Processing and characterization of nanostructured Cu-carbon nanotube composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced nanostructured Cu matrix composite with a grain size less than 25 nm has been successfully fabricated via a combination of ball milling and high-pressure torsion. CNTs were found to be homogeneously dispersed into the metal matrix, leading to grain refinement with a narrow grain size distribution and significant increase in hardness.     

Study of the effect of processing conditions on the co‐injection of PBS/PBAT and PTT/PBT blends for parts with increased bio‐content

This work studies the effect of processing parameters on mechanical properties and material distribution of co‐injected polymer blends within a complex mold shape. A partially bio‐sourced blend of poly(butylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) PTT/PBT was used for the core, with a tough biodegradable blend of poly (butylene succinate) and poly (butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) PBS/PBAT for the skin. A ½ factorial design of experiments is used to identify significant processing parameters from skin and core melt temperatures, injection speed and pressure, and mold temperature. Interactions between the processing effects are considered, and the resulting statistical data produced accurate linear models indicating that the co‐injection of the two blends can be controlled. Impact strength of the normally brittle PTT/PBT blend is shown to increase significantly with co‐injection and variations in core to skin volume ratios to have a determining role in the overall impact strength. Scanning electron microscope images were taken of co‐injected tensile samples with the PBS/PBAT skin dissolved displaying variations of mechanical interlocking occurring between the two blends. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Applied Polymer Science Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41278.     

Effect of Cooling Rates in Coiling Process on Microstructures and Mechanical Properties in Al-Bearing Hot-Rolled TRIP Steel

In this study, the effect of cooling rates on microstructures and mechanical properties in a Al-bearing hot-rolled transformation-induced plasticity steel was investigated. The experiments were carried out using hot simulation machine and hot rolling mill, where the samples were cooled at different cooling rates. The results showed that with the increase in cooling rates, film-like retained austenite gradually disappeared and only blocky retained austenite was retained at higher cooling rates. The volume fraction of retained austenite was 9–11% at cooling rates of 0.05–1°C/s and 4–6% at cooling rates of 5–10 °C/s. In addition, martensite/austenite island was observed because of the heterogeneous carbon distribution. The samples cooled at 0.05 °C/s and 0.5 °C/s exhibited excellent mechanical properties, with tensile strengths of 712 MPa and 726 MPa, total elongations of 42% and 36% and strength and ductility balances of 29.91 GPa% and 26.15 GPa%, respectively. During plastic deformation, the instantaneous work hardening exponent of the sample cooled at 0.05 °C/s increased continuously until it reached the maximum value, while the instantaneous work hardening exponent of the sample cooled at 0.5 °C/s remained stable.     

Effect of Ca on microstructure and high temperature creep properties of AM60-1Ce alloy

A series of AM60-1Ce-xCa(x=0, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5) magnesium alloys were prepared by gravity casting method and analyzed by means of XRD, DSC and SEM. The effects of Ca on normal temperature mechanical properties and high temperature creep behavior of alloys were characterized by tensile and constant creep test.Microstructure analysis indicated that Ca was preferentially combined with Al in the alloy to form the high melting point Al_2Ca phase at the grain boundary. The addition of Ca can refine the crystal grains and reduces the content of β-Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase. With the increase of Ca content in the alloy, Al_2Ca phases at the grain boundary gradually changed to the network of lamellar structure, and replaced the β-Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase as the main strengthening phase gradually. The creep resistance of the alloy continuously increases because the high-temperature stable phase Al_2Ca firmly nailed at grain boundaries impedes the sliding of grain boundaries. However, when the addition of Ca was more than 1.5%, mechanical properties of the alloy started to decrease, which was probably due to the large amount of irregularly shaped Al_2Ca phases at the grain boundary. Experimental results show that the optimal addition amount of Ca is 1.5 wt.%.     

Enhanced calcium–magnesium–aluminosilicate (CMAS) resistance of GdAlO3 (GAP) for composite thermal barrier coatings

The impact of calcium–magnesium–alumino-silicate (CMAS) degradation is a critical factor for development of new thermal and environmental barrier coatings. Several methods of preventing damage have been explored in the literature, with formation of an infiltration inhibiting reaction layer generally given the most attention. Gd₂Zr₂O₇ (GZO) exemplifies this reaction with the rapid precipitation of apatite when in contact with CMAS. The present study compares the CMAS behavior of GZO to an alternative thermal barrier coating (TBC) material, GdAlO₃ (GAP), which possesses high temperature phase stability through its melting point as well as a significantly higher toughness compared with GZO. The UCSB laboratory CMAS (35CaO–10MgO–7Al₂O₃–48SiO₂) was utilized to explore equilibrium behavior with 50:50 mol% TBC:CMAS ratios at 1200, 1300, and 1400°C for various times. In addition, 8 and 35 mg/cm² CMAS surface exposures were performed at 1425°C on dense pellets of each material to evaluate the infiltration and reaction in a more dynamic test. In the equilibrium tests, it was found that GAP appears to dissolve slower than GZO while producing an equivalent or higher amount of pore blocking apatite. In addition, GAP induces the intrinsic crystallization of the CMAS into a gehlenite phase, due in part to the participation of the Al₂O₃ from GAP. In surface exposures, GAP experienced a substantially thinner reaction zone compared with GZO after 10 h (87 ± 10 vs. 138 ± 4 μm) and a lack of strong sensitivity to CMAS loading when tested at 35 mg/cm² after 10 h (85 ± 13 versus 246 ± 10 μm). The smaller reaction zone, loading agnostic behavior, and intrinsic crystallization of the glass suggest this material warrants further evaluation as a potential CMAS barrier and inclusion into composite TBCs.     

Statistical design of sustainable composites from poly(lactic acid) and grape pomace

Biocomposites from poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and grape pomace (GP) were created via injection molding to examine the effects of GP in a PLA matrix. To optimize the mechanical performance the biocomposites were compatibilized with maleic anhydride grafted PLA (MA-g-PLA). The objective of this work was to create a model that could accurately predict the mechanical properties of GP/PLA biocomposites. A region of feasibility for the biocomposites was determined using a statistical design of experiments. Linear regression was used to model the mechanical performance and predicted results with an error of 10% for both tensile and flexural strength and 16% for impact strength. The model was verified with a biocomposite of PLA/GP/MA-g-PLA with a ratio of 62/36/2. This biocomposite had a tensile strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength of 25.8 MPa, 40.0 MPa, and 18.4 J/m, respectively. It was found that a linear model can accurately predict the mechanical properties of PLA/GP/MA-g-PLA biocomposites.     

Effect of Zr-deoxidation on microstructure and mechanical behavior of microalloyed heavy plates with low impurity content

The significance of different deoxidation practises on the ductility and impact toughness of next generation of microalloyed heavy plates was elucidated to explore the best deoxidation practice in obtaining required mechanical properties,which was judged by the combined effects of composition,size and number density of inclusions on the ductility of the experimental high-strength low alloy steel.The impurity contents,i.e.,total O+N+S contents,of 82×10^-6(Al-killed)and 118×10^-6(Zr-killed)have been induced to characterize both the steels.Ductility was characterized using tensile and Charpy V-notch testing.The number,size and composition of the inclusions were characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer.In the Al-killed steel,the inclusion structure consisted of titanium nitrides,stringer calcium aluminates and elongated manganese sulfides,whereas in the Zr-killed steel,the inclusion structure consisted of mainly fine spherical oxide inclusions with sulphide shells.The impurity content did not have a significant effect on the number density of inclusions,as with higher and lower impurity content,the number of inclusions was 83.7 and 78.8 mm^-2,respectively.However,the size distribution of the inclusions,especially the coarse inclusions with their longest length greater than 8μm,differsmuch from each other.The number density of coarse inclusions differs from 0.8 to 1.1 mm^-2 with processing,and in Al-killed steel,55.5% of the coarse inclusions were titanium nitrides or manganese sulfides,whereas in Zr-killed steel,only 22.5% of the coarse inclusions were titanium nitrides and manganese sulfides.Coarse titanium nitrides were especially detrimental to the impact toughness.The number density of them should be below 0.33 mm-2 in order to guarantee the best possible toughness in the steel in question.The average crystallographic grain size detected by electron backscattered diffraction of Zr-killed steel(4.28±2.70μm)was smaller than that of Al-killed steel(6.00±4.80μm).As a result from the grain refinement and sulphide shape control,Zr-killed steel exhibited superior impact toughness(223±70 J)at -80℃ as compared with Al-killed steel(153±68 J).Thus,Zr-killed steel was observed to provide good performance in terms of mechanical properties as compared with Al-killed steel.