Empirical modeling of shot peening parameters for welded austenitic stainless steel using grey relational analysis

The attempt of this paper is to present an effective approach for the optimization of the shot peening process of welded AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel with multi performance characteristics using Grey relational analysis (GRA) based on Taguchi orthogonal array. Twenty-seven experimental runs are performed to determine best process parameters level. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) is carried out to identify significant peening parameters. The response tables are obtained for analyzing the optimal levels of shot peening parameters and major factors that affect the quality function. The multiple performance characteristics including tensile strength, surface hardness and surface roughness are the quality functions considered for the optimization. Further mathematical models are developed using regression analysis for the tensile strength, surface hardness and surface roughness. It will be very helpful to the engineers in deciding the levels of the shot peening parameters for desired performance characteristics.     

Effect of shot peening parameters on microhardness of AISI 1045 and 316L material: an analysis using design of experiment

Shot peening is widely used to improve the fatigue properties of components and structures. Residual stresses, surface roughness, and work hardening are the main beneficial effects induced in the surface layer from shot peening, which depend on the correct choice of the peening parameters. In this investigation, experiments were designed using the full factorial design of experiment (DOE) technique and an air blast type of shot peening machine. Effects of process parameters such as pressure, shot size, stand-off distance, and exposure time on surface microhardness for AISI 1045 and 316L materials were investigated. An ANOVA was carried out to identify the significant peening parameters. In the case of 316L material, the maximum surface hardness was found to be in the range of 450–824 Hv, whereas it was found to be in the range of 314–360 Hv for AISI 1045. A critical assessment was made so as to understand the variation of microhardness in the direction of peening. Empirical equations between the peening parameters and the surface microhardness for both materials were developed, which are useful in predicting the surface microhardness. It is believed that this technique could prove beneficial in industries for reduction of performance variation and cost and to increase productivity.     

Microstructural characterization of laser surface melted AISI M2 tool steel

We describe the microstructure of Nd:YAG continuous wave laser surface melted high‐speed steel, namely AISI M2, treated with different laser scanning speeds and beam diameters on its surface. Microstructural characterization of the remelted surface layer was performed using light optical and scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The combination of the three techniques provided new insights into the substantial changes induced by laser surface melting of the steel surface layer. The advantage of the method is that it avoids the difficult and tedious work of preparing samples of this hard material for transmission electron microscopy, which is the technique normally used to study these fine microstructures. A melted zone with a dendritic structure and a partially melted zone with a heterogeneous cellular structure were observed. M₂C carbides with different morphologies were identified in the resolidified surface layer after laser melting.     

IMPROVING FATIGUE STRENGTH OF METALS USING ABRASIVE WATERJET PEENING

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) peening has been proposed as a viable method of surface treatment for metal orthopedic devices. In this study the influence of AWJ peening on the compressive residual stress, surface texture and fatigue strength of a stainless steel (AISI 304) and titanium (Ti6Al4V) alloy were studied. A design of experiments (DOE) and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to identify the primary parameters contributing to the surface texture and magnitude of surface residual stress. The influence of AWJ peening on the fatigue strength of the metals was evaluated under fully reversed cyclic loading. It was found that AWJ peening results in compressive residual stress and is primarily influenced by the abrasive size and treatment pressure. The residual stress of the AISI 304 ranged from 165 to over 460 MPa. Using the optimum treatment parameters for maximizing the residual stress, the endurance strength of Ti6Al4V was increased by 25% to 845 MPa. According to results of this study AWJ peening is a viable method of surface treatment for applications that require an increase in surface roughness and maintenance or increase in fatigue strength, qualities that most often are not available from a single process.     

IMPROVING FATIGUE STRENGTH OF METALS USING ABRASIVE WATERJET PEENING

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) peening has been proposed as a viable method of surface treatment for metal orthopedic devices. In this study the influence of AWJ peening on the compressive residual stress, surface texture and fatigue strength of a stainless steel (AISI 304) and titanium (Ti6Al4V) alloy were studied. A design of experiments (DOE) and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to identify the primary parameters contributing to the surface texture and magnitude of surface residual stress. The influence of AWJ peening on the fatigue strength of the metals was evaluated under fully reversed cyclic loading. It was found that AWJ peening results in compressive residual stress and is primarily influenced by the abrasive size and treatment pressure. The residual stress of the AISI 304 ranged from 165 to over 460 MPa. Using the optimum treatment parameters for maximizing the residual stress, the endurance strength of Ti6Al4V was increased by 25% to 845 MPa. According to results of this study AWJ peening is a viable method of surface treatment for applications that require an increase in surface roughness and maintenance or increase in fatigue strength, qualities that most often are not available from a single process.     

An In Situ Method for Simultaneous Friction Measurements and Imaging of Interfacial Tribochemical Film Growth in Lubricated Contacts

Tribological investigations of macroscopic lubricated sliding contacts are critical for a wide range of industrial applications including automotive engines, gears, bearings, and any other contacting surfaces in relative motion. However, the inability of existing techniques to access buried sliding interfaces with high spatial resolution inhibits the development of fundamental insights into the tribological processes at play. Here we demonstrate a novel and general in situ method, based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), in which micrometer-scale spherical probes are attached to a standard microfabricated AFM cantilever which is then slid over a substrate while immersed in a liquid lubricant. In this case, steel colloidal probes and steel substrates were used, and the contact was immersed in a commercial polyalphaolefin oil with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) additive at both room temperature and 100 °C, but the method can be used for a broad range of material combinations, lubricants, and temperatures. We demonstrate that the in situ measurements of friction force and the morphological evolution of the tribochemical films on the substrate can be simultaneously achieved with nanometer-level spatial resolution. In addition, we demonstrate that the sliding zone is readily accessible for further characterization with higher spatial resolution using standard AFM probes with nanometer-scale tip radii. Ex situ characterization of the micrometer-scale probe and the sample is also feasible, which is demonstrated by acquiring high-resolution AFM topographic imaging of the final state of the probe.     

Multifractal characterization of morphology of human red blood cells membrane skeleton

The purpose of this paper is to show applicability of multifractal analysis in investigations of the morphological changes of ultra‐structures of red blood cells (RBCs) membrane skeleton measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Human RBCs obtained from healthy and hypertensive donors as well as healthy erythrocytes irradiated with neutrons (45 μGy) were studied. The membrane skeleton of the cells was imaged using AFM in a contact mode. Morphological characterization of the three‐dimensional RBC surfaces was realized by a multifractal method. The nanometre scale study of human RBCs surface morphology revealed a multifractal geometry. The generalized dimensions D_q and the singularity spectrum f(α) provided quantitative values that characterize the local scale properties of their membrane skeleton organization. Surface characterization was made using areal ISO 25178‐2: 2012 topography parameters in combination with AFM topography measurement. The surface structure of human RBCs is complex with hierarchical substructures resulting from the organization of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton. The analysed AFM images confirm a multifractal nature of the surface that could be useful in histology to quantify human RBC architectural changes associated with different disease states. In case of very precise measurements when the red cell surface is not wrinkled even very fine differences can be uncovered as was shown for the erythrocytes treated with a very low dose of ionizing radiation.     

Some investigations into development of nozzle and suction system for air blast shot peening machine

Shot peening is an important surface enhancement process, which helps in assuring satisfactory fatigue life and reliability of the automotive, aerospace and marine components. One of the most important factors affecting shot peening performance is the type of shot peening machine. This paper presents an innovative design of a laboratory-based air blast shot peening machine. This machine has a vertical nozzle suction system to take the advantage of gravity feed as well as the feed created by suction of the pressurized air. Special attention was paid to the design of the nozzle and the mixing chamber so as to obtain adequate suction of shots. The performance of the machine was evaluated by carrying out various shot peening tests on AISI 1045 steel specimens. The tests included microscopic examination of coverage with ×10 magnification lens, fatigue and wear resistance. The wear resistance of the peened AISI 1045 material increased by 3.5 times the unpeened one. The fatigue tests showed improvement in fatigue life of the workpiece up to about four times. Besides, there was an increase in yield and torsional strength of the workpiece by about 1.5 times.     

Improving the wear life of a cocoa spray‐drying unit

In the chocolate production process, the moisture content of ground cocoa is removed in a spray‐drying unit, in which wet cocoa is pumped through a high‐pressure pump. Wear occurs in this high‐pressure pump, which can cause problems in the system. Originally, valves and beds were made of AISI 316 Ti austenitic stainless steel, and their average wear life was less than 280 h, obviously too short for use in industrial production. The aim of the research reported in this paper was to investigate ways to increase the wear life of these parts. In this respect six different materials were tested. Valves and beds were produced from four different steels and two powder metals. The steel parts were hardened by heat treatment. All the parts were electroplated with CrN or TiN. Wear life tests were carried out, and it was shown that AISI M2 high‐speed steel valves and beds gave the longest wear lives.     

Characterizing inorganic crystals grown on organic self‐assembled bilayers with scanning probe and electron microscopies

Combined microscopy techniques are used to establish the usability of phosphonic acid layers as promoters of hydroxyapatite (HAp) growth. Using spread coating, octadecylphosphonic acid (OPA) self‐assembled bilayers are delivered to the thin natural oxide layer of a titanium film surface with no prior treatment. These bilayers aggregate two major advantages of phosphonic moieties to titanium surfaces: nucleation of hydroxyapatite crystals from ionic solution and affinity for both titanium oxide surface and HAp crystals. The functionalized substrates and bare titanium (control) samples are immersed in an aqueous solution containing calcium and phosphorus ions. Over a 4‐week immersion time, OPA‐functionalized substrates present numerous large agglomerates of inorganic crystals, in contrast to control samples, with no significant amount of deposits. Initial sample characterization was performed with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Compositional and structural characterization of these agglomerates (using TEM, EDS, and electron diffraction), revealed that they are indeed HAp, the main component of the inorganic bone matrix. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:1278–1283, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Shot-Peened SAE 1070 Steel

The effects of shot peening pressure on the mechanical and tribological properties of shot-peened SAE 1070 steel strips were systematically investigated. The surface hardness of the shot-peened steel strips significantly increased with increased shot peening pressure due to the promoted cold work-hardening effect. The tribological results showed that the increased surface roughness of the shot-peened steel strips associated with increased shot peening pressure resulted in their increased friction by enhancing mechanical interlocking between two rubbing surfaces. The wear of the shot-peened steel strips decreased with increased shot peening pressure via their increased surface hardness. However, the shot-peened steel strips at shot peening pressures less than 345 kPa did not exhibit better wear resistance than the as-received steel strip, indicating that a certain intensity of shot peening was required to improve the wear resistance of the shot-peened steel strips. It could be concluded that the mechanical and tribological properties of the shot-peened steel strips were significantly influenced by the shot peening pressure.     

Surface micromorphology of dental composites [CE‐TZP]‐[Al2O3] with Ca+2 modifier

The objective of this study was to characterize the three‐dimensional (3D) surface micromorphology of the ceramics produced from nanoparticles of alumina and tetragonal zirconia (t‐ZrO₂) with addition of Ca⁺² for sintering improvement. The 3D surface roughness of samples was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fractal analysis of the 3D AFM‐images, and statistical analysis of surface roughness parameters. Cube counting method, based on the linear interpolation type, applied for AFM data was used for fractal analysis. The morphology of non‐modified ceramic sample was characterized by the rather big (1–2 μm) grains of α‐Al₂O₃ phase with a habit close to hexagonal drowned in solid solution of t‐ZrO₂ with smooth surface. The pattern surfaces of modified composite content a little amount of elongated prismatic grains with composition close to the phase of СаСеAl₃О₇ as well as hexahedral α‐Al₂O₃‐grains. Fractal dimension, D, as well as height values distribution have been determined for the surfaces of the samples with and without modifying. It can be concluded that the smoothest surface is of the modified samples with Ca⁺² modifier but the most regular one is of the non‐modified samples. A connection was observed between the surface morphology and the physical properties as assessed in previous works. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:840–846, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Investigation of fatigue properties of shot peened and plasma nitrocarburized P/M FC0205 steel

One of the widely used powder metal materials in automotive industry, which is copper steel FC 0205 (Fe + 2% Cu + 0.5% C), was used in this study. The pressed samples has been prepared at the compression pressure of 680 MPa and sintered in conventional furnace at 1120°C for 30 minutes. The samples with 7 Mg/m³ densities were used as fatigue and shot peening processes. Shot peening were applied with 20A and 32A and the others were not peened. Plasma nitrocarburizing process was performed at 555°C for 2 hours under 600–900 Pa pressure. Fatigue tests were conducted at room temperature on a rotating bending type fatigue test device. It was determined that shot peening should be used where increased fatigue strength is needed, and plasma nitrocarburizing should be preferred where surface hardness is required, and plasma nitrocarburizing after shot peening process is much more useful.     

Lubrication of carbon coatings with MoS2 single sheet formed by MoDTC and ZDDP lubricants

The fuel economy and reduction of harmful elements of lubricants are becoming important issues in the automotive industry. One approach to these requirements is the potential use of low‐friction coatings in engine components exposed to boundary lubrication conditions. Diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coatings, extensively studied as ultra‐low friction films to protect ductile metals surfaces for space applications, are expected to fit the bill. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the friction and wear properties of DLC coatings lubricated with molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) and zinc dithiophosphate (ZDDP) under boundary lubrication conditions. The mechanisms by which MoDTC reduces the friction in the centirange were studied using ultra‐high vacuum (UHV) analytical tribometer. The UHV friction tests were performed on a tribofilm previously formed on selected DLC material with MoDTC and ZDDP containing oil. Ex‐situ characterizations show that the composition of this tribofilm is similar to that of a tribofilm obtained on steel surfaces in the same lubrication conditions with MoS₂ single sheets dispersed inside zinc phosphate zones. However, analyses by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that MoDTC and ZDDP additives seem to be more active on steel surfaces than carbonaceous ones. After UHV friction with the tribofilm formed on selected DLC and steel pin counterpart, the wear scars of both sliding surfaces were characterized by in‐situ analytical tools such as Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning Auger microscopy and micro‐spot XPS. Low friction is associated with the transfer of a thin MoS₂ film to the steel pin counterpart. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of Steel Type on the Propensity for Tribochemical Wear in Boundary Lubrication with a Wind Turbine Gear Oil

Tribochemical wear may occur at the interface between a surface and a lubricant as a result of chemical and mechanical interactions in a tribological contact. Understanding the onset of tribochemical wear damage on component surfaces requires the use of high resolution techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this study, two steel types, case carburized AISI 3310 and through-hardened AISI 52100, were wear tested using a ball-on-disk rolling/sliding contact tribometer in fully formulated commercial wind turbine gearbox oil under boundary lubrication conditions with 10% slip. With the exception of steel type, all other test conditions were held constant. Conventional tribofilm analysis in the wear tracks was performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and no significant composition differences were detected in the tribofilms for the different steel disk types. However, TEM analysis revealed significant tribochemical wear differences between the two steel types at multiple length scales, from the near-surface material microstructure (depth < 500 nm) to the tribofilm nanostructure. Nanometer-scale interfacial cracking and surface particle detachment was observed for the AISI 52100 case, whereas the tribofilm/substrate interface was abrupt and undamaged for the AISI 3310 case. Differences in tribofilm structure, including the location and orientation of MoS₂ single sheet inclusions, were observed as a function of steel type as well. It is suggested that the tribochemical wear modes observed in these experiments may be origins of macroscopic surface-initiated damage such as micropitting in bearings and gears.     

Characteristics of particles generated at the interface between sliding steel surfaces

This paper is an attempt to further clarify and classify the range of wear modes which can occur at the interface between steel surfaces subjected to sliding motion, a variety of speeds and loads, with and without lubrication. Previous researchers have been able, from examination of the wearing surfaces, to identify a number of distinct wear modes and to classify them according to operating conditions. The present paper shows that it is possible to arrive at a comparable classification of wear modes based on examination of the wear debris rather than the worn surfaces. Consequently, it is possible to determine the wear modes in a machine from observation of the debris in the lubricant without requiring access to the wear surfaces themselves.The wear particles were generated by rotating a cylindrical sleeve of AISI 52100 steel in contact with three types of fixed wearing surfaces, crossed AISI 52100 steel cylinders, fixed spherical balls of AISI 52100 and AISI 1018 steel and a flat plate of AISI 1018 steel. Surface speeds ranged from 0.19 to 5.0 m/s and the load from 1 to 80 kg. These particles were collected and examined in both an optical and a scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction studies of selected particle types were also made.These studies revealed six different wear regimes which depended on the test parameters. Each regime produced wear particles of characteristic morphology and composition. All of the types of particles studied here have been found in the lubricating oil of field operating machines.     

Analysis of dynamic cantilever behavior in tapping mode atomic force microscopy

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides phase images in addition to height and amplitude images. Although the behavior of tapping mode AFM has been investigated using mathematical modeling, comprehensive understanding of the behavior of tapping mode AFM still poses a significant challenge to the AFM community, involving issues such as the correct interpretation of the phase images. In this paper, the cantilever's dynamic behavior in tapping mode AFM is studied through a three dimensional finite element method. The cantilever's dynamic displacement responses are firstly obtained via simulation under different tip‐sample separations, and for different tip‐sample interaction forces, such as elastic force, adhesion force, viscosity force, and the van der Waals force, which correspond to the cantilever's action upon various different representative computer‐generated test samples. Simulated results show that the dynamic cantilever displacement response can be divided into three zones: a free vibration zone, a transition zone, and a contact vibration zone. Phase trajectory, phase shift, transition time, pseudo stable amplitude, and frequency changes are then analyzed from the dynamic displacement responses that are obtained. Finally, experiments are carried out on a real AFM system to support the findings of the simulations. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:935–946, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effects of deposition time on the nanoscale patterns of Ag/DLC nanocomposite synthesized by RF‐PECVD

Introduction: In this study, a stereometric analysis of the three dimensional (3‐D) surfaces of the Ag/DLC nanocomposite synthesized by RF‐PECVD was performed. Materials and methods: Atomic force microscopy in noncontact mode was used to study surface morphology in correlation with multi‐parametric statistical analysis. The associated parameters of segmented motifs in conformity with ISO 25178‐2:, 2012 have been extracted using MountainsMap® Premium software. The mathematical algorithm computes detached watersheds of hill or dale motifs and determines the maximum and minimum points of motifs. Results and discussion: The stereometric analyses with MountainsMap® Premium software provided detailed information on the 3‐D surface topography of samples. Fractal analyses revealed the fractal nature of the performed samples is in correlation with the deposition time of samples. Detailed information of manufactured Ag/diamond‐like carbon (DLC) nanocomposite is given based on the information about the surface structure, properties, and performance characteristics. The performed analysis allows the high‐resolution modeling of Ag/DLC nanocomposite surface microtexture with motif analysis (intrinsic characteristics disclosure and characterization of surfaces fractal), in order to be included in computer interactive simulation algorithms. Conclusion: It was found the fractal dimension decreases with the increase of the deposition times on samples.     

Evaluation of surface topography changes in three NiTi file systems using rotary and reciprocal motion: An atomic force microscopy study

Aim: To evaluate the surface topography changes in three nickel‐titanium (NiTi) file systems using either rotary or reciprocal motion using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and to determine the effect of scanning area on the AFM results in this study. Methodology: Five points on a F2 Protaper file, R25 Reciproc file, and a Primary file from WaveOne systems were scanned preoperatively in 1 × 1 and 5 × 5 µm² with an AFM device that can scan an intact (not sectioned) file. One standardized resin block was used for each instrument, according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Points were re‐scanned postoperatively using the same AFM and settings. Root‐mean‐square (RMS) and roughness average (Ra) values were obtained. The preoperative and postoperative surface topographies were compared separately in terms of RMS and Ra values. The surface topography change scores were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests using a 0.10 significance level. Results: There were no significant differences preoperatively among the NiTi file systems in 1 × 1 or 5 × 5 µm² areas. Postoperatively, the WaveOne Primary had more surface irregularities (significant for 5 × 5 µm² scan in Ra evaluation). Conclusions: Three‐dimensional AFM images of instrument surfaces showed topographic irregularities preoperatively and postoperatively. AFM results differ depending on the scanning area and file used. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:177–182, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Erosion wear behavior of laser clad surfaces of low carbon austenitic steel

Austenitic steel surfaces are laser cladded using a 4 kW continuous wave CO₂ laser with coaxial powder feeding nozzle to investigate the improvement in slurry erosion characteristics. Colmonoy-6 and Inconel-625 are cladded on AISI 316L steel and AISI 304L steel, respectively by laser cladding. Initially, single-pass clad track is overlaid to optimize the laser processing parameters, namely scanning speed and powder feed rate to obtained a sound clad. Minimum cracks, porosity and distortion were found at scanning speed of 0.1 m/min and powder feed rate of 12 g/min. For these parameters, the dilution was 17.33% for Colmonoy-6 and 40% for Inconel-625. To clad large surface area, the optimized laser processing parameters were used to deposit the clad tracks with 60% overlap. Maximum surface hardness of 746 VHN is obtained in case of Colmonoy-6 clad on AISI 316L steel and is 352 VHN in case of Inconel-625 clad on AISI 304L steel. EDAX analysis shows higher degree of mixing of substrate material in the clad pool of Inconel-625 than Colmonoy-6. The results of slurry erosion test of Colmonoy-6 clad surface have shown improvement in erosion resistance of the order of 1.75–4.5 times of the substrate AISI 316L steel at all impact angles and the maximum wear angle has also increased which can be attributed to the increase in the surface hardness. However, Inconel-625 laser clad surface has shown little improvement in erosion resistance of the substrate AISI 304L steel at shallow impact angles with no significant improvement at normal impact condition. The SEM micrographs of worn out Colmonoy-6 clad surfaces at shallow impact angles show that the material is removed mainly by micro-cutting which increases with increase in the impact angle.