A miniature triaxial apparatus for investigating the micromechanics of granular soils with in situ X-ray micro-tomography scanning

The development of a miniature triaxial apparatus is presented. In conjunction with an X-ray micro-tomography (termed as X-ray μCT hereafter) facility and advanced image processing techniques, this apparatus can be used for in situ investigation of the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils under shear. The apparatus allows for triaxial testing of a miniature dry sample with a size of \mathrm{8}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm}\times \mathrm{16}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm} (diameter \times height). In situ triaxial testing of a 0.4–0.8 mm Leighton Buzzard sand (LBS) under a constant confining pressure of 500 kPa is presented. The evolutions of local porosities (i.e., the porosities of regions associated with individual particles), particle kinematics (i.e., particle translation and particle rotation) of the sample during the shear are quantitatively studied using image processing and analysis techniques. Meanwhile, a novel method is presented to quantify the volumetric strain distribution of the sample based on the results of local porosities and particle tracking. It is found that the sample, with nearly homogenous initial local porosities, starts to exhibit obvious inhomogeneity of local porosities and localization of particle kinematics and volumetric strain around the peak of deviatoric stress. In the post-peak shear stage, large local porosities and volumetric dilation mainly occur in a localized band. The developed triaxial apparatus, in its combined use of X-ray μCT imaging techniques, is a powerful tool to investigate the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils.     

热变形对GH4169合金中NbC析出相尺寸形貌影响研究

通过Gleeble3500热模拟试验机进行热压缩试验并结合微观组织观察和统计分析，研究了热变形对GH4169合金中NbC颗粒尺寸形貌、分布特征的影响规律。研究表明压缩过程中的绝热效应会导致试样心部温度的进一步升高，从而为变形过程中的NbC回溶提供条件。NbC颗粒与基体在变形过程中形成的高位错密度区促进了元素的扩散，并加速了小曲率半径的尖角区域回溶和钝化。随变形量的增加NbC回溶趋势增加，其平均尺寸与体积分数均呈降低趋势。变形过程金属流动会促进NbC颗粒的位移，在70%的变形量下，NbC颗粒平均间距增加趋势显著高于30%和50%变形量试样。因此随变形量的增加，NbC颗粒有从链状→链条弯曲→链条方向改变→弥散分布的分布特征，促进基体中原链状NbC呈细小、弥散分布。研究结果为GH4169闪光焊接性能的提高提供了直接的参考。     

AA7075高强铝合金热冲压流变行为本构模型对比研究

在热冲压过程中,AA7075高强铝合金板料经充分固溶后移入室温模具进行冲压成形并淬火。为表征AA7075铝合金在热冲压工艺中的变形行为,在温度200~480℃、应变速率0.01~10s-1范围内进行了高温拉伸试验。基于Arrhenius类型本构模型、Johnson-Cook模型以及Zerilli-Armstrong模型提出了多种修正本构模型,并应用实验所获流变曲线进行了拟合。提出的修正模型通过将模型参数表示为应变、应变速率及温度相关的多项式函数耦合了应变、应变速率及温度对流变应力的影响,并通过均方误差(MSE)以及相关系数R值对模型流变应力预测准确性进行了评价。结果表明,修正的Johnson-Cook模型能够更加准确的预测AA7075高温流变行为。     

High temperature deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of wrought nickel-based superalloy GH4037 in solid and semi-solid states

Cylindrical samples of Ni-based GH4037 alloy were compressed at solid temperatures (1200, 1250 and 1300 °C) and semi-solid temperatures (1340, 1350, 1360, 1370 and 1380 °C) with different strain rates of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 s⁻¹. High temperature deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of GH4037 alloy were investigated. The results indicated that flow stress decreased rapidly at semi-solid temperatures compared to that at solid temperatures. Besides, the flow stress continued to increase after reaching the initial peak stress at semi-solid temperatures when the strain rate was 1 s⁻¹. With increasing the deformation temperature, the size of initial solid grains and recrystallized grains increased. At semi-solid temperatures, the grains were equiaxed, and liquid phase existed at the grain boundaries and inside the grains. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) characterized by grain boundary bulging was the main nucleation mechanism for GH4037 alloy.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC nanoparticle-reinforced Mg−Zn−Ca matrix nanocomposites processed by combining multidirectional forging and extrusion

TiC nanoparticle-reinforced Mg−4Zn−0.5Ca matrix nanocomposites were processed by combining multidirectional forging (MDF) and extrusion (EX). The grain size of the nanocomposite after MDF+EX multi-step deformation was significantly decreased compared with that processed only by MDF. The average size of the recrystallized grains gradually increased after EX with increasing the number of MDF passes at 270 °C. However, the grain size significantly decreased by MDF processing at 310 °C. Both fine and coarse MgZn₂ phases appeared in the (MDF+EX)-processed nanocomposites, and their volume fractions gradually increased with increasing the number of MDF passes before EX. Ultrahigh tensile properties (yield strength of ~404 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of ~450.3 MPa and elongation of ~5.2 %) were obtained in the nanocomposite after three MDF passes at 310 °C followed by EX. This was attributed to the refinement of the recrystallized grains, together with the improved Orowan strengthening provided by the precipitated MgZn₂ particles that were generated by MDF+EX multi-step deformation.     

Unsteady conjugate mass transfer of a 2D deformable droplet in a modest extensional flow in across-slot

This work aims to investigate the unsteady conjugate interphase mass transfer between a stationary deformed drop and the modest extensional flow in a cross-intersected 2D channel. It is very difficult to accurately quantify the transient mass transfer rate of solute in such a geometry. Therefore, we established a mathematical model on the basic of the Stokes equation and solved it by the boundary element method, which could deal precisely with a two-phase flow system with a deformable interface; meanwhile, the convection-diffusion equation was solved by the finite difference method to calculate the unsteady conjugate interphase mass transfer. The simulation results showed that the mass transfer rate, analyzed and characterized in terms of mean concentration variation and Sherwood number Sh, was affected by capillary number Ca, Peclet number Pe, viscosity ratio λ , interior-to-exterior diffusivity ratio K, distribution coefficient m, and wall effect factor W.     

Characterization of the structure and diffusion behavior of calcium alginate gel beads

A simple and novel method using gel shrinkage to indirectly characterize the structure of calcium alginate gel (CAG) beads during the calcium alginate gelation process was presented in this study. The effect of preparation process parameters (gelling cations, bead diameter, and alginate M _w and concentration) on the structure of the CAG bead formation process was thoroughly investigated. It was found that (a) the concentration of the Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ ion in gel bath was found to be the determining factor in the gel structure formation process by regulating the dissociation of alginate and the complexation of the calcium; (b) Na⁺ acts as a competitor with calcium and a screen in the electrostatic repulsion; (c) the effect of beads size below 700 μm on the structure of CAG beads can be neglected; and (d) the sodium alginate concentration has no significant effect on the gel formation process. Furthermore, the diffusion of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was controlled by the density of CAG bead. Consequently, a faster diffusion rate of BSA within the looser structure of beads can be observed. These results are keys to understanding the behavior and performance of beads in their utilization medium. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48923.     

金属薄板平面铣削形变分析与控制

由于初始残余应力的作用,金属薄板平面加工普遍存在加工难度大,加工变形严重等问题,难以保证板面的加工质量。以不锈钢薄板的平面加工为基础,通过理论分析、仿真模拟和实验验证的方式,对金属薄板的加工形变进行较为系统的研究,分析了金属薄板加工形变的关键因素,总结了金属薄板残余应力分布形式以及有效避免加工形变的工艺方法,为类似金属板材加工提供理论参考依据。     

铁素体/贝氏体双相钢循环载荷作用下变形行为的模拟研究

为了避免铁素体/贝氏体双相钢管线管在服役过程中的交变载荷作用下引起的塑性损伤，采用有限元模拟方法，建立了Chaboche随动强化模型，研究了铁素体/贝氏体双相钢在循环应变载荷作用下的变形行为。结果显示，在循环应变作用下，应变优先在铁素体中形成累积，并在铁素体、贝氏体界面集中；随应变幅的增大，应变带在铁素体中形成，而贝氏体内累积应变增加不大，两相界面应变差增大。研究表明，铁素体内应变和两相应变差的增加将降低双相钢的塑性变形能力。     

Electrical and mechanical properties of BZT − xBCT lead-free piezoceramics

In this study, lead-free (1 − x)Ba(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃ − x(Ba_0.7Ca_0.3)TiO₃ compositions are synthesized via conventional solid oxide route, and the ceramics are fabricated with normal sintering in air. The effects of composition fluctuations on dielectric, piezoelectric, and mechanical properties are investigated. The phase structure and the microstructure are analyzed with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The best dielectric and piezoelectric properties of ε_r = 11 207 and d₃₃ = 330 pC/N were obtained for BZT−0.35BCT and BZT−0.5BCT ceramics, respectively. The mechanical behavior—in terms of Vickers hardness and compressive and flexural strengths—was investigated, and the best mechanical behavior was found in the vicinity of the phase transition boundary with x values between 0.5 and 0.6.