Reconstruction of diffusion coefficients in the problem of carbonitriding

The uniqueness of the determination of carbon and nitrogen diffusion coefficients is found for the process of carbonitriding with complete and abbreviated information on the concentration fields.M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia. Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 480–483, April, 1994.     

Explosive treatment as a means of redistribution of residual stresses in machine parts

The level and character of residual stress redistribution in cylindrical and flat specimens subjected to shock wave treatment were experimentally investigated. The stresses were measured using methods of destructive and nondestructive testing. It was shown that explosive treatment is an effective means of residual stress redistribution in machine parts regardless of their design features.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 11, pp. 50–54, November, 1994.     

Early detection of ageing in solder joints through laser probe thermal analysis of the peltier effect

We have recently developed an optical contactless method for testing the quality of solder joints during accelerated thermal cycling ageing processes.¹ The method was based upon the measurement of the dynamic thermal behaviour of the joint to short bursts of Joule heating. It has proved to be efficient in revealing the formation of cracks at the lead-solder interface. We present a method to evaluate ageing at a much earlier stage in the cycling process. We have observed in earlier work,¹ that before cracks appear, structural changes occur in the solder at the lead-solder interface. The thermal response of the solder joint is recorded over time to a Peltier heat perturbation produced by flowing a current pulse through the interface where structural changes occur. The key point in this method is to discriminate the Peltier effect from the Joule thermal response because both effects generate heat. The variation of the early Peltier response in the thermal cycling ageing tests is seen as a quantitative signature of the structural changes in the lead-solder interface.     

Oxidation of boron silicide and materials based on it

Boron silicide and compounds based on it containing titanium, chromium, nickel, and yttrium and scandium oxides are studied for their oxidation in air from room temperature to 1300°C. It is shown that chromium boride markedly improves the heat resistance of B₄Si over a wide temperature range (700–1300°C) probably as a result chromium-oxide dissolution in borosilicate glass and alteration of its structure. A favorable effect of yttrium and scandium oxides as well of nickel silicide appears at above 100°C as a result of forming complex oxide compounds in the scale.     

Clinical associations of prenatal ischaemic white matter injury

Neuropathological examinations were carried out at necropsy on 274 cases of intrauterine death or neonatal death at or before three days after birth. Fifty six (20.4%) subjects had evidence of prenatal ischaemic brain damage. On review of the maternal case notes to ascertain antenatal clinical associations there was an increased incidence of intrauterine growth retardation, either based on birth weight for gestational age (odds ratio (OR) 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1 to 3.7) or diagnosed antenatally (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.3 to 5.6). Oligohydramnios was also more common (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 7.0). The association of intrauterine growth retardation and white matter damage remained after excluding fetuses with a major congenital anomaly (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 5.1). The findings suggest that chronic intrauterine hypoxia may be associated with damage to cerebral white matter among fetuses and infants who die. The relation between ischaemic white matter damage and cerebral palsy among survivors remains speculative.     

Wettability of two-phase composites by molten metals

Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 6(354), pp. 40–44, June, 1992.