequence at lower masses, whereas other quenching processes dominate at higher masses. In addition to a statistical analysis of environmental densities, we investigate a cluster at z = 1.6, and show that the central region has an elevated fraction of quiescent objects relative to the field. Although the uncertainties are large, the environmental quenching efficiency in this cluster is consistent with that of galaxy groups and clusters at z {approx} 0. In this work we rely on photometric redshifts and describe some of the pitfalls that large redshift errors can present.

Microstructure Characteristics of High Lift Factor MOCVD REBCO Coated Conductors With High Zr Content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galstyan, E; Gharahcheshmeh, MH; Delgado, L; Xu, AX; Majkic, G; Selvamanickam, V

2015-06-01

We report the microstructural characteristics of high levels of Zr-added REBa2Cu3O7-x (RE = Gd, Y rare earth) coated conductors fabricated by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). The enhancements of the lift factor defined as a ratio of the in-field (3 T, B parallel to c-axis) critical current density (J(c)) at 30 K and self-field J(c) at 77 K have been achieved for Zr addition levels of 20 and 25 mol% via optimization of deposition parameters. The presence of strong flux pinning is attributed to the aligned nanocolumns of BaZrO3 and nanoprecipitates embedded in REBa2Cu3O7-x matrix with good crystal quality. A high density of BZO nanorods with a typical size 6-8 nm and spacing of 20 nm has been observed. Moreover, the high Zr content was found to induce a high density of intrinsic defects, including stacking faults and dislocations. The correlation between in-field performance along the c-axis and microstructure of (Gd, Y) BCO film with a high level of Zr addition is discussed.

Microstructure and microanalysis studies of copper-nickel-tin alloys obtained by conventional powder metallurgy processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, Waldemar A.; Carrio, Juan A.G.; Masson, T.J.; Vitor, E.; Abreu, C.D.; Marques, I.M.

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper was to analyze the microstructural development in samples of Cu-Ni-Sn alloys (weight %) obtained by powder metallurgy (P/M). The powders were mixed for 1/2 hour. After this, they were pressed, in a cold uniaxial pressing (1000 kPa). In the next step the specimens were sintered at temperatures varying from 650 up to 780 deg C under vacuum. Secondly, the samples were homogenized at 500 deg C for several special times. The alloys were characterized by optical microscopy, electrical conductivity and Vickers hardness. X-rays powder diffraction data were collected for the sintered samples in order to a structural and microstructural analysis. The comparative analysis is based on the sintered density, densification parameter, hardness, macrostructures and microstructures of the samples. (author)

Effects of laser power density and initial grain size in laser shock punching of pure copper foil

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Chao; Zhang, Xiu; Zhang, Yiliang; Ji, Zhong; Luan, Yiguo; Song, Libin

2018-06-01

The effects of laser power density and initial grain size on forming quality of holes in laser shock punching process were investigated in the present study. Three different initial grain sizes as well as three levels of laser power densities were provided, and then laser shock punching experiments of T2 copper foil were conducted. Based upon the experimental results, the characteristics of shape accuracy, fracture surface morphology and microstructures of punched holes were examined. It is revealed that the initial grain size has a noticeable effect on forming quality of holes punched by laser shock. The shape accuracy of punched holes degrades with the increase of grain size. As the laser power density is enhanced, the shape accuracy can be improved except for the case in which the ratio of foil thickness to initial grain size is approximately equal to 1. Compared with the fracture surface morphology in the quasistatic loading conditions, the fracture surface after laser shock can be divided into three zones including rollover, shearing and burr. The distribution of the above three zones strongly relates with the initial grain size. When the laser power density is enhanced, the shearing depth is not increased, but even diminishes in some cases. There is no obvious change of microstructures with the enhancement of laser power density. However, while the initial grain size is close to the foil thickness, single-crystal shear deformation may occur, suggesting that the ratio of foil thickness to initial grain size has an important impact on deformation behavior of metal foil in laser shock punching process.

Effect of dispersed phase particle size on microstructure of cup fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goritskij, V.M.; Guseva, I.A.

1978-01-01

A correlation-regressive analysis has been carried out to reveal the influence of the size and the mean distance between the disperse particles of deposits V(C,N) on the microstructure (size of micropores and cups, density of the cups) of a viscous cup-like fracture of specimens made of 30Kh2NMFA grade steel that has been hardened and annealed. It is shown that micropores develop at relatively large particles of deposits V(C,N) (>=0.04/m). A strong correlation linear connection exists between the size of a disperse particle of deposits V(C,N), the size of micropore and cup. This connection is attributable to the close, pairwise correlative connection between the size of the particle and the micropore, the micropore and the cup

Effects of fatty acids composition and microstructure properties of fats and oils on textural properties of dough and cookie quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, Amita; Khatkar, B S

2018-01-01

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of fatty acid composition and microstructure properties of fats and oils on the textural properties of cookie dough and quality attributes of cookies. Fatty acid composition and microstructure properties of six fats and oils (butter, hydrogenated fat, palm oil, coconut oil, groundnut oil, and sunflower oil) were analyzed. Sunflower oil was found to be the most unsaturated oil with 88.39% unsaturated fatty acid content. Coconut oil and palm oil differed from other fats and oils by having an appreciable amount of lauric acid (59.36%) and palmitic acid (42.14%), respectively. Microstructure size of all fats and oils ranged from 1 to 20 μm being the largest for coconut oil and the smallest for palm oil. In palm oil, small rod-shaped and randomly arranged microstructures were observed, whereas sunflower oil and groundnut oil possessed large, scattered ovule shaped microstructures. It was reported that sunflower oil produced the softest dough, the largest cookie spread and the hardest cookie texture, whereas hydrogenated fat produced the stiffest dough, the lowest spread and most tender cookies. Statistical analysis depicted that palmitic acid and oleic acid demonstrated a positive correlation with dough hardness. Linoleic acid exhibited positive link with cookie spread ratio (r = 0.836**) and breaking strength (r = 0.792**). Microstructure size showed a significant positive relationship with dough density (r = 0.792**), cookie density (r = 0.386*), spread ratio (r = 0.312*), and breaking strength (r = 0.303*).

Cluster dynamics modeling of the effect of high dose irradiation and helium on the microstructure of austenitic stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brimbal, Daniel, E-mail: Daniel.brimbal@areva.com [AREVA NP, Tour AREVA, 1 Place Jean Millier, 92084 Paris La Défense (France); Fournier, Lionel [AREVA NP, Tour AREVA, 1 Place Jean Millier, 92084 Paris La Défense (France); Barbu, Alain [Alain Barbu Consultant, 6 Avenue Pasteur Martin Luther King, 78230 Le Pecq (France)

2016-01-15

A mean field cluster dynamics model has been developed in order to study the effect of high dose irradiation and helium on the microstructural evolution of metals. In this model, self-interstitial clusters, stacking-fault tetrahedra and helium-vacancy clusters are taken into account, in a configuration well adapted to austenitic stainless steels. For small helium-vacancy cluster sizes, the densities of each small cluster are calculated. However, for large sizes, only the mean number of helium atoms per cluster size is calculated. This aspect allows us to calculate the evolution of the microstructural features up to high irradiation doses in a few minutes. It is shown that the presence of stacking-fault tetrahedra notably reduces cavity sizes below 400 °C, but they have little influence on the microstructure above this temperature. The binding energies of vacancies to cavities are calculated using a new method essentially based on ab initio data. It is shown that helium has little effect on the cavity microstructure at 300 °C. However, at higher temperatures, even small helium production rates such as those typical of sodium-fast-reactors induce a notable increase in cavity density compared to an irradiation without helium. - Highlights: • Irradiation of steels with helium is studied through a new cluster dynamics model. • There is only a small effect of helium on cavity distributions in PWR conditions. • An increase in helium production causes an increase in cavity density over 500 °C. • The role of helium is to stabilize cavities via reduced emission of vacancies.

Mechanical, electrical and microstructural properties of cement-based materials in conditions of stray current flow

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Susanto, A.; Koleva, D.A.; Copuroglu, O.; Van Beek, C.; Van Breugel, K.

2013-01-01

This investigation presents a comparative study on mechanical properties, electrical resistivity and microstructure of mortar under DC current, compared to mortar in rest (no current) conditions. Monitoring was performed from 24h after casting until 84 days of cement hydration. A current density

Relating saturation capacity to charge density in strong cation exchangers.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinebach, Fabian; Coquebert de Neuville, Bertrand; Morbidelli, Massimo

2017-07-21

In this work the relation between physical and chemical resin characteristics and the total amount of adsorbed protein (saturation capacity) for ion-exchange resins is discussed. Eleven different packing materials with a sulfo-functionalization and one multimodal resin were analyzed in terms of their porosity, pore size distribution, ligand density and binding capacity. By specifying the ligand density and binding capacity by the total and accessible surface area, two different groups of resins were identified: Below a ligand density of approx. 2.5μmol/m 2 area the ligand density controls the saturation capacity, while above this limit the accessible surface area becomes the limiting factor. This results in a maximum protein uptake of around 2.5mg/m 2 of accessible surface area. The obtained results allow estimating the saturation capacity from independent resin characteristics like the saturation capacity mainly depends on "library data" such as the accessible and total surface area and the charge density. Hence these results give an insight into the fundamentals of protein adsorption and help to find suitable resins, thus limiting the experimental effort in early process development stages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The AlSi10Mg samples produced by selective laser melting: single track, densification, microstructure and mechanical behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Pei; Wei, Zhengying; Chen, Zhen; Du, Jun; He, Yuyang; Li, Junfeng; Zhou, Yatong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The thermal behavior of AlSi10Mg molten pool was analyzed. • The SLM-processed sample with a relatively low surface roughness was obtained. • Effects of parameters on surface topography of scan track were investigated. • Effects of parameters on microstructure of parts were investigated. • Optimum processing parameters for AlSi10Mg SLM was obtained. - Abstract: This densification behavior and attendant microstructural characteristics of the selective laser melting (SLM) processed AlSi10Mg alloy affected by the processing parameters were systematically investigated. The samples with a single track were produced by SLM to study the influences of laser power and scanning speed on the surface morphologies of scan tracks. Additionally, the bulk samples were produced to investigate the influence of the laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing on the densification level and the resultant microstructure. The experimental results showed that the level of porosity of the SLM-processed samples was significantly governed by energy density of laser beam and the hatch spacing. The tensile properties of SLM-processed samples and the attendant fracture surface can be enhanced by decreasing the level of porosity. The microstructure of SLM-processed samples consists of supersaturated Al-rich cellular structure along with eutectic Al/Si situated at the cellular boundaries. The Si content in the cellular boundaries increases with increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed. The hardness of SLM-processed samples was significantly improved by this fine microstructure compared with the cast samples. Moreover, the hardness of SLM-processed samples at overlaps was lower than the hardness observed at track cores.

The AlSi10Mg samples produced by selective laser melting: single track, densification, microstructure and mechanical behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Pei; Wei, Zhengying, E-mail: zywei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Chen, Zhen; Du, Jun; He, Yuyang; Li, Junfeng; Zhou, Yatong

2017-06-30

Highlights: • The thermal behavior of AlSi10Mg molten pool was analyzed. • The SLM-processed sample with a relatively low surface roughness was obtained. • Effects of parameters on surface topography of scan track were investigated. • Effects of parameters on microstructure of parts were investigated. • Optimum processing parameters for AlSi10Mg SLM was obtained. - Abstract: This densification behavior and attendant microstructural characteristics of the selective laser melting (SLM) processed AlSi10Mg alloy affected by the processing parameters were systematically investigated. The samples with a single track were produced by SLM to study the influences of laser power and scanning speed on the surface morphologies of scan tracks. Additionally, the bulk samples were produced to investigate the influence of the laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing on the densification level and the resultant microstructure. The experimental results showed that the level of porosity of the SLM-processed samples was significantly governed by energy density of laser beam and the hatch spacing. The tensile properties of SLM-processed samples and the attendant fracture surface can be enhanced by decreasing the level of porosity. The microstructure of SLM-processed samples consists of supersaturated Al-rich cellular structure along with eutectic Al/Si situated at the cellular boundaries. The Si content in the cellular boundaries increases with increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed. The hardness of SLM-processed samples was significantly improved by this fine microstructure compared with the cast samples. Moreover, the hardness of SLM-processed samples at overlaps was lower than the hardness observed at track cores.

Sleep spindle density in narcolepsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Nikolic, Miki; Hvidtfelt, Mathias

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) show alterations in sleep stage transitions, rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-REM sleep due to the loss of hypocretinergic signaling. However, the sleep microstructure has not yet been evaluated in these patients. We aimed to evaluate whether...... the sleep spindle (SS) density is altered in patients with NT1 compared to controls and patients with narcolepsy type 2 (NT2). METHODS: All-night polysomnographic recordings from 28 NT1 patients, 19 NT2 patients, 20 controls (C) with narcolepsy-like symptoms, but with normal cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin...... levels and multiple sleep latency tests, and 18 healthy controls (HC) were included. Unspecified, slow, and fast SS were automatically detected, and SS densities were defined as number per minute and were computed across sleep stages and sleep cycles. The between-cycle trends of SS densities in N2...

In-Situ Roughening of Polymeric Microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Shadpour, Hamed; Allbritton, Nancy L.

2010-01-01

A method to perform in-situ roughening of arrays of microstructures weakly adherent to an underlying substrate was presented. SU8, 1002F, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructures were roughened by polishing with a particle slurry. The roughness and the percentage of dislodged or damaged microstructures was evaluated as a function of the roughening time for both SU8 and 1002F structures. A maximal RMS roughness of 7-18 nm for the surfaces was obtained within 15 to 30 s of polishing with the slurry. This represented a 4-9 fold increase in surface roughness relative to that of the native surface. Less than 0.8% of the microstructures on the array were removed or damage after 5 min of polishing. Native and roughened arrays were assessed for their ability to support fibronectin adhesion and cell attachment and growth. The quantity of adherent fibronectin was increased on roughened arrays by two-fold over that on native arrays. Cell adhesion to the roughened surfaces was also increased compared to native surfaces. Surface roughening with the particle slurry also improved the ability to stamp molecules onto the substrate during microcontact printing. Roughening both the PDMS stamp and substrate resulted in up to a 20-fold improvement in the transfer of BSA-Alexa Fluor 647 from the stamp to the substrate. Thus roughening of micron-scale surfaces with a particle slurry increased the adhesion of biomolecules as well as cells to microstructures with little to no damage to large scale arrays of the structures. PMID:20423129

The dimensionality of between-person differences in white matter microstructure in old age.

Science.gov (United States)

Lövdén, Martin; Laukka, Erika Jonsson; Rieckmann, Anna; Kalpouzos, Grégoria; Li, Tie-Qiang; Jonsson, Tomas; Wahlund, Lars-Olof; Fratiglioni, Laura; Bäckman, Lars

2013-06-01

Between-person differences in white matter microstructure may partly generalize across the brain and partly play out differently for distinct tracts. We used diffusion-tensor imaging and structural equation modeling to investigate this issue in a sample of 260 adults aged 60-87 years. Mean fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity of seven white matter tracts in each hemisphere were quantified. Results showed good fit of a model positing that individual differences in white matter microstructure are structured according to tracts. A general factor, although accounting for variance in the measures, did not adequately represent the individual differences. This indicates the presence of a substantial amount of tract-specific individual differences in white matter microstructure. In addition, individual differences are to a varying degree shared between tracts, indicating that general factors also affect white matter microstructure. Age-related differences in white matter microstructure were present for all tracts. Correlations among tract factors did not generally increase as a function of age, suggesting that aging is not a process with homogenous effects on white matter microstructure across the brain. These findings highlight the need for future research to examine whether relations between white matter microstructure and diverse outcomes are specific or general. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contribution to the study of the microstructure of uranium dioxide (1962); Contribution a l'etude de la microstructure du dioxyde d'uranium (1962)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porneuf, A. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-05-15

The microstructure of sintered uranium dioxide is studied in relation with several parameters, specially the sintering temperatures and atmospheres. The external surface and the internal microstructure of the sintered are examined, using fractography and ceramography. Various techniques for preparing surfaces (mechanical and electrolytic polishing) and for revealing the structure (chemical and anodic attack, ionic bombardment oxidation) have been experienced and compared. Patterns similar to those revealed in metals and probably related with interactions between dislocations and vacancies have been observed. (author) [French] La microstructure de frittes d'oxyde d'uranium est etudiee en fonction de divers parametres, en particulier de la temperature et de l'atmosphere de frittage, par examen de la surface externe des frittes, puis de leur microstructure interne (fractographie, ceramographie). Differentes techniques de preparation des surfaces (polissage mecanique ou electrolytique) et de revelation de la structure (attaque chimique ou anodique, bombardement ionique, oxydation preferentielle) ont ete experimentees et comparees. Des figures comparables a celles revelees dans les metaux et liees probablement a des interactions entre dislocations et lacunes ont ete observees. (auteur)

Development of microstructure and superconductivity of silver-clad Bi(2223) composite tapes in the process of heat treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Y.C.; Liu, H.K.; Dou, S.X.

1994-01-01

A systematic study on the development of phase composition, microstructure and superconducting properties (critical temperature Tc and critical current density J c ) in silver-clad (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 composite tapes during the process of heat treatment has been conducted using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electrical measurements. The correlation between the tape's high Tc phase purity, microstructure and superconducting properties at different heat treatment stages has been carefully analysed and explained. The results indicate that pure high Tc phase, high degree of grain alignment, high mass density and good connection between grains are all essential for superconducting tapes to carry a large current. With the optimized process parameters, a critical current density J c up to 32665 A cm -2 (corresponding critical current, 42.3 A) at 77 K and self-magnetic field for silver-clad (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 superconducting composite tapes has been achieved. (orig.)

Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory—A longitudinal study

Science.gov (United States)

Fjell, Anders M.; Tamnes, Christian K.; Grydeland, Håkon; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina; Bjørnerud, Atle; Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra; Andersson, Jesper; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Walhovd, Kristine B.

2018-01-01

Working memory capacity is pivotal for a broad specter of cognitive tasks and develops throughout childhood. This must in part rely on development of neural connections and white matter microstructure maturation, but there is scarce knowledge of specific relations between this and different aspects of working memory. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables us to study development of brain white matter microstructure. In a longitudinal DTI study of 148 healthy children between 4 and 11 years scanned twice with an on average 1.6 years interval, we characterized change in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean (MD), radial (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) in 10 major white matter tracts hypothesized to be of importance for working memory. The results showed relationships between change in several tracts and change in visuospatial working memory. Specifically, improvement in visuospatial working memory capacity was significantly associated with decreased MD, RD and AD in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF) in the right hemisphere, as well as forceps major (FMaj). No significant relationships were found between change in DTI metrics and change in verbal working memory capacity. These findings yield new knowledge about brain development and corresponding working memory improvements in childhood. PMID:29689058

Development of white matter microstructure in relation to verbal and visuospatial working memory-A longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Krogsrud, Stine K; Fjell, Anders M; Tamnes, Christian K; Grydeland, Håkon; Due-Tønnessen, Paulina; Bjørnerud, Atle; Sampaio-Baptista, Cassandra; Andersson, Jesper; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Walhovd, Kristine B

2018-01-01

Working memory capacity is pivotal for a broad specter of cognitive tasks and develops throughout childhood. This must in part rely on development of neural connections and white matter microstructure maturation, but there is scarce knowledge of specific relations between this and different aspects of working memory. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables us to study development of brain white matter microstructure. In a longitudinal DTI study of 148 healthy children between 4 and 11 years scanned twice with an on average 1.6 years interval, we characterized change in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean (MD), radial (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) in 10 major white matter tracts hypothesized to be of importance for working memory. The results showed relationships between change in several tracts and change in visuospatial working memory. Specifically, improvement in visuospatial working memory capacity was significantly associated with decreased MD, RD and AD in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus (UF) in the right hemisphere, as well as forceps major (FMaj). No significant relationships were found between change in DTI metrics and change in verbal working memory capacity. These findings yield new knowledge about brain development and corresponding working memory improvements in childhood.

Cell behavior related to implant surfaces with different microstructure and chemical composition: an in vitro analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Conserva, Enrico; Lanuti, Anna; Menini, Maria

2010-01-01

This paper reports on an in vitro comparison of osteoblast and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation related to two different surface treatments applied to the same implant design to determine whether the interaction between cells and implants is influenced by surface structure and chemical composition of the implants. Thirty-nine implants with a sandblasted (SB) surface and 39 implants with a grit-blasted and high-temperature acid-etched (GBAE) surface were used. The implant macrostructures and microstructures were analyzed by high- and low-voltage scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by stereo-SEM. The surface chemical composition was investigated by energy dispersive analysis and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. SaOS-2 osteoblasts and human MSCs were used for the evaluation of cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase enzymatic activity in contact with the two surfaces. The GBAE surface showed fewer contaminants and a very high percentage of titanium (19.7%) compared to the SB surface (14.2%). The two surfaces showed similar mean roughness (Ra), but the depth (Rz) and density (RSm) of the porosity were significantly increased in the GBAE surface. The GBAE surface presented more osteoblast and MSC proliferation than the SB surface. No statistically significant differences in alkaline phosphatase activity were found between surfaces for either cellular line. The GBAE surface showed less surface contaminants and a higher percentage of titanium (19.7%) than the SB surface. The macro/micropore structured design and chemical composition of the GBAE surface allowed greater cell adhesion and proliferation and an earlier cell spreading but did not play an obvious role in in vitro cellular differentiation.

Human eye cataract microstructure modeling and its effect on simulated retinal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Wen-Shuang; Chang, Chung-Hao; Horng, Chi-Ting; Yao, Hsin-Yu; Sun, Han-Ying; Huang, Shu-Fang; Wang, Hsiang-Chen

2017-02-01

We designed a crystalline microstructure during cataract lesions and calculated the aberration value of the eye by using ray trace modeling to identify the corresponding spherical aberration, coma aberration, and trefoil aberration value under different pathological-change degrees. The mutual relationship between microstructure and aberration was then discussed using these values. Calculation results showed that with increased layer number of microstructure, the influence of aberration value on spherical aberration was the greatest. In addition, the influence of a relatively compact microstructure on spherical aberration and coma aberration was small, but that on trefoil aberration was great.

Exercise in Experimental Plastics Technology: Hot Embossing of Polymers with surface microstructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksson, Torbjörn Gerhard; Rasmussen, Henrik Koblitz

2004-01-01

Hot Embossing of polymers with surface microstructure Polymer materials have proven to be good materials for manufacturing nano/ and microstructure. There are three major processing techniques: hot embossing, injection moulding and casting. Hot embossing provides several advantages such as relati......Hot Embossing of polymers with surface microstructure Polymer materials have proven to be good materials for manufacturing nano/ and microstructure. There are three major processing techniques: hot embossing, injection moulding and casting. Hot embossing provides several advantages...... such as relatively low cost for embossing tools, simple operation and high replication accuracy for small features. Two different plastic materials will be used to replicate surface microstructures by hot embossing. The hot embossing will be done in a hydraulic press where it is easy to control temperature...

Noninvasive Quantitative Imaging of Collagen Microstructure in Three-Dimensional Hydrogels Using High-Frequency Ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercado, Karla P; Helguera, María; Hocking, Denise C; Dalecki, Diane

2015-07-01

Collagen I is widely used as a natural component of biomaterials for both tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The physical and biological properties of fibrillar collagens are strongly tied to variations in collagen fiber microstructure. The goal of this study was to develop the use of high-frequency quantitative ultrasound to assess collagen microstructure within three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels noninvasively and nondestructively. The integrated backscatter coefficient (IBC) was employed as a quantitative ultrasound parameter to detect, image, and quantify spatial variations in collagen fiber density and diameter. Collagen fiber microstructure was varied by fabricating hydrogels with different collagen concentrations or polymerization temperatures. IBC values were computed from measurements of the backscattered radio-frequency ultrasound signals collected using a single-element transducer (38-MHz center frequency, 13-47 MHz bandwidth). The IBC increased linearly with increasing collagen concentration and decreasing polymerization temperature. Parametric 3D images of the IBC were generated to visualize and quantify regional variations in collagen microstructure throughout the volume of hydrogels fabricated in standard tissue culture plates. IBC parametric images of corresponding cell-embedded collagen gels showed cell accumulation within regions having elevated collagen IBC values. The capability of this ultrasound technique to noninvasively detect and quantify spatial differences in collagen microstructure offers a valuable tool to monitor the structural properties of collagen scaffolds during fabrication, to detect functional differences in collagen microstructure, and to guide fundamental research on the interactions of cells and collagen matrices.

Modeling of microstructure property relationships in titanium-aluminum-vanadium

Science.gov (United States)

Tiley, Jaimie Scott

Fuzzy logic neural network models were developed to predict the room temperature tensile behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. This involved the development of a database relating microstructure to properties. This necessitated establishing heat treatment processes to develop microstructural features, mechanical testing of samples, creating rigorous stereology procedures, developing numerical models to predict mechanical behavior, and determining trends and inter-relationships relating microstructural features to mechanical properties. Microstructural features were developed using a Gleeble(TM) 1500 Thermal-mechanical simulator. Samples were obtained from mill annealed plate material and both alpha + beta forged and beta forged materials. A total of 72 samples were beta solutionized and heat treated using different heating and cooling conditions. Rigorous stereology procedures were developed to characterize the important microstructural features. The features included Widmanstatten alpha lath thickness, volume fraction of total alpha, volume fraction of Widmanstatten alpha, grain boundary alpha thickness, mean edge length, colony scale factor, and prior beta grain size factor. Chemical composition was also determined using standard chemical analysis and microscopy techniques. The samples were tested for yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation at room temperature. Results from the tests and the characterization were used to develop fuzzy logic neural network models to predict the mechanical behaviors and develop relationships between the microstructural features (using CubiCalc RTC(TM)). Results were compared to standard multi-variable regression models. The fuzzy logic neural network models were able to predict the yield, and ultimate tensile strength, within acceptable error ranges with a limited number of input data samples. The models also predicted the elongation values but with larger errors. Of particular importance, the models identified the importance of

Compaction shock dissipation in low density granular explosive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Pratap T.; Gonthier, Keith A., E-mail: gonthier@me.lsu.edu; Chakravarthy, Sunada [Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 (United States)

2016-06-14

The microstructure of granular explosives can affect dissipative heating within compaction shocks that can trigger combustion and initiate detonation. Because initiation occurs over distances that are much larger than the mean particle size, homogenized (macroscale) theories are often used to describe local thermodynamic states within and behind shocks that are regarded as the average manifestation of thermodynamic fields at the particle scale. In this paper, mesoscale modeling and simulation are used to examine how the initial packing density of granular HMX (C{sub 4}H{sub 8}N{sub 8}O{sub 8}) C{sub 4}H{sub 8}N{sub 8}O{sub 8} having a narrow particle size distribution influences dissipation within resolved, planar compaction shocks. The model tracks the evolution of thermomechanical fields within large ensembles of particles due to pore collapse. Effective shock profiles, obtained by averaging mesoscale fields over space and time, are compared with those given by an independent macroscale compaction theory that predicts the variation in effective thermomechanical fields within shocks due to an imbalance between the solid pressure and a configurational stress. Reducing packing density is shown to reduce the dissipation rate within shocks but increase the integrated dissipated work over shock rise times, which is indicative of enhanced sensitivity. In all cases, dissipated work is related to shock pressure by a density-dependent power law, and shock rise time is related to pressure by a power law having an exponent of negative one.

Dependences of microstructure and critical current density on the thickness of YBa2Cu3O7-x film prepared by pulsed laser deposition on buffered Ni–W tape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Da; Wang, Ying; Liu, Linfei; Li, Yijie

2013-01-01

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x (YBCO) films with different thicknesses were fabricated on buffered Ni–W tapes by pulsed laser deposition. The thickness dependences of microstructure and critical current density (J c ) of YBCO film were systematically investigated. The microstructure and surface morphology of YBCO film were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. And the critical current (I c ) of YBCO film was measured by the conventional four-probe method. We found that the full width at half maximum values of both omega and phi scan rocking curves, the content of a-axis oriented grain, and surface roughness of YBCO film all increased with augmenting the thickness of YBCO film. It was also found that with increasing the thickness of YBCO film from 0.3 μm to 1.5 μm, the I c of YBCO film increased from 72 A/cm to 248 A/cm and yet J c of YBCO film decreased from 2.1 × 10 6 A/cm 2 to 1.6 × 10 6 A/cm 2 . Our results indicated that the microstructure and J c of YBCO film were largely dependent on the thickness of YBCO film under the optimized deposition condition of substrate temperature. - Highlights: ► YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x (YBCO) films with different thicknesses were grown on metallic tapes. ► The texture and critical current were dependent on the thickness of YBCO film. ► Thickness effect was weakened by fabricating YBCO film layer by layer

Microstructure and Hardness of Cold Work Vanadis 6 Steel after Subzero Treatment at −140°C

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juraj Ďurica

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The microstructure, phase constitution, and hardness of Cr-V ledeburitic tool steel Vanadis 6 subjected to subzero treatment at −140°C and for different soaking times have been investigated. The light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction have been used for microstructural investigations. The hardness has been evaluated by the Vickers method. The obtained results assist to draw that subzero treatment reduces the retained austenite amount and increases the population density of carbides, compared to conventional heat treatment. The extent of decrease in the retained austenite amount makes around 85%, and the increase in population density of small globular carbides was approximately fivefold. High compressive stresses were identified in the retained austenite, and their values follow the increase in carbide count. This makes a serious support to the theory explaining the formation of “extra” carbides as a by-product of more complete martensitic transformation. As a result of the mentioned microstructural changes, the material hardness increased from 875 ± 16 HV 10 up to 954.6 ± 14 HV 10 for conventionally quenched and SZT steels, respectively.

Modeling of Microstructure Evolution in Austenitic Stainless Steels Irradiated Under Light Water Reactor Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gan, J.; Stoller, R.E.; Was, G.S.

1998-01-01

A model for the development of microstructure during irradiation in fast reactors has been adapted for light water reactor (LWR) irradiation conditions (275 approximately 325 C, up to approximately10 dpa). The original model was based on the rate-theory, and included descriptions of the evolution of both dislocation loops and cavities. The model was modified by introducing in-cascade interstitial clustering, a term to account for the dose dependence of this clustering, and mobility of interstitial clusters. The purpose of this work was to understand microstructural development under LWR irradiation with a focus on loop nucleation and saturation of loop density. It was demonstrated that in-cascade interstitial clustering dominates loop nucleation in neutron irradiation in LWRS. Furthermore it was shown that the dose dependence of in-cascade interstitial clustering is needed to account for saturation behavior as commonly observed. Both quasi-steady-state (QSS) and non-steady-state (NSS) solutions to the rate equations were obtained. The difference between QSS and NSS treatments in the calculation of defect concentration is reduced at LWR temperature when in-cascade interstitial clustering dominates loop nucleation. The mobility of interstitial clusters was also investigated and its impact on loop density is to reduce the nucleation term. The ultimate goal of this study is to combine the evolution of microstructure and microchemistry together to account for the radiation damage in austenitic stainless steels

Connectivity and tissue microstructural alterations in right and left temporal lobe epilepsy revealed by diffusion spectrum imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alia Lemkaddem

2014-01-01

Global connectivity, hub architecture and regional connectivity patterns were altered in TLE patients and showed different characteristics in RTLE vs LTLE with stronger abnormalities in RTLE. The microstructural analysis suggested that disturbed axonal density contributed more than fiber orientation to the connectivity changes affecting the temporal lobes whereas fiber orientation changes were more involved in extratemporal lobe changes. Our study provides further structural evidence that RTLE and LTLE are not symmetrical entities and DSI-based imaging could help investigate the microstructural correlate of these imaging abnormalities.

Modeling of the flow behavior of SAE 8620H combing microstructure evolution in hot forming

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xiaobin; Wang, Baoyu; Tang, Xuefeng

2017-10-01

With the development of net-shape forming technology, hot forming process is widely applied to manufacturing gear parts, during which, materials suffer severe plastic distortion and microstructure changes continually. In this paper, to understand and model the flow behavior and microstructure evolution, SAE 8620H, a widely used gear steel, is selected as the object and the flow behavior and microstructure evolution are observed by an isothermal hot compression tests at 1273-1373 K with a strain rate of 0.1-10 s-1. Depending on the results of the compression test, a set of internal-state-variable based unified constitutive equations is put forward to describe the flow behavior and microstructure evaluation of SAE 8620H. Moreover, the evaluation of the dislocation density and the fraction of dynamic recrystallization based on the theory of thermal activation is modeled and reincorporated into the constitutive law. The material parameters in the constitutive model are calculated based on the measured flow stress and dynamic recrystallization fraction. The predicted flow stress under different deformation conditions has a good agreement with the measured results.

Microstructure and creep properties of 9-12 % Cr-steels. The influence of Co

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kauffmann, F.; Zies, G.; Maile, K. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). MPA; Straub, S. [ALSTOM Power Systems, Mannheim (Germany); Mayer, K.H. [ALSTOM Power System, Nuernberg (Germany)

2008-07-01

The martensitic 9-12 wt. % Cr steels currently developed for the application in steam power plants are aimed for service temperatures above 600 C and steam pressures above 250 bar. The creep strength of these steels strongly depends on the microstructure and thereby on the chemical composition. In the present work, a combination of various microscopy techniques is used to study the microstructural changes of creep relevant features like subgrain-size, dislocation density, the chemical composition and crystallographic structure of the occurring precipitates as well as their density and size distribution in dependence of the addition of Co for several steels developed in the frame of the COST programs. These features are then correlated with the creep strength of the materials. The behavior of the alloy CB6 with a high Co content is compared to the low Co containing CB2 and the Co free B0 at 650 C. Similar comparisons are made for the alloy FN2, FN3 and FN 4 at 600 C. (orig.)

Progranulin concentration in relation to bone mineral density among obese individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Milajerdi, Alireza; Maghbooli, Zhila; Mohammadi, Farzad; Hosseini, Banafsheh; Mirzaei, Khadijeh

2018-01-01

Adipose tissue, particularly visceral adipose tissue, secretes a variety of cytokines, among which progranulin is a glycoprotein related to the immune system. Along with other secreted proteins, progranulin may be associated with bone mineral density. The aim of this study was to find out whether there are associations between the progranulin and bone mineral density among obese people. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 244 obese participants (aged 22-52). Serum progranulin, high sensitive C-reactive protein, oxidised-low dencity lipoprotein, tumor necrosis factor-α, parathormone, vitamin D, and interleukins of 1 β, 4, 6, 10, 13, and 17 concentrations were measured. Anthropometric measurements, body composition and bone mineral density were also assessed. Serum progranulin was directly associated with interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β, while it had a negative association with interleukin-17 and tumor necrosis factor-α. We also observed a statistically significant direct association between progranulin concentration and visceral fat, abdominal fat, waist, abdominal and hip circumferences, hip T-score, and Z-score and T-score for the lumbar region. A partial correlation test has also shown a significant positive correlation regarding serum progranulin and the hip Z-score. Moreover, progranulin level is inversely associated with ospteopenia (P = 0.04 and CI: 0.17,0.96). Our study revealed that central obesity may be related to increased progranulin concentration. In addition, progranulin concentration was directly related to bone formation parameters, which indicates the protective effects of progranulin on bone density. Further studies are needed to clarify the exact mechanisms underlying these associations.

Dislocation density and graphitization of diamond crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantea, C.; Voronin, G.A.; Zerda, T.W.; Gubicza, J.; Ungar, T.

2002-01-01

Two sets of diamond specimens compressed at 2 GPa at temperatures varying between 1060 K and 1760 K were prepared; one in which graphitization was promoted by the presence of water and another in which graphitization of diamond was practically absent. X-ray diffraction peak profiles of both sets were analyzed for the microstructure by using the modified Williamson-Hall method and by fitting the Fourier coefficients of the measured profiles by theoretical functions for crystallite size and lattice strain. The procedures determined mean size and size distribution of crystallites as well as the density and the character of the dislocations. The same experimental conditions resulted in different microstructures for the two sets of samples. They were explained in terms of hydrostatic conditions present in the graphitized samples

Microstructured optical fibers for gas sensing systems

Science.gov (United States)

Challener, William Albert; Choudhury, Niloy; Palit, Sabarni

2017-10-17

Microstructured optical fiber (MOF) includes a cladding extending a length between first and second ends. The cladding includes an inner porous microstructure that at least partially surrounds a hollow core. A perimeter contour of the hollow core has a non-uniform radial distance from a center axis of the cladding such that first segments of the cladding along the perimeter contour have a shorter radial distance from the center axis relative to second segments of the cladding along the perimeter contour. The cladding receives and propagates light energy through the hollow core, and the inner porous microstructure substantially confines the light energy within the hollow core. The cladding defines at least one port hole that extends radially from an exterior surface of the cladding to the hollow core. Each port hole penetrates the perimeter contour of the hollow core through one of the second segments of the cladding.

Bone Geometry, Volumetric Density, Microarchitecture and Estimated Bone Strength Assessed by HR-pQCT in Adult Patients with Hypophosphatemic Rickets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shanbhogue, Vikram Vinod; Hansen, Stinus; Folkestad, Lars

2015-01-01

Hypophosphatemic rickets (HR) is characterized by a generalized mineralization defect. Although densitometric studies have found the patients to have an elevated bone mineral density (BMD), data on bone geometry and microstructure are scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional in vivo study was to a......Hypophosphatemic rickets (HR) is characterized by a generalized mineralization defect. Although densitometric studies have found the patients to have an elevated bone mineral density (BMD), data on bone geometry and microstructure are scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional in vivo study...

Comparison of the microstructure, deformation and crack initiation behavior of austenitic stainless steel irradiated in-reactor or with protons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephenson, Kale J., E-mail: kalejs@umich.edu; Was, Gary S.

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Dislocation loops were the prominent defect, but neutron irradiation caused higher loop density. • Grain boundaries had similar amounts of radiation-induced segregation. • The increment in hardness and yield stress due to irradiation were very similar. • Relative IASCC susceptibility was nearly identical. • The effect of dislocation channel step height on IASCC was similar. - Abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the microstructures, microchemistry, hardening, susceptibility to IASCC initiation, and deformation behavior resulting from proton or reactor irradiation. Two commercial purity and six high purity austenitic stainless steels with various solute element additions were compared. Samples of each alloy were irradiated in the BOR-60 fast reactor at 320 °C to doses between approximately 4 and 12 dpa or by a 3.2 MeV proton beam at 360 °C to a dose of 5.5 dpa. Irradiated microstructures consisted mainly of dislocation loops, which were similar in size but lower in density after proton irradiation. Both irradiation types resulted in the formation of Ni–Si rich precipitates in a high purity alloy with added Si, but several other high purity neutron irradiated alloys showed precipitation that was not observed after proton irradiation, likely due to their higher irradiation dose. Low densities of small voids were observed in several high purity proton irradiated alloys, and even lower densities in neutron irradiated alloys, implying void nucleation was in process. Elemental segregation at grain boundaries was very similar after each irradiation type. Constant extension rate tensile experiments on the alloys in simulated light water reactor environments showed excellent agreement in terms of the relative amounts of intergranular cracking, and an analysis of localized deformation after straining showed a similar response of cracking to surface step height after both irradiation types. Overall, excellent agreement was observed

Microstructures and mechanical responses of powder metallurgy non-combustive magnesium extruded alloy by rapid solidification process in mass production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondoh, Katsuyoshi; Hamada, EL-Sayed Ayman; Imai, Hisashi; Umeda, Junko; Jones, Tyrone

2010-01-01

Spinning Water Atomization Process (SWAP), which was one of the rapid solidification processes, promised to produce coarse non-combustible magnesium alloy powder with 1-4 mm length, having fine α-Mg grains and Al 2 Ca intermetallic compounds. It had economical and safe benefits in producing coarse Mg alloy powders with very fine microstructures in the mass production process due to its extreme high solidification rate compared to the conventional atomization process. AMX602 (Mg-6%Al-0.5%Mn-2%Ca) powders were compacted at room temperature. Their green compacts with a relative density of about 85% were heated at 573-673 K for 300 s in Ar gas atmosphere, and immediately consolidated by hot extrusion. Microstructure observation and evaluation of mechanical properties of the extruded AMX602 alloys were carried out. The uniform and fine microstructures with grains less than 0.45-0.8 μm via dynamic recrystallization during hot extrusion were observed, and were much small compared to the extruded AMX602 alloy fabricated by using cast ingot. The extremely fine intermetallic compounds 200-500 nm diameter were uniformly distributed in the matrix of powder metallurgy (P/M) extruded alloys. These microstructures caused excellent mechanical properties of the wrought alloys. For example, in the case of AMX602 alloys extruded at 573 K, the tensile strength (TS) of 447 MPa, yield stress (YS) of 425 MPa and 9.6% elongation were obtained.

Relationship of microstructure to fracture topography in orthopedic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbertson, L.N.

1976-01-01

Two major alloys used for orthopedic implants are 316L stainless steel and a cast cobalt--chromium--molybdenum alloy similar to Haynes Stellite 21. Another alloy that is just being introduced is Ti--6Al--4V. All three of these alloys are used in different conditions with different microstructures. Standard specimens with typical microstructures encountered in orthopedic applications were loaded to fracture in both overload and fatigue modes. Different rates of loading were also used in some cases. The fracture surfaces of these standard samples were analyzed in the Scanning Electron Microscope. An attempt was made to relate the fracture behavior, as evidenced by the fracture typography, to the microstructure of the alloy as revealed by metallography

Effect of irradiation temperature on microstructure of ferritic-martensitic ODS steel

Science.gov (United States)

Klimenkov, M.; Lindau, R.; Jäntsch, U.; Möslang, A.

2017-09-01

The EUROFER-ODS alloy with 0.5% Y2O3 was neutron irradiated with doses up to 16.2 dpa at 250 °C, 350 °C and 450 °C. The radiation induced changes in the microstructure (e.g. dislocation loops and voids) were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The number density of radiation induced defects was found to be significantly lower than in EUROFER 97 irradiated at the same conditions. It was found that the appearance and extent of radiation damage strongly depend not only on the irradiation temperature but also on the local number density and size distribution of ODS particles. The higher number density of dislocation loops and voids was found in the local areas with low number density of ODS particles. The interstitial loops with Burgers vector of both ½ and types were detected by imaging using different diffraction conditions.

Microstructural characterization of pipe bomb fragments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregory, Otto; Oxley, Jimmie; Smith, James; Platek, Michael; Ghonem, Hamouda; Bernier, Evan; Downey, Markus; Cumminskey, Christopher

2010-01-01

Recovered pipe bomb fragments, exploded under controlled conditions, have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and microhardness. Specifically, this paper examines the microstructural changes in plain carbon-steel fragments collected after the controlled explosion of galvanized, schedule 40, continuously welded, steel pipes filled with various smokeless powders. A number of microstructural changes were observed in the recovered pipe fragments: deformation of the soft alpha-ferrite grains, deformation of pearlite colonies, twin formation, bands of distorted pearlite colonies, slip bands, and cross-slip bands. These microstructural changes were correlated with the relative energy of the smokeless powder fillers. The energy of the smokeless powder was reflected in a reduction in thickness of the pipe fragments (due to plastic strain prior to fracture) and an increase in microhardness. Moreover, within fragments from a single pipe, there was a radial variation in microhardness, with the microhardness at the outer wall being greater than that at the inner wall. These findings were consistent with the premise that, with the high energy fillers, extensive plastic deformation and wall thinning occurred prior to pipe fracture. Ultimately, the information collected from this investigation will be used to develop a database, where the fragment microstructure and microhardness will be correlated with type of explosive filler and bomb design. Some analyses, specifically wall thinning and microhardness, may aid in field characterization of explosive devices.

Bubble Formation within Filaments of Melt-Processed Bi2212 wires and its strongly negative effect on the Critical Current Density

CERN Document Server

Kametani, F; Jiang, J; Scheuerlein, C; Malagoli, A; Di Michiel, M; Huang, Y; Miao, H; Parrell, J A; Hellstrom, E E; Larbalestier, D C

2011-01-01

Most studies of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox (Bi2212) show that the critical current density Jc is limited by the connectivity of the filaments, but what determines the connectivity is still elusive. Here we report on the role played by filament porosity in limiting Jc. By a microstructural investigation of wires quenched from the melt state, we find that porosity in the unreacted wire agglomerates into bubbles that segment the Bi2212 melt within the filaments into discrete sections. These bubbles do not disappear during subsequent processing because they are only partially filled by Bi2212 grains as the Bi2212 forms on cooling. Correlating the microstructure of quenched wires to their final, fully processed Jc values shows an inverse relation between Jc and bubble density. Bubbles are variable between conductors and perhaps from sample to sample, but they occur frequently and almost completely fill the filament diameter, so they exert a strongly variable but always negative effect on Jc. Bubbles reduce the continuous Bi221...

Relation microstructure-propriétés mécaniques d'un acier martensitique inoxydable

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badinier Guillaume

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of MaX (1.4006 martensitic stainless steel has been studied. Optical microscopy was used to characterize the microstructure and the volume fraction of retained ferrite was measured by image analysis. Mechanical properties were measured in uni-axial tensile testing and a composite model has been developed to capture the effect of both the retained ferrite and the carbon content of the martensitic phase. First results show a reasonable correlation between the experimental stress-strain curves and the model. Results are discussed in view of a previous study on plain martensitic carbon steels.

Phase transformations and resulting microstructures in Ti - 47 Al -2 Cr alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghasemi-Armaki, H.; Heshmati-Manesh, S.; Jafarian, H. R.; Nili-Ahmadabadi, M.

2008-01-01

During the last three decades, intermetallic alloys have focused attention because of their high strength to weight ratio and good creep resistance. Titanium aluminide alloys based on γ-Ti Al are potential candidates to replace Ni-based super alloys currently used in jet engine components at high temperatures because of their low density, high melting temperature, good elevated-temperature strength and modulus retention, high resistance to oxidation and hydrogen absorption, and excellent creep properties. One of the major concerns in these alloys is their poor ductility at room and intermediate temperatures which has been improved slightly by microstructure modifications through heat treatment. Thus, modification of microstructure during cooling and CCT diagram in these alloys is of vital importance. In this study, Ti - 47 Al - 2 Cr intermetallic alloy has been prepared by remelting 4 times with a vacuum arc remelting furnace. Homogenizing treatment was done at 1125 d eg C for 72 h in a sealed vacuum quartz tube. All heat treatments on the samples were carried out in a vacuum heat treatment furnace under a pressure of 10 -1 bar. The atmosphere inside the furnace was changed to that of high purity argon for each heat treatment as an added precaution against oxidation. In this paper, phase transformations in a γ-Ti Al based intermetallic alloy containing chromium were investigated. Heat treatments on samples of this alloy at temperatures above Tα and subsequent cooling with various cooling rates resulted in variety of microstructures. The schematic CCT diagram for this alloy was drawn from microstructural studies using microscopy routs and X-ray diffraction. Then, cyclic heat treatment with grain refining purpose was conducted on a sample of this alloy having massive gamma microstructure. During cyclic heat treatment, gradual dissociation of the gamma phase resulted in the formation of a Widmanstaetten type structure. Trend of microstructure evolution and

Equal-channel angular sheet extrusion of interstitial-free (IF) steel: Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saray, O.; Purcek, G.; Karaman, I.; Neindorf, T.; Maier, H.J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → IF-steel sheets can successfully be processed in the continuous manner using the equal-channel angular sheet extrusion (ECASE). → The ECASE produces the microstructures including dislocation cell and micro-shear bands inside the grains with mainly low-angle grain boundaries. → The ECASE results in a considerable increase in the strength but limited ductility. → A good strength-ductility balance in the ECASE-processed IF-steel sheets can be managed with a suitable annealing parameters. - Abstract: Interstitial-free steel (IF-steel) sheets were processed at room temperature using a continuous severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique called equal-channel angular sheet extrusion (ECASE). After processing, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties have been systematically investigated. To be able to directly compare the results with those from the same material processed using discontinuous equal channel angular extrusion, the sheets were ECASE processed up to eight passes. The microstructural investigations revealed that the processed sheets exhibited a dislocation cell and/or subgrain structures with mostly low angle grain boundaries. The grains after processing have relatively high dislocation density and intense micro-shear band formation. The electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) examination showed that the processed microstructure is not fully homogeneous along the sheet thickness due probably to the corner angle of 120 deg. in the ECASE die. It was also observed that the strengths of the processed sheets increase with the number of ECASE passes, and after eight passes following route-A and route-C, the yield strengths reach 463 MPa and 459 MPa, respectively, which is almost 2.5 times higher than that of the initial material. However, the tensile ductility considerably dropped after the ECASE. The limited ductility was attributed to the early plastic instability in the tensile samples due to the inhomogeneous

Microstructural evolution of HFIR-irradiated low activation F82H and F82H-10B steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakai, E.; Shiba, K.; Sawai, T.; Hashimoto, N.; Robertson, J.P.; Klueh, R.L.

1998-01-01

Microstructures of reduced-activation F82H (8Cr-2W-0.2V-0.04Ta) and the F82H steels doped with 10 B, irradiated at 250 and 300 C to 3 and 57 dpa in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), were examined by TEM. In the F82H irradiated at 250 C to 3 dpa, dislocation loops, small unidentified defect clusters with a high number density, and a few MC precipitates were observed in the matrix. The defect microstructure after 300 C irradiation to 57 dpa is dominated by the loops, and the number density of loops was lower than that of the F82H- 10 B steel. Cavities were observed in the F82H- 10 B steels, but the swelling value is insignificant. Small particles of M 6 C formed on the M 23 C 6 carbides that were present in both steels before the irradiation at 300 C to 57 dpa. A low number density of MC precipitate particles formed in the matrix during irradiation at 300 C to 57 dpa

Hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of TA15 titanium alloy with nonuniform microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Pengfei; Zhan, Mei, E-mail: zhanmei@nwpu.edu.cn; Fan, Xiaoguang; Lei, Zhenni; Cai, Yang

2017-03-24

The flow behavior and microstructure evolution of a near α titanium alloy with nonuniform microstructure during hot deformation were studied by isothermal compression test and electron backscatter diffraction technique. It is found that the nonuniform microstructure prior to deformation consists of equiaxed α, lamellar α in the colony form and β phase, and the α colony keeps the Burgers orientation relationship with β phase. The flow stress of nonuniform microstructure exhibits significant flow softening after reaching the peak stress at a low strain, which is similar to the lamellar microstructure. Nevertheless, the existence of equiaxed α in nonuniform microstructure makes its flow stress and softening rate be lower than the lamellar microstructure. During deformation, the lamellar α undertakes most of the deformation and turns to be rotated, bended and globularized. Moreover, these phenomena exhibit significant heterogeneity due to the orientation dependence of the deformation of lamellar α. The continuous dynamic recrystallization and bending of lamellar α lead to the “fragmentation” during globularization of lamellar α. The bending of lamellar α is speculated as a form of plastic buckling, because the bending of lamellar α almost proceed in the manner of “rigid rotation” and presents opposite bending directions for the adjacent colonies.

Application of ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering / X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to relate equilibrium or non-equilibrium dynamics to microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Andrew; Zhang, Fan; Levine, Lyle; Ilavsky, Jan

2013-03-01

Ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) can probe microstructures over the nanometer-to-micrometer scale range. Through use of a small instrument entrance slit, X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) exploits the partial coherence of an X-ray synchrotron undulator beam to provide unprecedented sensitivity to the dynamics of microstructural change. In USAXS/XPCS studies, the dynamics of local structures in a scale range of 100 nm to 1000 nm can be related to an overall hierarchical microstructure extending from 1 nm to more than 1000 nm. Using a point-detection scintillator mode, the equilibrium dynamics at ambient temperature of small particles (which move more slowly than nanoparticles) in aqueous suspension have been quantified directly for the first time. Using a USAXS-XPCS scanning mode for non-equilibrium dynamics incipient processes within dental composites have been elucidated, prior to effects becoming detectable using any other technique. Use of the Advanced Photon Source, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory, was supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

As cast precipitation microstructures in twin-roller melt-spun Cu{sub 90}Co{sub 10} alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Núñez-Coavas, H. [Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba (Argentina); Pozo-López, G., E-mail: gpozo@famaf.unc.edu.ar [Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola – CONICET (Argentina); Condó, A.M. [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina); Urreta, S.E. [Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba (Argentina); and others

2016-12-15

As cast Cu{sub 90}Co{sub 10} ribbons rapidly solidified by twin-roller melt spinning, exhibit special microstructure features. This processing method provides scenarios where a different phase selection takes place; coherent Co precipitates form directly from solidification, with neither a spinodal-like composition oscillation nor a discontinuously precipitated laminar phase. Samples are processed at tangential wheel speeds of 10 m/s (V10), 15 m/s (V15), 20 m/s (V20) and 30 m/s (V30). Microstructures resulting from this single step process are characterized and the hysteresis properties and the magnetoresistance effects evaluated. Samples V30 have a quite uniform density of coherent precipitates, with a narrow size distribution around 4 nm. On contrary, non-uniform precipitate distributions are found in samples cooled at lower rates; zones with a high density of coherent Co-rich precipitates are found forming colonies. These colonies are consistent with the extended compositional fluctuations occurring during very early stages in the cooling process. Samples may exhibit wide (V10) and even bimodal (V15) size distributions. Only samples V30 behave close to the ideal superparamagnetism. Samples V20 present relatively large coercivity and relative remanence and behave as an interacting superparamagnet, while the hysteresis loops of ribbons cooled at lower rates exhibit a ferromagnetic contribution in addition to the superparamagnetic-like one. This ferromagnetic component arises from blocked precipitates, larger than the upper bound size for superparamagnetic behavior at 300 K (12 nm). Room temperature magnetoresistance values associated to granular scattering units decrease as the mean precipitate size increases, but they remain below 2%, which is lower than that measured in samples annealed after rapid solidification, indicating that in this latter case contributions from the spinodally segregated matrix take place in addition to that of Co granules. - Highlights: •Microstructures

Predictions of the microstructural contribution to instability seeding in beryllium ICF capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, Nelson M.; Swift, Damian C.

2004-01-01

The constitutive properties of beryllium are anisotropic. During the implosion of an inertial confinement fusion capsule, it is possible for instabilities to be seeded from the microstructure. We are using experiment and theory to place constraints on the microstructure and loading history. The relation between surface roughness and amplitude of ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities has been characterized well. Here we present a method of relating the microstructure to an equivalent surface roughness, using continuum mechanical simulations of shock waves in polycrystalline beryllium. Beryllium was treated using a single-crystal plasticity model developed using ab initio quantum mechanics for the equation of state and elasticity, and laser-driven shock wave measurements to calibrate representations of dislocation and disclination dynamics

Relating the baryon asymmetry to the thermal relic dark matter density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, John

2011-01-01

We present a generic framework, baryomorphosis, which modifies the baryon asymmetry to be naturally of the order of a typical thermal relic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) density. We consider a simple scalar-based model to show how this is possible. This model introduces a sector in which a large initial baryon asymmetry is injected into particles ('annihilons'), φ B , φ-circumflex B , of mass ∼100 GeV-1 TeV. φ B φ-circumflex B annihilations convert the initial φ B , φ-circumflex B asymmetry to a final asymmetry with a thermal relic WIMP-like density. This subsequently decays to a conventional baryon asymmetry whose magnitude is naturally related to the density of thermal relic WIMP dark matter. In this way the two coincidences of baryons and dark matter, i.e. why their densities are similar to each other and why they are both similar to a WIMP thermal relic density (the 'WIMP miracle'), may be understood. The model may be tested by the production of annihilons at colliders.

The microstructure of mechanically alloyed nanocrystalline aluminium-magnesium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gubicza, J. [Dept. of General Physics, Eoetvoes Univ., Budapest (Hungary); Dept. of Solid State Physics, Eoetvoes Univ., Budapest (Hungary); Kassem, M. [Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining, Suez Canal Univ., Suez (Egypt); Ungar, T. [Dept. of General Physics, Eoetvoes Univ., Budapest (Hungary)

2004-07-01

The effect of the nominal Mg content and the milling time on the microstructure of mechanically alloyed Al(Mg) solid solutions is studied. The crystallite size distribution and the dislocation structure are determined by X-ray diffraction peak profile analysis. Magnesium gradually goes into solid solution during ball milling and after 3 h almost all of the Mg atoms are soluted into the Al matrix. With increasing milling time the Mg content in solid solution, the dislocation density as well as the hardness are increasing, whereas the crystallite size is decreasing. A similar tendency of these parameters is observed at a particular duration of ball milling with increasing of the nominal Mg content. At the same time for a long milling period the dislocation density slightly decreases together with a slight reduction of the hardness. (orig.)

Quantitative description of microstructure defects in hexagonal boron nitrides using X-ray diffraction analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schimpf, C.; Motylenko, M.; Rafaja, D.

2013-01-01

A routine for simultaneous quantification of turbostratic disorder, amount of puckering and the dislocation and stacking fault density in hexagonal materials was proposed and tested on boron nitride powder samples that were synthesised using different methods. The routine allows the individual microstructure defects to be recognised according to their effect on the anisotropy of the X-ray diffraction line broadening. For quantification of the microstructure defects, the total line broadening is regarded as a linear combination of the contributions from the particular defects. The total line broadening is obtained from the line profile fitting. As testing material, graphitic boron nitride (h-BN) was employed in the form of hot-isostatically pressed h-BN, pyrolytic h-BN or a h-BN, which was chemically vapour deposited at a low temperature. The kind of the dominant microstructure defects determined from the broadening of the X-ray diffraction lines was verified by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Their amount was attempted to be verified by alternative methods. - Highlights: • Reliable method for quantification of microstructure defects in BN was suggested. • The method is based on the analysis of anisotropic XRD line broadening. • This XRD line broadening is unique and characteristic of the respective defect. • Thus, the quantification of coexistent microstructure defects is possible. • The method was tested on hexagonal BN, which was produced by different techniques

Microstructure Evolution during Friction Stir Spot Welding of TRIP steel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lomholt, Trine Colding

, scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Microhardness measurements and lab-shear tests completed the investigations of the welded samples and allow evaluation of the quality of the welds as seen from a practical point of view. Selected samples were also investigated by X...... Welding (FSSW) is investigated. The aim of the study is to assess whether high quality welds can be produced and, in particular, to obtain an understanding of the microstructural changes during welding. The microstructure of the welded samples was investigated by means of reflected light microscopy......-ray diffraction. The complementary use of the various characterization techniques allowed subdivision of the microstructure in the weld in different zones: two thermo-mechanically affected zones (TMAZs), and two heat-affected zones (HAZs). The dual behavior of the microstructure in the zones is related to the two...

Influence of ion-to-atom ratio on the microstructure of evaporated molybdenum thin films grown using low energy argon ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Praveen Kumar, E-mail: praveenyadav@rrcat.gov.in; Nayak, Maheswar; Rai, Sanjay Kumar; Lodha, Gyanendra Singh [X-ray Optics Section, Indus Synchrotrons Utilization Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India); Sant, Tushar; Sharma, Surinder Mohan [High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Mukherjee, Chandrachur [Mechanical and Optical Support Section, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India)

2014-03-15

The authors report the effect of argon ion to molybdenum atom ratio (r) on the microstructure of low energy (70 eV) argon ion assisted electron beam evaporated Mo thin films. Surface roughness, morphology, and crystallinity of Mo films are found to strongly depend on “r.” Increase of “r” from 0 to 100 induces gradual loss in crystallinity, reduction in surface roughness and systematic increase in density of the film. For “r” ∼ 100, average atomic density of the film approaches the bulk value (97%) with lowest surface roughness. Further, increasing “r” up to 170 reduces the atomic density, increases roughness, and increase in crystallinity induced by low energy Ar ion beam. The observed surface roughness and grain size determined by x-ray reflectivity and glancing incidence x-ray diffraction correlate well with atomic force microscopy measurements. This study demonstrates that for r = 100 one gets lowest roughness Mo film with highest density and nearly amorphous microstructure. The growth model is discussed by structural zone model.

Microstructure evolution of pure copper during a single pass of simple shear extrusion (SSE): role of shear reversal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagherpour, E., E-mail: e.bagherpour@semnan.ac.ir [Faculty of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610–0394 (Japan); Qods, F., E-mail: qods@semnan.ac.ir [Faculty of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ebrahimi, R., E-mail: ebrahimy@shirazu.ac.ir [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Miyamoto, H., E-mail: hmiyamot@mail.doshisha.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610–0394 (Japan)

2016-06-01

In the present paper the role of shear reversal on microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of pure copper during a single pass of the simple shear extrusion (SSE) process was investigated. For SSE processing an appropriate die with a linear die profile was designed and constructed, which imposes forward shear in the first half and reverse shear in the second half channels. Electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to evaluate the microstructure of the deformed samples. The geometrical nature of this process imposes a distribution of strain results in the inhomogeneous microstructure and the hardness throughout the plane perpendicular to the extrusion direction. Strain reversal during the process results in a slight reduction in dislocation density, the hardness and mean disorientation angle of the samples, and an increase in the grain size. After a complete pass of SSE, dislocation density decreased by ~14% if compared to the middle of the process. This suggests that the dislocation annihilation occurred by the reversal of the shear strain. The simple shear textures were formed gradually and the strongest simple shear textures were observed on the middle of the SSE channel. The degree of the simple shear textures decreases with the distance from the middle plane where the shear is reversed, but the simple shear textures are still the major components after exit of the channel. Hardness variation was modeled by contributions from dislocation strengthening and grain boundary strengthening, where dislocation density is approximated by the misorientation angle of LAGBs which are regarded as dislocation cell boundaries. As a result, the hardness can be predicted successfully by the microstructural features, i.e. the low-angle boundaries, the mean misorientation angle and the fraction of high-angle grain boundaries.

MESOSCALE SIMULATIONS OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND TEXTURE EVOLUTION DURING DEFORMATION OF COLUMNAR GRAINS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarma, G.

2001-01-01

In recent years, microstructure evolution in metals during deformation processing has been modeled at the mesoscale by combining the finite element method to discretize the individual grains with crystal plasticity to provide the constitutive relations. This approach allows the simulations to capture the heterogeneous nature of grain deformations due to interactions with neighboring grains. The application of this approach to study the deformations of columnar grains present in solidification microstructures is described. The microstructures are deformed in simple compression, assuming the easy growth direction of the columnar grains to be parallel to the compression axis in one case, and perpendicular in the other. These deformations are similar to those experienced by the columnar zones of a large cast billet when processed by upsetting and drawing, respectively. The simulations show that there is a significant influence of the initial microstructure orientation relative to the loading axis on the resulting changes in grain shape and orientation

A Systematic Study on Tooth Enamel Microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla (Multituberculate, Mammalia)--Implications for Multituberculate Biology and Phylogeny.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Fangyuan; Wang, Yuanqing; Meng, Jin

2015-01-01

Tooth enamel microstructure is a reliable and widely used indicator of dietary interpretations and data for phylogenetic reconstruction, if all levels of variability are investigated. It is usually difficult to have a thorough examination at all levels of enamel structures for any mammals, especially for the early mammals, which are commonly represented by sparse specimens. Because of the random preservation of specimens, enamel microstructures from different teeth in various species are often compared. There are few examples that convincingly show intraspecific variation of tooth enamel microstructure in full dentition of a species, including multituberculates. Here we present a systematic survey of tooth enamel microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla, a taeniolabidoid multituberculate from the Late Paleocene Nomogen Formation, Inner Mongolia. We examined enamel structures at all hierarchical levels. The samples are treated differently in section orientations and acid preparation and examined using different imaging methods. The results show that, except for preparation artifacts, the crystallites, enamel types, Schmelzmuster and dentition types of Lambdopsalis are relatively consistent in all permanent teeth, but the prism type, including the prism shape, size and density, may vary in different portions of a single tooth or among different teeth of an individual animal. The most common Schmelzmuster of the permanent teeth in Lambdopsalis is a combination of radial enamel in the inner and middle layers, aprismatic enamel in the outer layer, and irregular decussations in tooth crown area with great curvature. The prism seam is another comparably stable characteristic that may be a useful feature for multituberculate taxonomy. The systematic documentation of enamel structures in Lambdopsalis may be generalized for the enamel microstructure study, and thus for taxonomy and phylogenetic reconstruction, of multituberculates and even informative for the enamel study of

A Systematic Study on Tooth Enamel Microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla (Multituberculate, Mammalia) - Implications for Multituberculate Biology and Phylogeny

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Fangyuan; Wang, Yuanqing; Meng, Jin

2015-01-01

Tooth enamel microstructure is a reliable and widely used indicator of dietary interpretations and data for phylogenetic reconstruction, if all levels of variability are investigated. It is usually difficult to have a thorough examination at all levels of enamel structures for any mammals, especially for the early mammals, which are commonly represented by sparse specimens. Because of the random preservation of specimens, enamel microstructures from different teeth in various species are often compared. There are few examples that convincingly show intraspecific variation of tooth enamel microstructure in full dentition of a species, including multituberculates. Here we present a systematic survey of tooth enamel microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla, a taeniolabidoid multituberculate from the Late Paleocene Nomogen Formation, Inner Mongolia. We examined enamel structures at all hierarchical levels. The samples are treated differently in section orientations and acid preparation and examined using different imaging methods. The results show that, except for preparation artifacts, the crystallites, enamel types, Schmelzmuster and dentition types of Lambdopsalis are relatively consistent in all permanent teeth, but the prism type, including the prism shape, size and density, may vary in different portions of a single tooth or among different teeth of an individual animal. The most common Schmelzmuster of the permanent teeth in Lambdopsalis is a combination of radial enamel in the inner and middle layers, aprismatic enamel in the outer layer, and irregular decussations in tooth crown area with great curvature. The prism seam is another comparably stable characteristic that may be a useful feature for multituberculate taxonomy. The systematic documentation of enamel structures in Lambdopsalis may be generalized for the enamel microstructure study, and thus for taxonomy and phylogenetic reconstruction, of multituberculates and even informative for the enamel study of

Microstructures in the 6060 aluminium alloy after various severe plastic deformation treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamczyk-Cieslak, Boguslawa; Mizera, Jaroslaw; Kurzydlowski, Krzysztof Jan

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results concerning the microstructural refinement of the industrial 6060 aluminium alloy processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD). The high level of plastic deformation was achieved using the three methods: hydrostatic extrusion (HE), equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) and extrusion torsion (ET), which differed in the dynamics of the loading, intensity and homogeneity of the plastic strain field. Microstructure analyses were performed before and after SPD deformation using a transmission (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The refined microstructures were examined qualitatively and quantitatively by the stereological methods and computer image analyses. The microstructure of the industrial 6060 aluminium alloy after deformation was characterized by an average grain size of about 0.4 μm. The results show that the precipitates strongly affect the degree of refinement and the mechanism of microstructural transformations. During the SPD, the second phase particles break apart and homogenize. The HE method generates the largest increase of the volume fraction of the small primary particles. Moreover, the HE process is most effective in reducing the primary particle size. During HE and ECAE processes the second phase precipitates dissolve partially and change their shape. - Research Highlights: → SPD results in a significant increase in the density of the small primary particles. → SPD homogenizes the particle size distribution. → HE and ECAE processes bring nano-grains in the vicinity of the primary particles. → HE and ECAE processing results in the β' precipitates partial dissolutions. → During HE and ECAE processes the β' particles change their shape.

Contribution to the study of the microstructure of uranium dioxide (1962)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porneuf, A.

1960-05-01

The microstructure of sintered uranium dioxide is studied in relation with several parameters, specially the sintering temperatures and atmospheres. The external surface and the internal microstructure of the sintered are examined, using fractography and ceramography. Various techniques for preparing surfaces (mechanical and electrolytic polishing) and for revealing the structure (chemical and anodic attack, ionic bombardment oxidation) have been experienced and compared. Patterns similar to those revealed in metals and probably related with interactions between dislocations and vacancies have been observed. (author) [fr

Ultrasonic characterization of microstructure in powder metal alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Tittmann, B. R.; Ahlberg, L. A.; Fertig, K.

1986-01-01

The ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics were measured for IN-100, a powder metallurgy alloy used for aircraft engine components. This material was as a model system for testing the feasibility of characterizing the microstructure of a variety of inhomogeneous media including powder metals, ceramics, castings and components. The data were obtained for a frequency range from about 2 to 20 MHz and were statistically averaged over numerous volume elements of the samples. Micrographical examination provided size and number distributions for grain and pore structure. The results showed that the predominant source for the ultrasonic attenuation and backscatter was a dense (approx. 100/cubic mm) distribution of small micropores (approx. 10 micron radius). Two samples with different micropore densities were studied in detail to test the feasibility of calculating from observed microstructural parameters the frequency dependence of the microstructural backscatter in the regime for which the wavelength is much larger than the size of the individual scattering centers. Excellent agreement was found between predicted and observed values so as to demonstrate the feasibility of solving the forward problem. The results suggest a way towards the nondestructive detection and characterization of anomalous distributions of micropores when conventional ultrasonic imaging is difficult. The findings are potentially significant toward the application of the early detection of porosity during the materials fabrication process and after manufacturing of potential sites for stress induced void coalescence leading to crack initiation and subsequent failure.

Correlations Among Microstructure, Morphology, Chemistry, and Isotopic Systematics of Hibonite in CM Chondrites

Science.gov (United States)

Han, J.; Liu, M.-C..; Keller, L. P.; Davis, A. M.

2017-01-01

Introduction: Hibonite is a primary refractory phase occurring in many CAIs, typically with spinel and perovskite. Our microstructural studies of CAIs from carbonaceous chondrites reveal a range of stacking defect densities and correlated non-stoichiometry in hibonite. We also conducted a series of annealing experiments, demonstrating that the Mg-Al substitution stabilized the formation of defect-structured hibonite. Here, we continue a detailed TEM analysis of hibonite-bearing inclusions from CM chondrites that have been well-characterized isotopically. We examine possible correlations of microstructure, morphology, mineralogy, and chemical and isotopic systematics of CM hibonites in order to better understand the formation history of hibonite in the early solar nebula. Methods: Fifteen hibonite-bearing inclusions from the Paris CM chondrite were analyzed using a JEOL 7600F SEM and a JEOL 8530F electron microprobe. In addition to three hibonite-bearing inclusions from the Murchison CM chondrite previously reported, we selected three inclusions from Paris, Pmt1-6, 1-9, and 1-10, representing a range of 26Al/27Al ratios and minor element concentrations for a detailed TEM study. We extracted TEM sections from hibonite grains using a FEI Quanta 3D field emission gun SEM/FIB. The sections were then examined using a JEOL 2500SE field-emission scanning TEM equipped with a Thermo-Noran thin window EDX spectrometer. Results and Discussion: A total of six hibonite-bearing inclusions, including two platy hibonite crystals (PLACs) and four spinel-hibonite inclusions (SHIBs), were studied. There are notable differences in chemical and isotopic compositions between the inclusions (Table 1), indicative of their different formation environment or timing. Our TEM observations show perfectly-ordered, stoichiometric hibonite crystals without stacking defects in two PLACs, 2-7-1 and 2-8-2, and in three SHIBs, Pmt1-6, 1-9, and 1-10. In contrast, SHIB 1-9-5 hibonite grains contain a

Characterizing the microstructural basis of "unidentified bright objects" in neurofibromatosis type 1: A combined in vivo multicomponent T2 relaxation and multi-shell diffusion MRI analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Billiet, Thibo; Mädler, Burkhard; D'Arco, Felice; Peeters, Ronald; Deprez, Sabine; Plasschaert, Ellen; Leemans, Alexander; Zhang, Hui; den Bergh, Bea Van; Vandenbulcke, Mathieu; Legius, Eric; Sunaert, Stefan; Emsell, Louise

2014-01-01

The histopathological basis of "unidentified bright objects" (UBOs) (hyperintense regions seen on T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) brain scans in neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1)) remains unclear. New in vivo MRI-based techniques (multi-exponential T2 relaxation (MET2) and diffusion MR imaging (dMRI)) provide measures relating to microstructural change. We combined these methods and present previously unreported data on in vivo UBO microstructure in NF1. 3-Tesla dMRI data were acquired on 17 NF1 patients, covering 30 white matter UBOs. Diffusion tensor, kurtosis and neurite orientation and dispersion density imaging parameters were calculated within UBO sites and in contralateral normal appearing white matter (cNAWM). Analysis of MET2 parameters was performed on 24 UBO-cNAWM pairs. No significant alterations in the myelin water fraction and intra- and extracellular (IE) water fraction were found. Mean T2 time of IE water was significantly higher in UBOs. UBOs furthermore showed increased axial, radial and mean diffusivity, and decreased fractional anisotropy, mean kurtosis and neurite density index compared to cNAWM. Neurite orientation dispersion and isotropic fluid fraction were unaltered. Our results suggest that demyelination and axonal degeneration are unlikely to be present in UBOs, which appear to be mainly caused by a shift towards a higher T2-value of the intra- and extracellular water pool. This may arise from altered microstructural compartmentalization, and an increase in 'extracellular-like', intracellular water, possibly due to intramyelinic edema. These findings confirm the added value of combining dMRI and MET2 to characterize the microstructural basis of T2 hyperintensities in vivo.

Surface-plasmon dispersion relation for the inhomogeneous charge-density medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harsh, O.K.; Agarwal, B.K.

1989-01-01

The surface-plasmon dispersion relation is derived for the plane-bounded electron gas when there is an inhomogeneous charge-density distribution in the plasma. The hydrodynamical model is used. Both cphi and dcphi/dx are taken to be continuous at the surface of the slab, where cphi is the scalar potential. The dispersion relation is compared with the theoretical works of Stern and Ferrell and of Harsh and Agarwal. It is also compared with the observations of Kunz. A dispersion relation for the volume-plasmon oscillations is derived which resembles the well-known relation of Bohm and Pines

A diffusion model-free framework with echo time dependence for free-water elimination and brain tissue microstructure characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina-Romero, Miguel; Gómez, Pedro A; Sperl, Jonathan I; Czisch, Michael; Sämann, Philipp G; Jones, Derek K; Menzel, Marion I; Menze, Bjoern H

2018-03-23

The compartmental nature of brain tissue microstructure is typically studied by diffusion MRI, MR relaxometry or their correlation. Diffusion MRI relies on signal representations or biophysical models, while MR relaxometry and correlation studies are based on regularized inverse Laplace transforms (ILTs). Here we introduce a general framework for characterizing microstructure that does not depend on diffusion modeling and replaces ill-posed ILTs with blind source separation (BSS). This framework yields proton density, relaxation times, volume fractions, and signal disentanglement, allowing for separation of the free-water component. Diffusion experiments repeated for several different echo times, contain entangled diffusion and relaxation compartmental information. These can be disentangled by BSS using a physically constrained nonnegative matrix factorization. Computer simulations, phantom studies, together with repeatability and reproducibility experiments demonstrated that BSS is capable of estimating proton density, compartmental volume fractions and transversal relaxations. In vivo results proved its potential to correct for free-water contamination and to estimate tissue parameters. Formulation of the diffusion-relaxation dependence as a BSS problem introduces a new framework for studying microstructure compartmentalization, and a novel tool for free-water elimination. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Natural analogue and microstructural studies in relation to radionuclide retardation by rock matrix diffusion in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoto, M.; Rodriguez Rey, A.; Ruiz de Argandona, V.G.; Calleja, L.; Menendez, B.

1992-01-01

The possibility that radionuclide retardation by rock matrix diffusion will be limited in granitic rocks by geological factors is studied, as well as the possibility that diffusion will be confined to a narrow zone from water-conducting fractures. Petrophysical measurements, uranium series and geochemical analyses in the rock adjacent to fractures, have been performed to establish the extent of fracture-related microstructural changes that might influence the potential for diffusion and whether or not there is any record of diffusion of uranium, its daughters, or other elements. The results obtained from El Berrocal (Spain), Stripa (Sweden) and White-shell (Canada) granites, suggest that: (a) there is a zone adjacent to the fractures (generally less than 100 mm) where microstructural changes and enhanced uranium mobility exist; (b) the evidence for diffusion having taken place in the rock is confined largely to this zone. So, it appears that diffusivity determinations on rock collected away from the influence of fractures will not give representative data for diffusion modelling, in addition to the effect of distressing after removing rocks from depth. It is suggested that diffusion will be of limited effectiveness as a retardation mechanism in many granitic rocks, particularly in water movement confined to narrow channels where access by nuclides to the fracture walls is restricted. 51 refs., 56 figs., 9 tabs., 9 appendices

Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Stuart J; Bastin, Mark E; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M; Maniega, Susana Muñoz; Engelhardt, Laura E; Cox, Simon R; Royle, Natalie A; Gow, Alan J; Corley, Janie; Pattie, Alison; Taylor, Adele M; Valdés Hernández, Maria Del C; Starr, John M; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Deary, Ian J

2015-06-03

Understanding aging-related cognitive decline is of growing importance in aging societies, but relatively little is known about its neural substrates. Measures of white matter microstructure are known to correlate cross-sectionally with cognitive ability measures, but only a few small studies have tested for longitudinal relations among these variables. We tested whether there were coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) and three broad cognitive domains (fluid intelligence, processing speed, and memory) in a large cohort of human participants with longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI and detailed cognitive data taken at ages 73 years (n = 731) and 76 years (n = 488). Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure were coupled with changes in fluid intelligence, but not with processing speed or memory. Individuals with higher baseline white matter FA showed less subsequent decline in processing speed. Our results provide evidence for a longitudinal link between changes in white matter microstructure and aging-related cognitive decline during the eighth decade of life. They are consistent with theoretical perspectives positing that a corticocortical "disconnection" partly explains cognitive aging. Copyright © 2015 Ritchie et al.

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance Property of a Zn-AI-Mg Alloy with Different Solidification Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Guang-rui

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Zn-Al-Mg alloy coating attracted much attention due to its high corrosion resistance properties, especially high anti-corrosion performance at the cut edge. As the Zn-Al-Mg alloy coating was usually produced by hot-dip galvanizing method, solidification process was considered to influence its microstructure and corrosion properties. In this work, a Zn-Al-Mg cast alloy was melted and cooled to room temperature with different solidification processes, including water quench, air cooling and furnace cooling. Microstructure of the alloy with different solidification processes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Result shows that the microstructure of the Zn-Al-Mg alloy are strongly influenced by solidification process. With increasing solidification rate, more Al is remained in the primary crystal. Electrochemical analysis indicates that with lowering solidification rate, the corrosion current density of the Zn-Al-Mg alloy decreases, which means higher corrosion resistance.

The role of processing route on the microstructure of 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazumder, B., E-mail: mazumderb@ornl.gov [Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Parish, C.M.; Bei, H. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Miller, M.K. [Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

2015-10-15

Nanostructured ferritic alloys have outstanding high temperature creep properties and enhanced tolerance to radiation damage over conventional ferritic alloys. To achieve these properties, NFAs are fabricated by mechanical alloying of metallic and yttria powders. Atom probe tomography has demonstrated that milling times of at least 40 h are required to produce a uniform distribution of solutes in the flakes. After milling and hot extrusion, the microstructure consists of α-Fe, high number densities of Ti–Y–O-vacancy-enriched nanoclusters, and coarse Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Ti(O,C,N) precipitates on the grain boundaries. In contrast, the as-cast condition consists of α-Fe with 50–100 μm irregularly-shaped Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} pyrochlore precipitates with smaller embedded precipitates with the Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} (yttrium–aluminum garnet) crystal structure indicating that this traditional processing route is not a viable approach to achieve the desired microstructure. The nano-hardnesses were also substantially different, i.e., 4 and 8 GPa for the as-cast and as-extruded conditions, respectively. These variances can be explained by the microstructural differences and the effects of the high vacancy content introduced by mechanical alloying, and the strong binding energy of vacancies with O, Ti, and Y atoms that retard diffusion. - Highlights: • Mechanical alloying produces nanostructured ferritic alloy with excellent properties. • Short milling time wastes solutes in low number densities of coarse precipitates. • Milling for 40 h yields UFG alloy with optimum distribution of ultrafine precipitates. • Longer milling times increase cost and increases impurities from attritor mill. • Casting produces undesirable course grain microstructure of α-Fe, YAG and pyrochlore.

Relation between plasma plume density and gas flow velocity in atmospheric pressure plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yambe, Kiyoyuki; Taka, Shogo; Ogura, Kazuo

2014-01-01

We have studied atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a quartz tube, helium gas, and copper foil electrode by applying RF high voltage. The atmospheric pressure plasma in the form of a bullet is released as a plume into the atmosphere. To study the properties of the plasma plume, the plasma plume current is estimated from the difference in currents on the circuit, and the drift velocity is measured using a photodetector. The relation of the plasma plume density n plu , which is estimated from the current and the drift velocity, and the gas flow velocity v gas is examined. It is found that the dependence of the density on the gas flow velocity has relations of n plu ∝ log(v gas ). However, the plasma plume density in the laminar flow is higher than that in the turbulent flow. Consequently, in the laminar flow, the density increases with increasing the gas flow velocity

Microstructural Evolution during Pressureless Sintering of Blended Elemental Ti-Al-V-Fe Titanium Alloys from Fine Hydrogenated-Dehydrogenated Titanium Powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changzhou Yu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive study was conducted on microstructural evolution of sintered Ti-Al-V-Fe titanium alloys utilizing very fine hydrogenation-dehydrogenation (HDH titanium powder with a median particle size of 8.84 μm. Both micropores (5–15 μm and macropores (50–200 μm were identified in sintered titanium alloys. Spherical micropores were observed in Ti-6Al-4V sintered with fine Ti at the lowest temperature of 1150 °C. The addition of iron can help reduce microporosity and improve microstructural and compositional homogenization. A theoretical calculation of evaporation based on the Miedema model and Langmuir equation indicates that the evaporation of aluminum could be responsible for the formation of the macropores. Although reasonable densification was achieved at low sintering temperatures (93–96% relative density the samples had poor mechanical properties due mainly to the presence of the macroporosity and the high inherent oxygen content in the as-received fine powders.

Magnetic properties, microstructure and corrosion behavior of (Pr,nd)12.6Fe81.3B6.1-type sintered magnets doped with (Pr,nd)30Fe62Ga8

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Junjie; Zhang, Zhenyu; Liu, Ying; Jia, Zhengfeng; Huang, Baoxu; Yin, Yibin

2016-10-01

NdFeB sintered magnets with (Pr,Nd)30Fe62Ga8 were prepared by a binary powder blending method and their magnetic properties, microstructure and corrosion behavior were investigated. Addition of 3 wt% (Pr,Nd)30Fe62Ga8 was found to be the most effective for improving (BH)max and iHc of the magnets. The increase in both magnetic parameters was related to the alteration in microstructure. However, in other samples the occurrence of micropore and the aggregation of intergranular phases harmed the magnetic properties. Such disadvantageous microstructure features also caused higher corrosion current density, thus decreasing the corrosion resistance of the sample with higher additive content. In addition, the Ga-containing intergranular phases that are more stable than the (Pr,Nd)-rich phase formed in the additive doped magnets, leading to better corrosion resistance of the 3 wt% additives doped sample in comparison with the contrastive sample.

Microstructural analysis of geopolymer developed from wood fly ash, post-mortem doloma refractory and metakaolin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moura, Jailes de Santana; Mafra, Marcio Paulo de Araujo; Rabelo, Adriano Alves; Fagury, Renata Lilian Ribeiro Portugal; Fagury Neto, Elias

2016-01-01

Geopolymers are one of the widely discussed topics of materials science in recent times due to its vast potential as an alternative binder material to cement. This work aimed to evaluate the microstructure of geopolymers developed from wood fly ash, post-mortem doloma refractory and metakaolin. A preliminary study has been completed and achieved significant results compressive strength: the best formulation of geopolymer paste obtained approximately 25 MPa. Microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy, the geopolymer paste, allowed to verify the homogeneity, distribution of components, and providing evidence of raw materials that do not respond if there was crystalline phase, porosity and density of the structure. (author)

Micro-structural integrity of dental enamel subjected to two tooth whitening regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Reina; Shibata, Yo; Manabe, Atsufumi; Miyazaki, Takashi

2010-04-01

Colour modification of tooth enamel has proven successful, but it is unclear how various bleaching applications affect micro-structural integrity of the whitened enamel. To investigate the internal structural integrity of human intact tooth enamel with the application of two commonly used whitening regimes (in-office power bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and home bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide), evaluations were performed on teeth of identical colour classification. After the bleaching applications, the enamel mineral density was quantified and visualised with micro-computed tomography. The micro-structural differences between the whitened tooth enamel samples were distinctive, though the colour parameter changes within the samples were equivalent. Home bleaching achieved colour modification by demineralisation, whereas in-office bleaching depended on redistribution of the minerals after treatment and subsequent enhanced mineralisation.

The effects of HIP processing on microstructure and phase relations in. alpha. sub 2 -base titanium aluminides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saqib, M. (Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Wright State Univ., Dayton, OH (United States)); Apgar, L.S.; Eylon, D. (Graduate Materials Engineering, Univ. of Dayton, OH (United States)); Weiss, I. (Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Wright State Univ., Dayton, OH (United States))

1992-05-30

Cast {alpha}{sub 2}-base alloy (Ti-25Al-10Nb-3V-1Mo, at.%) underwent hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at temperatures ranging from 925 to 1125degC and pressures of 100-270 MPa. Effects of temperature and pressure during HIP, on microstructure and volume fraction of the phases present, were investigated. Microstructural characterization was carried out using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The phases present were identified using selected area and convergent beam electron diffraction. Volume fraction of the phases was determined using X-ray diffraction. Optimum refinement in the microstructure was obtained following HIP at 1020degC/262 MPa/6 h. The volume fraction of the B2 phase increased from 12% in the as-cast condition to 45% following HIP at 982degC/262 MPa/6 h. Experiments on forged Ti-25Al-10Nb-3V-1Mo alloy demonstrated that changes in volume fraction of the phases owing to HIP was applicable for cast as well as forged material. Sharp decrease in the volume fraction of the B2 phase was observed when as-HIP materials were aged at elevated temperature. Possible mechanisms of these changes in the phase stability and microstructure are discussed. (orig.).

Microstructure characterizaton of advanced oxide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, D.E.; Gerber, E.W.; McCord, R.B.

1977-01-01

Preirradiation porosity, grain size, and microcomposition characteristics are presented for selected advanced oxide (PuO 2 -UO 2 ) LMFBR developmental fuels fabricated for irradiation testing in EBR-II. Quantitative microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and a recently developed quantitative autoradiographic technique are utilized to relate microstructure characteristics to fabrication parameters

Imaging brain tumour microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Markus; Englund, Elisabet; Szczepankiewicz, Filip; van Westen, Danielle; Sundgren, Pia C

2018-05-08

Imaging is an indispensable tool for brain tumour diagnosis, surgical planning, and follow-up. Definite diagnosis, however, often demands histopathological analysis of microscopic features of tissue samples, which have to be obtained by invasive means. A non-invasive alternative may be to probe corresponding microscopic tissue characteristics by MRI, or so called 'microstructure imaging'. The promise of microstructure imaging is one of 'virtual biopsy' with the goal to offset the need for invasive procedures in favour of imaging that can guide pre-surgical planning and can be repeated longitudinally to monitor and predict treatment response. The exploration of such methods is motivated by the striking link between parameters from MRI and tumour histology, for example the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient and cellularity. Recent microstructure imaging techniques probe even more subtle and specific features, providing parameters associated to cell shape, size, permeability, and volume distributions. However, the range of scenarios in which these techniques provide reliable imaging biomarkers that can be used to test medical hypotheses or support clinical decisions is yet unknown. Accurate microstructure imaging may moreover require acquisitions that go beyond conventional data acquisition strategies. This review covers a wide range of candidate microstructure imaging methods based on diffusion MRI and relaxometry, and explores advantages, challenges, and potential pitfalls in brain tumour microstructure imaging. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Influence of Homogenization on Microstructural Response and Mechanical Property of Al-Cu-Mn Alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian; Lu, Yalin; Zhou, Dongshuai; Sun, Lingyan; Li, Renxing; Xu, Wenting

2018-05-29

The evolution of the microstructures and properties of large direct chill (DC)-cast Al-Cu-Mn alloy ingots during homogenization was investigated. The results revealed that the Al-Cu-Mn alloy ingots had severe microsegregation and the main secondary phase was Al₂Cu, with minimal Al₇Cu₂Fe phase. Numerous primary eutectic phases existed in the grain boundary and the main elements were segregated at the interfaces along the interdendritic region. The grain boundaries became discontinuous, residual phases were effectively dissolved into the matrix, and the segregation degree of all elements was reduced dramatically during homogenization. In addition, the homogenized alloys exhibited improved microstructures with finer grain size, higher number density of dislocation networks, higher density of uniformly distributed θ' or θ phase (Al₂Cu), and higher volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries compared to the nonhomogenized samples. After the optimal homogenization scheme treated at 535 °C for 10 h, the tensile strength and elongation% were about 24 MPa, 20.5 MPa, and 1.3% higher than those of the specimen without homogenization treatment.

Interspecific variation in tree seedlings establishment in canopy gaps in relation to tree density

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reader, R.J.; Bonser, S.P.; Duralia, T.E.; Bricker, B.D. [Guelph Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Botany

1995-10-01

We tested whether interspecific variation in tree seedling establishment in canopy gaps was significantly related to interspecific variation in tree density, for seven deciduous forest tree species (Quercus alba, Hamamelis virginiana, Acer rubrum, Sassafras albidum, Quercus rubra, Prunus serotina, Ostrya virginiana). For each species, seedling establishment was calculated as the difference in seedling density before experimental gap creation versus three years after gap creation. In each of the six experimentally-created gap types (33% or 66% removal of tree basal area from 0.01ha, 0.05ha or 0.20ha patches), differences in seedling establishment among species were significantly related to differences in their density in the tree canopy. A regression model with log{sub e} tree density as the independent variable accounted for between 93% and 98% of interspecific variation in seedling establishment. Our results provide empirical support for models of tree dynamics in gaps that assume seedling establishment depends on canopy tree density. 17 refs, 1 fig, 3 tabs

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hard zone in friction stir welded X80 pipeline steel relative to different heat input

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aydin, Hakan, E-mail: hakanay@uludag.edu.tr [Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Mechanical Engineering Department, Uludag University, 16059 Gorukle-Bursa (Turkey); Nelson, Tracy W. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, 435 CTB, Provo, UT 84602 (United States)

2013-12-01

The study was conducted to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hard zone in friction stir welded X80 pipeline steel at different heat inputs. Microstructural analysis of the welds was carried out using optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and microhardness. Heat input during friction stir welding process had a significant influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties in the hard zone along the advancing side of the weld nugget. Based on the results, the linear relationships between heat input and post-weld microstructures and mechanical properties in the hard zone of friction stir welded X80 steels were established. It can be concluded that with decrease in heat input the bainitic structure in the hard zone becomes finer and so hard zone strength increases.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hard zone in friction stir welded X80 pipeline steel relative to different heat input

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aydin, Hakan; Nelson, Tracy W.

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hard zone in friction stir welded X80 pipeline steel at different heat inputs. Microstructural analysis of the welds was carried out using optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and microhardness. Heat input during friction stir welding process had a significant influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties in the hard zone along the advancing side of the weld nugget. Based on the results, the linear relationships between heat input and post-weld microstructures and mechanical properties in the hard zone of friction stir welded X80 steels were established. It can be concluded that with decrease in heat input the bainitic structure in the hard zone becomes finer and so hard zone strength increases

Microstructural analysis of aluminum oxide boron carbide (Al2 O3-B4 C)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, E.E.M.; Bressiani, Ana H.A.; Bressiani, J.C.

1996-01-01

The densification Al 2 O 3 -B 4 C of composite was accomplished under two conditions: I- tungsten resistance furnace in commercial argon atmosphere without gas treatment system.II- graphite resistance furnace in argon atmosphere with gas treatment for humidity removal. The sintering with gas treatment showed higher density and smaller loss of mass for all composition related to the sintering in tungsten resistance furnace without gas treatment system. Microstructural characterization also showed that grain growth of alumina matrix is greatly influenced by particle size and concentration of B 4 C. Samples sintered at temperatures higher than 1750 deg C without gas treatment presented the formation of phase Al 3 B O 6 which was identified by transmission electron microscopy. (author)

Enhancing Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AZ31-MWCNT Nanocomposites through Mechanical Alloying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Jayakumar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs reinforced Mg alloy AZ31 nanocomposites were fabricated by mechanical alloying and powder metallurgy technique. The reinforcement material MWCNTs were blended in three weight fractions (0.33%, 0.66%, and 1% with the matrix material AZ31 (Al-3%, zinc-1% rest Mg and blended through mechanical alloying using a high energy planetary ball mill. Specimens of monolithic AZ31 and AZ31-MWCNT composites were fabricated through powder metallurgy technique. The microstructure, density, hardness, porosity, ductility, and tensile properties of monolithic AZ31 and AZ31-MWCNT nano composites were characterized and compared. The characterization reveals significant reduction in CNT (carbon nanoTube agglomeration and enhancement in microstructure and mechanical properties due to mechanical alloying through ball milling.

A New Microstructure Device for Efficient Evaporation of Liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Brandner, Juergen J.; Maikowske, Stefan; Vittoriosi, Alice

Evaporation of liquids is of major interest for many topics in process engineering. One of these is chemical process engineering, where evaporation of liquids and generation of superheated steam is mandatory for numerous processes. Generally, this is performed by use of classical pool boiling and evaporation process equipment. Another possibility is creating mixtures of gases and liquids, combined with a heating of this haze. Both methods provide relatively limited performance. Due to the advantages of microstructure devices especially in chemical process engineering [1] the interest in microstructure evaporators and steam generators have been increased through the last decade. In this publication several microstructure devices used for evaporation and generation of steam as well as superheating will be described. Here, normally electrically powered devices containing micro channels as well as non-channel microstructures are used due to better controllability of the temperature level. Micro channel heat exchangers have been designed, manufactured and tested at the Institute for Micro Process Engineering of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology for more than 15 years. Starting with the famous Karlsruhe Cube, a cross-flow micro channel heat exchanger of various dimensions, not only conventional heat transfer between liquids or gases have been theoretically and experimentally examined but also phase transition from liquids to gases (evaporation) and condensation of liquids. However, the results obtained with sealed microstructure devices have often been unsatisfying. Thus, to learn more onto the evaporation process itself, an electrically powered device for optical inspection of the microstructures and the processes inside has been designed and manufactured [2]. This was further optimized and improved for better controllability and reliable experiments [3]. Exchangeable metallic micro channel array foils as well as an optical inspection of the evaporation process by

A comparative study of microstructure and mechanical properties between friction stir welded single and double phase brass alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidarzadeh, A.; Saeid, T.

2016-01-01

This study was done in order to compare the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded single and double phase brass alloys. The microstructure of the joints were examined using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, tensile test and fractography were applied to evaluate the mechanical properties of the joints. The results showed that the grain size of the stir zone in the double phase joint was smaller than that of the single phase alloy. In comparison with base metals, both of the joints contained high density of dislocations with a qualitatively similar texture. However, the dislocation density of the double phase joint was somewhat lower than that of the single phase one. Moreover, the joints had higher tensile strength, lower elongation and less ductile fracture compared to their base metals due to their finer grain size and higher dislocation density. The double phase joint had higher strength and lower elongation than single phase joint due to the effect of the second phase.

Fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of flax fibre composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Bo; Asian, Mustafa; Lilholt, Hans

2016-01-01

Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned f...... novel observations, measurements and interpretations to be used in the further analysis and understanding of the properties of natural fibre composites. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.......Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned...... flax fibre/thermoplastic composites are presented. The findings are presented in relation to the three operational parts in composites: fibres, matrix and fibre/matrix interface. For the flax fibres, the striated structure on the fibre surface is shown to consist of cellulose macrofibrils oriented...

High-speed jet electrodeposition and microstructure of nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Guiying; Jing Tianfu; Wang Nan; Gao Yuwei; Zhao Xin; Zhou Jifeng; Wang Wei

2005-01-01

The jet electrodeposition from watts baths with a device of electrolyte jet was carried out to prepare nano-crystalline cobalt-nickel alloys. The influence of the concentration of Co 2+ ions in the electrolyte and electrolysis parameters, such as the cathodic current density, the temperature as well as the electrolyte jet speed, on the chemistry and microstructure of Ni-Co-deposit alloys were investigated. Experimental results indicated that increasing the Co 2+ ions concentration in the bath, the electrolyte jet speed and decreasing of the cathodic current density and decrease of the electrolyte temperature all results in an increase of cobalt content in the alloy. Detailed microstructure changes upon the changes of alloy composition and experimental conditions were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD results show the Ni-Co solid solution was formed through the jet electrodeposition. Phase constitution of solid solution changes progressively under different electrolyte concentration. Alloys with low Co concentration exhibit single phase of face-centered cubic (fcc) structure; The Co concentration over 60.39 wt.%, the alloys are composed of face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. Furthermore, the formation of the nanostructured Ni-Co alloy deposit is investigated. Increasing the Co 2+ ions concentration in the bath, the cathodic current density, the electrolyte temperature and the electrolyte jet speed all result in the finer grains in the deposits. Additives such as saccharin in the electrolyte also favor the formation of the finer grains in the alloy deposits

Evaluation of alcohol outlet density and its relation with violence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laranjeira Ronaldo

2002-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The current study set out to investigate alcohol availability in a densely populated, residential area of suburban São Paulo associated with high levels of social deprivation and violence. Gun-related deaths and a heavy concentration of alcohol outlets are notable features of the area surveyed. Given the strong evidence for a link between alcohol availability and a number of alcohol-related problems, including violent crime, measures designed to reduce accessibility have become a favored choice for alcohol prevention programs in recent years. METHODS: The interviewers were 24 residents of the area who were trained for the study. It was selected an area of nineteen streets, covering a total distance of 3.7 km. A profile of each alcohol outlet available on the area was recorded. RESULTS: One hundred and seven alcohol outlets were recorded. The number of other properties in the same area was counted at 1,202. Two measures of outlet density may thus be calculated: the number of outlets per kilometer of roadway (29 outlets/km; and the proportion of all properties that sold alcohol (1 in 12. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study is compared with others which are mainly from developed countries and shown that the area studied have the highest density of alcohol outlet density ever recorded in the medical literature. The implication of this data related to the violence of the region is discussed. By generating a profile of alcohol sales and selling points, it was hoped to gain a better understanding of alcohol access issues within the sample area. Future alcohol prevention policy would be well served by such knowledge.

Theory and modeling of microstructural evolution in polycrystalline materials: Solute segregation, grain growth and phase transformations

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ning

2005-11-01

To accurately predict microstructure evolution and, hence, to synthesis metal and ceramic alloys with desirable properties involves many fundamental as well as practical issues. In the present study, novel theoretical and phase field approaches have been developed to address some of these issues including solute drag and segregation transition at grain boundaries and dislocations, grain growth in systems of anisotropic boundary properties, and precipitate microstructure development in polycrystalline materials. The segregation model has allowed for the prediction of a first-order segregation transition, which could be related to the sharp transition of solute concentration of grain boundary as a function of temperature. The incorporating of interfacial energy and mobility as functions of misorientation and inclination in the phase field model has allowed for the study of concurrent grain growth and texture evolution. The simulation results were analyzed using the concept of local grain boundary energy density, which simplified significantly the development of governing equations for texture controlled grain growth in Ti-6Al-4V. Quantitative phase field modeling techniques have been developed by incorporating thermodynamic and diffusivity databases. The models have been validated against DICTRA simulations in simple 1D problems and applied to simulate realistic microstructural evolutions in Ti-6Al-4V, including grain boundary a and globular a growth and sideplate development under both isothermal aging and continuous cooling conditions. The simulation predictions agree well with experimental observations.

Computational discovery of extremal microstructure families

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Desai; Skouras, Mélina; Zhu, Bo; Matusik, Wojciech

2018-01-01

Modern fabrication techniques, such as additive manufacturing, can be used to create materials with complex custom internal structures. These engineered materials exhibit a much broader range of bulk properties than their base materials and are typically referred to as metamaterials or microstructures. Although metamaterials with extraordinary properties have many applications, designing them is very difficult and is generally done by hand. We propose a computational approach to discover families of microstructures with extremal macroscale properties automatically. Using efficient simulation and sampling techniques, we compute the space of mechanical properties covered by physically realizable microstructures. Our system then clusters microstructures with common topologies into families. Parameterized templates are eventually extracted from families to generate new microstructure designs. We demonstrate these capabilities on the computational design of mechanical metamaterials and present five auxetic microstructure families with extremal elastic material properties. Our study opens the way for the completely automated discovery of extremal microstructures across multiple domains of physics, including applications reliant on thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties. PMID:29376124

Observer variability of absolute and relative thrombus density measurements in patients with acute ischemic stroke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Emilie M.M.; Yoo, Albert J.; Beenen, Ludo F.; Majoie, Charles B.; Berkhemer, Olvert A.; Blanken, Mark D. den; Wismans, Carrie; Niessen, Wiro J.; Marquering, Henk A.

2016-01-01

Thrombus density may be a predictor for acute ischemic stroke treatment success. However, only limited data on observer variability for thrombus density measurements exist. This study assesses the variability and bias of four common thrombus density measurement methods by expert and non-expert observers. For 132 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, three experts and two trained observers determined thrombus density by placing three standardized regions of interest (ROIs) in the thrombus and corresponding contralateral arterial segment. Subsequently, absolute and relative thrombus densities were determined using either one or three ROIs. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined, and Bland-Altman analysis was performed to evaluate interobserver and intermethod agreement. Accuracy of the trained observer was evaluated with a reference expert observer using the same statistical analysis. The highest interobserver agreement was obtained for absolute thrombus measurements using three ROIs (ICCs ranging from 0.54 to 0.91). In general, interobserver agreement was lower for relative measurements, and for using one instead of three ROIs. Interobserver agreement of trained non-experts and experts was similar. Accuracy of the trained observer measurements was comparable to the expert interobserver agreement and was better for absolute measurements and with three ROIs. The agreement between the one ROI and three ROI methods was good. Absolute thrombus density measurement has superior interobserver agreement compared to relative density measurement. Interobserver variation is smaller when multiple ROIs are used. Trained non-expert observers can accurately and reproducibly assess absolute thrombus densities using three ROIs. (orig.)

Observer variability of absolute and relative thrombus density measurements in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Emilie M.M. [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Department of Radiology, AMC, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Yoo, Albert J. [Texas Stroke Institute, Plano, TX (United States); Beenen, Ludo F.; Majoie, Charles B. [Department of Radiology, AMC, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Berkhemer, Olvert A. [Department of Radiology, AMC, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Blanken, Mark D. den; Wismans, Carrie [AMC, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Niessen, Wiro J. [Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft (Netherlands); Marquering, Henk A. [Department of Radiology, AMC, Amsterdam (Netherlands); AMC, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Collaboration: on behalf of the MR CLEAN investigators

2016-02-15

Thrombus density may be a predictor for acute ischemic stroke treatment success. However, only limited data on observer variability for thrombus density measurements exist. This study assesses the variability and bias of four common thrombus density measurement methods by expert and non-expert observers. For 132 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, three experts and two trained observers determined thrombus density by placing three standardized regions of interest (ROIs) in the thrombus and corresponding contralateral arterial segment. Subsequently, absolute and relative thrombus densities were determined using either one or three ROIs. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined, and Bland-Altman analysis was performed to evaluate interobserver and intermethod agreement. Accuracy of the trained observer was evaluated with a reference expert observer using the same statistical analysis. The highest interobserver agreement was obtained for absolute thrombus measurements using three ROIs (ICCs ranging from 0.54 to 0.91). In general, interobserver agreement was lower for relative measurements, and for using one instead of three ROIs. Interobserver agreement of trained non-experts and experts was similar. Accuracy of the trained observer measurements was comparable to the expert interobserver agreement and was better for absolute measurements and with three ROIs. The agreement between the one ROI and three ROI methods was good. Absolute thrombus density measurement has superior interobserver agreement compared to relative density measurement. Interobserver variation is smaller when multiple ROIs are used. Trained non-expert observers can accurately and reproducibly assess absolute thrombus densities using three ROIs. (orig.)

Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties of proton irradiated Zircaloy 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Apu, E-mail: asarkar@barc.gov.in [Mechanical Metallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Reserch Centre, Mumbai, 400 085 (India); Kumar, Ajay [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Reserch Centre, Mumbai, 400 085 (India); Mukherjee, S.; Sharma, S.K.; Dutta, D.; Pujari, P.K. [Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400 085 (India); Agarwal, A.; Gupta, S.K.; Singh, P. [Ion Accelerator Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400 085 (India); Chakravartty, J.K. [Mechanical Metallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Reserch Centre, Mumbai, 400 085 (India)

2016-10-15

Samples of Zircaloy 2 have been irradiated with 4 MeV protons to two different doses. Microstructures of the unirradiated and irradiated samples have been characterized by Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction line profile analysis (XRDLPA), Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) and Coincident Doppler Broadening (CDB) Spectroscopy. Tensile tests and micro hardness measurements have been carried out at room temperature to assess the changes in mechanical properties of Zircaloy 2 due to proton irradiation. The correlation of dislocation density, grain size and yield stress of the irradiated samples indicated that an increase in dislocation density due to irradiation is responsible for the change in mechanical behavior of irradiated Zircaloy.

Squeeze casting of aluminum alloy A380: Microstructure and tensile behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Fang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A380 alloy with a relatively thick cross-section of 25 mm was squeeze cast using a hydraulic press with an applied pressure of 90 MPa. Microstructure and tensile properties of the squeeze cast A380 were characterized and evaluated in comparison with the die cast counterpart. Results show that the squeeze cast A380 possesses a porosity level much lower than the die cast alloy, which is disclosed by both optical microscopy and the density measurement technique. The results of tensile testing indicate the improved tensile properties, specifically ultimate tensile strength (UTS: 215.9 MPa and elongation (Ef: 5.4%, for the squeeze cast samples over those of the conventional high-pressure die cast part (UTS: 173.7 MPa, Ef: 1.0%. The analysis of tensile behavior shows that the squeeze cast A380 exhibits a high tensile toughness (8.5 MJ·m-3 and resilience (179.3 kJ·m-3 compared with the die cast alloy (toughness: 1.4 MJ·m-3, resilience: 140.6 kJ·m-3, despite that, during the onset of plastic deformation, the strain-hardening rate of the die cast specimen is higher than that of the squeeze cast specimens. The microstructure analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM shows that both the squeeze and die cast specimens contain the primary α-Al, Al2Cu, Al5FeSi phase and the eutectic Si phase. But, the Al2Cu phase present in the squeeze cast alloy is relatively large in size and quantity. The SEM fractography evidently reveals the ductile fracture features of the squeeze cast A380 alloy.

Surface density: a new parameter in the fundamental metallicity relation of star-forming galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Tetsuya; Goto, Tomotsugu; Momose, Rieko

2018-04-01

Star-forming galaxies display a close relation among stellar mass, metallicity, and star formation rate (or molecular-gas mass). This is known as the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR) (or molecular-gas FMR), and it has a profound implication on models of galaxy evolution. However, there still remains a significant residual scatter around the FMR. We show here that a fourth parameter, the surface density of stellar mass, reduces the dispersion around the molecular-gas FMR. In a principal component analysis of 29 physical parameters of 41 338 star-forming galaxies, the surface density of stellar mass is found to be the fourth most important parameter. The new 4D fundamental relation forms a tighter hypersurface that reduces the metallicity dispersion to 50 per cent of that of the molecular-gas FMR. We suggest that future analyses and models of galaxy evolution should consider the FMR in a 4D space that includes surface density. The dilution time-scale of gas inflow and the star-formation efficiency could explain the observational dependence on surface density of stellar mass.

Surface quality and microstructure of low-vacuum sintered orthodontic bracket 17-4 PH stainless steel fabricated by MIM process

Science.gov (United States)

Suharno, Bambang; Suharno, Lingga Pradinda; Saputro, Hantoro Restucondro; Irawan, Bambang; Prasetyadi, Tjokro; Ferdian, Deni; Supriyadi, Sugeng

2018-02-01

method have low porosity, high density, and there is no indication of secondary phase on the microstructure. However, it has rough brackets surface. Whereas, the production of orthodontic brackets using metal injection molding method resulted in better surface roughness. But, it has relatively high porosity, presence of another phase on the microstructure, and low density.

A microstructural study of F82H-MOD. Plate, powder HIP and EB and TIG weldments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuring, E.W.

1998-06-01

F82H is the heat identification number of a ferritic/martensitic steel. The steel has a chemical composition resulting in low activation after neutron irradiation. At ECN a microstructural study was conducted on plates of F82H (73, 15 and 25mm thick), a bar of HIPped F82H and EB and TIG welds in F82H plates. The investigation was aimed to characterise the microstructures for reference in irradiation experiments. The F82H mod. plates have a martensitic matrix with carbide precipitation on the prior austenite grain boundaries and the martensite laths. The carbide precipitation is most pronounced on the prior austenite grain boundaries. The PAG is comparable for the three plate thicknesses investigated. In two plates faint segregation bands were found with a denser carbide precipitation and 8-ferrite. Further Ta, Ti and Zr containing oxides are present. Hardness measurements show a higher overall hardness in the 25mm plate investigated compared to the 7.5 and 15mm plates. The F82H HIP bar shows a homogeneous PAG throughout the diameter. The microstructure shows a zone starting at about 1 mm below the surface with a width of 14mm, with a relatively high concentration of low precipitation density ferritic like fields, which corresponds to a zone with a 15HV5 lower hardness with respect to the rest of the bar. This zone is expected to be related to the HIP process. Further in the microstructure a circular pattern of W and Ta enriched inclusions is found, which mark the original HIP-powder grain boundaries. The EB-welds were manufactured by two manufactures and differ mostly in the heat input, resulting in differences in HAZ-width and the width of the weld cap. The F82H EB welds show comparable microstructures in the weld pool, with a martensitic microstructure free of carbides. All EB-welds contain 8-ferrite in concentrations of 0.1-1%. In the heat affected zone (HAZ), the coarse grained HAZ (CGHAZ) is free of carbide precipitation, whereas the fine grained HAZ (FGHAZ

Effect of zirconium addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 15Cr-ODS ferritic Steels consolidated by hot isostatic pressing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Haijian, E-mail: haijianxu@eis.hokudai.ac.jp [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Lu, Zheng; Wang, Dongmei; Liu, Chunming [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China)

2017-01-15

The influence of Zr addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of mechanically alloyed (MA) ODS ferritic steels were studied in this work. The microstructure characteristics included the grain size, oxide particles number densities, size distributions, crystal structures and compositions. TEM foils measurements were complemented by studies of alloys on carbon extraction replica and focus ion beam (FIB) foils. The tensile properties were carried out at different temperatures. The microstructure and mechanical properties were analyzed and compared with nominal compositions (wt.%): Fe-15Cr-2W-0.3Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Fe-15Cr −2W-0.3Zr-0.3Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The experimental revealed that the addition of Zr increased the volume fraction of the smallest and equiaxed ferritic grains, number density of nano-oxide particles and decreased the average size of oxide particles within the ferritic matrix, promoting the formation of fine trigonal δ-phase Y{sub 4}Zr{sub 3}O{sub 12} nano-oxides and leading to the enhancement of the mechanical properties of the ODS steels.

Property and microstructural nonuniformity in the yttrium-barium-copper-oxide superconductor determined from electrical, magnetic, and ultrasonic measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, D.J.

1991-01-01

This dissertation is presented in two major chapters. In the first chapter, the use of ultrasonic velocity for estimating pore fraction in YBCO and other polycrystalline materials is reviewed, modeled, and statistically analyzed. This chapter provides the basis for using ultrasonic velocity to interrogate microstructure. In the second chapter, (1) the effect of pore fraction (0.10-0.25) on superconductor properties of YBCO samples is characterized, (2) spatial (within-sample) variations in microstructure and superconductor properties are investigated and (3) the effect of oxygen content on elastic behavior is examined. Experimental methods used included a.c. susceptibility, electrical, and ultrasonic-velocity measurements. Superconductor properties measured included transition temperature, magnetic transition width, transport and magnetic critical current density, magnetic shielding, a.c. loss, and sharpness of the voltage-current characteristic. Superconductor properties including within-sample uniformity were generally poorest for samples containing the lowest (0.10) pore fraction. Ultrasonic velocity was linearly related to pore fraction thereby allowing sample classification. Changes in superconducting behavior were observed consistent with changes in oxygen content

Effect of direct current density on microstructure of tungsten coating electroplated from Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}-WO{sub 3}-NaPO{sub 3} system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Fan, E-mail: jiangfan1109@163.com; Zhang, Yingchun, E-mail: zycustb@163.com; Sun, Ningbo, E-mail: suningbo682@163.com; Liu, Zhi’ang, E-mail: zhiang_001@163.com

2014-10-30

Highlights: • Tungsten coatings were electroplated from the Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}-WO{sub 3}-NaPO{sub 3} melt. • Tungsten coating comprised a tooth-like layer and a columnar growth layer. • The average grain size increases as increasing current density. • (2 1 1) Orientation is favored most likely for samples obtained at various durations. • The growth rate of tungsten crystal nucleus is higher than the nucleation rate. - Abstract: Pure tungsten coating with body-centered cubic (bbc) structure was successfully electrodeposited from Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}-WO{sub 3}-NaPO{sub 3} molten salt at 1153 K in atmosphere. The coatings comprised an inner layer of tooth-like grains and an outer layer of columnar grains with a thin diffusion layer of tungsten in the Cu substrate. The effects of current density and electrodeposition duration on the morphology and microstructure of the coatings were investigated in this paper. With increasing of current density from 50 to 80 mA cm{sup −2}, the grain size of the tungsten coating increased from 7.01 μm to 12.44 μm. With the increase of the current density, the thickness of the coating changed from 25.92 μm to 34.40 μm, and then dropped to 29.72 μm. The preferred orientation of the coatings changed from (2 2 0) to (2 1 1). With the increasing of duration, the grain size and thickness of tungsten coatings increased while the (2 1 1) favored orientation dot not changed. Because of the low current efficiency at long duration of direct current electrodeposition, it should not be suitable for the electroplating of thick tungsten coating.

Deformation microstructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, N.; Huang, X.; Hughes, D.A.

2004-01-01

Microstructural characterization and modeling has shown that a variety of metals deformed by different thermomechanical processes follows a general path of grain subdivision, by dislocation boundaries and high angle boundaries. This subdivision has been observed to very small structural scales...... of the order of 10 nm, produced by deformation under large sliding loads. Limits to the evolution of microstructural parameters during monotonic loading have been investigated based on a characterization by transmission electron microscopy. Such limits have been observed at an equivalent strain of about 10...

Microstructural and electrical changes in nickel manganite powder induced by mechanical activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savic, S.M.; Mancic, L.; Vojisavljevic, K.; Stojanovic, G.; Brankovic, Z.; Aleksic, O.S.; Brankovic, G.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The influence of mechanical activation on microstructure evolution in the nickel manganite powder was investigated as well as electrical properties of the sintered samples. → Structural refinement obtained by Topas-Academic software based on Rietveld analysis showed that the milling process remarkably changed the powder morphology and microstructure. → SEM studies of sintered samples also revealed the strong influence of milling time on ceramics density (increases with milling time). → The electrical properties of ceramic samples are clearly conditioned by terms of synthesis, in our case the time of mechanical activation. → The highest density and higher values of dielectric constant were achieved at the sample activated for 45 min. -- Abstract: Nickel manganite powder synthesized by calcination of a stoichiometric mixture of manganese and nickel oxide was additionally mechanically activated in a high energy planetary ball mill for 5-60 min in order to obtain a pure NiMn 2 O 4 phase. The as-prepared powders were uniaxially pressed into disc shape pellets and then sintered for 60 min at 1200 o C. Changes in the particle morphology induced by mechanical activation were monitored using scanning electron microscopy, while changes in powder structural characteristics were followed using X-ray powder diffraction. The ac impedance spectroscopy was performed on sintered nickel manganite samples at 25 o C, 50 o C and 80 o C. It was shown that mechanical activation intensifies transport processes causing a decrease in the average crystallites size, while longer activation times can lead to the formation of aggregates, defects and increase of lattice microstrains. The observed changes in microstructures were correlated with measured electrical properties in order to define optimal processing conditions.

Simultaneous Assessment of White Matter Changes in Microstructure and Connectedness in the Blind Brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Linde Reislev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the human brain has provided converging evidence that visual deprivation induces regional changes in white matter (WM microstructure. It remains unclear how these changes modify network connections between brain regions. Here we used diffusion-weighted MRI to relate differences in microstructure and structural connectedness of WM in individuals with congenital or late-onset blindness relative to normally sighted controls. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI provided voxel-specific microstructural features of the tissue, while anatomical connectivity mapping (ACM assessed the connectedness of each voxel with the rest of the brain. ACM yielded reduced anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum in individuals with congenital but not late-onset blindness. ACM did not identify any brain region where blindness resulted in increased anatomical connectivity. DTI revealed widespread microstructural differences as indexed by a reduced regional fractional anisotropy (FA. Blind individuals showed lower FA in the primary visual and the ventral visual processing stream relative to sighted controls regardless of the blindness onset. The results show that visual deprivation shapes WM microstructure and anatomical connectivity, but these changes appear to be spatially dissociated as changes emerge in different WM tracts. They also indicate that regional differences in anatomical connectivity depend on the onset of blindness.

Optics of dielectric microstructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Thomas

2002-01-01

From the work carried out within the ph.d. project two topics have been selected for this thesis, namely emission of radiation by sources in dielectric microstructures, and planar photonic crystal waveguides. The work done within the first topic, emission of radiation by sources in dielectric...... microstructures, will be presented in the part I of this thesis consisting of the chapters 2-5. An introductions is given in chapter 2. In part I three methods are presented for calculating spontaneous and classical emission from sources in dielectric microstructures. The first method presented in chapter 3...... is based on the Fermi Golden Rule, and spontaneous emission from emitters in a passive dielectric microstructure is calculated by summing over the emission into each electromagnetic mode of the radiation field. This method is applied to investigate spontaneous emission in a two-dimensional photonic crystal...

The influence of processing conditions on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of reaction sintered silicon nitride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinrich, J.

1979-09-01

The microstructure of reaction sintered silicon nitride (RBSN) was changed in a wide range of varying green density, grain size of the silicon starting powder, nitriding conditions, and by introducing artificial pores. The influence of single microstructural parameters on mechanical properties like room temperature strength, creep behaviour, and resistance to thermal shock has been investigated. The essential factors influencing these properties were found to be total porosity, pore size distribution, and the fractions of α- and β-Si 3 N 4 . In view of high temperature engineering applications of RBSN possibilities to optimize the material's properties by controlled processing are discussed. (orig.) [de

Microstructuring of glasses

CERN Document Server

Hülsenberg, Dagmar; Bismarck, Alexander

2008-01-01

As microstructured glass becomes increasingly important for microsystems technology, the main application fields include micro-fluidic systems, micro-analysis systems, sensors, micro-actuators and implants. And, because glass has quite distinct properties from silicon, PMMA and metals, applications exist where only glass devices meet the requirements. The main advantages of glass derive from its amorphous nature, the precondition for its - theoretically - direction-independent geometric structurability. Microstructuring of Glasses deals with the amorphous state, various glass compositions and their properties, the interactions between glasses and the electromagnetic waves used to modify it. Also treated in detail are methods for influencing the geometrical microstructure of glasses by mechanical, chemical, thermal, optical, and electrical treatment, and the methods and equipment required to produce actual microdevices.

Microstructural characterisation of vacuum sintered T42 powder metallurgy high-speed steel after heat treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trabadelo, V.; Gimenez, S.; Iturriza, I.

2009-01-01

High-speed steel powders (T42 grade) have been uniaxially cold-pressed and vacuum sintered to full density. Subsequently, the material was heat treated following an austenitising + quenching + multitempering route or alternatively austenitising + isothermal annealing. The isothermal annealing route was designed in order to attain a hardness value of ∼50 Rockwell C (HRC) (adequate for structural applications) while the multitempering parameters were selected to obtain this value and also the maximum hardening of the material (∼66 HRC). Microstructural characterisation has been carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructure consists of a ferrous (martensitic or ferritic) matrix with a distribution of second phase particles corresponding to nanometric and submicrometric secondary carbides precipitated during heat treatment together with primary carbides. The identification of those secondary precipitates (mainly M 3 C, M 6 C and M 23 C 6 carbides) has allowed understanding the microstructural evolution of T42 high-speed steel under different processing conditions

Powder injection molding of Stellite 6 powder: Sintering, microstructural and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gülsoy, H. Özkan; Özgün, Özgür; Bilketay, Sezer

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to produce Co-based Stellite 6 superalloy components by using the method of Powder Injection Molding (PIM) and to characterize the microstructural and mechanical properties of the produced components. The experimental studies were started through the formation of feedstock by mixing Stellite 6 powder with a multicomponent binder system. Prepared feedstock was formed by utilizing powder injection molding technique. Then the molded samples were subjected to the solvent and thermal debinding processes. Different sintering cycles were applied to the raw components for the purpose of determining the optimum sintering conditions. The densities of the sintered components were determined in accordance with the Archimedes' principle. The microstructural characterization was performed through scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analyses, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Hardness measurement and tensile test were conducted in order to determine the mechanical properties. The results illustrated that the injection molded Stellite 6 components were composed of fine and equiaxed grains, plenty of carbide precipitates exhibiting homogenous distribution throughout the microstructure formed at the grain boundaries and thus the mechanical properties were considerably high.

TEM Characterization of High Burn-up Microstructure of U-7Mo Alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jian Gan; Brandon Miller; Dennis Keiser; Adam Robinson; James Madden; Pavel Medvedev; Daniel Wachs

2014-04-01

As an essential part of global nuclear non-proliferation effort, the RERTR program is developing low enriched U-Mo fuels (< 20% U-235) for use in research and test reactors that currently employ highly enriched uranium fuels. One type of fuel being developed is a dispersion fuel plate comprised of U-7Mo particles dispersed in Al alloy matrix. Recent TEM characterizations of the ATR irradiated U-7Mo dispersion fuel plates include the samples with a local fission densities of 4.5, 5.2, 5.6 and 6.3 E+21 fissions/cm3 and irradiation temperatures of 101-136?C. The development of the irradiated microstructure of the U-7Mo fuel particles consists of fission gas bubble superlattice, large gas bubbles, solid fission product precipitates and their association to the large gas bubbles, grain subdivision to tens or hundreds of nanometer size, collapse of bubble superlattice, and amorphisation. This presentation will describe the observed microstructures specifically focusing on the U-7Mo fuel particles. The impact of the observed microstructure on the fuel performance and the comparison of the relevant features with that of the high burn-up UO2 fuels will be discussed.

Correlation of radiation-induced changes in microstructure/microchemistry, density and thermo-electric power of type 304L and 316 stainless steels irradiated in the Phénix reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renault Laborne, Alexandra, E-mail: alexandra.renault@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, SRMA, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Gavoille, Pierre [CEA, DEN, SEMI, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Malaplate, Joël [CEA, DEN, SRMA, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Pokor, Cédric [EDF R& D, MMC, Site des Renardières, F-77818 Morêt-sur-Loing cedex (France); Tanguy, Benoît [CEA, DEN, SEMI, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2015-05-15

Annealed specimens of type 304L and 316 stainless steel and cold-worked 316 specimens were irradiated in the Phénix reactor in the temperature range 381–394 °C and to different damage doses up to 39 dpa. The microstructure and microchemistry of both 304L and 316 have been examined using the combination of the different techniques of TEM to establish the void swelling and precipitation behavior under neutron irradiation. TEM observations are compared with results of measurements of immersion density and thermo-electric power obtained on the same irradiated stainless steels. The similarities and differences in their behavior on different scales are used to understand the factors in terms of the chemical composition and metallurgical state of steels, affecting the precipitation under irradiation and the swelling behavior. Irradiation induces the formation of some precipitate phases (e.g., M{sub 6}C and M{sub 23}C{sub 6}-type carbides, and γ’- and G-phases), Frank loops and cavities. According to the metallurgical state and chemical composition of the steel, the amount of each type of radiation-induced defects is not the same, affecting their density and thermo-electric power.

Correlation of radiation-induced changes in microstructure/microchemistry, density and thermo-electric power of type 304L and 316 stainless steels irradiated in the Phénix reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Renault Laborne, Alexandra; Gavoille, Pierre; Malaplate, Joël; Pokor, Cédric; Tanguy, Benoît

2015-05-01

Annealed specimens of type 304L and 316 stainless steel and cold-worked 316 specimens were irradiated in the Phénix reactor in the temperature range 381-394 °C and to different damage doses up to 39 dpa. The microstructure and microchemistry of both 304L and 316 have been examined using the combination of the different techniques of TEM to establish the void swelling and precipitation behavior under neutron irradiation. TEM observations are compared with results of measurements of immersion density and thermo-electric power obtained on the same irradiated stainless steels. The similarities and differences in their behavior on different scales are used to understand the factors in terms of the chemical composition and metallurgical state of steels, affecting the precipitation under irradiation and the swelling behavior. Irradiation induces the formation of some precipitate phases (e.g., M6C and M23C6-type carbides, and γ'- and G-phases), Frank loops and cavities. According to the metallurgical state and chemical composition of the steel, the amount of each type of radiation-induced defects is not the same, affecting their density and thermo-electric power.

Correlation of radiation-induced changes in microstructure/microchemistry, density and thermo-electric power of type 304L and 316 stainless steels irradiated in the Phénix reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renault Laborne, Alexandra; Gavoille, Pierre; Malaplate, Joël; Pokor, Cédric; Tanguy, Benoît

2015-01-01

Annealed specimens of type 304L and 316 stainless steel and cold-worked 316 specimens were irradiated in the Phénix reactor in the temperature range 381–394 °C and to different damage doses up to 39 dpa. The microstructure and microchemistry of both 304L and 316 have been examined using the combination of the different techniques of TEM to establish the void swelling and precipitation behavior under neutron irradiation. TEM observations are compared with results of measurements of immersion density and thermo-electric power obtained on the same irradiated stainless steels. The similarities and differences in their behavior on different scales are used to understand the factors in terms of the chemical composition and metallurgical state of steels, affecting the precipitation under irradiation and the swelling behavior. Irradiation induces the formation of some precipitate phases (e.g., M 6 C and M 23 C 6 -type carbides, and γ’- and G-phases), Frank loops and cavities. According to the metallurgical state and chemical composition of the steel, the amount of each type of radiation-induced defects is not the same, affecting their density and thermo-electric power

Fragmentation of massive dense cores down to ≲ 1000 AU: Relation between fragmentation and density structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palau, Aina; Girart, Josep M.; Estalella, Robert; Fuente, Asunción; Fontani, Francesco; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Commerçon, Benoit; Hennebelle, Patrick; Busquet, Gemma; Bontemps, Sylvain; Zapata, Luis A.; Zhang, Qizhou; Di Francesco, James

2014-01-01

In order to shed light on the main physical processes controlling fragmentation of massive dense cores, we present a uniform study of the density structure of 19 massive dense cores, selected to be at similar evolutionary stages, for which their relative fragmentation level was assessed in a previous work. We inferred the density structure of the 19 cores through a simultaneous fit of the radial intensity profiles at 450 and 850 μm (or 1.2 mm in two cases) and the spectral energy distribution, assuming spherical symmetry and that the density and temperature of the cores decrease with radius following power-laws. Even though the estimated fragmentation level is strictly speaking a lower limit, its relative value is significant and several trends could be explored with our data. We find a weak (inverse) trend of fragmentation level and density power-law index, with steeper density profiles tending to show lower fragmentation, and vice versa. In addition, we find a trend of fragmentation increasing with density within a given radius, which arises from a combination of flat density profile and high central density and is consistent with Jeans fragmentation. We considered the effects of rotational-to-gravitational energy ratio, non-thermal velocity dispersion, and turbulence mode on the density structure of the cores, and found that compressive turbulence seems to yield higher central densities. Finally, a possible explanation for the origin of cores with concentrated density profiles, which are the cores showing no fragmentation, could be related with a strong magnetic field, consistent with the outcome of radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations.

Fragmentation of massive dense cores down to ≲ 1000 AU: Relation between fragmentation and density structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palau, Aina; Girart, Josep M. [Institut de Ciències de l' Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB-Facultat de Ciències, Torre C5-parell 2, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya (Spain); Estalella, Robert [Departament d' Astronomia i Meteorologia (IEEC-UB), Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Fuente, Asunción [Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, P.O. Box 112, E-28803 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Fontani, Francesco; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro [Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, INAF, Lago E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Commerçon, Benoit; Hennebelle, Patrick [Laboratoire de Radioastronomie, UMR CNRS 8112, École Normale Supérieure et Observatoire de Paris, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Busquet, Gemma [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Area di Recerca di Tor Vergata, Via Fosso Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Bontemps, Sylvain [Université de Bordeaux, LAB, UMR 5804, F-33270 Floirac (France); Zapata, Luis A. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090 Morelia, Michoacán (Mexico); Zhang, Qizhou [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Di Francesco, James, E-mail: palau@ieec.uab.es [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 355, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6 (Canada)

2014-04-10

In order to shed light on the main physical processes controlling fragmentation of massive dense cores, we present a uniform study of the density structure of 19 massive dense cores, selected to be at similar evolutionary stages, for which their relative fragmentation level was assessed in a previous work. We inferred the density structure of the 19 cores through a simultaneous fit of the radial intensity profiles at 450 and 850 μm (or 1.2 mm in two cases) and the spectral energy distribution, assuming spherical symmetry and that the density and temperature of the cores decrease with radius following power-laws. Even though the estimated fragmentation level is strictly speaking a lower limit, its relative value is significant and several trends could be explored with our data. We find a weak (inverse) trend of fragmentation level and density power-law index, with steeper density profiles tending to show lower fragmentation, and vice versa. In addition, we find a trend of fragmentation increasing with density within a given radius, which arises from a combination of flat density profile and high central density and is consistent with Jeans fragmentation. We considered the effects of rotational-to-gravitational energy ratio, non-thermal velocity dispersion, and turbulence mode on the density structure of the cores, and found that compressive turbulence seems to yield higher central densities. Finally, a possible explanation for the origin of cores with concentrated density profiles, which are the cores showing no fragmentation, could be related with a strong magnetic field, consistent with the outcome of radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations.

3D microstructural evolution of primary recrystallization and grain growth in cold rolled single-phase aluminum alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Khaled; Zöllner, Dana; Field, David P.

2018-04-01

Modeling the microstructural evolution during recrystallization is a powerful tool for the profound understanding of alloy behavior and for use in optimizing engineering properties through annealing. In particular, the mechanical properties of metallic alloys are highly dependent upon evolved microstructure and texture from the softening process. In the present work, a Monte Carlo (MC) Potts model was used to model the primary recrystallization and grain growth in cold rolled single-phase Al alloy. The microstructural representation of two kinds of dislocation densities, statistically stored dislocations and geometrically necessary dislocations were quantified based on the ViscoPlastic Fast Fourier transform method. This representation was then introduced into the MC Potts model to identify the favorable sites for nucleation where orientation gradients and entanglements of dislocations are high. Additionally, in situ observations of non-isothermal microstructure evolution for single-phase aluminum alloy 1100 were made to validate the simulation. The influence of the texture inhomogeneity is analyzed from a theoretical point of view using an orientation distribution function for deformed and evolved texture.

High-resolution non-invasive 3D imaging of paint microstructure by synchrotron-based X-ray laminography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reischig, Peter; Helfen, Lukas; Wallert, Arie; Baumbach, Tilo; Dik, Joris

2013-01-01

The characterisation of the microstructure and micromechanical behaviour of paint is key to a range of problems related to the conservation or technical art history of paintings. Synchrotron-based X-ray laminography is demonstrated in this paper to image the local sub-surface microstructure in paintings in a non-invasive and non-destructive way. Based on absorption and phase contrast, the method can provide high-resolution 3D maps of the paint stratigraphy, including the substrate, and visualise small features, such as pigment particles, voids, cracks, wood cells, canvas fibres etc. Reconstructions may be indicative of local density or chemical composition due to increased attenuation of X-rays by elements of higher atomic number. The paint layers and their interfaces can be distinguished via variations in morphology or composition. Results of feasibility tests on a painting mockup (oak panel, chalk ground, vermilion and lead white paint) are shown, where lateral and depth resolution of up to a few micrometres is demonstrated. The method is well adapted to study the temporal evolution of the stratigraphy in test specimens and offers an alternative to destructive sampling of original works of art. (orig.)

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Fe-V-Si aluminum alloy produced by electron beam melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Shaobo; Zheng, Lijing, E-mail: zhenglijing@buaa.edu.cn; Peng, Hui; Zhang, Hu

2016-04-06

Atomized, pre-alloyed Al-8.5Fe-1.3V-1.7Si (wt%) powder was used to fabricate solid components by electron beam melting (EBM). The residual porosity, chemical composition, microstructure and mechanical properties have been investigated. Results show that the relative density of as-built alloy under the optimized processing parameters was 98.2%. Compare to the initial alloy powder, the EBM parts demonstrated a restricted aluminum loss (~1 wt%) and a quite low oxygen pickup. The microstructure of the deposits was non-uniform. The fusion zone and heat affected zone exhibited a large number of fine spherical Al{sub 12}(Fe,V){sub 3}Si particles (30–110 nm) distributed uniformly in the α-Al matrix. Some coarser Fe- and V-riched rectangle-like Al{sub m}Fe phase (m=4.0–4.4) with 100–400 nm in size was precipitated in the melting boundary zone. The microhardness of the EBM samples was 153 HV in average. The average ultimate tensile strength (UTS) reached 438 MPa with the elongation of 12%. A ductile fracture mode of the tensile specimens was also revealed.

Microstructure-strength relations in a hardenable stainless steel with 16 pct Cr, 1.5 pct Mo, and 5 pct Ni

Science.gov (United States)

Grobner, P. J.; Blšs, V.

1984-07-01

Metallographic studies have been conducted on a 0.024 pct C-16 pct Cr-1.5 pct Mo-5 pct Ni stainless steel to study the phase reactions associated with heat treatments and investigate the strengthening mechanisms of the steel. In the normalized condition, air cooled from 1010 °C, the microstructure consists of 20 pct ferrite and 80 pct martensite. Tempering in a temperature range between 500 and 600 °C results in a gradual transformation of martensite to a fine mixture of ferrite and austenite. At higher tempering temperatures, between 600 and 800 °C, progressively larger quantities of austenite form and are converted during cooling to proportionally increasing amounts of fresh martensite. The amount of retained austenite in the microstructure is reduced to zero at 800 °C, and the microstructure contains 65 pct re-formed martensite and 35 pct total ferrite. Chromium rich M23C6 carbides precipitate in the single tempered microstructures. The principal strengthening is produced by the presence of martensite in the microstructure. Additional strengthening is provided by a second tempering treatment at 400 °C due to the precipitation of ultrafine (Cr, Mo) (C,N) particles in the ferrite.

Diffusion imaging of reversible and irreversible microstructural changes within the corticospinal tract in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus

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Kouhei Kamiya

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The symptoms of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH can be improved by shunt surgery, but prediction of treatment outcome is not established. We investigated changes of the corticospinal tract (CST in iNPH before and after shunt surgery by using diffusion microstructural imaging, which infers more specific tissue properties than conventional diffusion tensor imaging. Two biophysical models were used: neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI and white matter tract integrity (WMTI. In both methods, the orientational coherence within the CSTs was higher in patients than in controls, and some normalization occurred after the surgery in patients, indicating axon stretching and recovery. The estimated axon density was lower in patients than in controls but remained unchanged after the surgery, suggesting its potential as a marker for irreversible neuronal damage. In a Monte-Carlo simulation that represented model axons as undulating cylinders, both NODDI and WMTI separated the effects of axon density and undulation. Thus, diffusion MRI may distinguish between reversible and irreversible microstructural changes in iNPH. Our findings constitute a step towards a quantitative image biomarker that reflects pathological process and treatment outcomes of iNPH.

Relation between the microstructure and technological properties of porcelain stoneware. A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romero, M.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Porcelain stoneware is a strongly sintered ceramic material fabricated from ball clays-quartz-feldspar mixtures. Porcelain stoneware is characterized by its excellent technical and functional properties (low water absorption, high mechanical properties, resistant to chemical substances and cleaning agents, aesthetic possibilities …. These characteristic and technical features make that among the different types of ceramic tile, porcelain stoneware is the ceramic product that in the last years has best withstood the economic crisis in the construction sector. These properties are related to the microstructure of porcelain stoneware, which is a grain and bond type with large particles of filler (quartz, mullite crystals, a silica-rich amorphous phase and porosity. The understanding of the relationship between the microstructure and the properties of porcelain stoneware is hardly important for the development and design of these materials whose tendency is the manufacture of thinner tiles with higher dimensions but must continue to comply the specific technical requirements.El gres porcelánico es un material sinterizado fabricado a partir de una mezcla de arcillas, cuarzo y feldespato. Tecnológicamente, el gres porcelánico se caracteriza por sus excelentes características técnicas y funcionales (baja absorción de agua, buenas propiedades mecánicas, resistente a substancias químicas, posibilidades estéticas…. Estas cualidades han propiciado que, entre los diferentes tipos de baldosa cerámica, es el gres porcelánico el producto que mejor ha resistido la crisis económica sufrida por el Sector de la Construcción. Las propiedades tecnológicas están relacionadas con su microestructura, compuesta de partículas de cuarzo, cristales de mullita, fase amorfa y porosidad. El conocimiento de la relación entre la microestructura y las propiedades tecnológicas del gres porcelánico es de gran importancia para avanzar en el diseño y

An overview of microstructural and experimental factors that affect the irradiation growth behavior of zirconium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fidleris, V.; Tucker, R.P.; Adamson, R.B.

1987-01-01

This paper presents an overview of factors affecting irradiation growth of zirconium alloys. Recent data obtained from irradiation programs in EBR-II, ATR, and NRU reactors are used to illustrate the effects of various microstructural and experimental factors on the growth of Zircaloy, zirconium, and zirconium-biobium alloys irradiated to fluences up to 2 X 10 26 nm -2 (E > 1 MeV) over the temperature range 330 to 720 K. Open literature results are also used to confirm or illustrate various effects. Important factors are texture, grain boundary parameters, residual stresses, original dislocation density, microstructure evolution, temperature during irradiation, solute effects, and fluence

Effects of low-level sarin and cyclosarin exposure on hippocampal microstructure in Gulf War Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Linda L; Zhang, Yu

2018-05-04

In early March 1991, shortly after the end of the Gulf War (GW), a munitions dump was destroyed at Khamisiyah, Iraq. Later, in 1996, the dump was found to have contained the organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents sarin and cyclosarin. We previously reported evidence of smaller hippocampal volumes in GW veterans with predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume compared to unexposed GW veterans. To investigate whether these macroscopic hippocampal volume changes are accompanied by microstructural alterations in the hippocampus, the current study acquired diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI), T1-, and T2-weighted images from 170 GW veterans (mean age: 53 ± 7 years), 81 of whom had predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume according to Department of Defense (DOD) plume modeling. We examined fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and grey matter (GM) density from a hippocampal region of interest (ROI). Results indicate that, even after accounting for total hippocampal GM density (or hippocampal volume), age, sex, apolipoprotein ε4 genotype, and potential confounding OP pesticide exposures, hippocampal MD significantly predicted Khamisiyah exposure status (model p = 0.005, R 2  = 0.215, standardized coefficient β = 0.26, t = 2.85). Hippocampal MD was also inversely correlated with verbal memory learning performance in the entire study sample (p = 0.001). There were no differences in hippocampal FA or GM density; however, veterans with predicted Khamisiyah exposure had smaller hippocampal volumes compared to unexposed veterans. Because MD is sensitive to general microstructural disruptions that lead to increased extracellular spaces due to neuronal death, inflammation and gliosis, and/or to axonal loss or demyelination, these findings suggest that low-level exposure to the Khamisiyah plume has a detrimental, lasting effects on both macro- and micro-structure of the hippocampus. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Characterization and Modeling of Microstructure Development in Nickel-base Superalloy Welds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babu, S.S.; David, S.A.; Miller, M.K.; Vitek, J.M.

1999-11-01

Welding is important for economical reuse and reclamation of used and failed nickel-base superalloy blades, respectively [1]. Solidification and solid state decomposition of {gamma} (Face Centered Cubic, FCC) phase into {gamma}{prime} (L1{sub 2}-ordered) phase control the properties of these welds. In previous publications, the microstructure development in electron beam welds of PWA-1480 alloy [2] and laser beam welds of CMSX-4 alloy [3] were presented. These results showed that the weld cracking in these alloys were associated with low melting point eutectic at the dendrite boundaries [1,2]. The eutectic-{gamma}{prime} precipitation was reduced at rapid weld cooling rates and the partitioning between {gamma}-{gamma}{prime} phase was found to be far from equilibrium conditions [3,4]. This observation was related to diffusional growth of {gamma}{prime} precipitate into {gamma} phase. Subsequent to the above work, the precipitation characteristics of {gamma}{prime} phase from {gamma} phase were evaluated during continuous cooling conditions [5]. The results show that the number density of {gamma} precipitates increased with an increase in cooling rate. However, the details of this decomposition and also the fine-scale elemental partitioning characteristics between {gamma}-{gamma}{prime} were not investigated. In this paper, the precipitation characteristics of {gamma}{prime} from {gamma} during continuous cooling conditions were investigated with transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe field ion microscopy. In addition, thermodynamic and kinetic models were used to describe microstructure development in Ni-base superalloy welds.

Laser-Based Surface Modification of Microstructure for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wenfeng; Sun, Ting; Cao, Yu; Li, Shaolong; Liu, Chang; Tang, Qingru

2018-05-01

Bonding repair is a powerful feature of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). Based on the theory of interface bonding, the interface adhesion strength and reliability of the CFRP structure will be directly affected by the microscopic features of the CFRP surface, including the microstructure, physical, and chemical characteristics. In this paper, laser-based surface modification was compared to Peel-ply, grinding, and polishing to comparatively evaluate the surface microstructure of CFRP. The surface microstructure, morphology, fiber damage, height and space parameters were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Relative to the conventional grinding process, laser modification of the CFRP surface can result in more uniform resin removal and better processing control and repeatability. This decreases the adverse impact of surface fiber fractures and secondary damage. The surface properties were significantly optimized, which has been reflected such things as the obvious improvement of surface roughness, microstructure uniformity, and actual area. The improved surface microstructure based on laser modification is more conducive to interface bonding of CFRP structure repair. This can enhance the interfacial adhesion strength and reliability of repair.

Mechanisms of microstructural changes of fuel under irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, P.; Carlot, G.; Dorado, B.; Maillard, S.; Sabathier, C.; Martin, G.; Oh, J.Y.; Welland, M.J.

2015-01-01

Nuclear fuels are subjected to high levels of radiation damage mainly due to the slowing of fission fragments, which results in substantial modifications of the initial fuel microstructure. Microstructure changes alter practically all engineering fuel properties such as atomic transport or thermomechanical properties so understanding these changes is essential to predicting the performance of fuel elements. Also, with increasing burn-up, the fuel drifts away from its initial composition as the fission process produces new chemical elements. Because nuclear fuels operate at high temperature and usually under high-temperature gradients, damage annealing, foreign atom or defect clustering and migration occur on multiple time and length scales, which make long-term predictions difficult. The end result is a fuel microstructure which may show extensive differences on the scale of a single fuel pellet. The main challenge we are faced with is, therefore, to identify the phenomena occurring on the atom scale that are liable to have macroscopic effects that will determine the microstructure changes and ultimately the life-span of a fuel element. One step towards meeting this challenge is to develop and apply experimental or modelling methods capable of connecting events that occur over very short length and timescales to changes in the fuel microstructure over engineering length and timescales. In the first part of this chapter, we provide an overview of some of the more important microstructure modifications observed in nuclear fuels. The emphasis is placed on oxide fuels because of the extensive amount of data available in relation to these materials under neutron or ion irradiation. When possible and relevant, the specifics of other types of fuels such as metallic or carbide fuels are alluded to. Throughout this chapter but more specifically in the latter part, we attempt to give examples of how modelling and experimentation at various scales can provide us with

Effect of microstructure on low cycle fatigue properties of ODS steels