Surface modification technique to enhance metallurgical and mechanical properties of alloy C-276 weldment by laser shock peening without coating

Microsegregation of alloying elements is prone to hot cracking in the weldment of alloy C-276. The formation of topologically close packed phases P and µ is largely responsible for the hot cracking. The present study articulates the effect of laser shock peening (LSP) to improve the metallurgical and mechanical properties of the weld joint. The weld joint was fabricated by pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PCGTAW) using an ERNiCrMo-3 filler wire. LSP without coating was carried out on the cap surface of the weldment. Microstructural studies were carried out to compare the as-welded and laser-peened microstructure on the fusion zone. The results show that a fine equiaxed dendritic structure was observed in both conditions. EDS analysis was carried out to evaluate the microsegregation of alloying elements. EDS analysis indicates that there are no secondary intermetallic phases. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out to evaluate the phase change and crystallite size in the as-welded and laser shock peened fusion zone. The result shows 48.99% reduction in crystallite size after LSP. Hardness and tensile strength results indicate there is a consequential increase in laser shock peened specimen compared with as-welded specimen.     

Bioecology of macrobenthic communities in the microtidal monsoonal Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary,southwest coast of India

A comprehensive study of the macrobenthic communities in the Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary (KAE) was conducted during 2009–2011 period. A total of 18,846 organisms were collected, with 60% being malacostracans, followed by polychaetes (20%), molluscs (9%) and ‘others’ group (11%). A total of 79 species in 71 genera belonging to 49 families were identified, with 33 spp. being polychaetes, 26 spp. being malacostracans, 11 spp. being molluscs and 9 spp. being in the ‘others’ group. A single species of opportunistic amphipod (Americorophium triaeonyx) comprised more than 62.05% of the total numerical abundance of macrobenthos. The other dominant species were Obelia bidentata, Arcuatula senhousia, Cirolana fluviatilis, Prionospio cirrifera and Capitella sp. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results indicated environmental parameters such as water column salinity, turbidity, sediment Eh, substratum type, chlorophyll‐a concentration, depth and organic matter in sediment were the significant factors influencing the distribution of macrobenthic species in the KAE. The present study provides baseline information for future KAE benthic studies.     

Single-phase and binary phase nanogranular ferrites for magnetic hyperthermia application

The study demonstrates the performance of heating efficiency in single-phase and binary phase spinel ferrite nanosystems. Ferrimagnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) (CFO) and superparamagnetic copper ferrite/copper oxide (CuFe₂O₄/CuO) (CuF) nanosystems of different particle sizes were synthesized through a microwave-assisted coprecipitation method. The heating behavior was observed in range of both field amplitudes (8-24 kA/m at 516 kHz) and frequencies (325-973 kHz at 12 kA/m). The heating efficiency was analyzed and compared by means of particle size, magnetization, effective anisotropy constant, and Néel relaxation mechanism. Indeed, the heating rate was maximized in larger ferrite particles with low effective anisotropy constant. Moreover, though the magnetization and effective anisotropy constant of single-phase CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were higher, the binary phase CuFe₂O₄/CuO nanosystems of similar crystallite size (28 nm) exhibited superior heating efficiency (4.21°C/s). For a field amplitude and frequency of 24 kA/m and 516 kHz, the heating rate of CuF and CFO ferrites with different crystallite sizes decreased in the order of 4.21 > 2.14 > 0.58 > 0.52°C/s for 29 nm > 25 nm > 12 nm > 15 nm, respectively. The results emphasize that binary phase ferrite nanoparticles are better thermoseeds than the single-phase ferrites for the magnetic hyperthermia application.     

Experimental and theoretical assessment of flexural properties of hybrid natural fibre composites

The concept of hybridization of natural fibre composites with synthetic fibres is attracting increasing scientific attention. The present study addresses the flexural properties of hybrid flax/glass/epoxy composites to demonstrate the potential benefits of hybridization. The study covers both experimental and theoretical assessments. Composite laminates with different hybrid fibre mixing ratios and different layer configurations were manufactured, and their volumetric composition and flexural properties were measured. The relationship between volume fractions in the composites is shown to be well predicted as a function of the hybrid fibre mixing ratio. The flexural modulus of the composites is theoretically assessed by using micromechanical models and laminate theory. The model predictions are compared with the experimentally determined flexural properties. Both approaches show that the flexural modulus of the composites is consistently increased when the flax fibre fabrics are replaced by glass fibre fabrics from the inner layers to the outer layers. The observed deviations between the experimental and theoretical values are explained by the simplifying model assumptions applied for the configuration of the composites, in particular the flax fibre composites. This needs to be addressed in further work.     

Novel Collision Detection and Avoidance System for Midvehicle Using Offset-Based Curvilinear Motion

In recent days, the manufacture of automotive vehicles is dramatically enhanced worldwide. Most vehicle crashes are due to the drive distraction on the real highway roads and traffic-density. In this proposed method, a novel collision detection and avoidance algorithm are coined for Midvehicle Collision Detection and Avoidance System (MCDAS), addressing two scenarios, namely, (a) A rear-end collision avoidance with host vehicle under no front-end vehicle condition and (b) offset-based curvilinear motion under critical conditions, while, suitable parallel parking manoeuvring also addressed using offset-based curvilinear motion. The Monte Carlo analysis of the proposed MCDAS is demonstrated using the Constant Velocity (CV) manoeuvring strategy and simulated with real-time data using the NGSIM database.

     

Antioxidant effect of turmeric powder,nitrite and ascorbic acid on stored chicken mince

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant effect of turmeric (turmeric 1000 ppm, turmeric 5000 ppm), nitrite (nitrite 200 ppm) and ascorbic acid (ascorbic acid 500 ppm) on raw minced chicken stored at 4 ± 1 °C. Physicochemical properties [pH, water activity, cooking loss, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acid (FFA)] were evaluated on 0, 2, 4 and 6th day of storage. Highly significant differences (P < 0.01) in pH, TBA value, PV and FFA value were noticed between treatments and between storage periods. TBA values were observed to be lowest for nitrite 200 ppm and then turmeric 5000 ppm, and there was no significant difference between nitrite 200 ppm and turmeric 5000 ppm, and both were superior to ascorbic acid 500 ppm and turmeric 1000 ppm. Among different treatments, PV was found to be lowest in turmeric 5000 ppm and highest in nitrite 200 ppm. FFA value was found to be lowest in turmeric 5000 ppm and highest in ascorbic acid 500 ppm among all treated samples. It can be concluded that turmeric has potential to replace synthetic antioxidants presently used in meat processing with many added advantages.     

Investigation of mechanical properties of unidirectional steel fiber/polyester composites: Experiments and micromechanical predictions

The article introduces steel fiber reinforced polymer composites, which is considered new for composite product developments. These composites consist of steel fibers or filaments of 0.21 mm diameter embedded in a polyester resin. The goal of this investigation is to characterize the mechanical performance of steel fiber reinforced polyester composites at room temperature. The mechanical properties of unidirectional steel fiber reinforced polyester composites (SFRP) are evaluated experimentally and compared with the predicted values by micro‐mechanical models. These predictions help to understand the role of material and process parameters on material properties. Two types of SFRP were studied: polyester resin reinforced by both steel fabric containing unidirectional fibers and steel fibers wound on a metal frame with 0° orientations. The effects of the fiber volume fraction and the role of polymer yarns (weft) on mechanical properties were analyzed through tensile, compressive, and shear tests. These tests were performed as per the standard test procedures. In particular, issues related to processing difficulties, polymer yarns effect on properties, standardized testing, and properties under various loading conditions were addressed. Microscopic observations were analyzed to assess the laminate quality and the macroscopic fracture surfaces of shear test specimens were studied by standard techniques. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:627–644, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

On supporting reliable QoS in multi-hop multi-rate mobile ad hoc networks

Due to complicated situations such as node/link interference and traffic load, quality of service support in multi-hop multi-rate ad hoc networks remains a challenging issue. Furthermore, when mobility is present, because of frequent route change, it is even more difficult to maintain high level performance for existing real-time flows that may not tolerate serious performance degradation. In this paper, we focus on the issue of providing sufficient QoS in networks with moderate to high node mobility. We first introduce route available bandwidth (RAB), a major index for prediction of flow performance along a specific path. RAB considers various important factors such as intra-flow interference, effective link bandwidth, and channel busy time. Then, we devise a DSR based admission control scheme where the source node accepts/rejects a flow according to the RAB of the collected route when it receives a route reply packet. To handle mobility, we incorporate an additional metric of route reliability (RR) so that a path with sufficient bandwidth and reliability can be obtained. Results show that with admission control, existing flows experiences around 80–95% average delivery ratio, even for 20 m/s maximum moving speed, which is much better than 30–60% average delivery ratio when admission control is absent.