Driving in fog: The effects of driving experience and visibility on speed compensation and hazard avoidance

Inexperience is one of the strongest predictors for collisions, but it remains unclear how novice drivers differ from experienced drivers in terms of safety-related behavioural adaptations such as speed reduction in the presence of reduced visibility. To investigate the influence of driving experience on behavioural compensations to fog, average speed, speed variability, steering variability, collision rate, and hazard response time were measured in a driving simulator. Experienced drivers drove faster in clear visibility than novice drivers, yet they reduced their speed more in reduced visibility so that both groups drove at the same speed in simulated fog. Compared to experienced drivers, novice drivers had higher hazard response times, greater speed and steering variability, and were the only drivers to have collisions.     

Effect of hot-rolling temperature on microstructure and texture of an ultra-low carbon Ti-interstitial-free steel

Effect of finishing temperature in hot-rolling on the microstructure and texture of a cold-rolled and continuously annealed ultra-low carbon Ti-interstitial-free steel has been investigated. The finishing temperature in hot-rolling was varied from 900 °C in austenite region to 750 °C in ferrite region. Lankford value of the annealed sheet was decreased with a decrease in the finishing temperature to the ferrite region. This might be related to both the stronger {100} <011> texture of the annealed sheet and the texture inhomogeneity in the through-thickness direction of the hot bands rolled in ferrite region. The major component of the recrystallization texture was near {554} <225> irrespective of the hot-rolling temperature, but the intensity of {100} <011> texture was increased with the decrease in the finishing temperature in hot-rolling.     

Effect of calcination on characteristics,surface texture and sinterability of chemically prepared barium titanate

Highly pure and finely divided barium titanate powders have been obtained by the pyrolysis of barium titanyl oxalate. The effect of time and temperature of calcination on the degree of crystallinity, fineness, and surface texture of the powders obtained have been demonstrated. The densification properties of the sintered bodies are discussed in relation to the characteristics of the calcined materials.     

Effect of scanning strategy on grain structure and crystallographic texture of Inconel 718 processed by selective laser melting

Two types of scanning strategies were adopted to study the effect of scanning strategy on grain structure and crystallographic texture of selective laser melted (SLM) Inconel 718. The results show that bidirectional scanning without and with a 90°-rotation for every layer produced the bimodal grain structure and the directional columnar grain structure, respectively. Controlling the heat flux direction between the successive layers via scanning strategy enabled the formation of such different grain structures. Furthermore, when the 90°-rotation was applied, the competitive grain growth mechanism became more pronounced and the strong cube texture developed.     

Effect of grain size distribution and texture on the cold extrusion behavior and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy

An experimental investigation into the cold extrusion and the subsequent annealing processes of an Mg-2.8%Al-0.83%Zn (AZ31) Mg alloy was studied. Microstructures, grain size distribution and texture evolution of the as-extruded and as-annealed specimens were investigated by optical microscopy and electronic backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Tensile tests along the extrusion direction were carried out at room temperature. It is found that firstly, the uniform microstructure with log-normal grain size distribution led to homogeneous cold deformation and good appearance without cracks for the as-extruded rods; secondly, texture was able to soften the yield strength induced by grain refinement and even overcame the refined grain size effect; thirdly, well-distributed microstructure reduced the absolute difference of yield strength for the sub-micrometer-grain Mg alloys.     

Effect of grain refinement and crystallographic texture produced by friction stir processing on the biodegradation behavior of a Mg-Nd-Zn alloy

The application of a single pass of friction stir processing(FSP) to Mg-Nd-Zn alloy resulted in grain refinement, texture evolution and redistribution of second phases, which improved corrosion resistance.In this work, an as-rolled Mg-Nd-Zn alloy was subjected to FSP. The microstructure in the processed zone of the FS-400 rpm alloy exhibited refined grains, a more homogenous grain size distribution, less second phases, and stronger basal plane texture. The corrosion behavior assessed using immersion tests and electrochemical tests in Hank's solution indicated that the FS-400 rpm alloy had a lower corrosion rate, which was attributed to the increase of basal plane intensity and grain refinement. The hardness was lowered slightly and the elongation was increased, which might be attributed to the redistribution of the crushed second phases.     

Effect of friction stir processing conditions on fatigue behavior and texture development in A356-T6 cast aluminum alloy

Friction stir processing (FSP) was applied to A356-T6 cast aluminum alloy to modify the microstructure and to eliminate casting defects under two different tool rotational speeds. Plane bending fatigue tests had been conducted, revealing that FSP could enhance the fatigue strength where the lower rotational speed condition gave better results. The enhancement of fatigue strength was attributed to the elimination of casting defects. Crystallographic analysis by EBSD revealed that the texture induced by FSP had detrimental effect on growth resistance. The lower rotational speed condition resulted in the weaker texture, and consequently, further increase of fatigue strength was achieved compared with the higher rotational speed condition.     

Photoinitiated modifications of polymers: photocrosslinking, surface photografting and photolamination

 Based on extensive studies of photoinitiated reactions of synthetic polymers, processes for modification of sheets, films, filaments and yarn have been invented and developed. Using ultra violet irradiation, photocrosslinking of polyethylene melts as a continuous process on line with an extruder has been invented. Effective photocrosslinking has also been obtained for ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) elastomers and ultra high strength fibers of high density polyethylene (HDPE). A continuous process for surface modification of polymers by surface photografting has been invented and applied to strips of film, filaments and yarns. The inert surface of polyolefins, polyesters and polyamids, grafted with functional vinyl monomers, show decreased contact angle with water, increased adsorption of dyes and increased adhesion to other polymers. Photoinitiated lamination of polymer films and sheets has been invented and developed as a ”bulk surface photografting process”. Two or more films and sheets are interdispersed with reactive layers of monomer and initiator and then bonded together by photoinitiated grafting with ultraviolet irradiation. The crosslinked network formed is grafted to two adjacent polymer surfaces. This gives laminates of high lamination strength, high barrier properties, and promising commercial applications. Received: 8 April 1998 / Accepted: 22 May 1998     

Effect of seed particles content on texture formation of Si_3N_4 ceramics by gel-casting in a strong magnetic field

In this paper,the textured Si_3N_4 ceramics were prepared by adding seed particles during gel-casting in the magnetic field of 6 T,followed by pressureless sintering.The effect of pH on the stability and dispersibility of Si_3N_4 slurry and the effect of seed particles content on texture formation of Si_3N_4 ceramics were both studied.Those results showed that the slurry with good stability and dispersibility was obtained when pH was about 11.6.The a or b-axis of Si_3N_4particles or crystals was aligned parallel to the direction of the magnetic field in the magnetic field of 6 T.The degree of texture of Si_3N_4 ceramics further increased during sintering.With the increasing of additional β-Si_3N_4 particles in the magnetic field of 6 T,the degree of texture increased from0.19 without seed particles to 0.76 with 9%(mass fraction)seed particles.The increase of seed particles content promoted the texture formation of Si_3N_4 ceramics.     

Driver's visual attention as a function of driving experience and visibility. Using a driving simulator to explore drivers’ eye movements in day, night and rain driving

Road crashes are the main cause of death of young people in the developed world. The reasons that cause traffic crashes are numerous; however, most researchers agree that a lack of driving experience is one of the major contributing factors. In addition it has been demonstrated that environmental factors such as driving during night and rain increases the risk of a crash. Both of these factors may be related to drivers’ visual search strategies that become more efficient with increased experience.In the present study we recorded the eye movements of driving instructors and learner drivers while they drove three virtual routes that included day, night and rain routes in a driving simulator.The results showed that driving instructors had an increased sampling rate, shorter processing time and broader scanning of the road than learner drivers. This broader scanning of the road could be possibly explained by the mirror inspection pattern which revealed that driving instructors fixated more on the side mirrors than learner drivers. Also it was found that poor visibility conditions, especially rain, decrease the effectiveness of drivers’ visual search. The lack of interaction between driving experience and visibility suggests that some aspects of visual search are affected by general rather than situation specific driving experience.The present findings support the effect of driving experience in modifying eye movement strategies. The high accident risk of night and rain driving could be partly explained by the decrement in visual search strategies during these conditions. Finally it is argued that the use of driving simulators can provide valuable insights regarding driving safety.     

Orientation dependencies of mechanical response, microstructure and texture evolution in hot compression of AZ31 magnesium alloy processed by equal channel angular extrusion

The anisotropic mechanical behavior during hot compression of an AZ31 Mg alloy processed by equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was evaluated and then discussed in correlation with the concurrent microstructure and texture evolution. The results revealed apparent orientation-dependencies in the mechanical responses, microstructure, and texture development in uniaxial compression along two perpendicular directions. Compression along the transverse direction (TD) led to a higher hardening rate, higher peak stress, and earlier softening than those obtained in compression along the extrusion direction (ED). This can be attributed to the differences in the initial textures prior to compression along the two directions, which led to a more significant contribution of tensile twinning at the early stage of straining and consequently more extensive dynamic recrystallization in loading along TD than along ED. These results suggest that the deformation behavior in compressive loading of the ECAE-processed Mg alloy is highly anisotropic, which needs to be taken into account in their applications.     

Effect of reduction rate and annealing temperature on texture evolution and magnetic properties of used non-oriented silicon steel

This paper discusses the method of improving the magnetic properties of used silicon steel by cold rolling and annealing process with used non-oriented silicon steel as the object. The texture evolution and magnetic domain structure are also investigated. Experimental results show that the magnetic domain can be transformed vastly compared with the used silicon steel when the specimens are prepared through the same cold rolling and annealing conditions. The length of the magnetic wall and the density of magnetic domain per unit area are boosted, and the magnetic domain refinement is exceedingly apparent. Under the same annealing condition (at 950 °C for 5 min), the γ-fiber is gradually decreased to 6.6 % and the {110} recrystallization texture is gradually enhanced with increased reduction from 28.3 % to 40 %. The intensity of the Goss texture reaches a maximum of 22.2. For the cold rolling reduction of 34.3 %, the γ-fiber gradually decrease to 13.8 % and the {110} recrystallization texture is gradually enhanced with increase in the annealing temperature from 800 °C to 950 °C. Moreover, the intensity of Goss texture reaches 14. The sample prepared through 40 % reduction and annealing at 950 °C for 5 min exhibited the most desirable magnetic properties. The magnetic induction B₅₀ value of the specimen is increased by 0.052 T, and the core loss P_1.5/50 is reduced by 0.478 W/kg compared with the initial specimen.     

Effect of texture on high temperature deformation behavior at high strain rates in a Mg–3Al–1Zn alloy

A microstructure optimization design method of the forging process is proposed. The optimization goal is a small grain size and a homogeneous grain distribution of the forgings. The optimization object is the preforming die shape. The microstructure optimization code is developed using the micro-genetic algorithm and the finite element method. The two forming steps including the preforming process and the final forging process of H-shape forgings are analyzed using the self-developed code. The optimization results show that small grain size and homogeneous grain distribution can be achieved by controlling the shape of the preforming die. Samples of the same size as in the optimization are preformed and then forged to the desired H-shape forgings under the same deformation conditions as in the optimization. Micrographs in the symmetry section of samples show that the grain sizes of the forgings almost coincide with the optimization results.     

A combinatorial study on the influence of Cu addition, film thickness and heat treatment on phase composition, texture and mechanical properties of Ti-Ni shape memory alloy thin films

A series of amorphous Ti-Ni-Cu based thin films with compositional spread and different thicknesses was produced at room temperature using a magnetron sputtering device and crystallized by means of different heat treatments. Phase composition and crystallographic orientation of the films were characterized using a Multi-Axial X-ray Diffraction approach and their mechanical properties were assessed using nanoindentation. The results show that the addition of Cu and thermal treatments can be used to significantly alter the phase composition, the texture and the microstructure of the films. Film thickness plays an important role in determining of the amount of martensitic phase at room temperature as well as the amount of Ti-rich and Ni-rich phases. In particular a thickness threshold between 350 nm and 800 nm was shown to be critical for the triggering of the texture in the austenitic phase.     

The Effect of Structural Defects on the Thermal Conductivity of ZnS, ZnSe, and CdTe Polycrystals

ZnS, ZnSe, and CdTe polycrystals are experimentally investigated. Mechanisms are treated which restrict the thermal conductivity in samples prepared by recrystallization pressing and by deposition from the vapor phase and subjected to additional strain. Anomalies are observed on the temperature dependences of the thermal resistance of investigated samples, which are due to the special features of their phonon spectra and to the variation of the contribution made by longitudinal and transverse phonon branches to the heat transfer in the Debye temperature region and higher.     

Effect of surface nanocrystallisation on the microstructure and wear resistance of vacuum carburised alloy

In this work, a nanocrystallisation surface layer with an average grain size of 29?nm was fabricated on the 12Cr2Ni4A steel by the supersonic fine particles bombarding (SFPB). The vacuum carburising process was carried out on the original and the SFPB pre-treatment samples. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and hardness tester were employed to study the phase constituents, grain size, hardness and residual stress of the two carburised samples. Experimental results showed that compared to the coarse-grain carburised layer (without SFPB), the carburised layer with SFPB pre-treatment has smaller martensite and carbide, and its thickness, hardness, compressive residual stress and wear resistance have been significantly improved. The dominant wear mechanisms of the two carburised samples were both abrasive wear and fatigue wear.     

表面纳米化与离子渗氮对304不锈钢的影响

为解决304不锈钢硬度低、耐磨性差的问题,本文采用预先表面纳米化,温度400、450℃,保温时间4、6 h,氮氢比1∶3的离子渗氮工艺对试样进行处理,研究纳米化以及渗氮工艺对304不锈钢渗氮层形貌和深度、硬度以及摩擦磨损性能的影响.利用金相显微镜、电子探针显微分析仪(EPMA)、能谱仪(EDS)、显微硬度计和磨损试验机对样品的显微组织、微观形貌、硬度及耐磨性进行了表征.结果表明:304不锈钢经表面纳米化与离子渗氮工艺处理后,渗氮层为0.1～0.2 mm,表面硬度约为1 200 HV0.1,比基体硬度提高了6～7倍,耐磨性也大大增强;但渗氮温度越高,保温时间越长,材料表面耐磨性越差.综合各种影响因素得出在本实验条件下最佳处理工艺为:预先表面纳米化,渗氮温度400℃、保温时间6 h.     

Effect of Transverse Grain Boundary on Microstructure,Texture and Mechanical Properties of Drawn Copper Wires

In the present study, microstructure and texture of drawn copper wires with a large number of transverse grain boundaries have been characterized and their mechanical properties have been analyzed. The results show that the texture evolution is accelerated by transverse grain boundary and the saturation value 60% of volume fraction of 〈111〉 fiber texture component is reached rapidly with increasing strain. For the microstructure of drawn wires with a large number of transverse grain boundaries, the critical strain, where lamellar boundaries form, is less than that for wires with equiaxed grains or columnar grains （all grain boundaries parallel to axis direction）. Since transverse grain boundary accelerates grain subdivision and dislocation density increases rapidly in drawn wires with a large number of transverse grain boundaries, there are a higher flow stress and a higher work hardening rate.