Strain rate sensitivity and ductile-brittle behavior of polycrystalline Fe-Si alloys with 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 wt pct Si

The strain rate sensitivity of the tensile properties of polycrystalline Fe-Si alloys with 2.5, 3.5, or 4.5 wt pct Si and a C+N content of 0.005 to 0.010 wt pct has been determined at room temperature. From these and previous results the influence of silicon on the athermal and thermal components of the yield (proof) stress of ferrite has been deduced. Both components increase with silicon content, but at the highest strain rates (and lowest temperatures) the thermal component varies little with silicon content and is smaller than that reported for pure iron. Transmission electron microscopy of ductile alloys has shown that the density and arrangements of dislocations are not greatly influenced by silicon content or strain-rate within the range investigated. At room temperature the dislocation velocity exponent,m*, increases with silicon content, being 4.5, 7.4, and 10.6 (±1.0) in the three alloys. For the grain size studied (5 to 7 ASTM) it appears that the stress for yielding by glide must not exceed about 700 MN/m² (100 ksi) if brittle behavior is to be avoided. The combinations of temperature and strain rate at which the ductile-brittle transition occurs are indicated for different silicon contents and different grain sizes. Formerly with the same Institute     

Characterization of the mechanical and thermal interface of copper films on carbon substrates modified by boron based interlayers

The manipulation of mechanical and thermal interfaces is essential for the design of modern composites. Amongst these are copper carbon composites which can exhibit excellent heat conductivities if the Cu/C interface is affected by a suitable interlayer to minimize the Thermal Contact Resistance (TCR) and to maximize the adhesion strength between Cu and C.In this paper we report on the effect of boron based interlayers on wetting, mechanical adhesion and on the TCR of Cu coatings deposited on glassy carbon substrates by magnetron sputtering. The interlayers were 5?nm thick and consisted of pure B and B with additions of the carbide forming metals Mo, Ti and Cr in the range of 5?at.% relative to B. The interlayers were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering from either a pure B target or from a composite target. The interlayer composition was checked by Auger Electron Spectroscopy and found to be homogenous within the whole film.The system C-substrate/interlayer/Cu coating was characterized in as deposited samples and samples heat treated for 30?min at 800?°C under High Vacuum (HV), which mimics typical hot pressing parameters during composite formation. Material transport during heat treatment was investigated by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). The de-wetting and hole formation in the Cu coating upon heat treatment were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The adhesion of the Cu coating was evaluated by mechanical pull-off testing. The TCR was assessed by infrared photothermal radiometry (PTR). A correlation between the adhesion strength and the value of the TCR which was measured by PTR was determined for as deposited as well as for heat treated samples.     

Study of hybrid PVD–PECVD process of Ti sputtering in argon and acetylene

Hybrid PVD–PECVD process of target sputtering in hydrocarbon containing atmosphere combines aspects of both conventional reactive magnetron sputtering (PVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). Such process is being typically used for deposition of metal carbides embedded in hydrogenated carbon matrix. Compared to the conventional co-sputtering of metal and carbon targets, in the hybrid deposition process the source of the carbon is dissociated hydrocarbon vapour in plasma. The aim of this paper is to study the extent of similarities or differences between this hybrid process and the conventional reactive magnetron sputtering. We have chosen the sputtering of titanium target in acetylene containing atmosphere as a representative of the hybrid processes. We focused on experimental measurements of the hybrid PVD–PECVD process behaviour, the time necessary for the process to achieve steady-state conditions and basic modelling of the process.     

Bulk metallic glass tube casting

Tubular bulk metallic glass specimens were produced, using a custom-built combined arc-melting tilt-casting furnace. Zr55Cu30Al10Ni5 tubes with outer diameter of 25 mm and 0.8–3 mm wall thicknesses were cast, with both tilt and suction casting to ensure mold filling. Tilt casting was found to fill one side of the tube mold first, with the rest of the tube circumference filled subsequently by suction casting. Optimized casting parameters were required to fully fill the mold and ensure glass formation. Too small melt mass and too low arc power filled the mold only partially. However, too large melt mass and higher arc power which lead to the best mold filling also lead to partial crystallization. Variations in processing parameters were explored, until a glassy ring with 1.8 mm thickness was produced. Different sections of the as-cast ring were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and instrumented indentation to ensure amorphous microstructure. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to compare the surface qualities of the first- and last-filled sections. These measurements confirmed the glassy structure of the cast ring, and that, the tilt cast tube section consistently showed better surface quality than the suction cast section. Optimized casting parameters are required to fully realize the potential of directly manufacturing complex shapes out of high-purity bulk metallic glasses by tilt casting.     

Method for characterization of triacylglycerols and fat-soluble vitamins in edible oils and fats by supercritical fluid chromatography

This study demonstrates the usefulness of capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for the characterization of triacylglycerols of edible oils and fats. Triacylglycerols were separated according to the acyl carbon number and the degree of unsaturation on a 25% cyanopropyl/25% phenyl/50% methylpolysiloxane stationary phase. Valuable information concerning the triacylglycerol composition of berry oils was obtained, despite the overlapping of certain triacylglycerol peaks. Simultaneous analysis of fat-soluble vitamins and triacylglycerols is not practical by capillary SFC with flame-ionization detection because of the low concentration of naturally-occurring fat-soluble vitamins in edible oils. Therefore, higher loading of the sample, which led to overloading of triacylglycerols, was required to get reasonable peaks for fat-soluble vitamins. The method was applied to the characterization of triacylglycerols and tocopherols in sea buckthorn pulp and seed oil, and cloudberry seed oil without any sample purification prior to SFC. In addition, the stationary phase proved useful for separating the more complex mixtures of triacylglycerols found in milk fat and in fish oil.     

Separation of γ- and α-linolenic acid containing triacylglycerols by capillary supercritical fluid chromatography

The separation of γ- and α-linolenic acid containing triacylglycerols with an identical acyl carbon number and degree of unsaturation was obtained on capillary supercritical fluid chromatography using a 25% cyanopropyl−75% methylpolysiloxane stationary phase. The resolution of 1,3-dioleoyl-2-γ-linolenoyl-sn-glycerol and 1,3-dioleoyl-2α-linolenoyl-sn-glycerol was 1.35 on a 10 m×50 μm i.d. column, whereas the resolution was enhanced to 1.66 by combining two 10-meter columns in series. The difference in the position of double bonds in one linolenic acid residue of triacylglycerols resulted in two series of peaks in the separation of alpine currant (Ribes alpinum) and black currant (R. nigrum) seed oils. The use of the 10-meter column was found to be appropriate for the screening of the triacylglycerol profile in both seed oils studied.     

Polymers containing formamidine groups

Summary New aromatic polymers containing formamidine groups were prepared by high temperature solution polycondensation of triethyl orthoformate with various aromatic diamines. The resulting polyformamidines were characterized by elemental analysis, IR' and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, viscosity measurements, thermogravimetry, DSC- and WAXS measurements. With few exceptions aromatic polyformamidines show excellent solubility in polar solvents and strong acids, but they were gradually decomposed in extended contact with moisture. Polyformamidines containing rigid para structures are well crystallizing materials, which was proved by WAXS investigations. Glass transition temperatures in the range of 62 – 163°C were observed for semicrystalline or amorphous polymers. All aromatic polyformamidines are thermally stable in nitrogen up to 300°C.     

Glycerolysis of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters: 1. Investigations in a Batch Reactor

The present work focused on the glycerolysis of fatty acid methyl esters. The aim was to develop and test a kinetic model that could be used to reliably simulate different process alternatives for this reaction. A prerequisite was the identification and characterization of the factors that affect the reaction kinetics. Experiments were carried out in a batch reactor with and without forced removal of methanol, which is one of the reaction products. Concentrations of all components in the two-phase system were measured. It was found that the methanol concentration has a strong effect on the reaction rate and equilibrium conversion. Near-complete conversions were obtained by stripping methanol with an inert gas. The glycerol concentration in the ester phase was found to increase as the reaction proceeds, which also accelerates the reaction. Effects of mass transfer on the reaction rate were not found to control the reaction rate under well-agitated conditions. A semi-empirical model was used to simulate the reaction. The results from the semi-empirical model show good agreement with experimental results.