Effect of lattice-mismatch strain on the structural and dielectric properties of (Pb,Sr)TiO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Pb_0.35Sr_0.65TiO₃ (PST) thin films have been fabricated on LaAlO₃ (LAO) and MgO substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. The microstructure characteristics of the films were examined by means of X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and the results indicate that the films are epitaxially grown and show good crystallinity. The dielectric constant dependence on DC bias voltage and temperature were measured in a planar capacitor configuration for these films. Compared to the PST thin film grown on LAO, the film grown on MgO showed a higher temperature of the capacitance maximum and a higher dielectric constant at zero bias. We explain the results by taking into account the lattice-mismatch strain between the substrate and the film. In contrast to the in-plane compressive strain induced by the LAO substrate, the in-plane tensile strain induced by the MgO substrate enlarges the unit cell of PST and enhances the magnitude of dipole moments, which increases the dielectric constant. These results indicate that a reasonable in-plane tensile strain could improve the dielectric properties of PST thin films.     

A Smoothed Finite Element Method for Mechanics Problems

In the finite element method (FEM), a necessary condition for a four-node isoparametric element is that no interior angle is greater than 180° and the positivity of Jacobian determinant should be ensured in numerical implementation. In this paper, we incorporate cell-wise strain smoothing operations into conventional finite elements and propose the smoothed finite element method (SFEM) for 2D elastic problems. It is found that a quadrilateral element divided into four smoothing cells can avoid spurious modes and gives stable results for integration over the element. Compared with original FEM, the SFEM achieves more accurate results and generally higher convergence rate in energy without increasing computational cost. More importantly, as no mapping or coordinate transformation is involved in the SFEM, its element is allowed to be of arbitrary shape. Hence the restriction on the shape bilinear isoparametric elements can be removed and problem domain can be discretized in more flexible ways, as demonstrated in the example problems.     

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Si-Al-Mn TRIP Steel with Niobium

Microstructure consisting of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite can be obtained through intercritical annealing and isothermal treatment in bainite transformation region for low silicon TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steel containing niobium. Effects of strain rate, Nb content and soaking temperature in bainite region on microstructure and mechanical properties of test steels were investigated. It is shown that as strain rate ranges from 10-2 to 10-4 s-1, the volume fraction of transformed martensite from retained austenite,as well as tensile strength, elongation rate and strength-ductility product, increases. When Nb is added, the volume fraction of retained austenite decreases, but tensile strength and yield strength increase. While Nb content reaches 0.014%, the steel exhibits high elongation and combination of strength and ductility. Higher retained austenite volume fraction and good mechanical properties are obtained in the test steels when the soaking temperature in bainite region is 400℃. The maximum values of tensile strength, total elongation rate and strength-ductility product can reach 739 MPa, 38% and 28082 MPa%, respectively.     

办公建筑的生态设计观

文章首先从建筑设计角度界定整体生态设计观的概念,提出在办公楼生态设计中应本着“共生、平衡、循环”三原则;进而从建筑技术角度提出三大策略——应变策略、权衡策略和整合策略;最后强调指出生态设计中的系统观和矛盾分析法是生态建筑设计理念的重要组成内容。     

结构性黄土应力应变特征分析

利用GDS三轴试验系统开展了饱和黄土等压/偏压固结不排水常规三轴压缩试验研究(应变控制式),获得了一组结构性黄土应力～应变关系曲线。此类曲线反映了饱和黄土应力～应变关系具有"暂稳态"特征,其后发生强烈应变软化。此外又开展了应力控制式三轴压缩试验研究,试验结果表明,应力增量式剪切能够最大程度地反映土体微观结构特征,应力失控的拐点即为土体结构强度。而应变增量控制的传统剪切模式,在应变速率精确控制的同时,削弱了其结构性。因此,研究在外界荷载作用下的黄土的力学性状,建议开展应力控制式三轴压缩试验,以获得更为合理的结果。     

High temperature deformation of ceramic particle composites

The particle composites Al₂O₃/(2 and 3Y)TZP and MgAl₂O₄/3Y-TZP were tested in bending at temperature of 1280 °C over strain rates from 3.4 × 10⁻⁷ to 1 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and over stresses from 23 to 85 MPa. Strain rate of the composites decreased as a volume fraction of Al₂O₃ or MgAl₂O₄ increased. MgAl₂O₄/3Y-TZP composites deformed easier under the comparable conditions than alumina/zirconia composites. Four models of composite creep behaviour were compared to the experimental data. All the models were unsuitable for MgAl₂O₄/3Y-TZP, in turn an isostress, an isostrain and a constrained isostrain models provide the good predictions for creep rates for alumina/zirconia ceramics, but the rheological model appeared not good. The threshold stresses approach seems to be useful for describing superplastic flow of MgAl₂O₄/3Y-TZP composites.     

An experimental procedure for measuring accelerations and strains from a tie down system of a heavy nuclear transport package during a rail journey

Abstract

The transportation of nuclear waste and new nuclear fuel is an important aspect in sustaining the generation of electricity by nuclear power. The design of packages that satisfy regulatory requirements for normal operating and accident conditions is a complex engineering challenge. The ancillary equipment used to constrain the packages to their conveyance, a tie down system, is part of a multicomponent system used to transport packages. Traditionally, the individual components of the transport system have been designed in isolation. This approach does not account for the interaction between components of the system such as the conveyance, tie down system and package. The current design process for tie down systems is well established but, due to its heuristic development, suffers from uncertainties over which loading conditions should be applied. This paper presents a method for collecting measured acceleration and strain data that can be used to derive customised load cases for the design of tie down systems during rail transportation. The data was collected from a tie down system that restrained an empty TN81 package, weighing 99·7 tonnes during a routine rail journey from Barrow-in-Furness to Sellafield. Furthermore, the data can be used to validate modern computer models, allowing for the development of the previously described holistic approach to tie down system design. The results are unique because an ensemble of acceleration and strain time histories from a transport system laden with a nuclear package is unprecedented. A visual examination indicates that the loading a tie down system incurs during a rail journey consists of low magnitude accelerations. The measurement points also show that the general trend of acceleration levels is highest nearest the track and is attenuated by the package. The implications for the design of tie down systems are that two potential failure modes, fatigue and static strength, have been identified. The data provides scope for customising accurate static strength and fatigue calculations using modern computational techniques. This allows for the safety margins inherent in new designs to be determined and optimised design solutions made possible.

INS makes no representations or warranties or any kind concerning this article, express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including without limitation, warranties of accuracy or the absence of errors.     

铝合金的J-C失效参数标定与仿真分析

为更好地表征铝合金材料在动态冲击过程中的失效行为,使失效显含动强度特征,并反映应变率及应力三轴度等参数对铝合金动态失效行为的影响,需要得到合理的铝合金材料Johnson-Cook失效准则参数.根据铝合金板材拉伸断裂试验参数,应用LS-DYNA软件仿真了不同应变率下的试件破坏过程,修正了铝合金材料的Johnson-Cook失效参数,能准确反映失效应变随应变率的单调递减关系,并对一铝合金翼面前缘薄壁结构进行鸟撞数值分析,考察在所标定失效参数及结构碰撞复杂应力状态下,应变率及应力三轴度对铝合金材料失效行为的影响,证明了上述标定的失效参数的合理性.     

An analytical and experimental comparison of orthotropic sandwich panels using the Hydromat Test System

A new two-dimensional test system, called the Hydromat Test System, simulates the hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loading conditions which are often present in actual sandwich structures, such as marine hulls. The test fixture uses a square 24 inch×24 inch panel sample which is simply supported all around and has a distributed load provided by a water-filled bladder.

In this study, the Hydromat Test System has been used to obtain data on sandwich panels with orthotropic face sheets and isotropic cores. This data has been compared to analytical expressions for the deflection and the in-plane strains based on small deflection sandwich panel theory. The engineering constants needed for the analytical solution were obtained from characterization tests of the face sheet materials. Core shear properties were obtained experimentally using two different ASTM standards. Four panels, with two different core materials and two different face sheets, were tested. Face sheet properties varied from slightly orthotropic (plane weave) to highly orthotropic (unidirectional), with an axial to transverse tensile moduli ratio of 1.2 and 3.9, respectively. The cores were closed cell foams with both a low and a high shear stiffness.

The analytically obtained center panel deflection varied from 1 to 10% of that obtained by experiment. Most of the analytical tensile strains were less than 10% different from the measured ones. Both experimental deflection and strain data are in excellent agreement with the small deflection theory. It was concluded that the Hydromat Test System provides predictable and repeatable boundary conditions and loading mechanism and is a suitable method for testing soft cored, highly orthotropic sandwich panels.     

Compression testing of a sintered Ti6Al4V powder compact for biomedical applications

In this study, the compression deformation behavior of a Ti6Al4V powder compact, prepared by the sintering of cold compacted atomized spherical particles (100–200 μm) and containing 36–38% porosity, was investigated at quasi-static (1.6×10⁻³–1.6×10⁻¹ s⁻¹) and high strain rates (300 and 900 s⁻¹) using, respectively, conventional mechanical testing and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar techniques. Microscopic studies of as-received powder and sintered powder compact showed that sintering at high temperature (1200 °C) and subsequent slow rate of cooling in the furnace changed the microstructure of powder from the acicular alpha () to the Widmanstätten (+β) microstructure. In compression testing, at both quasi-static and high strain rates, the compact failed via shear bands formed along the diagonal axis, 45° to the loading direction. Increasing the strain rate was found to increase both the flow stress and compressive strength of the compact but it did not affect the critical strain for shear localization. Microscopic analyses of failed samples and deformed but not failed samples of the compact further showed that fracture occurred in a ductile (dimpled) mode consisting of void initiation and growth in phase and/or at the /β interface and macrocracking by void coalescence in the interparticle bond region.