Microstructure and strength of a squeeze cast aluminium piston alloy composite reinforced with alumina short fibre using Al2O3 binder

Abstract

Alumina short fibre preforms were fabricated using an Al₂O₃ binder and infiltrated with aluminium piston alloy melt by squeeze casting. Al₂O₃ binder is thermodynamically more stable than the conventional SiO₂ binder and reduces the fibre/matrix interfacial reaction. The effects of fibre volume fraction, temperature and heat treatment on the yield strength and tensile strength of the composite were investigated. The Al₂O₃ binder provided a satisfactory interfacial bond between the fibre and the matrix without any interfacial reaction or fibre damage. Aging behaviour was not changed by reinforcement. At every temperature, the composites showed the highest strength with a fibre volume fraction of 18%. The strength of the composite was improved by T6 heat treatment. Examination of the fracture surfaces and calculation of the tensile strength using the rule of mixtures indicated that the 18% fibre reinforced composite had a strong interfacial bond even at high temperatures.     

Production of Si55 Al20 Fe10 Ni5 Cr5 Zr5 bulk amorphous alloy by hot pressing

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the relative density was examined for a Si₅₅ Al₂₀ Fe₁₀ Ni₅ Cr₅ Zr₅ alloy which was produced by hot pressing of the amorphous powder during heating up to various temperatures under a critical pressure of 1·5 GPa through a heating/pressing cycle. The density of the compacts increased with increasing temperature and reached a maximum near the crystallisation temperature of 698 K. The relative density of the compacts reached 98·3% at the critical condition of 1·5 GPa and 687 K. The hardness value of the bulk specimen was 940 HV(10 gf, 0·098 N), corresponding to that of the amorphous ribbon. Exposure to higher temperatures resulted in the precipitation of the crystalline phase. The present results indicate that Si based alloys can be produced in a compact form with a low fraction of voids by hot pressing the amorphous powder.     

Assessment of intergranular corrosion in AISI Type 316L stainless steel weldments

Abstract

This paper deals with the applicability of various techniques for the assessment and quantification of sensitisation in AISI Type 316L welds. Welded joints of AISI Type 316L stainless steel were aged at 973 K for periods of up to 200 h. The base and weld metal components of the aged joints were then assessed for susceptibility to sensitisation and intergranular corrosion (IGC) by using various tests specified by ASTM A262, Practices A and E, and ASTM G108 (the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test). The possibility of using eddy current testing (ECT) to detect sensitisation and IGC was also assessed. The use of ASTM A262 Practice A and E tests indicated sensitisation in base metal aged for 20 h and above. Aged weld metals showed no failure in these tests. Tensile tests on the weld joints before and after exposure to Cu–CuSO₄-H₂SO₄ solution did not indicate any differences in the tensile properties. Double loop EPR tests indicated a significant increase in the ratios of charge and peak current densities on reactivation to activation after aging the welded joint for 20 h and above. However, weld metal showed no change in the ratios of the above two parameters. Following doubts about the suitability of the EPR test for on line corrosion monitoring, the ECT technique was investigated in order to assess its suitability for the detection and quantification of sensitisation. The ratio of eddy current amplitudes after and before exposure to Cu–CuSO₄-H₂SO₄ solution was used as an assessment criterion. A significant increase in this ratio was observed on aging the base metal for more than 20 h. No significant change was observed in the ratios of eddy current amplitudes for weld metal. The ECT results correlated very well with the findings of the EPR and ASTM Practice E tests. This indicates that ECT holds promise as an on line monitoring tool for sensitisation and IGC.     

Metal flow behaviour of wide flat bar in the spreading extrusion process

Abstract

To examine metal flow behaviour experimentally in the spreading extrusion process, a round billet is spread by means of a spread ring and extruded through a die opening wider than the internal diameter of the container. In spreading extrusion, the extrusion load is reduced by about 30% in comparison with basic extrusion. However, the metal flow balance in spreading extrusion worsens, because of the high frictional force generated at the interface of the billet and spread ring during the filling process. When the profile is wide or when spread ring height is low, the geometry of the plastic deformation zone on the die face changes from an ellipse into a figure of eight at the wide zone at both ends of the die opening. As a result, the metal flow balance markedly worsens, due to an increase in the size of the plastic deformation zone and frictional resistance acting on the spread ring wall.     

Calibration of residual stress measurements obtained from EDM hole drilling method using physical material properties

Abstract

When using the electrodischarge machining (EDM) hole drilling method to measure residual stress, the stress induced by the metallurgical transformation layer formed during the drilling process can lead to significant measurement errors. In this study, it is shown that provided the dielectric fluid retains a high level of purity, the stress induced during the drilling process is determined primarily by the thermal conductivity and carbon equivalent of the specimen. Accordingly, these two material properties are used as the basis of two calibration equations designed to compensate the residual stress measurement obtained using the EDM hole drilling method. It is shown that the calibration equations reduce the discrepancy between the actual simulated residual stress values produced by the prestress loadings and the measured residual stress values to less than 8 MPa. The calibration equations provide a significant improvement in the accuracy of the measurement results obtained using the EDM hole drilling technique.     

Accumulation of coincidence site lattice boundaries during grain growth

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate the effect of grain growth on the coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundary content of randomly textured polycrystals. Each grain was assigned an orientation, and grain boundary properties were dependent on both the boundary misorientation and the CSL character. While low misorientation angle boundaries (LABs) increase during growth, the fraction of CSL boundaries does not change with time. Decreasing CSL boundary energy and mobility did not alter these results. In contrast with LABs, which are characterised by a scalar misorientation angle, a particular combination of three independent rotation variables is required to create a low energy CSL boundary; thus, these boundaries are unlikely to form or to persist in a random polycrystal. While texture influences boundary formation, a texture that can enhance CSL boundaries is not apparent. Boundary plane effects should not increase CSL fraction during grain growth.     

Precipitation and deformation behaviour of cast alloy 718 during creep and thermal exposure

Abstract

The precipitation, deformation, and fracture behaviour of cast alloy 718 during creep rupture tests was investigated, in comparison with thermal exposure tests. Inhomogeneous deformation bands appeared during monotonic or cyclic deformation of alloy 718. The bands were identified as mechanical twins, which are known to be responsible for crystallographic failure during creep rupture at and below 649°C. However, crystallographic failure was observed at temperatures up to 760°C in the present study. No crystallographic failure was observed at and above 816°C. Precipitation of δ phase was observed on deformation bands following creep rupture tests at and above 704°C. The difference in failure mode below 760°C and above 816°C is assumed to be caused by the precipitation of δ phase on the bands. A few discrete δ particles on the bands during 704°C creep rupture tests were not sufficient to prevent decohesion along the twin/matrix interface, and therefore crystallographic failure still occurred. In contrast with little or no precipitation below 704°C, needlelike or platelike δ phase precipitated at and above 816°C. It is postulated that the precipitation of δ phase restricted successive deformation. Since δ phase precipitates on {111} planes where major deformation occurs, this phase usually grows according to the following orientation relationship: (010)_δ∥(111)_γ, [100]_δ∥[11¯0]_γ. Restriction of deformation by the precipitation of δ phase caused the change in failure behaviour at and above 816°C.     

Influence of fibre surface oxidation treatment on mechanical interfacial properties of carbon fibre/ polyarylacetylene composites

Abstract

In the present work, the mechanical interfacial properties of carbon fibre (CF) reinforced polyarylacetylene (PAA) resin composites were modified through the surface oxidation treatment of carbon fibres by ozone. Both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that oxidation treatment could increase the amount of elemental oxygen on the fibre surface markedly by introducing more oxygen groups. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images indicated that weak surface regions of fibres had been etched and removed, and the degree of fibre surface roughness was increased. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of CF/PAA composites were both improved notably (no less than 50%). It could be concluded that an improvement of fibre surface chemical activity, better wettability of resin on the carbon fibre surface, and stronger mechanical joining between fibres and resin all resulted in the modification of interfacial properties of carbon fibre reinforced PAA composites. The influences of temperature, ozone concentration, and treatment time on the oxidation results were studied, and optimal treatment parameters determined.     

Study of hot corrosion of alloy 800 using linear polarisation resistance and weight loss measurement

Abstract

A study of the hot corrosion of alloy 800 at 700 and 900°C in 80Na₂SO₄+20V₂O₅ (wt-%) has been carried out. The techniques included linear polarisation resistance (LPR) and weight loss measurement during 10 days of experiments, supported by X-ray measurements and electron microscopy. The degradation of the alloy was discussed in terms of the dissolution of the external Cr₂O₃ layer with subsequent oxidation and sulfidation of the alloy. Both LPR and weight loss results showed that the corrosion rate is slightly higher at 900 than at 700°C. At the beginning of the experiments, the corrosion rates obtained using the two techniques increase at both temperatures, but decrease later on until they reach steady values. The measured corrosion rates were within the same order of magnitude for both techniques, but the rates obtained with the electrochemical technique were lower than those obtained using weight loss at 700°C, while at 900°C, the opposite was observed. This is because at 700°C the step that controls the corrosion process is the diffusion of species in the alloy or in the melt, whereas at 900°C, the step that controls the reaction is either charge transfer or there is a mixed control. It is evident that electrochemical techniques are powerful tools for monitoring on line hot corrosion processes when the corrosion rate is controlled by an electrochemical reaction, but may induce some errors when the molten salt changes from an ionic to an electronic conductor.     

Effect of weakly ionised plasma on penetration of stainless steel weld produced with ultra high power density fibre laser

Abstract

A weakly ionised plasma can be generated in stainless steel welding with a 10 kW fibre laser beam at the ultra high power density of ～1 MW mm^–2 in Ar shielding gas. The objectives of this study are to obtain a fundamental knowledge of optical interaction between a fibre laser beam and the weakly ionised plasma, and to evaluate effects of the plasma on weld penetration. The optical interaction was investigated by the high speed video observation or the power meter measurement of another probe fibre laser beam, which passed horizontally through the weakly ionised plasma induced during bead on plate welding of a 20 mm thick type 304 plate with a 10 kW fibre laser beam of 0˙9 MW mm^–2 in power density. The probe laser observed was refracted at 0˙6 mrad angle in average, which was much lower than the 90 mrad divergence of the focused fibre laser beam. The attenuation of the probe laser was measured to be ～4%, which was not mainly caused by Inverse Bremsstrahlung but by Rayleigh scattering. Moreover, a stable laser welding process could be produced at such ultra high power density that 11˙5 mm deep penetration was obtained even if the laser peak power was modulated 1 ms periodically from 10 to 8˙5 kW. It was consequently considered that the optical interaction between the 10 kW fibre laser beam and the weakly ionised plasma was too small to exert the reduction in weld penetration.