Characterization of CFRP Laminates’ layups using through-Transmitting ultrasound waves

Ultrasound waves interact strongly with the orientation and sequence of the plies in a layup when propagating in the thickness direction of composite laminates. Also the layup orientation greatly influences its properties in a composite laminate. If the layup orientation of a ply is misaligned, it could result in the part being rejected and discarded. Now, most researchers cut a small coupon from the waste edge and use a microscope to optically verify the ply sequences on important parts. This may add a substantial cost to the production since the test is both labor intensive and performed after the part is cured. A nondestructive technique would be very beneficial, which could be used to test the part after curing and requires less time than the optical test. Therefore we have developed, reduced, and implemented a novel ply-by-ply vector decomposition model for composite laminates fabricated from unidirectional plies. This model decomposes the transmission of a linearly polarized ultrasound wave into orthogonal components through each ply of a laminate. High probability is found, by comparisons between the model and tests, in characterizing cured layups of the laminates by using the proposed method.     

Statistical investigation of die wear in metal extrusion processes

The aim of this paper is the statistical process control analysis of the tool wear evolution during metal extrusion process for better understanding the principal causes that generate the variability of such a complex phenomenon. The wear prediction is carried out using finite element simulation including the Archard wear model. The tool wear modeling is presented briefly as well as the response surface methodology. The study is based on the application of the central composites designs and allows for the analysis of the response (wear) sensitivity of the tool. The statistical investigation of the process makes it possible to study the influence of each process parameter on the response sensitivity.     

Viscous dissipation influencing viscosity of polymer melt in micro channels

Determination of melt rheological behavior within micro-structured geometry is very important for the accurate simulation modeling of micro-molding. Yet studies on the rheological behavior of polymer melts, flowing through micro channels, are complicated due to a large number of factors affecting the melt viscosity. One factor, viscous dissipation, is investigated in the current work through a novel experimental technique to determine the viscous dissipation of a polymer melt flowing through several micro channels with identical aspect ratio. Relative tests are conducted with the melt of high density polyethylene (HDPE) at different temperatures being extruded through the capillary dies with diameters 1000μm, 500μm and 350μm, respectively. It was found that the temperature rise due to viscous dissipation decreases significantly with the reduction of the characteristic size of micro channel at the same shear rate. In addition, based on the suggested model of radial temperature distribution, the influence of viscous heating on the melt viscosity is investigated. The results indicate that viscous dissipation does not play a significant role.     

振动诱导聚合物塑化过程中熔体温度分布的预测

在振动力场诱导聚合物塑化成型作用下,建立了聚合物熔融挤出过程中的熔体温度分布模型,研究了模头温度、振动力场的振幅、频率等工艺参数对挤出过程中熔体温度的影响。提出了基于多项式和高斯RBF核函数变换的两种非线性岭回归模型(PT-RR和GRBF-RR),并对具有非线性、非等温、强耦合特征的熔融过程熔体温度分布进行研究。该建模方法实现了多变量输入样本的高维特征空间非线性映射与重构,充分挖掘了多影响因素之间的耦合信息。仿真实验结果表明了PT-RR和GRBF-RR模型的有效性,其回归预测值与实验测量值之间的相关系数均值分别为0.9940和1。由于GRBF-RR模型取得了满意的模型精度,本文基于对GRBF-RR模型的数值模拟分析了各影响因素对熔体温度分布的交叉耦合影响,表征了聚合物熔融挤出成型过程中熔体温度分布的规律。该项研究可为提高精密挤出制品质量及优化配置各工艺参数提供决策依据。     

L型异型材挤出口模内聚合物熔体三维等温幂律流动的数值模拟

利用罚有限元法,采用幂律本构模型,对聚合物熔体在L型异型材挤出口模内的三维等温流动进行了数值模拟,分析了口模内熔体流动的速度场和应力场。分析表明：L型异型材挤出口模截面不能简单视作两矩形截面的几何组合,因为其上有三个特征流动区;过渡区对熔体在口模内的流动有非常大的影响,它不但影响成型区熔体的流动,而且对稳流区熔体的熔体的流动产生一定的影响：此外,因为在过渡区产生了熔体拉伸取向,需要一定的成型区长度使高分子链段充分松弛。     

Comparative wear in titanium diboride coatings on steel using high energy density processes

A comparison between the tribological properties of titanium diboride (TiB₂) deposited using high energy density processes such as Pulse Electrode Surfacing (PES) and Laser Surface Engineering (LSE) has been made. The wear resistance of TiB₂ coated surface is higher than AISI 1010 steel. The wear resistance of the LSE coated TiB₂ coating is even better than that of the PES deposited TiB₂ coating. Coefficient of friction values for LSE coated TiB₂ coating (μ=0.6) are lower than PES deposited TiB₂ coating (μ=0.7). Wear occurs in PES deposited TiB₂ coating by brittle fracture and attrition type mechanisms whereas mixed adhesive–abrasive wear in LSE deposited TiB₂ coating occurs by localized plastic deformation of the soft matrix phase Fe from a “composite” layer on the surface.     

Propagation of transient out-of-plane shear waves in viscoelastic layered media

Propagation of two-dimensional transient out-of-plane shear waves in multilayered viscoelastic media is investigated. The multilayered medium consists of N different isotropic, homogeneous and linearly viscoelastic layers with more than one discrete relaxation time. The top surface of the layered medium is subjected to dynamic out-of-plane shear tractions; whereas, the lower surface is free or fixed. A numerical technique is employed to obtain the solution, which combines the Fourier transform with the method of characteristics. The numerical results are displayed in curves denoting the variations of the shear stresses with time at different locations. These curves reveal clearly the scattering effects caused by the reflections and refractions of inclined waves at the boundaries and at the interfaces of the layers. The curves also display the effects of viscous damping in the wave profiles. By suitably adjusting the material constants, the curves for the case of elastic layers are also obtained as a special case. The curves further show that the numerical technique applied in this study is capable of predicting the sharp variations at the wave fronts.     

Experimental study of sensitivity of electromagnetic-acoustic transducers for flaw detection by nondestructive echo testing using bulk shear waves

Results of experimental studies of sensitivity of electromagnetic-acoustic (EMA) transducers in the echo-testing mode are given. Flaws equivalent to reflectors shaped as disks and side surfaces of cylinders with diameters of 1 mm and more have been detected with a high probability in samples of rails, round and square blanks, and metal sheets. We have concluded that nondestructive echo testing of metals using EMA transducers can be performed with a sensitivity close to that of piezoelectric transducers.     

Mold surface roughness effects on cavity filling of polymer melt in micro injection molding

Micro injection molding presents many challenges in the injection-molding community. When the dimensions of the part (and thus the cavity of the mold) are small, micro-scale factors such as mold surface roughness may play an important role in the filling of polymer melt. This paper investigates the effects of mold surface roughness on cavity filling of polymer melt in micro injection molding. A disk insert, which has two halves with different surface roughness but with the same roughness mean lines, was used in the investigations. The ratio of flow area of the rougher half with the total flow area of the molded part is used to evaluate the significance of surface roughness effect. The experimental results revealed that mold surface roughness does resist the cavity filling of polymer melt in micro injection molding. For the limited range of injection rate investigated, it is not significant on the surface roughness effects. The increase of mold temperature will decrease surface roughness effects. The change of melt temperature within the range allowed by the process is insignificant for surface roughness effects.     

Contrasting static-to-kinetic friction transitions on layers of an autophobically dewetted polymer film using Fourier-analyzed shear modulation force microscopy

Fourier analysis of oscillating forces at a laterally modulated tip provides new insight into static-to-kinetic friction transitions on ultrathin polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. In addition to contrast in sliding friction, layers of autophobically dewetted PVA films exhibit remarkable contrast in the transition from static to kinetic friction as derived from spatially resolved Fourier analysis. These differences relate to strong adsorption of first layer to mica substrate and concomitant conformational arrest, as compared to bulk-like behavior in the second layer. The third Fourier harmonic is found to be a sensitive gauge to variable degrees of sliding as a function of both lateral drive amplitude (0.25–25 nm) and normal load (tensile to compressive). For a 2.5-nm drive on PVA, it is discovered that a largely static contact at compressive loads becomes a largely sliding contact at tensile loads. This finding has implications for the analysis of shear modulation force microscopy of polymers in the context of contact mechanics models, and for studies under variable sample compliance as a function of temperature or plasticizer absorption.     

Scanning tunnelling microscopy of charge density waves in 1T-TaS2

Using a variable temperature scanning tunnelling microscope we have observed both the lattice and the triple charge density wave (CDW) in 1T-TaS₂. We obtained images of the nearly-commensurate (NC) phase between 350 and 200 K and the triclinic (T) phase between 220 and 280 K. We analysed the images to determine the local angle of rotation of the CDW relative to the lattice to determine if commensurate domains exist in this material. In the NC phase we do not see the hexagonal discommensurate domains proposed by Nakanishi el al. (1977), but observe a structure which is uniformly incommensurate. The orientation of the CDW relative to the lattice is observed to be locally incommensurate and to vary continuously with temperature as reported by Scruby et al. (1975). However, in the T phase we observe long narrow commensurate domains very similar to those described by Nakanishi and Shiba (1984) for this phase.     

Generation of double-frequency shear waves in materials with different resistances to tension and compression

Equations describing the dynamic processes in materials with different resistances to tension and compression have been derived. It is shown that, when a shear wave propagates in such a material, a quadratic nonlinearity arises that leads to the possibility of generating a shear wave at the double frequency, which is “prohibited” by the equation of the classical elasticity theory. Dependences relating the amplitudes of the waves propagating at the fundamental and double frequencies to the damage parameters are found. A characteristic length is determined at which a considerable transfer of the energy contained in the fundamental wave to the energy of the second harmonic can be expected, thereby allowing assessment of the integral parameter of the material damage. A dependence between the damage parameter and plastic strain has been established on the basis of a constructed mathematical model and experiments with specimens.     

Modeling and simulation of polymer melts flow in the extrusion process of plastic profile with metal insert

The extrusion technology of plastic profile with metal insert is recently an advanced plastic processing method whose products keeps rising today for their excellent performance. However, the related fundamental research on polymer forming mechanism in the extrusion process of plastic profile with metal insert is lagging behind. With the development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theory, numerical method becomes an effective way to investigate such complex material forming problems as in the polymer extrusion process. In the present study, the mathematical model for three-dimensional non-isothermal viscous flow of the polymer melts obeying a Carreau model is developed based on the CFD theory. The Williams–Landel–Ferry equation is employed to involve the temperature dependence of material parameters. A decoupled numerical algorithm based on the penalty finite element method is conducted to predict the rheological behaviors of polymer melts within the complex flow channel. The streamline upwind/Petrov–Galerkin scheme is employed to improve the computational stability for the calculation of temperature field. Based on the theoretical model, the essential flow characteristics of polymer melts in the extrusion process of plastic profile with metal insert is investigated. The distributions of principal field variables like flow velocity, melt temperature, flow stress and pressure drop are predicted. The effects of die structure parameters including the intake angle and the distribution section length upon the melts flow patterns are further discussed. The variations of melt rheological properties versus different processing conditions like the volume flow rate and the metal insert moving velocity are also investigated. Some advice on practical processing operations of the extrusion process of plastic profile with metal insert is accordingly put forward based on the numerical results.     

Nonlinear interactions of elastic waves in a two-component solid shear mixture under conditions of phase-group synchronism

Nonlinear interaction of quasi-harmonic longitudinal waves propagating in a two-component solid shear mixture is theoretically studied. Interaction between low-frequency (a vibration field) and high-frequency (ultrasound) waves is shown to generate an ultrasonic wave with a summed frequency that may exist in phase-group synchronism with the vibration field. Calculated results qualitatively agree with data on generation of ultrasound by seismic forces.     

Friction reduction in rolling bearing by using polymer additives

The friction torque on the outer ring of a tapered roller bearing has been experimentally measured for a mineral oil (base oil), as well as for samples of the base oil additived with low‐density polyethylene. The data show an important reduction of friction by introducing the polymer into the base oil due to the film formed by the adsorption of macromolecular coils on the solid surface. The effectiveness of macromolecular additive contribution to friction behaviour is described in terms of polymer efficiency, which shows maximum values at low polymer concentrations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Internal defect detection using laser-generated longitudinal waves in ablation regime

Laser ultrasonics could be an attractive solution for the nondestructive testing of structures in harsh environments. Longitudinal waves generated in the ablation regime are especially well suited to internal defect detection because they provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio in comparison to ultrasonic waves generated under a thermo-elastic regime, while their propagation direction normal to the surface enables the simplified interpretation processing of received signals when the defect echoes are analyzed. The internal defect detection using laser-generated longitudinal waves in the ablation regime was investigated numerically and experimentally, and a numerical model to simulate the generation and propagation of ultrasonic waves in the ablation regime was developed. This model was based on the simulation of ultrasonic generation and propagation caused by the net reaction force that was directly converted from the laser intensity absorbed onto the surface. This model was also extended as a model for internal defect detection. A steel specimen containing artificial internal defects was fabricated and inspected by using the through-transmission (T-scan) and pulse-echo (B-scan) modes. Clear amplitude reduction was observed in the transmitted waves at the defect positions in T-scan images, while B-scan images clearly showed the defect echoes arriving at different times depending on the depth location of internal defects. These results demonstrate that longitudinal waves excited in the ablation regime can be effectively used for internal defect detection.