New ceramic injection systems for hot chamber die casting of aluminium alloys

Abstract

The quality of hot chamber die cast aluminium alloys can vary, due to differences of casting conditions, in particular the casting pressure. This is caused by the plunger tip galling during the casting process. To solve this problem, a new injection system is proposed using a flexible movable plunger tip and an insert type shot sleeve. With this system, the plunger tip can be turned around and slid into the piston holder, which facilitates smooth insertion of the plunger into the shot sleeve. The proposed insert type sleeve can be made with a strong structure. Moreover, even if the sleeve is partially fractured, it can easily be replaced. With the proposed injection system, high quality hot chamber die cast components can be created. In addition, the maintenance cost of the injection system is dramatically reduced.     

Hot tear susceptibility of aluminium–silicon binary alloys

Abstract

Hot tear susceptibility (HTS) of Al–Si alloys in the 0–5–3·0 wt-%Si has been determined using a constrained rod casting test and a quantitative index. Hot tear susceptibility was seen to decrease with increasing silicon content. Hot tear severity varied directly with solidification shrinkageβ, the non-equilibrium freezing range ΔT′, dendrite arm spacing and the effective grain size d _eff. The highest HTS was seen in the Al–0·5%Si alloy with the largest ΔT′, the highest β, the largest dendrite arm spacing, the lowest amount of eutectic phase f _eu, and, hence, the longest local freezing time t _f. Correlation was observed between HTS and the theoretical hot tear criteria Clyne–Davies CSC, Feurer and Campbell CSC _b indices, with Campbell's criterion showing a very strong correlation as HTS _c≈0·03CSC_b + 6 with R²=0·93, where HTS _c is HTS of rod C.     

Thermomechanical processing of 42CrMoS4 steel

Abstract

Billets of 42CrMoS4 steel were subjected to a programme including forging and rolling to different reduction ratios, followed by quenching and tempering to simulate online thermomechanical treatment (TMT) during rolling. The mechanical properties obtained were compared with those obtained by conventional heat treatment (CHT) (quenching from 860°C and tempering). It was found that increasing the hot reduction ratio from 18 to 60%, accompanied by a decrease in the finish rolling temperature from 900 to 750°C, enhances strength only at the expense of elongation, while rapid quenching instead of air cooling from the same finish rolling temperature yields improvements in both strength and ductility. It was also found that CHT provides higher hardness, whereas TMT provides higher impact toughness. TMT will confer major economic savings since the heat treatment is achieved online.     

Hybrid forming processes for production of lightweight high strength automotive panel parts

Abstract

The research concentrates on a heat treatable AA 6082 aluminium alloy. A set of unified constitutive equations has been developed and determined from experimental data. In addition to modelling viscoplastic flow of the material at different temperatures, the equations contain other two specific features. One is to predict the failure of the material under various deformation conditions based on continuum damage mechanics theories. The other is to model the precipitation formation and growth under straining and aging conditions; thus, the strength distribution of formed parts can be predicted via process modelling. The determined unified constitutive equations are then implemented into the commercial finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit via the user defined subroutine, VUMAT. A finite element process simulation model and numerical procedures are established for the modelling of a hot stamping and cold die quenching processes for a spherical part with a central hole. To validate the simulation results, a test programme is developed, a test rig has been designed and manufactured and tests have been carried out under different forming rates. It has been found that very close agreements between experimental and numerical process simulation results are obtained for the range of forming rates carried out.     

HgCdTe detectors operating above 200 K

This paper reports progress with work aimed at using HgCdTe detector arrays at temperatures above 200 K where cooling is possible with thermo-electric coolers. Both theoretical analysis and calculations based on the detector dark currents indicate that useful performance should be obtainable in this temperature range. However, measurements on the performance of two-dimensional arrays show that the thermal sensitivity degrades rapidly for temperatures above 200 K. The reduction in performance at higher temperatures is shown to be mainly due to increasing 1/f noise as the temperature increases. The noise is characterized as a function of bias and temperature and this is used to predict the noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) as a function of temperature. We describe an approach for producing two-dimensional arrays based on biasing the detector elements at close to zero bias so that the 1/f noise is minimized. A camera based on this concept is described and an example of the imaging performance is shown.     

论高工作温度碲镉汞红外探测器（下）

与用其他材料制备的红外光子探测器相比,碲镉汞红外探测器具有带隙灵活可调、量子效率较高以及R_oA接近理论值等优点。碲镉汞探测器的主要缺点是需要低温制冷,以抑制引起噪声的热生自由载流子。期望碲镉汞探测器在具有高工作温度(High Opeating Temperature,HOT)的同时而又无需牺牲性能。HOT碲镉汞探测器的设计目标主要是抑制俄歇过程,从而降低探测器噪声和低温制冷需求。从相关基本概念出发,讨论了对HOT碲镉汞物理机制的理解以及近年来HOT碲镉汞技术的发展状况。     

Understanding the low temperature end of the hot ductility trough in steels

Abstract

The low temperature end of the hot ductility trough has been examined for steels which have been solution treated at ～1300°C before tensile testing in the temperature range of 1000–600°C. Failure in the trough in this region is intergranular ductile and occurs by strain intensification in the thin film of ferrite surrounding the prior austenite grain. The strain causes voiding to occur at the inclusions situated at the boundaries, the cavities gradually linking up to give failure. In steels which are solution treated before tensile testing, the depth of the trough is shown to be controlled by the volume fraction of the second phase particles, their size and the separation between the particles. Recovery in ductility on the low temperature side of the trough is solely dependent on being able to produce a sufficiently large quantity of ferrite to prevent strain concentration (～40%). Often this has to await the test temperature falling below the AR ₃ in which case wide troughs are formed. However, if conditions are right, very narrow troughs can be produced in which the ferrite that is formed is deformation induced. The width of the trough at the low temperature end of the trough is shown to decrease with increase in strain rate, refinement of the austenite grain size, increase in cooling rate from the solution treatment temperature, decrease in the volume fraction of sulphides situated at the austenite grain boundaries and reduction in the Mn and C contents. The depth of the trough decreases in a similar manner with all these variables except for C and Mn, where for the former there is no effect and for the latter, increasing the Mn level reduces the depth. Narrow troughs on this side of the trough are dependent on being able to form deformation induced ferrite in sufficiently large amounts so as to improve the ductility at temperatures above the AR ₃. A model is proposed to account for most of these observations.     

Laboratory investigation of denitrogenation of low carbon steel by gas generation in situ

Abstract

Denitrogenation of low carbon steel with carbon monoxide generated in situ by the reaction of carburised iron /graphite with dissolved oxygen in the bath has been investigated in an air induction furnace. A melt size of 50 kg was used. Experimental parameters, namely nature and size of the deoxidising reactants and bath parameters, such as dissolved carbon, nitrogen and oxygen levels in the bath and temperature of the bath, were varied to investigate effects on the extent of denitrogenation. A trend of increasing denitrogenation with increasing gas evolution in the bath was observed. The extent of denitrogenation showed a decreasing trend with increasing temperature and oxygen level in the bath. Thermodynamic consistency was checked by calculating the average partial pressure of desorbed nitrogen from the total gas generated and the total volume of nitrogen liberated at the reaction site.     

Modelling recalescence after stock reduction during hot strip rolling

Abstract

The relationships between stock recalescence time/distance and process variables, such as exit thickness, reduction, rolling speed, work roll diameter and slab–roll heat transfer coefficient during hot strip rolling, have been established. The behaviour of the temperature gradient was analysed and used to estimate the slab and transfer bar mean temperatures from measured surface temperature in three hot strip mills located in northeast México. It was found that the recalescence critical variables, in order of importance in minimising temperature measurement variation, are slab–roll heat transfer coefficient, reduction, exit thickness and roll speed.     

Experimental and operational thermal studies on blast furnace cast steel staves

Abstract

The operating conditions of cast steel staves at Masteel blast furnace have been simulated to generate the temperature distribution under different operating conditions. The influence of the temperature and velocity of cooling water as well as the gas temperature of blast furnace on the temperature distribution of the cast steel stave was obtained. The main cause of stave damage is discussed. The result shows that cast steel staves possess better heat transfer ability and a lower temperature distribution field than nodular cast iron staves, but their performance is much less satisfactory than that of copper staves.