Ultrasonic Assisted Electrical Discharge Machining of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy

In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the influence of copper tool vibration with ultrasonic frequency on output parameters in the electrical discharge machining of Ti–6Al–4V. The selected input parameters for the experiment comprise of ultrasonic vibrations of tool, current and pulse duration and the outputs are tool wear ratio (TWR), material removal rate (MRR), and stability of machining process and surface integrity of a workpiece, including surface roughness, thickness of recast layer, and formation of micro cracks. Scanning electron microscope and X-Ray diffraction were employed to examine the surface integrity of the workpiece. The results revealed that tool vibration with ultrasonic frequency enhances MRR via increasing normal discharges and decreasing arc discharges and open circuit pulses. Also, by using ultrasonic vibrations in finishing regimes, the density of cracks and TWR decrease while in roughing regimes, the thickness of recast layer, density of cracks, and TWR increase.     

Effect of Electrical Discharge Machining on strength and reliability of WC–30%Co composite

Tungsten carbide/Cobalt (WC–Co) composite is one of the important composite materials, which is used for manufacturing of cutting tools, dies and other special tools. It has very high hardness and excellent resistance to shock and wear. It is not possible to machine this material easily with conventional machining techniques. Due to the good electrical conductivity of WC–Co, it is usually machined by Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). EDM process often results in the surface damage of bulk WC–Co, and the influence of the damage would affect the reliability. It is important to investigate the effect of electric discharge machining process on the properties of WC–Co cemented carbides before applying its engineering application. For these composites, maintenance of proper fracture strength is an important concern and is to be controlled. In this work, an attempt has been made to investigate the fracture strength and the reliability of EDMed WC–Co composite using the Weibull distribution analysis. The comparison of results between the machined composites and un-machined composites is carried out and presented in this study.     

Experimental Investigation and Optimization of Machining Characteristics in Ultrasonic Machining of WC–Co Composite Using GRA Method

WC–Co composite material is highly demanded in manufacturing industries, because of its unique properties such as excellent hardness with toughness, higher mechanical strength, and good dimensional stability. The present investigation is aimed at studying the impact of different experimental conditions (by varying cobalt content, thickness of work piece, tool profile, tool material, abrasive grit size, and power rating) on responses of interest (material removal rate and tool wear rate) in ultrasonic drilling of WC–Co composite material. The experiments have been planned by using Taguchi's L-36 orthogonal array and grey relation analysis has been applied for optimization of multiple responses. Analysis of variance is also employed to find the significant factors. Significant effects are observed for process variables such as cobalt content, abrasive grain size, and power level. Tools with higher hardness delivered better machining performance.     

Multiobjective optimization and analysis of copper–titanium diboride electrode in EDM of monel 400™ alloy

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the most accepted machining processes in the precision manufacturing industry. In EDM process, finding an alternative tool material is the demand in modern manufacturing industry. Therefore, an attempt had been made to fabricate copper–titanium diboride powder metallurgy electrode to test in EDM on monel 400? material. The experiments are planned using center composite second-order rotatable design and the model is developed by response surface methodology. The machining characteristics have analyzed using the developed model. In this study, four input parameters such as titanium diboride percentage, pulse current, pulse on time, and flushing pressure are selected to evaluate the material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR). The adequacy of the developed regression model has tested through analysis of variance test. The desirability-based multiobjective optimization is used to find the optimal process parameter which has given maximum MRR and minimum TWR. The optimum process parameters obtained were titanium diboride of 16%, pulse current of 6 A, flushing pressure of 1 Mpa, and pulse on time of 35?µs. The validity of the response surface model is further verified by conducting confirmation experiments.     

Performance Analysis of Machining Ti–6Al–4V Under Cryogenic CO2 Using PVD-TiN Coated Tool

Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention - Demand for titanium alloys in different sectors is increasing in recent years due to their outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, ability to retain...     

Temperature-Induced Reversible Change of Electrical Resistivity in Sn–Bi Melts

Using a dc four-probe method, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of liquid Sn–Bi alloys has been investigated. The results show that there are clear turning points both on heating and cooling for several experimental cycles. Since the electrical resistivity is one of the physical properties sensitive to structure, the unusual change of the resistivity indicates that liquid–liquid transitions (LLT) probably take place in Sn–Bi melts. Moreover, the transitions are reversible. Compared with the experimental results for pure Sn and Bi, it is assumed that Sn plays an important role in the reversible liquid–liquid transitions.     

Sputtering Rates of Alloys in Glow Discharge

The sputtering rates of alloys were investigated under constant Ar pressure and voltage supplied.The alloys studied in this work range from binary intermetallic alloys to ternary and quaternary alloys. It is revealed that the sputtering rates of alloy targets under steady states are where q is the sputtering rates of alloys, Ci the weight percentage of i-th component in the alloy,and qi0 the sputtering rate of pure metal of i-th component.     

Synthesis of Molybdenum- and Vanadium-Containing Mixed Oxides in Polymer–Salt Systems

Rare-earth alkaline-earth mixed oxides containing transition metals (Mo, V) were prepared via pyrolysis in polymer–salt systems. The products were characterized by thermal analysis, resistance measurements, dilatometry, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The introduction of polyvinyl alcohol into the system containing lanthanum or strontium nitrate and ammonium molybdate was found to have a significant effect on the thermal decomposition process, testifying to changes in the bonding configurations of the constituent components in the systems studied, capable of forming stable gels, which are then used as precursors to synthesize oxide materials. The temperatures of different stages of dehydration were shown to be lower in the polymer-containing systems. The effect of solution acidity was assessed by examining thermal decomposition in systems containing a polymer and Mo or W salts and acidified with nitric acid. The reaction of nitrates (oxidants) with the polymer was accompanied by an exotherm at 170°C, corresponding to the melting of ammonium nitrate, resulting from an exchange reaction. The exothermic reaction was found to reduce the decomposition temperatures of the salts involved. The use of polymer–salt systems allowed the mixed oxides SrMoO₄ and La₂(MoO₄)₃ to be synthesized at lower temperatures in comparison with the coprecipitation of poorly soluble compounds. The method was also shown to be suitable for preparing perovskite oxides in the La_{1 – x} Sr _x Co_{1 – z} M _z O_{3 ± y} (M = Mo, V) systems.     

The Study of Performance in a Novel Gas–Solid Separator

The three slit-type separator is a new separator which can shorten the residence time of oil & gas and improve the separation efficiency. In this study, a critical validation was carried out to examine the separation performances of the three slit-type separator with different inlet velocity and inlet concentration. According to the experimental results, the separation efficiency and pressure drop of the three slit-type separator increase with the increase of inlet velocity and inlet concentration. Numerical simulation of the gas–solid flow field in the three slit-type separator was carried out by the use of Fluent 15.0 platform. The simulated results coincide with the experimental results. The particles move along the inside wall of the separator in the vaulted space, meanwhile, more gas enters into the exhaust pipe through slots, which can improve the separation efficiency. The study shows that the residence time of oil and gas is less than 0.6 and the separation efficiency is up to 99% in the separator, in addition, the pressure drop could be controlled in 4 kPa below.     

Semiconductor Type Dependent Comparison of Electrical Characteristics of Pt/InP Structures Fabricated by Magnetron Sputtering Technique in the Range of 20–400 K

Nano-Micro Letters - The paper describes how electrical properties of Pt/InP Schottky diode were affected by semiconductor type. We fabricated Pt/p-InP and Pt/n-InP Schottky diodes and measured...     

Current–Voltage Characteristics of the Initial Stage of Arc Discharge in a High-Voltage Vacuum Diode

Technical Physics Letters - The process of electron instability development and propagation of a cathode electron beam and anomalous ion beam, followed by outburst of current in the initial stage...     

Synthesis, Structural, Electrical, Magnetic Curie Temperature and Y–K Angle Studies of Mn–Cu–Ni Mixed Spinel Nanoferrites

Nanoferrites of composition Mn_0.50Cu_0.5−x Ni _x Fe₂O₄ (0.00≤x≤0.50) are prepared by chemical coprecipitation method. The prepared nano-ferrites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), two probe resistivity apparatus, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) to study the compositional, structural, morphological, electrical, and magnetic properties with varying concentration (x) in the composition of the prepared nanoferrites. XRD confirmed formation of single phase spinel ferrite with crystalline size in the range of 16–29 nm. The lattice parameter (a) decreases with a decrease of Cu concentration. Further information about the structure and morphology of the nanoferrites was obtained from SEM and results are in good agreement with XRD. FTIR gives information about distribution of cations and anions by confirming the presence of high and low frequency bands due to tetrahedral and octahedral sites, respectively. The electric properties were measured and analyzed by using homemade two probe resistivity apparatus showing semiconducting behavior of synthesized ferrites. The magnetic hysteresis curves clearly indicate the soft nature of the prepared samples. Various magnetic parameters such as saturation magnetization (M _s), and remanence (M _r) are calculated from the hysteresis loops and observed compositional dependent. Saturation magnetization and magnetic moment increase with Ni content. This is due to the existence of localized canted spin. Coercivity and M _s decreases while Y–K angles increase with Cu²⁺ content. The Ni²⁺ addition improves the magnetic properties. Curie temperature decreases with increase in Cu contents.     

Electrical Conductivity of Sintered Chromia Mixed with TiO2, CuO and Mn-Oxides

The electrical conductivity of sintered Cr2O3 mixed with 2% and 5% （in molar fraction） TiO2 or CuO was investigated in the temperature range 500-900℃ in air and in At/4 vol. pct H2 atmospheres. The effect of different Mn-oxides on the electrical conductivity of Cr2O3 was also studied under the same conditions. From the conductivity measurements it is established that additions of TiO2 change the defect structure of Cr2O3 and the effect of TiO2 on the electrical conductivity is controlled by TiO2 concentration as well as temperature and O2 partial pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. The conductivity of Cr2O3 increased in air and decreased in the At/H2 atmosphere by CuO additions. The effect of CuO was discussed with possible changes in the defect concentration in Cr2O3. Mixing of Cr2O3 with different Mn-oxides at the same Mn to metal atom fraction decreased the conductivity in air and in Ar/H2 atmospheres. No clear correlation between the spinel fraction and the changes in conductivity could be found.     

A Hybrid Machining Process Combining Micro-EDM and Laser Beam Machining of Nickel–Titanium-Based Shape Memory Alloy

Micro-electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a slow process as compared to laser machining, on the contrary laser machining lacks good surface quality. To overcome the drawbacks of both these processes, this paper suggests a hybrid machining process which combines laser and micro-EDM processes for drilling microholes in advanced engineering materials such as Nickel–Titanium (Ni–Ti)-based shape memory alloy. To achieve the objective of the suggested hybrid process, pilot holes are drilled with laser machine and rimmed out by micro-EDM drilling. The suggested process requires investigation of various combinations of micro-EDM drilling process conditions to obtain optimum machining parameters for the hybrid process. It has been found that the proposed hybrid machining process resulted in 50–65% reduction in machining time without affecting the quality of microholes as compared to the standard micro-EDM process.     

Role of MoOx Surficial Modification in Enhancing the OER Performance of Ru–Pyrochlore

Pyrochlore ruthenate (Y₂Ru₂O_7–δ) is highlighted as a promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst for water splitting in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers. However, an efficient electronic modulation strategy for Y₂Ru₂O_7–δ is required to overcome its electrochemical inertness. Herein, a surface manipulation strategy involving implanting MoO_x moieties on nano Y₂Ru₂O_7–δ (Mo–YRO) using wet chemical peroxone method is demonstrated. In contrast to electronic structure regulation by intramolecular charge transfer (i.e., substitutional strategies), the heterogeneous Mo−O−Ru micro-interfaces facilitate efficient intermolecular electron transfer from [RuO₆] to MoO_x. This eliminates the bandgap by inducing Ru 4d delocalization and band alignment rearrangement. The MoO_x modifiers also alleviate distortion of [RuO₆] by shortening Ru−O bond and enlarging Ru−O−Ru bond angle. This electronic and geometric structure tailoring enhances the OER performance, showing a small overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA cm⁻². Moreover, the electron-accepting MoO_x moieties provide more electronegative surfaces, which serve as a protective “fence” to inhibit the dissolution of metal ions, thereby stabilizing the electrochemical activity. This study offers fresh insights into the design of new-based pyrochlore electrocatalysts, and also highlights the versatility of surface engineering as a way of optimizing electronic structure and catalytic performance of other related materials.     

Machining of a hybrid–metal matrix composite using an erosion–abrasion-based compound wheel in electrical discharge grinding

Machining of the composites made of matrix and reinforcement is always difficult for manufacturing industries due to their unusual properties. Among various existing traditional and non-traditional machining processes, erosion-based machining process i.e., Electrical Discharge Grinding (EDG) and the abrasion-based process i.e., Diamond Grinding (DG) have been shown their potential to machine such difficult-to-machine materials. The aims of the present study are to analyze the performances of the erosion–abrasion-based compound wheel during machining of the hybrid–metal matrix composite made of Aluminum–Silicon Carbide–Boron Carbide (Al/SiC/B₄C) by the stir casting method. The performances of the compound wheel have been tested on the EDM machine in the face grinding mode. The role of pulse current, pulse on-time, pulse off-time, wheel RPM, and abrasive grit number have been analyzed on the material removal rate (MRR) and average surface roughness (Ra). The experimental results showed that the machining with compound wheel gives higher MRR with better surface finish as compared to the uniform wheel. It has also been observed that MRR and Ra are highly affected by the pulse current, pulse on-time, and wheel RPM.     

Electrical conductivity and viscosity of liquid Sn–Sb–Cu alloys

Tin-antimony-copper alloys are under intense consideration as favourable lead-free solders for consumer electronics and telecommunications. The electrical conductivity and viscosity studies were carried out in a wide temperature range above the liquidus. A melting-solidification region was investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The scaling relations have been proposed. A comparison with data available in literature is given.     

The Influence of VC–Al Additive on Wear Resistance of cBN-based Composites

The paper addresses wear resistance of cBN–VC–Al cutting tool material under the conditions of high-speed continuous turning of AISI 316L stainless steel.