Microstructure and interface-adhesion of thermally sprayed continuous gradient elastic modulus FeCrAl-ceramic coatings

The bond strength between thermally sprayed metal bond-coats and ceramic top-coats is a key factor in determining their service life. However, most studies focus on interface modifications. In this research, based on FeCrAl bond-coats prepared by arc spraying, top-coats (Al₂O₃-40 wt% TiO₂) were prepared by plasma spraying, and heat treatment was carried out in a hypoxic atmosphere. Continuous gradient elastic modulus FeCrAl-ceramic coatings were successfully prepared, and the microstructural and mechanical properties from the substrate to the top-coats were systematically investigated. The Al₂O₃ content gradually decreased from the top-coats to the substrate, forming continuous gradient elastic modulus FeCrAl-ceramic coatings. The oxide formed during the heat treatment filled the defects in the bond-coats and greatly improved the mechanical properties of the coating. The bonding strength of the continuous gradient elastic modulus coating was 21.7% greater than that of the as-received coating.     

A re-examination of the elastic modulus dependence on crystallinity in semi-crystalline polymers

The elastic modulus versus crystallinity linear relationship in Polyethylene (PE) is re-examined via meticulous measurements over a wide set of PE. First, large discrepancies to linearity are observed; moreover, Raman spectroscopy revealed that the content of the so-called interphase exhibits considerable variations over the set of PE. Therefore a novel strategy based on DMA is developed for a better identification of the modulus of each phase along the temperature.On the one hand, below the α and β relaxations, the young modulus proved to be linearly dependant on the sum of the crystal and interphase content. On the other hand, between the α and β relaxations, the interphase appears surprisingly as stiff as the crystal. In addition, the quenched samples exhibit a particular behavior. A simple model has lead to the conclusion that their mechanical coupling and/or amorphous modulus are significantly different as compared with all others materials.     

Influence of side branch on the elastic modulus of ethylene–tetrafluoroethylene terpolymers

Influence of side branches on the storage modulus of ethylene–tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) terpolymers has been investigated on the basis of dynamic mechanical analysis. The terpolymer containing short branches (CF₃) has been found to behave in a different manner from the case of long branches (C₄F₉). The storage modulus was found to depend sensitively on the content of branches and also the degree of crystallinity in the case of terpolymer with long branches, while the modulus did not change very much for the sample with short branches even when the crystallinity was changed remarkably. The storage modulus of the terpolymer with long branches was found to behave similarly to that of ETFE copolymer without any branch. These differences were successfully interpreted on the basis of mechanical series model of crystalline and amorphous phases, where the modulus of the bulk sample is dependent sensitively on Young's modulus of the crystalline region. The short branches (CF₃) are included in the crystal lattice and the crystal lattice is expanded with an increment of branch content, resulting in the remarkable decrease in Young's modulus of the crystal lattice. The long branches (C₄F₉) are on the other hand, excluded out of the crystal lattice and Young's modulus of the crystal region is not affected very much. This difference in Young's modulus of the crystal lattice reflects on the different behavior of the modulus of the bulk sample as mentioned above.     

Particle size dependence of the elastic modulus of particulate filled PMMA near its Tg

Models for composition dependence of elastic modulus of particulate filled polymers inherently assume modulus of the matrix independent of particle content and size. In this letter, experimental evidence is presented for existence of a critical particle size below which elastic modulus of the matrix becomes strongly dependent on the particle content due to the extensive chain stiffening. It is also suggested that below the critical particle size, specific interface area should replace volume fraction as the structural variable.     

Separation of the effects of pH and polymer concentration on the swelling pressure and elastic modulus of a pH-responsive hydrogel

The elastic shear modulus G and swelling pressure ω are studied for a basic, pH-responsive hydrogel synthesized by crosslinking copolymerization of co-monomers hydroxypropyl methacrylate and N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate with crosslinker tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Under normal conditions of use as a “smart” material, hydrogel swelling ratio Q and pH vary simultaneously, but here G and ω values are presented as a function of pH with Q held constant and vice versa. At fixed pH, G decreases with increase in Q in a power law dependence, as predicted by the Flory-Rehner model. However, at fixed Q, G increases with decrease in pH (i.e., increase in degree of ionization). The pH effect is more pronounced than the volume effect, thus the hydrogel stiffens as it swells in response to pH change. At high pH, ω values of the uncharged hydrogel obey the Flory-Rehner model, whereas explicit ionic contributions can be identified at lower pH values.     

The influence of adhesive viscosity and elastic modulus on laser spot weld bonding process

Laser spot weld bonding (LSWB) is a novel joining technology, which combines laser spot welding with a layer of structural adhesive in a single joint. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the adhesive properties on the joining process, the peel and the shear strength of the LSWB joints. The present work demonstrates that the adhesive viscosity has great influence on the vaporized adhesive gas exhaust process, and the low viscosity is good for the exhaust process. The mechanical test result shows that the tension–shear load of LSWB joint isn׳t always higher than that of the adhesive bonded joint, and LSWB joint with high elastic modulus of adhesive may get the same tension–shear load as the adhesive bonded joint gets. The reaction zone produced by the carbon diffusion between the adhesive and the metal sheet will influence the mechanism of LSWB joint.     

Determination of the elastic moduli of silicone rubber coatings and films using depth-sensing indentation

Depth-sensing indentation (DSI) has been used to determine the elastic moduli of silicone rubber coatings on substrates and freestanding films at micro-penetration depth. Complete elastic behavior for rubber-like films was observed for the first time. Substrate effects are hardly observed when the indentation displacement is less than 10% of the total coating thickness. The calculated elastic moduli of the silicone rubber films from the DSI measurements are in good agreement with those measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), showing that the DSI technique is a reliable and convenient tool for an accurate estimation of the elastic modulus of a rubber-like coating/film.     

Charge density dependence of elastic modulus of strong polyelectrolyte hydrogels

The mechanical behavior of a series of strong polyelectrolyte hydrogels based on acrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (AMPS) was investigated. The hydrogels were prepared at a fixed crosslinker ratio and monomer concentration, but at various charge densities, i.e. AMPS contents between 0 and 100 mol%. The elastic modulus of the hydrogels after their preparation first increases with increasing charge density but then decreases continuously. Investigation of the swollen state properties of the hydrogels shows existence of a large number of ionic groups inside the gel that are ineffective in gel swelling. The results indicate two opposite effects of charged groups on the elastic modulus of the hydrogels: formation of multiplets acting as additional crosslinks in the gel increases the elastic modulus of ionic hydrogels, whereas the effect of the electrostatic interaction of charged groups on elastic free energy decreases the modulus.     

Comparison of experimental and theoretical transverse elastic modulus of carbon fibers

The transverse elastic modulus of PAN-based carbon fibers as measured by experimental methods, calculated from theoretical equations and analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) is discussed. Raman spectroscopy was the primary method utilized to measure the transverse elastic modulus of carbon fibers in carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). A lead oxide (PbO) thin film was deposited on the surface of a CFRP specimen using physical vapor deposition as the pretreatment in order to measure the strains of the carbon fibers and epoxy matrix phases by Raman spectroscopy. Since the relation between the Raman peak wave number of PbO thin films and tensile strain has already been developed, the transverse strain of the carbon fibers could be measured. The transverse strain of the carbon fibers was analyzed using a 2-D FEM model. The transverse modulus of the carbon fibers was determined by fitting the experimental result from Raman spectroscopy to the FEM model. The determined transverse modulus (10.4 GPa) is compared with those experimentally measured by nanoindentation (13.4 GPa), numerically analyzed using 2-D and 3-D FEM models (5.25 GPa and 28.7 GPa, respectively), and theoretically calculated from the Mori-Tanaka, Halpin-Tsai, and Uemura equations (24.8 GPa, 17.4 GPa, and 28.4 GPa, respectively).     

A numerical model for elastic modulus of concrete considering interfacial transition zone

The effect of interfacial transition zone on mechanical properties of concrete has been found to be significant, thus the interfacial transition zone should be considered in the analysis for better estimation of elastic modulus of concrete. However, it is difficult to estimate elastic modulus of concrete practically using simple models proposed so far. In this study, a numerical concrete model that adopts three-phase model and finite element with material discontinuity was proposed to analyze concrete with complex interface in three dimensions. The validity of the proposed model was verified by comparing the calculated elastic moduli of concrete with those obtained from experiments. The effect of interfacial transition zone on elastic modulus of concrete with either low or high w/c was also investigated. The analysis results suggest that careful selection of characteristics for interfacial transition zone should be made for the accurate estimation of elastic modulus of concrete.     

Thermal stability of the optical properties of plasma deposited diamond-like carbon thin films

In present paper we studied the optical constants of the diamond-like carbon (DLC) films and their changes with annealing. The multisample modification of combined variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and near normal spectroscopic reflectometry was used. The optical constants of the DLC films were simulated by our recently published six-parameter dispersion model employing a parameterization of the density of electronic states (DOS). Based on the dispersion model parameters the density of π and σ electrons were evaluated. We showed that from our model and the independently determined hydrogen atomic fraction of the films before and after annealing the ratio between momentum matrix elements of π → π* and σ → σ* transitions and the correct sp³-to-sp² carbon bonding configuration ratio can be calculated. It is worth to notice that the first quantity is usually assumed to be equal to unity but we showed that this assumption may cause a significant error in the determination of the sp³-to-sp² ratio. Therefore, our suggested method represents a novelty in this field.     

Modelling of elastic modulus of a biphasic ceramic microstructure using 3D representative volume elements

In this work a methodology to reconstruct three-dimensional microstructures, representative of real biphasic ceramics using Neper free software is proposed. Finite element analysis in Ansys was implemented in order to calculate the effective elastic modulus of the simulated microstructures.Fine grained and dense zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) materials with 5 and 40 vol.% of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YTZP) have been chosen to validate the proposed methodology. First, the effects of the size of the representative volume elements (RVEs) and the characteristics of the grain shapes are analysed. Second, the compliance with the isotropic condition is also verified.Agreement between the numerical and experimental values of the elastic modulus of the considered ZTA materials has been found. For these materials, zirconia fractions higher than 10 vol.% lead to bi-continuous microstructures which make the elastic properties deviate from the Voigt limit due to the increased number of contacts between zirconia grains.     

Characterization of amorphous carbon films deposited by surface wave plasma CVD

Many dangling bonds in hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films are usually generated by bombardments of high-energy ion precursors in typical chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To generate low dangling bonds, a-C:H films should be deposited from low-energy radical species. Surface wave plasma (SWP) generates low-energy and high-density radicals. We prepare a-C:H films using SWP and investigate the relationship between the plasma characteristics and structures of a-C:H films. The microwave of the TM01 mode was introduced through the dielectric window and SWP generate under the dielectric window. An Ar and C₂H₂ plasma mixture mainly consists of neutral radical species, and the electron temperature is as low as 1 eV. Electron density significantly decreases with increasing distance from the dielectric window. The a-C:H films are prepared from these hydrocarbon and carbon low-energy radicals as main precursors. The sp² bonded network cluster size in a-C:H films increase with electron density in SWP. This structure change is the influence of the termination structure of clusters changing to CH from CH₃ and CH₂.     

Hot elastic modulus of Al2O3–SiC–SiO2–C castables

This work discusses an investigation of the hot elastic modulus and crack generation of two Al₂O₃–SiC–SiO₂–C castable compositions throughout two thermal cycles in an oxidizing atmosphere. A high temperature ultrasonic technique carried out using a long bar mode, thermogravimetric, X-ray diffraction, apparent porosity analyses and thermodynamic calculations were evaluated in order to understand the results. Significant changes in the castables’ elastic modulus values were observed with temperature, which were related to the decomposition of hydrated phases, antioxidant reactions, changes in the liquid phase viscosity, and formation and closure of microcracks in the castable microstructure. The results attained are fundamental for providing data for thermo-mechanical computing simulations by finite element analyses and for the design of large refractory structures, such as blast furnace runners for the steel industry.     

Design of cycle structure on microstructure,mechanical properties and tribology behavior of AlCrN/AlCrSiN coatings

AlCrN/AlCrSiN coatings with cycle structure, composed of fcc-CrN, hcp-AlN and amorphous Si₃N₄ phases, were fabricated to protect high speed steel (HSS) tools by high energy ion source enhanced multi-arc ion plating technology with Al₇₀Cr₃₀ and Al₆₀Cr₃₀Si₁₀ alloying targets. With the increasing cycle structure, the crystal grains of AlCrN layers was refined from 60–110 nm to 8–15 nm, and the growth behavior transformed from (200)fcc to the coexistence of both (200)fcc and (111)fcc preferred orientation as demonstrated by GIXRD spectrum, calculated texture coefficient and HRTEM results. The HRTEM results investigated that the inter-planar spacing of CrN(111) was basically equal to that of AlN(0002) with parallel orientation relationship and the interface-1 between the substrate and adhesion layer with a semi-coherent appearance presented a specific orientation relationship. The coating with two cycle structure (Cycle 2) possessed better adhesion strength (HF1 grade, 62.7±1.3 N of Lc2), higher hardness (30.2±1.7 GPa), better fracture toughness (0.099 of H/E, 0.29 GPa of H³/E² and 9.8±0.3 MPa m^1/2 of K_IC under 20 kgf loading), lower friction coefficient (0.54), less wear rate (4.2 × 10^?16 m³/N·m) and longer service life (7.4 m).     

Nanoporosity in plasma deposited amorphous carbon films investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering

Amorphous carbon films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and d.c.-magnetron sputtering and their porosity was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). In the case of sputtered films, the X-ray scattering intensity increased with the argon pressure used for the film deposition, while the atomic density decreased. The analysis of the SAXS results was performed using the GNOM code assuming a distribution of spherical pores. This analysis suggested that the maximum of these distributions occur for a radius value below 1 nm. The films deposited at 0.17 Pa were essentially pore-free. As the Ar pressure increases, the pore size distribution widens and the volume occupied by the pores increases. A direct relation between the atomic density of carbon films deposited by sputtering and the pore volume fraction was also obtained. The low scattering intensity observed for the films deposited by PECVD showed that they were compact and homogeneous regardless of the self-bias voltage employed in the range between −100 V and −500 V.     

常压等离子射流表面改性超高模量聚乙烯纤维

利用常压等离子射流(APPJ)方法对超高模量聚乙烯(UHMPE)纤维进行表面改性处理。研究了处理前后UHMPE纤维的力学性能、表面形貌、化学成分、表面粘结性能的变化。结果表明,常压等离子射流处理后,UHMPE纤维的强度未发生显著变化,纤维表面粗糙度增加,表面氧元素的含量增加,表面极性基团增加,纤维与环氧树脂之间的粘结性能得到显著的改善。     

弹性模量设定对胎圈钢丝破断伸长率和屈强比测试结果的影响

研究弹性模量设定值对胎圈钢丝断后伸长率和屈强比测试结果的影响。结果表明,胎圈钢丝断后伸长率和屈强比测试时,对于高强度胎圈钢丝,弹性模量设定值取其强度的40%～65%,以800～1400N.mm^-2为宜;对于普通强度胎圈钢丝,弹性模量设定值取其强度的50%～70%,以800～1200N.mm^-2为宜。     

Heat treatment of thin carbon films and the effect on residual stress, modulus, thermal expansion and microstructure

Thin carbon films are used to hermetically seal and improve the performance of devices exposed to extreme conditions. Such films, which are deposited by chemical vapor deposition, develop residual thermal stresses due to a mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the film and substrate. Residual stresses reduce the adhesion of the film, and are a common cause of coating failure. This work investigates heat treatment as a potential technique to reduce residual stresses in thin carbon films. The magnitude of the residual stress has been challenging to measure due to the associated size scales and mechanical properties. In this study, experimental measurements of mechanical properties and residual stresses in thin carbon films are performed using nanoindentation and Raman spectroscopy. The results relate surface residual stresses to film thickness and heat treatment temperature. The approach presented in this study is a nondestructive and non-intrusive method for measuring residual surface stress and properties in thin films, and is ideal for small or curved-surface specimens such as optical fibers and other photonic devices.