Microstructural characterization of autogenous laser welds on 316L stainless steel using EBSD and EDS

This research is concerned with autogenous welding of 316L stainless steel and the microstructure generated by such a process. Autogenous welding does not require a filler material and in this case relies on an initial shallow melt phase to maintain a conduction limited weld. Essentially, a high power laser beam traverses the substrate, with the beam shaped by conventional optics, which produces a Gaussian irradiance distribution; or with a diffractive optical element, used to produce a uniform irradiance distribution. Initial results have shown that due to the nature of the heating cycle, complex microstructures are developed. These fine, complicated microstructures cannot be satisfactorily resolved and quantified using standard optical microscopy techniques. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have been carried out on a number of different microstructures prepared using a range of welding parameters. It is demonstrated that the simultaneous determination of the chemistry and crystallography is a very useful tool for rapid identification of the different phases formed on solidification as a consequence of varying welding procedures.     

Oxidation of Tryptophan by H2O2 in Model Systems

Degradation reactions of tryptophan (trp) and the dipeptides alanyltryptophan (ala-trp) and phenylalanyltryptophan (phe-trp), induced by H₂O₂, were investigated under different conditions in aqueous systems. Decreases in the content of trp as well as the formation of soluble degradation products were determined. Highest losses of trp were obtained after H₂O₂ treatment at 100°C for 2 hr at pH 8.5. Lowest losses occurred at pH 4.0, 25°C, for 30 min. The destruction of trp in ala-trp was similar, while losses of trp in phe-trp under the same reaction conditions were lower. This was indicative of a negative induction effect of the phenyl ring. The quantity of degradation products showed extensive variations, dependent upon the radical mechanism of the oxidation reaction.     

High-Permittivity Temperature-Stable Ceramic Dielectrics with Low Microwave Loss

The compounds SrZrO₃ and CaZrO₃ combine high permittivity with low loss and positive temperature coefficient of permittivity. Temperature-stable materials were produced by forming solid solutions between these zirconates and zirconates or titanates having negative coefficients. The properties of temperature-stable compositions in the systems Ca(Zr,Ti)O₃ and (Ba,Sr)(Zr,Ti)O₃ were investigated. At 4 GHz the relative permittivities were from 29 to 35 and the loss tangents from 3 to 11×10⁻⁴. Both permittivity and microwave loss increased as the principal alkaline-earth ion was changed from Ca to Sr to Ba, but the higher losses could be reduced by adding ∼1 mol% Nb or Ta. Dense fine-grained ceramics with the properties required for microwave applications were prepared.