Methods and application of residual stress analysis on thermally sprayed coatings and layer composites

Coating and layer composite manufacturing most commonly involves high temperature gradients and intensive heat transfer between the different composite materials. This can be noticed not only for thermal spraying, but also for other coating techniques. The combination of temperature gradients and materials with different thermophysical properties leads to the formation of thermal stresses in the composite, which are superimposed by stress generating effects during coating solidification, phase transformation or recrystallization. The final state of residual stresses affects the structural and functional properties of the coating as well as the component reliability during operation. Therefore, residual stress analysis is an important tool for the optimization of coatings and layer composite manufacturing processes in order to ensure stability of the processes, adhesion and compatibility of the coating, and finally, the reliability of the components in various technical systems.The most common residual stress measurement techniques are described and compared, with the focus on the incremental hole drilling and milling method. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed with respect to their application on industrial machine parts. The typical application fields for the different methods are given with respect to the specific measurement principles. The incremental hole drilling method is presented in more detail with application examples that illustrate the suitability of this method for the optimization of thermal spraying processes in industrial layer composite manufacturing by managing the heat and mass transfer in a most appropriate way.     

Hydroxyl Defect Effect on Reoxidation of Sc‐Doped (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O3 Fired in Reducing Atmospheres

The behavior of grain and grain‐boundary conductivity of acceptor (Sc)‐doped (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O₃ ceramics sintered in moist reducing atmosphere and subsequently reoxidized in dry and moist atmosphere was investigated by means of impedance spectroscopy (IS). In moist firing atmosphere, water vapor was found to react with oxygen vacancies, forming positively charged hydroxyl defects on regular oxygen sites in the crystal lattice. Proton hopping is considered to raise the ionic conductivity significantly. Therefore, hydroxyl defects in turn influence the grain conduction. Hydroxyl defects are also considered to be responsible for alternations of the dielectric maximum at the Curie point.     

Halogenated Bis(methoxybenzylidene)‐4‐piperidone Curcuminoids with Improved Anticancer Activity

A series of readily available curcuminoids with a halogenated bis(4‐methoxy/4,5‐dimethoxybenzylidene)‐4‐piperidone structure were prepared and analyzed for their cytotoxic impact on eight human cancer cell lines of five different entities. The known 3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzylidene curcuminoid 2 a and the new bis‐(3‐bromophenyl) and bis‐(3,5‐dibromophenyl) derivatives 3 c and 3 d proved to be more strongly antiproliferative than the known curcuminoid EF24 against six of these cell lines. Compounds 2 a and 3 c caused a distinct increase of reactive oxygen species, which eventually elicited apoptosis in 518A2 melanoma cells. Compound 2 a arrested 518A2 melanoma cells in G₁ phase of the cell cycle and had no effect on the expression of pro‐metastatic matrix metalloproteinases MMP‐2 and MMP‐9, whereas 3 c led to an accumulation of 518A2 cells in the G₂/M phase and to a downregulation of MMP‐2 expression. In addition, treatment with 2 a and 3 c resulted in significant inhibition of colony formation in HCT116 cells. Both 2 a and 3 c showed antiangiogenic activity, for example, by inhibiting the formation of sub‐intestinal veins (SIV) in zebrafish embryos. Compound 3 c was also well tolerated by mice and inhibited the growth of HCT116 colon cancer xenografts.     

NDT techniques for railroad wheel and gauge corner inspection

The development of non-destructive techniques (NDT) techniques for the in-service inspection of railroad wheels and gauge corners was the main activity of the NDT division VIII. 4 at BAM over the last 2 years. For such different components, two different inspection techniques were fundamentally chosen in order to fulfil the end-user requirements. Firstly the inspection of the wheels—rim and disk—should be carried out without dismantling the wheels and using ultrasonic techniques. On the other hand, the inspection of the railroad track surface at a train speed of about 70 km/h should be guaranteed using eddy current techniques. The above-mentioned tasks were a challenge for the lab staff. The accessibility for the wheel inspection was limited due to several impassable barriers such as sand tubes, etc. Eddy current application focused mainly on the detection of head check defects occurring at the gauge corner of the rail. Investigations carried out also showed, that other types of surface defects (e.g. Belgrospis, wheel burns, short-pitch corrugations, etc.) could easily be detected. Some aspects of the inspection system as well as an overview of test results are presented in the current contribution.     

Versatile controlling system for cryopreparation techniques in electron microscopy

A new setup for freeze-substitution and a versatile controlling system has been developed. Our goal was to build a simple system allowing precise control of the physical parameters of freeze-substitution experiments to learn more about their influences on the cellular ultrastructure and immunoreactivity of macromolecules. An improved apparatus for freeze-substitution, based on liquid nitrogen cooling, and a universal software for controlling the complex preparation protocols from cryofixation to final polymerization are described. This controlling system has the following advantages: it allows precise control and registration of temperature profiles, reconstruction of each individual step of previous experiments, and optimization of working conditions. The setup of the freeze-substitution apparatus is designed to run many different substitution media in parallel; freeze-substitution (cryostat), embedding (working platform), and polymerization are carried out at separate places; therefore, more experiments can be done simultaneously. The ergonomic working platform allows exchange of media at controlled temperature and easy handling; survey of the temperature in individual tubes is possible, and the system is protected from water condensation and uncontrolled warming by the deep freezer.     

Multiparameter Characterization of Aerosols

The performance of particle‐based products depends on a multiple set of particle properties. To monitor them during particle manufacturing, three novel aerosol measurement techniques were developed: wide‐angle light scattering (WALS), three‐dimensional laser scattering (3D‐LSS), and differential aerodynamic particle sizing (DAPS). They measure particle shape, aggregate structure, and particle size, i.e., radius of gyration and aerodynamic diameter. The techniques were tested for rod‐like organic pigments and partially sintered SiO₂ aggregates, which were produced by two new aerosol generators.     

Banking in the Internet and mobile era

Large parts of today's banking business are based on the application of information technology (IT). This applies to advisory at the customer frontend to and internal operations in banks to the electronic stock exchanges and transaction networks. To position the five contributions in the special issue on ??Banking in the Internet and Mobile Era??, this editorial suggests a framework that structures the application areas of IT in the banking industry. It recognizes IT as the enabler for all four tiers of the banking value chain and highlights the specific role of the regulatory environment in this industry. The special issue emphasizes the transformation of the banking industry towards more customer-orientation as well as the role of Internet and mobile technologies to change established channels and banking services.