Sample records for subsequent microstructural features
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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
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Chen, Q.; Shu, D. Y.; Lin, J.
2017-01-01
The evolution of the microstructure and texture in copper has been studied during repetitive extrusion-upsetting (REU) to a total von Mises strain of 4.7 and during subsequent annealing at different temperatures. It is found that the texture is significantly altered by each deformation pass...... strain of 4.7 is measured to be ∼0.3μm. This refined microstructure is unstable at room temperature as is evident from the presence of a small number of recrystallized grains in the deformed matrix. Pronounced recrystallization took place during annealing at 200 °C for 1 h with recrystallized grains...... developing predominantly in high misorientation regions. At 350 ºC the microstructure is fully recrystallized with an average grain size of only 2.3 μm and a very weak crystallographic texture. This REU-processed and subsequently annealed material is considered to be potentially suitable for using...
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Li, Qiangguo; Huang, Xuefei; Huang, Weigang
2017-12-01
A multiphase microstructure of bainite, martensite and retained austenite in a 0.3C bainitic steel was obtained by a novel bainite isothermal transformation plus quenching and partitioning (B-QP) process. The correlations between microstructural features and toughness were investigated by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and the results showed that the multiphase microstructure containing approximately 50% bainite exhibits higher strength (1617 MPa), greater elongation (18.6%) and greater impact toughness (103 J) than the full martensite. The EBSD analysis indicated that the multiphase microstructure with a smaller average local misorientation (1.22°) has a lower inner stress concentration possibility and that the first formed bainitic ferrite plates in the multiphase microstructure can refine subsequently generated packets and blocks. The corresponding packet and block average size decrease from 11.9 and 2.3 to 8.4 and 1.6 μm, respectively. A boundary misorientation analysis indicated that the multiphase microstructure has a higher percentage of high-angle boundaries (67.1%) than the full martensite (57.9%) because of the larger numbers and smaller sizes of packets and blocks. The packet boundary obstructs crack propagation more effectively than the block boundary.
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MICROSTRUCTURAL FEATURES EVALUATION OF AGE-HARDENED A 226 CAST ALLOY BY IMAGE ANALYSIS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lenka Kuchariková
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Age-hardening provides one of the most widely used mechanisms for the strengthening of aluminum alloys. The age-hardening involves three steps: solution treatment, quenching and aging. The temperature of solution treatment and aging is very important in order to reach desired properties of castings. The optimum temperature of solution treatment and aging led to formation microstructural features in form which does not lead to decreasing properties, but increasing ones. The major microstructural features in A 226 cast alloys which are responsible for increasing properties are: eutectic Si particles, Cu-rich phases, Fe-rich phases and porosity. The increase of properties depends on morphology, size and volume of microstructural features. In order to assess age-hardening influence on microstructural features in A226 cast alloys were used as possibilities of evaluation by means of image analysis. Quantitative analysis decelerate changes in microstructure includes the spheroidization and coarsening of eutectic silicon, gradual disintegration, shortening and thinning of Fe-rich intermetallic phases, the dissolution of precipitates and the precipitation of finer hardening phase (Al2Cu further increase in the hardness and tensile strength in the alloy. Changes of mechanical properties were measured in line with STN EN ISO.
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Ahmed, Nauman; Voisey, K. T.; McCartney, D. G.
2014-02-01
Laser surface melting of thermally sprayed coatings has the potential to enhance their corrosion properties by incorporating favorable microstructural changes. Besides homogenizing the as-sprayed structure, laser melting may induce certain microstructural modifications (i.e., supplementary features) in addition to those that directly improve the corrosion performance. Such features, being a direct result of the laser treatment process, are described in this paper which is part of a broader study in which high velocity oxy-fuel sprayed Inconel 625 coatings on mild-steel substrates were treated with a diode laser and the modified microstructure characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The laser treated coating features several different zones, including a region with a microstructure in which there is a continuous columnar dendritic structure through a network of retained oxide stringers.
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Ogawa, Toshio; Dannoshita, Hiroyuki; Maruoka, Kuniaki; Ushioda, Kohsaku
2017-08-01
Microstructural evolution during cold rolling and subsequent annealing of low-carbon steel with different initial microstructures was investigated from the perspective of the competitive phenomenon between recrystallization of ferrite and reverse phase transformation from ferrite to austenite. Three kinds of hot-rolled sheet specimens were prepared. Specimen P consisted of ferrite and pearlite, specimen B consisted of bainite, and specimen M consisted of martensite. The progress of recovery and recrystallization of ferrite during annealing was more rapid in specimen M than that in specimens P and B. In particular, the recrystallized ferrite grains in specimen M were fine and equiaxed. The progress of ferrite-to-austenite phase transformation during intercritical annealing was more rapid in specimen M than in specimens P and B. In all specimens, the austenite nucleation sites were mainly at high-angle grain boundaries, such as those between recrystallized ferrite grains. The austenite distribution was the most uniform in specimen M. Thus, we concluded that fine equiaxed recrystallized ferrite grains were formed in specimen M, leading to a uniform distribution of austenite.
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Microstructural evolution and deformation features in gas turbine blades operated in-service
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sun, Fei [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Tong, Jinyan [National Center for Materials Service Safety, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Feng, Qiang [National Center for Materials Service Safety, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang, Jianxin [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China)
2015-01-05
Highlights: • Gas turbine blades operated in-service have been investigated. • Two primary MC decomposition reactions take place during servicing. • Deformation features during servicing have been analyzed. - Abstract: The nickel based superalloy GH4037 is employed in gas turbine blades because of its high temperature strength and oxidation resistance. Microstructural evolution and deformation features in gas turbine blades after 1600 h service have been investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The microstructure of blade changes according to complex and comprehensive temperature and stress fields applied on it. Microstructural observations show that minor carbide precipitates dispersedly precipitate in the matrix. Two MC decomposition reactions occur: MC + γ → M{sub 23}C{sub 6} + γ′ and MC + γ → M{sub 23}C{sub 6} + η. Blocky, closely spaced M{sub 23}C{sub 6} particles continuously distribute along grain boundaries. The main deformation features, such as slip bands, APB-coupled dislocation pairs, stacking faults bound by partial dislocations and deformation twinning, have also been analyzed in terms of fundamental deformation mechanisms and environmental effects.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lima, M.N.S.; Andrade, C.D.; Abreu, H.F.G. de; Klug, J.; Masoumi, M., E-mail: mohammad@alu.ufc.br [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Depto. de Engenharia Metalurgica e de Materiais; Ferreira, W.M. [Universidade Federal do Piaui (UFPI), Teresina, PI (Brazil). Curso de Engenharia Mecanica
2016-07-01
Microstructure and texture evolution were studied in two different austenitic high manganese cast steels in each processing condition. Special attention was paid to the effects of hot deformation and subsequent treatment on grain orientation behavior. The roles of Mn and C elements as well as heat treatment processes were investigated by Thermo-Calc. The texture evolutions in the as-cast, solution heat treatment, as-rolled and subsequent treatment were explored via orientation distribution function. The results showed that face-centred cube austenite was developed in steels. Strong {110}<115> texture component was characterized in as-cast in both alloys. Then, the inhomogeneity microstructure and the pronounced microsegregations were removed by annealing and Brass {110}<112>, {110}<111> and {221}<102> components were formed. Finally, cube {001}<100> component was developed during hot rolling in samples. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lima, M.N.S.; Andrade, C.D.; Abreu, H.F.G. de; Klug, J.; Masoumi, M.; Ferreira, W.M.
2016-01-01
Microstructure and texture evolution were studied in two different austenitic high manganese cast steels in each processing condition. Special attention was paid to the effects of hot deformation and subsequent treatment on grain orientation behavior. The roles of Mn and C elements as well as heat treatment processes were investigated by Thermo-Calc. The texture evolutions in the as-cast, solution heat treatment, as-rolled and subsequent treatment were explored via orientation distribution function. The results showed that face-centred cube austenite was developed in steels. Strong {110}<115> texture component was characterized in as-cast in both alloys. Then, the inhomogeneity microstructure and the pronounced microsegregations were removed by annealing and Brass {110}<112>, {110}<111> and {221}<102> components were formed. Finally, cube {001}<100> component was developed during hot rolling in samples. (author)
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Microstructural features and heat flow analysis of atomized and spray-formed Al-Fe-V-Si alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Srivastava, A.K.; Ranganathan, S.; Ojha, S.N.
1998-01-01
Microstructural features of rapidly solidified powders and preforms of Al 80 Fe 10 V 4 Si 6 alloy produced by spray forming process have been studied. The atomization and spray deposition were carried out using a confined gas atomization process and the microstructural features were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The microstructure of a wide size range of atomized powders invariably revealed cellular and dendritic morphology. The extent of dendritic region and the dendritic arm spacing were observed to increase with power particle size. The TEM investigations indicated the presence of ultrafine second-phase particles in the intercellular or interdendritic regions. In contrast, the spray deposits of the alloy showed considerable variation in microstructure and size and dispersion of the second-phase particles at specific distances from the deposit-substrate interface and the exterior regions of the deposit. Nevertheless, considerable homogeneity was observed in the microstructure toward the center of the spray deposit. The formation and distribution of a cubic phase α-Al(Fe, V)Si has been characterized in both atomized powders and spray deposits. A one-dimensional heat flow model has been used to analyze the evolution of microstructure during atomization and also during spray deposition processing of this alloy. The results indicate that thermal history of droplets in the spray on deposition surface and their solidification behavior considerably influence the microstructural features of the spray deposits
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Formation of microstructural features in hot-dip aluminized AISI 321 stainless steel
Huilgol, Prashant; Rajendra Udupa, K.; Udaya Bhat, K.
2018-02-01
Hot-dip aluminizing (HDA) is a proven surface coating technique for improving the oxidation and corrosion resistance of ferrous substrates. Although extensive studies on the HDA of plain carbon steels have been reported, studies on the HDA of stainless steels are limited. Because of the technological importance of stainless steels in high-temperature applications, studies of their microstructural development during HDA are needed. In the present investigation, the HDA of AISI 321 stainless steel was carried out in a pure Al bath. The microstructural features of the coating were studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These studies revealed that the coating consists of two regions: an Al top coat and an aluminide layer at the interface between the steel and Al. The Al top coat was found to consist of intermetallic phases such as Al7Cr and Al3Fe dispersed in an Al matrix. Twinning was observed in both the Al7Cr and the Al3Fe phases. Furthermore, the aluminide layer comprised a mixture of nanocrystalline Fe2Al5, Al7Cr, and Al. Details of the microstructural features are presented, and their formation mechanisms are discussed.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Serrano, M.; Hermandez-Mayoral, E.; Bergner, F.; Viehrig, H.W.; Altstadt, E.; Radiguet, B.; Lim, J.H.; Grovenor, C.R.M.; Meslin, E.; Van Renterghem, W.; Chaouadi, R.; Ortner, S.; Hein, H.; Gillemot, F.; Todeschini, P.; Planman, T.; Wilford, K.; Kocik, J.; Brumovsky, M.; Ruoden, J.
2015-01-01
The possibility of extending the operational life of reactor pressure vessels (RPV) up to 80 years presents the problem of the availability of materials irradiated at high neutron fluence and low neutron flux. The ability of the existing trend curves to predict high fluence embrittlement is a question of debate, and a critical analysis of these curves should be based on a consistent microstructural examination of irradiated materials. Within the LONGLIFE 7FWP, neutron irradiated RPV materials, relevant for long term operation, some of them coming from surveillance programs, have been characterized by means of a combination of microstructural techniques (APT, SANS, TEM) and mechanical tests (hardness, tensile, impact and fracture toughness). In this paper the analysis of the links between microstructural features (solute nano-clusters, dislocation loops and voids) and hardening and embrittlement measurements by mechanical testing, is presented. Current hardening models, based on the contribution of precipitates, or nano-clusters, seem to underestimate irradiation hardening for very high fluences, mainly when matrix damage (dislocation loops) is observed. Regarding chemical composition effects, the predominant role of Ni and the synergism between Ni-Mn and Si are also identified. Low-Cu alloys show a threshold value of radiation induced features to produce an effect on mechanical properties which calls for further in-depth analyses. (authors)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Xin, Renlong; Sun, Liyun; Liu, Dejia; Zhou, Zheng; Liu, Qing
2014-01-01
Friction stir welded (FSW) Mg alloys normally exhibit a lower yield strength compared with the base materials, which is a drawback for their application as structure materials. In this study, subsequent tension along the transverse direction (TD) and then annealing were applied on FSW AZ31 alloys to modify the microstructure and texture in weld zone and to improve the joint strength. The results showed that by subsequent tension ∼4.5% strain along TD and then annealing, the yield strength (YS) could be greatly enhanced for the FSW AZ31 alloys. Specifically the YS was improved from ∼86 to ∼177 MPa by subsequent 4.5% tension and then reduced to ∼156 MPa after annealing. For the initial joint sample, fracture occurred in the stir zone (SZ) side during the transverse tensile test. But after subsequent tension, all the samples fractured in the base materials (BMs) whether subjected to annealing or not. The microstructure and texture evolutions after subsequent tension and annealing were examined by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to understand the underlining mechanisms for the improved mechanical properties. It revealed that a lot of {10−12} extension twins were generated in the SZ side by 4.5% tension along TD, which significantly refined the grains in the SZ side and rotated the grains from soft to hard orientations for the transverse tensile test. Therefore, the formation of {10−12} twin lamellae had significant hardening effects on further transverse tensile tests. Schmid factor (SF) analysis revealed that the texture change by subsequent tension had much more impact on the activation of {10−12} extension twinning than basal slip for the transverse tensile test. This might affect the competition of extension twinning and basal slip and reduce the deformation incompatibility in the SZ side, which was beneficial for the improvement of mechanical properties. Nevertheless the present study showed that it was efficient to improve the YS of FSW Mg
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Artificial Microstructures to Investigate Microstructure-Property Relationships in Metallic Glasses
Sarac, Baran
Technology has evolved rapidly within the last decade, and the demand for higher performance materials has risen exponentially. To meet this demand, novel materials with advanced microstructures have been developed and are currently in use. However, the already complex microstructure of technological relevant materials imposes a limit for currently used development strategies for materials with optimized properties. For this reason, a strategy to correlate microstructure features with properties is still lacking. Computer simulations are challenged due to the computing size required to analyze multi-scale characteristics of complex materials, which is orders of magnitude higher than today's state of the art. To address these challenges, we introduced a novel strategy to investigate microstructure-property relationships. We call this strategy "artificial microstructure approach", which allows us to individually and independently control microstructural features. By this approach, we defined a new way of analyzing complex microstructures, where microstructural second phase features were precisely varied over a wide range. The artificial microstructures were fabricated by the combination of lithography and thermoplastic forming (TPF), and subsequently characterized under different loading conditions. Because of the suitability and interesting properties of metallic glasses, we proposed to use this toolbox to investigate the different deformation modes in cellular structures and toughening mechanism in metallic glass (MG) composites. This study helped us understand how to combine the unique properties of metallic glasses such as high strength, elasticity, and thermoplastic processing ability with plasticity generated from heterostructures of metallic glasses. It has been widely accepted that metallic glass composites are very complex, and a broad range of contributions have been suggested to explain the toughening mechanism. This includes the shear modulus, morphology
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Salout, Shima Ahmadzadeh; Shirazi, Hasan; Nili-Ahmadabadi, Mahmoud
2018-01-01
The current research is an attempt to study the effect of a novel severe plastic deformation technique so called "repetitive corrugation and straightening by rolling" (RCSR) and subsequent annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI type 304 austenitic stainless steel. In this study, RCSR process was carried out at 200 °C on the 304 austenitic stainless steel (above Md30 temperature that is about 50 °C for this stainless steel) in order to avoid the formation of martensite phase when a high density of dislocations was introduced into the austenite phase and also high density of mechanical twins was induced in the deformed 304 austenitic stainless steel. Because of relationship between deformation temperature, stacking fault energy (SFE) and mechanisms of deformation. Thereafter subsequently, annealing treatment was applied into deformed structure in order to refine the microstructure of 304 stainless s teel. The specimens were examined by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile and micro-hardness tests. The results indicate that by increasing the cycles of RCSR process (increasing applied strain), further mechanical twins are induced, the hardness and in particular, the yield stress of specimens have been increased.
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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
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Direct laser sintering of metal powders: Mechanism, kinetics and microstructural features
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Simchi, A.
2006-01-01
In the present work, the densification and microstructural evolution during direct laser sintering of metal powders were studied. Various ferrous powders including Fe, Fe-C, Fe-Cu, Fe-C-Cu-P, 316L stainless steel, and M2 high-speed steel were used. The empirical sintering rate data was related to the energy input of the laser beam according to the first order kinetics equation to establish a simple sintering model. The equation calculates the densification of metal powders during direct laser sintering process as a function of operating parameters including laser power, scan rate, layer thickness and scan line spacing. It was found that when melting/solidification approach is the mechanism of sintering, the densification of metals powders (D) can be expressed as an exponential function of laser specific energy input (ψ) as ln(1 - D) = -Kψ. The coefficient K is designated as 'densification coefficient'; a material dependent parameter that varies with chemical composition, powder particle size, and oxygen content of the powder material. The mechanism of particle bonding and microstructural features of the laser sintered powders are addressed
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Microstructure control during twin roll casting of an AZ31 magnesium alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Huang, Y; Bayandorian, I; Fan, Z
2012-01-01
The existing twin roll casting technique for magnesium alloys suffers heterogeneity in both microstructure and chemistry and downstream processing is required to improve the strip quality, resulting in cost rise. In the present work, twin roll casting was carried out using an AZ31 magnesium alloy, with the application of intensive shearing melt conditioning prior to casting. The effect of process parameters such as pouring temperature and casting speed on microstructure control during casting and subsequent downstream processing was studied. Experimental results showed that the melt conditioning treatment allowed the production of AZ31 strips with uniform and refined microstructure free of centreline segregations. It was also shown that an optimized combination of pouring temperature and casting speed, in conjunction with a strip thickness control operation, resulted in uniformly distributed stored energies due to enhanced plastic deformation, which promoted recrystallization during casting and subsequent heat treatment. Strips prepared by twin roll casting and homogenization developed similar microstructural features to those prepared by twin roll casting followed by lengthy downstream processing by homogenization, hot rolling and annealing and displayed a weaker basal texture, exhibiting a potentially better formability.
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Spann, Marisa N; Bansal, Ravi; Rosen, Tove S; Peterson, Bradley S
2014-09-01
Knowledge of the role of brain maturation in the development of cognitive abilities derives primarily from studies of school-age children to adults. Little is known about the morphological features of the neonatal brain that support the subsequent development of abilities in early childhood, when maturation of the brain and these abilities are the most dynamic. The goal of our study was to determine whether brain morphology during the neonatal period supports early cognitive development through 2 years of age. We correlated morphological features of the cerebral surface assessed using deformation-based measures (surface distances) of high-resolution MRI scans for 33 healthy neonates, scanned between the first to sixth week of postmenstrual life, with subsequent measures of their motor, language, and cognitive abilities at ages 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. We found that morphological features of the cerebral surface of the frontal, mesial prefrontal, temporal, and occipital regions correlated with subsequent motor scores, posterior parietal regions correlated with subsequent language scores, and temporal and occipital regions correlated with subsequent cognitive scores. Measures of the anterior and middle portions of the cingulate gyrus correlated with scores across all three domains of ability. Most of the significant findings were inverse correlations located bilaterally in the brain. The inverse correlations may suggest either that a more protracted morphological maturation or smaller local volumes of neonatal brain tissue supports better performance on measures of subsequent motor, language, and cognitive abilities throughout the first 2 years of postnatal life. The correlations of morphological measures of the cingulate with measures of performance across all domains of ability suggest that the cingulate supports a broad range of skills in infancy and early childhood, similar to its functions in older children and adults. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tassini, N.; Patsias, S.; Lambrinou, K.
2006-01-01
Recent research has shown that both stiffness and damping of ceramic coatings exhibit different non-linearities. These properties strongly depend on the microstructure, which is characterized by heterogeneous sets of elastic elements with mesoscopic sizes and shapes, as in non-linear mesoscopic elastic materials. To predict the damping properties of this class of materials, we have implemented a phenomenological model that characterizes their elastic properties. The model is capable of reproducing the basic features of the observed damping behavior for zirconia coatings prepared by air plasma spraying and electron-beam physical-vapor-deposition
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Avalos-Borja, M.; Larson, L. A.; Pizzo, P. P.
1984-01-01
A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination of aluminum-lithium-copper alloys was conducted. The principal purpose is to characterize the nature, size, and distribution of stringer particles which result from the powder metallurgy (P/M) processing of these alloys. Microstructural features associated with the stringer particles are reported that help explain the stress corrosion susceptibility of the powder metallurgy-processed Al-Li-Cu alloys. In addition, matrix precipitaton events are documented for a variety of heat treatments and process variations. Hot rolling is observed to significantly alter the nature of matrix precipitation, and the observations are correlated with concomitant mechanical property variations.
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Zhang, Xin; Huang, Yingqiu; Liu, Xiangyu; Yang, Lei; Shi, Changdong; Wu, Yucheng; Tang, Wenming
2018-03-01
Composites of 40Cu/Ag(Invar) were prepared via pressureless sintering and subsequent thermo-mechanical treatment from raw materials of electroless Ag-plated Invar alloy powder and electrolytic Cu powder. Microstructures and properties of the prepared composites were studied to evaluate the effect of the Ag layer on blocking Cu/Invar interfacial diffusion in the composites. The electroless-plated Ag layer was dense, uniform, continuous, and bonded tightly with the Invar alloy substrate. During sintering of the composites, the Ag layer effectively prevented Cu/Invar interfacial diffusion. During cold-rolling, the Ag layer was deformed uniformly with the Invar alloy particles. The composites exhibited bi-continuous network structure and considerably improved properties. After sintering at 775 °C and subsequent thermo-mechanical treatment, the 40Cu/Ag(Invar) composites showed satisfactory comprehensive properties: relative density of 99.0 pct, hardness of HV 253, thermal conductivity of 55.7 W/(m K), and coefficient of thermal expansion of 11.2 × 10-6/K.
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Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Wang Wenquan; Sun Daqian; Kang Chungyun
2008-01-01
Bead-on-plate CO2 laser welding of 1 000 MPa grade transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel was conducted under different welding powers, welding speeds and shield gases. The macrostructural and microstructural features of the welded joint were investigated. The increase of welding speed reduced the width of the weld bead and the porosities in the weld bead resulting from the different flow mode of melted metal in weld pool. The decrease of welding power or use of shield gas of helium also contributed to the reduction of porosity in the weld bead due to the alleviation of induced plasma formation, thus stabilizing the keyhole. The porosity formation intimately correlated with the evaporation of alloy element Mn in the base metal. The laser welded metal had same martensite microstructure as that of water-quenched base metal. The welding parameters which increased cooling rate all led to fine microstructures of the weld bead.
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American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia
2008-01-01
1.1 This practice describes a methodology to statistically characterize the distribution of the largest indigenous nonmetallic inclusions in steel specimens based upon quantitative metallographic measurements. The practice is not suitable for assessing exogenous inclusions. 1.2 Based upon the statistical analysis, the nonmetallic content of different lots of steels can be compared. 1.3 This practice deals only with the recommended test methods and nothing in it should be construed as defining or establishing limits of acceptability. 1.4 The measured values are stated in SI units. For measurements obtained from light microscopy, linear feature parameters shall be reported as micrometers, and feature areas shall be reported as micrometers. 1.5 The methodology can be extended to other materials and to other microstructural features. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish app...
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Wang, Ye; He, Honghui; Chang, Jintao; Zeng, Nan; Liu, Shaoxiong; Li, Migao; Ma, Hui
2015-12-01
Polarized light imaging can provide rich microstructural information of samples, and has been applied to the detections of various abnormal tissues. In this paper, we report a polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix imaging by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission optical microscope. The maximum errors for the absolute values of Mueller matrix elements are reduced to 0.01 after calibration. This Mueller matrix microscope has been used to examine human cervical and liver cancerous tissues with fibrosis. Images of the transformed Mueller matrix parameters provide quantitative assessment on the characteristic features of the pathological tissues. Contrast mechanism of the experimental results are backed up by Monte Carlo simulations based on the sphere-cylinder birefringence model, which reveal the relationship between the pathological features in the cancerous tissues at the cellular level and the polarization parameters. Both the experimental and simulated data indicate that the microscopic transformed Mueller matrix parameters can distinguish the breaking down of birefringent normal tissues for cervical cancer, or the formation of birefringent surrounding structures accompanying the inflammatory reaction for liver cancer. With its simple structure, fast measurement and high precision, polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix shows a good diagnosis application prospect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Relationships between microstructure and microfissuring in alloy 718
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.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oliveira, F.C.; Abrantes, A.L.A.; Lins, J.F.C.
2010-01-01
This study aimed to evaluate the microstructural evolution of a titanium stabilized IF steel deformed to warm through the ARB process for 5 consecutive cycles and then annealing at 600 deg C for 1 h. The material was characterized with the aid of the techniques of scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (Electron Backscatter Diffraction - EBSD). An intense process of microstructural refinement was observed in the deformed material and the phenomenon of dynamic recovery was predominant. It can be concluded that the annealing of severely deformed material was not sufficient for a complete recrystallization of the microstructure. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xiaofei Lei
2017-04-01
Full Text Available Microstructure, texture evolution, and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–1.5Cr–2.5Mo–0.5Fe–0.3Si (VT3-1 titanium alloy processed by multi-pass drawing and subsequent isothermal annealing were systematically investigated. A fiber-like microstructure is formed after warm drawing at 760 °C with 60% area reduction. After isothermal annealing, the samples deformed to different amounts of area reduction show a similar volume fraction (80% of α phase, while the sample deformed to 60% exhibits a homogeneous microstructure with a larger grain size (5.8 μm. The major texture component of α phase developed during warm drawing is centered at a position of {φ1 = 10°, φ = 65°, φ2 = 0°}. The textures for annealed samples are almost along the orientation of original deformation textures and show significant increases in orientation density and volume fraction compared with their deformed states. In addition, for the drawn samples, the ultimate tensile strength increases but the ductility decreases with increasing drawing deformation. A negative slope of yield strength of annealed samples versus grain size (d−1/2 is found due to the difference between texture softening for as-rolled + annealed state and texture hardening for drawn + annealed state. The mechanical properties of annealed samples are found to be strongly dependent on grain size and texture, resulting in the balance of the strength and ductility.
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CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
Moller, H
2011-01-01
Full Text Available on the subsequent artificial aging response of SSM-HPDC A356 [9, 10]. An artificial aging treatment at 180◦C for 4 h can, however, negate the effects of any prior natural aging [10]. A recent review paper [15] on the heat treatment of Al- Si-Cu-Mg alloys (which..., 8]. The assumption is that these heat treatments are not necessarily the optimum treatments, as the difference in solidification history and microstructure of SSM processed components should be considered [7–11]. However, a recent paper...
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Imaging brain tumour microstructure.
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.
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Cavitation Erosion of Nodular Cast Iron − Microstructural Effects
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Orłowicz A.W.
2017-12-01
Full Text Available The paper deals with susceptibility of nodular cast iron with ferritic-pearlitic matrix on cavitation erosion. Cavitation tests were carried out with the use of a cavitation erosion vibratory apparatus employing a vibration exciter operated at frequency of 20 kHz. The study allowed to determine the sequence of subsequent stages in which microstructure of cast iron in superficial regions is subject to degradation. The first features to be damaged are graphite precipitates. The ferritic matrix of the alloy turned out to be definitely less resistant to cavitation erosion compared to the pearlitic matrix component.
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Advanced Steel Microstructural Classification by Deep Learning Methods.
Azimi, Seyed Majid; Britz, Dominik; Engstler, Michael; Fritz, Mario; Mücklich, Frank
2018-02-01
The inner structure of a material is called microstructure. It stores the genesis of a material and determines all its physical and chemical properties. While microstructural characterization is widely spread and well known, the microstructural classification is mostly done manually by human experts, which gives rise to uncertainties due to subjectivity. Since the microstructure could be a combination of different phases or constituents with complex substructures its automatic classification is very challenging and only a few prior studies exist. Prior works focused on designed and engineered features by experts and classified microstructures separately from the feature extraction step. Recently, Deep Learning methods have shown strong performance in vision applications by learning the features from data together with the classification step. In this work, we propose a Deep Learning method for microstructural classification in the examples of certain microstructural constituents of low carbon steel. This novel method employs pixel-wise segmentation via Fully Convolutional Neural Network (FCNN) accompanied by a max-voting scheme. Our system achieves 93.94% classification accuracy, drastically outperforming the state-of-the-art method of 48.89% accuracy. Beyond the strong performance of our method, this line of research offers a more robust and first of all objective way for the difficult task of steel quality appreciation.
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Alloy Microstructure Dictates Corrosion Modes in THA Modular Junctions.
Pourzal, Robin; Hall, Deborah J; Ehrich, Jonas; McCarthy, Stephanie M; Mathew, Mathew T; Jacobs, Joshua J; Urban, Robert M
2017-12-01
Adverse local tissue reactions (ALTRs) triggered by corrosion products from modular taper junctions are a known cause of premature THA failure. CoCrMo devices are of particular concern because cobalt ions and chromium-orthophosphates were shown to be linked to ALTRs, even in metal-on-polyethylene THAs. The most common categories of CoCrMo alloy are cast and wrought alloy, which exhibit fundamental microstructural differences in terms of grain size and hard phases. The impact of implant alloy microstructure on the occurring modes of corrosion and subsequent metal ion release is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether (1) the microstructure of cast CoCrMo alloy varies broadly between manufacturers and can dictate specific corrosion modes; and whether (2) the microstructure of wrought CoCrMo alloy is more consistent between manufacturers and has low implications on the alloy's corrosion behavior. The alloy microstructure of four femoral-stem and three femoral-head designs from four manufacturers was metallographically and electrochemically characterized. Three stem designs were made from cast alloy; all three head designs and one stem design were made from wrought alloy. Alloy samples were sectioned from retrieved components and then polished and etched to visualize grain structure and hard phases such as carbides (eg, M 23 C 6 ) or intermetallic phases (eg, σ phase). Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests were conducted to determine the corrosion potential (E corr ), corrosion current density (I corr ), and pitting potential (E pit ) for each alloy. Four devices were tested within each group, and each measurement was repeated three times to ensure repeatable results. Differences in PDP metrics between manufacturers and between alloys with different hard phase contents were compared using one-way analysis of variance and independent-sample t-tests. Microstructural features such as twin boundaries and slip bands as well as corrosion
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Semiconductors and semimetals epitaxial microstructures
Willardson, Robert K; Beer, Albert C; Gossard, Arthur C
1994-01-01
Newly developed semiconductor microstructures can now guide light and electrons resulting in important consequences for state-of-the-art electronic and photonic devices. This volume introduces a new generation of epitaxial microstructures. Special emphasis has been given to atomic control during growth and the interrelationship between the atomic arrangements and the properties of the structures.Key Features* Atomic-level control of semiconductor microstructures* Molecular beam epitaxy, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition* Quantum wells and quantum wires* Lasers, photon(IR)detectors, heterostructure transistors
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Modeling of microstructure property relationships in titanium-aluminum-vanadium
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
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Modelling microstructural evolution under irradiation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tikare, V.
2015-01-01
Microstructural evolution of materials under irradiation is characterised by some unique features that are not typically present in other application environments. While much understanding has been achieved by experimental studies, the ability to model this microstructural evolution for complex materials states and environmental conditions not only enhances understanding, it also enables prediction of materials behaviour under conditions that are difficult to duplicate experimentally. Furthermore, reliable models enable designing materials for improved engineering performance for their respective applications. Thus, development and application of mesoscale microstructural model are important for advancing nuclear materials technologies. In this chapter, the application of the Potts model to nuclear materials will be reviewed and demonstrated, as an example of microstructural evolution processes. (author)
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Disparities in correlating microstructural to nanostructural preservation of dinosaur femoral bones
Kim, Jung-Kyun; Kwon, Yong-Eun; Lee, Sang-Gil; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Jin-Gyu; Huh, Min; Lee, Eunji; Kim, Youn-Joong
2017-03-01
Osteohistological researches on dinosaurs are well documented, but descriptions of direct correlations between the bone microstructure and corresponding nanostructure are currently lacking. By applying correlative microscopy, we aimed to verify that well-preserved osteohistological features correlate with pristine fossil bone nanostructures from the femoral bones of Koreanosaurus boseongensis. The quality of nanostructural preservation was evaluated based on the preferred orientation level of apatite crystals obtained from selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns and by measuring the “arcs” from the {100} and {002} diffraction rings. Unlike our expectations, our results revealed that well-preserved microstructures do not guarantee pristine nanostructures and vice versa. Structural preservation of bone from macro- to nanoscale primarily depends on original bioapatite density, and subsequent taphonomical factors such as effects from burial, pressure, influx of external elements and the rate of diagenetic alteration of apatite crystals. Our findings suggest that the efficient application of SAED analysis opens the opportunity for comprehensive nanostructural investigations of bone.
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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
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Mueller, Inga; Rementeria, Rosalia; Caballero, Francisca G.; Kuntz, Matthias; Sourmail, Thomas; Kerscher, Eberhard
2016-01-01
The recently developed nanobainitic steels show high strength as well as high ductility. Although this combination seems to be promising for fatigue design, fatigue properties of nanostructured bainitic steels are often surprisingly low. To improve the fatigue behavior, an understanding of the correlation between the nanobainitic microstructure and the fatigue limit is fundamental. Therefore, our hypothesis to predict the fatigue limit was that the main function of the microstructure is not necessarily totally avoiding the initiation of a fatigue crack, but the microstructure has to increase the ability to decelerate or to stop a growing fatigue crack. Thus, the key to understanding the fatigue behavior of nanostructured bainite is to understand the role of the microstructural features that could act as barriers for growing fatigue cracks. To prove this hypothesis, we carried out fatigue tests, crack growth experiments, and correlated these results to the size of microstructural features gained from microstructural analysis by light optical microscope and EBSD-measurements. Finally, we were able to identify microstructural features that influence the fatigue crack growth and the fatigue limit of nanostructured bainitic steels. PMID:28773953
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Wang, Chengpeng; Li, Fuguo; Liu, Juncheng
2018-04-01
The objectives of this work are to study the deformational feature, textures, microstructures, and dislocation configurations of ultrafine-grained copper processed by the process of elliptical cross-section spiral equal-channel extrusion (ECSEE). The deformation patterns of simple shear and pure shear in the ECSEE process were evaluated with the analytical method of geometric strain. The influence of the main technical parameters of ECSEE die on the effective strain distribution on the surface of ECSEE-fabricated samples was examined by the finite element simulation. The high friction factor could improve the effective strain accumulation of material deformation. Moreover, the pure copper sample fabricated by ECSEE ion shows a strong rotated cube shear texture. The refining mechanism of the dislocation deformation is dominant in copper processed by a single pass of ECSEE. The inhomogeneity of the micro-hardness distribution on the longitudinal section of the ECSEE-fabricated sample is consistent with the strain and microstructure distribution features.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Buckingham, R.C. [Institute of Structural Materials, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN (United Kingdom); Argyrakis, C.; Hardy, M.C. [Rolls-Royce plc, PO Box 31, Derby DE24 8BJ (United Kingdom); Birosca, S., E-mail: 522042@swansea.ac.uk [Institute of Structural Materials, Swansea University, Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN (United Kingdom)
2016-01-27
In the current study, the effect of strain distribution in a simple forging geometry on the propensity for recrystallization, and its impact on mechanical properties has been investigated in a newly developed experimental nickel-based superalloy. The new alloy was produced via a Powder Metallurgy (PM) route and was subsequently Hot Isostatic Processed (HIP), isothermally forged, and heat treated to produce a coarse grain microstructure with average grain size of 23–32 μm. The alloy was examined by means of Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) to characterise the microstructural features such as grain orientation and morphology, grain boundary characteristics and the identification of potential Prior Particle Boundaries (PPBs) throughout each stage of the processing route. Results at the central region of the cross-section plane parallel to the loading direction showed significant microstructural differences across the forging depth. This microstructural variation was found to be highly dependent on the value of local strain imparted during forging such that areas of low effective strain showed partial recrystallisation and a necklace grain structure was observed following heat treatment. Meanwhile, a fully recrystallised microstructure with no PPBs was observed in the areas of high strain values, in the central region of the forging.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Inga Mueller
2016-10-01
Full Text Available The recently developed nanobainitic steels show high strength as well as high ductility. Although this combination seems to be promising for fatigue design, fatigue properties of nanostructured bainitic steels are often surprisingly low. To improve the fatigue behavior, an understanding of the correlation between the nanobainitic microstructure and the fatigue limit is fundamental. Therefore, our hypothesis to predict the fatigue limit was that the main function of the microstructure is not necessarily totally avoiding the initiation of a fatigue crack, but the microstructure has to increase the ability to decelerate or to stop a growing fatigue crack. Thus, the key to understanding the fatigue behavior of nanostructured bainite is to understand the role of the microstructural features that could act as barriers for growing fatigue cracks. To prove this hypothesis, we carried out fatigue tests, crack growth experiments, and correlated these results to the size of microstructural features gained from microstructural analysis by light optical microscope and EBSD-measurements. Finally, we were able to identify microstructural features that influence the fatigue crack growth and the fatigue limit of nanostructured bainitic steels.
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Microstructure of cheese: Processing, technological and microbiological considerations
Pereira, Cláudia I.; Gomes, Ana M. P.; Malcata, F. Xavier
2009-01-01
Cheese is a classical dairy product, which is strongly judged by its appearance and texture; hence, a renewed interest in its microstructure has been on the rise, as sophisticated techniques of analysis become more and more informative and widely available. Processing parameters that affect microstructure play a dominant role upon the features exhibited by the final product as perceived by the consumer; rational relationships between microstructure (which includes biochem...
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Foltz, John W., IV
beta-titanium alloys are being increasingly used in airframes as a way to decrease the weight of the aircraft. As a result of this movement, Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr-0.4Fe (Timetal 555), a high-strength beta titanium alloy, is being used on the current generation of landing gear. This alloy features good combinations of strength, ductility, toughness and fatigue life in alpha+beta processed conditions, but little is known about beta-processed conditions. Recent work by the Center for the Accelerated Maturation of Materials (CAMM) research group at The Ohio State University has improved the tensile property knowledge base for beta-processed conditions in this alloy, and this thesis augments the aforementioned development with description of how microstructure affects fatigue life. In this work, beta-processed microstructures have been produced in a Gleeble(TM) thermomechanical simulator and subsequently characterized with a combination of electron and optical microscopy techniques. Four-point bending fatigue tests have been carried out on the material to characterize fatigue life. All the microstructural conditions have been fatigue tested with the maximum test stress equal to 90% of the measured yield strength. The subsequent results from tensile tests, fatigue tests, and microstructural quantification have been analyzed using Bayesian neural networks in an attempt to predict fatigue life using microstructural and tensile inputs. Good correlation has been developed between lifetime predictions and experimental results using microstructure and tensile inputs. Trained Bayesian neural networks have also been used in a predictive fashion to explore functional dependencies between these inputs and fatigue life. In this work, one section discusses the thermal treatments that led to the observed microstructures, and the possible sequence of precipitation that led to these microstructures. The thesis then describes the implications of microstructure on fatigue life and
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tiley, J.S. [Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433 (United States); Kim, S.L.; Parthasarathy, T.A. [UES, Inc., Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433 (United States); Loughnane, G.T. [Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435 (United States); Kublik, R.; Salem, A.A. [Materials Resources LLC, Dayton, OH 45402 (United States)
2017-02-08
Physics-based models for predicting the mechanical behavior of Ni-based superalloys as a function of microstructure features require the use of microstructure data for calibration and verification. Accurate representation of the heterogeneity of microstructure features requires accurate selection of the representative microstructure data size (i.e. image size). Thus, this work is carried out to address the influence of microstructure data size on the accuracy of a discrete dislocation dynamic model in predicting the critical resolved share stress (CRSS) of IN100. Microstructure features from backscattered electron images were extracted using image processing techniques. Single point statistics (e.g. area fraction, precipitate size, and distance between γ' particles) and higher order statistics using two-point correlations were calculated from segmented 2-D images. Modified Bhattacharyya Coefficient analysis techniques were employed to calculate three-dimensional particle size distributions. Results indicate a significant influence of the microstructure data size on the calculated CRSS.
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Liquid demixing and microstructure formation in ternary Al-Sn-Cu alloys
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mirkovic, D.; Groebner, J. [Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Metallurgy, Robert-Koch-Strasse 42, D-38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany); Schmid-Fetzer, R. [Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Metallurgy, Robert-Koch-Strasse 42, D-38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)], E-mail: schmid-fetzer@tu-clausthal.de
2008-07-25
The complex features of the Al-Sn-Cu phase diagram, dominated by ternary liquid demixing, are revealed by a combination of thermodynamic modeling and experimental studies. Nine ternary alloys were selected to cover all essential features involving the liquidus surface and the invariant solidification reactions. These were analyzed by differential thermal analysis as well as microstructural and local chemical analysis of solidified microstructures. Three different monotectic invariant reactions occur in this system. Small changes in alloy composition may produce distinctly different microstructures with primary crystallization and secondary demixing or vice versa.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ceschini, Lorella; Boromei, Iuri; Morri, Alessandro; Seifeddine, Salem; Svensson, Ingvar L.
2012-01-01
Highlights: ► The effect of different amounts of Fe and Mn on fatigue behaviour of the Al–Si10–Cu2 alloy was studied. ► Fatigue specimens were subjected to HIP to eliminate the internal pores. ► The effect of microstructural features on the fatigue propagation was studied. ► The presence of β-Al 5 FeSi induced only a slight increase on the fatigue resistance. ► The presence of the α-Al 15 (Fe,Mn) 3 Si increased the fatigue resistance of the alloy. -- Abstract: As the automotive industry has to meet the requirements of fuel efficiency and environmental concerns, the use of aluminium alloys is steadily increasing. A number of papers have been published about the correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties of the widely used A356/A357 aluminium alloys, while relatively few data are available on others hypoeutectic Al–Si alloys, such as Al–Si–Cu alloys with higher Si content. In this work the effect of different amounts of Fe and Mn on the tensile and fatigue behaviour of the Al–Si10–Cu2 casting alloy was studied. The reason of this study comes from the fact that cast components are mostly made by secondary Al alloys that inevitably contain Fe, which in turn forms intermetallic compounds, negatively affecting the mechanical behaviour of the alloy. Fatigue specimens were subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) before tests, in order to eliminate the internal pores (gas pores and interdendritic shrinkages) and therefore to solely investigate the effect of microstructural features, rather than solidification defects, on the fatigue propagation stage. The microstructural characterisation of the alloy was carried out by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Proof and ultimate tensile strength, as well as fatigue life of the investigated alloy were greatly enhanced by high Fe and Mn content, which reduced the micro-crack propagation rate; on the contrary Fe, without Mn, negatively affected the elongation to failure.
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Printing microstructures in a polymer matrix using a ferrofluid droplet
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Abdel Fattah, Abdel Rahman; Ghosh, Suvojit; Puri, Ishwar K.
2016-01-01
We print complex curvilinear microstructures in an elastomer matrix using a ferrofluid droplet as the print head. A magnetic field moves the droplet along a prescribed path in liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The droplet sheds magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) clusters in its wake, forming printed features. The PDMS is subsequently heated so that it crosslinks, which preserves the printed features in the elastomer matrix. The competition between magnetic and drag forces experienced by the ferrofluid droplet and its trailing MNPs highlight design criteria for successful printing, which are experimentally confirmed. The method promises new applications, such as flexible 3D circuitry. - Highlights: • Magnetically guided miscible ferrofluid droplets print 3D patterns in a polymer. • Printing mechanism depends on the dynamics between the fluid and magnetic forces. • Droplet size influences the width of the printed trail. • The Colloidal distribution of the ferrofluid is important for pattern integrity. • Particle trajectories and trails are simulated and validated through experiments.
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Printing microstructures in a polymer matrix using a ferrofluid droplet
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Abdel Fattah, Abdel Rahman [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada); Ghosh, Suvojit [Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada); Puri, Ishwar K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada); Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)
2016-03-01
We print complex curvilinear microstructures in an elastomer matrix using a ferrofluid droplet as the print head. A magnetic field moves the droplet along a prescribed path in liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The droplet sheds magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) clusters in its wake, forming printed features. The PDMS is subsequently heated so that it crosslinks, which preserves the printed features in the elastomer matrix. The competition between magnetic and drag forces experienced by the ferrofluid droplet and its trailing MNPs highlight design criteria for successful printing, which are experimentally confirmed. The method promises new applications, such as flexible 3D circuitry. - Highlights: • Magnetically guided miscible ferrofluid droplets print 3D patterns in a polymer. • Printing mechanism depends on the dynamics between the fluid and magnetic forces. • Droplet size influences the width of the printed trail. • The Colloidal distribution of the ferrofluid is important for pattern integrity. • Particle trajectories and trails are simulated and validated through experiments.
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Anthenill, Lucy A; Gardner, Ian A; Pool, Roy R; Garcia, Tanya C; Stover, Susan M
2010-07-01
To compare macrostructural and microstructural features of proximal sesamoid bones (PSBs) from horses with and without PSB midbody fracture to gain insight into the pathogenesis of PSB fracture. PSBs from 16 Thoroughbred racehorses (8 with and 8 without a PSB midbody fracture). Parasagittal sections of fractured and contralateral intact PSBs from horses with a PSB fracture and an intact PSB from age- and sex-matched control horses without a PSB fracture were evaluated for visual, radiographic, microradiographic, histologic, and his-tomorphometric differences in bone porosity, vascular channels, heme pigment, trabecular anisotropy, and pathological findings. Fractured PSBs and their contralateral intact PSBs had more compacted trabecular bone than did control PSBs. Focal repair or remodeling was evident in the palmar aspect of many fractured and contralateral intact PSBs. Fracture coincided with microstructural features and propagated from the flexor to the articular surface. Fractured PSBs had adapted to high loading but had focal evidence of excessive remodeling and porosity that likely predisposed the horses to complete fracture and catastrophic injury. Detection of focal injury before complete fracture provides an opportunity for prevention of catastrophic injury. Development of diagnostic imaging methods to assess porosity of PSBs may help to identify at-risk horses and allow for modifications of training and racing schedules to reduce the incidence of PSB fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses.
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Microstructure and structural phase transitions in iron-based superconductors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Zhen; Cai Yao; Yang Huai-Xin; Tian Huan-Fang; Wang Zhi-Wei; Ma Chao; Chen Zhen; Li Jian-Qi
2013-01-01
Crystal structures and microstructural features, such as structural phase transitions, defect structures, and chemical and structural inhomogeneities, are known to have profound effects on the physical properties of superconducting materials. Recently, many studies on the structural properties of Fe-based high-T c superconductors have been published. This review article will mainly focus on the typical microstructural features in samples that have been well characterized by physical measurements. (i) Certain common structural features are discussed, in particular, the crystal structural features for different superconducting families, the local structural distortions in the Fe 2 Pn 2 (Pn = P As, Sb) or Fe 2 Ch 2 (Ch = S, Se, Te) blocks, and the structural transformations in the 122 system. (ii) In FeTe(Se) (11 family), the superconductivity, chemical and structural inhomogeneities are investigated and discussed in correlation with superconductivity. (iii) In the K 0.8 Fe 1.6+x Se 2 system, we focus on the typical compounds with emphasis on the Fe-vacancy order and phase separations. The microstructural features in other superconducting materials are also briefly discussed. (topical review - iron-based high temperature superconductors)
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Pace, M. L.; Guarnaccio, A.; Dolce, P.; Mollica, D.; Parisi, G. P.; Lettino, A.; Medici, L.; Summa, V.; Ciancio, R.; Santagata, A.
2017-10-01
The ability of processing through laser beams different kinds of metallic powders for direct production of 3D components with complex geometries has been gaining an impressive and growing attention for specific industrial applications. The process which can be distinguished as Selective Laser Sintering or Selective Laser Melting is even considered, more generally, as Additive Manufacturing where layer by layer material is built by the interaction between a laser beam and a powder bed. The rapid heating of the powder due to the laser beam energy transfer process followed by a rapid cooling rate induces within the manufactured material a cellular structure with fine sub-grains, which are in the range of few hundreds of micrometers. These metastable structures, which are smaller than the grain size in conventionally manufactured 316L stainless steel components, can undertake towards a recrystallization process due to either heat or mechanical treatments. For instance, when sub-grain boundaries of the cells are enriched with Mo and higher concentration of dislocation, dynamical processes occur generating local residual stresses. In these circumstances the segregation of Mo in cell boundaries is out of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions so that microstructures and phases are metastable. In the range of 1100-1400 °C heat treatments a complete dissolution of Mo in the Fe matrix with a gradual disappearance of sub-microns cell is observed feeding the growth of larger austenitic sub-grains formation. It follows a higher degree of Mo dissolution in the material matrix and a decrease of dislocation's concentration (Saeidi et al., 2015) [1]. In the work here presented we point out which are the microstructural features of stainless steel 316L components realized by Additive Manufacturing. Furthermore, the occurrence of a microstructural evolution is presented after experiencing to fatigue of 80000 cycles some door joints obtained by this technique. A decrease of dislocation
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Specific features of reactor or cyclotron {alpha}-particles irradiated beryllium microstructure
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Khomutov, A M [A.A.Bochvar All-Russia Research Inst. of Inorganic Materials (VNIINM), Moscow (Russian Federation); Gromov, B F; Karabanov, V N [and others
1998-01-01
Studies were carried out into microstructure changes accompanying helium swelling of Be reactor neutron irradiated at 450degC or {alpha}-particles implanted in cyclotron to reach the same volume accumulation of He (6-8 ncm{sup 3} He/cm{sup 3} Be). The microstructures of reactor irradiated and implanted samples were compared after vacuum anneal at 600-800degC up to 50h. The irradiated samples revealed the etchability along the grain boundaries in zones formed by adequately large equilibrium helium pores. The width of the zones increased with the annealing time and after 50h reached 30{mu}. Depleted areas 2-3{mu} dia were observed in some regions of near grain boundary zones. The roles of grain boundaries and manufacturing pores as vacancies` sources and helium sinks are considered. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
A. G. Belik
2017-04-01
Full Text Available Purpose. The paper involves investigation of microstructure features of the coating welded with filler wire PL AN-111 with a 50% beads overlap. Methodology. Wear-resistant layer was formed by means of electric arc deposit welding using filler wire PL AN-111 on the plate from steel 09G2S. Deposit welding was conducted under the following parameters: welding current is of 650-750 A; arc voltage is of 30-34 V; welding speed is of 32 m/h. Microstructure was researched with application of optical microscopies “Neophot-21”, “Nikon Eclipse M200” and electron scanning microscopy JEOL JSM-6510 LV. Microhardness of structural constituentswas measuredwithtesterFM-300 (Future-Tech under loading of 10-50 g. Findings. It is shown that the overlap of the beads leads to the formation of inhomogeneous microstructure in the cross section that varies by zones from free-carbide austenite to hypereutectic microstructure with primary chromium carbides. The analysis of the microhardness of the structural constituents in various coating areas was carried out. It was found that hardness of austenite, carbide eutectic and carbides M7C3 varies in coatings in the range of 3 100-3 850 МPа, 4 100-6 800 МPа and 12 100-15 100 МPа, accordingly. Originality. Authors determined that Cr-Ni coating comprises substantially austenitic-carbide eutectic with different density and thickness of carbide fibers within eutectic colonies. Along the border “base/coating” a single-phase austenitic layer lies which turns into a layer with a hypoeutectic structure. In the heat affected zone from beads fusion austenite disintegration with the granular carbides formation was recorded. This leads to decreasing of matrix corrosion resistance due to chromium depletion. Above the zone of beads fusion, the coating has a hypereutectic structure with the presence of large primary chromium carbides. Practical value. It is shown that deposit welding with filler wire PL AN-111 with a 50
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sengupta, J.; Shin, H.-J.; Thomas, B.G.; Kim, S.-H.
2006-01-01
Hooks and other sub-surface features in continuous-cast ultralow-carbon steel samples were examined using optical microscopy, electron backscattering diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis techniques. Special etching reagents revealed dendrites growing from both sides of the line of hook origin. This line was found to represent the frozen meniscus and persisted into the final microstructure, as revealed by grain orientation measurements. A broken hook tip was observed in one micrograph, which explains the characteristic truncated shape of most hooks. Mold powder was found entrapped along the frozen meniscus. These results provide evidence of both solidification and subsequent overflow of the liquid steel meniscus. Thus, the instantaneous meniscus shape governs the shape and microstructure of the final hook, and the extent of the liquid steel overflow determines the shape of oscillation marks. This mechanism has important implications for the entrapment of inclusions and other surface defects
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vaibhaw, Kumar; Jha, S.K.; Saibaba, N.; Neogy, S.; Mani Krishna, K.V.; Srivastava, D.; Dey, G.K.
2011-01-01
Zr-2.5 Nb alloys finds its applications as a pressure tube component in pressure tube type thermal reactors such as PHWRs and RBMK due to properties attributed such as low neutron absorption cross section, high temperature strength and corrosion resistance etc. Manufacturing of this life time components involves series of thermo-mechanical processes of hot working and cold working with intermediate annealing. The life time of Pressure tube are limited due to their diametral creep properties which is governed by metallurgical characteristics such as texture, microstructure dislocation density etc. The primary breakdown of cast structure in Vacuum Arc Melted ingot can be effected by either hot extrusion or forging in single or multiple stages before final hot extrusion step into the blank for manufacturing of seamless pressure tube. Elevated temperature deformation carried out in hot working above the recrystallization temperature would enable impositions of large strains in single step. This deformation causes a significant change in the microstructure of the material and depends on process parameters such as extrusion ratio, temperature and strain rate. Basic microstructure developed at this deformation stage has significant bearing on the final properties of the material fabricated with subsequent cold working steps. The major texture in α+β Zr-2.5 Nb alloy is established during final extrusion to blank which does not change significantly during subsequent cold pilgering. However, microstructure is modified significantly in subsequent cold working which can be effected by cold pilgering or cold drawing in single or multiple steps. Present paper brings out the various ingot processing routes using forging and or extrusion followed for fabrication of pressure tubes. The development of texture and microstructures has been discussed at the blank stage from these processing routes and also with respect to varying extrusion variable such as extrusion ratio
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Cojocaru, Vasile Dănuţ; Răducanu, Doina; Angelescu, Mariana Lucia; Vintilă, Adrian Nicolae; Şerban, Nicolae; Dan, Ioan; Cojocaru, Elisabeta Mirela; Cinca, Ion
2017-08-01
The microstructural changes induced by solution treatment of an industrial forged F53 Super Duplex Stainless Steel alloy were studied, in order to emphasize how component phases are influenced by heat treatment temperature and duration. The solution treatment was done at a temperature of 1100°C, with variable holding times: 0.6 ks (10 min), 3.6 ks (60 min) and 10.8 ks (180 min). Scanning electron microscopy-electron backscattered diffraction was used as main characterization technique, to obtain and analyse data referring to microstructural features, such as: nature and morphology of constituent phases, average grain-size and grain misorientation. It was shown that in all studied cases the microstructure consisted of a mixture of about 45% δ-Fe (ferrite) and 55% γ-Fe (austenite). Besides δ-Fe and γ-Fe phases, other phases were also identified, such as τ-phase (chromium-iron carbide), σ-phase (chromium-iron) and δ-(Cr-Fe) (ferrite).
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Control of microstructure during hot working of zirconium alloys
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chakravartty, J.K.; Banerjee, S.
2005-01-01
Hot working is considered to be the most important step involved in the fabrication of zirconium alloys for nuclear reactor applications for two reasons: i) the scale of the microstructure and texture of the final product is decided at this stage and ii) the hot deformed microstructure provides a suitable starting microstructure for the subsequent fabrication steps. The resultant microstructure in turn controls the properties of the final product. In order to obtain final product with a suitable microstructure and with specified mechanical properties on a repeatable basis the control of microstructure during hot working is of paramount importance. This is usually done by studying the constitutive behaviour of the material under hot working conditions and by constructing processing maps. In the latter method, strain rate sensitivity is mapped as a function of temperature and strain rate to delineate domains within the bounds of which a specific deformation mechanism dominates. Detail microstructural analysis is then carried out on the samples deformed within the domains. Using this methodology, processing maps have been constructed for various zirconium alloys. These maps have been found to be very useful for optimizing the hot workability and control of microstructure of zirconium alloys. (author)
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MicroTrack: an algorithm for concurrent projectome and microstructure estimation.
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.
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Morphology and microstructure of composite materials
Tiwari, S. N.; Srinivansan, K.
1991-01-01
Lightweight continuous carbon fiber based polymeric composites are currently enjoying increasing acceptance as structural materials capable of replacing metals and alloys in load bearing applications. As with most new materials, these composites are undergoing trials with several competing processing techniques aimed at cost effectively producing void free consolidations with good mechanical properties. As metallic materials have been in use for several centuries, a considerable database exists on their morphology - microstructure; and the interrelationships between structure and properties have been well documented. Numerous studies on composites have established the crucial relationship between microstructure - morphology and properties. The various microstructural and morphological features of composite materials, particularly those accompanying different processing routes, are documented.
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Shape-Controlled Synthesis of NiCo2 O4 Microstructures and Their Application in Supercapacitors.
Xiang, Nannan; Ni, Yonghong; Ma, Xiang
2015-09-01
The shape-controlled synthesis of NiCo2 O4 microstructures through a facile hydrothermal method and subsequent calcinations was explored. By employing CoSO4 , NiSO4 , and urea as the starting reactants, flower-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures were obtained at 100 °C after 5 h without the assistance of any additive and subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h; dumbbell-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures were prepared at 150 °C after 5 h in the presence of trisodium citrate and subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h. The as-prepared NiCo2 O4 microstructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. Both the flower-like and dumbbell-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures could be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, and they exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including high specific capacitance, good rate capability, and excellent long-term cycle stability. Simultaneously, the shape-dependent electrochemical properties of the product were investigated. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Nucleation mechanisms of refined alpha microstructure in beta titanium alloys
Zheng, Yufeng
Due to a great combination of physical and mechanical properties, beta titanium alloys have become promising candidates in the field of chemical industry, aerospace and biomedical materials. The microstructure of beta titanium alloys is the governing factor that determines their properties and performances, especially the size scale, distribution and volume fraction of precipitate phase in parent phase matrix. Therefore in order to enhance the performance of beta titanium alloys, it is critical to obtain a thorough understanding of microstructural evolution in beta titanium alloys upon various thermal and/or mechanical processes. The present work is focusing on the study of nucleation mechanisms of refined alpha microstructure and super-refined alpha microstructure in beta titanium alloys in order to study the influence of instabilities within parent phase matrix on precipitates nucleation, including compositional instabilities and/or structural instabilities. The current study is primarily conducted in Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr (wt%, Ti-5553), a commercial material for aerospace application. Refined and super-refined precipitates microstructure in Ti-5553 are obtained under specific accurate temperature controlled heat treatments. The characteristics of either microstructure are investigated in details using various characterization techniques, such as SEM, TEM, STEM, HRSTEM and 3D atom probe to describe the features of microstructure in the aspect of morphology, distribution, structure and composition. Nucleation mechanisms of refined and super-refined precipitates are proposed in order to fully explain the features of different precipitates microstructure in Ti-5553. The necessary thermodynamic conditions and detailed process of phase transformations are introduced. In order to verify the reliability of proposed nucleation mechanisms, thermodynamic calculation and phase field modeling simulation are accomplished using the database of simple binary Ti-Mo system
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Mandal, Arka; Patra, Sudipta; Chakrabarti, Debalay; Singh, Shiv Brat
2017-12-01
A lean duplex stainless steel (LDSS) has been prepared with low-N content and processed by different thermo-mechanical schedules, similar to the industrial processing that comprised hot-rolling, cold-rolling, and annealing treatments. The microstructure developed in the present study on low-N LDSS has been compared to that of high-N LDSS as reported in the literature. As N is an austenite stabilizer, lower-N content reduced the stability of austenite and the austenite content in low-N LDSS with respect to the conventional LDSS. Due to low stability of austenite in low-N LDSS, cold rolling resulted in strain-induced martensitic transformation and the reversion of martensite to austenite during subsequent annealing contributed to significant grain refinement within the austenite regions. δ-ferrite grains in low-N LDSS, on the other hand, are refined by extended recovery mechanism. Initial solidification texture (mainly cube texture) within the δ-ferrite region finally converted into gamma-fiber texture after cold rolling and annealing. Although MS-brass component dominated the austenite texture in low-N LDSS after hot rolling and cold rolling, that even transformed into alpha-fiber texture after the final annealing. Due to the significant grain refinement and formation of beneficial texture within both austenite and ferrite, good combination of strength and ductility has been achieved in cold-rolled and annealed sample of low-N LDSS steel.
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Microstructure evolution in polycrystalline IN738LC in the range 1120 to 1250 C
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Balikci, E.; Raman, A.; Mirshams, R.A.
1999-01-01
The evolution of different microstructural features in the superalloy IN738LC, held in the temperature range 1120 to 1250 C and water quenched, is investigated in this study. The γ' precipitate formed in IN738LC grows continuously in cuboidal shape at temperatures up to 1130 C, but a distinct duplex-size (very fine + coarse) precipitate morphology develops when the alloy is water quenched from the range 1140 to 1150 C. Quenching from 1160 to 1225 C produces a single fine-size precipitate microstructure, while analogous quenching from 1235 C and 1250 C produces no precipitate at all. Very fine precipitates (∝40 nm size) are formed after a short time dwell in the duplex-size range and they grow to the size of the normal fine precipitates (∝70 nm) obtained upon quenching from the range 1160 to 1225 C. The fine ones do not grow beyond about 70 nm size in the duplex-size microstructure or in the single fine-size precipitate microstructure, even after very long time holding at the respective temperature range. Two different heat treatments were used to study the mechanism of precipitation leading to the duplex-size and the single fine-size precipitates. In treatment I, fine γ' precipitates (∝70 nm in size) obtained after 1200 C/4 h/WQ (water quenching to room temperature) solution treatment were subsequently allowed to coarsen in the temperature range 1140 to 1160 C
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A modelling approach to designing microstructures in thermal barrier coatings
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gupta, M.; Nylen, P.; Wigren, J.
2013-01-01
Thermomechanical properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) are strongly influenced by coating defects, such as delaminations and pores, thus making it essential to have a fundamental understanding of microstructure-property relationships in TBCs to produce a desired coating. Object-Oriented Finite element analysis (OOF) has been shown previously as an effective tool for evaluating thermal and mechanical material behaviour, as this method is capable of incorporating the inherent material microstructure as input to the model. In this work, OOF was used to predict the thermal conductivity and effective Young's modulus of TBC topcoats. A Design of Experiments (DoE) was conducted by varying selected parameters for spraying Yttria-Stabilised Zirconia (YSZ) topcoat. The microstructure was assessed with SEM, and image analysis was used to characterize the porosity content. The relationships between microstructural features and properties predicted by modelling are discussed. The microstructural features having the most beneficial effect on properties were sprayed with a different spray gun so as to verify the results obtained from modelling. Characterisation of the coatings included microstructure evaluation, thermal conductivity and lifetime measurements. The modelling approach in combination with experiments undertaken in this study was shown to be an effective way to achieve coatings with optimised thermo-mechanical properties.
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Universal Spatial Correlation Functions for Describing and Reconstructing Soil Microstructure
Skvortsova, Elena B.; Mallants, Dirk
2015-01-01
Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and pore-size distributions and thin section-derived morphological indicators. However, these descriptors provide only limited amount of information about the complex arrangement of soil structure and have limited capability to reconstruct structural features or predict physical properties. We introduce three different spatial correlation functions as a comprehensive tool to characterize soil microstructure: 1) two-point probability functions, 2) linear functions, and 3) two-point cluster functions. This novel approach was tested on thin-sections (2.21×2.21 cm2) representing eight soils with different pore space configurations. The two-point probability and linear correlation functions were subsequently used as a part of simulated annealing optimization procedures to reconstruct soil structure. Comparison of original and reconstructed images was based on morphological characteristics, cluster correlation functions, total number of pores and pore-size distribution. Results showed excellent agreement for soils with isolated pores, but relatively poor correspondence for soils exhibiting dual-porosity features (i.e. superposition of pores and micro-cracks). Insufficient information content in the correlation function sets used for reconstruction may have contributed to the observed discrepancies. Improved reconstructions may be obtained by adding cluster and other correlation functions into reconstruction sets. Correlation functions and the associated stochastic reconstruction algorithms introduced here are universally applicable in soil science, such as for soil classification
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The microstructure network and thermoelectric properties of bulk (Bi,Sb)2Te3
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Xie, Wenjie; Hitchcock, Dale A.; Kang, Hye J.
2012-01-01
We report small-angle neutron scattering studies on the microstructure network in bulk (Bi,Sb)(2)Te-3 synthesized by the melt-spinning (MS) and the spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) process. We find that rough interfaces of multiscale microstructures generated by the MS are responsible for the large...... reduction of both lattice thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. Our study also finds that subsequent SPS forms a microstructure network of similar to 10 nm thick lamellae and smooth interfaces between them. This nanoscale microstructure network with smooth interfaces increases electrical...... conductivity while keeping a low thermal conductivity, making it an ideal microstructure for high thermoelectric efficiency....
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Predicting EEG complexity from sleep macro and microstructure
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chouvarda, I; Maglaveras, N; Mendez, M O; Rosso, V; Parrino, L; Grassi, A; Terzano, M; Bianchi, A M; Cerutti, S
2011-01-01
This work investigates the relation between the complexity of electroencephalography (EEG) signal, as measured by fractal dimension (FD), and normal sleep structure in terms of its macrostructure and microstructure. Sleep features are defined, encoding sleep stage and cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) related information, both in short and long term. The relevance of each sleep feature to the EEG FD is investigated, and the most informative ones are depicted. In order to quantitatively assess the relation between sleep characteristics and EEG dynamics, a modeling approach is proposed which employs subsets of the sleep macrostructure and microstructure features as input variables and predicts EEG FD based on these features of sleep micro/macrostructure. Different sleep feature sets are investigated along with linear and nonlinear models. Findings suggest that the EEG FD time series is best predicted by a nonlinear support vector machine (SVM) model, employing both sleep stage/transitions and CAP features at different time scales depending on the EEG activation subtype. This combination of features suggests that short-term and long-term history of macro and micro sleep events interact in a complex manner toward generating the dynamics of sleep
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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.
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Microstructure of rapidly solidified materials
Jones, H.
1984-07-01
The basic features of rapidly solidified microstructures are described and differences arising from alternative processing strategies are discussed. The possibility of achieving substantial undercooling prior to solidification in processes such as quench atomization and chill block melt spinning can give rise to striking microstructural transitions even when external heat extraction is nominally Newtonian. The increased opportunity in laser and electron beam surface melting for epitaxial growth on the parent solid at an accelerating rate, however, does not exclude the formation of nonequilibrium phases since the required undercooling can be locally attained at the solidification front which is itself advancing at a sufficiently high velocity. The effects of fluid flow indicated particularly in melt spinning and surface melting are additional to the transformational and heat flow considerations that form the present basis for interpretation of such microstructural effects.
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The co-evolution of microstructure features in self-ion irradiated HT9 at very high damage levels
Getto, Elizabeth Margaret
The objective of this study was to understand the co-evolution of microstructure features in self-ion irradiated HT9 at very high damage levels. HT9 (heat 84425) was pre-implanted with 10 atom parts per million helium and then irradiated with 5 MeV Fe++ in the temperature range of 440-480°C to 188 dpa. A damage dependence study from 75 to 650 dpa was performed at the peak swelling temperature of 460°C. The swelling, dislocation and precipitate evolution was determined using Analytic Electron Microscopes in both Conventional Transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) modes. Void swelling reached a nominally linear rate of 0.03%/dpa from 188 to 650 dpa at 460°C. G phase precipitates were observed by 75 dpa and grew linearly up to 650 dpa. M 2X was observed by 250 dpa and peaked in volume fraction at 450 dpa. Dislocation loop evolution was observed up to 650 dpa including a step change in diameter between 375 and 450 dpa; which correlated with nucleation and growth of M2X. The experimental results were interpreted using a rate theory model, the Radiation Induced Microstructure Evolution (RIME), in the damage range from 188 to 650 dpa. A simple system of voids and dislocations was modeled in which the dislocations measured from experiment were used as input, or the dislocations were allowed to evolve dynamically, resulting in swelling that was overestimated by 63% relative to that observed experimentally. G phase had limited effect on the void or dislocation behavior. The behavior of M2X within the microstructure was characterized as a direct effect as a coherent sink, and as an indirect effect in consuming carbon from the matrix, which had the largest impact on both void and dislocation behavior. A slowly monotonically increasing swelling rate was observed both experimentally and computationally, with swelling rates of ˜0.025%/dpa and ˜0.036%/dpa before and after 450 dpa. The agreement in void behavior between
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Laser-Based Surface Modification of Microstructure for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics
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.
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Mechanical properties and microstructure of laser treated Al-Cu-Mg alloys
De Hosson , J.; Noordhuis , J.
1993-01-01
The mechanical properties and microstructural features of Al-Cu-Mg alloys were investigated, as exposed to laser treatments at various scan velocities. As far as the mechanical property is concerned a striking observation is a minimum in the hardness value at a laser scan velocity of 1/2 cm/s. Usually an increasing hardness with increasing laser scan velocities is reported in the literature. This remarkable property could be explained based on the microstructural features observed by transmis...
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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.
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Microstructural characterization of second phase regions in cast stainless steels
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hoelzer, D.; Kenik, E.A.; Rowcliffe, A.F.; Busby, J.; Vitek, J.M.
2007-01-01
Full text of publication follows: Cast austenitic stainless steels offer the possibility of directly producing large and/or relatively complex structures, such as the first wall shield modules or the divertor cassette for the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER). Unfortunately, one of the inherent problems associated with casting stainless steel, especially large castings, is the formation of coarse dendrites with possibly inhomogeneously distributed second phases separated by up to several hundred microns in the microstructure. These microstructural features result from temperature and composition gradients that develop during solidification and subsequent cooling. However, detailed characterization of the second phase regions in the cast microstructures can be quite challenging to techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which is useful for phase identification. furthermore, the information about the phases that may be present in the cast microstructures, both equilibrium and nonequilibrium, is important as input as well as for confirming predictions made by computational thermodynamics and solidification modeling. In this study, the investigation of second phase regions that formed in a large cast of a 316 stainless steel (equivalent to CF3M) will be presented and compared to simulations of the phases predicted by computational thermodynamic modeling of the solidification process. The preliminary TEM investigation of the cast microstructure was performed with specimens that were prepared by jet-polishing of 3 mm diameter discs. Although this approach allowed for the identification of the sigma and chi phases, which was consistent with the simulations, it was not suitable for detailed analysis of the second phase regions since these specimens often contained only grains of the gamma austenite phase. A better approach for preparing TEM specimens consisted of strategically lifting small sections of material from second phase regions
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Effect of microstructure on the elasto-viscoplastic deformation of dual phase titanium structures
Ozturk, Tugce; Rollett, Anthony D.
2018-02-01
The present study is devoted to the creation of a process-structure-property database for dual phase titanium alloys, through a synthetic microstructure generation method and a mesh-free fast Fourier transform based micromechanical model that operates on a discretized image of the microstructure. A sensitivity analysis is performed as a precursor to determine the statistically representative volume element size for creating 3D synthetic microstructures based on additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V characteristics, which are further modified to expand the database for features of interest, e.g., lath thickness. Sets of titanium hardening parameters are extracted from literature, and The relative effect of the chosen microstructural features is quantified through comparisons of average and local field distributions.
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Riahi, Samira; Niroumand, Behzad; Dorri Moghadam, Afsaneh; Rohatgi, Pradeep K.
2018-05-01
In the present study, variation in surface wetting behavior of a hypoeutectic cast iron with its microstructural features and surface roughness was investigated. Samples with an identical composition, i.e. Fe-3.2 wt%C.E., and different microstructures (a gray cast iron with A-type flake graphite and a white cast iron) were fabricated by gravity casting of molten cast iron in a chill mold at different cooling rates. A variation of surface roughness was also developed by polishing, a four-stage electroetching and a four-stage mechanical abrading on the samples. Roughness and water contact angles of all surfaces were then measured. The surface roughness factor and the solid fraction in contact with water by the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter contact models were also calculated and compared with the corresponding measured contact angles to find out which regime was active. Results indicated that the surface microstructure and the type of constituents present at the surface influenced the cast iron surface wettability and that it was possible to change the surface contact angle by modification of the surface microstructure. The mechanically abraded gray cast iron followed the Wenzel-type regime while the electroetched surfaces of gray cast iron exhibited a transition from Wenzel to Cassie-Baxter type regime. In white cast iron, the results indicated Wenzel type behavior in the electroetched samples while for the mechanically abraded samples, none of these two models could predict the wetting behavior. Furthermore, the wetting angles of both gray and white cast irons were measured after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of air exposure. The results showed that the wetting angles of both samples increased to above 90° after one week of air exposure which was likely due to adsorption of low surface energy hydrocarbons on the surfaces.
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Microstructure history effect during sequential thermomechanical processing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yassar, Reza S.; Murphy, John; Burton, Christina; Horstemeyer, Mark F.; El kadiri, Haitham; Shokuhfar, Tolou
2008-01-01
The key to modeling the material processing behavior is the linking of the microstructure evolution to its processing history. This paper quantifies various microstructural features of an aluminum automotive alloy that undergoes sequential thermomechanical processing which is comprised hot rolling of a 150-mm billet to a 75-mm billet, rolling to 3 mm, annealing, and then cold rolling to a 0.8-mm thickness sheet. The microstructural content was characterized by means of electron backscatter diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results clearly demonstrate the evolution of precipitate morphologies, dislocation structures, and grain orientation distributions. These data can be used to improve material models that claim to capture the history effects of the processing materials
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An investigation of the microstructures of heat-treated zircaloy-4
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bangaru, N.V.
1985-01-01
A TEM/STEM investigation of the microstructure and microchemistry of commercial Zircaloy-4 samples subjected to three different final heat treatments in the laboratory has been conducted to understand the processing-microstructure-corrosion relationships in these alloys. Pronounced differences in the volume fraction, morphology, and chemistry of the intermetallic particles as well as in the α phase microstructure have been observed among the beta-quenched, as-received (stress-relieved) and alpha-annealed samples. The beta-quenched sample exhibits the most uniform microstructure consisting of acicular α phase with lath boundary Sn enrichment and fine intermetallic particle formation. The as-received sample has the most inhomogeneous microstructure made up of annealed and deformed α phase. The relevance of the observed microstructural features to the nodular corrosion susceptibility is discussed in the light of some existing models of modular corrosion. (orig.)
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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)
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Microstructural and mechanical characterization of the parabolic spring steel 51CrV4
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Koemec, Aydin [TT Celikyay Co., Duezce (Turkey); Dikci, Kazim [TT Celikyay Co., Duezce (Turkey). Quality Dept.; Atapek, S. Hakan; Polat, Seyda; Aktas Celik, Guelsah [Kocaeli Univ. (Turkey). Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
2017-07-01
Findings about the microstructural features of, spring steels are necessary for the producers to enhance their mechanical properties. There are several reports revealing the basic relation between microstructure and fatigue performance. However, the results are commonly obtained from universal test procedures and have limited use due to the lack of real service conditions. In this study, the microstructural features of 51CrV4 alloy, used as spring steel component, were investigated by metallographic examinations starting from raw material to the final product. Its fatigue behavior was investigated using a self-designed test machine and a test procedure approved by the automotive industry to simulate the service conditions. Fractographic examination of fatigue failed surface was carried out to specify the effect of microstructural features on the fracture. It was concluded that (i) both oxide and decarburization layers were minimized by shot peening and (ii) although tested samples had superior fatigue resistance and failed above 10{sup 5} cycles limit, oxide layer played a major role for crack initiation.
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Deformation-Induced Microstructural Banding in TRIP Steels
Celotto, S.; Ghadbeigi, H.; Pinna, C.; Shollock, B. A.; Efthymiadis, P.
2018-05-01
Microstructure inhomogeneities can strongly influence the mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steels in a detrimental manner. This study of a transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steel investigates the effect of pre-existing contiguous grain boundary networks (CGBNs) of hard second-phases and shows how these develop into bands during tensile testing using in situ observations in conjunction with digital image correlation (DIC). The bands form by the lateral contraction of the soft ferrite matrix, which rotates and displaces the CGBNs of second-phases and the individual features within them to become aligned with the loading direction. The more extensive pre-existing CGBNs that were before the deformation already aligned with the loading direction are the most critical microstructural feature for damage initiation and propagation. They induce micro-void formation between the hard second-phases along them, which coalesce and develop into long macroscopic fissures. The hard phases, retained austenite and martensite, were not differentiated as it was found that the individual phases do not play a role in the formation of these bands. It is suggested that minimizing the presence of CGBNs of hard second-phases in the initial microstructure will increase the formability.
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The co-evolution of microstructure features in self-ion irradiated HT9 at very high damage levels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Getto, E., E-mail: getto@usna.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 21402 (United States); Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States); Vancoevering, G.; Was, G.S. [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States)
2017-02-15
Understanding the void swelling and phase evolution of reactor structural materials at very high damage levels is essential to maintaining safety and longevity of components in Gen IV fast reactors. A combination of ion irradiation and modeling was utilized to understand the microstructure evolution of ferritic-martensitic alloy HT9 at high dpa. Self-ion irradiation experiments were performed on alloy HT9 to determine the co-evolution of voids, dislocations and precipitates up to 650 dpa at 460 °C. Modeling of microstructure evolution was conducted using the modified Radiation Induced Microstructure Evolution (RIME) model, which utilizes a mean field rate theory approach with grouped cluster dynamics. Irradiations were performed with 5 MeV raster-scanned Fe{sup 2+} ions on samples pre-implanted with 10 atom parts per million He. The swelling, dislocation and precipitate evolution at very high dpa was determined using Analytical Electron Microscopy in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) mode. Experimental results were then interpreted using the RIME model. A microstructure consisting only of dislocations and voids is insufficient to account for the swelling evolution observed experimentally at high damage levels in a complicated microstructure such as irradiated alloy HT9. G phase was found to have a minimal effect on either void or dislocation evolution. M{sub 2}X played two roles; a variable biased sink for defects, and as a vehicle for removal of carbon from solution, thus promoting void growth. When accounting for all microstructure interactions, swelling at high damage levels is a dynamic process that continues to respond to other changes in the microstructure as long as they occur.
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Microstructure and Properties of High-Temperature Superconductors
Parinov, Ivan A
2007-01-01
The main features of high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) that define their properties are intrinsic brittleness of oxide cuprates, the layered anisotropic structure and the supershort coherence length. Taking into account these features, this treatise presents research into HTSC microstructure and properties, and also explores the possibilities of optimization of the preparation techniques and superconducting compositions. The "composition-technique-experiment-theory-model," employed here, assumes considerable HTSC defectiveness and structure heterogeneity and helps to draw a comprehensive picture of modern representations of the microstructure, strength and the related structure-sensitive properties of the materials considered. Special attention is devoted to the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-O families, which currently offer the most promising applications. Including a great number of illustrations and references, this monograph addresses students, post-graduate students and specialists, taking part in the ...
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Microstructure and Properties of High-Temperature Superconductors
Parinov, I A
2012-01-01
The main features of high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) that define their properties are intrinsic brittleness of oxide cuprates, the layered anisotropic structure and the supershort coherence length. Taking into account these features, this treatise presents research into HTSC microstructure and properties, and also explores the possibilities of optimization of the preparation techniques and superconducting compositions. The "composition-technique-experiment-theory-model," employed here, assumes considerable HTSC defectiveness and structure heterogeneity and helps to draw a comprehensive picture of modern representations of the microstructure, strength and the related structure-sensitive properties of the materials considered. Special attention is devoted to the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-O families, which currently offer the most promising applications. Including a great number of illustrations and references, this monograph addresses students, post-graduate students and specialists, taking part in the ...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rajabi, M.; Vahidi, M.; Simchi, A.; Davami, P.
2009-01-01
The aim of this work is to study the effect of cooling rate and subsequent hot consolidation on the microstructural features and mechanical strength of Al-20Si-5Fe-2X (X = Cu, Ni and Cr) alloys. Powder and ribbons were produced by gas atomization and melt spinning processes at two different cooling rates of 1 x 10 5 K/s and 5 x 10 7 K/s. The microstructure of the products was examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The particles were consolidated by hot pressing at 400 deg. C/250 MPa/1 h under a high purity argon atmosphere and the microstructure, hardness and compressive strength of the compacts were evaluated. Results showed a profound effect of the cooling rate, consolidation stage, and transition metals on the microstructure and mechanical strength of Al-20Si-5Fe alloys. While microstructural refining was obtained at both cooling rates, the microstructure of the atomized powder exhibited the formation of fine primary silicon (∼ 1 μm), eutectic Al-Si phase with eutectic spacing of ∼ 300 nm, and δ-iron intermetallic. Supersaturated Al matrix containing 5-7 at.% silicon and nanometric Si precipitates (20-40 nm) were determined in the microstructure of the melt-spun ribbons. The hot consolidation resulted in coarsening of Si particles in the atomized particles, and precipitation of Si and Fe-containing intermetallics from the supersaturated Al matrix in the ribbons. The consolidated ribbons exhibited higher mechanical strength compared to the atomized powders, particularly at elevated temperatures. The positive influence of the transition metals on the thermal stability of the Al-20Si-5Fe alloy was noticed, particularly in the Ni-containing alloy.
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Wu, Ching-Zong; Chen, Shih-Chung; Shih, Yung-Hsun; Hung, Jing-Ming; Lin, Chia-Cheng; Lin, Li-Hsiang; Ou, Keng-Liang
2011-10-01
This research investigated the high-temperature microstructure, mechanical properties, and damping behavior of Fe-9 Al-30 Mn-1C-5 Co (wt.%) alloy by means of electron microscopy, experimental model analysis, and hardness and tensile testing. Subsequent microstructural transformation occurred when the alloy under consideration was subjected to heat treatment in the temperature range of 1000-1150 °C: γ → (γ+κ). The κ-phase carbides had an ordered L'1(2)-type structure with lattice parameter a = 0.385 nm. The maximum yield strength (σ(y)), hardness, elongation, and damping coefficient of this alloy are 645 MPa, Hv 292, ~54%, and 178.5 × 10(-4), respectively. These features could be useful in further understanding the relationship between the biocompatibility and the wear and corrosion resistance of the alloy, so as to allow the development of a promising biomedical material. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Selective laser melting of Invar 36: Microstructure and properties
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Qiu, Chunlei; Adkins, Nicholas J.E.; Attallah, Moataz M.
2016-01-01
Invar 36 samples have been fabricated by selective laser melting at a constant laser power but with varied laser scanning speeds. Some samples were further heat treated or hot isostatically pressed (HIPed). The obtained microstructures were studied using optical and electron microscopes, X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction techniques and the properties evaluated through both tensile testing and thermal expansion measurement. It was found that the as-fabricated samples show very low porosity (<0.5%) when the laser scanning speeds are below 3200 mm/s but show remarkably increased porosity above 3200 mm/s (at 400 W). Increased scanning speed also led to increasingly irregular-shaped laser scanned tracks together with an increased number of pores on sample surfaces and keyhole features within the samples, all indicative of increasingly unstable melt flow behaviour. The as-fabricated microstructure was dominated by columnar γ grains decorated by nanosized α precipitates, resulting in development of texture. Heat treatment did not change microstructure significantly while HIPing closed the majority of pores but also caused pronounced coarsening of α precipitates especially those located at grain boundaries during subsequent slow cooling. With the presence of elongated pores, the vertically built samples were found to show much lower elongation than horizontally built samples while in the absence of pores their ductility has been significantly improved but their tensile strengths are still lower than the latter. The vertically built samples generally failed in a transgranular mode while the horizontally built samples failed in an intergranular mode. HIPing greatly degraded tensile properties due to the presence of coarse grain boundary α precipitates weakening the bonding between grains. Irrespective of building orientations, the as-fabricated samples show low coefficients of thermal expansion below 300 °C comparable to conventionally
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Microstructure stability of silver electrodeposits at room temperature
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hansen, Karsten; Pantleon, Karen
2008-01-01
In situ quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis was used to investigate the kinetics of microstructure evolution at room temperature (self-annealing) in an electrodeposited silver layer. As a function of time at room temperature the as-deposited nanocrystalline microstructure evolved considerably: orientation-dependent grain growth and changes of the preferred grain orientation occurred. It is demonstrated for the first time that self-annealing occurs for electrodeposited silver layers and, hence, is not a unique feature of copper as often suggested
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DETECTION OF POLARIZED QUASI-PERIODIC MICROSTRUCTURE EMISSION IN MILLISECOND PULSARS
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
De, Kishalay; Sharma, Prateek [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Gupta, Yashwant, E-mail: kde@caltech.edu [National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Pune University Campus, Post Bag 3, Pune 411007 (India)
2016-12-10
Microstructure emission, involving short timescale, often quasi-periodic, intensity fluctuations in subpulse emission, is well known in normal period pulsars. In this Letter, we present the first detections of quasi-periodic microstructure emission from millisecond pulsars (MSPs), from Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations of two MSPs at 325 and 610 MHz. Similar to the characteristics of microstructure observed in normal period pulsars, we find that these features are often highly polarized and exhibit quasi-periodic behavior on top of broader subpulse emission, with periods of the order of a few μ s. By measuring their widths and periodicities from single pulse intensity profiles and their autocorrelation functions, we extend the microstructure timescale–rotation period relationship by more than an order of magnitude down to rotation periods ∼5 ms, and find it to be consistent with the relationship derived earlier for normal pulsars. The similarity of behavior is remarkable, given the significantly different physical properties of MSPs and normal period pulsars, and rules out several previous speculations about the possible different characteristics of microstructure in MSP radio emission. We discuss the possible reasons for the non-detection of these features in previous high time resolution MSP studies along with the physical implications of our results, both in terms of a geometric beam sweeping model and temporal modulation model for micropulse production.
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On the microstructure of bituminous binders
Fischer, H.R.; Dillingh, E.C.; Hermse, C.G.M.
2014-01-01
The objective of this work is to study the common features and the evolution of microstructures of bituminous binders regardless of their grade (PEN 10/20 to 160/220) and source/origin using the atomic force microscope operated in phase contrast mode. All bituminous binders show the same
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The influence of thermomechanical processing on microstructural evolution of Ti600 titanium alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Han Yuanfei; Zeng Weidong; Qi Yunlian; Zhao Yongqing
2011-01-01
Highlights: → Temperature and strain rate have great influence on the microstructure features. → The formation of sub-grain and dislocation wall is the typically microstructure features observed in the β single-phase. → The elongated lamellar α platelets kinked increasingly and break up under the α + β processing conditions. → The softening mechanisms of the Ti600 alloy hot compressed at 1000-1100 deg. C are mainly dynamic recovery. - Abstract: The influences of thermomechanical processing on microstructural evolution of Ti600 alloy were studied in the temperature range of 800-1100 deg. C, and at the strain rate of 0.001-10 s -1 . During the isothermal compression experiment, the flow stress-strain curves are examined in the β single-phase and in the α + β two-phase regions. The results show that the thermomechanical processing parameters have significant influences on the microstructure of Ti600 alloy, especially on the grain size, morphologies of α phase. Moreover, the microstructural evolution was analyzed by optical microstructure (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that typical of dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization phenomenon occurring in the thermomechanical processing. These results will optimize the microstructural control for hot working of Ti600 alloy and deepen the understanding of the flow softening mechanism of near-α titanium alloy.
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Studying Microstructure in Molecular Crystals With Nanoindentation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mishra, Manish Kumar; Desiraju, Gautam R; Ramamurty, Upadrasta
2014-01-01
Intergrowth polymorphism refers to the existence of distinct structural domains within a single crystal of a compound. The phenomenon is exhibited by form II of the active pharmaceutical ingredient felodipine, and the associated microstructure is a significant feature of the compound's structural...
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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.
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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...
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Hardmetals - microstructural design, testing and property maps
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Roebuck, B; Gee, M G; Morrell, R [NPL Materials Centre, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex (United Kingdom)
2001-07-01
The production of WC/Co hardmetals and their analogues is considered a mature technology, however lately there has been new research results where the concept of microstructural design was used to produce alternatives to the conventional two-phase structure. This Industry is currently well served by a range of baseline established standards, which, if properly followed with good attention to correct quality procedures, will ensure consistent products. However, there are certain key properties such as corrosion, fatigue, impact wear or high temperature strength and toughness that are often measured but not always by standard tests methods. Microstructural design potential is reviewed, particularly the possibilities of performance improvement via changes in size, shape and distribution of the phases as well as recent developments in testing, specifically S-N fatigue and abrasive wear. Finally, the concept of property mapping is introduced as a tool for providing a framework for optimizing properties. Its utility in correlating performance properties and their relationships with microstructural parameters is evaluated. Two property maps are discussed: one where the property is plotted against a microstructural feature (microstructure property maps) such as WC grain size or Co binder phase content against coercivity or hardness and one where different properties, such as hardness and toughness are mapped against each other (comparative property maps). (nevyjel)
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Hardmetals - microstructural design, testing and property maps
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roebuck, B.; Gee, M.G.; Morrell, R.
2001-01-01
The production of WC/Co hardmetals and their analogues is considered a mature technology, however lately there has been new research results where the concept of microstructural design was used to produce alternatives to the conventional two-phase structure. This Industry is currently well served by a range of baseline established standards, which, if properly followed with good attention to correct quality procedures, will ensure consistent products. However, there are certain key properties such as corrosion, fatigue, impact wear or high temperature strength and toughness that are often measured but not always by standard tests methods. Microstructural design potential is reviewed, particularly the possibilities of performance improvement via changes in size, shape and distribution of the phases as well as recent developments in testing, specifically S-N fatigue and abrasive wear. Finally, the concept of property mapping is introduced as a tool for providing a framework for optimizing properties. Its utility in correlating performance properties and their relationships with microstructural parameters is evaluated. Two property maps are discussed: one where the property is plotted against a microstructural feature (microstructure property maps) such as WC grain size or Co binder phase content against coercivity or hardness and one where different properties, such as hardness and toughness are mapped against each other (comparative property maps). (nevyjel)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Xu, Jianwei; Zeng, Weidong; Zhao, Yawei; Jia, Zhiqiang
2016-01-01
The effects of the evolution of the lamellar alpha microstructure on the impact toughness of Ti-17 alloy are investigated. For this purpose, the beta-processed material is isothermally forged at 820 °C and subsequently heat treated using the combination of solid solution and aging treatment. Then the impact tests are carried out at room temperature. The corresponding microstructure and fracture surface are examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Microstructural observations reveal that globularization behavior is the main feature of microstructure evolution and the globularization fraction increases with the increasing of prestrain. However, globularization behavior has a negative influence on the impact toughness of Ti-17 alloy. In this work, the impact toughness have been obtained in the range of 29–55 J/cm 2 via varying globularization fraction of alpha phase. A linear relationship between the impact toughness and globularization fraction can be observed though the quantitative analysis. The linear equation is expressed as A=−0.3232f+59.885. The two major reasons can be used to explain the effect of globularization fraction on the impact property of Ti-17 alloy. One explanation is that the lamellar structure can provide excellent interfacial strengthening effect, which can improve the toughness of material, and makes it not easy to fracture. On the other hand, the fracture surface of specimen with the lamellar structure has larger amplitude of ups and downs. A long crack path length will be generated during fracture process. By contrast, the fracture of specimen with the equiaxed structure presents more flat surface and shorter crack path.
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Microstructural analysis of the 2195 aluminum-lithium alloy welds
Talia, George E.
1993-01-01
The principal objective of this research was to explain a tendency of 2195 Al-Li alloy to crack at elevated temperature during welding. Therefore, a study was made on the effect of welding and thermal treatment on the microstructure of Al-Li Alloy 2195. The critical roles of precipitates, boundaries, phases, and other features of the microstructure were inferred from the crack propagation paths and the morphology of fracture surface of the alloy with different microstructures. Particular emphasis was placed on the microstructures generated by the welding process and the mechanisms of crack propagation in such structures. Variation of the welding parameters and thermal treatments were used to alter the micro/macro structures, and they were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. A theoretical model is proposed to explain changes in the microstructure of welded material. This model proposes a chemical reaction in which gases from the air (i.e., nitrogen) release hydrogen inside the alloy. Such a reaction could generate large internal stresses capable to induce porosity and crack-like delamination in the material.
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Microstructure-Tensile Properties Correlation for the Ti-6Al-4V Titanium Alloy
Shi, Xiaohui; Zeng, Weidong; Sun, Yu; Han, Yuanfei; Zhao, Yongqing; Guo, Ping
2015-04-01
Finding the quantitative microstructure-tensile properties correlations is the key to achieve performance optimization for various materials. However, it is extremely difficult due to their non-linear and highly interactive interrelations. In the present investigation, the lamellar microstructure features-tensile properties correlations of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy are studied using an error back-propagation artificial neural network (ANN-BP) model. Forty-eight thermomechanical treatments were conducted to prepare the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with different lamellar microstructure features. In the proposed model, the input variables are microstructure features including the α platelet thickness, colony size, and β grain size, which were extracted using Image Pro Plus software. The output variables are the tensile properties, including ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and reduction of area. Fourteen hidden-layer neurons which can make ANN-BP model present the most excellent performance were applied. The training results show that all the relative errors between the predicted and experimental values are within 6%, which means that the trained ANN-BP model is capable of providing precise prediction of the tensile properties for Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Based on the corresponding relations between the tensile properties predicted by ANN-BP model and the lamellar microstructure features, it can be found that the yield strength decreases with increasing α platelet thickness continuously. However, the α platelet thickness exerts influence on the elongation in a more complicated way. In addition, for a given α platelet thickness, the yield strength and the elongation both increase with decreasing β grain size and colony size. In general, the β grain size and colony size play a more important role in affecting the tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy than the α platelet thickness.
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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
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Li, Yanglin; Jensen, Katharine E; Liu, Yanhui; Liu, Jingbei; Gong, Pan; Scanley, B Ellen; Broadbridge, Christine C; Schroers, Jan
2016-10-10
The exploration of new alloys with desirable properties has been a long-standing challenge in materials science because of the complex relationship between composition and microstructure. In this Research Article, we demonstrate a combinatorial strategy for the exploration of composition dependence of microstructure. This strategy is comprised of alloy library synthesis followed by high-throughput microstructure characterization. As an example, we synthesized a ternary Au-Cu-Si composition library containing over 1000 individual alloys using combinatorial sputtering. We subsequently melted and resolidified the entire library at controlled cooling rates. We used scanning optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction mapping to explore trends in phase formation and microstructural length scale with composition across the library. The integration of combinatorial synthesis with parallelizable analysis methods provides a efficient method for examining vast compositional ranges. The availability of microstructures from this vast composition space not only facilitates design of new alloys by controlling effects of composition on phase selection, phase sequence, length scale, and overall morphology, but also will be instrumental in understanding the complex process of microstructure formation in alloys.
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Numerical microstructure prediction for an aluminium casting and its experimental validation
Unterreiter Guenter; Ludwig Andreas; Wu Menghuai
2011-01-01
Virtual manufacturing based on through-process modelling becomes an evolving research area which aims at integrating diverse simulation tools to realize computer-aided design, analysis, prototyping and manufacturing. Numerical prediction of the as-cast microstructure is an initial and critical step in the whole through-process modelling chain for engineering components. A commercial software package with the capability of calculating important microstructure features for aluminium alloys is u...
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Benchtop fabrication of PDMS microstructures by an unconventional photolithographic method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hwang, Chang Mo; Sim, Woo Young; Lee, Seung Hwan; Foudeh, Amir M; Bae, Hojae; Khademhosseini, Ali; Lee, Sang-Hoon
2010-01-01
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microstructures have been widely used in bio-microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS) for various types of analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, PDMS-based soft lithographic techniques still use conventional microfabrication processes to generate a master mold, which requires access to clean room facilities and costly equipment. With the increasing use of these systems in various fields, the development of benchtop systems for fabricating microdevices is emerging as an important challenge in their widespread use. Here we demonstrate a simple, low-cost and rapid method to fabricate PDMS microstructures by using micropatterned poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) master molds. In this method, PEGDA microstructures were patterned on a glass substrate by photolithography under ambient conditions and by using simple tools. The resulting PEGDA structures were subsequently used to generate PDMS microstructures by standard molding in a reproducible and repeatable manner. The thickness of the PEGDA microstructures was controllable from 15 to 300 μm by using commonly available spacer materials. We also demonstrate the use of this method to fabricate microfluidic channels capable of generating concentration gradients. In addition, we fabricated PEGDA microstructures by photolithography from the light generated from commonly available laminar cell culture hood. These data suggest that this approach could be beneficial for fabricating low-cost PDMS-based microdevices in resource limited settings.
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Connectivity Measures in EEG Microstructural Sleep Elements.
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
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Uncovering the true nature of deformation microstructures using 3D analysis methods
Ferry, M.; Quadir, M. Z.; Afrin, N.; Xu, W.; Loeb, A.; Soe, B.; McMahon, C.; George, C.; Bassman, L.
2015-08-01
Three-dimensional electron backscatter diffraction (3D EBSD) has emerged as a powerful technique for generating 3D crystallographic information in reasonably large volumes of a microstructure. The technique uses a focused ion beam (FIB) as a high precision serial sectioning device for generating consecutive ion milled surfaces of a material, with each milled surface subsequently mapped by EBSD. The successive EBSD maps are combined using a suitable post-processing method to generate a crystallographic volume of the microstructure. The first part of this paper shows the usefulness of 3D EBSD for understanding the origin of various structural features associated with the plastic deformation of metals. The second part describes a new method for automatically identifying the various types of low and high angle boundaries found in deformed and annealed metals, particularly those associated with grains exhibiting subtle and gradual variations in orientation. We have adapted a 2D image segmentation technique, fast multiscale clustering, to 3D EBSD data using a novel variance function to accommodate quaternion data. This adaptation is capable of segmenting based on subtle and gradual variation as well as on sharp boundaries within the data. We demonstrate the excellent capabilities of this technique with application to 3D EBSD data sets generated from a range of cold rolled and annealed metals described in the paper.
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Microstructural evolution and thermophysical property evaluation of Th-U alloys
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Das, Santanu; Kaity, Santu; Bannerjee, Joydipto; Kumar, Raj; Roy, S.B.; Chaudhari, G.P.; Daniel, B.S.S.
2015-01-01
Thorium-uranium alloy fuel has not received much research attention mainly because of easy availability of uranium and military incentive offered by U-Pu cycle. Moreover, (i) lack of a consistent systematic effort to develop the alloys and define the limitations of these fuels, (ii) dearth of initiatives to define its microstructures that can result from composition and fabrication variables are prime reasons for this system not having witnessed much developmental research endeavour. Hence, it seems prudent to explore few compositions selected from thorium-uranium phase diagram keeping two primary objectives in view viz. (i) establishing its microstructural features and to study the variations in those, if any, brought about by processing variables etc. and (ii) to assess few thermal properties relevant to fuel applications. This experimental work aims at addressing gap in research on thorium-uranium alloys. Selected compositions of thorium-uranium alloy have been taken for microstructural study and evaluation of thermophysical properties. Based on the microstructural features and thermophysical property evaluation it is seen that high thorium Th-U alloys have appreciable thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient. It can reasonably be concluded that high thorium Th-U alloy can be used for possible nuclear fuel application in reactors provided other factors (e.g. reactor physics, post irradiation examinations etc.) are also seen to be favourable. (author)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Silva, Bismarck L., E-mail: bismarck_luiz@yahoo.com.br [Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Garcia, Amauri [Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, 13083-860 Campinas, SP (Brazil); Spinelli, José E. [Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil)
2016-04-15
Low temperature soldering technology encompasses Sn–Bi based alloys as reference materials for joints since such alloys may be molten at temperatures less than 180 °C. Despite the relatively high strength of these alloys, segregation problems and low ductility are recognized as potential disadvantages. Thus, for low-temperature applications, Bi–Sn eutectic or near-eutectic compositions with or without additions of alloying elements are considered interesting possibilities. In this context, additions of third elements such as Cu and Ag may be an alternative in order to reach sounder solder joints. The length scale of the phases and their proportions are known to be the most important factors affecting the final wear, mechanical and corrosions properties of ternary Sn–Bi–(Cu,Ag) alloys. In spite of this promising outlook, studies emphasizing interrelations of microstructure features and solidification thermal parameters regarding these multicomponent alloys are rare in the literature. In the present investigation Sn–Bi–(Cu,Ag) alloys were directionally solidified (DS) under transient heat flow conditions. A complete characterization is performed including experimental cooling thermal parameters, segregation (XRF), optical and scanning electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and length scale of the microstructural phases. Experimental growth laws relating dendritic spacings to solidification thermal parameters have been proposed with emphasis on the effects of Ag and Cu. The theoretical predictions of the Rappaz-Boettinger model are shown to be slightly above the experimental scatter of secondary dendritic arm spacings for both ternary Sn–Bi–Cu and Sn–Bi–Ag alloys examined. - Highlights: • Dendritic growth prevailed for the ternary Sn–Bi–Cu and Sn–Bi–Ag solder alloys. • Bi precipitates within Sn-rich dendrites were shown to be unevenly distributed. • Morphology and preferential region for the Ag{sub 3}Sn growth depend on Ag
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Dong, Yang; Qi, Ji; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Liu, Shaoxiong; Wu, Jian; Elson, Daniel S; Ma, Hui
2017-08-01
Polarization imaging has been recognized as a potentially powerful technique for probing the microstructural information and optical properties of complex biological specimens. Recently, we have reported a Mueller matrix microscope by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission-light microscope, and applied it to differentiate human liver and cervical cancerous tissues with fibrosis. In this paper, we apply the Mueller matrix microscope for quantitative detection of human breast ductal carcinoma samples at different stages. The Mueller matrix polar decomposition and transformation parameters of the breast ductal tissues in different regions and at different stages are calculated and analyzed. For more quantitative comparisons, several widely-used image texture feature parameters are also calculated to characterize the difference in the polarimetric images. The experimental results indicate that the Mueller matrix microscope and the polarization parameters can facilitate the quantitative detection of breast ductal carcinoma tissues at different stages.
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Numerical microstructure prediction for an aluminium casting and its experimental validation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Unterreiter Guenter
2011-08-01
Full Text Available Virtual manufacturing based on through-process modelling becomes an evolving research area which aims at integrating diverse simulation tools to realize computer-aided design, analysis, prototyping and manufacturing. Numerical prediction of the as-cast microstructure is an initial and critical step in the whole through-process modelling chain for engineering components. A commercial software package with the capability of calculating important microstructure features for aluminium alloys is used to simulate a G-AlSi7MgCu0.5 laboratory casting. The simulated microstructure, namely grain size, secondary dendrite arm spacing and diverse phase fractions are verified experimentally. Correspondence and discrepancies are reported and discussed.
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Microstructural Characterization of Low Temperature Gas Nitrided Martensitic Stainless Steel
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Somers, Marcel A. J.
2015-01-01
The present work presents microstructural investigations of the surface zone of low temperature gas nitrided precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel AISI 630. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate the present phases after successive removal of very thin sections...... of the sample surface. The development of epsilon nitride, expanded austenite and expanded martensite resulted from the low temperature nitriding treatments. The microstructural features, hardness and phase composition are discussed with emphasis on the influence of nitriding duration and nitriding potential....
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Evolution of microstructure in stainless martensitic steel for seamless tubing
Pyshmintsev, I. Yu.; Bityukov, S. M.; Pastukhov, V. I.; Danilov, S. V.; Vedernikova, L. O.; Lobanov, M. L.
2017-12-01
Scanning electron microscopy with orientation analysis by the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) method is used to study microstructures and textures formed in the 0.08C-13Cr-3Ni-Mo-V-Nb steel through seamless tube production route: after hot deformation by extrusion; after quenching from various temperatures and subsequent high tempering. It is shown that the martensitic microstructure formed both after hot deformation and after quenching is characterized by the presence of deformation crystallographic texture, which is predetermined by the texture of austenite. The effect of heat treatment on texture, packet refinement, lath width, precipitation of carbides and Charpy impact energy is analyzed.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Palit, Mithun; Arout Chelvane, J.; Basumatary, Himalay; Pandian, S.; Chandrasekaran, V.
2009-01-01
Alloys of Tb 0.3 Dy 0.7 Fe 1.95-x Nb x and Tb 0.3 Dy 0.7 Fe 1.95-x Zr x , with x = 0-0.075, were prepared by conventional melting and casting under vacuum. The magnetostriction improved remarkably with the individual addition of Nb and Zr. It is seen from the microstructural features that Nb addition results in the formation of NbFe 2 as the primary phase while Zr addition results in the depletion of (Tb,Dy)Fe 3 phase owing to the substitution of Zr for rare earths in the main phase
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Koduri, Santhosh K.
Titanium alloys, especially alpha+beta titanium alloys are used extensively in the aerospace industry because of their attractive balance of properties. The mechanical properties of these materials are very much sensitive to their microstructure. Microstructure in these alloys can be controlled essentially through alloy composition and various thermomechanical processing routes. Microstructures in these alloys are characterized in terms of size, distribution and volume fraction of both alpha (HCP crystal structure) and beta (BCC crystal structure) phases. The above-mentioned features can coexist and span different length scales. The interrelationships between the microstructure and mechanical properties are characterized qualitatively in the literature. Physics based models are difficult to implement due to the presence of a wide variety of microstructural features with different length scales and mutual interaction of these features. The modeling of such properties is much more complex when composition is added as an additional degree of freedom. In this work neural network models with a Bayesian framework have been employed to characterize the microstructure and mechanical property interrelationships in alpha+beta Ti alloys based on Ti-xAl-yV (4.76 alpha+beta Ti alloys based on Ti-xAl-yV (4.76alloys are subjected to various heat treatments and thermomechanical processing conditions such as beta annealing and alpha+beta processing to obtain a range of microstructure and mechanical properties. The important microstructural features in alpha+beta processed alpha+beta titanium alloys are equiaxed alpha grain size, volume fraction of equiaxed alpha grains, width of the alpha lamellae in transformed beta matrix and important features in beta heat treated alpha+beta titanium alloys are size of alpha colony, width of the alpha lamellae, prior beta grain size, volume fraction of colony and grain boundary alpha thickness. A database is populated with the above
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Effect of compression deformation on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of magnesium alloys
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Snir, Y.; Ben-Hamu, G.; Eliezer, D.; Abramov, E.
2012-01-01
Highlights: ► Metallurgical features (mainly twinning, dislocation accumulation, and dynamic recrystallization). ► The thermo-mechanical state (amount of deformation and its temperature). ► The corrosion behavior of wrought Mg-alloys. This correlation was emphasized by the mechanical behavior measured through micro-hardness. ► Microstructural changes during deformation, and potentio-dynamic corrosion tests were correlated. - Abstract: The effect of deformation on the corrosion and mechanical behavior of wrought Mg-alloys AZ31, AM50, and ZK60 was investigated. The materials’ behavior was correlated to the changes in metallurgical features, during compression, into different amounts of deformation at three temperatures: 250° C, 280° C, and 350° C. The metallurgical features were monitored by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that there is a very strong correlation between three features: 1. metallurgical features (mainly twinning, dislocation accumulation, and dynamic recrystallization); 2. The thermo-mechanical state (amount of deformation and its temperature); and 3. The corrosion behavior of wrought Mg-alloys. This correlation was emphasized by the mechanical behavior measured through micro-hardness. Microstructural changes during deformation, and potentio-dynamic corrosion tests were correlated. These results show that studies on the effect of thermo-mechanical state (related to the microstructure) on the corrosion behavior of wrought Mg-alloys are essential in order to optimize their applicability to plastic forming processes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Matsuura, Masashi; Tezuka, Nobuki; Sugimoto, Satoshi; Goto, Ryota
2011-01-01
This study provides the influence of microstructural change of the interface between Nd 2 Fe 14 B and Nd-O phases on coercivity of Nd-Fe-B thin films during annealing at low temperature (∼350 deg. C). All films were prepared by using ultra high vacuum (UHV) magnetron sputtering, and the Nd-Fe-B layer was oxidized under Ar gas atmosphere (O 2 content; ∼2 Vol.ppm). Then, the films were annealed at 250-350 deg. C under UHV condition. After oxidation, the coercivity of Nd-Fe-B film decreased to around 40% of the coercivity of as-deposited Nd-Fe-B film. The Nd-rich phase changed from α-Nd to amorphous Nd(-O), and the interface of Nd 2 Fe 14 B/Nd(-O) became rough. In the Nd-Fe-B films oxidized and subsequent annealed at 350 deg. C, the coercivity decreased to around 20%. In the films, poly crystalline hcp Nd 2 O 3 phase crystallized in Nd-rich phase, and there were some steps at the surface of Nd 2 Fe 14 B phase contacting with hcp Nd 2 O 3 phase. Regardless of crystal orientation of Nd 2 Fe 14 B, the microstructural changes of the interface described above were observed.
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Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui
2017-02-01
Mueller matrix polarimetry is a powerful tool for detecting microscopic structures, therefore can be used to monitor physiological changes of tissue samples. Meanwhile, spectral features of scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the 2D multispectral backscattering Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues, and analyze their temporal variation behavior using multispectral Mueller matrix parameters. The 2D images of the Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the multispectral frequency distribution histograms (mFDHs) to reveal the dominant structural features of the muscle samples more clearly. For quantitative analysis, the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters are calculated to characterize the microstructural variations during the rigor mortis and proteolysis processes of the skeletal muscle tissue samples. The experimental results indicate that the multispectral MMT parameters can be used to judge different physiological stages for bovine skeletal muscle tissues in 24 hours, and combining with the multispectral technique, the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH analysis can monitor the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle samples. The techniques may be used for quick assessment and quantitative monitoring of meat qualities in food industry.
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Effect of mode of rolling on development of texture and microstructure in two-phase (α + β) brass
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Garg, Rohini; Ranganathan, S.; Suwas, Satyam
2010-01-01
The evolution of microstructure and texture during deformation of two-phase (α + β) brass was studied for different initial microstructure and texture. The deformation processing involved unidirectional and multi-step cross-rolling. The bulk textures were determined by measuring the pole figures and calculating the orientation distribution function ODF for both α (fcc) and β (bcc) phases, while the microstructure and other microstructural parameters were measured through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron back scatter diffraction (SEM-EBSD). Results indicate that textures developed after unidirectional rolling and multi-step cross-rolling are significantly different. The variation in initial texture had a pronounced effect on the development of texture in the α phase during subsequent deformation.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Garg, Rohini; Ranganathan, S. [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Suwas, Satyam, E-mail: satyamsuwas@met.iisc.ernet.in [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India)
2010-07-15
The evolution of microstructure and texture during deformation of two-phase ({alpha} + {beta}) brass was studied for different initial microstructure and texture. The deformation processing involved unidirectional and multi-step cross-rolling. The bulk textures were determined by measuring the pole figures and calculating the orientation distribution function ODF for both {alpha} (fcc) and {beta} (bcc) phases, while the microstructure and other microstructural parameters were measured through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron back scatter diffraction (SEM-EBSD). Results indicate that textures developed after unidirectional rolling and multi-step cross-rolling are significantly different. The variation in initial texture had a pronounced effect on the development of texture in the {alpha} phase during subsequent deformation.
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TEM observations of HT-9 as-welded weldment microstructures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Foulds, J.R.; Lechtenberg, T.A.
1984-01-01
TEM studies of different locations in an HT-9 weldment indicated delta-ferrite (delta) occurrence, M 23 C 6 precipitation at delta-martensite interfaces, fine carbide precipitation at prior austenite grain boundaries, and martensite lath and lath packet size to be the distinguishable microstructure features observed. Furthermore, retained austenite films were observed in the weld metal and the HAZ adjacent to the weld metal that reached the highest temperature during joining. The microstructures correlate well with the observed room temperature microhardness except for the fusion boundary in weld metal which exhibited a hardness drop and an unexpected minimum amount of delta-ferrite
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Microstructural characterization of mechanically alloyed Al–Cu–Mn alloy with zirconium
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Prosviryakov, A.S., E-mail: pro.alex@mail.ru; Shcherbachev, K.D.; Tabachkova, N.Yu.
2015-01-19
An evolution of Al–Cu–Mn alloy microstructure during its mechanical alloying with zirconium 20 wt% and after subsequent annealing was studied by X-ray diffraction, light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of milling time on powder microhardness, Al lattice parameter, lattice microstrain and crystallite size was determined.
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Microstructure and oxidation behaviour of aluminized coating of inconel 625
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Khalid, F.A.; Hussain, N.; Shahid, K.A.; Rehman, S.; Qureshi, A.H.; Khan, I.H.
1999-01-01
Microstructural and oxidation characteristics of aluminized coated Inconel 625 have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fine-probe spot and linescan EDS microanalysis techniques. The formation of slowly growing adherent metallic coatings is essential for protection against the severe environments. Aluminising of the superalloy samples was carried out by pack cementation process at 900 deg. C. in an argon atmosphere. The samples were subsequently oxidized in air at various temperatures to examine performance of the pack aluminized coated alloy. The microstructural changes that occurred in the aluminized layer at various exposure temperature and time were examined to study the oxidation behavior and formation of different phases in the aluminized coating deposited on Inconel 625. (author)
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Mandal, Sumantra; Sivaprasad, P. V.; Dube, R. K.
2007-12-01
An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict the microstructural evolution of a 15Cr-15Ni-2.2Mo-Ti modified austenitic stainless steel (Alloy D9) during dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The input parameters were strain, strain rate, and temperature whereas microstructural features namely, %DRX and average grain size were the output parameters. The ANN was trained with the database obtained from various industrial scale metal-forming operations like forge hammer, hydraulic press, and rolling carried out in the temperature range 1173-1473 K to various strain levels. The performance of the model was evaluated using a wide variety of statistical indices and the predictability of the model was found to be good. The combined influence of temperature and strain on microstructural features has been simulated employing the developed model. The results were found to be consistent with the relevant fundamental metallurgical phenomena.
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Tschopp, Mark A.; Miller, Jonathan D.; Oppedal, Andrew L.; Solanki, Kiran N.
2015-10-01
Microstructure characterization continues to play an important bridge to understanding why particular processing routes or parameters affect the properties of materials. This statement certainly holds true in the case of directionally solidified dendritic microstructures, where characterizing the primary dendrite arm spacing is vital to developing the process-structure-property relationships that can lead to the design and optimization of processing routes for defined properties. In this work, four series of simulations were used to examine the capability of a few Voronoi-based techniques to capture local microstructure statistics (primary dendrite arm spacing and coordination number) in controlled (synthetically generated) microstructures. These simulations used both cubic and hexagonal microstructures with varying degrees of disorder (noise) to study the effects of length scale, base microstructure, microstructure variability, and technique parameters on the local PDAS distribution, local coordination number distribution, bulk PDAS, and bulk coordination number. The Voronoi tesselation technique with a polygon-side-length criterion correctly characterized the known synthetic microstructures. By systematically studying the different techniques for quantifying local primary dendrite arm spacings, we have evaluated their capability to capture this important microstructure feature in different dendritic microstructures, which can be an important step for experimentally correlating with both processing and properties in single crystal nickel-based superalloys.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Dubinko, A., E-mail: adubinko@sckcen.be [Institute for Nuclear Material Sciences, SCK-CEN, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Terentyev, D. [Institute for Nuclear Material Sciences, SCK-CEN, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Bakaeva, A. [Institute for Nuclear Material Sciences, SCK-CEN, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Hernández-Mayoral, M. [Division of Materials, CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain); De Temmerman, G. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul-lez-Durance Cedex (France); Buzi, L. [Forschungszentrum Julich, Inst. Energie & Klimaforsch Plasmaphys, D-52425 Julich (Germany); Noterdaeme, J.-M. [Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Unterberg, B. [Forschungszentrum Julich, Inst. Energie & Klimaforsch Plasmaphys, D-52425 Julich (Germany)
2017-01-30
Highlights: • Plasma exposure induces dislocation-dominated microstructure as indicated by TEM. • Plasma exposure increases surface dislocation density by an order of magnitude in the polycrystalline tungsten. • Intensive dislocation-grain boundary interaction observed in polycrystalline tungsten. • Dislocation loops are observed in both polycrystalline and single crystal tungsten. - Abstract: We have performed high flux plasma exposure of tungsten and subsequent microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The aim was to reveal the nanometric features in the sub-surface region as well as to compare the microstructural evolution in tungsten single crystal and ITER-relevant specification. In both types of samples, TEM examination revealed the formation of a dense dislocation network and dislocation tangles. The estimated dislocation density in the sub-surface region was of the order of 10{sup 14} m{sup −2} and it gradually decreased with a depth position of the examined sample. Besides individual dislocation lines, networks and tangles, the interstitial dislocation loops have been observed in all examined samples only after the exposure. Contrary to that, examination of the pristine single crystal W and backside of the plasma-exposed samples did not reveal the presence of dislocation loops and tangles. This clearly proves that high flux plasma exposure induces severe plastic deformation in the sub-surface region irrespective of the presence of initial dislocations and sub-grains, and the formation of dislocation tangles, networks and interstitial loops is a co-product of thermal stress and intensive plasma particles uptake.
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Determination of morphological features and molecular interactions ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This research focused on identifying the morphological features and molecular interactions of the Nigerian Bentonitic clays using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) characterisation technique. The SEM microstructure images indicated that the bentonite samples are generally moderately dispersive to dispersive with ...
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Impact of microstructure on the plasma performance of industrial and high-end tungsten grades
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Pintsuk, G., E-mail: g.pintsuk@fz-juelich.de [Forschungszentrum Jülich, EURATOM Association, 52428 Jülich (Germany); Loewenhoff, Th. [Forschungszentrum Jülich, EURATOM Association, 52428 Jülich (Germany)
2013-07-15
Tungsten and tungsten alloys are actually the primary choice as plasma facing materials for future fusion reactors. Thereby, the material’s response to the different loading conditions occurring in a tokamak is strongly depending on the material properties and therefore the material’s microstructure. This is on the one hand controlled via the manufacturing process and/or the material’s composition and on the other hand by the operational conditions causing recrystallization and melting, and subsequently not only a modified microstructure but also locally a modified composition. The influence of the variation in microstructure is addressed and the pros and cons for using the respective materials and tungsten in general in a fusion environment with steady state and transient thermal loads are outlined. While roughening and the related cracking can hardly be avoided, melting will thwart all efforts to establish a high end microstructure with defined directional properties.
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Impact of microstructure on the plasma performance of industrial and high-end tungsten grades
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pintsuk, G.; Loewenhoff, Th.
2013-01-01
Tungsten and tungsten alloys are actually the primary choice as plasma facing materials for future fusion reactors. Thereby, the material’s response to the different loading conditions occurring in a tokamak is strongly depending on the material properties and therefore the material’s microstructure. This is on the one hand controlled via the manufacturing process and/or the material’s composition and on the other hand by the operational conditions causing recrystallization and melting, and subsequently not only a modified microstructure but also locally a modified composition. The influence of the variation in microstructure is addressed and the pros and cons for using the respective materials and tungsten in general in a fusion environment with steady state and transient thermal loads are outlined. While roughening and the related cracking can hardly be avoided, melting will thwart all efforts to establish a high end microstructure with defined directional properties
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Lu, S. L.; Tang, H. P.; Ning, Y. P.; Liu, N.; StJohn, D. H.; Qian, M.
2015-09-01
An array of eight long Ti-6Al-4V rods (diameter: 12 mm; height: 300 mm) have been additively manufactured, vertically and perpendicular to the powder bed, by selective electron beam melting (SEBM). The purpose was to identify and understand the challenges of fabricating Ti-6Al-4V samples or parts from a deep powder bed (more than 200-mm deep) by SEBM and the necessity of applying post heat treatment. The resulting microstructure and mechanical properties of these Ti-6Al-4V rods were characterized along their building ( i.e., axial) direction by dividing each rod into three segments (top, middle, and bottom), both before ( i.e., as-built) and after hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The as-built microstructure of each rod was inhomogeneous; it was coarsest in the top segment, which showed a near equilibrium α- β lamellar structure, and finest in the bottom segment, which featured a non-equilibrium mixed structure. The tensile properties varied along the rod axis, especially the ductility, but all tensile properties met the requirements specified by ASTM F3001-14. HIP increased the relative density from 99.03 pct of the theoretical density (TD) to 99.90 pct TD and homogenized the microstructure thereby leading to highly consistent tensile properties along the rod axis. The temperature of the stainless steel substrate used in the powder bed was monitored. The as-built inhomogeneous microstructure is attributed to the temperature gradient in the deep powder bed. Post heat treatment is thus necessary for Ti-6Al-4V samples or parts manufactured from a deep powder bed by SEBM. This differs from the additive manufacturing of small samples or parts from a shallow powder bed (less than 100-mm deep) by SEBM.
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Effect of cooling rate on the microstructure and properties of FeCrVC
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bleckmann, M.; Gleinig, J.; Hufenbach, J.; Wendrock, H.; Giebeler, L.; Zeisig, J.; Diekmann, U.; Eckert, J.; Kühn, U.
2015-01-01
Highlights: • Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and microhardness of newly developed steel. • Intensive study of DSC measurements was done including different cooling rates. • Examinations by XRD, EDS and EBSD as well as microhardness on the DSC samples. • Matrix phase changes with cooling rates from ferrit to martensite. • Thermodynamic calculations of solidification process shows good agreement. - Abstract: In this work a systematic investigation of the influence of the cooling rate on the microstructure and properties of a newly developed Fe92.7Cr4.2V2.1C1 (FeCrVC) tool steel is presented. By applying a tailored casting process and sufficiently high cooling rates excellent mechanical properties are obtained for the presented alloy already in the as-cast state. Since no subsequent heat treatment is required, the cooling parameters applied during the casting process play a key role with respect to the evolving microstructure and resulting properties. In the present publication the effect of the cooling rate on the microstructure and properties of as-solidified FeCrVC was investigated. By using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), several samples were heated up and cooled with continuous rates of 3–50 K/min. The received DSC data was used to investigate the alloy’s solidification and phase transformation behavior. Subsequently, these samples were studied regarding their properties and microstructure by different analysis methods (EDX/WDX, EBSD, XRD). With increasing cooling rates the liquidus and solidus temperature are lowered, whereas the solidification interval is enlarged. A higher cooling rate is accompanied by a lower solidification time which results in a refinement of the dendritic microstructure. Furthermore, with rising cooling rates the microhardness increased. This provides the opportunity to make predictions from the applied cooling parameters upon the hardness and vice versa and enables one to draw first conclusions on the
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Nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tashlykova-Bushkevich, Iya I. [Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, Minsk (Belarus)
2015-12-31
The present work summarizes recent progress in the investigation of nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys foils produced at exceptionally high cooling rates. We focus here on the potential of modification of hydrogen desorption kinetics in respect to weak and strong trapping sites that could serve as hydrogen sinks in Al materials. It is shown that it is important to elucidate the surface microstructure of the Al alloy foils at the submicrometer scale because rapidly solidified microstructural features affect hydrogen trapping at nanostructured defects. We discuss the profound influence of solute atoms on hydrogen−lattice defect interactions in the alloys. with emphasis on role of vacancies in hydrogen evolution; both rapidly solidified pure Al and conventionally processed aluminum samples are considered.
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Microstructural evolution in a Ti-Ta high-temperature shape memory alloy during creep
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rynko, Ramona; Marquardt, Axel; Pauksen, Alexander; Frenzel, Jan; Somsen, Christoph; Eggeler, Gunther
2015-01-01
Alloys based on the titanium-tantalum system are considered for application as high-temperature shape memory alloys due to their martensite start temperatures, which can surpass 200 C. In the present work we study the evolution of microstructure and the influence of creep on the phase transformation behavior of a Ti 70 Ta 30 (at.%) high-temperature shape memory alloy. Creep tests were performed in a temperature range from 470 to 530 C at stresses between 90 and 150 MPa. The activation energy for creep was found to be 307 kJ mol -1 and the stress exponent n was determined as 3.7. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations were carried out to characterize the microstructure before and after creep. It was found that the microstructural evolution during creep suppresses subsequent martensitic phase transformations.
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Microstructure and chemical bonding of DLC films deposited on ACM rubber by PACVD
Martinez-Martinez, D.; Schenkel, M.; Pei, Y.T.; Sánchez-López, J.C.; Hosson, J.Th.M. De
2011-01-01
The microstructure and chemical bonding of DLC films prepared by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition on acrylic rubber (ACM) are studied in this paper. The temperature variation produced by the ion impingement during plasma cleaning and subsequent film deposition was used to modify the film
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Microstructure and creep behavior of an orthorhombic Ti-25Al-17Nb-1Mo alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang, J.W.; Zou, D.X.; Li, S.Q.; Lee, C.S.; Lai, J.K.L.
1998-01-01
Microstructural evolution during three heat-treatment schedules and the terminal microstructures in an orthorhombic alloy of Ti-25Al-17Nb-1Mo were observed and analyzed with optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The creep behavior of the alloy with three different microstructures (a coarse-lath, fine-lath, and fine equiaxed microstructure) was studied over a temperature range of 600 C to 750 C and over a stress range of 150 to 400 MPa in air. The steady-state creep rates, apparent stress exponents, and apparent creep activation energies of the various samples have been determined. The results show that creep behaviors in the alloy are strongly influenced by microstructure. The effect on creep by some of the microstructural features, such as the multivariants within the coarse laths and the interfaces of the laths and the equiaxed grains, is also discussed
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A model for simulation of coupled microstructural and compositional evolution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tikare, Veena; Homer, Eric R.; Holm, Elizabeth A.
2011-01-01
The formation, transport and segregation of components in nuclear fuels fundamentally control their behavior, performance, longevity and safety. Most nuclear fuels enter service with a uniform composition consisting of a single phase with two or three components. Fission products form, introducing more components. The segregation and transport of the components is complicated by the underlying microstructure consisting of grains, pores, bubbles and more, which is evolving under temperature gradients during service. As they evolve, components and microstructural features interact such that composition affects microstructure and vice versa. The ability to predict the interdependent compositional and microstructural evolution in 3D as a function of burn-up would greatly improve the ability to design safe, high burn-up nuclear fuels. We present a model that combines elements of Potts Monte Carlo, MC, and the phase-field model to treat coupled microstructural-compositional evolution. This hybrid model uses an equation of state, EOS, based on the microstructural state and the composition. The microstructural portion uses the traditional MC EOS and the compositional portion uses the phase-field EOS: E hyb = N Σ i=1 (E v (q i ,C)+1/2 n Σ j=1 J(q i ,q j )) + ∫κ c (∇C) 2 dV. E v is the bulk free energy of each site i and J is the bond energy between neighboring sites i and j; thus, this term defines the microstructural interfacial energy. The last term is the compositional interfacial energy as defined in the traditional phase-field model. Evolution of coupled microstructure-composition is simulated by minimizing free energy in a path dependent manner. This model will be presented and will be demonstrated by applying it to evolution of nuclear fuels during service. (author)
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Sunday, Katie Jo
Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) comprised of ferrite-coated ferrous powder permit isotropic magnetic flux capabilities, lower core losses, and complex designs through the use of traditional powder metallurgy techniques. Current coating materials and methods are vastly limited by the nonmagnetic properties of organic and some inorganic coatings and their inability to withstand high heat treatments for proper stress relief of core powder after compaction. Ferrite-based coatings are ferrimagnetic, highly resistive, and boast high melting temperatures, thus providing adequate electrical barriers between metallic particles. These insulating layers are necessary for reducing eddy current losses by increasing resistivity in order to improve the overall magnetic efficiency and subsequent frequency range. The goals of this work are to correlate ferrite-coated Fe powder composites microstructure for the coating and core powder to magnetic properties such as permeability, coercivity, and core loss. We first explore the relevant concepts of SMC materials from their composition to processing steps to pertinent properties. This thesis employs a suite of characterization techniques for powder and composite properties. We use X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy to provide a complete understanding of the effect of processing conditions on ferrite-coated Fe-based SMCs. Magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties are then analyzed to correlate microstructural features and determine their effect on such properties. In the second part of this thesis, we present a proof of concept study on Al2O3- and Al2O3- Fe3O4-coated Fe powder composites, illustrating magnetization is highly dependent on ferromagnetic volume. We then expand on previous work to compare an ideal, crystalline state using Fe3O 4-Fe thin film heterostructures to a highly strained state using bulk powder studies. Fe3O4-coated Fe composites are produced via mechanical
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Effect of microstructure on the susceptibility of a 533 steel to temper embrittlement
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raoul, S.; Marini, B.; Pineau, A.
1998-01-01
In ferritic steels, brittle fracture usually occurs at low temperature by cleavage. However the segregation of impurities (P, As, Sn etc..) along prior γ grain boundaries can change the brittle fracture mode from transgranular to intergranular. In quenched and tempered steels, this segregation is associated with what is called the temper-embrittlement phenomenon. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the influence of the as-quenched microstructure (lower bainite or martensite) on the susceptibility of a low alloy steel (A533 cl.1) to temper-embrittlement. Dilatometric tests were performed to determine the continous-cooling-transformation (CCT) diagram of the material and to measure the critical cooling rate (V c ) for a martensitic quench. Then subsized Charpy V-notched specimens were given various cooling rates from the austenitization temperature to obtain a wide range of as-quenched microstructures, including martensite and bainite. These specimens were subsequently given a heat treatment to develop temper embrittlement and tested to measure the V-notch fracture toughness at -50 C. The fracture surfaces were examined by SEM. It is shown that martensitic microstructures are more susceptible to intergranular embrittlement than bainitic microstructures. These observed microstructural influences are briefly discussed. (orig.)
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Microbes and Microstructure: Dust's Role in the Snowpack Evolution
Lieblappen, R.; Courville, Z.; Fegyveresi, J. M.; Barbato, R.; Thurston, A.
2017-12-01
Dust is a primary vehicle for transporting microbial communities to polar and alpine snowpacks both through wind distribution (dry deposition) and snowfall events (wet deposition). The resulting microbial community diversity in the snowpack may then resemble the source material properties rather than its new habitat. Dust also has a strong influence on the microstructural properties of snow, resulting in changes to radiative and mechanical properties. As local reductions in snowpack albedo lead to enhanced melting and a heterogeneous snow surface, the microbial communities are also impacted. Here we study the impact of the changing microstructure in the snowpack, its influence on microbial function, and the fate of dust particles within the snow matrix. We seek to quantify the changes in respiration and water availability with the onset of melt. Polar samples were collected from the McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica in February, 2017, while alpine samples were collected from Silverton, CO from October to May, 2017 as part of the Colorado Dust on Snow (CDOS) network. At each site, coincident meteorological data provides temperature, wind, and radiative measurements. Samples were collected immediately following dust deposition events and after subsequent snowpack evolution. We used x-ray micro-computed tomography to quantify the microstructural evolution of the snow, while also imaging the microstructural distribution of the dust within the snow. The dust was then collected and analyzed for chemical and microbial activity.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kelekanjeri, V. Siva Kumar G.; Gerhardt, Rosario A.
2009-01-01
In this paper, controlled microstructures of Waspaloy were produced with the objective of studying the kinetic mechanisms that drive microstructural evolution during short-term aging. Three individual sets of controlled microstructures were produced by an initial solution-treatment at 1145 deg. C followed by aging-treatments at 725, 800 and 875 deg. C for times up to 263.5 h. The resulting microstructures varied markedly from one aging set to the next. The three sets of aged specimens were systematically characterized via microscopy (SEM and AFM), DC four-point probe resistivity and X-ray diffraction techniques. The occurrence of perfect polygonal etch-pit shapes in the solution-treated microstructures, which transformed upon aging first into corner-rounded shapes, followed by irregular shapes and eventual dissolution, was evidenced here. This phenomenon of transformation of etch-pit shapes appears to occur concurrently with gamma prime nucleation and growth. The formation mechanism of the etch-pits and subsequent microstructural evolution upon aging are discussed herein
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Influence of processing parameters on microstructure and tensile properties of TG6 titanium alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Tao; Guo Hongzhen; Wang Yanwei; Yao Zekun
2010-01-01
Research highlights: → This paper highlights the relationships among processing parameters, microstructure and tensile properties of TG6 high temperature titanium alloy. → The microstructural evolutions under different processing parameters were studied by the quantitative metallography, and the effects of microstructure on room and high temperature tensile properties of TG6 alloy were analysed by SEM and TEM. → Linear relationships of elongation vs. volume fraction of primary α phase and ultimate tensile strength vs. thickness of lamellar α phase were determined. - Abstract: Near-isothermal forging of the TG6 titanium alloy was conducted on microprocessor-controlled 630 ton hydraulic press at the deformation temperatures ranging from 850 deg. C to 1045 deg. C, the strain rates of 0.0008 s -1 , 0.003 s -1 and 0.008 s -1 and the deformation degree from 10% to 70%, and then different double heat treatments were applied to the forged specimens. The microstructural evolutions were researched by optical microscope and the microstructural features, i.e. volume fraction of primary α phase and thickness of lamellar α phase, were measured by means of the image analysis software. The room and high temperature tensile properties were obtained for all the specimens. Effects of microstructure on the properties were analysed by scanning electronic microscope. It was found that tenslie properties depended on microstructural features strongly. The plots of ultimate tensile strength vs. thickness of α lamellae and elongation vs. volume fraction of primary α phase produced straight lines. The liner equations were determined by fitting the experimental date, respectively. Compared to other parameters, heat treatment had more influence on the tensile strength and the tensile plasticity was more sensitive to the forging temperature.
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Microstructural effects on the creep and crack propagation behaviors of γ-Ti aluminide alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lupinc, V.; Onofrio, G.; Nazmy, M.; Staubli, M.
1999-01-01
Gamma titanium aluminides class of materials possess several unique physical and mechanical properties. These characteristics can be attractive for specific industrial applications. By applying different heat treatment schedules one can change the microstructural features of this class of materials. In the present investigation, two heat treatment schedules were used to produce two different microstructures, duplex (D) and nearly lamellar (NL) in the cast and HIP'ed Ti-47Al-2W-0.5Si alloy. The tensile strength and creep behavior, in the 700--850 C temperature range, of this alloy have been determined and correlated to the corresponding microstructures. In addition, the fatigue crack propagation behavior in this alloy has been studied at different temperatures. The results on the creep behavior showed that the alloy with nearly lamellar microstructure has a strongly improved creep strength as compared with that of the duplex microstructure
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Molecular modeling of the microstructure evolution during carbon fiber processing
Desai, Saaketh; Li, Chunyu; Shen, Tongtong; Strachan, Alejandro
2017-12-01
The rational design of carbon fibers with desired properties requires quantitative relationships between the processing conditions, microstructure, and resulting properties. We developed a molecular model that combines kinetic Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics techniques to predict the microstructure evolution during the processes of carbonization and graphitization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers. The model accurately predicts the cross-sectional microstructure of the fibers with the molecular structure of the stabilized PAN fibers and physics-based chemical reaction rates as the only inputs. The resulting structures exhibit key features observed in electron microcopy studies such as curved graphitic sheets and hairpin structures. In addition, computed X-ray diffraction patterns are in good agreement with experiments. We predict the transverse moduli of the resulting fibers between 1 GPa and 5 GPa, in good agreement with experimental results for high modulus fibers and slightly lower than those of high-strength fibers. The transverse modulus is governed by sliding between graphitic sheets, and the relatively low value for the predicted microstructures can be attributed to their perfect longitudinal texture. Finally, the simulations provide insight into the relationships between chemical kinetics and the final microstructure; we observe that high reaction rates result in porous structures with lower moduli.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yu, Hailiang; Su, Lihong; Lu, Cheng; Tieu, Kiet; Li, Huijun; Li, Jintao; Godbole, Ajit; Kong, Charlie
2016-01-01
Grain size and precipitations affect the strength and ductility of ultrafine-grained materials. In this study, aluminum alloy 6061 sheets were fabricated using the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) technique. The ARB-processed sheets were subsequently subjected to cryorolling and asymmetric cryorolling. The sheets were further aged at 100 °C for 48 h. Mechanical tests show that a combination of asymmetric cryorolling and ageing results in significant improvement in both the ductility and the strength of the ARB-processed sheets. The microstructures of the sheets at different stages of the process were also analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction in order to correlate the mechanical properties with the microstructure.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yu, Hailiang, E-mail: hailiang@uow.edu.au [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); School of Mechanical, Materials & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Wollongong, NSW 2500 (Australia); Su, Lihong; Lu, Cheng; Tieu, Kiet [School of Mechanical, Materials & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Wollongong, NSW 2500 (Australia); Li, Huijun, E-mail: huijun@uow.edu.au [School of Mechanical, Materials & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Wollongong, NSW 2500 (Australia); Li, Jintao; Godbole, Ajit [School of Mechanical, Materials & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Wollongong, NSW 2500 (Australia); Kong, Charlie [Electron Microscope Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)
2016-09-30
Grain size and precipitations affect the strength and ductility of ultrafine-grained materials. In this study, aluminum alloy 6061 sheets were fabricated using the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) technique. The ARB-processed sheets were subsequently subjected to cryorolling and asymmetric cryorolling. The sheets were further aged at 100 °C for 48 h. Mechanical tests show that a combination of asymmetric cryorolling and ageing results in significant improvement in both the ductility and the strength of the ARB-processed sheets. The microstructures of the sheets at different stages of the process were also analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction in order to correlate the mechanical properties with the microstructure.
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Evolution of microstructure and hardness of AE42 alloy after heat treatments
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Huang, Y.D.; Dieringa, H.; Hort, N.
2008-01-01
properties even further. It is shown that the microstructure of the squeeze-cast AE42 alloy is stable at high temperature 450 degrees C. The subsequent solution and ageing treatments have a limited effect on the hardness. The weak age-hardening is attributed to the precipitation of small amount Of Mg17Al12......The AE42 magnesium alloy was developed for high pressure die casting (HPDC) from low-aluminum magnesium alloys. In this alloy the rare earth (RE) elements were shown to increase creep resistance by forming AlxREy intermetallics along the grain boundaries. The present work investigates...... the microstructure of squeeze cast AE42 magnesium alloy and evaluates its hardness before and after heat treatments. The change in hardness is discussed based on the microstructural observations. Some suggestions are given concerning future design of alloy compositions in order to improve high temperature creep...
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Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui
2016-10-01
Polarized light is sensitive to the microstructures of biological tissues and can be used to detect physiological changes. Meanwhile, spectral features of the scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the backscattering polarization Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues during the 24-hour experimental time, and analyze their multispectral behavior using quantitative Mueller matrix parameters. In the processes of rigor mortis and proteolysis of muscle samples, multispectral frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) of the Mueller matrix elements can reveal rich qualitative structural information. In addition, we analyze the temporal variations of the sample using the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters. The experimental results indicate that the different stages of rigor mortis and proteolysis for bovine skeletal muscle samples can be judged by these MMT parameters. The results presented in this work show that combining with the multispectral technique, the FDHs and MMT parameters can characterize the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle tissues. The techniques have the potential to be used as tools for quantitative assessment of meat qualities in food industry.
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Wan, Yi
2011-06-01
Chinese wines can be classification or graded by the micrographs. Micrographs of Chinese wines show floccules, stick and granule of variant shape and size. Different wines have variant microstructure and micrographs, we study the classification of Chinese wines based on the micrographs. Shape and structure of wines' particles in microstructure is the most important feature for recognition and classification of wines. So we introduce a feature extraction method which can describe the structure and region shape of micrograph efficiently. First, the micrographs are enhanced using total variation denoising, and segmented using a modified Otsu's method based on the Rayleigh Distribution. Then features are extracted using proposed method in the paper based on area, perimeter and traditional shape feature. Eight kinds total 26 features are selected. Finally, Chinese wine classification system based on micrograph using combination of shape and structure features and BP neural network have been presented. We compare the recognition results for different choices of features (traditional shape features or proposed features). The experimental results show that the better classification rate have been achieved using the combinational features proposed in this paper.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Saibaba, N.; Vaibhaw, Kumar; Neogy, S.; Mani Krishna, K.V.; Jha, S.K.; Phani Babu, C.; Ramana Rao, S.V.; Srivastava, D.; Dey, G.K.
2013-01-01
Different fabrication trials involving the variation in three important stages of Zr–2.5Nb pressure tube were undertaken. The variations were with respect to the mode of breaking the cast structure of the ingot (forging vs extrusion), the hot extrusion ratio and the number of subsequent cold work stages to produce the finished tube. It was observed that the forging process resulted in superior performance in breaking the cast structure. Higher extrusion ratios resulted in more favorable texture and microstructure. More continuity of the beta phase was observed in the final microstructure for the route involving the single cold work step subsequent to hot extrusion
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Thermo-mechanic and Microstructural Analysis of an Underwater Welding Joint
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pedro Hernández Gutiérrez
Full Text Available Abstract The aim of this research is to present a comparative analysis between theoretical and experimental thermal fields as well as a microstructural behaviour and residual stresses applying multiple weld beads in the joint of two API 5L X52 pipe sections. The thermal field, microstructural and residual stresses were numerically modelled through the finite element method (FEM and compared to experimentally. The simulation conditions used in the FEM analysis were similar considerations to the underwater welding conditions. The finite element analysis was carried out, first by a non-linear transient thermal analysis for obtaining the global temperature history generated during the underwater welding process. Subsequently, a microstructural behaviour was determined using the temperatures distribution obtained in the pipe material by calculating the structural transformations of the material during the welding process, and finally a stress analysis was developed using the temperatures obtained from the thermal analysis. It was found that this simulation method can be used efficiently to determinate with accuracy the optimum welding parameters of this kind of weld applications.
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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.
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An Experimental Investigation on Hardness and Microstructure of Heat Treated EN 9 Steel
Biswas, Palash; Kundu, Arnab; Mondal, Dhiraj
2017-08-01
In the modern engineering world, extensive research has led to the development of some special grades of steel, often suited for enhanced functions. EN 9 steel is one such grade, having major applications in power plants, automobile and aerospace industry. Different heat treatment processes are employed to achieve high hardness and high wear resistance, but machinability subsequently decreases. Existing literature is not sufficient to achieve a balance between hardness and machinability. The aim of this experimental work is to determine the hardness values and observe microstructural changes in EN9 steel, when it is subjected to annealing, normalizing and quenching. Finally, the effects of tempering after each of these heat treatments on hardness and microstructure have also been shown. It is seen that the tempering after normalizing the specimen achieved satisfactory results. The microstructure was also observed to be consisting of fine grains.
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Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Zhou, Jialing; Zeng, Nan; Ma, Hui
2016-08-10
Silk fibers suffer from microstructural changes due to various external environmental conditions including daily washings. In this paper, we take the backscattering Mueller matrix images of silk samples for non-destructive and real-time quantitative characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructure and examination of the effects of washing by different detergents. The 2D images of the 16 Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) whose central moments reveal the dominant structural features of the silk fibers. A group of new parameters are also proposed to characterize the wavelength-scale microstructural changes of the silk samples during the washing processes. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are carried out to better understand how the Mueller matrix parameters are related to the wavelength-scale microstructure of silk fibers. The good agreement between experiments and simulations indicates that the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH based parameters can be used to quantitatively detect the wavelength-scale microstructural features of silk fibers. Mueller matrix polarimetry may be used as a powerful tool for non-destructive and in situ characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructures of silk based materials.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yang Dong
2016-08-01
Full Text Available Silk fibers suffer from microstructural changes due to various external environmental conditions including daily washings. In this paper, we take the backscattering Mueller matrix images of silk samples for non-destructive and real-time quantitative characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructure and examination of the effects of washing by different detergents. The 2D images of the 16 Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs whose central moments reveal the dominant structural features of the silk fibers. A group of new parameters are also proposed to characterize the wavelength-scale microstructural changes of the silk samples during the washing processes. Monte Carlo (MC simulations are carried out to better understand how the Mueller matrix parameters are related to the wavelength-scale microstructure of silk fibers. The good agreement between experiments and simulations indicates that the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH based parameters can be used to quantitatively detect the wavelength-scale microstructural features of silk fibers. Mueller matrix polarimetry may be used as a powerful tool for non-destructive and in situ characterization of the wavelength-scale microstructures of silk based materials.
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Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser treated aluminium alloys
deHosson, JTM; vanOtterloo, LDM; Noordhuis, J; Mazumder, J; Conde, O; Villar, R; Steen, W
1996-01-01
Al-Cu alloys and an Al-Cu-Mg alloy, Al 2024-T3, were exposed to laser treatments at various scan velocities. In this paper the microstructural features and mechanical properties are reported. As far as the mechanical property of the Al-Cu-Mg alloy is concerned a striking observation is a minimum in
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Microstructural evolution and control in laser material processing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kaul, R.; Nath, A.K.
2005-01-01
Laser processing, because of its characteristic features, often gives rise to unique microstructure and properties not obtained with other conventional processes. We present various diverse laser processing case studies involving control of microstructure through judicious selection of processing parameters carried out with indigenously developed high power CO 2 lasers. The first study describes microstructural control during end plug laser welding of PFBR fuel pin, involving crack pone alloy D9 tube and type 316 M stainless steel (SS) plug, through preferential displacement of focused laser beam. Crater and associated cracks were eliminated by suitable laser power ramping. Another case study describes how low heat input characteristics of laser cladding process has been exploited for suppressing dilution in 'Colomony 6' deposits on austenitic SS. The results are in sharp contrast to extensive dilution noticed in Colmony 6 hard faced deposits made by GTAW. A novel laser surface melting (LSM) treatment for type 316 (N) SS weld metal has been developed to generate a sensitization-resistant microstructure which leads to enhanced resistance against intergranular corrosion (IGC). IGC resistance of laser treated surface has been found to be critically dependent on laser processing parameters. Experimental observations have been analyzed with thermal simulation. We have also studied the effect of laser beam spatial intensity profile on the microstructure in LSM. We have developed laser-assisted graded hard facing of austenitic SS substrate with Stellite 6 which, in contrast to direct deposition either by laser or GTAW, produced smooth transition in chemical composition and hardness used to control grain coarsening and martensite formation in type 430 SS weldment. Laser rapid manufacturing (LRM) is emerging as a new rapid and cost effective process for low volume fabrication, esp. of expensive materials. The talk will also present microstructural characteristics of laser
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Belgasam, Tarek M.; Zbib, Hussein M.
2018-06-01
The increase in use of dual-phase (DP) steel grades by vehicle manufacturers to enhance crash resistance and reduce body car weight requires the development of a clear understanding of the effect of various microstructural parameters on the energy absorption in these materials. Accordingly, DP steelmakers are interested in predicting the effect of various microscopic factors as well as optimizing microstructural properties for application in crash-relevant components of vehicle bodies. This study presents a microstructure-based approach using a multiscale material and structure model. In this approach, Digimat and LS-DYNA software were coupled and employed to provide a full micro-macro multiscale material model, which is then used to simulate tensile tests. Microstructures with varied ferrite grain sizes, martensite volume fractions, and carbon content in DP steels were studied. The impact of these microstructural features at different strain rates on energy absorption characteristics of DP steels is investigated numerically using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model. The model is implemented in a multiscale finite-element framework. A comprehensive statistical parametric study using response surface methodology is performed to determine the optimum microstructural features for a required tensile toughness at different strain rates. The simulation results are validated using experimental data found in the literature. The developed methodology proved to be effective for investigating the influence and interaction of key microscopic properties on the energy absorption characteristics of DP steels. Furthermore, it is shown that this method can be used to identify optimum microstructural conditions at different strain-rate conditions.
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Effect of microstructure on the susceptibility of a 533 steel to temper embrittlement
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Raoul, S.; Marini, B. [CEA Centre d`Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Service de Recherches Metallurgiques Appliquees; Pineau, A. [CNRS, Evry (France). Centre de Materiaux
1998-11-01
In ferritic steels, brittle fracture usually occurs at low temperature by cleavage. However the segregation of impurities (P, As, Sn etc..) along prior {gamma} grain boundaries can change the brittle fracture mode from transgranular to intergranular. In quenched and tempered steels, this segregation is associated with what is called the temper-embrittlement phenomenon. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the influence of the as-quenched microstructure (lower bainite or martensite) on the susceptibility of a low alloy steel (A533 cl.1) to temper-embrittlement. Dilatometric tests were performed to determine the continous-cooling-transformation (CCT) diagram of the material and to measure the critical cooling rate (V{sub c}) for a martensitic quench. Then subsized Charpy V-notched specimens were given various cooling rates from the austenitization temperature to obtain a wide range of as-quenched microstructures, including martensite and bainite. These specimens were subsequently given a heat treatment to develop temper embrittlement and tested to measure the V-notch fracture toughness at -50 C. The fracture surfaces were examined by SEM. It is shown that martensitic microstructures are more susceptible to intergranular embrittlement than bainitic microstructures. These observed microstructural influences are briefly discussed. (orig.) 11 refs.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tsay, K.V.; Maksimkin, O.P.; Turubarova, L.G.; Rofman, O.V. [Institute of Nuclear Physics NNC RK, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Garner, F.A., E-mail: frank.garner@dslextreme.com [Radiation Effects Consulting, Richland, WA (United States)
2013-08-15
Transmission electron microscopy and microhardness measurements were used to examine changes in microstructure and associated strengthening induced in austenitic stainless steel 12Cr18Ni9Ti irradiated to ∼0.001 and ∼5 dpa in the WWR-K reactor before and after being subjected to post-irradiation isochronal annealing. The relatively low values of irradiation temperature and dpa rate (∼80 °C and ∼1.2 × 10{sup −8} dpa/s) experienced by this steel allowed characterization of defect microstructures over a wide range of defect ensembles, all at constant composition, produced first by irradiation and then by annealing at temperatures between 450 and 1050 °C. It was shown that the dispersed barrier hardening model with commonly accepted physical properties successfully predicted the observed hardening. It was also observed that when TiC precipitates form at higher annealing temperatures, the alloy does not change in hardness, reflecting a balance between precipitate-hardening and matrix-softening due to removal of solute-strengthening elements titanium and carbon. Such matrix-softening is not often considered in other studies, especially where the contribution of precipitates to hardening is a second-order effect.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tsay, K.V.; Maksimkin, O.P.; Turubarova, L.G.; Rofman, O.V.; Garner, F.A.
2013-01-01
Transmission electron microscopy and microhardness measurements were used to examine changes in microstructure and associated strengthening induced in austenitic stainless steel 12Cr18Ni9Ti irradiated to ∼0.001 and ∼5 dpa in the WWR-K reactor before and after being subjected to post-irradiation isochronal annealing. The relatively low values of irradiation temperature and dpa rate (∼80 °C and ∼1.2 × 10 −8 dpa/s) experienced by this steel allowed characterization of defect microstructures over a wide range of defect ensembles, all at constant composition, produced first by irradiation and then by annealing at temperatures between 450 and 1050 °C. It was shown that the dispersed barrier hardening model with commonly accepted physical properties successfully predicted the observed hardening. It was also observed that when TiC precipitates form at higher annealing temperatures, the alloy does not change in hardness, reflecting a balance between precipitate-hardening and matrix-softening due to removal of solute-strengthening elements titanium and carbon. Such matrix-softening is not often considered in other studies, especially where the contribution of precipitates to hardening is a second-order effect
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Microstructure and wear behavior of austempered high carbon high silicon steel
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Acharya Palaksha
2018-01-01
Full Text Available In the present investigation, the influence of austempering temperature and time on the microstructure and dry sliding wear behavior of high silicon steel was studied. The test specimens were initially austenitised at 900°C for 30 minutes, thereafter austempered at various temperatures 280°C, 360°C and 400°C, for varying duration from 30 to 120 minutes. These samples after austempering heat treatment were subsequently air cooled to room temperature, to generate typical ausferritic microstructures and then correlated with the wear property. The test outcomes demonstrate the slight increase in specific wear rate with increase in both austempering temperature and time. Specific wear rate was found to be minimum at an austempering temperature of 280°C, that exhibits lower bainite microstructure with high hardness, on the other hand specific wear rate was found to be slightly high at increased austempering temperatures at 360°C and 400°C, due to the upper bainite structure that offered lower hardness to the matrix. The sample austempered at 280°C for 30 minutes offered superior wear resistance when compared to other austempering conditions, mainly due to the presence of fine acicular bainitic ferrite along with stabilized retained austenite and also some martensite in the microstructure.
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Characterization and reconstruction of 3D stochastic microstructures via supervised learning.
Bostanabad, R; Chen, W; Apley, D W
2016-12-01
The need for computational characterization and reconstruction of volumetric maps of stochastic microstructures for understanding the role of material structure in the processing-structure-property chain has been highlighted in the literature. Recently, a promising characterization and reconstruction approach has been developed where the essential idea is to convert the digitized microstructure image into an appropriate training dataset to learn the stochastic nature of the morphology by fitting a supervised learning model to the dataset. This compact model can subsequently be used to efficiently reconstruct as many statistically equivalent microstructure samples as desired. The goal of this paper is to build upon the developed approach in three major directions by: (1) extending the approach to characterize 3D stochastic microstructures and efficiently reconstruct 3D samples, (2) improving the performance of the approach by incorporating user-defined predictors into the supervised learning model, and (3) addressing potential computational issues by introducing a reduced model which can perform as effectively as the full model. We test the extended approach on three examples and show that the spatial dependencies, as evaluated via various measures, are well preserved in the reconstructed samples. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Vilémová
2016-12-01
Full Text Available In this study, morphological, microstructural and phase changes of four types of tungsten materials after exposure to dense deuterium plasma were examined. The microstructures of the prepared materials mutually differ by the porosity, grain size and phase content. It was found that inherent porosity of sintered materials leads to a specific mechanism of erosion and might be a significant source of dust in the case of materials with higher porosity. Further, a preferential erosion of the dispersed particles by melting and evaporation and subsequent formation of thin film on the surface of W-Y2O3 was described as well.
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Microstructures define melting of molybdenum at high pressures
Hrubiak, Rostislav; Meng, Yue; Shen, Guoyin
2017-03-01
High-pressure melting anchors the phase diagram of a material, revealing the effect of pressure on the breakdown of the ordering of atoms in the solid. An important case is molybdenum, which has long been speculated to undergo an exceptionally steep increase in melting temperature when compressed. On the other hand, previous experiments showed nearly constant melting temperature as a function of pressure, in large discrepancy with theoretical expectations. Here we report a high-slope melting curve in molybdenum by synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of crystalline microstructures, generated by heating and subsequently rapidly quenching samples in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. Distinct microstructural changes, observed at pressures up to 130 gigapascals, appear exclusively after melting, thus offering a reliable melting criterion. In addition, our study reveals a previously unsuspected transition in molybdenum at high pressure and high temperature, which yields highly textured body-centred cubic nanograins above a transition temperature.
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Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Laser Treated Al Alloy
Noordhuis, J.; Hosson, J.Th.M. De
An Al-Cu-Mg alloy, Al 2024-T3, was exposed to laser treatments at various scan velocities. In this paper the microstructural features and mechanical properties are reported. As far as the mechanical property is concerned a striking observation is a minimum in the hardness value at a laser scan
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Microstructural Development in Al-Si Powder During Rapid Solidification
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Genau, Amber Lynn [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
2004-01-01
Powder metallurgy has become an increasingly important form of metal processing because of its ability to produce materials with superior mechanical properties. These properties are due in part to the unique and often desirable microstructures which arise as a result of the extreme levels of undercooling achieved, especially in the finest size powder, and the subsequent rapid solidification which occurs. A better understanding of the fundamental processes of nucleation and growth is required to further exploit the potential of rapid solidification processing. Aluminum-silicon, an alloy of significant industrial importance, was chosen as a model for simple eutectic systems displaying an unfaceted/faceted interface and skewed coupled eutectic growth zone, Al-Si powder produced by high pressure gas atomization was studied to determine the relationship between microstructure and alloy composition as a function of powder size and atomization gas. Critical experimental measurements of hypereutectic (Si-rich) compositions were used to determine undercooling and interface velocity, based on the theoretical models which are available. Solidification conditions were analyzed as a function of particle diameter and distance from nucleation site. A revised microstructural map is proposed which allows the prediction of particle morphology based on temperature and composition. It is hoped that this work, by providing enhanced understanding of the processes which govern the development of the solidification morphology of gas atomized powder, will eventually allow for better control of processing conditions so that particle microstructures can be optimized for specific applications.
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Microstructural features of alumina refractories with mullite-zirconia aggregates
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ferrari, C. R.
2003-02-01
Full Text Available Refractory materials are often subjected to high temperatures and loads and their performance depends on their microstructural evolution during use. In this context, microstructural changes were monitored in alumina-based refractories containing mullite-zirconia aggregates and heat-treated at 1400°C and 1500°C for 2, 6, and 18 days. With the purpose of inducing in situ mullite formation, bricks containing microsilica were also prepared and heat-treated at 1500°C for 6 days for the sake of comparison. These heat treatments allowed for an evaluation of the use of refractories from the standpoint of temperature and time. In this work, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were made to identify the phases in the materials. The Rietveld method was also used for quantitative phase analyses. Interfacial reactions occurred between alumina and aggregates and between alumina and microsilica, causing the system to become mullitized. The effect of in situ-formed mullite was particularly evident in the results of the modulus of rupture of the materials containing microsilica. Creep tests revealed a reduction in the creep rate of materials treated at 1500°C for 18 days.
El comportamiento de los materiales refractarios, cuando sometidos a altas temperaturas y a grandes esfuerzos mecánicos, está íntimamente relacionado con la evolución microestuctural, durante su uso. En este contexto, fue realizado un estudio de la evolución microestructural de los materiales refractarios de alumina conteniendo diferentes porcentajes de agregado de mullita–circona, sometidos a tratamientos térmicos por 2, 6 y 18 días, en temperaturas de 1400 y 1500oC. Fueron confeccionados, algunos ladrillos conteniendo microsílice, con la idea de se introducir la formación de mullita en situ. Para la comparación de los ladrillos, fueron realizados tratamientos térmicos por un periodo de 6 días en 1500oC. Estos tratamientos térmicos permitieron -
Piezoelectric Microstructured Fibers via Drawing of Multimaterial Preforms.
Lu, Xin; Qu, Hang; Skorobogatiy, Maksim
2017-06-06
We demonstrate planar laminated piezoelectric generators and piezoelectric microstructured fibers based on BaTiO 3 -polyvinylidene and carbon-loaded-polyethylene materials combinations. The laminated piezoelectric generators were assembled by sandwiching the electrospun BaTiO 3 -polyvinylidene mat between two carbon-loaded-polyethylene films. The piezoelectric microstructured fiber was fabricated via drawing of the multilayer fiber preform, and features a swissroll geometry that have ~10 alternating piezoelectric and conductive layers. Both piezoelectric generators have excellent mechanical durability, and could retain their piezoelectric performance after 3 day's cyclic bend-release tests. Compared to the laminated generators, the piezoelectric fibers are advantageous as they could be directly woven into large-area commercial fabrics. Potential applications of the proposed piezoelectric fibers include micro-power-generation and remote sensing in wearable, automotive and aerospace industries.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lunarska, E.; Nikiforow, K.; Zielinski, W.; Kurzydlowski, K.J.
2004-01-01
Mechanical properties, microstructure and hydrogen permeation through 10H2M ferrite pearlite steel from boilers of power station being in-service for up to 100000 hours have been systematically analysed in order to correlate the change in susceptibility to HIBC with microstructure features. The change of the pearlite volume fraction, the carbide morphology and the ferrite dislocation structure as a function of in-service time has been evaluated by SEM and TEM analysis. Susceptibility to HIBC has been estimated in the especially elaborated electrochemical measurements of hydrogen permeation. The correlation has been found between the microstructure features and the hydrogen permeation parameters describing the susceptibility to hydrogen induced cracking of steel exploited in water-steam environment. (author)
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Torres, Monica
The use of pipelines for the transmission of gas offers not only efficiency, but a number of economic advantages. Nevertheless, pipelines are subject to aggressive operating conditions and environments which can lead to in-service degradation [1] and thus to failures. These failures can have catastrophic consequences, such as environmental damage and loss of life [2]. One of the most dangerous threats to pipeline integrity is stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Despite the substantial progress that has been achieved in the field, due to the complex nature of this phenomenon there is still not a complete understanding of this form of external corrosion. This makes its detection and prevention a challenge and therefore a risk to pipeline integrity, and most importantly, to the safety of the population. SCC cracks are the result of the interaction between a corrosive environment, applied stresses, and a susceptible microstructure. To date, what defines a susceptible microstructure remains ambiguous, as SCC has been observed in a range of steel grades, microstructures, chemical composition, and grain sizes. Therefore, in order to be able to accurately predict and prevent this hazardous form of corrosion, it is imperative to advance our knowledge on the subject and gain a better understanding on the microstructural features of highly susceptible pipeline materials, especially in the subsurface zone where crack nucleation must take place. Therefore, a microstructural characterization of the region near the surface layer was carried-out utilizing TEM. TEM analysis revealed the dislocation character, ferrite morphology, and apparent carbide precipitation in some grain boundaries. Furthermore, light microscopy, SEM, and hardness testing were performed to expand our knowledge on the microscopical features of highly SCC susceptible service components. This investigation presents a new approach to SCC characterization, which exposed the sub-surface region microscopical
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Oluwasegun, K. M.; Olawale, J. O.; Ige, O. O.; Shittu, M. D.; Adeleke, A. A.; Malomo, B. O.
2014-08-01
The behaviour of γ' phase to thermal and mechanical effects during rapid heating of Astroloy, a powder metallurgy nickel-based superalloy has been investigated. The thermo-mechanical-affected zone (TMAZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructures of an inertia friction welded (IFW) Astroloy were simulated using a Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulation system. Detailed microstructural examination of the simulated TMAZ and HAZ and those present in actual IFW specimens showed that γ' particles persisted during rapid heating up to a temperature where the formation of liquid is thermodynamically favored and subsequently re-solidified eutectically. The result obtained showed that forging during the thermo-mechanical simulation significantly enhanced resistance to weld liquation cracking of the alloy. This is attributable to strain-induced rapid isothermal dissolution of the constitutional liquation products within 150 μm from the center of the forged sample. This was not observed in purely thermally simulated samples. The microstructure within the TMAZ of the as-welded alloy is similar to the microstructure in the forged Gleeble specimens.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hansen, Karin Vels, E-mail: karv@dtu.dk [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Norrman, Kion [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Jacobsen, Torben [Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 207, DK-2800 Lyngby (Denmark)
2016-11-15
High temperature AC conductance mapping is a scanning probe technique for resolving local electrical properties in microscopic areas. It is especially suited for detecting poorly conducting phases and for ionically conducting materials such as those used in solid oxide electrochemical cells. Secondary silicate phases formed at the edge of lanthanum strontium manganite microelectrodes are used as an example for correlation of chemical, microstructural and electrical properties with a spatial resolution of 1–2 µm to demonstrate the technique. The measurements are performed in situ in a controlled atmosphere high temperature scanning probe microscope at 650 °C in air. - Highlights: • A high temperature SPM technique for conductance measurements was developed. • Two examples from microelectrodes were used for demonstration. • Conductance mapping at 650 °C revealed poorly conducting secondary phases. • The secondary phases could be correlated with microstructure and chemistry.
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Solidification microstructure of centrifugally cast Inconel 625
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Silvia Barella
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Centrifugal casting is a foundry process allowing the production of near net-shaped axially symmetrical components. The present study focuses on the microstructural characterization of centrifugally cast alloys featuring different chemical compositions for the construction of spheres applied in valves made of alloy IN625 for operation at high pressure. Control of the solidification microstructure is needed to assure the reliability of the castings. Actually, a Ni-base superalloy such as this one should have an outstanding combination of mechanical properties, high temperature stability and corrosion resistance. Alloys such as IN625 are characterised by a large amount of alloying elements and a wide solidification range, so they can be affected by micro-porosity defects, related to the shrinkage difference between the matrix and the secondary reinforcing phases (Nb-rich carbides and Laves phase. In this study, the microstructure characterization was performed as a function of the applied heat treatments and it was coupled with a calorimetric analysis in order to understand the mechanism ruling the formation of micro-porosities that can assure alloy soundness. The obtained results show that the presence of micro-porosities is governed by morphology and by the size of the secondary phases, and the presence of the observed secondary phases is detrimental to corrosion resistance.
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Chen, Dongsheng; Zeng, Nan; Xie, Qiaolin; He, Honghui; Tuchin, Valery V; Ma, Hui
2017-08-01
We investigate the polarization features corresponding to changes in the microstructure of nude mouse skin during immersion in a glycerol solution. By comparing the Mueller matrix imaging experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, we examine in detail how the Mueller matrix elements vary with the immersion time. The results indicate that the polarization features represented by Mueller matrix elements m22&m33&m44 and the absolute values of m34&m43 are sensitive to the immersion time. To gain a deeper insight on how the microstructures of the skin vary during the tissue optical clearing (TOC), we set up a sphere-cylinder birefringence model (SCBM) of the skin and carry on simulations corresponding to different TOC mechanisms. The good agreement between the experimental and simulated results confirm that Mueller matrix imaging combined with Monte Carlo simulation is potentially a powerful tool for revealing microscopic features of biological tissues.
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Schadl, Kornél; Vassar, Rachel; Cahill-Rowley, Katelyn; Yeom, Kristin W; Stevenson, David K; Rose, Jessica
2018-01-01
Advanced neuroimaging and computational methods offer opportunities for more accurate prognosis. We hypothesized that near-term regional white matter (WM) microstructure, assessed on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), using exhaustive feature selection with cross-validation would predict neurodevelopment in preterm children. Near-term MRI and DTI obtained at 36.6 ± 1.8 weeks postmenstrual age in 66 very-low-birth-weight preterm neonates were assessed. 60/66 had follow-up neurodevelopmental evaluation with Bayley Scales of Infant-Toddler Development, 3rd-edition (BSID-III) at 18-22 months. Linear models with exhaustive feature selection and leave-one-out cross-validation computed based on DTI identified sets of three brain regions most predictive of cognitive and motor function; logistic regression models were computed to classify high-risk infants scoring one standard deviation below mean. Cognitive impairment was predicted (100% sensitivity, 100% specificity; AUC = 1) by near-term right middle-temporal gyrus MD, right cingulate-cingulum MD, left caudate MD. Motor impairment was predicted (90% sensitivity, 86% specificity; AUC = 0.912) by left precuneus FA, right superior occipital gyrus MD, right hippocampus FA. Cognitive score variance was explained (29.6%, cross-validated Rˆ2 = 0.296) by left posterior-limb-of-internal-capsule MD, Genu RD, right fusiform gyrus AD. Motor score variance was explained (31.7%, cross-validated Rˆ2 = 0.317) by left posterior-limb-of-internal-capsule MD, right parahippocampal gyrus AD, right middle-temporal gyrus AD. Search in large DTI feature space more accurately identified neonatal neuroimaging correlates of neurodevelopment.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gu-Qing Guo
2015-11-01
Full Text Available Revealing the essential structural features of metallic glasses (MGs will enhance the understanding of glass-forming mechanisms. In this work, a feasible scheme is provided where we performed the state-of-the-art synchrotron-radiation based experiments combined with simulations to investigate the microstructures of ZrCu amorphous compositions. It is revealed that in order to stabilize the amorphous state and optimize the topological and chemical distribution, besides the icosahedral or icosahedral-like clusters, other types of clusters also participate in the formation of the microstructure in MGs. This cluster-level co-existing feature may be popular in this class of glassy materials.
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Coupled changes in brain white matter microstructure and fluid intelligence in later life.
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.
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A neural network technique for remeshing of bone microstructure.
Fischer, Anath; Holdstein, Yaron
2012-01-01
Today, there is major interest within the biomedical community in developing accurate noninvasive means for the evaluation of bone microstructure and bone quality. Recent improvements in 3D imaging technology, among them development of micro-CT and micro-MRI scanners, allow in-vivo 3D high-resolution scanning and reconstruction of large specimens or even whole bone models. Thus, the tendency today is to evaluate bone features using 3D assessment techniques rather than traditional 2D methods. For this purpose, high-quality meshing methods are required. However, the 3D meshes produced from current commercial systems usually are of low quality with respect to analysis and rapid prototyping. 3D model reconstruction of bone is difficult due to the complexity of bone microstructure. The small bone features lead to a great deal of neighborhood ambiguity near each vertex. The relatively new neural network method for mesh reconstruction has the potential to create or remesh 3D models accurately and quickly. A neural network (NN), which resembles an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, is a set of interconnected neurons, where each neuron is capable of making an autonomous arithmetic calculation. Moreover, each neuron is affected by its surrounding neurons through the structure of the network. This paper proposes an extension of the growing neural gas (GNN) neural network technique for remeshing a triangular manifold mesh that represents bone microstructure. This method has the advantage of reconstructing the surface of a genus-n freeform object without a priori knowledge regarding the original object, its topology, or its shape.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lu, J.Z.; Wu, L.J.; Sun, G.F.; Luo, K.Y.; Zhang, Y.K.; Cai, J.; Cui, C.Y.; Luo, X.M.
2017-01-01
The microstructural response and grain subdivision process in commercially pure (CP) titanium subjected to multiple laser shock peening (LSP) impacts were investigated by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. The micro-hardness curves as a function of the impact time were also determined. The deformation-induced grain refinement mechanism of the close-packed hexagonal (hcp) material by laser shock wave was subsequently analyzed. Experimental results showed that uniform equiaxed grains with an average size of less than 50 nm were generated due to the ultra-high plastic strain induced by multiple LSP impacts. Special attention was paid to four types of novel deformation-induced microstructural features, including a layered slip band in the tension deformation zone, and inverse-transformation martensite, micro-twin grating and micro-twin collision in the compression deformation zone. Furthermore, the grain refinement mechanism in the near-surface layer of CP titanium subjected to multiple LSP impacts contains two types of simultaneous subdivision modes: multi-directional mechanical twin (MT)-MT intersections at (sub)micrometer scale, and the intersection between longitudinal secondary MTs and transverse dislocation walls at nanometer scale. In addition, both grain refinement (nanocrystallization) and the existence of a small amount of inverse-transformation martensite induced by multiple LSP impacts contribute to an increase in the micro-hardness of the near-surface layer.
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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
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vrancken, Bey; Thijs, Lore; Kruth, Jean-Pierre; Van Humbeeck, Jan
2012-01-01
Highlights: ► Responses of SLM-produced and wrought Ti6Al4V to heat treatment are compared. ► Temperature is found to be the controlling parameter for treatments in the α + β range. ► Ductility could be improved by a factor of 85%, from 7.27% to 13.59%. ► An optimal heat treatment for SLM produced Ti6Al4V is proposed. - Abstract: The present work shows that optimization of mechanical properties via heat treatment of parts produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is profoundly different compared to conventionally processed Ti6Al4V. In order to obtain optimal mechanical properties, specific treatments are necessary due to the specific microstructure resulting from the SLM process. SLM is an additive manufacturing technique through which components are built by selectively melting powder layers with a focused laser beam. The process is characterized by short laser-powder interaction times and localized high heat input, which leads to steep thermal gradients, rapid solidification and fast cooling. In this research, the effect of several heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V processed by SLM is studied. A comparison is made with the effect of these treatments on hot forged and subsequently mill annealed Ti6Al4V with an original equiaxed microstructure. For SLM produced parts, the original martensite α′ phase is converted to a lamellar mixture of α and β for heat treating temperatures below the β-transus (995 °C), but features of the original microstructure are maintained. Treated above the β-transus, extensive grain growth occurs and large β grains are formed which transform to lamellar α + β upon cooling. Post treating at 850 °C for 2 h, followed by furnace cooling increased the ductility of SLM parts to 12.84 ± 1.36%, compared to 7.36 ± 1.32% for as-built parts.
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Microstructural examination of irradiated zircaloy-2 pressure tube material
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Srivastava, D.; Tewari, R.; Dey, G.K.; Sah, D.N.; Banerjee, S.
2005-01-01
Irradiation induced microstructural changes in Zr alloys strongly influence the creep, growth and mechanical properties of pressure tube material. Since dimensional changes and mechanical property degradation can limit the life of pressure tube, it is essential to study and develop an understanding of the microstructure produced by neutron irradiation, by examining samples taken from the irradiated components. In the present work, an effort has been made to examine, microstructure of the Zircaloy-2 pressure tube material irradiated in the Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR). The present work is a first step towards a comprehensive program of characterization of microstructure of reactor materials after irradiation to different fluence levels in power reactors. In this study, samples from a Zircaloy-2 pressure tube, which had been in operation in the high flux region of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit 1, for a period for 6.77 effective full power years (EFPYs), have been prepared and examined. The samples selected from the tube are expected to have a cumulative radiation damage of about 3 dpa. Samples prepared from the off cuts of RAPS-1 pressure tubes were also studied for examining the unirradiated microstructure of the material. The samples were examined in a 200kV JEOL 2000 FX microscope. This paper presents the distinct features observed in irradiated sample and a comprehensive comparison of the microstructures of the unirradiated and irradiated material. The effect of annealing on the annihilation of the defects generated during irradiation has been also studied. The bright field micrographs revealed that microstructure of the irradiated samples was different in many respects from the microstructure of the unirradiated samples. The presence of defect structure in the form of loops etc could be seen in the irradiated sample. These loops were mostly c-type loops lying in the basal plane. The dissolution and redistribution of the precipitates were
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Mechanical properties and microstructure of laser treated Al-Cu-Mg alloys
Hosson, J.Th.M. De; Noordhuis, J.
1993-01-01
The mechanical properties and microstructural features of Al-Cu-Mg alloys were investigated, as exposed to laser treatments at various scan velocities. As far as the mechanical property is concerned a striking observation is a minimum in the hardness value at a laser scan velocity of 1/2 cm/s.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zeng, Rong-Chang; Sun, Lu; Zheng, Yu-Feng; Cui, Hong-Zhi; Han, En-Hou
2014-01-01
Highlights: •A schematic four-layered structural model of the natural oxide film has been constructed. •A novel concept for the Pilling–Bedworth ratios of chemical compounds is proposed. •Grain refinement in the microstructure leads to a shift from pitting corrosion to overall corrosion. •A method to characterise the corrosion rate of dual phase Mg–Li–Ca alloys is proposed. -- Abstract: The influence of the microstructure and the oxide film of the Mg–9.29Li–0.88Ca alloy on its corrosion behaviour was investigated using SEM, EPMA, XPS and corrosion measurements. The results demonstrated that the fine-grained microstructure improved the mechanical and corrosion resistance of the alloy and shifted pitting corrosion to overall corrosion. The oxide film contained a multi-layered structure, with the outer layer being enriched in lithium-bearing compounds; the interior layer predominantly consisting of oxides, hydroxides and carbonates of lithium and magnesium; and the bottom layer containing oxides. The Pilling–Bedworth ratio for chemical compounds was proposed, and the corrosion rates were characterised
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Salmeia, Khalifah A.
2012-11-13
Different poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) microstructures have been synthesized from the alternating copolymerization of CO 2 with both racemic propylene oxide (PO) and various mixtures of PO enantiomers using chiral salen catalysts. The microstructures of the obtained copolymers as a function of polymerization time have been analyzed by a combination of chiral GC and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. The 13C NMR spectra of selected poly(propylene carbonate) samples were recorded using a 900 MHz ( 1H) spectrometer, showing a previously unreported fine splitting of the carbonate resonances. This allowed a detailed assignment of signals for various copolymer microstructures taking into account the specifics in their stereo- and regioirregularities. For example, the enantioselectivity preference of the (R,R-salen)Co catalyst for (S)-PO at the beginning of the copolymerization leads predominantly to (S)-PO insertion, with any (R)-PO misinsertion being followed by incorporation of (S)-PO, so that the microstructure features isolated stereoerrors. K rel calculations for the copolymerization showed around 5-fold enantioselectivity for (S)-PO over (R)-PO at short reaction time. Analysis of the copolymer microstructures obtained under various reaction conditions appears to be an additional approach to differentiate the occurrence of bimetallic and bifunctional copolymerization mechanisms that are widely discussed in the literature. © 2012 American Chemical Society.
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Salmeia, Khalifah A.; Vagin, Sergei; Anderson, Carly E.; Rieger, Bernhard
2012-01-01
Different poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) microstructures have been synthesized from the alternating copolymerization of CO 2 with both racemic propylene oxide (PO) and various mixtures of PO enantiomers using chiral salen catalysts. The microstructures of the obtained copolymers as a function of polymerization time have been analyzed by a combination of chiral GC and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. The 13C NMR spectra of selected poly(propylene carbonate) samples were recorded using a 900 MHz ( 1H) spectrometer, showing a previously unreported fine splitting of the carbonate resonances. This allowed a detailed assignment of signals for various copolymer microstructures taking into account the specifics in their stereo- and regioirregularities. For example, the enantioselectivity preference of the (R,R-salen)Co catalyst for (S)-PO at the beginning of the copolymerization leads predominantly to (S)-PO insertion, with any (R)-PO misinsertion being followed by incorporation of (S)-PO, so that the microstructure features isolated stereoerrors. K rel calculations for the copolymerization showed around 5-fold enantioselectivity for (S)-PO over (R)-PO at short reaction time. Analysis of the copolymer microstructures obtained under various reaction conditions appears to be an additional approach to differentiate the occurrence of bimetallic and bifunctional copolymerization mechanisms that are widely discussed in the literature. © 2012 American Chemical Society.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lim, Hojun [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Owen, Steven J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Abdeljawad, Fadi F. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hanks, Byron [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Battaile, Corbett Chandler [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2015-09-01
In order to better incorporate microstructures in continuum scale models, we use a novel finite element (FE) meshing technique to generate three-dimensional polycrystalline aggregates from a phase field grain growth model of grain microstructures. The proposed meshing technique creates hexahedral FE meshes that capture smooth interfaces between adjacent grains. Three dimensional realizations of grain microstructures from the phase field model are used in crystal plasticity-finite element (CP-FE) simulations of polycrystalline a -iron. We show that the interface conformal meshes significantly reduce artificial stress localizations in voxelated meshes that exhibit the so-called "wedding cake" interfaces. This framework provides a direct link between two mesoscale models - phase field and crystal plasticity - and for the first time allows mechanics simulations of polycrystalline materials using three-dimensional hexahedral finite element meshes with realistic topological features.
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Dong, Guangheng; Zhang, Yifen; Xu, Jiaojing; Lin, Xiao; Du, Xiaoxia
2015-01-01
Human decision making is rarely conducted in temporal isolation. It is often biased and affected by environmental variables, particularly prior selections. In this study, we used a task that simulates a real gambling process to explore the effect of the risky features of a previous selection on subsequent decision making. Compared with decision making after an advantageous risk-taking situation (Risk_Adv), that after a disadvantageous risk-taking situation (Risk_Disadv) is associated with a longer response time (RT, the time spent in making decisions) and higher brain activations in the caudate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Compared with decisions after Risk_Adv, those after Risk_Disadv in loss trials are associated with higher brain activations in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the precuneus. Brain activity and relevant RTs significantly correlated. Overall, people who experience disadvantageous risk-taking selections tend to focus on current decision making and engage cognitive endeavors in value evaluation and in the regulation of their risk-taking behaviors during decision making.
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Effect of random microstructure on crack propagation in cortical bone tissue under dynamic loading
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gao, X; Li, S; Adel-Wahab, A; Silberschmidt, V
2013-01-01
A fracture process in a cortical bone tissue depends on various factors, such as bone loss, heterogeneous microstructure, variation of its material properties and accumulation of microcracks. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend and describe the effect of microstructure and material properties of the components of cortical bone on crack propagation in a dynamic loading regime. At the microscale level, osteonal bone demonstrates a random distribution of osteons imbedded in an interstitial matrix and surrounded by a thin layer known as cement line. Such a distribution of osteons can lead to localization of deformation processes. The global mechanical behavior of bone and the crack-propagation process are affected by such localization under external loads. Hence, the random distribution of microstructural features plays a key role in the fracture process of cortical bone. The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to develop two-dimensional microstructured numerical models of cortical bone tissue in order to examine the interaction between the propagating crack and bone microstructure using an extended finite-element method under both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions; secondly, to investigate the effect of randomly distributed microstructural constituents on the crack propagation processes and crack paths. The obtained results of numerical simulations showed the influence of random microstructure on the global response of bone tissue at macroscale and on the crack-propagation process for quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kanagarajah, P., E-mail: p.kanagarajah@uni-paderborn.de [Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffkunde (Materials Science), University of Paderborn, Pohlweg 47-49, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Brenne, F. [Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffkunde (Materials Science), University of Paderborn, Pohlweg 47-49, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC), Mersinweg 3, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Niendorf, T. [Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffkunde (Materials Science), University of Paderborn, Pohlweg 47-49, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Maier, H.J. [Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC), Mersinweg 3, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Institut für Werkstoffkunde, Leibniz Universität Hannover, An der Universität 2, 30823 Garbsen (Germany)
2013-12-20
Nickel-based superalloys, such as Inconel 939, are a long-established construction material for high-temperature applications and profound knowledge of the mechanical properties for this alloy produced by conventional techniques exists. However, many applications demand for highly complex geometries, e.g. in order to optimize the cooling capability of thermally loaded parts. Thus, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have recently attracted substantial interest as they provide for an increased freedom of design. However, the microstructural features after AM processing are different from those after conventional processing. Thus, further research is vital for understanding the microstructure-processing relationship and its impact on the resulting mechanical properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate Inconel 939 processed by selective laser melting (SLM) and to reveal the differences to the conventional cast alloy. Thorough examinations were conducted using electron backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy and mechanical testing. It is demonstrated that the microstructure of the SLM-material is highly influenced by the heat flux during layer-wise manufacturing and consequently anisotropic microstructural features prevail. An epitaxial grain growth accounts for strong bonding between the single layers resulting in good mechanical properties already in the as-built condition. A heat treatment following SLM leads to microstructural features different to those obtained after the same heat treatment of the cast alloy. Still, the mechanical performance of the latter is met underlining the potential of this technique for producing complex parts for high temperature applications.
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Origin of the visible emission of black silicon microstructures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fabbri, Filippo; Lin, Yu-Ting; Bertoni, Giovanni; Rossi, Francesca; Salviati, Giancarlo; Smith, Matthew J.; Gradečak, Silvija; Mazur, Eric
2015-01-01
Silicon, the mainstay semiconductor in microelectronics, is considered unsuitable for optoelectronic applications due to its indirect electronic band gap that limits its efficiency as light emitter. Here, we univocally determine at the nanoscale the origin of visible emission in microstructured black silicon by cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and imaging. We demonstrate the formation of amorphous silicon oxide microstructures with a white emission. The white emission is composed by four features peaking at 1.98 eV, 2.24 eV, 2.77 eV, and 3.05 eV. The origin of such emissions is related to SiO x intrinsic point defects and to the sulfur doping due to the laser processing. Similar results go in the direction of developing optoelectronic devices suitable for silicon-based circuitry
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Microstructural characterisation of Inconel 718 gas tungsten arc welds
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ram, G.D.J.; Reddy, A.V.; Rao, K.P.
2005-01-01
The presence of Nb-rich, brittle, intermetallic Laves phase in Inconel 718 weld fusion zones is detrimental to weld mechanical properties. In the current work, autogenous bead-on-plate gas tungsten-arc welds were deposited in 2 mm thick IN 718 sheets. The welds were subjected to the following heat treatments: i) direct aging, ii) solution treatment at 980 C followed by aging, and iii) solution treatment at 1080 C followed by aging. Detailed microstructural characterisation was carried out using optical, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes and electron probe microanalysis. The microstructural features in as-welded and post-weld heat treated conditions are discussed. The results show that post-weld heat treatments alone cannot provide satisfactory solution to the Laves problem in Inconel 718 gas tungsten-arc welds
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Microstructural and Texture Development in Two Austenitic Steels with High-Manganese Content
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bhattacharya, Basudev; Ray, Ranjit Kumar; Leffers, Torben
2015-01-01
Two austenitic steels, Fe-21.3Mn-3.44Si-3.74Al-0.5C and Fe-29.8Mn-2.96Si-2.73Al-0.52C, were subjected to cold rolling with 30 to 80 pct reduction with an increment of 10 pct and subsequently the development of their microstructures and textures were studied. The overall texture after 80 pct cold ...
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Effect of processing conditions on microstructural features in Mn–Si sintered steels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Oro, Raquel, E-mail: raqueld@chalmers.se [Department of Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Rännvägen 2A, SE-41296 Gothenburg (Sweden); Hryha, Eduard, E-mail: hryha@chalmers.se [Department of Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Rännvägen 2A, SE-41296 Gothenburg (Sweden); Campos, Mónica, E-mail: campos@ing.uc3m.es [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IAAB, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Av. Universidad 30, 28911 Leganés, Madrid (Spain); Torralba, José M., E-mail: torralba@ing.uc3m.es [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IAAB, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Av. Universidad 30, 28911 Leganés, Madrid (Spain); IMDEA Materials Institute, c/Eric Kandel, 2, 28906 Getafe, Madrid (Spain)
2014-09-15
Sintering of steels containing oxidation sensitive elements is possible if such elements are alloyed with others which present lower affinity for oxygen. In this work, a master alloy powder containing Fe–Mn–Si–C, specifically designed to create a liquid phase during sintering, has been used for such purpose. The effect of processing conditions such as sintering temperature and atmosphere was studied with the aim of describing the microstructural evolution as well as the morphology and distribution of oxides in the sintered material, evaluating the potential detrimental effect of such oxides on mechanical properties. Chemical analyses, metallography and fractography studies combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses on the fracture surfaces were used to reveal the main mechanism of fracture and their correlation with the chemical composition of the different fracture surfaces. The results indicate that the main mechanism of failure in these steels is brittle fracture in the surrounding of the original master alloy particles due to degradation of grain boundaries by the presence of oxide inclusions. Mn–Si oxide inclusions were observed on intergranular decohesive facets. The use of reducing atmospheres and high sintering temperatures reduces the amount and size of such oxide inclusions. Besides, high heating and cooling rates reduce significantly the final oxygen content in the sintered material. A model for microstructure development and oxide evolution during different stages of sintering is proposed, considering the fact that when the master alloy melts, the liquid formed can dissolve some of the oxides as well as the surface of the surrounding iron base particles. - Highlights: • Oxide distribution in steels containing oxidation-sensitive elements • Mn, Si introduced in a master alloy powder, mixed with a base iron powder • Selective oxidation of Mn and Si on iron grain boundaries • Decohesive fracture caused by degradation of grain
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Effect of processing conditions on microstructural features in Mn–Si sintered steels
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oro, Raquel; Hryha, Eduard; Campos, Mónica; Torralba, José M.
2014-01-01
Sintering of steels containing oxidation sensitive elements is possible if such elements are alloyed with others which present lower affinity for oxygen. In this work, a master alloy powder containing Fe–Mn–Si–C, specifically designed to create a liquid phase during sintering, has been used for such purpose. The effect of processing conditions such as sintering temperature and atmosphere was studied with the aim of describing the microstructural evolution as well as the morphology and distribution of oxides in the sintered material, evaluating the potential detrimental effect of such oxides on mechanical properties. Chemical analyses, metallography and fractography studies combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses on the fracture surfaces were used to reveal the main mechanism of fracture and their correlation with the chemical composition of the different fracture surfaces. The results indicate that the main mechanism of failure in these steels is brittle fracture in the surrounding of the original master alloy particles due to degradation of grain boundaries by the presence of oxide inclusions. Mn–Si oxide inclusions were observed on intergranular decohesive facets. The use of reducing atmospheres and high sintering temperatures reduces the amount and size of such oxide inclusions. Besides, high heating and cooling rates reduce significantly the final oxygen content in the sintered material. A model for microstructure development and oxide evolution during different stages of sintering is proposed, considering the fact that when the master alloy melts, the liquid formed can dissolve some of the oxides as well as the surface of the surrounding iron base particles. - Highlights: • Oxide distribution in steels containing oxidation-sensitive elements • Mn, Si introduced in a master alloy powder, mixed with a base iron powder • Selective oxidation of Mn and Si on iron grain boundaries • Decohesive fracture caused by degradation of grain
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EFFECTS OF MO ADDITION ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CAST MICROALLOYED STEEL
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
H. Torkamani
2017-09-01
Full Text Available In industry, the cost of production is an important factor and it is preferred to use conventional and low cost procedures for producing the parts. Heat treatment cycles and alloying additions are the key factors affecting the microstructure and mechanical properties of the cast steels. In this study an attempt was made to evaluate the influence of minor Mo addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of conventionally heat treated cast micro-alloyed steels. The results of Jominy and dilatometry tests and also microstructural examinations revealed that Mo could effectively increase the hardenability of the investigated steel and change the microstructure features of the air-cooled samples. Acicular microstructure was the consequence of increasing the hardenability in Mo-added steel. Besides, it was found that Mo could greatly affect the isothermal bainitic transformation and higher fraction of martensite after cooling (from isothermal temperature was due to the Mo addition. The results of impact test indicated that the microstructure obtained in air-cooled Mo-added steel led to better impact toughness (28J in comparison with the base steel (23J. Moreover, Mo-added steel possessed higher hardness (291HV, yield (524MPa and tensile (1108MPa strengths compared to the base one.
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Effect of heat treatments on precipitate microstructure and mechanical properties of a CuCrZr alloy
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Edwards, D.J.; Singh, Bachu Narain; Tähtinen, S.
2007-01-01
The precipitate microstructure of prime aged CuCrZr was coarsened by overaging to see if the larger precipitates could prevent the initiation of plastic flow localization in irradiated CuCrZr. A number of tensile and fracture toughness specimens of prime aged CuCrZr alloy were given overaging...... carried out at 293, 333 and 573 K. Transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the effects of overaging, subsequent irradiation and the effect of deformation. The results indicate that the overaging treatment of 873 K for 1 h produced a precipitate microstructure that improved the plastic...
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Microstructural evolution during the homogenization heat treatment of 6XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys
Priya, Pikee
Homogenization heat treatment of as-cast billets is an important step in the processing of aluminum extrusions. Microstructural evolution during homogenization involves elimination of the eutectic morphology by spheroidisation of the interdendritic phases, minimization of the microsegregation across the grains through diffusion, dissolution of the low-melting phases, which enhances the surface finish of the extrusions, and precipitation of nano-sized dispersoids (for Cr-, Zr-, Mn-, Sc-containing alloys), which inhibit grain boundary motion to prevent recrystallization. Post-homogenization cooling reprecipitates some of the phases, changing the flow stress required for subsequent extrusion. These precipitates, however, are deleterious for the mechanical properties of the alloy and also hamper the age-hardenability and are hence dissolved during solution heat treatment. Microstructural development during homogenization and subsequent cooling occurs both at the length scale of the Secondary Dendrite Arm Spacing (SDAS) in micrometers and dispersoids in nanometers. Numerical tools to simulate microstructural development at both the length scales have been developed and validated against experiments. These tools provide easy and convenient means to study the process. A Cellular Automaton-Finite Volume-based model for evolution of interdendritic phases is coupled with a Particle Size Distribution-based model for precipitation of dispersoids across the grain. This comprehensive model has been used to study the effect of temperature, composition, as-cast microstructure, and cooling rates during post-homogenization quenching on microstructural evolution. The numerical study has been complimented with experiments involving Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction and Differential Scanning Calorimetry and a good agreement has with numerical results has been found. The current work aims to study the microstructural evolution during
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Balducci, Eleonora; Ceschini, Lorella; Morri, Alessandro; Morri, Andrea
2017-08-01
This study aims to evaluate the effects of prolonged thermal exposure on both microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the EN AW-4032 T6 piston alloy. For the purpose, the experimental activities have been carried out on samples machined from forged and heat-treated automotive pistons. The effects of overaging have been investigated in the temperature range of 140-290 °C, firstly by evaluating the time-temperature-hardness curves and then by carrying out room-temperature tensile tests on overaged samples. The material softening was substantial and extremely rapid when the soaking temperature exceeded 250 °C. During overaging, both the tensile strength and the residual hardness considerably decreased, and a relationship between these parameters has been established. The alloy behavior in the plastic field has been modeled according to the Hollomon's equation, showing that both the strain hardening exponent and the strength coefficient are a function of the residual hardness. The results were finally related to the corresponding microstructural changes: OM and FEG-SEM metallographic and fractographic analyses on overaged samples gave evidence of coarsened precipitates along the grain boundaries.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Halligan, Steve; Plumb, Andrew; Taylor, Stuart [University College London UCL, Centre for Medical Imaging, 3rd Floor East, London (United Kingdom)
2016-12-15
Systematic review to determine any association between imaging features of idiopathic mesenteric panniculitis (MP) and subsequent malignancy. Two researchers searched primary literature independently for imaging studies of MP. They extracted data focusing on methodology for unbiased patient accrual and capability to determine a link between MP and subsequent malignancy. They noted imaging features of MP. Data were accrued and meta-analysis intended. Fourteen of 675 articles were eligible; 1,226 patients. Only three (21 %) accrued patients prospectively. Twelve (86 %) studies described CT features. Follow-up varied widely; 1 month to 8 years. Prevalence of MP was influenced by accrual: 0.2 % for keyword search versus 1.7 % for consecutive series. Accrual bias affected nine (64 %) studies. 458 (38 %) of 1,209 patients had malignancy at accrual but varied widely (8-89 %), preventing meta-analysis. Sixty (6.4 %) of 933 patients developed new malignancy subsequently, also varying widely (0-11 %). Of just four studies that determined the proportion of unselected, consecutive patients with MP developing subsequent malignancy, three were retrospective and the fourth excluded patients with lymphadenopathy, likely excluding patients with MP. Studies were heterogeneous, with biased accrual. No available study can determine an association between MP and subsequent malignancy with certainty. (orig.)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ganin, D V; Lapshin, K E; Obidin, A Z; Vartapetov, S K [Physics Instrumentation Center, A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)
2015-11-30
We present the result of the experiments on producing graphite-like cylindrical microstructures by focusing single femtosecond laser pulses into the bulk of a transparent polymer (polycarbonate). The microstructures are embedded in a cladding with a modified refractive index, possessing waveguide properties. In the experiments with nontransparent screens and diaphragms, placed in the laser beam in front of the entrance pupil of the objective with a large numerical aperture, we have found that the paraxial rays are blocked by the peripheral ones, which reduces the length of the destruction region in the pre-focal zone. In the experiments with transparent screens and diaphragms, introducing optical delays τ{sub d} between the paraxial and peripheral rays, the quantitative dependence of the destruction region length in the pre-focal zone on the value of τ{sub d} is determined. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)
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Microstructural characteristics of spray formed and heat treated Al–(Y, La)–Ni–Co system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Srivastava, V.C.; Surreddi, K.B.; Scudino, S.; Schowalter, M.; Uhlenwinkel, V.; Schulz, A.; Eckert, J.; Rosenauer, A.; Zoch, H.-W.
2013-01-01
Highlights: •Al–(La, Y)–Ni–Co based alloys are spray formed to thickness 10–12 mm. •XRD and DSC confirms the presence of large fraction of amorphous phase. •Optical, SEM and TEM studies corroborated the observations made. Mechanism of microstructural evolution brought out. •Heat treatment of spray deposited materials showed increased hardness which decreased at high temperature annealing. •La containing system showed better thermal stability than that without La. -- Abstract: Recent studies on the synthesis of bulk Al–RE (Rare Earth)-TM (Transition Metal) based materials, from melt spun ribbons and gas atomized powders, have shown that partially amorphous or nano-crystalline structures lead to a high specific strength. In the present study, therefore, spray atomization and deposition process has been used to produce plates of Al 85 Y 8 Ni 5 Co 2 (deposit D1) and Al 83 Y 5 La 5 Ni 5 Co 2 (deposit D2) systems so as to synthesize bulk deposit of nano-crystalline and/or partially amorphous materials in a single step. The rapid solidification and high undercooling of droplets during atomization and the chilling effect on undercooled liquid upon deposition give rise to the above microstructural features. The microstructural features of deposits as well as overspray powders were studied using optical, scanning and transmission electron microscope. The alloys invariably showed a large fraction of nano-crystalline structure and amorphous features, characterized by featureless regions at optical resolution, along with distribution of primary equilibrium phases. The differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis of the deposits showed similar crystallization features as observed during crystallization of fully amorphous melt spun ribbons of respective compositions. The transmission electron microscopy of deposit D1 showed the presence of 50–100 nm size fcc-Al precipitates in an amorphous matrix decorated with 5–20 nm fcc-Al crystallites. The
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chen, S.; Butler, J.; Melzer, S.
2014-01-01
In this study, both asymmetric hot rolling (AHR) and conventional hot rolling (CHR) were carried out to study the effect of the hot rolling conditions on the evolution of the texture and microstructure in a non-grain oriented (NGO) steel. The microstructure and texture in the subsequent processing stages were characterised and related to the final magnetic properties. The results show that AHR, compared with CHR, tends to homogenise texture through thickness of the hot band strips. AHR results in a higher fraction of the θ-fibre ({0 0 1}) and a lower fraction of the γ-fibre ({1 1 1}) in the hot band strips, which are favourable features in relation to the magnetic properties of the strip. However, the favourable features observed in hot rolled AHR strips are eliminated after cold rolling and annealing. Contrarily, the required θ-fibre is decreased and the unwanted γ-fibre is intensified in the AHR sheet after cold rolling and their strength is maintained in the subsequent process steps. On the other hand, AHR does not produce a discernible change in the grain size in the hot band annealed strip and in the final annealed sheet, except that the magnetic anisotropy in the AHR is improved after skin pass and extra annealing as the result of the redistribution of the texture components within the θ-fibre, no significant improvement of the magnetic properties as a direct consequence of the application of asymmetric hot rolling has been observed under the current AHR experimental conditions. - Highlights: • Asymmetrical hot rolling (AHR) produces more uniform distribution of texture through the thickness of the hot rolled strips and of the hot band annealed strips when compared with conventional hot rolling (CHR). • AHR results in a higher fraction of the θ-fibre ({0 0 1}) and a lower fraction of the γ-fibre ({1 1 1}) in the hot band strips. The θ-fibre is decreased but the γ-fibre is intensified in the AHR sheet after cold rolling
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Chen, S., E-mail: Shangping.chen@tatasteel.com [Tata Steel, 1970 CA IJmuiden (Netherlands); Butler, J. [Tata Steel, S60 3AR South Yorkshire (United Kingdom); Melzer, S. [Tata Steel, 1970 CA IJmuiden (Netherlands)
2014-11-15
In this study, both asymmetric hot rolling (AHR) and conventional hot rolling (CHR) were carried out to study the effect of the hot rolling conditions on the evolution of the texture and microstructure in a non-grain oriented (NGO) steel. The microstructure and texture in the subsequent processing stages were characterised and related to the final magnetic properties. The results show that AHR, compared with CHR, tends to homogenise texture through thickness of the hot band strips. AHR results in a higher fraction of the θ-fibre ({0 0 1}) and a lower fraction of the γ-fibre ({1 1 1}) in the hot band strips, which are favourable features in relation to the magnetic properties of the strip. However, the favourable features observed in hot rolled AHR strips are eliminated after cold rolling and annealing. Contrarily, the required θ-fibre is decreased and the unwanted γ-fibre is intensified in the AHR sheet after cold rolling and their strength is maintained in the subsequent process steps. On the other hand, AHR does not produce a discernible change in the grain size in the hot band annealed strip and in the final annealed sheet, except that the magnetic anisotropy in the AHR is improved after skin pass and extra annealing as the result of the redistribution of the texture components within the θ-fibre, no significant improvement of the magnetic properties as a direct consequence of the application of asymmetric hot rolling has been observed under the current AHR experimental conditions. - Highlights: • Asymmetrical hot rolling (AHR) produces more uniform distribution of texture through the thickness of the hot rolled strips and of the hot band annealed strips when compared with conventional hot rolling (CHR). • AHR results in a higher fraction of the θ-fibre ({0 0 1}) and a lower fraction of the γ-fibre ({1 1 1}) in the hot band strips. The θ-fibre is decreased but the γ-fibre is intensified in the AHR sheet after cold rolling
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Microstructural characterization of concrete prepared with recycled aggregates.
Guedes, Mafalda; Evangelista, Luís; de Brito, Jorge; Ferro, Alberto C
2013-10-01
Several authors have reported the workability, mechanical properties, and durability of concrete produced with construction waste replacing the natural aggregate. However, a systematic microstructural characterization of recycled aggregate concrete has not been reported. This work studies the use of fine recycled aggregate to replace fine natural aggregate in the production of concrete and reports the resulting microstructures. The used raw materials were natural aggregate, recycled aggregate obtained from a standard concrete, and Portland cement. The substitution extent was 0, 10, 50, and 100 vol%; hydration was stopped at 9, 24, and 96 h and 28 days. Microscopy was focused on the cement/aggregate interfacial transition zone, enlightening the effect of incorporating recycled aggregate on the formation and morphology of the different concrete hydration products. The results show that concretes with recycled aggregates exhibit typical microstructural features of the transition zone in normal strength concrete. Although overall porosity increases with increasing replacement, the interfacial bond is apparently stronger when recycled aggregates are used. An addition of 10 vol% results in a decrease in porosity at the interface with a corresponding increase of the material hardness. This provides an opportunity for development of increased strength Portland cement concretes using controlled amounts of concrete waste.
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Refinement of the microstructure of steel by cross rolling
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tsay, Kira; Arbuz, Alexandr; Gusseynov, Nazim; Nemkaeva, Renata; Ospanov, Nurlan; Krupen'kin, Ivan
2016-01-01
One of the most effective ways for refinement of metal microstructure is a severe plastic deformation. The cross rolling is the one of most perspective methods of severe plastic deformation, because it allows to get the long billets, unlike equal angular pressing and other popular methods. This fact provides some industrial expectation for this method. However, deformation and motion path of the metal is very heterogeneous across the section of the rolled piece. This paper presents the finite element modeling of hot cross rolling of steel in the software package DEFORM-3D features implemented and studied the stress-strain state. An experimental study of the effect of the cross rolling on a three-roll mill on the microstructure of structural alloy steel and stainless steel AISI321 in different zones of the bar. Analysis of microsections made after rolling with high total stretch and the final pass temperature 700°C, shows the formation of equiaxial ultrafinegrain structure on the periphery of an elongated rod and “rolling” texture in the central zone. The resulting microstructure corresponds to that obtained in models of stress-strain state. Keywords: cross rolling, ultra-fine grain structure, steel.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Krauss, W.; Holstein, N.; Konys, J.; Mazul, I.
2006-01-01
Within the EU framework of the power plant conceptual study (PPCS), a He-cooled modular divertor concept to remove the expected heat loads of up to 15 MW/m 2 is investigated at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. These high loads require sufficient cooling of the divertor components, which can only be obtained by an adapted design together with a close interaction with materials issues and development of manufacturing processes. Physical aspects favor tungsten as a functional and structural material. The design work performed indicates that sufficient heat removal by He requires microstructured W-surfaces in the shape of pin or slot arrays, or else a multi-jet cooling technology. In this work, manufacturing processes (e.g. EDM, laser etching, PIM, ECM) were analyzed for their applicability and cost effectiveness for shaping of microstructured W-arrays. In a second step, their impact on the microstructure and, thus, on stability and function of the parts were investigated. First test arrays were fabricated by EDM and brazed into the designed finger-like cooling structures. However, testing showed clearly that further development of the structuring processes (e.g. PIM, ECM) for W-components and of improved W-alloys are necessary
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Phase-Field Simulation of Microstructure Evolution in Industrial A2214 Alloy During Solidification
Wei, Ming; Tang, Ying; Zhang, Lijun; Sun, Weihua; Du, Yong
2015-07-01
By linking to the thermodynamic and atomic mobility databases in Al alloys well established in our research group, the microstructure evolution in industrial A2214 alloy (Al-4.5Cu-0.5Mg-1.0Si, in wt pct) during solidification process was studied by means of two-dimensional phase-field simulation via MICRostructure Evolution Simulation Software in the framework of the multi-phase-field formalism. The thermophysical parameters including interfacial energies and interfacial mobilities were carefully chosen for reproducing the experimental features. The solidification sequence due to the present phase-field simulation conforms to both equilibrium calculation and Scheil simulation. The predicted microstructure reproduces the experimental data very well. These facts indicate that a quantitative phase-field simulation was achieved in the present work. Moreover, the mechanisms of characteristic patterns and microstructure formation were revealed with the aid of the phase-field simulation. In addition, the effect of cooling rate on the secondary dendrite arm spacing and microsegregation was also investigated through comprehensive comparison with the experimental data.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gu-Qing Guo
2015-11-01
Full Text Available In this work, how synchrotron radiation techniques can be applied for detecting the microstructure in metallic glass (MG is studied. The unit cells are the basic structural units in crystals, though it has been suggested that the co-existence of various clusters may be the universal structural feature in MG. Therefore, it is a challenge to detect microstructures of MG even at the short-range scale by directly using synchrotron radiation techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption methods. Here, a feasible scheme is developed where some state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation-based experiments can be combined with simulations to investigate the microstructure in MG. By studying a typical MG composition (Zr70Pd30, it is found that various clusters do co-exist in its microstructure, and icosahedral-like clusters are the popular structural units. This is the structural origin where there is precipitation of an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase prior to phase transformation from glass to crystal when heating Zr70Pd30 MG.
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Micro-structural integrity of dental enamel subjected to two tooth whitening regimes.
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.
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Jacques, Kevin; Steentjes, Simon; Henrotte, François; Geuzaine, Christophe; Hameyer, Kay
2018-04-01
This paper demonstrates how the statistical distribution of pinning fields in a ferromagnetic material can be identified systematically from standard magnetic measurements, Epstein frame or Single Sheet Tester (SST). The correlation between the pinning field distribution and microstructural parameters of the material is then analyzed.
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Ultrasonic characterization of microstructure in powder metal alloy
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.
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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
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Francisco J. Baldenebro-Lopez
2015-01-01
Full Text Available In this work, the mechanical properties and microstructural features of an AISI 304L stainless steel in two presentations, bulk and fibers, were systematically studied in order to establish the relationship among microstructure, mechanical properties, manufacturing process and effect on sample size. The microstructure was analyzed by XRD, SEM and TEM techniques. The strength, Young’s modulus and elongation of the samples were determined by tensile tests, while the hardness was measured by Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation tests. The materials have been observed to possess different mechanical and microstructural properties, which are compared and discussed.
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Microstructural evolution during dual-ion irradiation of candidate fusion reactor materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nolfi, F.V. Jr.; Ayrault, G.
1979-01-01
Single- and dual-ion (heavy ions + 3 He) irradiations of Fe-20wt.%Ni-15wt.%Cr, V-15wt.%Cr and Ti-6wt.%Al-4wt.%V alloys have been performed over a range of temperatures and doses. Various features of microstructural evolution during irradiation are reported as determined by transmission electron microscopy and Auger spectroscopy investigations
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zeng Yanwei; Tian Changan; Liu Junliang
2006-01-01
The XPS and GISAXS have been employed as useful tools to probe the chemical compositional and microstructural evolutions in the surface layers formed via phase separation and percolation in polystyren/Ti(OBut) 4 /alumina composite thick films. The surface enrichment of Ti species due to the migration of Ti(OBut) 4 molecules in the films was found to show an incubation period of ∼15 h while the samples were treated at 100 deg. C before a remarkable progress can be identified. According to the XPS and GISAXS data, Key mechanism to govern this surface process is phenomenologically considered to be the specific phase separation behavior in Ti(OBut) 4 /PS blend and the subsequent percolating process. The extended thermal treatment was found to make the surface layer microstructure evolve from local phase separation featured with an increasing population of individual microbeads of Ti(OBut) 4 (∼1.5 nm in radius) to the formation of large size clusters of microbeads due to their interconnections, accompanied by the growth of every microbead itself to ∼10 nm on the average, which provokes and then enhances the surface enrichment of Ti(OBut) 4 since these clusters act as a fast diffusion network due to percolation effect
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Shearing, P.R.; Howard, L.E.; Jørgensen, Peter Stanley
2010-01-01
The 3-dimensional microstructure of a porous electrode from a lithium-ion battery has been characterized for the first time. We use X-ray tomography to reconstruct a 43 × 348 × 478 μm sample volume with voxel dimensions of 480 nm, subsequent division of the reconstructed volumes into sub...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
P. Skubisz
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The study concerns cost-effective realization of controlled thermomechanical processing (CTMP of medium-carbon and HSLA steel aimed at producing microstructure and properties equivalent to normalized condition directly after forging. The results of theoretical and physical modeling of hot forging with subsequent heat treating adopted for industrial realization in continuous manner were verified in semi-industrial conditions of a forge plant.
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Three-dimensional printing of freeform helical microstructures: a review.
Farahani, R D; Chizari, K; Therriault, D
2014-09-21
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a fabrication method that enables creation of structures from digital models. Among the different structures fabricated by 3D printing methods, helical microstructures attracted the attention of the researchers due to their potential in different fields such as MEMS, lab-on-a-chip systems, microelectronics and telecommunications. Here we review different types of 3D printing methods capable of fabricating 3D freeform helical microstructures. The techniques including two more common microfabrication methods (i.e., focused ion beam chemical vapour deposition and microstereolithography) and also five methods based on computer-controlled robotic direct deposition of ink filament (i.e., fused deposition modeling, meniscus-confined electrodeposition, conformal printing on a rotating mandrel, UV-assisted and solvent-cast 3D printings) and their advantages and disadvantages regarding their utilization for the fabrication of helical microstructures are discussed. Focused ion beam chemical vapour deposition and microstereolithography techniques enable the fabrication of very precise shapes with a resolution down to ∼100 nm. However, these techniques may have material constraints (e.g., low viscosity) and/or may need special process conditions (e.g., vacuum chamber) and expensive equipment. The five other techniques based on robotic extrusion of materials through a nozzle are relatively cost-effective, however show lower resolution and less precise features. The popular fused deposition modeling method offers a wide variety of printable materials but the helical microstructures manufactured featured a less precise geometry compared to the other printing methods discussed in this review. The UV-assisted and the solvent-cast 3D printing methods both demonstrated high performance for the printing of 3D freeform structures such as the helix shape. However, the compatible materials used in these methods were limited to UV-curable polymers and
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Multiphase Microstructure in a Metastability-Assisted Medium Carbon Alloy Steel
Liu, Cheng; Cui, Xixi; Yang, Chen
2018-05-01
A medium carbon alloy steel is processed by austenizing at 900 °C for 30 min, then rapid quenching into a patented quenching liquid and holding at 170 °C for 5 min, finally isothermally holding at 250 °C for different times. The morphology and mechanical properties are performed by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A multiphase microstructure characterized by a mixture of lenticular prior martensite (PM), fine needle bainitic ferrite and filmy retained austenite (RA) is obtained. It is found that the PM formed firstly upon quenching can accelerate the subsequent bainitic transformation and promote refinement of multiphase colonies. The results show that an optimum mechanical property of a 4000.9 MPa bending strength and a 2030 MPa tensile strength is achieved at 250 °C for 120 min, which is attributed to the multiphase microstructural characteristics and a high product of the volume fraction of RA and the carbon content of austenite.
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Hu, Yu; Shi, Yonghua; Shen, Xiaoqin; Wang, Zhongmin
2018-05-01
A recently developed promising material, 2101 lean duplex stainless steel, represents an alternative to 304 austenite stainless steel. In this work, multi-pass 2101 weld joints were fabricated using the flux-cored arc welding method in a hyperbaric chamber. The pressure varied from 0 to 0.75 MPa. The evolution of the welding process and microstructure was investigated. γ 2 formation in the reheated zones of the WM and HAZ was not uniform. The closer the reheated zone is to the subsequent heat source, the greater the γ 2 formation in the reheated zone. Sufficient primary austenite transformation inhibited Cr2N precipitation and the subsequent intragranular γ 2 formation in the reheated weld passes of the 0.45 MPa weld metal. The localized corrosion resistance of each zone of the 0.45 MPa DSS joint was measured using non-destructive double-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation tests. The localized corrosion was induced by γ 2 and Cr2N. The root region of the 0.45 MPa weld metal underwent two subsequent welding thermal cycles, which induced increased γ 2 formation and lower resistance to corrosion because of the decreased pitting resistance value of γ 2. The correlation between microstructure evolution and the distribution of selective corrosion was determined.
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Software for Demonstration of Features of Chain Polymerization Processes
Sosnowski, Stanislaw
2013-01-01
Free software for the demonstration of the features of homo- and copolymerization processes (free radical, controlled radical, and living) is described. The software is based on the Monte Carlo algorithms and offers insight into the kinetics, molecular weight distribution, and microstructure of the macromolecules formed in those processes. It also…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kevin Jacques
2018-04-01
Full Text Available This paper demonstrates how the statistical distribution of pinning fields in a ferromagnetic material can be identified systematically from standard magnetic measurements, Epstein frame or Single Sheet Tester (SST. The correlation between the pinning field distribution and microstructural parameters of the material is then analyzed.
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Semiconductor and ceramic microstructure made by single mode fiber laser
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pawlak, R; Tomczyk, M; Walczak, M; Domagalski, P
2014-01-01
In the paper the results of micromachining of 3D microstructures of microsystems made from silicon and alumina ceramic using a single mode fiber laser (1064 nm) are presented. The quality of obtained structures and its smallest dimensions with acceptable maintained quality were examined. The influence of variable parameters of laser processing with changing of mapping scale on geometrical features of structures was identified.
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Microstructural aspects of thermal ageing of AISI type 316 LN stainless steels
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shankar, P.; Sundararaman, D.; Raghunathan, V.S.; Ranganathan, S.
1995-01-01
The various stages of precipitation of Cr 2 N in austenite and the associated microstructural features are presented. The role of nitrogen on the interface structure is discussed. The fine sub-structure of the cellular bands are described based on high resolution transmission electron microscope studies. (author). 2 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs
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Microstructure and nanomechanical properties of Fe+ implanted silicon
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nunes, B.; Magalhães, S.; Franco, N.; Alves, E.; Colaço, R.
2013-01-01
Silicon wafers were implanted with iron ions at different fluences (from 5 × 10 15 up to 2 × 10 17 cm −2 ), followed by annealing treatments at temperatures from 550 °C to 1000 °C, aiming at evaluating the nanomechanical response of the samples and its relation with the microstructural features and characteristics of the modified layer. After implantation, a homogeneous amorphous layer with a thickness between 200 nm and 270 nm is formed, without damaging the surface smoothness neither introducing surface defects. After annealing, recrystallization and formation of nanometric precipitates of iron silicides is observed, with the corresponding changes in the hardness and stiffness of the modified layer. These results indicate that ion implantation of silicon followed by annealing at proper temperatures, can be an alternative route to be deeper explored in what concerns the precise control of the microstructure and, thus, the improvement of nanomechanical properties of silicon.
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Microstructure evolution of titanium after tensile and recrystallisation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wronski, S., E-mail: wronski@ftj.agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Jedrychowski, M., E-mail: jedrychowski@agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Tarasiuk, J., E-mail: tarasiuk@ftj.agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Bacroix, B., E-mail: brigitte.bacroix@univ-paris13.fr [LSPM, CNRS, Université Paris XIII, 99, av. J.B. Clement, 93 430 Villetaneuse (France)
2017-04-24
The qualitative and quantitative behaviour of titanium Ti40 during tensile deformation was investigated along with the effect of deformation and twins on the subsequent recrystallisation process. For this purpose, the examined material was subjected to stretching in mutually perpendicular directions. Tensile tests were performed up to 8% and 16% deformation. Subsequently, the material was examined using the electron backscatter diffraction technique. Analysis of microstructure and misorientation profiles showed that the material stretched in the transverse direction was characterised by the creation of numerous twin structures. A large number of twins {1 0 1 2}<‒1 0 1 1> was observed, whereas in the sample stretched in the rolling direction {1 1 ‒2 2}<‒1 ‒1 2 3> twin structures were rarely observed. Twin structures obtained during deformation have an impact on the process of recrystallisation, mainly on recrystallisation kinetics. This phenomenon was confirmed by the analysis of parameters such as grain orientation spread and grain sizes as a function of recrystallisation time.
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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
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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
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Poulsen, Stefan Othmar; Voorhees, P.W.; Lauridsen, Erik Mejdal
2012-01-01
A phase field model to study the microstructural evolution of a polycrystalline dual-phase material with conserved phase fraction has been implemented, and 2D simulations have been performed. For 2D simulations, the model predicts the cubic growth well-known for diffusion-controlled systems. Some...... interphase boundaries are found to show a persistent non-constant curvature, which seems to be a feature of multi-phase materials. Finally, it is briefly outlined how this model is to be applied to investigate microstructural evolution in duplex steel. © (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland....
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Microstructural evolutions of friction stir welded F82H steel for fusion applications
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Noh, Sang Hoon; Shim, Jae Won; Kim, Tae Kyu [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Tani Gawa, Hiro Yasu [JAEA, Rokasho (Japan); Fujii, Hideto Shi [Osaka Univ., Osaka (Japan); Kim Ura, Aki Hiko [Kyoto Univ., Kyoto (Japan)
2012-10-15
A blanket is the most important component functionalized as plasma confining, tritium breeding, heat exchanging, and irradiation shielding from severe thermo neutron loads in a fusion reactor. Its structure consists of first walls, side walls, a back board, and coolant channels mainly made of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel, which is the most promising candidate as a structural material for fusion reactors. To fabricate this blanket structure, some welding and joining methods have being carefully applied. However, when fusion welding, such as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, electron beam, and laser welding was performed between F82H and itself, the strength of welds significantly deteriorated due to the development of {delta} ferrite and precipitate dissolution. Post welding heat treatment (PWHT) should be followed to restore the initial microstructure. Nevertheless, microstructural discontinuity inevitably occurs between the weld metal, heat affected zone and base metal and this seriously degrades the entire structural stability under pulsed operation at high temperature in test blanket module (TBM). A phase transformation can also be an issue to be solved, which leads to a difficult replacement of the blanket module. Therefore, a reliable and field applicable joining technique should be developed not to accompany with PWHT after the joining process. Friction stir welding (FSW) is one of the solid state processes that does not create a molten zone at the joining area, so the degradation of the featured microstructures may be avoided or minimized. In this study, FSW was employed to join F82H steels to develop a potential joining technique for RAFM steel. The microstructural features on the joint region were investigated to evaluate the applicability of the FSW.
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Origins of microstructural transformations in charged vesicle suspensions: the crowding hypothesis.
Seth, Mansi; Ramachandran, Arun; Murch, Bruce P; Leal, L Gary
2014-09-02
It is observed that charged unilamellar vesicles in a suspension can spontaneously deflate and subsequently transition to form bilamellar vesicles, even in the absence of externally applied triggers such as salt or temperature gradients. We provide strong evidence that the driving force for this deflation-induced transition is the repulsive electrostatic pressure between charged vesicles in concentrated suspensions, above a critical effective volume fraction. We use volume fraction measurements and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging to quantitatively follow both the macroscopic and microstructural time-evolution of cationic diC18:1 DEEDMAC vesicle suspensions at different surfactant and salt concentrations. A simple model is developed to estimate the extent of deflation of unilamellar vesicles caused by electrostatic interactions with neighboring vesicles. It is determined that when the effective volume fraction of the suspension exceeds a critical value, charged vesicles in a suspension can experience "crowding" due to overlap of their electrical double layers, which can result in deflation and subsequent microstructural transformations to reduce the effective volume fraction of the suspension. Ordinarily in polydisperse colloidal suspensions, particles interacting via a repulsive potential transform into a glassy state above a critical volume fraction. The behavior of charged vesicle suspensions reported in this paper thus represents a new mechanism for the relaxation of repulsive interactions in crowded situations.
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Microstructural evolution in an austenitic stainless steel fusion reactor first wall
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stoller, R.E.; Odette, G.R.
1986-01-01
A detailed rate-theory-based model of microstructural evolution under fast neutron irradiation has been developed. The prominent new aspect of this model is a treatment of dislocation evolution in which Frank faulted loops nucleate, grow and unfault to provide a source for network dislocations while the dislocation network can be simultaneously annihilated by a climb/glide process. The predictions of this model compare very favorably with the observed dose and temperature dependence of these key microstructural features over a broad range. This new description of dislocation evolution has been coupled with a previously developed model of cavity evolution and good agreement has been obtained between the predictions of the composite model and fast reactor swelling data as well. The results from the composite model also reveal that the various components of the irradiation-induced microstructure evolve in a highly coupled manner. The predictions of the composite model are more sensitive to parametric variations than more simple models. Hence, its value as a tool in data analysis and extrapolation is enhanced
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Eckelmeyer, K.H.; Romiy, A.D.; Weirick, L.J.
1984-01-01
The effect of cooling rate on microstructure, mechanical behavior, corrosion resistance, and subsequent age hardenability is discussed. Cooling rates in excess of 20 Ks -1 cause the parent γ-phase to transform martensitically to a niobium supersaturated variant of the α-phase. This phase exhibits low hardness and strength, high ductility, good corrosion resistance, and age hardenability. As cooling rate decreases from 10 Ks -1 to 0.2 Ks -1 , microstructural changes (consistent with spinodal decomposition) occur to an increasing extent. These changes produce increases in hardness and strength and decreases in ductility, corrosion resistance, and age hardenability. At cooling rates less than 0.2 Ks -1 the parent phase undergoes cellular decomposition to a coarse two-phase lamellar microstructure which exhibits intermediate strength and ductility, reduced corrosion resistance, and no age hardenability. An analysis of the cooling rates indicates that fully martensitic microstructures can be obtained in plates as thick as 50 mm
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Microstructure of absorber layers in CdTe/CdS solar cells
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cousins, M.A.
2001-04-01
This work concerns the microstructure of CSS-grown CdTe layers used for CdTe/CdS solar cells. Particular attention is given to how the development of microstructure on annealing with CdCl 2 may correlate with increases in efficiency. By annealing pressed pellets of bulk CdTe powder, it is shown that microstructural change does occur on heating the material, enhanced by the inclusion of CdCl 2 flux. However, the temperature required to cause significant effects is demonstrated to be higher than that at which heavy oxidation takes place. The dynamics of this oxidation are also examined. To investigate microstructural evolution in thin-films of CdTe, bi-layers of CdTe and CdS are examined by bevelling, thus revealing the microstructure to within ∼1 μm of the interface. This allows optical microscopy and subsequent image analysis of grain structure. The work shows that the grain-size, which is well described by the Rayleigh distribution, varies linearly throughout the layer, but is invariant under CdCl 2 treatment. Electrical measurements on these bi-layers, however, showed increased efficiency, as is widely reported. This demonstrates that the efficiency of these devices is not dictated by the bulk microstructure. Further, the region within 1 μm of the interface, of similar bi-layers to above, is examined by plan-view TEM. This reveals five-fold grain-growth on CdCl 2 treatment. Moreover, these grains show a considerably smaller grain size than expected from extrapolating the linear trend in the bulk. These observations are explained in terms of the pinning of the CdTe grain size to the underlying CdS, and the small grain size this causes. A simple model was proposed for a link between the grain-growth to the efficiency improvement. The study also examines the behaviour of defects within grains upon CdCl 2 treatment provided the first direct evidence of recovery on CdCl 2 treatment in this system. Finally, a computer model is presented to describe the evolution of
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Microstructure-property relationships in Al-Cu-Li-Ag-Mg Weldalite (tm) alloys, part 2
Langan, T. J.; Pickens, J. R.
1991-01-01
The microstructure and mechanical properties of the ultrahigh strength Al-Cu-Li-Ag-Mg alloy, Weldalite (tm) 049, were studied. Specifically, the microstructural features along with tensile strength, weldability, Young's modulus and fracture toughness were studied for Weldalite (tm) 049 type alloys with Li contents ranging from 1.3 to 1.9 wt. pct. The tensile properties of Weldalite 049 and Weldalite 049 reinforced with TiB2 particles fabricated using the XD (tm) process were also evaluated at cryogenic, room, and elevated temperatures. In addition, an experimental alloy, similar in composition to Weldalite 049 but without the Ag+Mg, was fabricated. The microstructure of this alloy was compared with that of Weldalite 049 in the T6 condition to assess the effect of Ag+Mg on nucleation of strengthening phases in the absence of cold work.
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Applications of a composite model of microstructural evolution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stoller, R.E.
1986-01-01
Near-term fusion reactors will have to be designed using radiation effects data from experiments conducted in fast fission reactors. These fast reactors generate atomic displacements at a rate similar to that expected in a DT fusion reactor first wall. However, the transmutant helium production in an austenitic stainless steel first wall will exceed that in fast reactor fuel cladding by about a factor of 30. Hence, the use of the fast reactor data will involve some extrapolation. A major goal of this work is to develop theoretical models of microstructural evolution to aid in this extrapolation. In the present work a detailed rate-theory-based model of microstructural evolution under fast neutron irradiation has been developed. The prominent new aspect of this model is a treatment of dislocation evolution in which Frank faulted loops nucleate, grow and unfault to provide a source for network dislocations while the dislocation network can be simultaneously annihilated by a climb/glide process. The predictions of this model compare very favorably with the observed dose and temperature dependence of these key microstructural features over a broad range. In addition, this new description of dislocation evolution has been coupled with a previously developed model of cavity evolution and good agreement has been obtained between the predictions of the composite model and fast reactor swelling data. The results from the composite model also reveal that the various components of the irradiation-induced microstructure evolve in a highly coupled manner. The predictions of the composite model are more sensitive to parametric variations than more simple models. Hence, its value as a tool in data analysis and extrapolation is enhanced
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Oh M.C.
2015-06-01
Full Text Available The influence of surface heat treatment using laser radiation on the fatigue strength and corresponding microstructural evolution of AISI 4140 alloy steel was investigated in this research. The AISI 4140 alloy steel was radiated by a diode laser to give surface temperatures in the range between 600 and 800°C, and subsequently underwent vibration peening. The fatigue behavior of surface-treated specimens was examined using a giga-cycle ultrasonic fatigue test, and it was compared with that of non-treated and only-peened specimens. Fatigue fractured surfaces and microstructural evolution with respect to the laser treatment temperatures were investigated using an optical microscope. Hardness distribution was measured using Vickers micro-hardness. Higher laser temperature resulted in higher fatigue strength, attributed to the phase transformation.
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Thakoor, A. P.; Khanna, S. K.; Williams, R. M.; Landel, R. F.
1983-01-01
The microstructure and corrosion behavior of magnetron sputter deposited amorphous metallic films of (Mo6ORu40)82B18 under varying sputtering atmospheres have been investigated. The microstructural details and topology of the films have been studied by scanning electron microscopy and correlated with the deposition conditions. By reducing the pressure of pure argon gas, the characteristic features of rough surface and columnar growth full of vertical voids can be converted into a mirror-smooth finish with very dense deposits. Films deposited in the presence of O2 or N2 exhibit columnar structure with vertical voids. Film deposited in pure argon at low pressure show remarkably high corrosion resistance due to the formation of a uniform passive surface layer. The influence of the microstructure and surface texture on the corrosion behavior is discussed.
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Microstructure and properties of step aged rare earth alloy magnets
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mishra, R.K.; Thomas, G.; Yoneyama, T.; Fukuno, A.; Ojima, T.
1980-11-01
Alloys with compositions Co-25.5 wt/o Sm-8 w/o Cu-15 w/o Fe-3 w/o Zr and Co-Sm-Cu-Fe-1.5 w/o Zr have been step aged to produce magnets with coercive force (iHc) in the range of 10 to 25k0e. The high coercive force magnets are typically aged at 800 to 850 0 C for 10 to 30 hours following the solution treatment at 1150 0 C. Subsequently, these are step aged to produce materials with high coercivity. The microstructure in all these alloys has a 2 phase cellular morphology with 2:17 phase surrounded by a 1:5 boundary phase. The long aging treatments at 800 to 850 0 C lead to coarsening of the two phase structure. The subsequent step-aging does not change the morphology, but only changes the chemical composition of the two phases. Best properties are obtained in materials with a coherent microstructure of optimum boundary phase thickness and optimum chemical composition. The highest values of iHc obtained so far are approx. 26k0e and approx. 16 k0e for the 3% Zr and 1.5% Zr alloys respectively. The best hard magnetic properties of (BH) max = 33 MG0e and iHc = 13k0e are for a 25% Sm-20% Fe-4 Cu-2% Zr alloy
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Oliveira, F.C.; Abrantes, A.L.A.; Lins, J.F.C., E-mail: cristinafo2@hotmail.co [Universidade Federal Fluminense (PPGEM/UFF), Volta Redonda, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Metalurgica
2010-07-01
This study aimed to evaluate the microstructural evolution of a titanium stabilized IF steel deformed to warm through the ARB process for 5 consecutive cycles and then annealing at 600 deg C for 1 h. The material was characterized with the aid of the techniques of scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (Electron Backscatter Diffraction - EBSD). An intense process of microstructural refinement was observed in the deformed material and the phenomenon of dynamic recovery was predominant. It can be concluded that the annealing of severely deformed material was not sufficient for a complete recrystallization of the microstructure. (author)
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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.
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Altered Sputum Microstructure as a Marker of Airway Obstruction in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Duncan, Gregg; Jung, James; West, Natalie; Boyle, Michael; Suk, Jung Soo; Hanes, Justin
In the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, highly viscoelastic mucus remains stagnant in the lung leading to obstructed airways prone to recurrent infections. Bulk-fluid rheological measurement is primarily used to assess the pathological features of mucus. However, this approach is limited in detecting microscopic properties on the length scale of pathogens and immune cells. We have shown in prior work based on the transport of muco-inert nanoparticles (MIP) in CF sputum that patients can carry significantly different microstructural properties. In this study, we aimed to determine the factors leading to variations between patients in sputum microstructure and their clinical implications. The microrheological properties of CF sputum were measured using multi-particle tracking experiments of MIP. MIP were made by grafting polyethylene glycol onto the surface of polystyrene nanoparticles which prior work has shown prevents adhesion to CF sputum. Biochemical analyses show that sputum microstructure was significantly altered by elevated mucin and DNA content. Reduction in sputum pore size is characteristic of patients with obstructed airways as indicated by measured pulmonary function tests. Our microstructural read-out may serve as a novel biomarker for CF.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dongjia Cao
2017-12-01
Full Text Available Phase-field simulation serves as an effective tool for quantitative characterization of microstructure evolution in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys during solidification nowadays. The classic unit cell is either limited to γ dendrites along crystal orientation or too ideal to cover complex morphologies for γ dendrites. An attempt to design the unit cell for two-dimensional (2-D phase-field simulations of microstructure evolution in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys during solidification was thus performed by using the MICRESS (MICRostructure Evolution Simulation Software in the framework of the multi-phase-field (MPF model, and demonstrated in a commercial TMS-113 superalloy. The coupling to CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram thermodynamic database was realized via the TQ interface and the experimental diffusion coefficients were utilized in the simulation. Firstly, the classic unit cell with a single γ dendrite along crystal orientation was employed for the phase-field simulation in order to reproduce the microstructure features. Then, such simple unit cell was extended into the cases with two other different crystal orientations, i.e., and . Thirdly, for crystal orientations, the effect of γ dendritic orientations and unit cell sizes on microstructure and microsegregation was comprehensively studied, from which a new unit cell with multiple γ dendrites was proposed. The phase-field simulation with the newly proposed unit cell was further performed in the TMS-113 superalloy, and the microstructure features including the competitive growth of γ dendrites, microsegregation of different solutes and distribution of γ′ grains, can be nicely reproduced.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hu, Z.L.; Wang, X.S.; Pang, Q.; Huang, F.; Qin, X.P.; Hua, L.
2015-01-01
Friction stir welding is an efficient manufacturing method for joining aluminum alloy and can dramatically reduce grain size conferring excellent plastic deformation properties. Consequently, friction stir welding is used to manufacture tailor welded blanks to optimize weight or performance in the final component. In the study, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of friction stir welding joint during plastic forming and subsequent heat treatment were investigated. The microstructural characteristics of the friction stir welding joints were studied by Electron Backscattered Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and microhardness tests. It is found that the tensile and yield strengths of friction stir welding joints are significantly improved after severe plastic deformation due to the grain refinement. Following heat treatment, the strength of the friction stir welding joints significantly decrease due to the obvious abnormal grain growth. Careful attention must be given to the processing route of any friction stir welding joint intended for plastic forming, especially the annealing between forming passes. Severe plastic deforming of the friction stir welding joint leads to a high level of stored energy/dislocation density, which causes the abnormal grain growth during subsequent heat treatment, and consequently reduce the mechanical properties of the friction stir welding joint. - Highlights: • Great changes are observed in the microstructure of FSW joint after postprocessing. • Postprocessing shows great effect on the microstructure stability of FSW joint. • The weld shows more significant decrease in strength than the BM due to the AGG. • Attention must be given to the processing route of FSW joint for plastic forming
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Mechanical Properties and Microstructural Characterization of Aged Nickel-based Alloy 625 Weld Metal
Silva, Cleiton Carvalho; de Albuquerque, Victor Hugo C.; Miná, Emerson Mendonça; Moura, Elineudo P.; Tavares, João Manuel R. S.
2018-03-01
The aim of this work was to evaluate the different phases formed during solidification and after thermal aging of the as-welded 625 nickel-based alloy, as well as the influence of microstructural changes on the mechanical properties. The experiments addressed aging temperatures of 650 and 950 °C for 10, 100, and 200 hours. The samples were analyzed by electron microscopy, microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction in order to identify the secondary phases. Mechanical tests such as hardness, microhardness, and Charpy-V impact test were performed. Nondestructive ultrasonic inspection was also conducted to correlate the acquired signals with mechanical and microstructural properties. The results show that the alloy under study experienced microstructural changes when aged at 650 °C. The aging was responsible by the dissolution of the Laves phase formed during the solidification and the appearance of γ″ phase within interdendritic region and fine carbides along the solidification grain boundaries. However, when it was aged at 950 °C, the Laves phase was continuously dissolved and the excess Nb caused the precipitation of the δ-phase (Ni3Nb), which was intensified at 10 hours of aging, with subsequent dissolution for longer periods such as 200 hours. Even when subjected to significant microstructural changes, the mechanical properties, especially toughness, were not sensitive to the dissolution and/or precipitation of the secondary phases.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhou, N.; Lv, D.C.; Zhang, H.L.; McAllister, D.; Zhang, F.; Mills, M.J.; Wang, Y.
2014-01-01
Microstructural evolution during co-precipitation of γ′, γ″ and δ phases from a supersaturated γ matrix during aging of superalloy Inconel 718 (IN718) is investigated by computer simulation using the phase-field method. The precipitation model is quantitative, using as model inputs ab initio calculations of elastic constants, experimental data on lattice parameters, precipitate–matrix orientation relationship, interfacial energy of each individual precipitate phase and interdiffusivities, and a Ni–Nb–Al pseudo-ternary thermodynamic database specifically developed for IN718. In order to simulate statistically representative multiphase microstructures observed in the alloy, the Kim–Kim–Suzuki treatment of interfaces is employed. Simulation results show how alloy composition, lattice misfit, external stress, temperature and time affect precipitate microstructure and variant selection during isothermal aging, without any a priori assumptions about key microstructural features including size, shape, volume fraction and spatial distribution of different types of precipitates and different variants of the same precipitate phase. The shapes of precipitates and their coarsening kinetics are analyzed based on the two-dimensional moment invariant. The various multiphase microstructures generated by the simulations have been used as model inputs in a study to investigate how precipitate microstructure (in particular shape and spatial distribution) influences the strength of IN718
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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.
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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.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fourspring, P.M.; Pangborn, R.N.
1996-06-01
X-ray double crystal diffractometry (XRDCD) was used to assess cyclic microstructural deformation in a face centered cubic (fcc) steel (AISI304) and a body centered cubic (bcc) steel (SA508 class 2). The first objective of the investigation was to determine if XRDCD could be used to effectively monitor cyclic microstructural deformation in polycrystalline Fe alloys. A second objective was to study the microstructural deformation induced by cyclic loading of polycrystalline Fe alloys. The approach used in the investigation was to induce fatigue damage in a material and to characterize the resulting microstructural deformation at discrete fractions of the fatigue life of the material. Also, characterization of microstructural deformation was carried out to identify differences in the accumulation of damage from the surface to the bulk, focusing on the following three regions: near surface (0--10 microm), subsurface (10--300 microm), and bulk. Characterization of the subsurface region was performed only on the AISI304 material because of the limited availability of the SA508 material. The results from the XRDCD data indicate a measurable change induced by fatigue from the initial state to subsequent states of both the AISI304 and the SA508 materials. Therefore, the XRDCD technique was shown to be sensitive to the microstructural deformation caused by fatigue in steels; thus, the technique can be used to monitor fatigue damage in steels. In addition, for the AISI304 material, the level of cyclic microstructural deformation in the bulk material was found to be greater than the level in the near surface material. In contrast, previous investigations have shown that the deformation is greater in the near surface than the bulk for Al alloys and bcc Fe alloys
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Anomaly detection of microstructural defects in continuous fiber reinforced composites
Bricker, Stephen; Simmons, J. P.; Przybyla, Craig; Hardie, Russell
2015-03-01
Ceramic matrix composites (CMC) with continuous fiber reinforcements have the potential to enable the next generation of high speed hypersonic vehicles and/or significant improvements in gas turbine engine performance due to their exhibited toughness when subjected to high mechanical loads at extreme temperatures (2200F+). Reinforced fiber composites (RFC) provide increased fracture toughness, crack growth resistance, and strength, though little is known about how stochastic variation and imperfections in the material effect material properties. In this work, tools are developed for quantifying anomalies within the microstructure at several scales. The detection and characterization of anomalous microstructure is a critical step in linking production techniques to properties, as well as in accurate material simulation and property prediction for the integrated computation materials engineering (ICME) of RFC based components. It is desired to find statistical outliers for any number of material characteristics such as fibers, fiber coatings, and pores. Here, fiber orientation, or `velocity', and `velocity' gradient are developed and examined for anomalous behavior. Categorizing anomalous behavior in the CMC is approached by multivariate Gaussian mixture modeling. A Gaussian mixture is employed to estimate the probability density function (PDF) of the features in question, and anomalies are classified by their likelihood of belonging to the statistical normal behavior for that feature.
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Wanare, S. P.; Kalyankar, V. D.
2018-04-01
Friction stir welding is emerging as a promising technique for joining of lighter metal alloys due to its several advantages over conventional fusion welding processes such as low thermal distortion, good mechanical properties, fine weld joint microstructure, etc. This review article mainly focuses on analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints. Various microstructure characterization techniques used by previous researchers such as optical microscopes, x-ray diffraction, electron probe microscope, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscopes with electron back scattered diffraction, electron dispersive microscopy, etc. are thoroughly overviewed and their results are discussed. The effects of friction stir welding process parameters such as tool rotational speed, welding speed, tool plunge depth, axial force, tool shoulder diameter to tool pin diameter ratio, tool geometry etc. on microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints are studied and critical observations are noted down. The microstructure examination carried out by previous researchers on various zones of welded joints such as weld zone, heat affected zone and base metal are studied and critical remarks have been presented. Mechanical performances of friction stir welded joints based on tensile test, micro-hardness test, etc. are discussed. This article includes exhaustive literature review of standard research articles which may become ready information for subsequent researchers to establish their line of action.
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Strong, Kevin Thomas, Jr.
Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) provides a unique processing route to create Si3N4/SiC composites. Silazane precursor polyureasilazane (Ceraset PURS20) produce's an amorphous SiCN ceramic at temperatures of ~800 -- 1200 °C and crystallizes to a Si3N4/SiC nanocomposite at temperatures >1500 °C. A novel processing technique was developed where crosslinked polymers were heat-treated in a reactive NH3 atmosphere to control the stoichiometry of the pyrolyzed SiCN ceramic. Using this technique processing parameters were established to produce SiCN powders that resulted in nanocomposites with approximately 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 vol. % SiC. Lu2O3 was added to these powders as a sintering aid and were densified using Hot Pressing and Field Assisted Sintering. The sintered nanocomposites resulted in microstructures with multiple-length scales. These length-scales included Si3N4 (0.1 -- 5 microm), SiC (10 -- 100 nm) and the intergranular grain boundary phase (<1 nm). Using a combination of SEM and TEM it was possible to quantify some of these microstructural features such as the size and location of the SiC. Hardness and fracture toughness testing was conducted to compared the room temperature mechanical properties of these resultant microstructures. This research was intended to develop robust processing approaches that can be used to control the nanostructures of Si3N4/SiC composites with significant structural features at multiple length scales. The control of their features and the investigation of their affect on the properties of composites can be used to simulate the affect of the structure on properties. These models can then be used to design optimal microstructures for specific applications.
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Characterisation of Microstructure of We43 Magnesium Matrix Composites Reinforced with Carbon Fibres
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gryc A.
2016-06-01
Full Text Available In the paper the microstructures of WE43 matrix composites reinforced with carbon fibres have been characterised. The influence of reinforcement type and T6 heat treatment (a solution treatment at 525°C for 8 h, a hot water quench and a subsequent ageing treatment at 250°C for 16 h on microstructure have been evaluated. The light microscope and scanning electron microscope investigations have been carried out. No significant differences in samples reinforced with non-coated textiles have been reported. The substantial changes in sample reinforced with nickel-coated textile have been observed. The segregation of alloying elements to the matrix-reinforcement layer has been identified. The T6 heat treatment caused the appearance of disperse precipitates of β phase, but the process cannot be considered as satisfactory (irregular distribution, low volume fraction, relatively large size.
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Microstructure evolution and phase transition in La/Mn doped barium titanate ceramics
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vesna Paunović
2010-12-01
Full Text Available La/Mn codoped BaTiO3 with different La2O3 content, ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 at% La, was investigated regarding their microstructural and dielectric characteristics. The content of 0.05 at% Mn was constant in all investigated samples. The samples were sintered at 1320°C and 1350°C for two hours. Microstructural studies were done using SEM and EDS analysis. The fine-grained microstructure was obtained even for low content of La. The appearance of secondary abnormal grains with serrated features along grain boundaries was observed in 1.0 at% La-BaTiO3 sintered at 1350°C. Nearly flat permittivity-temperature response was obtained in specimens with 2.0 and 5.0 at% La. Using the modified Curie-Weiss law a critical exponent γ and C’were calculated. The obtained values of γ pointed out the diffuse phase transformation in heavily doped BaTiO3 and great departure from the Curie-Weiss law for low doped ceramics.
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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....
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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.)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Islam, M.A.; Kader, M.A.; Hazell, P.J.; Brown, A.D. [School of Engineering and Information Technology, UNSW Canberra, ACT 2610 (Australia); Saadatfar, M. [Department of Applied Mathematics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200 (Australia); Quadir, M.Z [Electron Microscope Unit, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre (MWAC), The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility (MMF), John de Laeter Centre (JdLC), Curtin University, WA 6102 (Australia); Escobedo, J.P., E-mail: J.Escobedo-Diaz@adfa.edu.au [School of Engineering and Information Technology, UNSW Canberra, ACT 2610 (Australia)
2016-06-01
This study investigates the influence of microstructure on the strength properties of individual cell walls of closed-cell stabilized aluminium foams (SAFs). Optical microscopy (OM), micro-computed X-ray tomography (µ-CT), electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were conducted to examine the microstructural properties of SAF cell walls. Novel micro-tensile tests were performed to investigate the strength properties of individual cell walls. Microstructural analysis of the SAF cell walls revealed that the material consists of eutectic Al-Si and dendritic a-Al with an inhomogeneous distribution of intermetallic particles and micro-pores (void defects). These microstructural features affected the micro-mechanism fracture behaviour and tensile strength of the specimens. Laser-based extensometer and digital image correlation (DIC) analyses were employed to observe the strain fields of individual tensile specimens. The tensile failure mode of these materials has been evaluated using microstructural analysis of post-mortem specimens, revealing a brittle cleavage fracture of the cell wall materials. The micro-porosities and intermetallic particles reduced the strength under tensile loading, limiting the elongation to fracture on average to ~3.2% and an average ultimate tensile strength to ~192 MPa. Finally, interactions between crack propagation and obstructing intermetallic compounds during the tensile deformation have been elucidated.
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Hemmer, H.; Grong, Ø.; Klokkehaug, S.
2000-03-01
In the present investigation, a process model for electron beam (EB) welding of different grades of duplex stainless steels (i.e. SAF 2205 and 2507) has been developed. A number of attractive features are built into the original finite element code, including (1) a separate module for prediction of the penetration depth and distribution of the heat source into the plate, (2) adaptive refinement of the three-dimensional (3-D) element mesh for quick and reliable solution of the differential heat flow equation, and (3) special subroutines for calculation of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure evolution. The process model has been validated by comparison with experimental data obtained from in situ thermocouple measurements and optical microscope examinations. Subsequently, its aptness to alloy design and optimization of welding conditions for duplex stainless steels is illustrated in different numerical examples and case studies pertaining to EB welding of tubular joints.
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TEM investigations of microstructures of combustion aerosols
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marquardt, A.; Hackfort, H.; Borchardt, J.; Schober, T.; Friedrich, J.
1992-12-01
In the incineration of organic material, apart from a series of gaseous pollutants, particulate pollutants or combustion aerosols also arise. The latter frequently consist of particles with a solid core of carbon to which a large number of inorganic and organic compounds are attached. These primarily include the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their nitro-derivatives (NPAH), whose mutagenic or carcinogenic effect is known. The invisible particle sizes in the nanometer range, whose retention in the incineration off-gas is not state of the art, are of increasing significance for man and environment. On the one hand, they are deposited almost completely in the human lung. On the other hand, due to their fine dispersity they have along residence time in the atmosphere where they participate in chemical reactions and climatically significant processes. Important insights about the formation process of combustion aerosols are to be expected from the imaging of their microstructures in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The present contribution describes the development and application of a representative sampling procedure for aerosols from a partial flow of flue gas from a fluidized-bed furnace. The method developed consists of electrically charging aerosol particles in situ and subsequently selectively precipitating them onto a microscope slide in an electric field. TEM studies of aerosol microstructures on the microscope slides revealed that in the combustion of petrol and heating oil under different combustion conditions in principle the same particle structures result, whereas in the incineration of used lubricating oil quite different particle structures were found. Results from the literature on aerosol microstructures in exhaust gases from petrol and diesel engines demonstrate agreement with the results of this study in the basic structure of the particles. (orig.) [de
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Dielectric Characteristics of Microstructural Changes and Property Evolution in Engineered Materials
Clifford, Jallisa Janet
Heterogeneous materials are increasingly used in a wide range of applications such as aerospace, civil infrastructure, fuel cells and many others. The ability to take properties from two or more materials to create a material with properties engineered to needs is always very attractive. Hence heterogeneous materials are evolving into more complex formulations in multiple disciplines. Design of microstructure at multiple scales control the global functional properties of these materials and their structures. However, local microstructural changes do not directly cause a proportional change to the global properties (such as strength and stiffness). Instead, local changes follow an evolution process including significant interactions. Therefore, in order to understand property evolution of engineered materials, microstructural changes need to be effectively captured. Characterizing these changes and representing them by material variables will enable us to further improve our material level understanding. In this work, we will demonstrate how microstructural features of heterogeneous materials can be described quantitatively using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BbDS). The frequency dependent dielectric properties can capture the change in material microstructure and represent these changes in terms of material variables, such as complex permittivity. These changes in terms of material properties can then be linked to a number of different conditions, such as increasing damage due to impact or fatigue. Two different broadband dielectric spectroscopy scanning modes are presented: bulk measurements and continuous scanning to measure dielectric property change as a function of position across the specimen. In this study, we will focus on ceramic materials and fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites as test bed material systems. In the first part of the thesis, we will present how different micro-structural design of porous ceramic materials can be captured
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Night sleep influences white matter microstructure in bipolar depression.
Benedetti, Francesco; Melloni, Elisa M T; Dallaspezia, Sara; Bollettini, Irene; Locatelli, Clara; Poletti, Sara; Colombo, Cristina
2017-08-15
Alteration of circadian rhythms and sleep disruption are prominent trait-like features of bipolar disorder (BD). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures suggest a widespread alteration of white matter (WM) microstructure in patients with BD. Sleep promotes myelination and oligodendrocyte precursor cells proliferation. We hypothesized a possible association between DTI measures of WM microstructure and sleep quantity measures in BD. We studied 69 inpatients affected by a depressive episode in course of type I BD. We used whole brain tract-based spatial statistics on DTI measures of WM microstructure: axial, radial, and mean diffusivity (AD, RD, MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA). Self-assessed measures of time asleep (TA) and total sleep time (TST) were extracted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Actigraphic recordings were performed on a subsample of 23 patients. We observed a positive correlation of DTI measures of FA with actigraphic measures of TA and TST, and with PSQI measure of TA. DTI measures of RD inversely associated with actigraphic measure of TA, and with PSQI measures of TA and TST. Several WM tracts were involved, including corpus callosum, cyngulate gyrus, uncinate fasciculus, left superior and inferior longitudinal and fronto-occipital fasciculi, thalamic radiation, corona radiata, retrolenticular part of internal capsule and corticospinal tract. The study is correlational in nature, and no conclusion about a causal connection can be drawn. Reduced FA with increased RD and MD indicate higher water diffusivity associated with less organized myelin and/or axonal structures. Our findings suggest an association between sleep disruption and these measures of brain microstructure in specific tracts contributing to the functional connectivity in BD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Microstructure and degradation performance of biodegradable Mg-Si-Sr implant alloys.
Gil-Santos, Andrea; Marco, Iñigo; Moelans, Nele; Hort, Norbert; Van der Biest, Omer
2017-02-01
In this work the microstructure and degradation behavior of several as-cast alloy compositions belonging to the Mg rich corner of the Mg-Si-Sr system are presented and related. The intermetallic phases are identified and analyzed describing the microstructure evolution during solidification. It is intended in this work to obtain insight in the behavior of the ternary alloys in in vitro tests and to analyze the degradation behavior of the alloys under physiologically relevant conditions. The as-cast specimens have been exposed to immersion tests, both mass loss (ML) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP). The degradation rate (DR) have been assessed and correlated to microstructure features, impurity levels and alloy composition. The initial reactions resulted to be more severe while the degradation stabilizes with time. A higher DR is related with a high content of the Mg 17 Sr 2 phase and with the presence of coarse particles of the intermetallics Mg 2 Si, MgSiSr and MgSi 2 Sr. Specimens with a higher DR typically have higher levels of impurities and alloy contents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Böttger, B.; Apel, M.; Santillana, B.; Eskin, D. G.
2012-07-01
Cracking in continuous casting of steels has been one of the main problems for decades. Many of the cracks that occur during solidification are hot tears. To better understand the factors leading to this defect, microstructure formation is simulated for a low carbon (LCAK) and two high strength low alloyed (HSLA) steel grades during the initial stage of the process where the first solidified shell is formed inside the mould and where breakouts typically occur. 2D simulation is performed using the multiphase-field software MICRESS [1], which is coupled to the thermodynamic database TCFE6 [2] and the mobility database MOB2 [2], taking into account all elements which may have a relevant effect on the mechanical properties and structure formation during or subsequent to solidification. The use of a moving-frame boundary condition allows travelling through the entire solidification history starting from the slab surface, and tracking the morphology changes during growth of the shell. A heterogeneous nucleation model is included to permit the description of morphological transitions between the initial solidification and the subsequent columnar growth region. Furthermore, a macroscopic one-dimensional temperature solver is integrated to account for the transient and nonlinear temperature field during the initial stage of continuous casting. The external heat flux boundary conditions for this process were derived from thermal process data of the industrial slab caster. The simulation results for the three steel grades have been validated by thickness measurements of breakout shells and microstructure observation of the corresponding grades. Furthermore, the primary dendrite spacing has been measured across the whole thickness of the shell and compared with the simulated microstructures. Significant microstructure differences between the steel grades are discussed and correlated with their hot-cracking behavior.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Böttger, B; Apel, M; Santillana, B; Eskin, D G
2012-01-01
Cracking in continuous casting of steels has been one of the main problems for decades. Many of the cracks that occur during solidification are hot tears. To better understand the factors leading to this defect, microstructure formation is simulated for a low carbon (LCAK) and two high strength low alloyed (HSLA) steel grades during the initial stage of the process where the first solidified shell is formed inside the mould and where breakouts typically occur. 2D simulation is performed using the multiphase-field software MICRESS, which is coupled to the thermodynamic database TCFE6 and the mobility database MOB2, taking into account all elements which may have a relevant effect on the mechanical properties and structure formation during or subsequent to solidification. The use of a moving-frame boundary condition allows travelling through the entire solidification history starting from the slab surface, and tracking the morphology changes during growth of the shell. A heterogeneous nucleation model is included to permit the description of morphological transitions between the initial solidification and the subsequent columnar growth region. Furthermore, a macroscopic one-dimensional temperature solver is integrated to account for the transient and nonlinear temperature field during the initial stage of continuous casting. The external heat flux boundary conditions for this process were derived from thermal process data of the industrial slab caster. The simulation results for the three steel grades have been validated by thickness measurements of breakout shells and microstructure observation of the corresponding grades. Furthermore, the primary dendrite spacing has been measured across the whole thickness of the shell and compared with the simulated microstructures. Significant microstructure differences between the steel grades are discussed and correlated with their hot-cracking behavior.
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Computational discovery of extremal microstructure families
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
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Speicher, Magdalena; Scheck, Rudi; Maile, Karl [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Materialpruefungsanstalt
2016-04-15
This work presents a comparison of selected nickel alloys of the same condition which were treated by means of specifically chosen etching techniques. Microstructures on microscope images of wrought Alloy 617, a casting variant of Alloy 625, a polycrystalline casting alloy IN-738 LC, as well as of a monocrystalline superalloy CM 247 LC SX, respectively, are juxtaposed and evaluated. This approach allows for a comprehensive optical microscopy characterization of the characteristic microstructural features.
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Zhang, Peilei; Li, Mingchuan; Yu, Zhishui
2018-05-23
Three Ni-Cr-Si coatings were synthesized on the surface of copper by laser cladding. The microstructures of the coatings were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). According to the analysis results of phase compositions, Gibbs free energy change and microstructures, the phases of three coatings appeared were Cr₃Si+γ-Ni+Cu ss (Coating 1, Ni-26Cr-29Si), Cr₆Ni 16 Si₇+Ni₂Si+Cu ss (Coating 2, Ni-10Cr-30Si) and Cr₃Ni₅Si₂+Cr₂Ni₃+Cu ss (Coating 3, Ni-29Cr-16Si). The crystal growth in the solidification process was analyzed with a modified model, which is a combination of Kurz-Giovanola-Trivedi (KGT) and Lipton-Kurz-Trivedi (LKT) models. The dendrite tip undercooling in Coating 2 was higher than those of Coating 1 and Coating 3. Well-developed dendrites were found in Coating 2. A modification of Hunt’s model was adopted to describe the morphological differences in the three coatings. The results show that Coating 1 was in the equiaxed dendrite region, while Coatings 2 and 3 were in the columnar dendrite region. The average friction coefficients of the three coatings were 0.45, 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. Obvious plastic deformation could be found in the subsurface zone of Coatings 2 and 3.
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Microstructural strength of tidal soils – a rheometric approach to develop pedotransfer functions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Stoppe Nina
2018-03-01
Full Text Available Differences in soil stability, especially in visually comparable soils can occur due to microstructural processes and interactions. By investigating these microstructural processes with rheological investigations, it is possible to achieve a better understanding of soil behaviour from the mesoscale (soil aggregates to macroscale (bulk soil. In this paper, a rheological investigation of the factors influencing microstructural stability of riparian soils was conducted. Homogenized samples of Marshland soils from the riparian zone of the Elbe River (North Germany were analyzed with amplitude sweeps (AS under controlled shear deformation in a modular compact rheometer MCR 300 (Anton Paar, Germany at different matric potentials. A range physicochemical parameters were determined (texture, pH, organic matter, CaCO3 etc. and these factors were used to parameterize pedotransfer functions. The results indicate a clear dependence of microstructural elasticity on texture and water content. Although the influence of individual physicochemical factors varies depending on texture, the relevant features were identified taking combined effects into account. Thus, stabilizing factors are: organic matter, calcium ions, CaCO3 and pedogenic iron oxides; whereas sodium ions and water content represent structurally unfavorable factors. Based on the determined statistical relationships between rheological and physicochemical parameters, pedotransfer functions (PTF have been developed.
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Power laws and elastic nonlinearity in materials with complex microstructure
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Scalerandi, M., E-mail: marco.scalerandi@infm.polito.it
2016-01-28
Nonlinear ultrasonic methods have been widely used to characterize the microstructure of damaged solids and consolidated granular media. Besides distinguishing between materials exhibiting classical nonlinear behaviors from those exhibiting hysteresis, it could be of importance the discrimination between ultrasonic indications from different physical sources (scatterers). Elastic hysteresis could indeed be due to dislocations, grain boundaries, stick-slip at interfaces, etc. Analyzing data obtained on various concrete samples, we show that the power law behavior of the nonlinear indicator vs. the energy of excitation could be used to classify different microscopic features. In particular, the power law exponent ranges between 1 and 3, depending on the nature of nonlinearity. We also provide a theoretical interpretation of the collected data using models for clapping and hysteretic nonlinearities. - Highlights: • Several materials exhibit a nontrivial nonlinear elastic behavior which can be ascribed to different physical sources. • The quantitative nonlinear response is dependent on the type of microstructure present in the material. • A nonlinear indicator could be defined which depends on the excitation energy of the sample. • Assuming a power law dependence, the exponent depends on the microstructure of the material and could evolve in time. • Experimental results on concrete are discussed and a theoretical description is proposed.
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Compost addition reduces porosity and chlordecone transfer in soil microstructure.
Woignier, Thierry; Clostre, Florence; Fernandes, Paula; Rangon, Luc; Soler, Alain; Lesueur-Jannoyer, Magalie
2016-01-01
Chlordecone, an organochlorine insecticide, pollutes soils and contaminates crops and water resources and is biomagnified by food chains. As chlordecone is partly trapped in the soil, one possible alternative to decontamination may be to increase its containment in the soil, thereby reducing its diffusion into the environment. Containing the pesticide in the soil could be achieved by adding compost because the pollutant has an affinity for organic matter. We hypothesized that adding compost would also change soil porosity, as well as transport and containment of the pesticide. We measured the pore features and studied the nanoscale structure to assess the effect of adding compost on soil microstructure. We simulated changes in the transport properties (hydraulic conductivity and diffusion) associated with changes in porosity. During compost incubation, the clay microstructure collapsed due to capillary stresses. Simulated data showed that the hydraulic conductivity and diffusion coefficient were reduced by 95 and 70% in the clay microstructure, respectively. Reduced transport properties affected pesticide mobility and thus helped reduce its transfer from the soil to water and to the crop. We propose that the containment effect is due not only to the high affinity of chlordecone for soil organic matter but also to a trapping mechanism in the soil porosity.
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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.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Khosravi Saghezchi
2015-12-01
Full Text Available A comparing study on formation and microstructure features of aluminum titanate is investigated through both solid-state and sol-gel processes. Aluminum titanate formed by firing at 1350ºC and 1450ºC for 4h in solid-state process. In the sol-gel process formation of submicron sized particles is followed by addition of sucrose into the transparent sol. XRD analysis was confirmed the formation of aluminum titanate at 1400ºC in lower duration of calcination (3h without any additives in the sol-gel process. In this work 2wt% MgO is added to the samples as the additive for forming acceleration of aluminum titanate. The influence of MgO addition and heat treatment are studied on phase formation and microstructure development of aluminum titanate in both procedures. Additive optimizes aluminum titanate formation at lower temperatures (1300-1350ºC. Phase and microstructure studies of Mg containing samples optimally show significance in aluminum titanate formation.
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Microstructure and texture development during high-strain torsion of NiAl
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kloeden, B.
2006-07-01
In this study polycrystalline NiAl has been subjected to torsion deformation. The deformation, microstructure and texture development subject to the shear strain are studied by different techniques (Electron Back-Scatter and High Energy Synchrotron Radiation). Beside the development of microstructure and texture with shear strain, the effect of an initial texture as well as the deformation temperature on the development of texture and microstructure constitute an important part of this study. Therefore, samples with three different initial textures were deformed in the temperature range T=700 K-1300 K. The shear stress-shear strain curves are characterized by a peak at low strains, which is followed by softening and a steady state at high strains. Grain refinement takes place for all samples and the average grain size decreases with temperature. For temperatures T>1000 K, discontinuous dynamic recrystallization occurs, by which new grains form by nucleation and subsequent growth. The texture is characterized by two components, {l_brace}100{r_brace}<100> (cube,C) and {l_brace}110{r_brace}<100> (Goss,G). Torsional creep of NiAl is characterized by a stress exponent, which depends on temperature and an activation energy, which is stress dependent. The Swift effect, due to which samples change their axial dimension during torsion without applied axial stress, is observed for NiAl. (orig.)
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Microstructure evolution of Fe-based nanostructured bainite coating by laser cladding
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guo, Yanbing; Li, Zhuguo; Yao, Chengwu; Zhang, Ke; Lu, Fenggui; Feng, Kai; Huang, Jian; Wang, Min; Wu, Yixiong
2014-01-01
Highlights: • The laser cladding and isothermal holding are used to fabricate nanobainite coating. • Fine prior austenite is obtained to accelerate the bainite transformation. • Low transformation temperature results in fine bainite ferrite and film austenite. • Retained austenite volume fraction in bainite coating is determined by XRD. • Evolution of carbon content in austenite and ferrite is analyzed. - Abstract: A Fe-based coating with nano-scale bainitic microstructure was fabricated using laser cladding and subsequent isothermal heat treatment. The microstructure of the coating was observed and analyzed using optical microscope (OM), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that nanostructured bainitic ferrite and carbon-enriched retained austenite distributed uniformly in the coating. Blocky retained austenite was confined to the prior austenite grain boundaries resulting from the elements segregation. The bainitic microstructure obtained at 250 °C had a finer scale compared with that obtained at 300 °C. The volume fraction of austenite increased with increasing transformation temperature for the fully transformed bainitic coating. The bainitic transformation was accelerated as a result of the fine prior austenite generated during the laser cladding. The evolution of the carbon contents in bainitic ferrite and retained austenite revealed the diffusionless mechanism of the bainitic transformation
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Effects of β treatments on microstructures and mechanical properties of TC4-DT titanium alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Peng Xiaona; Guo Hongzhen; Wang Tao; Yao Zekun
2012-01-01
Highlights: ► Effects of β treatments on microstructures and mechanical properties of TC4-DT alloy were studied. ► The microstructure evolutions at each condition were analyzed. ► Influence of microstructures on tensile properties and fracture toughness were studied. ► Relationships among processing parameters–microstructures–properties were determined. - Abstract: β Processing (deformation in β phase field followed by heat treatment in α + β phase field) and β annealing (deformation in α + β phase field followed by annealing in β phase field) were carried out to research their influence on microstructures and mechanical properties including fracture toughness of TC4-DT titanium alloy. The tensile properties at room and high temperature as well as fracture toughness were tested for all the experiment conditions. The microstructure evolution and fracture surfaces were researched by optical microscope and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and the microstructure features were measured by means of image analysis software. Results showed that the microstructures were lamellar in β processing and acicular Widmanstatten in β annealing respectively. Spheroidization of α lamellar was found in the microstructures of β processing. SEM observation showed that the fracture mechanism changed from transcrystalline in the β processing conditions to a mixture of intercrystalline and transcrystalline at the β annealing conditions. The tensile strength and plasticity did not change much under the β processing conditions. While at β annealing conditions, the strength and plasticity varied with the temperature in a reverse trend. The biggest fracture toughness was obtained at β annealing conditions. It was found that β annealing was preferable to β processing with regard to obtaining high fracture toughness and tensile properties with a little sacrifice of plasticity which does not affect its practice use.
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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...
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Strength and microstructure of IPS Empress 2 glass-ceramic after different treatments.
Oh, S C; Dong, J K; Lüthy, H; Schärer, P
2000-01-01
This investigation was designed to determine whether heat pressing and/or simulated heat treatments affect the flexure strength and microstructure of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic of the IPS Empress 2 system. Four groups of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic were prepared as follows: group 1 = as-received material; group 2 = heat-pressed material; group 3 = heat-pressed and stimulated initial heat-treated material; and group 4 = heat-pressed and simulated heat-treated material with full firings for a final restoration. Three-point bending tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were conducted. The flexure strength of group 2 was significantly higher than that of group 1. However, there were no significant differences in strength among groups 2, 3, and 4, or between groups 1 and 4. The SEM micrographs of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic showed a closely packed, multidirectionally interlocking microstructure of numerous lithium disilicate crystals protruding from the glass matrix. The crystals in the glass matrix of the heat-pressed materials (groups 2, 3, and 4) were a little more homogeneous and about 2 times bigger than those of the as-received material (group 1). These changes of the microstructure were greatest between groups 1 and 2. However, there were no marked differences among groups 2, 3, and 4. Although there were significant increases in the strength and some changes of the microstructure after the heat-pressing operation, the combination of heat pressing and simulated subsequent heat treatments did not produce an increase of strength of IPS Empress 2 glass-ceramic.
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Microstructural characterization and grain growth kinetics of atomized Fe-6%Si alloy
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Florio Filho, A.; Bolfarini, C.; Kiminami, C.S. [Dept. de Engenharia de Materiais, Univ. Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos SP (Brazil)
2001-07-01
The microstructural characterization of the overspray powders is considered an important step to evaluate the as-cast microstructure of preforms fabricated by spray forming process. The particles generated during the high pressure gas atomization fly toward a substrate located at the middle height into the atomization chamber and consolidate to a dense deposit. The solidification process begins already during the flight of the droplets and high cooling rate can be achieved by the droplets of the molten metal during the atomization step. Consequently, the microstructure of the preform has some typical features presented by rapidly solidified metals as low level of porosity and segregation and it is strongly influenced by the thermal history of the droplets during flight. In the present work the microstructure of the particles of the Fe-6%Si alloy was analysed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental determination of the kinetic exponent n for grain boundary migration in both powder and preform was determined by isothermal treatment under argon atmosphere. It has been stated that the larger the particle size the greater the grain size in Fe-6%Si alloy. It was observed also that the interface morphology is strongly related to the particle size. Furthermore, the grain growth kinetic in the preform seems to not obey the migration mechanism where the self diffusion of elemental Fe drive the boundary displacement. (orig.)
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Magnonic holographic imaging of magnetic microstructures
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gutierrez, D.; Chiang, H.; Bhowmick, T.; Volodchenkov, A.D.; Ranjbar, M.; Liu, G.; Jiang, C.; Warren, C. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Khivintsev, Y.; Filimonov, Y. [Kotelnikov Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Saratov Branch, Saratov 410019 (Russian Federation); Saratov State University, Saratov 410012 (Russian Federation); Garay, J.; Lake, R.; Balandin, A.A. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Khitun, A., E-mail: akhitun@engr.ucr.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)
2017-04-15
We propose and demonstrate a technique for magnetic microstructure imaging via their interaction with propagating spin waves. In this approach, the object of interest is placed on top of a magnetic testbed made of material with low spin wave damping. There are micro-antennas incorporated in the testbed. Two of these antennas are used for spin wave excitation while another one is used for the detecting of inductive voltage produced by the interfering spin waves. The measurements are repeated for different phase differences between the spin wave generating antennas which is equivalent to changing the angle of illumination. The collected data appear as a 3D plot – the holographic image of the object. We present experimental data showing magnonic holographic images of a low-coercivity Si/Co sample, a high-coercivity sample made of SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} and a diamagnetic copper sample. We also present images of the three samples consisting of a different amount of SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} powder. The imaging was accomplished on a Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}(FeO{sub 4}){sub 3} testbed at room temperature. The obtained data reveal the unique magnonic signatures of the objects. Experimental data is complemented by the results of numerical modeling, which qualitatively explain the characteristic features of the images. Potentially, magnonic holographic imaging may complement existing techniques and be utilized for non-destructive in-situ magnetic object characterization. The fundamental physical limits of this approach are also discussed. - Highlights: • A technique for magnetic microstructure imaging via their interaction with propagating spin waves is proposed. • In this technique, magnetic structures appear as 3D objects. • Several holographic images of magnetic microstructures are presented.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
W.Z. Chen
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Boom Clay is one of the potential host rocks for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste in Belgium. In order to investigate the mechanism of hydraulic conductivity variation under complex thermo-mechanical coupling conditions and to better understand the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM coupling behaviour of Boom Clay, a series of permeability tests using temperature-controlled triaxial cell has been carried out on the Boom Clay samples taken from Belgian underground research laboratory (URL HADES. Due to its sedimentary nature, Boom Clay presents across-anisotropy with respect to its sub-horizontal bedding plane. Direct measurements of the vertical (Kv and horizontal (Kh hydraulic conductivities show that the hydraulic conductivity at 80 °C is about 2.4 times larger than that at room temperature (23 °C, and the hydraulic conductivity variation with temperature is basically reversible during heating–cooling cycle. The anisotropic property of Boom Clay is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM tests, which highlight the transversely isotropic characteristics of intact Boom Clay. It is shown that the sub-horizontal bedding feature accounts for the horizontal permeability higher than the vertical one. The measured increment in hydraulic conductivity with temperature is lower than the calculated one when merely considering the changes in water kinematic viscosity and density with temperature. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tests have also been carried out to investigate the impact of microstructure variation on the THM properties of clay. The results show that heating under unconstrained boundary condition will produce larger size of pores and weaken the microstructure. The discrepancy between the hydraulic conductivity experimentally measured and predicted (considering water viscosity and density changes with temperature can be attributed to the microstructural weakening effect on the thermal volume change
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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...
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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.
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Clark, Daniel; Bache, Martin R.; Whittaker, Mark T.
2010-12-01
Recent trials have produced tungsten-inert-gas (TIG)-welded structures of a suitable scale to allow an evaluation of the technique as an economic and commercial process for the manufacture of complex aeroengine components. The employment of TIG welding is shown to have specific advantages over alternative techniques based on metal inert gas (MIG) systems. Investigations using the nickel-based superalloy 718 have shown that TIG induces a smaller weld pool with less compositional segregation. In addition, because the TIG process involves a pulsed power source, a faster cooling rate is achieved, although this rate, in turn, compromises the deposition rate. The microstructures produced by the two techniques differ significantly, with TIG showing an absence of the detrimental delta and Laves phases typically produced by extended periods at a high temperature using MIG. Instead, an anisotropic dendritic microstructure was evident with a preferred orientation relative to the axis of epitaxy. Niobium was segregated to the interdendritic regions. A fine-scale porosity was evident within the microstructure with a maximum diameter of approximately 5 μm. This porosity often was found in clusters and usually was associated with the interdendritic regions. Subsequent postdeposition heat treatment was shown to have no effect on preexisting porosity and to have a minimal effect on the microstructure.
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Micromagnetism and the microstructure of ferromagnetic solids
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.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fernandez, P.; Eddahbi, M.; Auger, M.A.; Leguey, T.; Monge, M.A.; Pareja, R.
2011-01-01
EUROFER'97 was processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 823 K for a total of 4 or 8 passes, using a die angle of 105 o , and its microstructure and tensile behavior in temperature range 568-873 K investigated. A single ECAP pass developed a deformation texture {1 1 0} that was practically stable during subsequent ECAP passes. The materials processed by 1 or 2 passes exhibited a fine microstructure of recovered subgrains and tensile behavior very similar to that for the tempered material in the as-received condition. The materials processed using 4 or 8 passes exhibited nearly equiaxial submicron grained structures with a high density of high-angle grain boundaries. These materials became softer than the as-received material at a testing temperature of ∼823 K. EUROFER ECAP processed under the present conditions exhibited hardening ratio somewhat higher than that of the as-received material.
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Microstructure and properties of thermally sprayed Al-Sn-based alloys for plain bearing applications
Marrocco, T.; Driver, L. C.; Harris, S. J.; McCartney, D. G.
2006-12-01
Al-Sn plain bearings for automotive applications traditionally comprise a multilayer structure. Conventionally, bearing manufacturing involves casting the Al-Sn alloy and roll-bonding to a steel backing strip. Recently, high-velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) thermal spraying has been used as a novel alternative manufacturing route. The present project extends previous work on ternary Al-Sn-Cu alloys to quaternary systems, which contain specific additions for potentially enhanced properties. Two alloys were studied in detail, namely, Al-20wt.%Sn-1wt.%Cu-2wt.%Ni and Al-20wt.%Sn-1wt.%Cu-7wt.%Si. This article will describe the microstructural evolution of these alloys following HVOF spraying onto steel substrates and subsequent heat treatment. The microstructures of powders and coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the phases were identified by x-ray diffraction. Coating microhardnesses were determined under both as-sprayed and heat-treated conditions, and by the differences related to the microstructures that developed. Finally, the wear behavior of the sprayed and heat-treated coatings in hot engine oil was measured using an industry standard test and was compared with that of previous work on a ternary alloy.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang Yudong; He Changshu; Zhao Xiang; Zuo Liang; Esling, Claude; He, Jicheng
2004-01-01
The effects of magnetic field on nucleation barrier of the phase transformation from austenite to ferrite at different cooling rates in 42CrMo steel have been investigated. The microstructures of ferrite and pearlite aligned along the magnetic field direction (parallel to the hot-rolling direction) are obtained at a cooling rate of 10 deg. C/min, resulting from the kinetic effects of the applied magnetic field during cooling and the microstructural influences of an inhomogeneous deformation occurring during the previous hot rolling. In this case, the formation of ferrite grains at higher temperatures is attributed mainly to the preferential nucleation at austenite boundaries. However, a fairly uniform microstructure of randomly distributed ferrite and pearlite is formed at a high cooling rate of 46 deg. C/min in the magnetic field of 14 T, as a result of both intergranular and intragranular nucleation at relatively low temperatures. Probing into this issue is helpful to gain a better understanding of kinetic influences of magnetic field on the phase transformation from austenite to ferrite
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Paliwal, Manas; Jung, In-Ho
2014-05-01
A comprehensive microstructural evolution of Mg-1.5, 4.0 and 5.5 wt% Zn alloys with respect to the solidification parameters such as thermal gradient (G), solidification velocity (V), cooling rate (GV) and solute (Zn) content were investigated in the present study. Solidification techniques such as directional solidification and wedge casting were employed in order to obtain cooling rates between 0.05 and 250 K/s. Microstructural features such as secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS), primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS), microsegregration along the secondary dendrites and secondary phase fractions were experimentally determined. A solidification model that incorporates solute back diffusion, secondary arm coarsening, dendrite tip undercooling and dynamically linked with accurate thermodynamic databases is used to explain the experimental results.
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Microstructure and mechanical behaviour of an elevated temperature Mg-rare earth based alloy
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bettles, C.J. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Vic. (Australia); CAST CRC, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Private Bag 33, Clayton South MDC, Clayton 3169, Vic. (Australia)], E-mail: colleen.bettles@eng.monash.edu.au; Gibson, M.A. [CAST CRC, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Private Bag 33, Clayton South MDC, Clayton 3169, Vic. (Australia); Zhu, S.M. [CAST CRC, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Vic. (Australia)
2009-04-15
AM-SC1 is a heat treatable magnesium alloy that has been specifically developed to achieve the elevated temperature strength and creep properties necessary for engine block applications. This paper describes the interrelationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of AM-SC1. The compressive and tensile strengths are relatively insensitive to temperature up to and including 450 K and the tensile yield behaviour deviates from a standard Hall-Petch relationship at grain sizes below 200 {mu}m. The microstructural features contributing to the creep resistance are both inter- and intra-granular in nature and are on length scales from nanometers to micrometers. The creep behaviour at 423 K and 450 K is diffusion controlled, with any contribution from the grain boundaries being negligible.
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Meshgin, Pania
2011-12-01
This research focuses on two important subjects: (1) Characterization of heterogeneous microstructure of multi-phase composites and the effect of microstructural features on effective properties of the material. (2) Utilizations of phase change materials and recycled rubber particles from waste tires to improve thermal properties of insulation materials used in building envelopes. Spatial pattern of multi-phase and multidimensional internal structures of most composite materials are highly random. Quantitative description of the spatial distribution should be developed based on proper statistical models, which characterize the morphological features. For a composite material with multi-phases, the volume fraction of the phases as well as the morphological parameters of the phases have very strong influences on the effective property of the composite. These morphological parameters depend on the microstructure of each phase. This study intends to include the effect of higher order morphological details of the microstructure in the composite models. The higher order statistics, called two-point correlation functions characterize various behaviors of the composite at any two points in a stochastic field. Specifically, correlation functions of mosaic patterns are used in the study for characterizing transport properties of composite materials. One of the most effective methods to improve energy efficiency of buildings is to enhance thermal properties of insulation materials. The idea of using phase change materials and recycled rubber particles such as scrap tires in insulation materials for building envelopes has been studied.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ma, Z.Q.; Naramoto, Hiroshi; Aoki, Yasushi; Yamamoto, Shunya; Takeshita, Hidefumi; Goppelt-Langer, P.C.
1995-01-01
The optical absorption analysis on synthetic diamond irradiated by molecular hydrogen ions (H 2 + ) with 40 keV, 10 15 -10 17 H/cm 2 , at 100 K, showed that the absorption coefficient (α) of modified layer in UV-VIS range was increased with the implanted dose and decreased with thermal annealing. While its relative optical band gap (E r,opt ) was decreased with ion fluence and proportional to the annealing temperature. The possible microstructure of atomic coordination for as-implanted and subsequent annealing samples was discussed tentatively. In addition the optical inhomogeneity of the type Ib diamond has been revealed by absorption topograph at λ=430 nm. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhaowen Huang
2018-03-01
Full Text Available Gradient structured materials possess good combinations of strength and ductility, rendering the materials attractive in industrial applications. In this research, a surface nanocrystallization (SNC technique, rotationally accelerated shot peening (RASP, was employed to produce a gradient nanostructured pure Ti with a deformation layer that had a thickness of 2000 μm, which is thicker than those processed by conventional SNC techniques. It is possible to fabricate a gradient structured Ti workpiece without delamination. Moreover, based on the microstructural features, the microstructure of the processed sample can be classified into three regions, from the center to the surface of the RASP-processed sample: (1 a twinning-dominated core region; (2 a “twin intersection”-dominated twin transition region; and (3 the nanostructured region, featuring nanograins. A microhardness gradient was detected from the RASP-processed Ti. The surface hardness was more than twice that of the annealed Ti sample. The RASP-processed Ti sample exhibited a good combination of yield strength and uniform elongation, which may be attributed to the high density of deformation twins and a strong back stress effect.
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Microstructure vs. Near-threshold Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of an Heat-treated Ductile Iron
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Radomila KONEČNÁ
2012-03-01
Full Text Available Perferritic isothermal ductile iron (IDI® is an intermediate grade between the low-strength grades of austempered ductile iron (ADI and pearlitic ductile iron (DI recently developed by Zanardi Fonderie Italy. IDI is produced by heat-treating an unalloyed nodular cast iron. The specific matrix microstructure is called “Perferritic” and consists predominantly of ferrite and pearlite. Compared to the pearlitic grades of nodular ductile iron, IDI combines similar strength with higher toughness as a result of the isothermal heat treatment. In this contribution the fatigue crack growth resistance and Kath of IDI are investigated and correlated to mechanical properties and microstructural features. The threshold Ka was determined using the load shedding technique as per ASTM Standard E-647 using CT specimens extracted from a cast block. Tensile specimens were extracted from the broken CT halves and used to determine the static mechanical properties. A metallographic investigation was carried out to correlate structural features and mechanical properties.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.1.1336
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jaromir Cais
2017-03-01
Full Text Available The article examines the impact of changes in homogenization temperature in the hardening process on the microstructure of aluminum alloys. Samples where the research was conducted were cast from AlSi10CuNiMn alloy produced by gravity casting technology in metal mold. Subsequently, the castings were subjected to a heat treatment. In an experiment with changing temperature and staying time in the process of homogenization. The microstructure of the alloy was investigated by methods of light and electron microscopy. Examination of the microstructure has focused on changing the morphology of separated particles of eutectic silicon and intermetallic phases. Analysis of intermetallic phases was supplemented by an analysis of the chemical composition - EDS analysis. Effect of heat treatment on the properties investigated alloy was further complemented by Vickers microhardness. Investigated alloy is the result of longtime research conducted at Faculty of Production Technology and Management.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peilei Zhang
2018-05-01
Full Text Available Three Ni-Cr-Si coatings were synthesized on the surface of copper by laser cladding. The microstructures of the coatings were characterized by optical microscopy (OM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS. According to the analysis results of phase compositions, Gibbs free energy change and microstructures, the phases of three coatings appeared were Cr3Si+γ-Ni+Cuss (Coating 1, Ni-26Cr-29Si, Cr6Ni16Si7+Ni2Si+Cuss (Coating 2, Ni-10Cr-30Si and Cr3Ni5Si2+Cr2Ni3+Cuss (Coating 3, Ni-29Cr-16Si. The crystal growth in the solidification process was analyzed with a modified model, which is a combination of Kurz-Giovanola-Trivedi (KGT and Lipton-Kurz-Trivedi (LKT models. The dendrite tip undercooling in Coating 2 was higher than those of Coating 1 and Coating 3. Well-developed dendrites were found in Coating 2. A modification of Hunt’s model was adopted to describe the morphological differences in the three coatings. The results show that Coating 1 was in the equiaxed dendrite region, while Coatings 2 and 3 were in the columnar dendrite region. The average friction coefficients of the three coatings were 0.45, 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. Obvious plastic deformation could be found in the subsurface zone of Coatings 2 and 3.
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Microstructure development during thermomechanical treatment of Al-Mg-Si alloy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martinova Z.
2002-01-01
Full Text Available The effect of natural aging and 95% cold deformation on the microstructure evolution and aging characteristics in commercial Al - 1 mass % Mg2Si alloy subjected to thermomechanical treatment (TMT was examined. Transmission electron microscopy observations, tensile tests and electrical conductivity measurements were carried out in order to correlate microstructural features to properties on each TMT step. It was established that pre-aging at room temperature affected the morphology of dislocation structure induced by next cold deformation. The observed transition from cellular to homogenous dislocation distribution was explained by the different stability of zones produced by pre-aging of different duration. Natural aging suppressed recovery processes during post-deformation artificial aging, especially after prolonged storage after quenching and at lower aging temperature. It influenced the morphology of precipitates produced by post deformation artificial aging also. The overall effect of TMT involving prior-deformation natural aging in the scheme, on hardness, tensile properties and electrical conductivity is discussed based on experimental microstruture observations.
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MICROSTRUCTURE OF CR2O3 COATINGS ON STEEL AND THE EFFECT OF SILICON
VANDENBURG, M; DEHOSSON, JTM; Burg, M. van den
This paper concentrates on the microstructural features of steel containing 22 wt.% Cr, coated with Cr2O3 by laser processing. It turned out that after laser coating the Cr2O3 powder has completely transformed to Fe0.3Cr2.7O4 having the tetragonal distorted spinel structure. Dispersed in the coating
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Microstructures and physical properties of waste garnets as a promising construction materials
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Habeeb Lateef Muttashar
2018-06-01
Full Text Available Rapid industrial growth has witnessed the ever-increasing utilization of sand from rivers for various construction purposes, which caused an over-exploitation of rivers’ beds and disturbed the eco-system. strong engineering properties of waste garnets offer a recycling alternative to create efficient construction materials. Recycling of garnets provides a cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution rather than dumping it as industrial waste. In this spirit, this article presents an investigation into the capacity of spent garnets as sand replacement. The main parameters studied were the evolution of leaching performance, microstructure of the raw spent garnet and sand specimens. The microstructures, boning vibrations and thermal properties of the raw materials were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA. Admirable features of the results suggest that the spent garnet is proven to be suitable replacement of sand. It is established that proper exploitation of spent garnet as an alternative to sand could save the earth from depleting the natural resources which is essential for sustainable development. Keywords: Spent garnet, Sand, Micro-structures, Recycling, Concrete
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Microstructures of beta-silicon carbide after irradiation creep deformation at elevated temperatures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Katoh, Yutai; Kondo, Sosuke; Snead, Lance L.
2008-01-01
Microstructures of silicon carbide were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after creep deformation under neutron irradiation. Thin strip specimens of polycrystalline and monocrystalline, chemically vapor-deposited, beta-phase silicon carbide were irradiated in the high flux isotope reactor to 0.7-4.2 dpa at nominal temperatures of 640-1080 deg. C in an elastically pre-strained bend stress relaxation configuration with the initial stress of ∼100 MPa. Irradiation creep caused permanent strains of 0.6 to 2.3 x 10 -4 . Tensile-loaded near-surface portions of the crept specimens were examined by TEM. The main microstructural features observed were dislocation loops in all samples, and appeared similar to those observed in samples irradiated in non-stressed conditions. Slight but statistically significant anisotropy in dislocation loop microstructure was observed in one irradiation condition, and accounted for at least a fraction of the creep strain derived from the stress relaxation. The estimated total volume of loops accounted for 10-45% of the estimated total swelling. The results imply that the early irradiation creep deformation of SiC observed in this work was driven by anisotropic evolutions of extrinsic dislocation loops and matrix defects with undetectable sizes
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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.
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Melendez, Jaime; Sánchez, Clara I; van Ginneken, Bram; Karssemeijer, Nico
2014-08-01
Mass candidate detection is a crucial component of multistep computer-aided detection (CAD) systems. It is usually performed by combining several local features by means of a classifier. When these features are processed on a per-image-location basis (e.g., for each pixel), mismatching problems may arise while constructing feature vectors for classification, which is especially true when the behavior expected from the evaluated features is a peaked response due to the presence of a mass. In this study, two of these problems, consisting of maxima misalignment and differences of maxima spread, are identified and two solutions are proposed. The first proposed method, feature maxima propagation, reproduces feature maxima through their neighboring locations. The second method, local feature selection, combines different subsets of features for different feature vectors associated with image locations. Both methods are applied independently and together. The proposed methods are included in a mammogram-based CAD system intended for mass detection in screening. Experiments are carried out with a database of 382 digital cases. Sensitivity is assessed at two sets of operating points. The first one is the interval of 3.5-15 false positives per image (FPs/image), which is typical for mass candidate detection. The second one is 1 FP/image, which allows to estimate the quality of the mass candidate detector's output for use in subsequent steps of the CAD system. The best results are obtained when the proposed methods are applied together. In that case, the mean sensitivity in the interval of 3.5-15 FPs/image significantly increases from 0.926 to 0.958 (p < 0.0002). At the lower rate of 1 FP/image, the mean sensitivity improves from 0.628 to 0.734 (p < 0.0002). Given the improved detection performance, the authors believe that the strategies proposed in this paper can render mass candidate detection approaches based on image location classification more robust to feature
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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.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Quanshun Luo
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Ultrahigh strength steel 56NiCrMoV7 was austempered at 270 °C for different durations in order to investigate the microstructure evolution, carbon partitioning behaviour and hardness property. Detailed microstructure has been characterised using optical microscopy and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. A newly developed X-ray diffraction method has been employed to dissolve the bainitic/martensitic ferrite phase as two sub-phases of different tetragonal ratios, which provides quantitative analyses of the carbon partitioning between the resultant ferrites and the retained austenite. The results show that, a short-term austempering treatment was in the incubation period of the bainite transformation, which resulted in maximum hardness being equivalent to the oil-quenching treatment. The associated microstructure comprises fine carbide-free martensitic and bainitic ferrites of supersaturated carbon contents as well as carbon-rich retained austenite. In particular, the short-term austempering treatment helped prevent the formation of lengthy martensitic laths as those being found in the microstructure of oil-quenched sample. When the austempering time was increased from 20 to 80 min, progressive decrease of the hardness was associated with the evolution of the microstructure, including progressive coarsening of bainitic ferrite, carbide precipitating inside high-carbon bainitic ferrite and its subsequent decarbonisation.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Buddu, Ramesh Kumar, E-mail: buddu@ipr.res.in [Fusion Reactor Materials Development and Characterization Division, Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India); Chauhan, N.; Raole, P.M. [Fusion Reactor Materials Development and Characterization Division, Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India); Natu, Harshad [Magod Laser Machining Pvt. Ltd, Jigani, Bengaluru 560105 (India)
2015-06-15
Highlights: • CO{sub 2} laser welding of 8 mm thick SS304L plates has been carried out and full penetration welds fabricated and characterized for mechanical properties and microstructure details. • Welded samples have shown tensile properties comparable to base indicating good weld quality joints. • Impact fracture tests of weld zone and heat affected zone samples have shown poor toughness compared to the base metal. • SEM analysis of fracture samples of tensile and impact specimens indicated the complex microstructure features in weld zone and combined ductile and brittle fracture features. • Combined features of dendrite and cellular structures are observed in weld microstructures with narrow HAZ and delta ferrite is found in the welds and further confirmed by higher Ferrite Number data. - Abstract: Austenitic stainless steel is widely used structural material for the fabrication of the fusion reactor components. Laser welding is high power density process which offers several advantages over the other conventional processes like Tungsten Inert Gas welding. The features like low distortion, narrow heat affected zone, deep penetration in single pass, good mechanical properties are some of the advantages of laser welding process. The laser weld process parameters optimization has several challenges in terms of overcoming the weld defects like voids due to lack of penetration over depth, undercuts and porosity. The present paper reports the studies carried out with CO{sub 2} laser welding of 8 mm thick austenitic stainless steel SS304L plates and their characterization of mechanical properties, microstructure and fracture morphology details. The weld process parameter optimization towards defect free welds with full penetration welding has been carried out. The welded samples have shown tensile properties comparable to base metal, bend tests are successfully passed. The hardness measurements have shown slightly higher for weld zone compared to base metal
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Buddu, Ramesh Kumar; Chauhan, N.; Raole, P.M.; Natu, Harshad
2015-01-01
Highlights: • CO 2 laser welding of 8 mm thick SS304L plates has been carried out and full penetration welds fabricated and characterized for mechanical properties and microstructure details. • Welded samples have shown tensile properties comparable to base indicating good weld quality joints. • Impact fracture tests of weld zone and heat affected zone samples have shown poor toughness compared to the base metal. • SEM analysis of fracture samples of tensile and impact specimens indicated the complex microstructure features in weld zone and combined ductile and brittle fracture features. • Combined features of dendrite and cellular structures are observed in weld microstructures with narrow HAZ and delta ferrite is found in the welds and further confirmed by higher Ferrite Number data. - Abstract: Austenitic stainless steel is widely used structural material for the fabrication of the fusion reactor components. Laser welding is high power density process which offers several advantages over the other conventional processes like Tungsten Inert Gas welding. The features like low distortion, narrow heat affected zone, deep penetration in single pass, good mechanical properties are some of the advantages of laser welding process. The laser weld process parameters optimization has several challenges in terms of overcoming the weld defects like voids due to lack of penetration over depth, undercuts and porosity. The present paper reports the studies carried out with CO 2 laser welding of 8 mm thick austenitic stainless steel SS304L plates and their characterization of mechanical properties, microstructure and fracture morphology details. The weld process parameter optimization towards defect free welds with full penetration welding has been carried out. The welded samples have shown tensile properties comparable to base metal, bend tests are successfully passed. The hardness measurements have shown slightly higher for weld zone compared to base metal and the
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Microstructure characterization via stereological relations — A shortcut for beginners
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Pabst, Willi, E-mail: pabstw@vscht.cz; Gregorová, Eva; Uhlířová, Tereza
2015-07-15
Stereological relations that can be routinely applied for the quantitative characterization of microstructures of heterogeneous single- and two-phase materials via global microstructural descriptors are reviewed. It is shown that in the case of dense, single-phase polycrystalline materials (e.g., transparent yttrium aluminum garnet ceramics) two quantities have to be determined, the interface density (or, equivalently, the mean chord length of the grains) and the mean curvature integral density (or, equivalently, the Jeffries grain size), while for two-phase materials (e.g., highly porous, cellular alumina ceramics), one additional quantity, the volume fraction (porosity), is required. The Delesse–Rosiwal law is recalled and size measures are discussed. It is shown that the Jeffries grain size is based on the triple junction line length density, while the mean chord length of grains is based on the interface density (grain boundary area density). In contrast to widespread belief, however, these two size measures are not alternative, but independent (and thus complementary), measures of grain size. Concomitant with this fact, a clear distinction between linear and planar grain size numbers is proposed. Finally, based on our concept of phase-specific quantities, it is shown that under certain conditions it is possible to define a Jeffries size also for two-phase materials and that the ratio of the mean chord length and the Jeffries size has to be considered as an invariant number for a certain type of microstructure, i.e., a characteristic value that is independent of the absolute size of the microstructural features (e.g., grains, inclusions or pores). - Highlights: • Stereology-based image analysis is reviewed, including error considerations. • Recipes are provided for measuring global metric microstructural descriptors. • Size measures are based on interface density and mean curvature integral density. • Phase-specific quantities and a generalized
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Microstructured metal molds fabricated via investment casting
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cannon, Andrew H; King, William P
2010-01-01
This paper describes an investment casting process to produce aluminum molds having integrated microstructures. Unlike conventional micromolding tools, the aluminum mold was large and had complex curved surfaces. The aluminum was cast from curved microstructured ceramic molds which were themselves cast from curved microstructured rubber. The aluminum microstructures had an aspect ratio of 1:1 and sizes ranging from 25 to 50 µm. Many structures were successfully cast into the aluminum with excellent replication fidelity, including circular, square and triangular holes. We demonstrate molding of large, curved surfaces having surface microstructures using the aluminum mold.
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Stability Study of the RERTR Fuel Microstructure
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Jian Gan; Dennis Keiser; Brandon Miller; Daniel Wachs
2014-04-01
The irradiation stability of the interaction phases at the interface of fuel and Al alloy matrix as well as the stability of the fission gas bubble superlattice is believed to be very important to the U-Mo fuel performance. In this paper the recent result from TEM characterization of Kr ion irradiated U-10Mo-5Zr alloy will be discussed. The focus will be on the phase stability of Mo2-Zr, a dominated second phase developed at the interface of U-10Mo and the Zr barrier in a monolithic fuel plate from fuel fabrication. The Kr ion irradiations were conducted at a temperature of 200 degrees C to an ion fluence of 2.0E+16 ions/cm2. To investigate the thermal stability of the fission gas bubble superlattice, a key microstructural feature in both irradiated dispersion U-7Mo fuel and monolithic U-10Mo fuel, a FIB-TEM sample of the irradiated U-10Mo fuel (3.53E+21 fission/cm3) was used for a TEM in-situ heating experiment. The preliminary result showed extraordinary thermal stability of the fission gas bubble superlattice. The implication of the TEM observation from these two experiments on the fuel microstructural evolution under irradiation will be discussed.
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Microstructure characterization of ceramic nuclear fuel
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Boehmert, J.; Gaessner, W.
1984-08-01
A system of characterizing methods is described based on quantitative ceramographic methods. This system is applicable in quality assurance of UO 2 nuclear fuel in small-scale production and for determining microstructural parameters in scientific investigations. The system is based essentially on the measuring of microstructural parameters by the methods of linear analysis by the VEB Carl Zeiss Jena EPIQUANT mechanical optical microstructural analyzer. It is completed by measuring the pore size using automatic the television analyzer QTM. Before the quantitative microstructural characterization, in each case the morphology of the structure is estimated qualitatively. (author)
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One-step synthesis and microstructure of CuO-SDC composites
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Firmino, H.C.T.; Araujo, A.J.M.; Dutra, R.P.S.; Macedo, D.A., E-mail: hellentorrano@hotmail.com, E-mail: allanjp1993@hotmail.com, E-mail: ricardopsd@gmail.com, E-mail: damaced@gmail.com [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Nascimento, R.M., E-mail: rmaribondo@ufrnet.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil); Rajesh, S., E-mail: rajeshayr@gmail.com [University of Aveiro (Portugal)
2017-01-15
An in situ one step synthesis route based on the polymeric precursor method was used to produce dual phase CuO-samaria doped ceria (SDC) nanocomposite powders. This chemical route allowed to obtain composite powders with reduced particle size and uniform distribution of Cu, Ce and Sm elements. The particulate material was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with Rietveld refinement. CuO-SDC sintered in air between 950 to 1050 °C and subsequently reduced to Cu-SDC cermets were further characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy. The open porosity was measured using the Archimedes' principle. Suitable microstructures for both charge transfer and mass transport processes (30 to 45% porosity) were attained in Cu-SDC cermets previously fired at 1000 to 1050 °C. Overall results indicated that CuO-SDC composites and Cu-SDC cermets with potential application as anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can be obtained by microstructural design. An anode supported half-cell was prepared by co-pressing and co-firing gadolinia doped ceria (CGO) and the herein synthesized CuO-SDC nanocomposite powder. (author)
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Reduction of Liquid Bridge Force for 3D Microstructure Measurements
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hiroshi Murakami
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Recent years have witnessed an increased demand for a method for precise measurement of the microstructures of mechanical microparts, microelectromechanical systems, micromolds, optical devices, microholes, etc. This paper presents a measurement system for three-dimensional (3D microstructures that use an optical fiber probe. This probe consists of a stylus shaft with a diameter of 2.5 µm and a glass ball with a diameter of 5 µm attached to the stylus tip. In this study, the measurement system, placed in a vacuum vessel, is constructed suitably to prevent adhesion of the stylus tip to the measured surface caused by the surface force resulting from the van der Waals force, electrostatic force, and liquid bridge force. First, these surface forces are analyzed with the aim of investigating the causes of adhesion. Subsequently, the effects of pressure inside the vacuum vessel on surface forces are evaluated. As a result, it is found that the surface force is 0.13 µN when the pressure inside the vacuum vessel is 350 Pa. This effect is equivalent to a 60% reduction in the surface force in the atmosphere.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jafarzadegan, M.; Feng, A.H.; Abdollah-zadeh, A.; Saeid, T.; Shen, J.; Assadi, H.
2012-01-01
In the present study, 3 mm-thick plates of 304 stainless steel and st37 steel were welded together by friction stir welding at a welding speed of 50 mm/min and tool rotational speed of 400 and 800 rpm. X-ray diffraction test was carried out to study the phases which might be formed in the welds. Metallographic examinations, and tensile and microhardness tests were used to analyze the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint. Four different zones were found in the weld area except the base metals. In the stir zone of the 304 stainless steel, a refined grain structure with some features of dynamic recrystallization was evidenced. A thermomechanically-affected zone was characterized on the 304 steel side with features of dynamic recovery. In the other side of the stir zone, the hot deformation of the st37 steel in the austenite region produced small austenite grains and these grains transformed to fine ferrite and pearlite and some products of displacive transformations such as Widmanstatten ferrite and martensite by cooling the material after friction stir welding. The heat-affected zone in the st37 steel side showed partially and fully refined microstructures like fusion welding processes. The recrystallization in the 304 steel and the transformations in the st37 steel enhanced the hardness of the weld area and therefore, improved the tensile properties of the joint. - Highlights: ► FSW produced sound welds between st37 low carbon steel and 304 stainless steel. ► The SZ of the st37 steel contained some products of allotropic transformation. ► The material in the SZ of the 304 steel showed features of dynamic recrystallization. ► The finer microstructure in the SZ increased the hardness and tensile strength.
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Blindness alters the microstructure of the ventral but not the dorsal visual stream
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Reislev, Nina L; Kupers, Ron; Siebner, Hartwig R
2016-01-01
Visual deprivation from birth leads to reorganisation of the brain through cross-modal plasticity. Although there is a general agreement that the primary afferent visual pathways are altered in congenitally blind individuals, our knowledge about microstructural changes within the higher...... pathways in 12 congenitally blind, 15 late blind and 15 normal sighted controls. We also studied six prematurely born individuals with normal vision to control for the effects of prematurity on brain connectivity. Our data revealed a reduction in fractional anisotropy in the ventral but not the dorsal......-order visual streams, and how this is affected by onset of blindness, remains scant. We used diffusion tensor imaging and tractography to investigate microstructural features in the dorsal (superior longitudinal fasciculus) and ventral (inferior longitudinal and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi) visual...
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Thermal and microstructural modelling in weld heat-affected zones: microstructural development
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ribera, J.M.; Prado, J.M.
1996-01-01
After having analysed in Part 2 of this work the thermal effects caused by a welding process, a metallurgical model which uses those results is proposed to predict the hardness and the microstructure resulting in weld heat affected zones. This model simulates the decomposition of austenite to its various products: martensite, bainite, pearlite and ferrite. Thus, it allows one to optimize welding process parameters to achieve the best microstructure possible. (Author) 5 refs
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gao, Yuanhao; Zhai, Xuezhen; Zhang, Yange; Xu, Zhihong; Li, Pinjiang; Zheng, Zhi
2013-01-01
Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures have been synthesized by reacting In(NO 3 ) 3 with the alkaline sulfur aqueous solution of NaOH in a simple hydrothermal process without any shape-directing surfactants. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures are monodispersed in large quantities. The cabbage-like morphologies depend strongly on the different ratios of S powder to NaOH, the reaction temperature and reaction time. The possible growth mechanism for the formation of cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures is discussed. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures exhibit the superiority of photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of RhB irradiation under visible light irradiation. It is believed that the photocatalytic superiority of the cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures is mainly due to their special surface areas and inner interconnected structural features. - Graphical abstract: Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures were facilely synthesized via simple hydrothermal reaction. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures exhibit the superiority of photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of RhB irradiation under visible light irradiation. - Highlights: • Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures were facilely synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction. • Influencing parameters on the NaInS 2 morphologies have been discussed in detail. • The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures hold efficient photocatalytic performance. • The photocatalytic superiority is mainly due to their special structural features
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Experimental microstructures MOX fuels elaboration
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gotta, M.J.; Dubois, S.; Lechelle, J.; Sornay, P.
2000-01-01
In order to propose a new MOX fuel, owning higher combustion rate, studies are realized at the CEA in collaboration with Cogema, EDF and Framatome. New microstructures of MOX are looked for around two approaches: the grains size and the plutonium distribution. These approaches are presented and discussed in this paper. The first one develops big grains microstructures obtained, either with anionic (sulfur), or cationic (Cr 2 O 3 ) additives. The second one concerns the CER-CER type composite microstructures. (A.L.B.)
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Sone, Daichi; Sato, Noriko; Kimura, Yukio; Watanabe, Yutaka; Okazaki, Mitsutoshi; Matsuda, Hiroshi
2018-04-13
Although epilepsy in the elderly has attracted attention recently, there are few systematic studies of neuroimaging in such patients. In this study, we used structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the morphological and microstructural features of the brain in late-onset temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We recruited patients with TLE and an age of onset > 50 years (late-TLE group) and age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (control group). 3-Tesla MRI scans, including 3D T1-weighted images and 15-direction DTI, showed normal findings on visual assessment in both groups. We used Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 (SPM12) for gray and white matter structural normalization and comparison and used Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) for fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity comparisons of DTI. In both methods, p < 0.05 (family-wise error) was considered statistically significant. In total, 30 patients with late-onset TLE (mean ± SD age, 66.8 ± 8.4; mean ± SD age of onset, 63.0 ± 7.6 years) and 40 healthy controls (mean ± SD age, 66.6 ± 8.5 years) were enrolled. The late-onset TLE group showed significant gray matter volume increases in the bilateral amygdala and anterior hippocampus and significantly reduced mean diffusivity in the left temporofrontal lobe, internal capsule, and brainstem. No significant changes were evident in white matter volume or fractional anisotropy. Our findings may reflect some characteristics or mechanisms of cryptogenic TLE in the elderly, such as inflammatory processes.
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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....
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Verifying the functional ability of microstructured surfaces by model-based testing
Hartmann, Wito; Weckenmann, Albert
2014-09-01
Micro- and nanotechnology enables the use of new product features such as improved light absorption, self-cleaning or protection, which are based, on the one hand, on the size of functional nanostructures and the other hand, on material-specific properties. With the need to reliably measure progressively smaller geometric features, coordinate and surface-measuring instruments have been refined and now allow high-resolution topography and structure measurements down to the sub-nanometre range. Nevertheless, in many cases it is not possible to make a clear statement about the functional ability of the workpiece or its topography because conventional concepts of dimensioning and tolerancing are solely geometry oriented and standardized surface parameters are not sufficient to consider interaction with non-geometric parameters, which are dominant for functions such as sliding, wetting, sealing and optical reflection. To verify the functional ability of microstructured surfaces, a method was developed based on a parameterized mathematical-physical model of the function. From this model, function-related properties can be identified and geometric parameters can be derived, which may be different for the manufacturing and verification processes. With this method it is possible to optimize the definition of the shape of the workpiece regarding the intended function by applying theoretical and experimental knowledge, as well as modelling and simulation. Advantages of this approach will be discussed and demonstrated by the example of a microstructured inking roll.
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Relationships between acoustic emissions and microstructures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rao, G.V.; Gopal, R.
1979-01-01
Results of a systematic study of 'microstructure-deformation-acoustic emission' relationships on two widely used pressure retaining component materials, namely A533-B nuclear pressure vessel steel and a 7075 aluminum alloy, are presented. The study consists of conducting acoustic monitored tensile tests on a variety of quenched and aged microstructures in the two alloy systems and extensive microstructural characterization of test specimens by light optic and electron microscopy techniques. The results suggest a consistent relationship between acoustic emissions and microdeformation mechanisms. The role of specific microstructural constituents in generating acoustic emissions in the two alloys is discussed. (author)
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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.
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Sivaraj, P.; Kanagarajan, D.; Balasubramanian, V.
2014-01-01
This paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir welded joints of precipitation hardenable high strength armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy. The tensile properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and notch tensile strength, are evaluated and correlated with the microhardness and microstructural features....
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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
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Badji , Riad
2008-01-01
This work deals with the study of the texture and microstructure evolution during welding and subsequent annealing treatment of 2205 duplex stainless steel. Microstructural examination showed the presence of higher ferrite amount in the heat affected zone (HAZ), while higher amount of austenite was recorded in the centre region of the weld metal. Annealing treatment at temperature range of 800-1000°C resulted in a precipitation of σ phase and M23C6 chromium carbides at the γ/δ interfaces that...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guo, Yanbing; Feng, Kai; Lu, Fenggui; Zhang, Ke; Li, Zhuguo; Hosseini, Seyed Reza Elmi; Wang, Min
2015-01-01
Highlights: • Nanobainitic coatings under 200, 250 and 300 °C heat treatments are fabricated. • The size of bainite sheaves increased with the isothermal temperature increasing. • Textured and chaotic distributions are observed in 200 and 300 °C microstructures. • The evolution model of nanobainite morphology is established and analyzed. • The bainitic ferrite of 200 °C heat treatment has a true thickness of 45 nm. - Abstract: Laser cladding and subsequent isothermal heat treatments have been used to fabricate nanostructured bainitic coatings. XRD has been used to determine the kinetics of bainitic transformation process. OM, SEM and TEM have been used to characterize the morphology and microstructures at different stages of transformation. The results showed that at the initial stage of bainitic transformation, the bainite sheaves are short and thin at a relatively low transformation temperature. The fully transformed bainitic microstructure obtained at a relatively high temperature present a textured morphology. The chaotic growth orientations of the sheaves and the island like of the retained austenite have been observed at the low transformation temperature. A simple model has been established to describe the microstructures and the bainite sheaves growth evolutions during the isothermal holding at the different transformed temperatures. The morphology and distribution of the bainite in the coatings were analyzed by using the nucleation and growth rate of bainitic transformation theories, which is consisted with the experiment results.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Guo, Yanbing [Shanghai Key Lab of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Feng, Kai; Lu, Fenggui; Zhang, Ke [Shanghai Key Lab of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composite, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Li, Zhuguo, E-mail: lizg@sjtu.edu.cn [Shanghai Key Lab of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Hosseini, Seyed Reza Elmi [Shanghai Key Lab of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Wang, Min [Shanghai Key Lab of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composite, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)
2015-12-01
Highlights: • Nanobainitic coatings under 200, 250 and 300 °C heat treatments are fabricated. • The size of bainite sheaves increased with the isothermal temperature increasing. • Textured and chaotic distributions are observed in 200 and 300 °C microstructures. • The evolution model of nanobainite morphology is established and analyzed. • The bainitic ferrite of 200 °C heat treatment has a true thickness of 45 nm. - Abstract: Laser cladding and subsequent isothermal heat treatments have been used to fabricate nanostructured bainitic coatings. XRD has been used to determine the kinetics of bainitic transformation process. OM, SEM and TEM have been used to characterize the morphology and microstructures at different stages of transformation. The results showed that at the initial stage of bainitic transformation, the bainite sheaves are short and thin at a relatively low transformation temperature. The fully transformed bainitic microstructure obtained at a relatively high temperature present a textured morphology. The chaotic growth orientations of the sheaves and the island like of the retained austenite have been observed at the low transformation temperature. A simple model has been established to describe the microstructures and the bainite sheaves growth evolutions during the isothermal holding at the different transformed temperatures. The morphology and distribution of the bainite in the coatings were analyzed by using the nucleation and growth rate of bainitic transformation theories, which is consisted with the experiment results.
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Stress dependence of microstructures in experimentally deformed calcite
Platt, John P.; De Bresser, J. H. P.
2017-12-01
Optical measurements of microstructural features in experimentally deformed Carrara marble help define their dependence on stress. These features include dynamically recrystallized grain size (Dr), subgrain size (Sg), minimum bulge size (Lρ), and the maximum scale length for surface-energy driven grain-boundary migration (Lγ). Taken together with previously published data Dr defines a paleopiezometer over the range 15-291 MPa and temperature over the range 500-1000 °C, with a stress exponent of -1.09 (CI -1.27 to -0.95), showing no detectable dependence on temperature. Sg and Dr measured in the same samples are closely similar in size, suggesting that the new grains did not grow significantly after nucleation. Lρ and Lγ measured on each sample define a relationship to stress with an exponent of approximately -1.6, which helps define the boundary between a region of dominant strain-energy-driven grain-boundary migration at high stress, from a region of dominant surface-energy-driven grain-boundary migration at low stress.
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Effects of metal coatings on adhesive characteristics of Gecko-like microstructures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim Kyu Hye; An, Tea Chang; Hwang, Hui Yun
2015-01-01
Recently, there have been several studies on the inspiration and application of optimized natural structures. One study introduced a new adhesion method that was inspired by the feet of geckos because of their superior features such as high adhesion strength, ease-of-removal, and they are environmentally friendly. Various micro- or nano-structures were fabricated and tested for gecko-like dry adhesives, but gecko-like dry adhesives that were developed became easily worn from frequent use. In this study, we propose a metal-coating method to improve the durability of gecko-like dry adhesives. We evaluate the initial adhesion strength and durability by performing repeated adhesion tests on a glass plate. The initial adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was 60% of that for non-coated ones. However, the adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was kept as 58% of their initial adhesion strength, while that of non-coated ones was only 40%
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Effects of metal coatings on adhesive characteristics of Gecko-like microstructures
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kim Kyu Hye; An, Tea Chang; Hwang, Hui Yun [Dept. of Mechanical Design Engineering, Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)
2015-11-15
Recently, there have been several studies on the inspiration and application of optimized natural structures. One study introduced a new adhesion method that was inspired by the feet of geckos because of their superior features such as high adhesion strength, ease-of-removal, and they are environmentally friendly. Various micro- or nano-structures were fabricated and tested for gecko-like dry adhesives, but gecko-like dry adhesives that were developed became easily worn from frequent use. In this study, we propose a metal-coating method to improve the durability of gecko-like dry adhesives. We evaluate the initial adhesion strength and durability by performing repeated adhesion tests on a glass plate. The initial adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was 60% of that for non-coated ones. However, the adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was kept as 58% of their initial adhesion strength, while that of non-coated ones was only 40%.
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Fracture mechanics and microstructures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gee, M.G.; Morrell, R.
1986-01-01
The influence of microstructure on defects in ceramics, and the consequences of their presence for the application of fracture mechanics theories are reviewed. The complexities of microstructures, especially the multiphase nature, the crystallographic anisotropy and the resultant anisotropic physical properties, and the variation of microstructure and surface finish from point to point in real components, all lead to considerable uncertainties in the actual performance of any particular component. It is concluded that although the concepts of fracture mechanics have been and will continue to be most useful for the qualitative explanation of fracture phenomena, the usefulness as a predictive tool with respect to most existing types of material is limited by the interrelation between material microstructure and mechanical properties. At present, the only method of eliminating components with unsatisfactory mechanical properties is to proof-test them, despite the fact that proof-testing itself is limited in ability to cope with changes to the component in service. The aim of the manufacturer must be to improve quality and consistency within individual components, from component to component, and from batch to batch. The aim of the fracture specialist must be to study longer-term properties to improve the accuracy of behaviour predictions with a stronger data base. Materials development needs to concentrate on obtaining defect-free materials that can be translated into more-reliable products, using our present understanding of the influence of microstructure on strength and toughness
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Rodrigues, Adilson V.; Lima, Thiago S.; Vida, Talita A.; Brito, Crystopher; Garcia, Amauri; Cheung, Noé
2018-03-01
Al-Cu-Ni alloys are of scientific and technological interest due to high strength/high temperature applications, based on the reinforcement originated from the interaction between the Al-rich phase and intermetallic composites. The nature, morphology, size, volume fraction and dispersion of IMCs particles throughout the Al-rich matrix are important factors determining the resulting mechanical and chemical properties. The present work aims to evaluate the effect of the addition of 1wt%Ni into Al-5wt%Cu and Al-15wt%Cu alloys on the solidification rate, macrosegregation, microstructure features and the interrelations of such characteristics on tensile and corrosion properties. A directional solidification technique is used permitting a wide range of microstructural scales to be examined. Experimental growth laws relating the primary and secondary dendritic spacings to growth rate and solidification cooling rate are proposed, and Hall-Petch type equations are derived relating the ultimate tensile strength and elongation to the primary dendritic spacing. Considering a compromise between ultimate tensile strength and corrosion resistance of the examined alloys samples from both alloys castings it is shown that the samples having more refined microstructures are associated with the highest values of such properties.
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Microstructural characteristics and corrosion behavior of a super duplex stainless steel casting
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martins, Marcelo; Casteletti, Luiz Carlos
2009-01-01
The machining of super duplex stainless steel castings is usually complicated by the difficulty involved in maintaining the dimensional tolerances required for given applications. Internal stresses originating from the solidification process and from subsequent heat treatments reach levels that exceed the material's yield strength, promoting plastic strain. Stress relief heat treatments at 520 deg. C for 2 h are an interesting option to solve this problem, but because these materials present a thermodynamically metastable condition, a few precautions should be taken. The main objective of this work was to demonstrate that, after solution annealing at 1130 deg. C and water quenching, stress relief at 520 deg. C for 2 h did not alter the duplex microstructure or impair the pitting corrosion resistance of ASTM A890/A890M Grade 6A steel. This finding was confirmed by microstructural characterization techniques, including light optical and scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Corrosion potential measurements in synthetic sea water containing 20,000 ppm of chloride ions were also conducted at three temperatures: 5 deg. C, 25 deg. C and 60 deg. C
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Yinong; Kang, Suk Bong; Cho, Jaehyung
2011-01-01
Research highlights: → This work, taking AM30 + 0.2Ca alloy as experimental material, will provide some new information as follows: one is microstructural difference between twin roll cast and ingot cast AM31-0.2Ca alloy. The other is the comparison of tensile properties after warm rolling and annealing. Suggesting the possibility of the development of wrought magnesium alloy sheets by strip casting. - Abstract: Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of twin roll cast (TRC) Mg-3.3 wt.%Al-0.8 wt.%Mn-0.2 wt.%Ca (AM31 + 0.2Ca) alloy strip during warm rolling and subsequent annealing were investigated in this paper. The as-TRC alloy strip shows columnar dendrites in surface and equiaxed dendrites in center regions, as well as finely dispersed primary Al 8 Mn 5 particles on interdendritic boundaries which result in the beneficial effect on microstructural refinement of strip casting. The warm rolled sheets show intensively deformed band or shear band structures, as well as finely and homogeneously dispersed Al-Mn particles. No evident dynamic recrystallization (DRX) takes place during warm rolling process, which is more likely attributed to the finely dispersed particle and high solid solution of Al and Mn atoms in α-Mg matrix. After annealing at 350 deg. C for 1 h, the warm rolled TRC sheets show fine equiaxed grains around 7.8 μm in average size. It has been shown that the present TRC alloy sheet has superior tensile strength and comparative elongation compared to commercial ingot cast (IC) one, suggesting the possibility of the development of wrought magnesium alloy sheets by twin roll strip casting processing. The microstructural evolution during warm rolling and subsequent annealing as well as the resulting tensile properties were analyzed and discussed.
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Homogenization-based topology optimization for high-resolution manufacturable micro-structures
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Groen, Jeroen Peter; Sigmund, Ole
2018-01-01
This paper presents a projection method to obtain high-resolution, manufacturable structures from efficient and coarse-scale, homogenization-based topology optimization results. The presented approach bridges coarse and fine scale, such that the complex periodic micro-structures can be represented...... by a smooth and continuous lattice on the fine mesh. A heuristic methodology allows control of the projected topology, such that a minimum length-scale on both solid and void features is ensured in the final result. Numerical examples show excellent behavior of the method, where performances of the projected...
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Replication of specifically microstructured surfaces in A356-alloy via lost wax investment casting
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ivanov, Todor; Bührig-Polaczek, Andreas; Vroomen, Uwe; Hartmann, Claudia; Holtkamp, Jens; Gillner, Arnold; Bobzin, Kirsten; Bagcivan, Nazlim; Theiss, Sebastian
2011-01-01
A common way of realizing microstructural features on metallic surfaces is to generate the designated pattern on each single part by means of microstructuring technologies such as e.g. laser ablation, electric discharge machining or micromilling. The disadvantage of these process chains is the limited productivity due to the additional processing of each part. The approach of this work is to replicate microstructured surfaces from a master pattern via lost wax investment casting in order to reach a higher productivity. We show that microholes of different sizes ( 15–22 µm at depths of 6–14 µm) can be replicated in AlSi7Mg-alloy from a laser-structured master pattern via investment casting. However, some loss of molding accuracy during the multi-stage molding process occurs. Approximately 50% of the original microfeature's heights are lost during the wax injection step. In the following process step of manufacturing a gypsum-bonded mold, a further loss in the surface quality of the microfeatures can be observed. In the final process step of casting the aluminum melt, the microfeatures are filled without any loss of molding accuracy and replicate the surface quality of the gypsum mold. The contact angle measurements of ultrapure water on the cast surfaces show a decrease in wettability on the microstructured regions (75°) compared to the unstructured region (60°)
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Battaile, Corbett; Owen, Steven; Moore, Nathan
2017-06-01
The properties of most engineering materials depend on the characteristics of internal microstructures and defects. In additively manufactured (AM) metals, these can include polycrystalline grains, impurities, phases, and significant porosity that qualitatively differ from conventional engineering materials. The microscopic details of the interactions between these internal defects, and the propagation of applied loads through the body, act in concert to dictate macro-observable properties like strength and compressibility. In this work, we used Sandia's ALEGRA finite element software to simulate the high-strain-rate loading of AM metals from laser engineered net shaping (LENS) and thermal spraying. The microstructural details of the material were represented explicitly, such that internal features like second phases and pores are captured and meshed as individual entities in the computational domain. We will discuss the dependence of the high-strain-rate mechanical properties on microstructural characteristics such as the shapes, sizes, and volume fractions of second phases and pores. In addition, we will examine how the details of the microstructural representation affect the microscopic material response to dynamic loads, and the effects of using ``stair-step'' versus conformal interfaces smoothed via the SCULPT tool in Sandia's CUBIT software. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the US DOE NNSA under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
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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)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Du, Q.; Poole, W.J.; Wells, M.A.; Parson, N.C.
2013-01-01
Microstructure evolution during the homogenization heat treatment of Al–Mn–Fe–Si, or AA3xxx, alloys has been investigated using a combination of modeling and experimental studies. The model is fully coupled to CALculation PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD) software and has explicitly taken into account the two different length scales for diffusion encountered in modeling the homogenization process. The model is able to predict the evolution of all the important microstructural features during homogenization, including the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of dispersoids and alloying elements in solution, the dispersoid number density and the size distribution, and the type and fraction of intergranular constituent particles. Experiments were conducted using four direct chill (DC) cast AA3xxx alloys subjected to various homogenization treatments. The resulting microstructures were then characterized using a range of characterization techniques, including optical and electron microscopy, electron micro probe analysis, field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, and electrical resistivity measurements. The model predictions have been compared with the experimental measurements to validate the model. Further, it has been demonstrated that the validated model is able to predict the effects of alloying elements (e.g. Si and Mn) on microstructure evolution. It is concluded that the model provides a time and cost effective tool in optimizing and designing industrial AA3xxx alloy chemistries and homogenization heat treatments
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Microstructure and mechanical properties of spray-deposited Mg-12.55Al-3.33Zn-0.58Ca-1Nd alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bai Pucun; Dong Taishang; Hou Xiaohu; Zhao Chunwang; Xing Yongming
2010-01-01
A Mg-Al-Zn-Ca-Nd magnesium alloy was prepared by spray forming technology, and the spray-deposited alloy was subsequently hot-extruded with a reduction rate of 16:1 at 623 K. The mechanical properties of the extruded alloy were investigated, and the result shows that the spray-formed Mg alloy offers superior tensile strength with poor ductility. The morphologies, fracture characteristic and chemical compositions of the extruded alloy were then explored by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer. Furthermore, microstructure of the extruded alloy was examined by X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the microstructure of the spray-deposited magnesium alloy consists of α-Mg and Al 2 Ca phases, and the Al 2 Ca compound is distributed along the grain boundaries of the primary α-Mg. Moreover, twin substructure is found to exist in microstructure of the Al 2 Ca phase, rare earth Nd in the Al 2 Ca phase in the form of solid solution.
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Wetting on micro-structured surfaces: modelling and optimization
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Cavalli, Andrea
-patterns, and suggests that there is a balance between optimal wetting properties and mechanical robustness of the microposts. We subsequently analyse liquid spreading on surfaces patterned with slanted microposts. Such a geometry induces unidirectional liquid spreading, as observed in several recent experiments. Our...... liquid spreading and spontaneous drop removal on superhydrophobic surfaces. We do this by applying different numerical techniques, suited for the specific topic. We first consider superhydrophobicity, a condition of extreme water repellency associated with very large static contact angles and low roll......The present thesis deals with the wetting of micro-structured surfaces by various fluids, and its goal is to elucidate different aspects of this complex interaction. In this work we address some of the most relevant topics in this field such as superhydrophobicity, oleophobicity, unidirectional...
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A subsequent closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Melendy, Robert F., E-mail: rfmelendy@liberty.edu [School of Engineering and Computational Science, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, 24515 (United States)
2016-05-15
I recently introduced a closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon [R.F. Melendy, Journal of Applied Physics 118, 244701 (2015)]. Those results demonstrate how intracellular conductance, the thermodynamics of magnetization, and current modulation, function together in generating an action potential in a unified, closed-form description. At present, I report on a subsequent closed-form model that unifies intracellular conductance and the thermodynamics of magnetization, with the membrane electric field, E{sub m}. It’s anticipated this work will compel researchers in biophysics, physical biology, and the computational neurosciences, to probe deeper into the classical and quantum features of membrane magnetization and signaling, informed by the computational features of this subsequent model.
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A subsequent closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon
Melendy, Robert. F.
2016-05-01
I recently introduced a closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon [R.F. Melendy, Journal of Applied Physics 118, 244701 (2015)]. Those results demonstrate how intracellular conductance, the thermodynamics of magnetization, and current modulation, function together in generating an action potential in a unified, closed-form description. At present, I report on a subsequent closed-form model that unifies intracellular conductance and the thermodynamics of magnetization, with the membrane electric field, Em. It's anticipated this work will compel researchers in biophysics, physical biology, and the computational neurosciences, to probe deeper into the classical and quantum features of membrane magnetization and signaling, informed by the computational features of this subsequent model.
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Hsiao, Z-W; Chen, D; Kuo, J-C; Lin, D-Y
2017-04-01
This study investigated the influence of deformation on precipitation behaviour and microstructure change during annealing. Here, the prior deformation of high-chromium stainless steel was tensile deformation of 3%, 6% and 10%, and the specimens were then annealed at 700˚C for 10 h. The specimens were subsequently analyzed using backscattered electron image and electron backscattering diffraction measurements with SEM. Compared with the deformation microstructure, the grains revealed no preferred orientation. The precipitates of TiN and NbC were formed homogenously in the grain interior and at grain boundaries after annealing. Fine Laves phase precipitates were observed in grains and along subgrain boundaries as the deformation increased. Furthermore, the volume fraction of Laves phase increased, but the average particle diameter of precipitate was reduced as the deformation increased. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.
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Emmerich, H.
2009-11-01
Scope and aim of this volume. Nucleation and initial microstructure formation play an important role in almost all aspects of materials science [1-5]. The relevance of the prediction and control of nucleation and the subsequent microstructure formation is fully accepted across many areas of modern surface and materials science and technology. One reason is that a large range of material properties, from mechanical ones such as ductility and hardness to electrical and magnetic ones such as electric conductivity and magnetic hardness, depend largely on the specific crystalline structure that forms in nucleation and the subsequent initial microstructure growth. A very demonstrative example for the latter is the so called bamboo structure of an integrated circuit, for which resistance against electromigration [6] , a parallel alignment of grain boundaries vertical to the direction of electricity, is most favorable. Despite the large relevance of predicting and controlling nucleation and the subsequent microstructure formation, and despite significant progress in the experimental analysis of the later stages of crystal growth in line with new theoretical computer simulation concepts [7], details about the initial stages of solidification are still far from being satisfactorily understood. This is in particular true when the nucleation event occurs as heterogenous nucleation. The Priority Program SPP 1296 'Heterogenous Nucleation and Microstructure Formation—a Scale- and System-Bridging Approach' [8] sponsored by the German Research Foundation, DFG, intends to contribute to this open issue via a six year research program that enables approximately twenty research groups in Germany to work interdisciplinarily together following this goal. Moreover, it enables the participants to embed themselves in the international community which focuses on this issue via internationally open joint workshops, conferences and summer schools. An outline of such activities can be found
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tan, Xipeng; Kok, Yihong; Tan, Yu Jun; Descoins, Marion; Mangelinck, Dominique; Tor, Shu Beng; Leong, Kah Fai; Chua, Chee Kai
2015-01-01
Electron beam melting (EBM®)-built Ti–6Al–4V has increasingly shown great potential for orthopedic implant and aerospace applications in recent years. The microstructure and mechanical properties of EBM-built Ti–6Al–4V have been systematically investigated in this work. Its microstructure consists of columnar prior β grains delineated by wavy grain boundary α and transformed α/β structures with both cellular colony and basket-weave morphology as well as numerous singular α bulges within the prior β grains. The β phase is found to form as discrete flat rods embedded in continuous α phase and its volume fraction is determined to be ∼3.6%. Moreover, α′ martensite was not observed as it has decomposed into α and β phases. In particular, the α/β interface was studied in detail combined transmission electron microscopy with atom probe tomography. Of note is that graded Ti–6Al–4V microstructure i.e. both prior β grain width and β phase interspacing continuously increase with the build height, was observed, which mainly arises from the decreasing cooling rate. Furthermore, an increasingly pronounced strain hardening effect was also observed as the previously built layers undergo a longer annealing compared to the subsequent layers. As a result, graded mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V with degraded microhardness and tensile properties were found. A good agreement with the Hall–Petch relation indicates that the graded property takes place mainly due to the graded microstructure. In addition, this graded microstructure and mechanical properties were discussed based on a quantitative characterization
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Image analysis: a tool characterising and modelling the microstructure of the MOX fuel
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Charollais, F.
1997-01-01
The MOX nuclear fuel, made up of about 3 to 10 % of plutonium oxide mixed with uranium oxide, is elaborated by an original manufacturing method (MIMAS process). The MOX pellets feature a singular and complex microstructure, including enriched plutonium zones dispersed in a low plutonium content matrix. Their properties as well as their performances levels are strongly linked with this microstructure. Tools, found in the literature, allowing to quantify with relevant parameters the microstructural images from different analytical equipment (optical microscopy, electron probe micro-analyser and autoradiography) have been adapted and used in order to characterize these nuclear fuels. Taking into account the heterogeneity of the MOX microstructure, we turn our's attention, at the beginning of this study, to the analysis conditions: choice of the magnification, sampling and statistical analysis of the measurements. An improvement of the ceramographic preparation of the samples, required for an automatic image analysis (of the granular structure), has been realised by thermal etching under oxidizing gas. This method enables the strong content plutonium zones to be revealed distinctly. The first part of the study concerns the characterization of the three-dimensional structure of uranium oxide and MOX fuels by average variables using the principles of mathematical morphology and stereology. The second part introduces probabilistic models, in particular the Boolean scheme, in order to improve and complete the three-dimensional characterization of the MOX fuel and more specifically the enriched plutonium islands dispersion in the pellet. [fr
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Fernandez, P., E-mail: pilar.fernandez@ciemat.es [National Fusion Laboratory, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Eddahbi, M.; Auger, M.A.; Leguey, T.; Monge, M.A.; Pareja, R. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganes (Spain)
2011-10-01
EUROFER'97 was processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 823 K for a total of 4 or 8 passes, using a die angle of 105{sup o}, and its microstructure and tensile behavior in temperature range 568-873 K investigated. A single ECAP pass developed a deformation texture {l_brace}1 1 0{r_brace} <0 1 1> that was practically stable during subsequent ECAP passes. The materials processed by 1 or 2 passes exhibited a fine microstructure of recovered subgrains and tensile behavior very similar to that for the tempered material in the as-received condition. The materials processed using 4 or 8 passes exhibited nearly equiaxial submicron grained structures with a high density of high-angle grain boundaries. These materials became softer than the as-received material at a testing temperature of {approx}823 K. EUROFER ECAP processed under the present conditions exhibited hardening ratio somewhat higher than that of the as-received material.
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Morrow, Benjamin M.; Lienert, Thomas J.; Knapp, Cameron M.; Sutton, Jacob O.; Brand, Michael J.; Pacheco, Robin M.; Livescu, Veronica; Carpenter, John S.; Gray, George T.
2018-05-01
Recent work in both 304L and 316L stainless steel produced by additive manufacturing (AM) has shown that in addition to the unique, characteristic microstructures formed during the process, a fine dispersion of sub-micron particles, with a chemistry different from either the powder feedstock or the expected final material, are evident in the final microstructure. Such fine-scale features can only be resolved using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or similar techniques. The present work uses electron microscopy to study both the initial powder feedstock and microstructures in final AM parts. Special attention is paid to the chemistry and origin of these nanoscale particles in several different metal alloys, and their impact on the final build. Comparisons to traditional, wrought material will be made.
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Microstructures and mechanical properties of aging materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liaw, P.K.; Viswanathan, R.; Murty, K.L.; Simonen, E.P.; Frear, D.
1993-01-01
This book contains a collection of papers presented at the symposium on ''Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Aging Materials,'' that was held in Chicago, IL. November 2-5, 1992 in conjunction with the Fall Meeting of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS). The subjects of interest in the symposium included: (1) mechanisms of microstructural degradation, (2) effects of microstructural degradation on mechanical behavior, (3) development of life prediction methodology for in-service structural and electronic components, (4) experimental techniques to monitor degradation of microstructures and mechanical properties, and (5) effects of environment on microstructural degradation and mechanical properties. Individual papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the appropriate data bases
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stolyarov, V.V.; Zhu, Y.T.; Raab, G.I.; Zharikov, A.I.; Valiev, R.Z.
2004-01-01
Ultrafine-grained (UFG) Ti rods were produced via cold rolling UFG and coarse-grained (CG) Ti stocks. The initial UFG stock was produced via equal channel angular pressing. It was found that the initial UFG structure had beneficial influence on the mechanical properties of the cold-rolled Ti rods. Compared with Ti rods with initial CG microstructure, the Ti rods with the initial UFG microstructure have both higher strength and higher ductility after being cold rolled to varying strains. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Ti rods with the initial UFG microstructure had finer, more homogeneous microstructures after cold rolling. This study demonstrates the merit of UFG Ti processed by ECAP for further shaping and forming into structural components with superior mechanical properties
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Microstructured hollow fibers for ultrafiltration
Culfaz, Pmar Zeynep; Culfaz, P.Z.; Rolevink, Hendrikus H.M.; van Rijn, C.J.M.; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; Wessling, Matthias
2010-01-01
Hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes with a corrugated outer microstructure were prepared from a PES/PVP blend. The effect of spinning parameters such as air gap, take-up speed, polymer dope viscosity and coagulation value on the microstructure and membrane characteristics was investigated. Fibers
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Microstructure within domains of melt-processed YBa2Cu3O7-x superconductors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Alexander, K.B.; Goyal, A.; Kroeger, D.M.; Selvamanickam, V.; Salama, K.
1992-01-01
The microstructure within single domains of melt-processed YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (1:2:3) material has been examined. Rather than composing a ''brick-wall'' structure, the stacked, parallel platelets within the domains are actually portions of a single crystal. A growth mechanism is proposed that is consistent with the observed microstructural features. The anisotropic nature of the growth of 1:2:3 results in gaps separating the platelets. The gaps, however, terminate within domains, resulting in interconnected single-crystalline material. The absence of weak-link behavior for current flow along the c axis and the high critical-current densities observed within domains of melt-processed 1:2:3 material are readily explained by the fact that current flow is solely through single-crystalline material
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An approach to microstructure quantification in terms of impact properties of HSLA pipeline steels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gervasyev, Alexey [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ghent University (Belgium); R& D Center TMK, Ltd., Chelyabinsk (Russian Federation); Carretero Olalla, Victor [SKF Belgium NV/SA, Brussels (Belgium); Sidor, Jurij [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of West Hungary, Szombathely (Hungary); Sanchez Mouriño, Nuria [ArcelorMittal Global R& D/OCAS NV, Gent (Belgium); Kestens, Leo A.I.; Petrov, Roumen H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ghent University (Belgium); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)
2016-11-20
Several thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP) schedules of a modern pipeline steel were executed using a laboratory mill to investigate both the TMCP parameters influence on the ductile properties and the microstructure and texture evolution during TMCP. Impact fracture toughness was evaluated by means of instrumented Charpy impact test and results were correlated with the metallurgical characterization of the steel via electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. It is shown that the ductile crack growth observed in the impact test experiments can be reasonably correlated with the Morphology Clustering (MC) and the Cleavage Morphology Clustering (CMC) parameters, which incorporate size, shape, and crystallographic texture features of microstructure elements. The mechanism of unfavorable texture formation during TMCP is explained by texture changes occurring between the end of finish rolling and the start of accelerated cooling.
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Effects of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency field on microstructure and bone metabolism of femur in mice.
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.
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Long-lasting modulation of feature integration by transcranial magnetic stimulation
Scharnowski, Frank; Rueter, Johannes; Jolij, Jacob; Hermens, Frouke; Kammer, Thomas; Herzog, Michael H.
The human brain analyzes a visual object first by basic feature detectors. On the objects way to a conscious percept, these features are integrated in subsequent stages of the visual hierarchy. The time course of this feature integration is largely unknown. To shed light on the temporal dynamics of
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Long-lasting modulation of feature integration by transcranial magnetic stimulation
Scharnowski, Frank; Rueter, Johannes; Jolij, Jacob; Hermens, Frouke; Kammer, Thomas; Herzog, Michael H.
2009-01-01
The human brain analyzes a visual object first by basic feature detectors. On the objects way to a conscious percept, these features are integrated in subsequent stages of the visual hierarchy. The time course of this feature integration is largely unknown. To shed light on the temporal dynamics of
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Influence of Cu Content on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cr-Cu-N Coatings
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ji Cheng Ding
2018-01-01
Full Text Available The Cr-Cu-N coatings with various Cu contents (0–25.18 (±0.17 at.% were deposited on Si wafer and stainless steel (SUS 304 substrates in reactive Ar+N2 gas mixture by a hybrid coating system combining pulsed DC and RF magnetron sputtering techniques. The influence of Cu content on the coating composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties was investigated. The microstructure of the coatings was significantly altered by the introduction of Cu. The deposited coatings exhibit solid solution structure with different compositions in all of the samples. Addition of Cu is intensively favored for preferred orientation growth along (200 direction by restricting in (111 direction. With increasing Cu content, the surface and cross-sectional morphology of coatings were changed from triangle cone-shaped, columnar feature to broccoli-like and compact glassy microstructure, respectively. The mechanical properties including the residual stress, nanohardness, and toughness of the coatings were explored on the basis of Cu content. The highest hardness was obtained at the Cu content of 1.49 (±0.10 at.%.
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Zirconium microstructures: uncharted possibilities
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Samajdar, I.; Kumar, Gulshan; Singh, Jaiveer; Lodh, Arijit; Srivastava, D.; Tewari, R.; Dey, G.K.; Saibaba, N.
2015-01-01
The 'conventional' Zirconium microstructures can be significantly extended with information on: (i) microtexture, (ii) residual stresses and (iii) local mechanical properties. Though these involve different tools, but a consolidated microstructure can be crated. This is the theme of this presentation. Examples of this consolidated picture will be made from deformation twinning, recovery-recrystallization, burst ductility and orientation versus solid solution hardening. (author)
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Microstructural characterization of ODS ferritic steels at different processing stages
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gil, E., E-mail: egil@ceit.es; Ordás, N.; García-Rosales, C.; Iturriza, I., E-mail: iiturriza@ceit.es
2015-10-15
Highlights: • ODS ferritic stainless steel produced by new route without mechanical alloying. • Fully dense ferritic stainless steels containing Y and Ti were obtained by HIPping. • Y and Ti-rich precipitates prevent grain growth during heat treatment up to 1320 °C. • HIPping at 1220 °C dissolves the metastable oxides on PPBs. - Abstract: Nanostructured Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Reduced Activation Ferritic Stainless Steels (ODS RAF) are promising structural materials for fusion reactors, due to their ultrafine microstructure and the presence of a dispersion of Y–Ti–O nanoclusters that provide excellent creep strength at high temperatures (up to 750 °C). The traditional powder metallurgical route to produce these steels is based on Gas Atomization (GA) + Mechanical Alloying (MA) + HIP + ThermoMechanical Treatments (TMTs). Recently, alternative methods have arisen to avoid the MA step. In line with this new approach, ferritic stainless steel powders were produced by gas atomization and HIPped, after adjusting their oxygen, Y and Ti contents to form Y–Ti–O nanoclusters during subsequent heat treatments. The microstructure of as-HIPped steels mainly consists of ferrite grains, Y–Ti precipitates, carbides and oxides on Prior Particle Boundaries (PPBs). Post-HIP heat treatments performed at high temperatures (1270 and 1300 °C) evaluated the feasibility of achieving a complete dissolution of the oxides on PPBs and a precipitation of ultrafine Ti- and Y-rich oxides in the Fe14Cr2W matrix. FEG-SEM with extensive EDS analysis was used to characterize the microstructure of the atomized powders and the ODS-RAF specimens after HIP consolidation and post-HIP heat treatments. A deeper characterization of atomized powder was carried out by TEM.
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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
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Discriminating Yogurt Microstructure Using Diffuse Reflectance Images
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Skytte, Jacob Lercke; Møller, Flemming; Abildgaard, Otto Højager Attermann
2015-01-01
The protein microstructure of many dairy products is of great importance for the consumers’ experience when eating the product. However, studies concerning discrimination between protein microstructures are limited. This paper presents preliminary results for discriminating different yogurt...... microstructures using hyperspectral (500-900nm) diffuse reflectance images (DRIs) – a technique potentially well suited for inline process control. Comparisons are made to quantified measures of the yogurt microstructure observed through confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The output signal from both...... modalities is evaluated on a 24 factorial design covering four common production parameters, which significantly change the chemistry and the microstructure of the yogurt. It is found that the DRIs can be as discriminative as the CSLM images in certain cases, however the performance is highly governed...
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Microstructure Modeling of 3rd Generation Disk Alloy
Jou, Herng-Jeng
2008-01-01
The objective of this initiative, funded by NASA's Aviation Safety Program, is to model, validate, and predict, with high fidelity, the microstructural evolution of third-generation high-refractory Ni-based disc superalloys during heat treating and service conditions. This initiative is a natural extension of the DARPA-AIM (Accelerated Insertion of Materials) initiative with GE/Pratt-Whitney and with other process simulation tools. Strong collaboration with the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is a key component of this initiative and the focus of this program is on industrially relevant disk alloys and heat treatment processes identified by GRC. Employing QuesTek s Computational Materials Dynamics technology and PrecipiCalc precipitation simulator, physics-based models are being used to achieve high predictive accuracy and precision. Combining these models with experimental data and probabilistic analysis, "virtual alloy design" can be performed. The predicted microstructures can be optimized to promote desirable features and concurrently eliminate nondesirable phases that can limit the reliability and durability of the alloys. The well-calibrated and well-integrated software tools that are being applied under the proposed program will help gas turbine disk alloy manufacturers, processing facilities, and NASA, to efficiently and effectively improve the performance of current and future disk materials.
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Riedel, Jendrian; Böhme, Wolfgang; Bleckmann, Horst; Spinner, Marlene
2015-02-01
Chameleons (Chamaeleonidae) feature many adaptations to their arboreal lifestyle, including zygodactylous feet, a prehensile tail, and epidermal microstructures. In arboreal tree chameleons, the substrate-contacting site of the feet and tail is covered by microscopic hair-like structures (setae) of 6-20 µm length. Their friction enhancing function has been shown in recent studies. Leaf chameleons and one representative of the tree chameleons (Chamaeleo namaquensis) secondarily have become ground-dwelling. Because leaf chameleons are paraphyletic, one could expect that in the three leaf chameleon genera Brookesia, Rhampholeon, and Rieppeleon and the tree chameleon Ch. namaquensis, epidermis has adapted independently to terrestrial locomotion. Using scanning electron microscopy, we investigated the substrate-contacting surfaces of the feet (subdigital) of 17 leaf chameleon species and five tree chameleon species that have not yet been examined. Additionally, surfaces not involved in locomotion, the flanks (dorsolateral), and scale interstices, were examined. Although the subdigital microstructures in leaf chameleons are more diverse than in tree chameleons, we found some features across the genera. The subdigital microornamentation of Rhampholeon spinosus consists of long thin setae and spines, comparable to those of tree chameleons. All other Rhampholeon species have spines or short but broad setae. Rh. spectrum had tooth-like structures instead of setae. Subdigital scales of Brookesia have either thorns or conical scale-tops in the center and feature honeycomb microstructures. In Rieppeleon, subdigital scales have a thorn. Scale surfaces are covered by honeycombs and short hair-like structures (spines). As subdigital scales with a thorn in the center and honeycomb microstructures were also found in the terrestrial tree chameleon Ch. namaquensis, one can assume that this geometry is a convergent adaptation to terrestrial locomotion. Despite the great number of
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Birosca, S.; Buffiere, J.Y.; Karadge, M.; Preuss, M.
2011-01-01
In situ observations of short crack growth in powder-processed Ti-6246 have been undertaken using synchrotron X-ray microtomography to investigate crack tip interaction with microstructure. Together with post-mortem analysis using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), it was possible to identify a number of microstructural features that affect crack propagation rates by causing crack bifurcation, crack bridging and crack deflection. Three samples with different microstructures were tested in this way: lamellar, duplex and a heterogeneous microstructure that showed regions of lamellar and duplex microstructure. The in situ fatigue experiments were carried out with a maximum stress of 410 MPa and R = 0.1. The three microstructures showed significantly different short crack propagation rates, with the lamellar microstructure displaying the fastest and the duplex microstructure the slowest rate. It was found that the lamellar microstructure develops a deeper crack than the duplex microstructure that is related to significant crack bifurcation taking place near the surface region in the lamellar but not duplex microstructure. It was also found that a columnar lamellar microstructure creates a relatively smooth crack front while a basket-weave-type microstructure forces the crack tip to undulate on the lath width scale. Crack bridging of the fine lamellar region of the duplex microstructure was observed, which seems to hinder significant crack bifurcation to occur, but still provides improved crack growth resistance that explains the low crack propagation rate. In the third microstructure the crack tended to grow slightly asymmetrically due to the heterogeneous nature of the microstructure, resulting in the intermediate growth rate. EBSD grain orientation and Schmid factor analysis of regions including the crack revealed that the crack path is strongly influenced by the crystallographic orientation of the α lamellae and grains. While in the lamellar microstructure
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Microstructural features of friction stir welded dissimilar Aluminium alloys AA2219-AA7475
Zaman Khan, Noor; Ubaid, Mohammed; Siddiquee, Arshad Noor; Khan, Zahid A.; Al-Ahmari, Abdulrahman; Chen, Xizhang; Haider Abidi, Mustufa
2018-05-01
High strength, good corrosion resistance, light weight make aluminium alloys a material of choice in many industrial sectors like aerospace, marine etc. Problems associated with welding of these alloys by fusion welding processes restricted their use in various industries. Friction stir welding (FSW), a clean solid-state joining process, easily overcomes various difficulties encountered during conventional fusion welding processes. In the present work, the effect of rotational speed (710 rpm, 900 rpm and 1120 rpm) on micro-hardness distribution and microstructure of FSWed dissimilar aluminium alloy joints were analyzed. Plates of AA7475-T761 and AA2219-O having thickness of 2.5 mm were welded by fixing AA7475 on retreating side (RS) and AA2219 on advancing side (AS). Welded joints were characterized by Vickers micro-hardness testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). Results revealed that rotational speed significantly affects the micro-hardness due to increase in grain size, coarsening and dissolution of strengthening precipitates and re-precipitation. Higher micro-hardness values were observed in stir zone due to grain refinement and re-precipitation. Minimum micro-hardness value was observed at the TMAZ/HAZ of advancing side due to thermal softening.
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Influence of microstructure on low cycle fatigue in some single phase and biphasic stainless steels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stolarz, J. [Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines, Centre SMS, URA CNRS 1884, Saint-Etienne (France)
2004-07-01
This overview deals with the effects of microstructural parameters in different single phase and biphasic stainless steels on short crack behaviour and on fatigue life in the low cycle regime. The effect of the grain size is investigated in a single phase austenitic stainless steel. Under plastic strain control, the fatigue life increases when the grain size decreases. The results are discussed by analysing the distributions of crack depths as a function of the grain size. The second type of material is a metastable austenitic steel which partially transforms into martensite during LCF at temperatures between -50 C and +120 C. The grain size of the initially single phase austenitic microstructure has a combined influence on the volume fraction of martensite produced during fatigue and on the fatigue life. In this case, the grain size effect is still considerable but totally indirect because all fatigue cracks grow exclusively in the martensite. The cyclic behaviour analysis in biphasic alloys in which two phases undergo plastic deformation during LCF is considerably more complex because the conventional concept of microstructural barriers cannot be applied. The possible damage patterns in a pair of grains with different mechanical properties are discussed on the example of a solution treated and aged superduplex austenitic-ferritic stainless steel (SDSS). The hardening of one phase (ferrite) through ageing at 475 C changes the cyclic behaviour of the initial ''quasi single phase'' microstructure. Consequently, the fatigue life under plastic strain control decreases compared with the solution treated SDSS. The discussion is focussed on LCF damage mechanisms at the microstructure size scale with a particular accent put on the propagation of short cracks in the bulk. All the microstructures exhibit some common features with respect to the behaviour of short cracks. In particular a strong effect of microstructural barriers in the bulk and the
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Fabrication and microstructure of CNTs activated sintered W–Nb alloys
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sha, J.J.; Hao, X.N.; Li, J.; Wang, Z.
2014-01-01
Highlights: • Fabrication and microstructure of CNTs activated sintered W-Nb alloys were investigated. • CNTs could significantly enhance the sintering ability of W-Nb alloys at a low temperature. • The improved sintering was due to the enhanced diffusion of W atoms along the GBs induced by CNTs. • The grain size in CNTs activated sintered W-Nb alloys decreased with increasing the Nb content. -- Abstract: In order to fabricate highly dense W-based alloys at low temperature, in the present work, high-energy ball milling and hot pressing were applied to fabricate W–Nb alloys (mass fraction of Nb varied from 0.5% to 5%), where CNTs were used as the activated sintering additives. The phase composition and microstructure were characterized by XRD and SEM equipped with EDS, respectively. The study found coupled effects of CNTs activated sintering and Nb addition on the enhanced sintering ability and refined microstructure of W at 1500 °C. The main results are: (i) XRD characterization revealed that the high-energy ball milling could significantly reduce the crystallite size of W particles and increase lattice distortion, which would enhance the sintering behavior of W alloys. (ii) The addition of CNTs to W (W–0.1CNTs) led to the formation of nanoscale interfacial layer between W grains during hot pressing, resulting in considerable densification and grain growth. Based on this result, it suggested that the activated sintering of W in the present work is due to an enhanced diffusion of W atoms along the GBs induced by CNTs. (iii) With the addition of CNTs to W–Nb alloys, the densification was improved again, but was not so obvious. The optimal densification was obtained for the W–0.1CNTs–1Nb specimen. Moreover, the microstructure characterization in CNTs activated sintered W–Nb alloys indicated that the distribution of sphere-like W(Nb) solid solution particles and decreased W grain sizes with increasing Nb content are the main microstructure features
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Li Mingjun [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Materials Research Institute for Sustainable Development, 2266-98 Shimo-Shidami, Moriyama, Nagoya, Aichi 463-8560 (Japan); Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Tsukuba Space Centre, ISS Science Project Office, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan)], E-mail: li.mingjun@aist.go.jp; Nagashio, Kosuke [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Sagamihara Campus, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510 (Japan); Ishikawa, Takehiko [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Tsukuba Space Centre, ISS Science Project Office, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Mizuno, Akitoshi; Adachi, Masayoshi; Watanabe, Masahito [Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima, Tokyo 171-8588 (Japan); Yoda, Shinichi [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Tsukuba Space Centre, ISS Science Project Office, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Kuribayashi, Kazuhiko [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Sagamihara Campus, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510 (Japan); Katayama, Yoshinori [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 1-1-1 Kouto, Mikazuki, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan)
2008-06-15
Co-61.8 at.% Si (CoSi-CoSi{sub 2}) eutectic alloys were solidified on an electromagnetic levitator (EML) and an electrostatic levitator (ESL) at different undercooling levels. The results indicated that there is only a single recalescence event at low undercooling with the CoSi intermetallic compound as primary phase, which is independent of processing facilities, on either an EML or an ESL. The microstructure, however, is strongly dependent on the processing facility. The interior melt flow behavior in the sphere solidified at the EML differs substantially from that at the ESL, thus yielding different microstructures. On high undercooling, double recalescence takes place regardless of levitation condition. In situ X-ray diffraction of alloys solidified on the EML demonstrates that the CoSi{sub 2} compound becomes the primary phase upon the first recalescence, and the CoSi intermetallic phase crystallizes during the second recalescence. In addition to phase identification, real-time diffraction patterns can also provide additional evidence of the fragmentation of the primary phase and the ripening feature in the subsequent cooling process in the semisolid state. The phase competition between the CoSi and CoSi{sub 2} compounds is discussed when considering the nucleation barrier. The low interfacial energy of the CoSi{sub 2} phase favors a preferential nucleation event over the CoSi phase, which also plays a critical role in non-reciprocity nucleation and thus yields a double recalescence profile at high undercooling.
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Observation of asphalt binder microstructure with ESEM.
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.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Song, Hong-Yu; Liu, Hai-Tao, E-mail: liuht@ral.neu.edu.cn; Wang, Yin-Ping; Wang, Guo-Dong
2017-03-15
A 0.1 mm-thick grain-oriented silicon steel sheet was successfully produced using strip casting and three-stage cold rolling method. The microstructure, texture and inhibitor evolution during the processing was briefly analyzed. It was found that Goss texture was absent in the hot rolled sheet because of the lack of shear deformation. After normalizing, a large number of dispersed MnS precipitates with the size range of 15–90 nm were produced. During first cold rolling, dense shear bands were generated in the deformed ferrite grains, resulting in the intense Goss texture after first intermediate annealing. The microstructure was further refined and homogenized during the subsequent cold rolling and annealing processes. After primary recrystallization annealing, a homogeneous microstructure consisting of fine and equiaxed grains was produced while the associated texture was characterized by a strong γ-fiber texture. Finally, a complete secondary recrystallization microstructure consisting of entirely large Goss grains was produced. The magnetic induction B{sub 8} and iron loss P{sub 10/400} was 1.79 T and 6.9 W/kg, respectively. - Highlights: • Ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel was produced by strip casting process. • Microstructure, texture and inhibitor evolution was briefly investigated. • Goss texture was absent in primary recrystallization annealed sheet. • MnS precipitates with a size range of 15–90 nm formed after normalizing. • A complete secondary recrystallization microstructure was produced.
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Modeling of microstructural evolution under irradiation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Odette, G.R.
1979-01-01
Microstructural evolution under irradiation is an extremely complex phenomenon involving numerous interacting mechanisms which alter both the microstructure and microchemistry of structural alloys. Predictive procedures which correlate primary irradiation and material variables to microstructural response are needed to extrapolate from the imperfect data base, which will be available, to fusion reactor conditions. Clearly, a marriage between models and experiments is needed. Specific steps to achieving such a marriage in the form of composite correlation model analysis are outlined and some preliminary results presented. The strongly correlated nature of microstructural evolution is emphasized and it is suggested that rate theory models, resting on the principle of material balances and focusing on coupled point defect-microchemical segregation processes, may be a practical approach to correlation model development. (orig.)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Turunen, S; Kaepylae, E; Kellomaeki, M [Tampere University of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, PO Box 692, 33101 Tampere (Finland); Terzaki, K; Fotakis, C; Farsari, M [Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, 70013, Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Viitanen, J, E-mail: elli.kapyla@tut.fi [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, PO Box 1300, 33101 Tampere (Finland)
2011-12-15
This study reports the pico- and femtosecond laser-induced photocrosslinking of protein microstructures. The capabilities of a picosecond Nd:YAG laser to promote multiphoton excited crosslinking of proteins were evaluated by fabricating 2D and 3D microstructures of avidin, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and biotinylated bovine serum albumin (bBSA). The multiphoton absorption-induced photocrosslinking of proteins was demonstrated here for the first time with a non-toxic biomolecule flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as the photosensitizer. Sub-micrometer and micrometer scale structures were fabricated from several different compositions of protein and photosensitizer by varying the average laser power and scanning speed in order to determine the optimal process parameters for efficient photocrosslinking. In addition, the retention of ligand-binding ability of the crosslinked protein structures was shown by fluorescence imaging of immobilized biotin or streptavidin conjugated fluorescence labels. The surface topography and the resolution of the protein patterns fabricated with the Nd:YAG laser were compared to the results obtained with a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser. Quite similar grain characteristics and comparable feature sizes were achieved with both laser sources, which demonstrates the utility of the low-cost Nd:YAG microlaser for direct laser writing of protein microstructures.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Turunen, S; Kaepylae, E; Kellomaeki, M; Terzaki, K; Fotakis, C; Farsari, M; Viitanen, J
2011-01-01
This study reports the pico- and femtosecond laser-induced photocrosslinking of protein microstructures. The capabilities of a picosecond Nd:YAG laser to promote multiphoton excited crosslinking of proteins were evaluated by fabricating 2D and 3D microstructures of avidin, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and biotinylated bovine serum albumin (bBSA). The multiphoton absorption-induced photocrosslinking of proteins was demonstrated here for the first time with a non-toxic biomolecule flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as the photosensitizer. Sub-micrometer and micrometer scale structures were fabricated from several different compositions of protein and photosensitizer by varying the average laser power and scanning speed in order to determine the optimal process parameters for efficient photocrosslinking. In addition, the retention of ligand-binding ability of the crosslinked protein structures was shown by fluorescence imaging of immobilized biotin or streptavidin conjugated fluorescence labels. The surface topography and the resolution of the protein patterns fabricated with the Nd:YAG laser were compared to the results obtained with a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser. Quite similar grain characteristics and comparable feature sizes were achieved with both laser sources, which demonstrates the utility of the low-cost Nd:YAG microlaser for direct laser writing of protein microstructures.
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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.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mandal, A., E-mail: anupmetal@gmail.com; Bandyopadhay, T.K.
2015-01-03
The effect of tempering on the microstructure of niobium modified 8.8 wt% chromium steel has been evaluated. Steel has been prepared using the conventional melting and casting route. Homogenization and forging is done at 1100 °C. Dilatometric study shows that the Ac{sub 1}, Ac{sub 3} and M{sub s} temperatures are 800, 855, and 131 °C, respectively. Initial cast and forged microstructures consist of martensite/ferrite. The samples are subsequently tempered at 500–800 °C for various intervals of time (1–5 h). The microstructure of the tempered sample is analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) is used to identify the precipitate. Nanometer-sized precipitates (50–200 nm) are observed after tempering at 700 °C for 1 h. Niobium rich MC type carbide precipitates and chromium rich M{sub 23}C{sub 6} type precipitates are observed after tempering at 700 °C. Tensile strength decreases with increasing tempering temperature. Maximum tensile strength of 920 MPa is observed after tempering at 700 °C and maximum elongation of ∼11% is observed after tempering at 750 °C.
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Influence of hydride microstructure on through-thickness crack growth in zircaloy-4 sheet
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raynaud, P.A.; Meholic, M.J.; Koss, D.A.; Motta, A.T.; Chan, K.S.
2007-01-01
The fracture toughness of cold-worked and stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 sheet subject to through-thickness crack growth within a 'sunburst' hydride microstructure was determined at 25 o C. The results were obtained utilizing a novel testing procedure in which a narrow linear strip of hydride blister was fractured at small loads under bending to create a well-defined sharp pre-crack that arrested at the blister-substrate interface. The hydriding procedure also forms 'sunburst' hydrides emanating from the blister that were aligned both in the plane of the crack and in the crack growth direction. Subsequent tensile loading caused crack growth initiation into the field of 'sunburst' hydrides. Specimen failure occurred under near-linear elastic behavior, and the fracture toughness for crack growth initiation into sunburst hydrides was in the range K Q ∼10-15 MPa√m. These results, when combined with those of a previous study, indicate that the through-thickness crack growth initiation toughness at 25 o C is very sensitive to the hydride microstructure. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Muñoz-Moreno, R.; Divya, V.D.; Driver, S.L.; Messé, O.M.D.M.; Illston, T.; Baker, S.; Carpenter, M.A.; Stone, H.J.
2016-01-01
Selective laser melting (SLM) of nickel-based superalloys is of great interest for the aerospace industry due to its capability for producing components with complex geometries. However, an improved understanding of the effect of SLM and subsequent post deposition heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties is required to ensure that components with good structural integrity are produced. In this study, the microstructure, texture and elastic anisotropy of the nickel-based superalloy, CM247LC, in the as-SLM and heat-treated states have been analysed. The as-SLM microstructure showed fine elongated cells with a preferential alignment of <001> along the build direction and a significant intercellular misorientation. Heat treatments at temperatures below 1230 °C resulted in a progressive recovery of the microstructure, whilst heat treatments above this temperature gave rise to a recrystallised microstructure. The extent to which nucleation and growth of the γ′ precipitates and secondary particles were affected by increasing the heat treatment temperature was also characterised. The bulk elastic anisotropy of all samples was measured by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) and was found to be consistent with the local textures obtained by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). It was observed that the initially strong elastic anisotropy exhibited by the as-SLM material was significantly reduced in the recrystallised samples, although some anisotropy was retained as a result of their elongated grain microstructures.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Muñoz-Moreno, R., E-mail: rociomunozmoreno@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Divya, V.D. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Driver, S.L. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ (United Kingdom); Messé, O.M.D.M. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Illston, T.; Baker, S. [Materials Solutions, Unit 8, Great Western Business Park, McKenzie Way, Worcester WR4 9GN (United Kingdom); Carpenter, M.A. [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ (United Kingdom); Stone, H.J. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom)
2016-09-30
Selective laser melting (SLM) of nickel-based superalloys is of great interest for the aerospace industry due to its capability for producing components with complex geometries. However, an improved understanding of the effect of SLM and subsequent post deposition heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties is required to ensure that components with good structural integrity are produced. In this study, the microstructure, texture and elastic anisotropy of the nickel-based superalloy, CM247LC, in the as-SLM and heat-treated states have been analysed. The as-SLM microstructure showed fine elongated cells with a preferential alignment of <001> along the build direction and a significant intercellular misorientation. Heat treatments at temperatures below 1230 °C resulted in a progressive recovery of the microstructure, whilst heat treatments above this temperature gave rise to a recrystallised microstructure. The extent to which nucleation and growth of the γ′ precipitates and secondary particles were affected by increasing the heat treatment temperature was also characterised. The bulk elastic anisotropy of all samples was measured by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) and was found to be consistent with the local textures obtained by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). It was observed that the initially strong elastic anisotropy exhibited by the as-SLM material was significantly reduced in the recrystallised samples, although some anisotropy was retained as a result of their elongated grain microstructures.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Inam, A., E-mail: aqil.ceet@pu.edu.pk; Brydson, R., E-mail: mtlrmdb@leeds.ac.uk; Edmonds, D.V., E-mail: d.v.edmonds@leeds.ac.uk
2015-08-15
The potential for using graphite particles as an internal lubricant during machining is considered. Graphite particles were found to form during graphitisation of experimental medium-carbon steel alloyed with Si and Al. The graphite nucleation sites were strongly influenced by the starting microstructure, whether ferrite–pearlite, bainite or martensite, as revealed by light and electron microscopy. Favourable nucleation sites in the ferrite–pearlite starting microstructure were, not unexpectedly, found to be located within pearlite colonies, no doubt due to the presence of abundant cementite as a source of carbon. In consequence, the final distribution of graphite nodules in ferrite–pearlite microstructures was less uniform than for the bainite microstructure studied. In the case of martensite, this study found a predominance of nucleation at grain boundaries, again leading to less uniform graphite dispersions. - Highlights: • Metallography of formation of graphite particles in experimental carbon steel. • Potential for using graphite in steel as an internal lubricant during machining. • Microstructure features expected to influence improved machinability studied. • Influence of pre-anneal starting microstructure on graphite nucleation sites. • Influence of pre-anneal starting microstructure on graphite distribution. • Potential benefit is new free-cutting steel compositions without e.g. Pb alloying.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy; Jensen, Flemming; Bordo, Kirill
2014-01-01
Multiple-pass friction stir processing (FSP) was employed to impregnate Ti, Y and Ce oxide powders into the surface of an Aluminium alloy. The FSP processed surface composite was subsequently anodized with an aim to develop optical effects in the anodized layer owing to the presence of incorporated...... oxide particles which will influence the scattering of light. This paper presents the investigations on relation between microstructure of the FSP zone and optical appearance of the anodized layer due to incorporation of metal oxide particles and modification of the oxide particles due to the anodizing...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Liu, Hai-Tao, E-mail: liuht@ral.neu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, P.O. Box 105, Shenyang 110819 (China); Institute of Research of Iron and Steel, Shasteel, Zhangjiagang 215625, Jiangsu (China); Yao, Sheng-Jie [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, 264209 (China); Sun, Yu; Gao, Fei; Song, Hong-Yu; Liu, Guo-Huai [State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, P.O. Box 105, Shenyang 110819 (China); Li, Lei; Geng, Dian-Qiao [Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Liu, Zhen-Yu; Wang, Guo-Dong [State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, P.O. Box 105, Shenyang 110819 (China)
2015-08-15
In the present work, a regular grade GO sheet was produced successively by strip casting, hot rolling, normalizing annealing, two-stage cold rolling with intermediate annealing, primary recrystallization annealing, secondary recrystallization annealing and purification. The aim of this paper was to characterize the evolution of microstructure, texture and inhibitor along the new processing route by comprehensive utilization of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that a fine microstructure with the ferrite grain size range of 7–12 μm could be obtained in the primary recrystallization annealed sheet though a very coarse microstructure was produced in the initial as-cast strip. The main finding was that the “texture memory” effect on Goss texture started on the through-thickness intermediate annealed strip after first cold rolling, which was not similar to the “texture memory” effect on Goss texture starting on the surface layers of the hot rolled strip in the conventional production route. As a result, the origin of Goss nuclei capable of secondary recrystallization lied in the grains already presented in Goss orientation in the intermediate annealed strip after first cold rolling. Another finding was that fine and dispersive inhibitors (mainly AlN) were easy to be produced in the primary recrystallization microstructure due to the initial rapid solidification during strip casting and the subsequent rapid cooling, and the very high temperature reheating usually used before hot rolling in the conventional production route could be avoided. - Highlights: • A regular grade grain-oriented electrical steel was produced. • Evolution of microstructure, texture and inhibitor was characterized. • Origin of Goss nuclei lied in the intermediate annealed strip. • A fine primary recrystallization microstructure could be produced. • Effective inhibitors were easy to be obtained in the new processing route.
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Processing and microstructure of Nb-1 percent Zr-0.1 percent C alloy sheet
Uz, Mehmet; Titran, Robert H.
1992-01-01
A systematic study was carried out to evaluate the effects of processing on the microstructure of Nb-1 wt. pct. Zr-0.1 wt. pct. C alloy sheet. The samples were fabricated by cold rolling different sheet bars that were single-, double- or triple-extruded at 1900 K. Heat treatment consisted on one- or two-step annealing of different samples at temperatures ranging from 1350 to 1850 K. The assessment of the effects of processing on microstructure involved characterization of the precipitates including the type, crystal structure, chemistry and distribution within the material as well as an examination of the grain structure. A combination of various analytical and metallographic techniques were used on both the sheet samples and the residue extracted from them. The results show that the relatively coarse orthorhombic Nb2C carbides in the as-rolled samples transformed to rather fine cubic monocarbides of Nb and Zr with varying Zr/Nb ratios upon subsequent heat treatment. The relative amount of the cubic carbides and the Zr/Nb ratio increased with increasing number of extrusions prior to cold rolling. Furthermore, the size and the aspect ratio of the grains appear to be strong functions of the processing history of the material. These and other results obtained will be presented with the emphasis on a possible relationship between processing and microstructure.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Zalzale, M. [Laboratory of Construction Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); McDonald, P.J., E-mail: p.mcdonald@surrey.ac.uk [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)
2012-12-15
The lattice Boltzmann method is used to investigate the permeability of microstructures of cement pastes generated using the numerical models CEMHYD3D (Bentz, 1997) and {mu}IC (Bishnoi and Scrivener, 2009). Results are reported as a function of paste water-to-cement ratio and degree of hydration. The permeability decreases with increasing hydration and decreasing water-to-cement ratio in agreement with experiment. However the permeability is larger than the experimental data recorded using beam bending methods (Vichit-Vadakan and Scherer, 2002). Notwithstanding, the lattice Boltzmann results compare favourably with alternate numerical methods of permeability calculation for cement model microstructures. In addition, we show early results for the liquid/vapour capillary adsorption and desorption isotherms in the same model {mu}IC structures. The broad features of the experimental capillary porosity isotherm are reproduced, although further work is required to adequately parameterise the model.
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Microstructure of Matrix in UHTC Composites
Johnson, Sylvia; Stackpoole, Margaret; Gusman, Michael I.; Chavez-Garia Jose; Doxtad, Evan
2011-01-01
Approaches to controlling the microstructure of Ultra High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) are described.. One matrix material has been infiltrated into carbon weaves to make composite materials. The microstructure of these composites is described.
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AxTract: Toward microstructure informed tractography.
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.
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Superlattice Microstructured Optical Fiber
Tse, Ming-Leung Vincent; Liu, Zhengyong; Cho, Lok-Hin; Lu, Chao; Wai, Ping-Kong Alex; Tam, Hwa-Yaw
2014-01-01
A generic three-stage stack-and-draw method is demonstrated for the fabrication of complex-microstructured optical fibers. We report the fabrication and characterization of a silica superlattice microstructured fiber with more than 800 rhomboidally arranged air-holes. A polarization-maintaining fiber with a birefringence of 8.5 × 10−4 is demonstrated. The birefringent property of the fiber is found to be highly insensitive to external environmental effects, such as pressure. PMID:28788693
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Microstructural characterization, petrophysics and upscaling - from porous media to fractural media
Liu, J.; Liu, K.; Regenauer-Lieb, K.
2017-12-01
We present an integrated study for the characterization of complex geometry, fluid transport features and mechanical deformation at micro-scale and the upscaling of properties using microtomographic data: We show how to integrate microstructural characterization by the volume fraction, specific surface area, connectivity (percolation), shape and orientation of microstructures with identification of individual fractures from a 3D fractural network. In a first step we use stochastic analyses of microstructures to determine the geometric RVE (representative volume element) of samples. We proceed by determining the size of a thermodynamic RVE by computing upper/lower bounds of entropy production through Finite Element (FE) analyses on a series of models with increasing sizes. The minimum size for thermodynamic RVE's is identified on the basis of the convergence criteria of the FE simulations. Petrophysical properties (permeability and mechanical parameters, including plastic strength) are then computed numerically if thermodynamic convergence criteria are fulfilled. Upscaling of properties is performed by means of percolation theory. The percolation threshold is detected by using a shrinking/expanding algorithm on static micro-CT images of rocks. Parameters of the scaling laws can be extracted from quantitative analyses and/or numerical simulations on a series of models with similar structures but different porosities close to the percolation threshold. Different rock samples are analyzed. Characterizing parameters of porous/fractural rocks are obtained. Synthetic derivative models of the microstructure are used to estimate the relationships between porosity and mechanical properties. Results obtained from synthetic sandstones show that yield stress, cohesion and the angle of friction are linearly proportional to porosity. Our integrated study shows that digital rock technology can provide meaningful parameters for effective upscaling if thermodynamic volume averaging
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Mechanical properties and microstructure analysis of fly ash geopolymeric recycled concrete
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shi, X.S.; Collins, F.G.; Zhao, X.L.; Wang, Q.Y.
2012-01-01
Highlights: ► Sodium silicate solution and sodium hydroxide solution were used to activate fly ash, which substitute cement totally in the concrete. ► Utilizing two kinds of waste materials (fly ash and recycled aggregates) at the same time. ► The mechanical properties and microstructures were studied and compared with different recycled aggregates replacement ratios. ► Such concrete has greater compressive strength and better microstructure than ordinary concrete and also geopolymer concrete. - Abstract: Six mixtures with different recycled aggregate (RA) replacement ratios of 0%, 50% and 100% were designed to manufacture recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) and alkali-activated fly ash geopolymeric recycled concrete (GRC). The physical and mechanical properties were investigated indicating different performances from each other. Optical microscopy under transmitted light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were carried out in this study in order to identify the mechanism underlying the effects of the geopolymer and RA on concrete properties. The features of aggregates, paste and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) were compared and discussed. Experimental results indicate that using alkali-activated fly ash geopolymer as replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) effectively improved the compressive strength. With increasing of RA contents in both RAC and GRC, the compressive strength decreased gradually. The microstructure analysis shows that, on one hand, the presence of RA weakens the strength of the aggregates and the structure of ITZs; on the other hand, due to the alkali-activated fly ash in geopolymer concrete, the contents of Portlandite (Ca(OH) 2 ) and voids were reduced, as well as improved the matrix homogeneity. The microstructure of GRC was changed by different reaction products, such as aluminosilicate gel.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rajkumar, K.V. [Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Vaidyanathan, S. [Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Kumar, Anish [Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Jayakumar, T. [Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)]. E-mail: tjk@igcar.gov.in; Raj, Baldev [Metallurgy and Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Ray, K.K. [Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)
2007-05-15
The best combinations of mechanical properties (yield stress and fracture toughness) of M250 maraging steel is obtained through short-term thermal aging (3-10 h) at 755 K. This is attributed to the microstructure containing precipitation of intermetallic phases in austenite-free low-carbon martensite matrix. Over-aged microstructure, containing reverted austenite degrades the mechanical properties drastically. Hence, it necessitates identification of a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique for detecting any reverted austenite unambiguously during aging. The influence of aging on microstructure, room temperature hardness and non-destructive magnetic parameters such as coercivity (H {sub c}), saturation magnetization (M {sub s}) and magnetic Barkhausen emission (MBE) RMS peak voltage is studied in order to derive correlations between these parameters in aged M250 maraging steel. Hardness was found to increase with precipitation of intermetallics during initial aging and decrease at longer durations due to austenite reversion. Among the different magnetic parameters studied, MBE RMS peak voltage was found to be very sensitive to austenite reversion (non-magnetic phase) as they decreased drastically up on initiation of austenite reversion. Hence, this parameter can be effectively utilized to detect and quantify the reverted austenite in maraging steel specimen. The present study clearly indicates that the combination of MBE RMS peak voltage and hardness can be used for unambiguous characterization of microstructural features of technological and practical importance (3-10 h of aging duration at 755 K) in M250 grade maraging steel.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rajkumar, K.V.; Vaidyanathan, S.; Kumar, Anish; Jayakumar, T.; Raj, Baldev; Ray, K.K.
2007-01-01
The best combinations of mechanical properties (yield stress and fracture toughness) of M250 maraging steel is obtained through short-term thermal aging (3-10 h) at 755 K. This is attributed to the microstructure containing precipitation of intermetallic phases in austenite-free low-carbon martensite matrix. Over-aged microstructure, containing reverted austenite degrades the mechanical properties drastically. Hence, it necessitates identification of a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique for detecting any reverted austenite unambiguously during aging. The influence of aging on microstructure, room temperature hardness and non-destructive magnetic parameters such as coercivity (H c ), saturation magnetization (M s ) and magnetic Barkhausen emission (MBE) RMS peak voltage is studied in order to derive correlations between these parameters in aged M250 maraging steel. Hardness was found to increase with precipitation of intermetallics during initial aging and decrease at longer durations due to austenite reversion. Among the different magnetic parameters studied, MBE RMS peak voltage was found to be very sensitive to austenite reversion (non-magnetic phase) as they decreased drastically up on initiation of austenite reversion. Hence, this parameter can be effectively utilized to detect and quantify the reverted austenite in maraging steel specimen. The present study clearly indicates that the combination of MBE RMS peak voltage and hardness can be used for unambiguous characterization of microstructural features of technological and practical importance (3-10 h of aging duration at 755 K) in M250 grade maraging steel
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Rajkumar, K. V.; Vaidyanathan, S.; Kumar, Anish; Jayakumar, T.; Raj, Baldev; Ray, K. K.
2007-05-01
The best combinations of mechanical properties (yield stress and fracture toughness) of M250 maraging steel is obtained through short-term thermal aging (3-10 h) at 755 K. This is attributed to the microstructure containing precipitation of intermetallic phases in austenite-free low-carbon martensite matrix. Over-aged microstructure, containing reverted austenite degrades the mechanical properties drastically. Hence, it necessitates identification of a suitable non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique for detecting any reverted austenite unambiguously during aging. The influence of aging on microstructure, room temperature hardness and non-destructive magnetic parameters such as coercivity ( Hc), saturation magnetization ( Ms) and magnetic Barkhausen emission (MBE) RMS peak voltage is studied in order to derive correlations between these parameters in aged M250 maraging steel. Hardness was found to increase with precipitation of intermetallics during initial aging and decrease at longer durations due to austenite reversion. Among the different magnetic parameters studied, MBE RMS peak voltage was found to be very sensitive to austenite reversion (non-magnetic phase) as they decreased drastically up on initiation of austenite reversion. Hence, this parameter can be effectively utilized to detect and quantify the reverted austenite in maraging steel specimen. The present study clearly indicates that the combination of MBE RMS peak voltage and hardness can be used for unambiguous characterization of microstructural features of technological and practical importance (3-10 h of aging duration at 755 K) in M250 grade maraging steel.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Chen, X.P., E-mail: xpchen@cqu.edu.cn; Mei, L.; Chen, D.; Bao, Z.L.; Liu, Q., E-mail: qingliu@cqu.edu.cn
2016-06-14
The effect of pre-aging and peak-aging treatments prior to cryorolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 6016 Al alloys were investigated by hardness measurements, tensile tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that high density of dislocation was induced by cryorolling with 80% thickness reduction. The pre-aging treatment enabled the alloy to have stronger work hardening effect during cryorolling and higher precipitation potential during subsequent aging than the peak-aging treatment. This was due to that the pre-aging enhanced the dislocations accumulating in the cryorolling of pre-aged specimen, and promoted the secondary precipitation during subsequent aging after cryorolling. Meanwhile, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the pre-aged specimen subjected to cryorolling and subsequent aging significantly increased by 72% and 50%, respectively, while the ductility remained similar, as compared to the conventional peak-aged specimen.
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Microstructural basis and crack growth theories for post-irradiation ductility loss in Nimonic PE16
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chang, A.L.
1982-01-01
A study has been carried out to investigate the degradation of postirradiation ductility at reactor temperatures in Nimonic PE16, a Fe-Cr-Ni-based precipitation-hardened superalloy. Fractographic and microstructural investigations show that the grain matrix is capable of deformation and does not limit the postirradiation tensile ductility. Grain-boundary helium bubbles formed during neutron irradiation seem to be crack nucleation sites under stress. Growth and coalescence of these microcracks under stress lead to intergranular fracture. A rigid-grain fracture model is shown to be able to correlate the observed microstructures with most features of the mechanical properties, except the strain rate dependence of the ductility. By incorporating the interactions between diffusion and plastic deformation, a plastic-grain fracture model has been developed which can explain all postirradiation tensile ductility data quantitatively. 13 references
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Heredity of medium-range order structure from melts to the microstructure of Ni-Cr-W superalloy
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gao, Zhongtang; Hu, Rui; Wang, Jun; Li, Jinshan [Northwestern Polytechnical University, State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Xi' an (China)
2015-07-15
The structure factor S(Q), intensities and pair distribution function g(r) of liquid Ni-Cr-W superalloy at different temperatures have been measured by a high-temperature X-ray diffractometer. Coordination N{sub min}, correlation radius r{sub c}, the nearest atomic distance r{sub 1}, solidification microstructure and compression performance have been studied. The results show that a pre-peak exists on the structure factor curve at the liquidus temperature, and a fine structure of equiaxed, globular and non-dendritic primary grains can be achieved by casting the alloy at liquidus temperature. Liquid structure feature of Ni-Cr-W superalloy is found to depend on temperature. During the solidification, some structural information carried by the medium-range order (MRO) structure is inherited from the melt to the microstructure, which is beneficial for grain refinement. The maximum yield strength measured from typical microstructure of the equiaxed and non-dendritic grains at 1400 C is 543 MPa. The results show that refinement and non-dendritic grain is beneficial to the improvement of the yield strength. (orig.)
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Surface microstructure replication in injection molding
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Theilade, Uffe Arlø; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard
2006-01-01
topography is transcribed onto the plastic part through complex mechanisms. This replication, however, is not perfect, and the replication quality depends on the plastic material properties, the topography itself, and the process conditions. This paper describes and discusses an investigation of injection...... molding of surface microstructures. The fundamental problem of surface microstructure replication has been studied. The research is based on specific microstructures as found in lab-on-a-chip products and on rough surfaces generated from EDM (electro discharge machining) mold cavities. Emphasis is put...... on the ability to replicate surface microstructures under normal injection-molding conditions, i.e., with commodity materials within typical process windows. It was found that within typical process windows the replication quality depends significantly on several process parameters, and especially the mold...
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Hu, Yingbin; Ning, Fuda; Wang, Hui; Cong, Weilong; Zhao, Bo
2018-02-01
Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have been successfully applied to the aeronautical and biomedical industries. However, their poor tribological properties restrict their fields of applications under severe wear conditions. Facing to these challenges, this study investigated TiB reinforced Ti matrix composites (TiB-TMCs), fabricated by in-situ laser engineered net shaping (LENS) process, through analyzing parts quality, microstructure formation mechanisms, microstructure characterizations, and workpiece wear performance. At high B content areas (original B particle locations), reaction between Ti and B particles took place, generating flower-like microstructure. At low B content areas, eutectic TiB nanofibers contacted with each other with the formation of crosslinking microstructure. The crosslinking microstructural TiB aggregated and connected at the boundaries of Ti grains, forming a three-dimensional quasi-continuous network microstructure. The results show that compared with commercially pure Ti bulk parts, the TiB-TMCs exhibited superior wear performance (i.e. indentation wear resistance and friction wear resistance) due to the present of TiB reinforcement and the innovative microstructures formed inside TiB-TMCs. In addition, the qualities of the fabricated parts were improved with fewer interior defects by optimizing laser power, thus rendering better wear performance.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Maresca, F; Kouznetsova, V G; Geers, M G D
2016-01-01
Metallic composite phases, like martensite present in conventional steels and new generation high strength steels exhibit microscale, locally lamellar microstructures characterized by alternating layers of phases or crystallographic variants. The layers can be sub-micron down to a few nanometers thick, and they are often characterized by high contrasts in plastic properties. As a consequence, fracture in these lamellar microstructures generally occurs along the layer interfaces or within one of the layers, typically parallel to the interface. This paper presents a computational framework that addresses the lamellar nature of these microstructures, by homogenizing the plastic deformation at the mesoscale by using the microscale response of the laminates. Failure is accounted for by introducing a family of damaging planes that are parallel to the layer interface. Mode I, mode II and mixed-mode opening are incorporated. The planes along which failure occurs are captured using a smeared damage approach. Coupling of damage with isotropic or anisotropic plasticity models, like crystal plasticity, is straightforward. The damaging planes and directions do not need to correspond to crystalline slip planes, and normal opening is also included. Focus is given on rate-dependent formulations of plasticity and damage, i.e. converged results can be obtained without further regularization techniques. The validation of the model using experimental observations in martensite-austenite lamellar microstructures in steels reveals that the model correctly predicts the main features of the onset of failure, e.g. the necking point, the failure initiation region and the failure mode. Finally, based on the qualitative results obtained, some material design guidelines are provided for martensitic and multi-phase steels. (paper)
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Stochastic microstructure characterization and reconstruction via supervised learning
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bostanabad, Ramin; Bui, Anh Tuan; Xie, Wei; Apley, Daniel W.; Chen, Wei
2016-01-01
Microstructure characterization and reconstruction have become indispensable parts of computational materials science. The main contribution of this paper is to introduce a general methodology for practical and efficient characterization and reconstruction of stochastic microstructures based on supervised learning. The methodology is general in that it can be applied to a broad range of microstructures (clustered, porous, and anisotropic). By treating the digitized microstructure image as a set of training data, we generically learn the stochastic nature of the microstructure via fitting a supervised learning model to it (we focus on classification trees). The fitted supervised learning model provides an implicit characterization of the joint distribution of the collection of pixel phases in the image. Based on this characterization, we propose two different approaches to efficiently reconstruct any number of statistically equivalent microstructure samples. We test the approach on five examples and show that the spatial dependencies within the microstructures are well preserved, as evaluated via correlation and lineal-path functions. The main advantages of our approach stem from having a compact empirically-learned model that characterizes the stochastic nature of the microstructure, which not only makes reconstruction more computationally efficient than existing methods, but also provides insight into morphological complexity.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kar, R.J.; Bohlen, J.W.; Chanani, G.R.
1984-01-01
In a Northrop research program on Al-Li based alloys, the microstructures and heat treatment characteristics of two Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloys, one I/M (ingot metallurgy) and one P/M (powder metallurgy), were examined and correlated with properties obtained. Prior work had shown that this alloy system has a high payoff potential for aircraft applications. Following solution-heat-treatments, the artificial aging response of these alloys was determined, using hardness measurements. Microstructural characterization of these alloys was carried out using optical metallography and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and phases were identified using X-ray methods, electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The tensile and fracture toughness properties of the alloys were determined for selected tempers. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) fracture examination was carried out on fractured tensile and fracture toughness coupons. The mechanical properties obtained and fracture behavior observed were correlated with significant microstructural features. 16 references
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Instant polysaccharide-based emulsions: impact of microstructure on lipolysis.
Torcello-Gómez, Amelia; Foster, Timothy J
2017-06-21
The development of emulsion-based products through optimisation of ingredients, reduction in energy-input during manufacture, while fulfilling healthy attributes, are major objectives within the food industry. Instant emulsions can meet these features, but comprehensive studies are necessary to investigate the effect of the initial formulation on the final microstructure and, in turn, on the in vitro lipolysis, comprising the double aim of this work. The instant emulsion is formed within 1.5-3 min after pouring the aqueous phase into the oil phase which contains a mixture of emulsifier (Tween 20), swelling particles (Sephadex) and thickeners (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, HPMC, and guar gum, GG) under mild shearing (180 rpm). The creation of oil-in-water emulsions is monitored in situ by viscosity analysis, the final microstructure visualised by microscopy and the release of free fatty acids under simulated intestinal conditions quantified by titration. Increasing the concentration and molecular weight (M w ) of GG leads to smaller emulsion droplets due to increased bulk viscosity upon shearing. This droplet size reduction is magnified when increasing the M w of HPMC or swelling capacity of viscosifying particles. In addition, in the absence of the emulsifier Tween 20, the sole use of high-Mw HPMC is effective in emulsification due to combined increased bulk viscosity and interfacial activity. Hence, optimisation of the ingredient choice and usage level is possible when designing microstructures. Finally, emulsions with larger droplet size (>20 μm) display a slower rate and lower extent of lipolysis, while finer emulsions (droplet size ≤20 μm) exhibit maximum rate and extent profiles. This correlates with the extent of emulsion destabilisation observed under intestinal conditions.
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Popov, V. V.; Orlova, T. S.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.
2015-09-01
The electrical and galvanomagnetic properties of partially graphitized highly porous bioC(Ni) biocarbon matrices produced by pyrolysis (carbonization) of beech wood at temperatures T carb = 850-1600°C in the presence of a Ni-containing catalyst have been studied in comparison with their microstructural features. The temperature dependences of the resistivity, the magnetoresistance, and the Hall coefficient have been measured in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K in magnetic fields to 28 kOe. It has been shown that an additional graphite phase introduction into samples with T carb ≥ 1000°C results in an increase in the carrier mobility by a factor of 2-3, whereas the carrier (hole) concentration remains within ~1020 cm-3, as in biocarbons obtained without catalyst. An analysis of experimental data has demonstrated that the features of the conductivity and magnetoresistance of these samples are described by quantum corrections related to their structural features, i.e., the formation of a globular graphite phase of nano- and submicrometer sizes in the amorphous matrix. The quantum corrections to the conductivity decrease with increasing carbonization temperature, which indicates an increase in the degree of structure ordering and is in good agreement with microstructural data.
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Microstructural and Microanalytical Study on Concrete Exposed to the Sulfate Environment
Qing, Fang; Beixing, Li; Jiangang, Yin; Xiaolu, Yuan
2017-11-01
Microstructural properties have been examined to investigate the effect of mineral admixtures on the sulfate resistance of concrete. Concrete and cement paste specimens made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) or ordinary Portland cement incorporating 20% fly ash (FA) or 30% ground blast furnace slag (GBFS), were made and exposed to 250 cycles of the cyclic sulfate environment. Microstructural and Microanalytical study was conducted by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Results indicate that the pore structure of concrete after sulfate exposure possesses the fractal feature. The OPC concrete presents more complex pore internal surface, higher porosity and less micro-pores than the concrete incorporating fly ash and GBFS. Portlandite in OPC concrete and OPC-FA concrete is mainly converted to gypsum; while for OPC-GBFS concrete, both gypsum and ettringite are formed. In the cyclic sulfate environment, repeated hydration and dehydration of sulfates produce the expansive stress in pores, aggravating the demolishment of concrete structure.
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Visualizing 3D Food Microstructure Using Tomographic Methods: Advantages and Disadvantages.
Wang, Zi; Herremans, Els; Janssen, Siem; Cantre, Dennis; Verboven, Pieter; Nicolaï, Bart
2018-03-25
X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) provides the unique ability to capture intact internal microstructure data without significant preparation of the sample. The fundamentals of micro-CT technology are briefly described along with a short introduction to basic image processing, quantitative analysis, and derivative computational modeling. The applications and limitations of micro-CT in industries such as meat, dairy, postharvest, and bread/confectionary are discussed to serve as a guideline to the plausibility of utilizing the technique for detecting features of interest. Component volume fractions, their respective size/shape distributions, and connectivity, for example, can be utilized for product development, manufacturing process tuning and/or troubleshooting. In addition to determining structure-function relations, micro-CT can be used for foreign material detection to further ensure product quality and safety. In most usage scenarios, micro-CT in its current form is perfectly adequate for determining microstructure in a wide variety of food products. However, in low-contrast and low-stability samples, emphasis is placed on the shortcomings of the current systems to set realistic expectations for the intended users.
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Musa, M. H. A.; Maleque, M. A.; Ali, M. Y.
2018-01-01
Nowadays a wide variety of metal joining methods are used in fabrication industries. In this study, the effect of various welding parameters of the TIG welding process on microhardness, depth, and microstructure of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of L450 HSLA steel and optimizing these process parameters following Taguchi experimental design was investigated. The microhardness tended to increase significantly with the increase of welding speed from 1.0 to 2.5 mm/s whereas the width of HAZ decreased. The current and arc voltage was found to be less significant in relative comparison. Microstructures of the welded samples were also studied to analyze the changes in the microstructure of the material in terms of ferrite, pearlite, bainite, and martensite formations. Welding speed was found to be the most significant factors leading to changes in microhardness and metallurgical properties. The increase of welding heat input caused an increase in width (depth) of HAZ and the growth of prior austenite grains and then enlarged the grain size of coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ). However, the amount of martensite in the HAZ decreased accompanied by an opposite change of paint. It was observed that the hardness properties and the microstructural feature of HAZ area was strongly affected by the welding parameters.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bo Xing
2016-03-01
Full Text Available Rheo-forming is becoming the choice for production of high quality parts with diminished defects and fine integrity. In this paper, the novel self-inoculation rheo-diecasting (SIRD process, in which semisolid slurry is produced by mixing two precursory solid and liquid alloys and subsequently pouring them through a multi-stream fluid director, has been proposed. Microstructural characteristics of AM60 alloy slurry and the microstructure and mechanical properties of rheo-diecasting AM60 samples were investigated. Quenching experiments reveal that the slurry microstructure of AM60 was well refined to irregular α-Mg particles with the average size of approximately 20–40 μm after pouring with the self-inoculation process, and these particles were evolved to globular and coarse morphology while continuously keeping in semisolid state. After rheo-diecasting, the microstructure of the sample was dominated by fine primary α-Mg globules accompanied with tiny secondary α-Mg particles while the sample from conventional liquid die casting was characterized by developed dendrite and porosity. Microscopic analysis indicates that there are three stages of remaining liquid solidification in die cavity in SIRD: α-Mg nucleation and growth on primary α-Mg surface, α-Mg nucleated independently in liquid, and, finally, formation of skeleton devoiced eutectic. Due to diminished porosity and hot tearing, tensile strength and elongation of SIRD samples were increased by 12.9% and 35.3%, respectively, compared to a conventional liquid die casting sample.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martinez-Guridi, G.; Samanta, P.; Chu, L.; Yang, J.
1998-01-01
Generic Safety Issue 171 (GSI-171), Engineered Safety Feature (ESF) from a Loss Of Offsite Power (LOOP) subsequent to a Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA), deals with an accident sequence in which a LOCA is followed by a LOOP. This issue was later broadened to include a LOOP followed by a LOCA. Plants are designed to handle a simultaneous LOCA and LOOP. In this paper, the authors address the unique issues that are involved i LOCA with delayed LOOP (LOCA/LOOP) and LOOP with delayed LOCA (LOOP/LOCA) accident sequences. LOCA/LOOP accidents are analyzed further by developing event-tree/fault-tree models to quantify their contributions to core-damage frequency (CDF) in a pressurized water reactor and a boiling water reactor (PWR and a BWR). Engineering evaluation and judgments are used during quantification to estimate the unique conditions that arise in a LOCA/LOOP accident. The results show that the CDF contribution of such an accident can be a dominant contributor to plant risk, although BWRs are less vulnerable than PWRs
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Applying a foil queue micro-electrode in micro-EDM to fabricate a 3D micro-structure
Xu, Bin; Guo, Kang; Wu, Xiao-yu; Lei, Jian-guo; Liang, Xiong; Guo, Deng-ji; Ma, Jiang; Cheng, Rong
2018-05-01
Applying a 3D micro-electrode in a micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) can fabricate a 3D micro-structure with an up and down reciprocating method. However, this processing method has some shortcomings, such as a low success rate and a complex process for fabrication of 3D micro-electrodes. By focusing on these shortcomings, this paper proposed a novel 3D micro-EDM process based on the foil queue micro-electrode. Firstly, a 3D micro-electrode was discretized into several foil micro-electrodes and these foil micro-electrodes constituted a foil queue micro-electrode. Then, based on the planned process path, foil micro-electrodes were applied in micro-EDM sequentially and the micro-EDM results of each foil micro-electrode were able to superimpose the 3D micro-structure. However, the step effect will occur on the 3D micro-structure surface, which has an adverse effect on the 3D micro-structure. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes to reduce this adverse effect by rounded corner wear at the end of the foil micro-electrode and studies the impact of machining parameters on rounded corner wear and the step effect on the micro-structure surface. Finally, using a wire cutting voltage of 80 V, a current of 0.5 A and a pulse width modulation ratio of 1:4, the foil queue micro-electrode was fabricated by wire electrical discharge machining. Also, using a pulse width of 100 ns, a pulse interval of 200 ns, a voltage of 100 V and workpiece material of 304# stainless steel, the foil queue micro-electrode was applied in micro-EDM for processing of a 3D micro-structure with hemispherical features, which verified the feasibility of this process.
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Mullin, Maria A; Araullo-Peters, Vicente J; Gault, Baptiste; Cairney, Julie M
2015-12-01
Artefacts in atom probe tomography can impact the compositional analysis of microstructure in atom probe studies. To determine the integrity of information obtained, it is essential to understand how the positioning of features influences compositional analysis. By investigating the influence of feature orientation within atom probe data on measured composition in microstructural features within an AA2198 Al alloy, this study shows differences in the composition of T1 (Al2CuLi) plates that indicates imperfections in atom probe reconstructions. The data fits a model of an exponentially-modified Gaussian that scales with the difference in evaporation field between solutes and matrix. This information provides a guide for obtaining the most accurate information possible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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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.
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Development of microstructure and texture in strip casting grain oriented silicon steel
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wang, Yang; Xu, Yun-Bo, E-mail: yunbo_xu@126.com; Zhang, Yuan-Xiang; Fang, Feng; Lu, Xiang; Liu, Hai-Tao; Wang, Guo-Dong
2015-04-01
Grain oriented silicon steel was produced by strip casting and two-stage cold rolling processes. The development of microstructure and texture was investigated by using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction. It is shown that the microstructure and texture evolutions of strip casting grain oriented silicon steel are significantly distinct from those in the conventional processing route. The as-cast strip is composed of coarse solidification grains and characterized by pronounced 〈001〉//ND texture together with very weak Goss texture. The initial coarse microstructure enhances {111} shear bands formation during the first cold rolling and then leads to the homogeneously distributed Goss grains through the thickness of intermediate annealed sheet. After the secondary cold rolling and primary annealing, strong γ fiber texture with a peak at {111}〈112〉 dominates the primary recrystallization texture, which is beneficial to the abnormal growth of Goss grain during the subsequent high temperature annealing. Therefore, the secondary recrystallization of Goss orientation evolves completely after the high temperature annealing and the grain oriented silicon steel with a good magnetic properties (B{sub 8}=1.94 T, P{sub 1.7/50}=1.3 W/kg) can be prepared. - Highlights: • Grain oriented silicon steel was developed by a novel ultra-short process. • Many evenly distributed Goss “seeds” were originated from cold rolled shear bands. • More MnS inhibitors were obtained due to the rapid cooling of strip casing. • The magnetic induction of grain oriented silicon steel was significantly improved.
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Microstructural and mechanical characterization of Cu-0.8 wt.%Y
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Carro, G.; Muñoz, A.; Monge, M.A.; Savoini, B.; Pareja, R.
2015-01-01
Dispersion strengthened Cu-0.8 wt.%Y has been produced by a powder metallurgy route and subsequent consolidation by hot isostatic pressing at 1123 K and 172 MPa. A fully dense alloy has been obtained that exhibits a microstructure characterized by equiaxed grains with sizes ranging from 0.5 to 50 μm. Yttrium-rich particles with an average size of 0.92 μm have been observed inside the grains and decorating the grain boundaries. As expected, the tensile tests carried out from room temperature to 773 K have revealed that both the YS and the UTS decrease with increasing temperature. This alloy exhibits better tensile properties and microhardness than OFHC Cu. This improvement is attributed to the presence of the Y-rich particles.
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Microstructural and mechanical characterization of Cu-0.8 wt.%Y
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Carro, G., E-mail: gcarro@fis.uc3m.es; Muñoz, A.; Monge, M.A.; Savoini, B.; Pareja, R.
2015-10-15
Dispersion strengthened Cu-0.8 wt.%Y has been produced by a powder metallurgy route and subsequent consolidation by hot isostatic pressing at 1123 K and 172 MPa. A fully dense alloy has been obtained that exhibits a microstructure characterized by equiaxed grains with sizes ranging from 0.5 to 50 μm. Yttrium-rich particles with an average size of 0.92 μm have been observed inside the grains and decorating the grain boundaries. As expected, the tensile tests carried out from room temperature to 773 K have revealed that both the YS and the UTS decrease with increasing temperature. This alloy exhibits better tensile properties and microhardness than OFHC Cu. This improvement is attributed to the presence of the Y-rich particles.
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Feature-level domain adaptation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kouw, Wouter M.; Van Der Maaten, Laurens J P; Krijthe, Jesse H.
2016-01-01
-level domain adaptation (flda), that models the dependence between the two domains by means of a feature-level transfer model that is trained to describe the transfer from source to target domain. Subsequently, we train a domain-adapted classifier by minimizing the expected loss under the resulting transfer...... modeled via a dropout distribution, which allows the classiffier to adapt to differences in the marginal probability of features in the source and the target domain. Our experiments on several real-world problems show that flda performs on par with state-of-the-art domainadaptation techniques.......Domain adaptation is the supervised learning setting in which the training and test data are sampled from different distributions: training data is sampled from a source domain, whilst test data is sampled from a target domain. This paper proposes and studies an approach, called feature...
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Atomic and microstructure of CMR materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Van Tendeloo, G.; Lebedev, O.I.; Amelinckx, S.
2000-01-01
The local structure of bulk and thin films of different perovskite-based CMR materials has been studied by high-resolution electron microscopy. The structure of Ln 1-x A x MnO 3 is not only a function of temperature and A-doping, but also of the thickness of the film. Evidence is produced for a slight monoclinic distortion at room temperature in most Ln 1-x A x MnO 3 compounds. For epitaxial La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO) films on a LaAlO 3 (0 0 1) the evolution of stress in the film is studied as a function of film thickness and thermal treatment. Close to the interface both film and substrate are elastically strained in opposite sense such that the interface is perfectly coherent for thin films not exceeding 30-35 nm. In thicker films the stress is partially relieved after annealing by the formation of misfit dislocations with an edge character. Thin films of La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 on a SrTiO 3 substrate, exhibit a remarkable microstructure. In direct contact with the SrTiO 3 substrate a thin featureless perfectly coherent La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 layer is formed. Subsequently, on top of this first layer a second thicker layer is deposited; it has a columnar microstructure. These columns, parallel to the interface normal, are in fact prismatic anti-phase domains. Their formation is attributed to the introduction of chemical faults during the film growth process. Islands of rocksalt-type MnO structure, nucleated within the regular La-O layer of the LCMO structure, initiate the formation of the prismatic anti-phase domains. Models of the domain boundaries and of the interface film/substrate are proposed. A growth mechanism for the domain structure is suggested
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Microstructure Modeling of Third Generation Disk Alloys
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.
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Microstructure features and mechanical properties of a UFG Al-Mg-Si alloy produced via SPD
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bobruk, E; Kazykhanov, V; Valiev, R; Murashkin, M; Sabirov, I
2014-01-01
The effect of equal channel angular pressing in parallel channels (ECAP-PC) and subsequient artificial ageing on the microstructure and room temperature mechanical properties of the commercial aluminum alloys 6063 (Al-0.6Mg-0.5Si, wt.%) and 6010 (Al-0.8Mg-1.0Si-0.15Cu-0.25Mn, wt.%) was investigated. It was shown that mechanical strength of the ECAP-PC processed Al alloys is higher compared to that achieved in these alloys after conventional thermo-mechanical processing. Prior ECAP- PC solution treatment and post-ECAP-PC artificial aging can additionally increase the mechanical strength of both Al alloys. Under optimal artificial ageing conditions, the yield strength (YS) of 299 MPa and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 308 MPa was achieved in the 6063 alloy, whereas YS of 423 MPa and UTS of 436 MPa was achieved in the 6010 alloy
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Influence of inductive heating on microstructure and material properties in roll forming processes
Guk, Anna; Kunke, Andreas; Kräusel, Verena; Landgrebe, Dirk
2017-10-01
The increasing demand for sheet metal parts and profiles with enhanced mechanical properties by using high and ultra-high-strength (UHS) steels for the automotive industry must be covered by increasing flexibility of tools and machines. This can be achieved by applying innovative technologies such as roll forming with integrated inductive heating. This process is similar to indirect press hardening and can be used for the production of hardened profiles and profiles with graded properties in longitudinal and traverse direction. The advantage is that the production of hardened components takes place in a continuous process and the integration of heating and quenching units in the profiling system increases flexibility, accompanied by shortening of the entire process chain and minimizing the springback risk. The features of the mentioned process consists of the combination of inhomogeneous strain distribution over the stripe width by roll forming and inhomogeneity of microstructure by accelerated inductive heating to austenitizing temperature. Therefore, these two features have a direct influence on the mechanical properties of the material during forming and hardening. The aim of this work is the investigation of the influence of heating rates on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties to determine the process window. The results showed that heating rate should be set at 110 K/s for economic integration of inductive heating into the roll forming process.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Paul, Arya; Bhattacharya, Jayee; Sengupta, Surajit [S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, Salt Lake, Calcutta 700 098 (India); Rao, Madan [Raman Research Institute, C V Raman Avenue, Bangalore 560 080 (India)
2008-09-10
We study the nucleation dynamics of a model solid state transformation and the criterion for microstructure selection. Using a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we had shown that the dynamics of the solid is accompanied by the creation of transient non-affine zones (NAZ), which evolve with the rapidly moving transformation front. Guided by our MD results, we formulate a dynamical continuum theory of solid state transformation, which couples the elastic strain to the non-affine deformation. We demonstrate that our elastoplastic description recovers all qualitative features of the MD simulation. We construct a dynamical phase diagram for microstructure selection, including regimes where martensite or ferrite obtains, in addition to making several testable predictions.
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Microstructure of Tablet-Pharmaceutical Significance, Assessment, and Engineering.
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.
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Superplastic characteristics and microstructure of neutron irradiated 3Y-TZP
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shibata, Taiju; Motohashi, Yoshinobu; Ishihara, Masahiro; Baba, Shinichi; Sawa, Kazuhiro
2006-01-01
Fast neutrons (energy > 1.6 x 10 -13 J) were irradiated to 3Y-TZP specimens, typical superplastic ceramics, at the fluence of 2.5 x 10 24 and 4.3 x 10 24 m -2 at JMTR of JAEA. The Vickers hardness with indentation load of 4.9 and 9.8 N at room temperature was seemed to be slightly increased by the irradiation. Through the superplastic tensile tests in a temperature range from 1623 to 1773 K with initial strain rates of 5.0 x 10 -4 and 1.0 x 10 -3 s -1 , it was found that the superplastic flow stress is decreased with increasing the neutron fluence. The microstructural features of the fractured specimens were observed by a SEM. It implies that the grain boundary microstructure of the irradiated specimens would be changed by annealing in the superplastic tests are elevated temperatures. It is quite probable that the irradiation-induced vacancy clusters might play an important role to weaken the grain boundary cohesion which may be an important factor to determine the superplastic properties, and hence they would decrease the superplastic flow stress. (author)
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Training effects in Gd5Ge4: role of microstructure
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Manekar, Meghmalhar; Chattopadhyay, M K; Kaul, R; Pecharsky, V K; Jr, K A Gschneidner
2006-01-01
Detailed optical metallographic studies at room temperature on polycrystalline Gd 5 Ge 4 are presented for two cases: (a) a sample in the as-cast condition and (b) the same sample subjected to a known number of temperature and magnetic field cycles. A herringbone- (criss-cross-) like pattern whose characteristic feature size extends to ∼20 μm is observed in the as-cast sample. The herringbone pattern at room temperature is interpreted as arising due to a long-lived (kinetically arrested) metastable phase. This herringbone pattern can be trained to form a pattern having a different morphology by cycling the sample through the low-temperature field induced magneto-structural transition. Training effects are also observed in magneto-transport and magnetization measurements as the sample is subjected to temperature and field cycles. Based on heuristic arguments, a model is proposed which self-consistently explains anomalies in transport and magnetization properties in terms of changes occurring in the microstructure of the sample. These results highlight the need for analysing the interesting properties of Gd 5 Ge 4 and its family of alloys with microstructure as an important component
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liu, Hai-Tao; Wang, Yin-Ping; An, Ling-Zi; Wang, Zhao-Jie; Hou, Dao-Yuan; Chen, Jun-Mou; Wang, Guo-Dong
2016-01-01
In this work, a 0.71 wt%Si+0.44 wt%Al as-cast strip was produced by novel twin-roll casting. Some as-cast samples were respectively reheated and hot rolled at different temperatures in order to obtain different microstructure prior to cold rolling and annealing. The effects of the hot rolled microstructure on microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties were investigated in detail. A coarse deformed microstructure with λ-fiber texture was formed after hot rolling at 850–1050 °C, finally leading to an inhomogeneous recrystallization microstructure with strong λ-fiber, Goss and extremely weak γ-fiber texture. By contrast, a fine transformed microstructure was formed after hot rolling at 1150–1250 °C, finally leading to a fine and homogeneous recrystallization microstructure with stronger α-fiber, γ-fiber and much weaker λ-fiber texture. It should be noted that both the magnetic induction and core loss non-monotonically decreased or increased according to the hot rolling temperature. The unfavorable α-fiber and γ-fiber textures in the annealed sheets were much weaker than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus contributing to a much higher magnetic induction. However, the average grain size in the annealed sheets was much lower than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus leading to a higher core loss except the case of 1050 °C. Hence, it is underscored that better integrated magnetic properties than those of the conventional products can be obtained by optimizing the hot rolled microstructure to produce final desirable recrystallization microstructure and texture. - Highlights: • Non-oriented silicon steel was fabricated using twin-roll casting route. • Microstructure and texture evolution were clarified. • Effects of the hot rolled microstructure were investigated in detail. • Formation mechanism of the recrystallization texture was explored.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Liu, Hai-Tao, E-mail: liuht@ral.neu.edu.cn; Wang, Yin-Ping; An, Ling-Zi; Wang, Zhao-Jie; Hou, Dao-Yuan; Chen, Jun-Mou; Wang, Guo-Dong
2016-12-15
In this work, a 0.71 wt%Si+0.44 wt%Al as-cast strip was produced by novel twin-roll casting. Some as-cast samples were respectively reheated and hot rolled at different temperatures in order to obtain different microstructure prior to cold rolling and annealing. The effects of the hot rolled microstructure on microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties were investigated in detail. A coarse deformed microstructure with λ-fiber texture was formed after hot rolling at 850–1050 °C, finally leading to an inhomogeneous recrystallization microstructure with strong λ-fiber, Goss and extremely weak γ-fiber texture. By contrast, a fine transformed microstructure was formed after hot rolling at 1150–1250 °C, finally leading to a fine and homogeneous recrystallization microstructure with stronger α-fiber, γ-fiber and much weaker λ-fiber texture. It should be noted that both the magnetic induction and core loss non-monotonically decreased or increased according to the hot rolling temperature. The unfavorable α-fiber and γ-fiber textures in the annealed sheets were much weaker than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus contributing to a much higher magnetic induction. However, the average grain size in the annealed sheets was much lower than those of the conventional products regardless of the hot rolling temperature, thus leading to a higher core loss except the case of 1050 °C. Hence, it is underscored that better integrated magnetic properties than those of the conventional products can be obtained by optimizing the hot rolled microstructure to produce final desirable recrystallization microstructure and texture. - Highlights: • Non-oriented silicon steel was fabricated using twin-roll casting route. • Microstructure and texture evolution were clarified. • Effects of the hot rolled microstructure were investigated in detail. • Formation mechanism of the recrystallization texture was explored.
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Development of microstructure in thermomechanical processing of zirconium alloys
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jha, S.K.; Saibaba, N.; Jayaraj, R.N.
2009-01-01
Zirconium based alloys are used for the manufacture of fuel tubes pressure tubes calandria tubes and other components of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRS). In single or two phase zirconium alloy system a variety of microstructure can be generated by suitable heat treatments by the process of equilibrium and non equilibrium phase transformations Microstructure can also be modified by alloying with α and β stabilizers. The microstructure in Zr alloys could be single hexagonal phase (α alloys) two phase bcc and hexagonal (α + β alloys) phase, single metastable martensitic microstructure and β with ω phase. The microstructural and micro textural evolution during thermo mechanical treatments depends strongly on such initial microstructure. Hot extrusion is a significant bulk deformation step which decides the initial microstructure of the alloy. It is carried out at elevated temperature i e above the recrystallization temperature, which enable imposition of large strains in single step. This deformation causes a significant change in the microstructure of the material and depends on extrusion process parameters such as temperature, strain rate (Ram speed), reduction ratio etc. In the present paper development of microstructures, microtexture and texture have been examined. An attempt is also made to optimise the hot working parameters for different Zirconium alloys with help of these studies. (author)
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Microstructural stability of a NiAl-Mo eutectic alloy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kush, M.T.; Holmes, J.W.; Gibala, R.
1999-01-01
The microstructural stability of a directionally-solidified NiAl-9 at.% Mo quasi-binary alloy was investigated under conditions of thermal cycling between the temperatures 973K and 1,473K utilizing time-temperature heating and cooling profiles which approximate potential engine applications. Two different microstructures were examined: a cellular microstructure in which the faceted second-phase Mo rods in the NiAl matrix formed misaligned cell boundaries which separated aligned cells approximately 0.4 mm in width and 5--25 mm in length, and a nearly fault-free fully columnar microstructure well aligned along the [001] direction. Both microstructures resisted coarsening under thermal cycling, but plastic deformation induced by thermal stresses introduced significant specimen shape changes. Surprisingly, the cellular microstructure, for which the cell boundary region apparently acts as a deformation buffer, exhibited better resistance to thermal fatigue than the more fault-free and better aligned columnar microstructure
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High-Resolution Characterization of UMo Alloy Microstructure
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Devaraj, Arun [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kovarik, Libor [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Joshi, Vineet V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jana, Saumyadeep [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Manandhar, Sandeep [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Arey, Bruce W. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lavender, Curt A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2016-11-30
This report highlights the capabilities and procedure for high-resolution characterization of UMo fuels in PNNL. Uranium-molybdenum (UMo) fuel processing steps, from casting to forming final fuel, directly affect the microstructure of the fuel, which in turn dictates the in-reactor performance of the fuel under irradiation. In order to understand the influence of processing on UMo microstructure, microstructure characterization techniques are necessary. Higher-resolution characterization techniques like transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT) are needed to interrogate the details of the microstructure. The findings from TEM and APT are also directly beneficial for developing predictive multiscale modeling tools that can predict the microstructure as a function of process parameters. This report provides background on focused-ion-beam–based TEM and APT sample preparation, TEM and APT analysis procedures, and the unique information achievable through such advanced characterization capabilities for UMo fuels, from a fuel fabrication capability viewpoint.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ru-wei Geng
2017-11-01
Full Text Available The mechanical properties of metal components are determined by the solidification behaviour and microstructure. A quantitative phase field model is used to investigate the microstructure evolution of fused-coating additive manufacturing, by which to improve the quality of deposition. During the fused-coating process, the molten metal in a crucible flows out of a nozzle and then reaches the substrate. The solidification happens at the moment when the molten metal comes into contact with substrate moving in three-dimensional space. The macroscopic heat transfer model of fused-coating is established to get the temperature field considered as the initial temperature boundary conditions in the phase field model. The numerical and experimental results show that the morphology of grains varies with different solidification environments. Columnar grains are observed during the early period at the bottom of fused-coating layer and the equiaxed grains appear subsequently ahead of the columnar grains. Columnar dendrites phase field simulations about the grains morphology and solute distribution are conducted considering the solidification environments. The simulation results are in good agreement with experimental results.
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Tian, Y.; Wang, H. T.; Wang, Z. D.; Misra, R. D. K.; Wang, G. D.
2018-03-01
Thermomechanical controlled processing of 560-MPa (X90) linepipe steel was simulated in the laboratory using a thermomechanical simulator to study the microstructural evolution and precipitation behavior during isothermal holding. The results indicated that martensite was obtained when the steels were isothermally held for 5 s at 700 °C. Subsequently, granular bainite and acicular ferrite transformation occurred with increased holding time. Different amount of polygonal ferrite formed after isothermally holding for 600-3600 s. Pearlite nucleated after isothermally holding for 3600 s. Precipitation occurred after isothermal holding for 5 s and continuous precipitation occurred at grain boundaries after isothermally holding for 600 s. After isothermally holding for 3600 s, large Nb/Ti carbide precipitated. The presence of MX-type precipitates was confirmed by diffraction pattern. The interphase precipitation (IP) occurred between 5 and 30 s. Maximum hardness was obtained after isothermally holding for 600 s when IP occurred and rapidly decreased to a low value, mainly because polygonal ferrite dominated the microstructure after isothermally holding for 3600 s.
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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.
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Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Mo–40Ni–13Si Multiphase Intermetallic Alloy
Song, Chunyan; Wang, Shuhuan; Gui, Yongliang; Cheng, Zihao; Ni, Guolong
2016-01-01
Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to be utilized in tribological environments, but to date their implementation is hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperatures. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo–40Ni–13Si (at %). Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of a ternary Mo–Ni–Si molten alloy, which is beneficial to the improvement of ductility of intermetallic alloys. Tribological properties of the designed alloy—including wear resistance, friction coefficient, and metallic tribological compatibility—were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggest that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent tribological property, which is attributed to unique microstructural features and thereby a good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is explained by observing the worn surface, subsurface, and wear debris of the alloy, which was found to be soft abrasive wear. PMID:28774106
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Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Mo-40Ni-13Si Multiphase Intermetallic Alloy.
Song, Chunyan; Wang, Shuhuan; Gui, Yongliang; Cheng, Zihao; Ni, Guolong
2016-12-06
Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to be utilized in tribological environments, but to date their implementation is hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperatures. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo-40Ni-13Si (at %). Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of a ternary Mo-Ni-Si molten alloy, which is beneficial to the improvement of ductility of intermetallic alloys. Tribological properties of the designed alloy-including wear resistance, friction coefficient, and metallic tribological compatibility-were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggest that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent tribological property, which is attributed to unique microstructural features and thereby a good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is explained by observing the worn surface, subsurface, and wear debris of the alloy, which was found to be soft abrasive wear.
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Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Mo–40Ni–13Si Multiphase Intermetallic Alloy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chunyan Song
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to be utilized in tribological environments, but to date their implementation is hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperatures. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo–40Ni–13Si (at %. Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of a ternary Mo–Ni–Si molten alloy, which is beneficial to the improvement of ductility of intermetallic alloys. Tribological properties of the designed alloy—including wear resistance, friction coefficient, and metallic tribological compatibility—were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggest that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent tribological property, which is attributed to unique microstructural features and thereby a good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is explained by observing the worn surface, subsurface, and wear debris of the alloy, which was found to be soft abrasive wear.
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Hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes with microstructured inner skin
Culfaz, P.Z.; Wessling, Matthias; Lammertink, Rob G.H.
2011-01-01
Hollow fiber membranes with microstructured inner surfaces were fabricated from a PES/PVP blend using a spinneret with a microstructured needle. The effect of spinning parameters such as polymer dope flow rate, bore liquid flowrate, air gap and take-up speed on the microstructure and shape of the
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhu, Wu-Le; Yang, Shunyao; Ju, Bing-Feng; Jiang, Jiacheng; Sun, Anyu
2015-01-01
A scanning tunneling microscope-based multi-axis measuring system is specially developed for the on-machine measurement of three-dimensional (3D) microstructures, to address the quality control difficulty with the traditional off-line measurement process. A typical 3D microstructure of the curved compound eye was diamond-machined by the slow slide servo technique, and then the whole surface was on-machine scanned three-dimensionally based on the tip-tracking strategy by utilizing a spindle, two linear motion stages, and an additional rotary stage. The machined surface profile and its shape deviation were accurately measured on-machine. The distortion of imaged ommatidia on the curved substrate was distinctively evaluated based on the characterized points extracted from the measured surface. Furthermore, the machining errors were investigated in connection with the on-machine measured surface and its characteristic parameters. Through experiments, the proposed measurement system is demonstrated to feature versatile on-machine measurement of 3D microstructures with a curved substrate, which is highly meaningful for quality control in the fabrication field. (paper)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tikare, Veena [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hernandez-Rivera, Efrain [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Madison, Jonathan D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Holm, Elizabeth Ann [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Patterson, Burton R. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; Homer, Eric R. [Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
2013-09-01
Most materials microstructural evolution processes progress with multiple processes occurring simultaneously. In this work, we have concentrated on the processes that are active in nuclear materials, in particular, nuclear fuels. These processes are coarsening, nucleation, differential diffusion, phase transformation, radiation-induced defect formation and swelling, often with temperature gradients present. All these couple and contribute to evolution that is unique to nuclear fuels and materials. Hybrid model that combines elements from the Potts Monte Carlo, phase-field models and others have been developed to address these multiple physical processes. These models are described and applied to several processes in this report. An important feature of the models developed are that they are coded as applications within SPPARKS, a Sandiadeveloped framework for simulation at the mesoscale of microstructural evolution processes by kinetic Monte Carlo methods. This makes these codes readily accessible and adaptable for future applications.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, S.M.; Moon, B.M.; Fleury, E.; Ahn, H.S.; Kim, D.H.; Kim, W.T.; Sordelet, D.J.
2005-01-01
Metallic amorphous materials have been widely developed thanks to the outstanding properties including high chemical stability, mechanical strength, and magnetic properties. However, with the exception of a few compositions, the limiting factor is the critical cooling rate for the formation of the amorphous phase. For many applications, it is only the contact surface properties that are important, thus the use, of coating techniques such as thermal sprayings has several attractive features. In this paper, we present the microstructure of Ni-based amorphous coatings prepared by laser cladding and vacuum plasma spraying. The utilization of plasma spraying to deposit atomized powder enabled the formation of fully amorphous coating, laser cladding resulted in mostly crystallized structures. Glass forming ability and wear properties of the coatings were discussed as a function of the coating microstructure. (orig.)
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Xiong, Yi; He, Tiantian; Lu, Yan; Ren, Fengzhang; Volinsky, Alex A.; Cao, Wei
2018-03-01
Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted on AISI 316LN austenitic stainless steel from - 40 to 300 °C at a rate of 0.5 mm/min. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the deformed steel were investigated by optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, x-ray diffraction, and microhardness testing. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and microhardness increase with the decrease in the test temperature. The tensile fracture morphology has the dimple rupture feature after low-temperature deformations and turns to a mixture of transgranular fracture and dimple fracture after high-temperature ones. The dominating deformation microstructure evolves from dislocation tangle/slip bands to large deformation twins/slip bands with temperature decrease. The deformation-induced martensite transformation can only be realized at low temperature, and its quantity increases with the decrease in the temperature.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ning Xianjin; Li Chengxin; Li Changjiu; Yang Guanjun
2006-01-01
4.5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coating was deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) as an electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) applications. The post treatment was employed using zirconium and yttrium nitrate solution infiltration to densify the coating microstructure for improvement of gas permeability. The deposition of YSZ through nitrate in voids of the coating was examined. Microstructure of the as-sprayed and densified coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of infiltrating treatment on coating microstructure and electrical conductivity was examined. The electrical conductivity of APS-sprayed YSZ coating at the direction perpendicular to coating surface was much lower than that of bulk materials. Post-densification treatment improved the electrical conductivity of YSZ coating by about 25% compared with as-sprayed coating. It was found that the deposition of YSZ resulting from decomposition of nitrate in the lamellar interface gaps was different from that in vertical cracks in lamella owing to the orthogonal feature of those two types of gaps. The nanopores were formed in the deposited YSZ in nonbonded interface gaps while large pores were residued in vertical cracks in splats. The microstructural examination suggests that nanopores in the deposited YSZ in nonbonded interfaces in the coating were isolated from each other, which led to the significant reduction of gas permeability after densification. Moreover, the nanocontacts between lamellae resulted in high contact resistance and limit improvement of electrical conductivity of the coating after densification
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Linear microstructural features in R5(Si,Ge)4-type alloys: Difficulties in identification
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chumbley, L.S.; Ugurlu, O.; McCallum, R.W.; Dennis, K.W.; Mudryk, Y.; Gschneidner, K.A.; Pecharsky, V.K.
2008-01-01
A brief review of the current literature concerning compounds based upon the R 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 structure reveals that essentially all examined alloys contain 'linear features' similar to those first observed by Szade et al. on the surface of Gd 5 Si 4 , Gd 5 Si 2 Ge 2 and Gd 5 Ge 4 samples. Attempts to characterize these features, using a variety of techniques, have proven to be a difficult task. Rather than becoming clearer and better understood, discrepancies in the reported data have resulted in much confusion. A series of comprehensive experiments involving optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements have been performed in an attempt to clarify the situation. These experiments, coupled with a critical examination of published data, allow certain misconceptions and apparent contradictions to be understood and explained. Of major importance is the discovery that the volume fraction of the linear feature present is far lower than what one may estimate on the basis of etched samples. The results of this study support previous data that show the linear features are a second phase of composition R 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 3 , and reveal the various difficulties associated with proper identification of this phase due to its small size scale and low volume percentage
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Imaging features of benign adrenal cysts
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sanal, Hatice Tuba; Kocaoglu, Murat; Yildirim, Duzgun; Bulakbasi, Nail; Guvenc, Inanc; Tayfun, Cem; Ucoz, Taner
2006-01-01
Benign adrenal gland cysts (BACs) are rare lesions with a variable histological spectrum and may mimic not only each other but also malignant ones. We aimed to review imaging features of BACs which can be helpful in distinguishing each entity and determining the subsequent appropriate management
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Microstructural evolution of a uranium-10 wt.% molybdenum alloy for nuclear reactor fuels
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Clarke, A.J.; Clarke, K.D.; McCabe, R.J.; Necker, C.T.; Papin, P.A.; Field, R.D.; Kelly, A.M.; Tucker, T.J.; Forsyth, R.T.; Dickerson, P.O.; Foley, J.C.; Swenson, H.; Aikin, R.M.; Dombrowski, D.E.
2015-01-01
Low-enriched uranium-10 wt.% molybdenum (LEU-10wt.%Mo) is of interest for the fabrication of monolithic fuels to replace highly-enriched uranium (HEU) dispersion fuels in high performance research and test reactors around the world. In this work, depleted uranium-10 wt.%Mo (DU-10wt.%Mo) is used to simulate the solidification and microstructural evolution of LEU-10wt.%Mo. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and complementary electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) reveal significant microsegregation present in the metastable γ-phase after solidification. Homogenization is performed at 800 and 1000 °C for times ranging from 1 to 32 h to explore the time–temperature combinations that will reduce the extent of microsegregation, as regions of higher and lower Mo content may influence local mechanical properties and provide preferred regions for γ-phase decomposition. We show for the first time that EBSD can be used to qualitatively assess microstructural evolution in DU-10wt.%Mo after homogenization treatments. Complementary EPMA is used to quantitatively confirm this finding. Homogenization at 1000 °C for 2–4 h may the regions that contain 8 wt.% Mo or lower, whereas homogenization at 1000 °C for longer than 8 h effectively saturates Mo chemical homogeneity, but results in substantial grain growth. The appropriate homogenization time will depend upon additional microstructural considerations, such as grain growth and intended subsequent processing. Higher carbon LEU-10wt.%Mo generally contains more inclusions within the grains and at grain boundaries after solidification. The effect of these inclusions on microstructural evolution (e.g. grain growth) during homogenization and as potential γ-phase decomposition nucleation sites is unclear, but likely requires additional study.
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Microstructural evolution of a uranium-10 wt.% molybdenum alloy for nuclear reactor fuels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Clarke, A.J., E-mail: aclarke@lanl.gov; Clarke, K.D.; McCabe, R.J.; Necker, C.T.; Papin, P.A.; Field, R.D.; Kelly, A.M.; Tucker, T.J.; Forsyth, R.T.; Dickerson, P.O.; Foley, J.C.; Swenson, H.; Aikin, R.M.; Dombrowski, D.E.
2015-10-15
Low-enriched uranium-10 wt.% molybdenum (LEU-10wt.%Mo) is of interest for the fabrication of monolithic fuels to replace highly-enriched uranium (HEU) dispersion fuels in high performance research and test reactors around the world. In this work, depleted uranium-10 wt.%Mo (DU-10wt.%Mo) is used to simulate the solidification and microstructural evolution of LEU-10wt.%Mo. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and complementary electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) reveal significant microsegregation present in the metastable γ-phase after solidification. Homogenization is performed at 800 and 1000 °C for times ranging from 1 to 32 h to explore the time–temperature combinations that will reduce the extent of microsegregation, as regions of higher and lower Mo content may influence local mechanical properties and provide preferred regions for γ-phase decomposition. We show for the first time that EBSD can be used to qualitatively assess microstructural evolution in DU-10wt.%Mo after homogenization treatments. Complementary EPMA is used to quantitatively confirm this finding. Homogenization at 1000 °C for 2–4 h may the regions that contain 8 wt.% Mo or lower, whereas homogenization at 1000 °C for longer than 8 h effectively saturates Mo chemical homogeneity, but results in substantial grain growth. The appropriate homogenization time will depend upon additional microstructural considerations, such as grain growth and intended subsequent processing. Higher carbon LEU-10wt.%Mo generally contains more inclusions within the grains and at grain boundaries after solidification. The effect of these inclusions on microstructural evolution (e.g. grain growth) during homogenization and as potential γ-phase decomposition nucleation sites is unclear, but likely requires additional study.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yuxin Wang
2017-08-01
Full Text Available In this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomic percent (at% Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.
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Mohanty, Bhaskar Chandra; Bector, Keerti; Laha, Ranjit
2018-03-01
Doping driven remarkable microstructural evolution of PbS thin films grown by a single-step chemical bath deposition process at 60 °C is reported. The undoped films were discontinuous with octahedral-shaped crystallites after 30 min of deposition, whereas Cu doping led to a distinctly different surface microstructure characterized by densely packed elongated crystallites. A mechanism, based on the time sequence study of microstructural evolution of the films, and detailed XRD and Raman measurements, has been proposed to explain the contrasting microstructure of the doped films. The incorporation of Cu forms an interface layer, which is devoid of Pb. The excess Cu ions in this interface layer at the initial stages of film growth strongly interact and selectively stabilize the charged {111} faces containing either Pb or S compared to the uncharged {100} faces that contain both Pb and S. This interaction interferes with the natural growth habit resulting in the observed surface features of the doped films. Concurrently, the Cu-doping potentially changed the optical properties of the films: A significant widening of the bandgap from 1.52 eV to 1.74 eV for increase in Cu concentration from 0 to 20% was observed, making it a highly potential absorber layer in thin film solar cells.
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Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of NdFeB Films through Nd Surface Diffusion Process
Liu, Wenfeng; Zhang, Mingang; Zhang, Kewei; Chai, Yuesheng
2017-01-01
Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates and subsequently annealed for 30 min at 923 K in vacuum. It was found that the microstructure and magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films strongly depend on the NdFeB layer thickness. With NdFeB layer thickness increasing, both the grain size and the strain firstly reduce and then increase. When NdFeB layer thickness is 750 nm, the strain reaches the minimum value. Meanwhile, both the in-plane and per...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Masoumi, Mohammad, E-mail: Mohammad@alu.ufc.br; Herculano, Luis Flavio Gaspar; Ferreira Gomes de Abreu, Hamilton
2015-07-15
This work studies the influence of different thermomechanical paths on the microstructure and crystallographic texture across the thickness of API 5L X70 pipeline steel manufactured via hot rolling using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The starting materials were controlled hot-rolled at 1000 °C to 44% and 67% reductions and subsequently heat treated with such processes as annealing, water quenching and quench tempering at three different temperatures to evaluate the microstructure and crystallographic texture changes across the thickness. The banded ferrite-pearlite microstructure of the initial material was changed to acicular ferrite, quasi-polygonal ferrite, granular bainite, martensite and retained austenite via different heat treatments. Moreover, different thermomechanical paths induced crystallographic texture variations across the thickness, e.g., {112}//ND, {111}//ND (γ fibre), and {011}//ND fibres dominated on the surface plane in contact with the rolls, whereas {001}//ND and particularly the (001)[1 1 0] texture component developed in the centre plane on which shear deformation has a zero value in this region. In this study, a simple interpretation of texture evolution was analyzed by comparison with the orientation changes that occurred during different rolling schedules and post-treatment processes.
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Processing, microstructure, and properties of {beta}-CEZ
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Peters, J.O. [Technische Univ. Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg (Germany); Luetjering, G. [Technische Univ. Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg (Germany); Koren, M. [Boehler Schmiedetechnik GmbH, Kapfenberg (Austria); Puschnik, H. [Boehler Schmiedetechnik GmbH, Kapfenberg (Austria); Boyer, R.R. [Boeing Mater. Technol., Seattle, WA (United States)
1996-08-15
For the {beta}-CEZ material, some of the important processing parameters to establish a necklace type of microstructure by through-transus deformation were evaluated with respect to optimizing fracture toughness and yield stress level. In addition, bi-modal microstructures which can be produced by conventional {alpha}+{beta} processing were evaluated. For the necklace microstructure a high fracture toughness value of 68 MPam{sup 1/2} at a yield stress level of 1200 MPa was reached in forgings, but the fracture toughness was anisotropic dropping to 37 MPam{sup 1/2} in the short transverse direction. For the bi-modal microstructure an isotropic fracture toughness value of 37 MPam{sup 1/2} at the same yield stress level of 1200 MPa was reached without major difficulties. (orig.)
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Microstructure of irradiated materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Robertson, I.M.
1995-01-01
The focus of the symposium was on the changes produced in the microstructure of metals, ceramics, and semiconductors by irradiation with energetic particles. the symposium brought together those working in the different material systems, which revealed that there are a remarkable number of similarities in the irradiation-produced microstructures in the different classes of materials. Experimental, computational and theoretical contributions were intermixed in all of the sessions. This provided an opportunity for these groups, which should interact, to do so. Separate abstracts were prepared for 58 papers in this book
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Role of Microstructure on the Performance of UHTCs
Johnson, Sylvia M.; Gasch, Matthew J.; Lawson, John W.; Gusman, Michael I.; Stackpoole, Mairead
2010-01-01
We have investigated a number of methods to control microstructure. We have routes to form: a) in situ "composites" b) Very fine microstructures. Arcjet testing and other characterization of monolithic materials. Control oxidation through microstructure and composition. Beginning to incorporate these materials as matrices for composites. Modeling effort to facilitate material design and characterization.
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Fabrication of metallic microstructures by micromolding nanoparticles
Morales, Alfredo M.; Winter, Michael R.; Domeier, Linda A.; Allan, Shawn M.; Skala, Dawn M.
2002-01-01
A method is provided for fabricating metallic microstructures, i.e., microcomponents of micron or submicron dimensions. A molding composition is prepared containing an optional binder and nanometer size (1 to 1000 nm in diameter) metallic particles. A mold, such as a lithographically patterned mold, preferably a LIGA or a negative photoresist mold, is filled with the molding composition and compressed. The resulting microstructures are then removed from the mold and the resulting metallic microstructures so provided are then sintered.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Behjati, P., E-mail: p.behjatipournaki@ma.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kermanpur, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Karjalainen, L.P.; Järvenpää, A.; Jaskari, M. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, University of Oulu, FIN-90014 Oulu (Finland); Samaei Baghbadorani, H. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Najafizadeh, A. [Foulad Institute of Technology, Fouladshahr, Isfahan 84916-63763 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hamada, A. [Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez 43721 (Egypt)
2016-01-05
The martensitic reversion is known to be effective in refining the grain size of metastable austenitic stainless steels. However, severe cold rolling reductions are generally required for this process. In this study, the influence of the degree of prior cold rolling and subsequent annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a metastable high-Mn austenitic steel was investigated. Three cold rolling reductions of 20%, 35% and 50% were applied at ambient temperature before the annealing at 700 °C for the durations of 10, 100 and 1000 s. Microstructures were examined by optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Mechanical properties were measured by hardness and tensile tests. The microstructure changes were followed by magnetic measurements and X-ray diffraction. It was shown that a relatively small reduction of 35% and 100 s annealing could provide efficient grain refinement (the average size of 0.5 µm) and accordingly an outstanding combination of strength-ductility properties with the yield strength 890 MPa, tensile strength 1340 MPa and elongation 41% was achieved. The occurrence of martensite reversion and recrystallization processes with different contributions in dependence on degree of prior deformation before annealing was discussed.
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Khanikar, Prasenjit
-rate applications. The second major objective of this investigation was the use of recently developed dynamic fracture formulations to model and analyze the crack nucleation and propagation of aluminum layered composites subjected to high strain rate loading conditions and how microstructural effects, such as precipitates, dispersed particles, and GB orientations affect failure evolution. This dynamic fracture approach is used to investigate crack nucleation and crack growth as a function of the different microstructural characteristics of each alloy in layered composites with and without pre-existing cracks. The zigzag nature of the crack paths were mainly due to the microstructural features, such as precipitates and dispersed particles distributions and orientations ahead of the crack front, and it underscored the capabilities of the fracture methodology. The evolution of dislocation density and the formation of localized shear slip contributed to the blunting of the propagating crack. Extensive geometrical and thermal softening due to the localized plastic slip also affected crack path orientations and directions. These softening mechanisms resulted in the switching of cleavage planes, which affected crack path orientations. Interface delamination can also have an important role in the failure and toughening of the layered composites. Different scenarios of delamination were investigated, such as planar crack growth and crack penetration into the layers. The presence of brittle surface oxide platelets in the interface region also significantly influenced the interface delamination process. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Optical Microscopy (OM) characterization provided further physical insights and validation of the predictive capabilities. The inherent microstructural features of each alloy play a significant role in the dynamic fracture, shear strain localization, and interface delamination of the layered metallic composite
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Blindness alters the microstructure of the ventral but not the dorsal visual stream.
Reislev, Nina L; Kupers, Ron; Siebner, Hartwig R; Ptito, Maurice; Dyrby, Tim B
2016-07-01
Visual deprivation from birth leads to reorganisation of the brain through cross-modal plasticity. Although there is a general agreement that the primary afferent visual pathways are altered in congenitally blind individuals, our knowledge about microstructural changes within the higher-order visual streams, and how this is affected by onset of blindness, remains scant. We used diffusion tensor imaging and tractography to investigate microstructural features in the dorsal (superior longitudinal fasciculus) and ventral (inferior longitudinal and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi) visual pathways in 12 congenitally blind, 15 late blind and 15 normal sighted controls. We also studied six prematurely born individuals with normal vision to control for the effects of prematurity on brain connectivity. Our data revealed a reduction in fractional anisotropy in the ventral but not the dorsal visual stream for both congenitally and late blind individuals. Prematurely born individuals, with normal vision, did not differ from normal sighted controls, born at term. Our data suggest that although the visual streams are structurally developing without normal visual input from the eyes, blindness selectively affects the microstructure of the ventral visual stream regardless of the time of onset. We suggest that the decreased fractional anisotropy of the ventral stream in the two groups of blind subjects is the combined result of both degenerative and cross-modal compensatory processes, affecting normal white matter development.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jaiteerth R. Joshi
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The influence of different welding processes on the mechanical properties and the corresponding variation in the microstructural features have been investigated for the dissimilar weldments of 18% Ni maraging steel 250 and AISI 4130 steel. The weld joints are realized through two different fusion welding processes, tungsten inert arc welding (TIG and laser beam welding (LBW, in this study. The dissimilar steel welds were characterized through optical microstructures, microhardness survey across the weldment and evaluation of tensile properties. The fiber laser beam welds have demonstrated superior mechanical properties and reduced heat affected zone as compared to the TIG weldments.
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Imaging brain microstructure with diffusion MRI
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Alexander, Daniel C; Dyrby, Tim B; Nilsson, Markus
2018-01-01
This article gives an overview of microstructure imaging of the brain with diffusion MRI and reviews the state of the art. The microstructure-imaging paradigm aims to estimate and map microscopic properties of tissue using a model that links these properties to the voxel scale MR signal. Imaging ...
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DAMAGE IN MOLYBDENUM ASSOCIATED WITH NEUTRON IRRADIATION AND SUBSEQUENT POST-IRRADIATION ANNEALING
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mastel, B.
1963-07-23
Molybdemum containing carbon was studied in an attempt to establish the combined effect of impurity content and neutron irradiation on the properties and structure of specific metals. Molybdenum foils were punched into discs and heat treated in vacuum. They were then slow-cooled and irradiated. After irradiation and subsequent decay of radioactivity to a low level the foils were subjected to x-ray diffraction measurements. Cold-worked foils with less than 10 ppm carbon showed no change in microstructure due to irradiation. Molybdenum foils that were annealed prior to irradiation showed spot defects. In foils containing up to 500 ppm carbon, it was concluded that the small loops present after irradiation are due to the clustering of point defects at interstitial carbon atoms, followed by collapse to form a dislocation loop. The amount of lattice expansion after irradiation was strongly dependent on impurity content. Neutron irradiation was found to reduce the number of active slip systems. (M.C.G.)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mereu Paolo
2009-11-01
Full Text Available Abstract Currently, the assessment of sperm function in a raw or processed semen sample is not able to reliably predict sperm ability to withstand freezing and thawing procedures and in vivo fertility and/or assisted reproductive biotechnologies (ART outcome. The aim of the present study was to investigate which parameters among a battery of analyses could predict subsequent spermatozoa in vitro fertilization ability and hence blastocyst output in a goat model. Ejaculates were obtained by artificial vagina from 3 adult goats (Capra hircus aged 2 years (A, B and C. In order to assess the predictive value of viability, computer assisted sperm analyzer (CASA motility parameters and ATP intracellular concentration before and after thawing and of DNA integrity after thawing on subsequent embryo output after an in vitro fertility test, a logistic regression analysis was used. Individual differences in semen parameters were evident for semen viability after thawing and DNA integrity. Results of IVF test showed that spermatozoa collected from A and B lead to higher cleavage rates (0
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Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gu Dongdong [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, 210016 Nanjing (China)], E-mail: dongdonggu@nuaa.edu.cn; Shen Yifu [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, 210016 Nanjing (China)
2008-12-30
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of {approx}21-{approx}55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of {approx}3400-{approx}6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.
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Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS
Gu, Dongdong; Shen, Yifu
2008-12-01
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of ˜21-˜55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of ˜3400-˜6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.
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Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gu Dongdong; Shen Yifu
2008-01-01
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of ∼21-∼55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of ∼3400-∼6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.
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Evolution of phase microstructure during irradiation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wiedersich, H.
1985-11-01
The phase microstructure of alloys is frequently severely altered during irradiation. Sluggish precipitation reactions including precipitation coarsening are accelerated by irradiation-enhanced diffusion. Radiation-induced segregation redistributes existing precipitate phases within the microstructure, induces precipitation of nonequilibrium phases and affects the composition of phases in multicomponent alloys. The displacement process causes disordering of ordered alloys and frequently amorphization, especially in intermetallic compounds, at low temperature. Although a good qualitative understanding of the basic process involved, i.e., displacement mixing, radiation-enhanced diffusion and radiation-induced segregation exists, methods for detailed quantitative modeling of the evolution of the microstructure of alloys remain to be developed
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Han, Jian; Li, Huijun; Zhu, Zhixiong; Barbaro, Frank; Jiang, Laizhu; Xu, Haigang; Ma, Li
2014-01-01
Highlights: • We focus on friction stir welding of 18Cr–2Mo ferritic stainless steel thick plate. • We produce high-quality joints with special tool and optimised welding parameters. • We compare microstructure and mechanical properties of steel and joint. • Friction stir welding is a method that can maintain the properties of joint. - Abstract: In this study, microstructure and mechanical properties of a friction stir welded 18Cr–2Mo ferritic stainless steel thick plate were investigated. The 5.4 mm thick plates with excellent properties were welded at a constant rotational speed and a changeable welding speed using a composite tool featuring a chosen volume fraction of cubic boron nitride (cBN) in a W–Re matrix. The high-quality welds were successfully produced with optimised welding parameters, and studied by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and standard hardness and impact toughness testing. The results show that microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints are affected greatly, which is mainly related to the remarkably fine-grained microstructure of equiaxed ferrite that is observed in the friction stir welded joint. Meanwhile, the ratios of low-angle grain boundary in the stir zone regions significantly increase, and the texture turns strong. Compared with the base material, mechanical properties of the joint are maintained in a comparatively high level
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Microstructural evolution under high temperature irradiation: fundamental aspects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martin, G.; Valentin, P.
1984-01-01
In view of the impossibility to propose theoretically established scaling laws for extrapolating microstructural evolutions to unknown irradiation conditions, a full modelization of microstructural evolution at the atomistic level cannot be avoided. We briefly review the main models available for describing: defect balance under irradiation, the nucleation of clusters of various types, the development of each of the components of the microstructure, synergistic effects among the latter. Attention is called on the problems which remain to be solved at each step. In particular, the swelling incubation phenomenon is just being studied from the fundamental viewpoint. A table of available relevant observations thereof is given. The existence of dose-rate thresholds accross which microstructural evolution undergoes a qualitative change is stressed. Such thresholds call for a detailed modelization of microstructural evolution in order to propose safe extrapolation techniques [fr
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yuan, Rui; Singh, Sudhanshu S.; Chawla, Nikhilesh; Oswald, Jay, E-mail: joswald1@asu.edu
2016-08-15
We present a robust method for automating removal of “segregation artifacts” in segmented tomographic images of three-dimensional heterogeneous microstructures. The objective of this method is to accurately identify and separate discrete features in composite materials where limitations in imaging resolution lead to spurious connections near close contacts. The method utilizes betweenness centrality, a measure of the importance of a node in the connectivity of a graph network, to identify voxels that create artificial bridges between otherwise distinct geometric features. To facilitate automation of the algorithm, we develop a relative centrality metric to allow for the selection of a threshold criterion that is not sensitive to inclusion size or shape. As a demonstration of the effectiveness of the algorithm, we report on the segmentation of a 3D reconstruction of a SiC particle reinforced aluminum alloy, imaged by X-ray synchrotron tomography.
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Evaluating automatic laughter segmentation in meetings using acoustic and acoustic-phonetic features
Truong, K.P.; Leeuwen, D.A. van
2007-01-01
In this study, we investigated automatic laughter segmentation in meetings. We first performed laughterspeech discrimination experiments with traditional spectral features and subsequently used acousticphonetic features. In segmentation, we used Gaussian Mixture Models that were trained with
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
A. L. Robinson; S. G. Buckley; N. Yang; L. L. Baxter
2000-04-01
The authors report results from an experimental study that examines the influence of sintering and microstructure on ash deposit thermal conductivity. The measurements are made using a technique developed to make in situ, time-resolved measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of ash deposits formed under conditions that closely replicate those found in the convective pass of a commercial boiler. The technique is designed to minimize the disturbance of the natural deposit microstructure. The initial stages of sintering and densification are accompanied by an increase in deposit thermal conductivity. Subsequent sintering continues to densify the deposit, but has little effect on deposit thermal conductivity. SEM analyses indicates that sintering creates a layered deposit structure with a relatively unsintered innermost layer. They hypothesize that this unsintered layer largely determines the overall deposit thermal conductivity. A theoretical model that treats a deposit as a two-layered material predicts the observed trends in thermal conductivity.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ye, Xiaoxin, E-mail: xiaoxinye905@gmail.com [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Tse, Zion T.H. [College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (United States); Tang, Guoyi, E-mail: tanggy@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Geng, Yubo [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Song, Guolin [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China)
2015-01-12
The effect of high-energy electropulsing treatment (EPT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy strip with initial lamellar microstructure was investigated. The results indicated that EPT accelerated the phase change process tremendously inducing equiaxed microstructure in titanium alloy. The EPT-induced microstructural change resulted in remarkably increasing elongation-to-failure while the tensile strength remained unchanged. A mechanism for rapid phase change in low temperature during EPT was proposed based on the reduction of nucleation thermodynamic barrier and enhancement of atomic diffusion. A medium migration model was utilized for discussing the globularization process.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ye, Xiaoxin; Tse, Zion T.H.; Tang, Guoyi; Geng, Yubo; Song, Guolin
2015-01-01
The effect of high-energy electropulsing treatment (EPT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy strip with initial lamellar microstructure was investigated. The results indicated that EPT accelerated the phase change process tremendously inducing equiaxed microstructure in titanium alloy. The EPT-induced microstructural change resulted in remarkably increasing elongation-to-failure while the tensile strength remained unchanged. A mechanism for rapid phase change in low temperature during EPT was proposed based on the reduction of nucleation thermodynamic barrier and enhancement of atomic diffusion. A medium migration model was utilized for discussing the globularization process
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Microstructure Analysis of Bismuth Absorbers for Transition-Edge Sensor X-ray Microcalorimeters
Yan, Daikang; Divan, Ralu; Gades, Lisa M.; Kenesei, Peter; Madden, Timothy J.; Miceli, Antonino; Park, Jun-Sang; Patel, Umeshkumar M.; Quaranta, Orlando; Sharma, Hemant; Bennett, Douglas A.; Doriese, William B.; Fowler, Joseph W.; Gard, Johnathon D.; Hays-Wehle, James P.; Morgan, Kelsey M.; Schmidt, Daniel R.; Swetz, Daniel S.; Ullom, Joel N.
2018-03-01
Given its large X-ray stopping power and low specific heat capacity, bismuth (Bi) is a promising absorber material for X-ray microcalorimeters and has been used with transition-edge sensors (TESs) in the past. However, distinct X-ray spectral features have been observed in TESs with Bi absorbers deposited with different techniques. Evaporated Bi absorbers are widely reported to have non-Gaussian low-energy tails, while electroplated ones do not show this feature. In this study, we fabricated Bi absorbers with these two methods and performed microstructure analysis using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction microscopy. The two types of material showed the same crystallographic structure, but the grain size of the electroplated Bi was about 40 times larger than that of the evaporated Bi. This distinction in grain size is likely to be the cause of their different spectral responses.
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The microstructure of fuel pellets as object of quality characterization on base of FMEA analysis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Goncharov, U.V.; Matveev, A.A.; Strucov, A.V.; Loktev, I.I.
2012-01-01
It is difficult to find new effective reserves in nuclear fuel production as its experience of production and operation become more and more. FMEA method can help it on base of the system analysis. The state corporation Rosatom, consistently pursuing a policy of economical manufacture, make all efforts for identification of deep dependences between conditions of manufacture, characteristics of fuel materials and features of their operational behaviour. This report continues earlier discussion of the important feature of produced nuclear fuel pellets grain size distribution. This distribution defines gas release in reactor and has not appropriate method of characterization. There are descriptions of optimal microstructure of fuel pellets with large grain size literature
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The nanostructure and microstructure of SiC surface layers deposited by MWCVD and ECRCVD
Dul, K.; Jonas, S.; Handke, B.
2017-12-01
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to investigate ex-situ the surface topography of SiC layers deposited on Si(100) by Microwave Chemical Vapour Deposition (MWCVD) -S1,S2 layers and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapor Deposition (ECRCVD) - layers S3,S4, using silane, methane, and hydrogen. The effects of sample temperature and gas flow on the nanostructure and microstructure have been investigated. The nanostructure was described by three-dimensional surface roughness analysis based on digital image processing, which gives a tool to quantify different aspects of surface features. A total of 13 different numerical parameters used to describe the surface topography were used. The scanning electron image (SEM) of the microstructure of layers S1, S2, and S4 was similar, however, layer S3 was completely different; appearing like grains. Nonetheless, it can be seen that no grain boundary structure is present in the AFM images.
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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.
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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.
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Femtosecond laser-induced concentric ring microstructures on Zr-based metallic glass
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ma Fengxu; Yang Jianjun; Xiaonong Zhu; Liang Chunyong; Wang Hongshui
2010-01-01
Surface morphological evolution of Zr-based metallic glass ablated by femtosecond lasers is investigated in atmosphere condition. Three types of permanent ring structures with micro-level spacing are observed for different laser shots and fluences. In the case of low laser fluences, the generation of annular patterns with nonthermal features is observed on the rippled structure with the subwavelength scale, and the ring spacing shows a decrease tendency from the center to the margin. While in the case of high laser fluences, the concentric rings formation within the laser spot is found to have evident molten traces and display the increasing ring spacing along the radial direction. Moreover, when the laser shots accumulation becomes large, the above two types of ring microstructures begin to develop into the common ablation craters. Analysis and discussion suggests that the stress-induced condensation of ablation vapors and the frozen thermocapillary waves on the molten surfaces should be responsible for the formation of two different types of concentric ring structures, respectively. Eventually, a processing window for each resulting surface microstructure type is obtained experimentally and indicates the possibility to control the morphological transitions among different types.
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Zeilinger, Angelika; Todt, Juraj; Krywka, Christina; Müller, Martin; Ecker, Werner; Sartory, Bernhard; Meindlhumer, Michael; Stefenelli, Mario; Daniel, Rostislav; Mitterer, Christian; Keckes, Jozef
2016-03-07
Load-displacement curves measured during indentation experiments on thin films depend on non-homogeneous intrinsic film microstructure and residual stress gradients as well as on their changes during indenter penetration into the material. To date, microstructural changes and local stress concentrations resulting in plastic deformation and fracture were quantified exclusively using numerical models which suffer from poor knowledge of size dependent material properties and the unknown intrinsic gradients. Here, we report the first in-situ characterization of microstructural changes and multi-axial stress distributions in a wedge-indented 9 μm thick nanocrystalline TiN film volume performed using synchrotron cross-sectional X-ray nanodiffraction. During the indentation, needle-like TiN crystallites are tilted up to 15 degrees away from the indenter axis in the imprint area and strongly anisotropic diffraction peak broadening indicates strain variation within the X-ray nanoprobe caused by gradients of giant compressive stresses. The morphology of the multiaxial stress distributions with local concentrations up to -16.5 GPa correlate well with the observed fracture modes. The crack growth is influenced decisively by the film microstructure, especially by the micro- and nano-scopic interfaces. This novel experimental approach offers the capability to interpret indentation response and indenter imprint morphology of small graded nanostructured features.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Motalleb-nejad, P.; Saeid, T.; Heidarzadeh, A.; Darzi, Kh.; Ashjari, M.
2014-01-01
Highlights: • FSW conditions for defect free joints of AZ31B magnesium alloy were reached. • The effect of FSW factors such pin design on the features of the welds was studied. • Taper pin caused to finest grains and highest mechanical properties. • The superior properties of the joints were achieved at the condition of ω 2 /υ = 6300. • All the tensile fractures occurred at the interface of the SZ and base metal. - Abstract: In this investigation the effect of friction stir welding pin geometry on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31B magnesium alloy joints is studied. The considered pin geometries are simple cylindrical, screw threaded cylindrical and taper. The joints are friction stir welded at different traverse and rotational speeds. Microstructures of the joints are examined using the optical and scanning electron microscopes. Also, the tensile properties and hardness of the joints are measured. The results show that taper and screw threaded cylindrical pins produce defect free joints. In addition, the taper pin results in finest microstructure and highest mechanical properties. Furthermore, it is found that rotational speed has a more significant role on the final microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints, compared to the traverse speed
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A unique skeletal microstructure of the deep-sea micrabaciid scleractinian corals
Janiszewska, Katarzyna; Stolarski, Jaroslaw; Benzerara, Karim; Meibom, Anders; Mazur, Maciej; Kitahara, Marcelo; Cairns, Stephen D.
2010-05-01
Structural and biogeochemical properties of the skeleton of many invertebrates rely on organic matrix-mediated biomineralization processes. Organic matrices, composed of complex assemblages of macromolecules (proteins, polysaccharides), may control nucleation, spatial delineation and organization of basic microstructural units. Biologically controlled mineralization is also suggested for the scleractinian corals whose different, molecularly recognized clades are supported by distinct types of skeletal microstructures. Main differences in scleractinian coral skeletal microstructures suggested so far consist in (1) varying spatial relationships between Rapid Accretion Deposits (RAD, 'centers of calcification') and thickening deposits (TD, 'fibers'), and (2) varying arrangements of biomineral fibers into higher order structures (e.g., bundles of fibers perpendicular to skeletal surfaces in some 'caryophylliid' corals vs. scale-like units with fibers parallel to the surface in acroporiids). However, a common feature of biomineral fibers in corals described thus far was their similar crystallographic arrangement within larger meso-scale structures (bundles of fibers) and continuity between successive growth layers. Herein we show that representatives of the deep-sea scleractinian family Micrabaciidae (genera: Letepsammia, Rhombopsammia, Stephanophyllia, Leptopenus) have thickening deposits composed of irregular meshwork of short (1-2 μm) and extremely thin (ca. 100-300 nm) fibers organized into small bundles (ca. 1-2 μm thick). Longer axes of fibers are aligned within individual bundles that, in turn, show rather irregular arrangement on the growing surfaces and within the skeleton (irregular criss-cross pattern). In contrast to other scleractinians (including deep-water 'caryophylliids', fungiacyathids, and anthemiphyllids sympatric with micrabaciids), growth layers are not distinct. Also the regions of rapid accretion and thickening deposits are not clearly
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Optical fabrication of large area photonic microstructures by spliced lens
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.
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Innovative microstructures in ThO2-UO2 system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kutty, T.R.G.; Sengupta, A.K.; Majumdar, S.; Sah, D.N.; Kamath, H.S.
2005-01-01
The basic properties that really matter to the nuclear scientists are those that have greatest influence on microstructure: crystal structure, defects concentration and phase stability. The role of microstructure and crystal defects in determining the engineering properties are always acknowledged. Microstructure of nuclear fuels controls the in-pile fuel behavior like fission gas release, plasticity, in-pile creep and swelling. Conventional nuclear ceramic fabrication process consists of a number of stages, including calcination, milling, incorporating additives, pressing, drying and densification. Since each of these steps affects the microstructure of fuel pellets they must all be understood and a more holistic approach is required when processing nuclear ceramics compared to metals and polymers. It is possible to obtain a wide range of microstructures for ThO 2 -UO 2 system if a proper fabrication route is chosen. It is possible to tailor microstructure as per our requirement so that an improved behaviour during irradiation is expected. The improvement in plasticity and fission gas release can be attained by modifying the microstructure during fabrication. This paper deals with fabrication of ThO 2 -UO 2 pellets of varying U content and its characterization with the help of optical microscopy, XRD, SEM and EPMA. The microstructures are characterized in terms grain size, pore size and its distribution and homogeneity of uranium. (author)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Scherer, G G; Veziridis, Z; Staub, M [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Freimuth, H [Inst. fuer Mikrotechnik Mainz IMM, Mainz (Germany)
1997-06-01
Model gas diffusion electrodes were prepared by microstructuring glassy carbon surfaces with high aspect ratios and subsequent deposition of platinum. These electrodes were characterized by hydrogen under-potential deposition (H-upd) in contact with a polymer electrolyte membrane employing cyclic voltametry. H-upd was found on platinum areas not in direct contact to the solid electrolyte, as long as a continuous platinum-path existed. A carbon surface between platinum acts as barrier for H-upd. (author) 4 figs., 5 refs.
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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.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ray, I.L.F.; Schubert, A.; Wallenius, M.
2002-01-01
be altered unless the whole material is completely reprocessed. In the case of bulk samples, for example in the form of UO 2 pellets intended for use in reactors for the commercial generation of electricity, a microstructural examination is not an essential element in the investigation, since the pellets can usually be rapidly and uniquely identified from their dimensions and geometrical form. Most of the illicit samples seized so far fall into this category of bulk material. However a microstructural characterisation by SEM/TEM/EDX of such pellet samples would provide useful archival material, in the form of grain size distributions, porosity size distributions, homogeneity, precipitation and dislocation densities. This information is then available should the material subsequently turn up in some powder form or mixture of materials. Examples of the application of the microstructural fingerprint to real cases of illicit nuclear materials will be given in detail in the paper
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Correlation of fatigue properties and microstructure in investment cast Ti-6Al-4V welds
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oh, Jinkeun; Kim, Nack J.; Lee, Sunghak; Lee, Eui W.
2003-01-01
The effect of microstructural characteristics on high-cycle fatigue properties and fatigue crack propagation behavior of welded regions of an investment cast Ti-6Al-4V were investigated. High-cycle fatigue and fatigue crack propagation tests were conducted on the welded regions, which were processed by two different welding methods: tungsten inert gas (TIG) and electron beam (EB) welding. Test data were analyzed in relation to microstructure, tensile properties, and fatigue fracture mode. The base metal was composed of an alpha plate colony structure transformed to a basket-weave structure with thin α platelets after welding and annealing. High-cycle fatigue results indicated that fatigue strength of the EB weld was lower than that of the base metal or the TIG weld because of the existence of large micropores formed during welding, although it had the highest yield strength. In the case of the fatigue crack propagation, the EB weld composed of thinner α platelets had a faster crack propagation rate than the base metal or the TIG weld. The effective microstructural feature determining the fatigue crack propagation rate was found to be the width of α platelets because it was well matched with the reversed cyclic plastic zone size calculated in the threshold ΔK regime
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ceschini, Lorella; Morri, Alessandro [Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna (Italy); Industrial Research Centre for Advanced Mechanics and Materials (CIRI-MAM) Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna (Italy); Toschi, Stefania, E-mail: stefania.toschi3@unibo.it [Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna (Italy); Johansson, Sten [Department of Management & Engineering, Division of Engineering Materials, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Seifeddine, Salem [Department of Materials and Manufacturing, School of Engineering – Jönköping University (Sweden)
2015-11-11
The aim of the present study was to carry out a microstructural and mechanical characterization of the A354 (Al–Si–Cu–Mg) cast aluminum alloy. The effect of microstructure on the tensile behavior was evaluated by testing samples with different Secondary Dendrite Arm Spacing, (SDAS) values (20–25 μm and 50–70 μm for fine and coarse microstructure, respectively), which were produced through controlled casting conditions. The tensile behavior of the alloy was evaluated both at room and elevated temperature (200 °C), in the heat treated and overaged (exposure at 210 °C for 41 h, after heat treatment) conditions. Optical, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used for microstructural investigations. Experimental data confirmed the significant role of microstructural coarseness on the tensile behavior of A354 alloy. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure strongly increased with the decrease of SDAS. Moreover, solidification rate influenced other microstructural features, such as the eutectic silicon morphology as well as the size of the intermetallic phases, which in turn also influenced elongation to failure. Coarsening of the strengthening precipitates was induced by overaging, as observed by STEM analyses, thus leading to a strong reduction of the tensile strength of the alloy, regardless of SDAS. Tensile properties of the alloy sensibly decrease at elevated temperature (200 °C) in all the investigated heat treatment conditions.
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Microstructure and properties of pipeline steel with a ferrite/martensite dual-phase microstructure
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Li Rutao; Zuo Xiurong; Hu Yueyue; Wang Zhenwei; Hu, Dingxu
2011-01-01
In order to satisfy the transportation of the crude oil and gas in severe environmental conditions, a ferrite/martensite dual-phase pipeline steel has been developed. After a forming process and double submerged arc welding, the microstructure of the base metal, heat affected zone and weld metal was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The pipe showed good deformability and an excellent combination of high strength and toughness, which is suitable for a pipeline subjected to the progressive and abrupt ground movement. The base metal having a ferrite/martensite dual-phase microstructure exhibited excellent mechanical properties in terms of uniform elongation of 7.5%, yield ratio of 0.78, strain hardening exponent of 0.145, an impact energy of 286 J at - 10 deg. C and a shear area of 98% at 0 deg. C in the drop weight tear test. The tensile strength and impact energy of the weld metal didn't significantly reduce, because of the intragranularly nucleated acicular ferrites microstructure, leading to high strength and toughness in weld metal. The heat affected zone contained complete quenching zone and incomplete quenching zone, which exhibited excellent low temperature toughness of 239 J at - 10 deg. C. - Research Highlights: →The pipe with ferrite/martensite microstructure shows high deformability. →The base metal of the pipe consists of ferrite and martensite. →Heat affected zone shows excellent low temperature toughness. →Weld metal mainly consists of intragranularly nucleated acicular ferrites. →Weld metal shows excellent low temperature toughness and high strength.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
A.A. Daniyan
Full Text Available Nano sized composites of Zn-TiO2 and Zn-TiO2-WO3 were produced via electrocodeposition on plain carbon steel. The effect of input current on the microstructure, mechanical strengthening and corrosion properties were compared. The morphological features of the composite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS; mechanical properties were carried out using a diamond base Dura Scan hardness tester and CERT UMT-2 multi-functional tribological tester. The corrosion properties were investigated by potentiodynamic studies in 3.5% NaCl. The result showed that the coatings exhibited good stability and the particle loading of WO3 greatly enhanced the microstructural properties, hardness behaviour and corrosion resistance of the coatings. Keywords: Zn-TiO2, Zn-TiO2-WO3, Electrocodeposition, Microstructure, Composite, Stability and coatings
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X-ray diffraction imaging of material microstructures
Varga, Laszlo
2016-10-20
Various examples are provided for x-ray imaging of the microstructure of materials. In one example, a system for non-destructive material testing includes an x-ray source configured to generate a beam spot on a test item; a grid detector configured to receive x- rays diffracted from the test object; and a computing device configured to determine a microstructure image based at least in part upon a diffraction pattern of the x-rays diffracted from the test object. In another example, a method for determining a microstructure of a material includes illuminating a beam spot on the material with a beam of incident x-rays; detecting, with a grid detector, x-rays diffracted from the material; and determining, by a computing device, a microstructure image based at least in part upon a diffraction pattern of the x-rays diffracted from the material.
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Microstructural and paleomagnetic insight into the cooling history of the IAB parent body
Nichols, Claire I. O.; Krakow, Robert; Herrero-Albillos, Julia; Kronast, Florian; Northwood-Smith, Geraint; Harrison, Richard J.
2018-05-01
The IABs represent one of only two groups of iron meteorites that did not form by fractional crystallization of liquid Fe-Ni in the core of a differentiated planetesimal. Instead, they are believed to originate from a partially differentiated body that was severely disrupted by one or more impacts during its early history. We present a detailed microstructural and paleomagnetic study of the Odessa and Toluca IAB meteorites, with a view to further constraining the complex history of the IAB parent body. X-ray photoemission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to generate high-resolution Ni/Fe maps. The crystallographic architecture of Odessa was analysed using electron backscatter diffraction. Paleomagnetic signals and the magnetic properties of several microstructures were also assessed using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Odessa exhibits a complex series of microstructures, requiring an unusual evolution during slow cooling. A conventional Widmanstätten microstructure, consisting of multiple generations of kamacite lamellae surrounded by M-shaped diffusion profiles, developed via continuous precipitation to temperatures below ∼400 °C. Multiple generations of pearlitic plessite nucleated from kamacite/taenite (T > 400 °C) and tetrataenite rim/taenite interfaces (T theories, these rafts cannot have formed by coarsening of pre-existing pearlitic plessite. A new bowing mechanism is proposed, whereby rafts of Ni-enriched taenite form between advancing lobes of an irregular reaction front during discontinuous precipitation. Subsequent coarsening leads to the growth of the taenite rafts, and the partial or complete removal of pearlite lamellae, resulting in spheroidised plessite with a crystallographic architecture matching the experimental observations. We find no evidence for a strong magnetic field on the IAB parent body, suggesting it did not have an active core dynamo at the time of cloudy zone formation. This supports the
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Microstructure study of AUC and UO2
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pan Ying; Gao Dihua; Lu Huaichang
1992-01-01
The microstructures of AUC, UO 2 powder and pellets were investigated with metallo-scope, SEM, TEM, XRD, and image analyzer. The influence of the reduction conditions of AUC on the microstructures of UO 2 powder and pellet were studied
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White matter microstructure damage in tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease patients
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Luo, ChunYan; Song, Wei; Chen, Qin; Yang, Jing; Shang, Hui-Fang; Gong, QiYong
2017-01-01
Resting tremor is one of the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidence suggest resting tremor may have different underlying pathophysiological processes from those of bradykinesia and rigidity. The current study aims to identify white matter microstructural abnormalities associated with resting tremor in PD. We recruited 60 patients with PD (30 with tremor-dominant PD and 30 with nontremor-dominant PD) and 26 normal controls. All participants underwent clinical assessment and diffusion tensor MRI. We used tract-based spatial statistics to investigate white matter integrity across the entire white matter tract skeleton. Compared with both healthy controls and the nontremor-dominant PD patients, the tremor-dominant PD patients were characterized by increased mean diffusivity (MD) and axial diffusivity (AD) along multiple white matter tracts, mainly involving the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. The mean AD value in clusters with significant difference was correlated with resting tremor score in the tremor-dominant PD patients. There was no significant difference between the nontremor-dominant PD patients and controls. Our results support the notion that resting tremor in PD is a distinct condition in which significant microstructural white matter changes exist and provide evidence for the involvement of the CTC in tremor genesis of PD. (orig.)
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Workshop Report: Linking Processing to Performance through Microstructure
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
2004-01-01
..., and time-dependent property models. Other topics of interest included probabilistic aspects of property prediction, microstructurally informed constitutive modeling, microstructural evolution during processing, crystal plasticity...
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Inventory of alloy composition, microstructures and mechanical ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Inventory of alloy composition, microstructures and mechanical properties of automobile engine parts. ... Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology ... This research work investigated the chemical compositions, microstructures and mechanical properties of the ferrous and non-ferrous auto engine parts such ...
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Utilization of FEM model for steel microstructure determination
Kešner, A.; Chotěborský, R.; Linda, M.; Hromasová, M.
2018-02-01
Agricultural tools which are used in soil processing, they are worn by abrasive wear mechanism cases by hard minerals particles in the soil. The wear rate is influenced by mechanical characterization of tools material and wear rate is influenced also by soil mineral particle contents. Mechanical properties of steel can be affected by a technology of heat treatment that it leads to a different microstructures. Experimental work how to do it is very expensive and thanks to numerical methods like FEM we can assumed microstructure at low cost but each of numerical model is necessary to be verified. The aim of this work has shown a procedure of prediction microstructure of steel for agricultural tools. The material characterizations of 51CrV4 grade steel were used for numerical simulation like TTT diagram, heat capacity, heat conduction and other physical properties of material. A relationship between predicted microstructure by FEM and real microstructure after heat treatment shows a good correlation.
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Metastable growth of pure wurtzite InGaAs microstructures.
Ng, Kar Wei; Ko, Wai Son; Lu, Fanglu; Chang-Hasnain, Connie J
2014-08-13
III-V compound semiconductors can exist in two major crystal phases, namely, zincblende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ). While ZB is thermodynamically favorable in conventional III-V epitaxy, the pure WZ phase can be stable in nanowires with diameters smaller than certain critical values. However, thin nanowires are more vulnerable to surface recombination, and this can ultimately limit their performances as practical devices. In this work, we study a metastable growth mechanism that can yield purely WZ-phased InGaAs microstructures on silicon. InGaAs nucleates as sharp nanoneedles and expand along both axial and radial directions simultaneously in a core-shell fashion. While the base can scale from tens of nanometers to over a micron, the tip can remain sharp over the entire growth. The sharpness maintains a high local surface-to-volume ratio, favoring hexagonal lattice to grow axially. These unique features lead to the formation of microsized pure WZ InGaAs structures on silicon. To verify that the WZ microstructures are truly metastable, we demonstrate, for the first time, the in situ transformation from WZ to the energy-favorable ZB phase inside a transmission electron microscope. This unconventional core-shell growth mechanism can potentially be applied to other III-V materials systems, enabling the effective utilization of the extraordinary properties of the metastable wurtzite crystals.
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Hemorrhage detection in MRI brain images using images features
Moraru, Luminita; Moldovanu, Simona; Bibicu, Dorin; Stratulat (Visan), Mirela
2013-11-01
The abnormalities appear frequently on Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of brain in elderly patients presenting either stroke or cognitive impairment. Detection of brain hemorrhage lesions in MRI is an important but very time-consuming task. This research aims to develop a method to extract brain tissue features from T2-weighted MR images of the brain using a selection of the most valuable texture features in order to discriminate between normal and affected areas of the brain. Due to textural similarity between normal and affected areas in brain MR images these operation are very challenging. A trauma may cause microstructural changes, which are not necessarily perceptible by visual inspection, but they could be detected by using a texture analysis. The proposed analysis is developed in five steps: i) in the pre-processing step: the de-noising operation is performed using the Daubechies wavelets; ii) the original images were transformed in image features using the first order descriptors; iii) the regions of interest (ROIs) were cropped from images feature following up the axial symmetry properties with respect to the mid - sagittal plan; iv) the variation in the measurement of features was quantified using the two descriptors of the co-occurrence matrix, namely energy and homogeneity; v) finally, the meaningful of the image features is analyzed by using the t-test method. P-value has been applied to the pair of features in order to measure they efficacy.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yang, Guang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Li, Zhou, E-mail: lizhou6931@csu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Changsha 410083 (China); Yuan, Yuan [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Lei, Qian [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410083 (China)
2015-08-15
Highlights: • Minor Ce addition can deprive harmful elements and purify the Cu–Mg alloy. • Decrease of Mg content can effectively enhance the conductivity of Cu–Mg alloy. • Ultrafine-grained Cu–Mg–Ce alloy was successfully gained by 8 passes of ECAP. • The strength of Cu–Mg–Ce alloy can be significantly improved by ECAP. • Better comprehensive properties than the commercial Cu–Mg alloy are gained. - Abstract: A Cu–0.3 wt.%Mg–0.05 wt.%Ce alloy was designed and prepared by melting and casting. After hot rolled, the ingot was cut into rod-shape samples for equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) with different passes at room temperature. The microstructure evolutions were investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The severe plastic deformation (SPD) caused by ECAP made the grains elongated significantly. With the increase of ECAP passes, the fraction of high-angle boundaries (HABs) (θ ⩾ 15°) increased and the microstructure was refined. Tension testing results indicated that the tensile strength was remarkably improved from 273.4 MPa before ECAP to 587.5 MPa after 8 passes of ECAP, maintaining an appropriate elongation of 11.4% and good electrical conductivity of 73.1%IACS. After annealing treatment at 300 °C for 2 h, the ECAP samples still maintained excellent comprehensive properties: tensile strength was 558.2 MPa, electrical conductivity was 74.7%IACS, and elongation was 13.2%, which showed bright prospect in high-speed railway as a contact wire material.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mathieu, J.Ph.
2006-10-01
Reactor Pressure Vessel is the second containment barrier between nuclear fuel and the environment. Electricite de France's reactors are made with french 16MND5 low-alloyed steel (equ. ASTM A508 Cl.3). Various experimental techniques (scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction...) are set up in order to characterize mechanical heterogeneities inside material microstructure during tensile testing at different low temperatures [-150 C;-60 C]. Heterogeneities can be seen as the effect of both 'polycrystalline' and 'composite' microstructural features. Interphase (until 150 MPa in average between ferritic and bainitic macroscopic stress state) and intra-phase (until 100 MPa in average between ferritic orientations) stress variations are highlighted. Modelling involves micro-mechanical description of plastic glide, mean fields models and realistic three-dimensional aggregates, all put together inside a multi-scale approach. Calibration is done on macroscopic stress-strain curves at different low temperatures, and modelling reproduces experimental stress heterogeneities. This modelling allows to apply a local micro-mechanical fracture criterion for crystallographic cleavage. Deterministic computations of time to fracture for different carbides random selection provide a way to express probability of fracture for the elementary volume. Results are in good agreement with hypothesis made by local approach to fracture. Hence, the main difference is that no dependence to loading nor microstructure features is supposed for probability of fracture on the representative volume: this dependence is naturally introduced by modelling. (author)
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Microstructures of poly(N-methylpyrrole) and their interaction with morphine
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Teixeira-Dias, Bruno [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Center for Research in Nanoengineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C' , C/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Aleman, Carlos, E-mail: carlos.aleman@upc.edu [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Center for Research in Nanoengineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C' , C/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Estrany, Francesc [Center for Research in Nanoengineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C' , C/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Unitat de Quimica Industrial, EUETIB, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Comte d' Urgell 187, 08036, Barcelona (Spain); Azambuja, Denise S. [Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves 9500 - CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Armelin, Elaine, E-mail: elaine.armelin@upc.edu [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, ETSEIB, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Center for Research in Nanoengineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C' , C/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028, Barcelona (Spain)
2011-06-30
Graphical abstract: . Display Omitted Highlights: > Poly(N-methylpyrrole)/poly(styrenesulfonic acid) hollow microstructures has been prepared using gas templates. > The dimensions, abundance and texture of the microstructures have been electrochemically controlled. > Poly(N-methylpyrrole)/poly(styrenesulfonic acid) microstructures act as efficient morphine sensors. - Abstract: Microstructures of poly(N-methylpyrrole) have been generated by direct electrochemical oxidation of N-methylpyrrole with poly(styrenesulfonic acid) in aqueous solution, using a micelle formation mechanism with gas bubble templates. These microstructures present a 'doughnut'-like morphology with diameters ranging from 20 to 100 {mu}m. Other anionic surfactants, such as camphorsulfonic acid and {beta}-naphthalenesulfonic acid, have been also employed, results evidencing that the morphology of the microstructures depends on the nature of the surfactant electrolytes. The dimensions, abundance and texture of the microstructures have been modulated by varying the surfactant molecules, the electrochemical technique, and the distance between the working and counter-electrode. The generated microstructures have been characterized using electrochemical techniques, Raman and infrared spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Hollow microstructures-containing films made of poly(N-methylpyrrole)/poly(styrenesulfonic acid), which present remarkable electroactivity and electrostability, has been proved to interact with morphine molecules. Thus, systems based on this prominent material show a high ability to capture the drug molecules and to retain them for a long period of time.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Li, Yi; Chen, Wei; Xu, Hongyi; Jin, Xuejun
2016-01-01
To provide a seamless integration of manufacturing processing simulation and fiber microstructure modeling, two new stochastic 3D microstructure reconstruction methods are proposed for two types of random fiber composites: random short fiber composites, and Sheet Molding Compounds (SMC) chopped fiber composites. A Random Sequential Adsorption (RSA) algorithm is first developed to embed statistical orientation information into 3D RVE reconstruction of random short fiber composites. For the SMC composites, an optimized Voronoi diagram based approach is developed for capturing the substructure features of SMC chopped fiber composites. The proposed methods are distinguished from other reconstruction works by providing a way of integrating statistical information (fiber orientation tensor) obtained from material processing simulation, as well as capturing the multiscale substructures of the SMC composites.
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Specificities of micro-structured reactors for hydrogen production and purification
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Dupont, N.; Germani, G.; Van Veen, A.C.; Schuurman, Y.; Mirodatos, C. [Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse - CNRS, 2, Avenue Albert Einstein, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Schaefer, G. [Atotech Deutschland GmbH, PO Box 210780, 10507 Berlin (Germany)
2007-07-15
This paper presents the specificities of micro-structured reactors as compared to conventional fixed-bed reactors through two case studies devoted to (i) hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming, (ii) hydrogen purification by water-gas shift (WGS). Key features like catalyst coating stability, temperature and pressure management, effects of operating conditions (residence time, pressure drops, etc.) are well identified as controlling the micro-reactor performances for methanol reforming. These devices are also shown to be excellent tools for fast access to reaction kinetics as exemplified for the WGS reaction, subject to operating conditions carefully chosen to ensure proper hydrodynamics, in order to use conventional plug flow reactor models for extracting rate constants. (author)