An investigation of the effect of fatigue deformation on the residual mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V ELI

Tensile properties, hardness, and Charpy impact toughness of Ti-6Al-4V extralow interstitial (ELI) with equiaxed α and Widmanstätten α structures at various stages of fatigue were investigated. Fatigue crack initiation characteristics of the same alloy were also investigated in this study. In the equiaxed α structure, fatigue cracks initiated mainly at the interface between primary-α grains, while in the Widmanstätten α structure, they initiated across α plates at an angle of around 45 deg to the stress axis. Specimens with the Widmanstätten α structure fractured before adequate fatigue hardening was achieved because a multitude of microcracks readily formed. Specimens with the equiaxed α structure fractured after adequate fatigue hardening developed. Tensile strength, 0.2 pct proof stress, and hardness increased clearly with increasing stress cycles and fatigue steps, particulary in the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) region, while impact toughness and elongation showed a reverse trend. It is suggested, therefore, that the dislocation density multiplies more rapidly near the specimen surface during the early stages of fatigue, while during the later stages of fatigue, dislocation density increases near the center of the specimen. Also, the dislocation multiplication will continue until saturation of the entire specimen has occurred.     

Effects of microstructure on the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation characteristics of biomedical α/β titanium alloys

This article presents the results of a study of the effects of microstructure on the fatigue strength and the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation characteristics of a biomedical α/β titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-7Nb. The results are compared to those obtained from a Ti-6Al-4V extra-low interstitial (ELI) alloy. Fatigue crack initiation occurs mainly at primary α grain boundaries in an equiaxed α structure, whereas, in a Widmanst?tten α structure, initiation occurs within the α colonies and prior β grains, where α plates are inclined at around 45 deg to the stress-axis direction. In an equiaxed α structure, the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation life, where the length of the crack (a) is in a microstructurally short fatigue-crack regime (2a < 50 μm), occupies around 50 pct of the total fatigue life. On the other hand, the fatigue crack in a Widmanst?tten α structure initiates at very early stages of fatigue, and, therefore, the fatigue crack-initiation life occupies a few percentages of the total fatigue life in an α structure. Then, the short fatigue crack propagates rapidly and is arrested at the grain boundaries of α colonies or prior β grains for a relatively long period, until the short crack passes through the boundaries to specimen failure. Therefore, the short fatigue crack-arrest life occupies more than 90 pct of the total fatigue life in a Widmanst?tten α structure. These trends are similar between the Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys and biomedical α/β titanium alloys. The total fatigue life for the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy with an equiaxed α structure is changed by the volume fraction of primary α phase and the cooling rate after solution treatment. By increasing the volume fraction of the primary α phase from 0 to 70 pct, the fatigue limit of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy is raised. Changing the cooling rate after solution treatment by switching from air cooling to water quenching improves the fatigue limit of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy significantly.     

Unique molecular aggregation of novel naphthalocyanine (near IR absorbing dye)

A series of organic-soluble naphthalocyanine derivatives (Y_mMNcX₄) have been synthesized. Their spectroscopic properties in organic solutions and in thin films were studied. MNcX₄ such as MNc(t-Bu)₄ (5a-5c) and MNc(On-Bu)₄ (5j) formed H-aggregates even in dilute solutions. MNc(CO₂R')₄ (5d-5i) had much stronger H-aggregation properties compared with those ofMNc(t-Bu)₄ and MNc(On-Bu)₄. Especially, MNc(CO₂R')₇ complexes (M=Cu, Pd and Ni) existed exclusively without monomers in the aggregated state even in highly dilute solutions. MNcX₄, which has strong H-aggregation properties, showed merely H- aggregate absorption maxima in thin films. In contrast, Y₂MNcX₄ (4), which has sterically hindered Y groups, showed monomerically pure characteristics in solution. However, thin films of Y₂MNcX₄ have a J-type molecular arrangement, exhibiting a red shift of Q-band absorption. The monomeric properties of Y₂MNcX₄ in solutions and J-type molecular arrangement in thin films arise from steric hindrance of two Y groups, such as R₃SiO-in Y₂MNcX₄, which prevents strong H-aggregation of naphthalocyanine.     

Note: Accuracy of velocity correction for impact of a laser-accelerated miniature flyer with lithium fluoride shock-compressed along the [100] axis

We performed miniature flyer impact experiments to investigate the relationship between the apparent (u(a)) and actual (u(A)) particle velocities measured by a velocity interferometer in single-crystal lithium fluoride (LiF) that was shock-compressed along the [100] axis. The miniature flyer was accelerated to velocities in the range 652.5-1937.6 m/s by a tabletop pulsed laser. An empirical relationship of u(a) = (1.2749 ± 0.0102)u(A) was obtained. The obtained relationship agreed well with the results of a previous study within the experimental errors and its uncertainty was less than ±1%. This result indicates that the present experimental technique is effective for measuring the relationship between u(a) and u(A) of shocked transparent materials with a comparable accuracy to conventional methods.     

The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope with open sample space observes dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas

Although conventional electron microscopy (EM) requires samples to be in vacuum, most chemical and physical reactions occur in liquid or gas. The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM) can observe dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas under atmospheric pressure in real time. An electron-permeable window made of pressure-resistant 100 nm-thick silicon nitride (SiN) film, set into the bottom of the open ASEM sample dish, allows an electron beam to be projected from underneath the sample. A detector positioned below captures backscattered electrons. Using the ASEM, we observed the radiation-induced self-organization process of particles, as well as phenomena accompanying volume change, including evaporation-induced crystallization. Using the electrochemical ASEM dish, we observed tree-like electrochemical depositions on the cathode. In silver nitrate solution, we observed silver depositions near the cathode forming incidental internal voids. The heated ASEM dish allowed observation of patterns of contrast in melting and solidifying solder. Finally, to demonstrate its applicability for monitoring and control of industrial processes, silver paste and solder paste were examined at high throughput. High resolution, imaging speed, flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use facilitate the observation of previously difficult-to-image phenomena, and make the ASEM applicable to various fields.     

Simulation study of the influence of different urban canyons element on the canyon thermal environment

The heat island effect is an important issue for large cities, especially those located in hot and moist climates. The phenomenon is more severe in urban canyons because surrounding high-rise buildings allow little ventilation and dissipation of heat caused by traffic. The primary goal of the present study is to investigate the thermal environment of a major street in Osaka by intensive measurement during the summer of 2006. Osaka is the second largest city in Japan and suffers from the most severe heat island effect. In addition, several fundamental renovations and a composite renovation for the improvement of thermal environment in the urban canyon are proposed, and the efficacies of these measures are verified by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. It was found that by modifying the heights of buildings along the street and the ground surface materials and increasing the quantity of vegetation, the thermal environment can be improved by a 2.0°C. reduction in standard new effective temperature (SET^*) at maximum.     

Thermal behaviour and particle size evaluation of primary clusters in a water-based magnetic fluid

This paper reports the experimental research on thermal behaviour and particle size evaluation of primary clusters of ferromagnetic nano-particles in a water-based magnetic fluid. The magnetic fluids are suspensions of ultra fine particles coated with a molecular layer of dispersant in a liquid carrier such as water or kerosene. The particles are coated with single- or double-layer of surfactant to achieve stable dispersion. Numerous experimental studies have indicated the existence of the primary cluster of ferromagnetic nano-particles in a water-based magnetic fluid. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the particle size of the primary clusters by applying the Einstein's equation for Brownian motion assuming that the primary cluster has a spherical-shape. The thermal behaviour of ferromagnetic nano-particles in magnetic fluids is investigated through the micro visualization using the optical darkfield microscope system and particle tracking velocimetry data processing system. Real-time visualization of the Brownian motion of primary clusters in a water-based magnetic fluid was carried out. The experimental results clarified that the primary cluster size depends upon the concentration of the ferromagnetic nano-particle in the magnetic fluid.     

Common-path achromatic interferometer-coronagraph: images from a breadboard demonstrator

A three-dimensional common-path interferometer is proposed, which can achromatically null out an on-axis source while maintaining the detectability of an off-axis source. A geometric phase in the three-dimensional interferometer introduces an achromatic pi-phase shift to the light from the on-axis source, such that destructive interference nulls out the axial light at one of the ports of the interferometer. Light from the off-axis source, which is exempt from destructive interference, comes out from both ports with equal intensity. The common-path scheme makes the system highly immune to environmental disturbances. In the described experiment, a 6x10(-6) peak-to-peak nulling contrast was obtained.     

Continuous production of fine zinc oxide nanorods by hydrothermal synthesis in supercritical water

Continuous production of highly crystalline ZnO nanorods by supercritical hydrothermal synthesis was reported in this article. Zinc nitrate aqueous solution was pressurized to 30 MPa at room temperature and rapidly heated to 673 K by mixing with supercritical water and then fed into a tubular reactor. Residence time is about 10 s. Production of ZnO nanorod particles with uniform particle size distribution showed a strong ultraviolet light emission at room temperature. This article also reported in-situ surface modification of ZnO nanorods with organic reagents by the supercritical hydrothermal synthesis.     

Experiment study on fracture fixation with low rigidity titanium alloy

In order to investigate bone tissue reaction to the low rigidity titanium alloy of TNTZ in bone plate fixation, animal experiment with rabbit was performed with X-ray follow-up and histological observation. Experimental fractures were made in rabbit tibiae, and fixed by different bone plates of SUS316L, Ti–6Al–4V and TNTZ. Although there was no significant difference in fracture healing, bone atrophy was observed in cortical bone especially under the bone plate, which was different in time course among three materials. The bone atrophy under the bone plate was confirmed as porous or poor bone tissue in histological observation. In addition, the diameter of the tibia bone was increased in TNTZ as the result of bone remodeling with a new cortical bone. It is confirmed that the elastic modulus of the bone plate will naturally influence bone tissue reaction to the bone plate fixation according to the Wolff’s law of functional restoration.