Pressureless sintering of internally synthesized SiC-TiB2 composites with improved fracture strength

SiC-TiB₂ particulate composites were fabricated by converting TiO₂ to TiB₂ through the reaction between TiO₂, B₄C and C. The presence of initially very fine, in-situ created, TiB₂ particles increased driving force for sintering and enabled fabrication of a dense composite utilizing pressureless sintering and the liquid phase created between Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ additives. The effect of volume fraction of the in-situ formed TiB₂ on density, microstructure and flexural strength was discussed. It was found that the presence of TiB₂ particles suppressed the growth of SiC grains and enhanced fracture strength. The fracture strength of samples containing 12 vol% TiB₂ was more than 30% higher than that of the monolithic SiC. The effect of SiC grain size on fracture strength was also analyzed.     

Interface fracture property of PEO ceramic coatings on aluminum alloy

This paper combines the four-point bending test, SEM and finite element method to study the interface fracture property of PEO coatings on aluminum alloy. The interface failure mode of the coating on the compression side is revealed. The ceramic coating crack firstly along the 45° to the interface, then the micro crack in the coating deduces the interface crack. The plastic deformation observed by SEM shows excellent adhesion property between the coating and substrate. The plastic deformation in the substrate is due to the interfacial crack extension, so the interface crack mode of PEO coatings is ductile crack. The results of FEM show that the compression strength is about 600 MPa.     

Solid-state synthesis and spark plasma sintering of SrZrO3 ceramics

SrZrO₃ powders are obtained by solid state reaction from SrCO₃ and ZrO₂ precursors, without involving intermediate calcination and grinding steps. The resulted powders are essentially within a single phase, with sub-micron average crystallite size. Pellets of these powders show a relatively poor sintering behavior, when fired up to 1600 °C. Alternatively, spark plasma sintering technique is used in order to obtain nearly 100% dense samples at the expense of excessive grain coarsening (i.e., up to 5 μm in diameter). Crystalline structure, composition and morphology of the specimens obtained in this work are investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.     

Investigations in the compaction and sintering of large ceramic parts

In this study, a large ceramic part was successfully compacted and sintered using uniaxial die compaction technique. The effects of die design, compaction pressure, lubrication, sintering procedure and part orientation in the oven on the P/M part quality were investigated and the preferred process conditions were discussed and concluded. The main quality issues encountered were cracking and distortion. A finite element model for the powder compaction process was also developed and validated. Based on the model, the relationship between the cracking location and the density distribution predicted from finite element analysis (FEA) was discussed.     

Creep crack growth in a Cr-Mo-V type steel： experimental observation and prediction

In this study, the creep crack growth (CCG) properties and fracture mechanism of a Cr-Mo-V steel at 566 C in compact tension (CT) specimens were investigated, and the CCG rate was predicted by using the NSW model. The results show that the CCG rate measured by CT specimens is much lower than that predicted by the NSW model under plane-strain state. This means that the NSW model prediction for the CCG rate of the steel is over-conservative. In addition, the CCG rate da/dt versus C measured by the experiments shows the piecewise linear relation on log-log scale instead of a single linear relation predicted by the NSW model. The main reasons for these results are that the actual creep fracture mechanism of the steel and the actual creep crack tip stress field in the CT specimens have not been fully captured in the NSW model. The experimental observation shows that the creep crack propagates in a discontinuous way (step by step) at meso-scale, and the cracks at micro-scale are usually formed by the growth and coalescence of voids on grain boundaries. The NSW model based on the creep ductility exhaustion approach may not correctly describe this creep fracture process. In addition, the opening stress and triaxial stress ahead of crack tips calculated by three-dimensional finite element method is lower than those predicted by the HRR stress field which is used in the NSW model under plane-strain state. The use of the high HRR stress field will cause high CCG rates. The change in the creep fracture mechanism at micro-scale in different ranges of C may cause the piecewise linear relation between the da/dt and C . Therefore, it is necessary to study the actual CCG mechanism in a wide range of C and the actual creep crack tip stress field to establish accurate CCG prediction models.     

The effect of particle size,sintering temperature and sintering time on the properties of Al–Al2O3 composites,made by powder metallurgy

Al₂O₃ is a major reinforcement in aluminum-based composites, which have been developing rapidly in recent years. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of alumina particle size, sintering temperature and sintering time on the properties of Al–Al₂O₃ composite. The average particle size of alumina were 3, 12 and 48 μm. Sintering temperature and time were in the range of 500–600 °C for 30–90 min. A correlation is established between the microstructure and mechanical properties. The investigated properties include density, hardness, microstructure, yield strength, compressive strength and elongation to fracture. It has been concluded that as the particle size of alumina is reduced, the density is increased followed by a fall in density. In addition, at low particle size, the hardness and yield strength and compressive strength and elongation to fracture were higher, compared to coarse particles size of alumina. The variations in properties of Al–Al₂O₃ composite are dependent on both sintering temperature and time. Prolonged sintering times had an adverse effect on the strength of the composite.     

Low-temperature sintering and dielectric properties of high-permittivity microwave (Ca, Nd)TiO3 ceramics

The effect of H₃BO₃-CuO-Li₂CO₃ combined additives on the sintering temperature, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of (Ca_0.61Nd_0.26) (Ti_0.98Sn_0.02)O₃ (CNTS) ceramics was investigated. The H₃BO₃-CuO-Li₂CO₃ combined additives lowered the sintering temperature of CNTS ceramics effectively from 1300 to 950 °C. This may be due to the interim liquid-phase of Li₂O-CuO-B₂O₃, which were formed in the sintering process. (Li_0.5Nd_0.5)TiO₃ (LNT) demonstrated an effective compensation in τ_f value of the low-fired CNTS ceramics. The 0.4CNTS-0.6LNT ceramics with 5 wt% (H₃BO₃-CuO)-0.5 wt% Li₂CO₃ sintered at 900 °C for 2 h shows excellent dielectric properties: ?_r = 90.6, Q × f = 3400 GHz, and τ_f = 9 ppm/°C. Also, the LTCC material is compatible with Ag electrode.     

3D FE simulation for temperature evolution in the selective laser sintering process

A thermal model of selective laser sintering (SLS) has been developed. The model allows for the non-linear behavior of thermal conductivity and of specific heat due to temperature changes and phase transformations. The temperature evolution and the formation of the sintered part are simulated by a 3D finite element analysis based on continuous media theory. It is shown that the effect of sintering has a strong influence on thermal evolution through changing the thermal properties of the material. The results of the model were experimentally tested and confirmed by temperature measurements.     

液压集成块内弯曲流道流场数值计算与分析

本文对液压技术中广泛应用的液压集成块中常见的“S”型流道的流场用有限元方法进行数值计算,并将计算所获得的流场的结构以可视化的图像形式给出,为分析流道中的能量损失和优化设计流道提供了理论依据。     

Study on phase formation and sintering kinetics of BaTi0.6Zr0.4O3 powder synthesized through modified chemical route

BaTi_0.6Zr_0.4O₃ powder was prepared from barium oxalate hydrate, zirconium oxy-hydroxide and titanium dioxide precursors. Barium oxalate hydrate and zirconium oxy-hydroxide were precipitated from nitrate solution onto the surface of suspended TiO₂. Phase formation behaviour of the materials was extensively studied using XRD. BaTiO₃ (BT) and BaZrO₃ (BZ) start forming separately in the system upon calcinations in the temperature range 600–700 °C. BT–BZ solid solution then forms by diffusion of BT into BZ from 1050 °C onwards. The precursor completely transforms into BaTi_0.6Zr_0.4O₃ (BTZ) at 1200 °C for 2 h calcination. The activation energy (AE) of BT (134 kJ mol⁻¹) formation was found to be less than that of BZ (167.5 kJ mol⁻¹) formation. BTZ formation requires 503.6 kJ mol⁻¹ of energy. The sintering kinetics of the powder was studied using thermal analyzer. The mean activation energy for sintering was found to be 550 kJ mol⁻¹.     

工艺对二次弯曲件起皱和料厚变化的影响研究

建筑固定扣属于二次弯曲类零件。本文采用塑性有限元对不同工艺方案下的起皱和料厚变化进行了模拟分析，获得了抑制起皱的最佳工艺方案及合理工艺参数。     

Finite element prediction of material removal rate due to electro-chemical spark machining

Electro-chemical spark machining (ECSM) is an innovative hybrid machining process, which combines the features of the electro-chemical machining (ECM) and electrodischarge machining (EDM). Unlike ECM and EDM, ECSM is capable of machining electrically non-conducting materials. This paper attempts to develop a thermal model for the calculation of material removal rate (MRR) during ECSM. First, temperature distribution within zone of influence of single spark is obtained with the application of finite element method (FEM). The nodal temperatures are further post processed for estimating MRR. The developed FEM based thermal model is found to be in the range of accuracy with the experimental results. Further the parametric studies are carried out for different parameters like electrolyte concentration, duty factor and energy partition. The increase in MRR is found to increase with increase in electrolyte concentration due to ECSM of soda lime glass workpiece material. Also, the change in the value of MRR for soda lime glass with concentration is found to be more than that of alumina. MRR is found to increase with increase in duty factor and energy partition for both soda lime glass and alumina workpiece material.     

Gas detonation forming process and modeling for efficient spring-back prediction

Aluminum cylindrical cups are formed with gas detonation forming technology and finite element modeling of aluminum cylindrical cup production with the detonation forming technology is performed. The forming process simulation is carried out in two-step analysis. 2D and 3D computational models are constructed with both explicit and implicit dynamic analyses are performed. The effects of detonation pressure and die design parameters also are investigated. The thickness distribution and deformed geometry of the cups are compared with the experimentally determined values. The spring-back predictions based on the explicit and implicit methods are criticized in terms of deformed shape accuracy and elapsed time.     

Theoretical prediction of effective elastic constants for new intermetallic compound porous material

Based on microstructure analysis of the new Ti-Al intermetallic compound porous material, a micromechanics model of heterogeneous Plateau porous structure was established and calculation formulas of elastic constants (including effective elastic modulus, effective shear elastic modulus and effective Poisson ratio) were derived by the energy method for this porous material. Calculation results show that both the effective elastic modulus and effective shear elastic modulus increase with the increase of the relative density while the effective Poisson ratio decreases. Compared with the currently-existing hexagonal honeycomb model and micromechanics model of composite materials, the micromechanics model of heterogeneous Plateau porous structure in this study is more suitable for characterizing the medium-density porous material and more accurate for predicting the effective elastic constants of the medium-density porous material. Moreover, the obtained explicit expressions of the effective elastic constants in term of the relative density rather than the microstructural parameters for the uniform and regular Plateau porous structure are more convenient to engineering application.     

Effect of sintering temperature on the structure and properties of cerium-doped 0.94(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–0.06BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics

Phase structure, microstructure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of 0.4 wt% CeO₂ doped 0.94(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃–0.06BaTiO₃ (Ce-BNT6BT) ceramics sintered in the temperature range from 1120 to 1200 °C have been investigated as a candidate for lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. Tetragonal phase played an important role in improvement of electrical properties and the density of the ceramics. Dielectric constant decreased slightly with the increase of sintering temperature in ferroelectric region but a reverse phenomenon occurred in antiferroelectric and paraelectric regions, suggesting that interfacial polarizations were improved with the increase of sintering temperature and domain walls of ferroelectricity became active after depolarization. At room temperature, Ce-BNT6BT ceramics sintered at 1180 °C showed good performances: dielectric constant was 914 at 1 kHz, thick coupling factor k_t was 0.52, and the ratio of k_t/k_p was 2.3. The ceramics were suitable for narrowband filters and ultrasonic transducers in commercial applications.     

起重机轨道接头处断裂分析及其强化方法探讨

现场轨道断裂部位主要集中于轨道接头伸缩缝处。轨道承接部分的主要作用是保证轨道与轨道之间的平稳运行,减小车轮在伸缩缝处受到的冲击。吊车运行时,轨道伸缩缝一方面受到冲击,另一方面轨道接头伸缩缝安装错位,截面突变处受到的力矩最大,容易导致断裂。另外,伸缩缝位置处轨道挡板连接不佳也弱化了此处的强度。为了解决上述问题,利用有限元仿真软件ANSYS建立模型,分析伸缩缝附近轨道接头截面变化处的应力,发现采用传统挡板连接时,轨道端头应力过大,是造成其断裂的主要原因。根据所得结果在对应位置处替换优化后的双翼挡板,通过计算,此挡板能有效解决轨道端头处应力集中现象,增大轨道接头处的强度。     

Microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of 0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (NBTB) and 0.05BiFeO3-0.95NBTB ceramics: Effect of sintering atmosphere

0.94Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-0.06BaTiO₃ (NBTB) and 0.05BiFeO₃-0.95NBTB (BF-doped NBTB) lead-free ceramics were prepared by solid state reaction method. The ceramics were sintered at 1180 °C for 2 h in O₂ and N₂. All ceramics exhibited a single phase of perovskite structure. Relative amount of tetragonal phase was related to the sintering atmospheres. Both grain size and shape were influenced by the sintering atmospheres. Sintering the ceramics in N₂ weakened their dielectric anomalies corresponding to the transition from ferroelectric phase to the so-called “intermediate phase”. When the NBTB and BF-doped NBTB ceramics were sintered in N₂, their maximum dielectric constant and the degree of diffuseness of the transition from the “intermediate phase” to paraelectric phase increased, but their Curie temperatures decreased. The difference in dielectric properties of the ceramics sintered in different atmospheres was closely related to the difference in oxygen vacancy concentration. The correlation between ferroelectric properties and sintering atmospheres is associated with a competing effect among oxygen vacancy concentration, A-site vacancy concentration and percentage of tetragonal phase.     

The influence of sintering conditions on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PbZrTiO–PbMgNbO ceramic tubes

Piezoelectric tube actuators with a composition of 0.9Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃–0.1Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (0.9PZT–0.1PMN) have been prepared using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The effect of sintering temperature on the phase formation, densification, microstructure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the 0.9PZT–0.1PMN system was investigated. The results show that when the sintering temperature varies from 1150 to 1300 °C, the tubes exhibit single perovskite structure with coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phase. The P–E hysteresis loops reveal the ferroelectric nature of 0.9PZT–0.1PMN system. The tip deflection of the tube upon the applied voltage shows typical butterfly loop, which is a feature of piezoelectric systems. It was found that both dielectric and piezoelectric constants increase with increasing sintering temperature up to 1250 °C. When exceeding 1250 °C, the evaporation of PbO degrades the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the PZT–PMN. The sample packing technique during sintering is also critically important for obtaining good properties.     

Determination of metal material flow stress by the method of C-FEM

A common method used for the determination of material flow stress is the application of a compression test. At a low strain rate and deformation, the precise flow stress can be obtained in this method, but at a large level of deformation, the friction in the interface between the die and the specimen leads to inevitable bulging of the sample and thereby to inhomogeneous strain and stress. As a result, the flow-stress precision is affected because of the above-mentioned bulging. To reduce the error caused by inhomogeneous deformation, a new method combining compression tests with FEM simulation (C-FEM) is described in this paper. This method takes AISI 1006 and AISI 5140 as examples, and inputs their flow stress determined by compression tests into FEM programs. Then the flow stress is applied in the analysis of upsetting tests. On the basis of load–stroke curves determined by FEM simulation and compression tests, a target-function for evaluating flow-stress precision is set up. The flow stress direct from compression tests can be corrected by optimizing the target-function repeatedly, and as a result the precision of the material flow stress is improved.