Investigation of micro-EDM material removal characteristics using single RC-pulse discharges

Similar to EDM, in micro-EDM, intense heat is generated between the workpiece and tool electrode by the discharge through a dielectric medium to result in the formation of a microcrater that is much smaller in size. In this study, a single-spark generator has been developed to study the erosion characteristics from the microcrater size. Using a simple heat transfer model, the efficiency at different discharge condition is also deduced. It is found that at lower-energy (<50 μJ) discharges, the energy required to remove the unit volume of material, defined as the specific energy, is found to be much less than that at higher-energy discharges. Additionally, the ratio of the standard deviation to the measured microcrater size is found to be lower at lower discharge energy, indicating greater consistency in shape and size when the discharge occurs at lower energy. The fundamental erosion mechanism of material is discussed by considering melting and evaporation phenomena using theoretical modeling. The average efficiency of erosion, when estimated to be due primarily to melting or evaporation alone, is found to be up to an order of magnitude higher at lower-energy discharges than that at higher-energy discharges.     

Effect of silicon content and annealing temperature on formation of retained austenite and mechanical properties in multi-phase steels

Cold-rolled and annealed ultra-high strength sheet steels with good ductility accompanied by TRIP of retained austenite have received considerable attention in recent years. This paper discusses the effect of silicon content and annealing temperature on the formation of retained austenite and the mechanical properties in Fe-0.34%C-1.7% Mn steels whose structure consists of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite. Silicon inhibited the cementite formation in bainite during isothermal holding and partitioned carbon from bainite to austenite, resulting in an increase in retained austenite content. When the silicon content was increased to 1.0 wt.% or higher, the amount of retained austenite markedly increased leading to good mechanical properties. 0.34%C-1.03%Si-1.7%Mn steel showed a high tensile strength of 1,030 MPa and a total elongation of 34.5% when annealed at 780°C for 5 min followed by isothermal holding at 400°C for 5 min. In this case, the amount of retained austenite was about 25%. The variation in tensile strength-elongation combination had good correlation with that in the amount of retained austenite with both annealing temperature and silicon content. The most retained austenite was obtained in the steel annealed at just above A_C1 temperature. The annealing temperature which gives the most retained austenite was decreased with decreasing the silicon content.     

Investigation of the grain coarsening behavior of some Aluminum alloys

Grain coarsening tests were carried out on Al-4.5 pct Cu and Al-4.5 pct Si alloys. The effects of three variables, melt composition, pour temperature, and mold temperature, were determined. It was found that the macrostructure generally coarsened with increased pour and mold temperatures. Coarsening was extreme in the unrefined alloys but was retarded by the active grain refiners like titanium and columbium. The effect of boron was spectacular in suppressing coarsening tendencies. The results of the investigation support the carbide theory of nucleation as opposed to the peritectic theory.     

Microstructure evolution during batch annealing

Design of industrial annealing cycles requires recrystallization and grain growth studies, which are typically carried out under isothermal laboratory condition. The kinetics coefficients of these phase transformations are obtained from such studies, which are subsequently used in designing the industrial nonisothermal cycles using the additivity principles. However, the strong heating rate effects on the grain growth kinetics necessitate such kinetics studies using industrial thermal profiles. In the present work, the hot and cold spot cycles of an industrial batch annealing cycle for AIK grade steel have been simulated in a programmable laboratory furnace. Subsequently, the effect of annealing temperature, soaking time, and heating rate on the microstructural features, such as grain size distribution, grain shape anisotropy, and grain orientation, have been investigated through extensive quantitative microscopy. The implications of these results on the design of industrial batch annealing cycles have been discussed.     

Determination of Active Slip/Twinning Modes in AZ31 Mg Alloy Near Room Temperature

In order to determine the deformation modes in AZ31 magnesium alloy at room temperature, computer simulations of deformation texture development and calculation of formability have been carried out. The simulation results were compared with the measured texture results. Based on agreement between the experiments and simulations the active deformation modes were determined. A Visco Plastic Self Consistent model was employed for the simulation of plastic deformation. Simulations and experiments were performed for different initial textures. The goal of the study was to develop the understanding of deformation texture evolution and its effects on mechanical properties of magnesium, with an ultimate goal of improving room temperature formability of magnesium alloys. This article was presented at Materials Science & Technology 2006, Innovations in Metal Forming symposium held in Cincinnati, OH, October 15-19, 2006.     

Effects of solid solution alloying on creep deformation of aluminum

The effects of solid solution alloying on the creep-rupture properties, deformation characteristics, ductility, and fracture of pure aluminum were studied by means of creep-rupture tests on polished specimens of three alloys each of Al-Cu (0.24, 0.79, and 2.05 pct Cu), Al-Zn (4.93, 9.89, and 19.78 pct Zn), and Al-Mg (0.94, 1.92, and 5.10 pct Mg) at 500°, 700°, and 900°F.     

Microstructure and creep behavior in AE42 magnesium die-casting alloy

The micro structural analysis of die-cast AE42 reveals a correlation between micro structure and creep strength. A lamellar-phase Al₁₁RE₃, which dominates the interdendritic microstructure of the alloy, partly decomposes above 150‡C into Al₂RE and Al (forming Mg₁₇Al₁₂). The increased solubility of aluminum in magnesium at higher temperatures may also promote the decomposition of Al₁₁RE₃. The creep strength decreases sharply with these phase changes. A mechanism for the decrease in creep strength of AE42 is proposed whereby the reduced presence of lamellar Al1₁₁RE₃ and/or the presence of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ contribute to the observed poor creep strength at higher temperatures.     

Chromium distribution between liquid iron and molten basic slags

An equilibrium study was made of the distribution of chromium and oxygen between liquid iron, containing less than 1 pct Cr, and simple slags of the CaO(MgO)-SiO₂-FeO-Cr₂O₃ type in the temperature range 1526° to 1734°C The effects of slag oxidation, temperature, and basicity were observed.     

The preparation of tantalum powder using a MR-EMR combination process

In the conventional metallothermic reduction (MR) process used to obtain tantalum powder in batch-type operation, it is difficult to control the morphology and location of the tantalum deposits. In contrast, an electronically mediated reaction (EMR) process is capable of overcoming this difficulty. It has the advantage of being a continuous process, but has the disadvantage of a poor reduction yield. A process known as the MR-EMR combination process is able to overcome the shortcomings of the MR and EMR processes. In this study, an MR-EMR combination process is applied to the production of tantalum powder via sodium reduction of K₂TaF₇. In the MR-EMR combination process, the total charge passed through an external circuit and the average particle size (FSSS) increase as the reduction temperature increases. In addition, the proportion of fine particles (−325 mesh) decreases as the reduction temperature increasess. The tantalum yield improved from 65 to 74% as the reduction temperature increased. Taking into account the charge, impurities, morphology, particle size and yield, a reduction temperature of 1123 K was found to be optimum for the MR-EMR combination process.