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At least 631 records · Page 35

Study on Microstructure and Properties of AZ31/6061 GTAW Butt Joints According to Mg-Cd-Al Ternary System

AZ31 Mg and 6061 Al were successfully joined by GTAW method with Cd as filler metal. The tensile strength of the joints reached 170 MPa through this alloying method according to Mg-Cd-Al ternary system. The microstructure, phases, element distribution and fracture mechanism of alloyed joints were studied. The results suggest that the fusion zone is mainly composed of CdMg compounds and Al-based solid solution. A transitional zone thickness of 40-80 μm with few primary Al{sub 12}Mg{sub 17} and fine Al{sub 12}Mg{sub 17}-MCMS (MCMS represents a mixture of CdMg and CdMg{sub 3} compounds) eutectic is formed between the AZ31 base metal and fusion zone. The fracture surface presents three distinct regions because of the different distribution of Al{sub 12}Mg{sub 17} compounds in the transitional zone. The alloying with Cd filler metal can disperse Al{sub 12}Mg{sub 17} intermetallic compounds and form CdMg ordered compounds with excellent plasticity. Thus, the mechanical properties of alloyed joints have been significantly enhanced.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Optimization of Tensile and Corrosion Properties of Dissimilar Friction Stir Welded AA2024-7075 Joints

In this work, we performed some joining experiments of dissimilar aluminum alloys AA2024-T351 and AA7075-T651 using friction stir welding (FSW) technique with different process parameters (rotational speed, welding speed and plunge depth). Response surface methodology based on a central composite rotatable design was used to establish the mathematical models predicting the tensile properties and corrosion rate of dissimilar FSW joints with some high confidence level. Analysis of variance method was employed to verify the developed models. Besides, the influences of FSW process parameters on tensile and corrosion properties of joints were analyzed. In order to obtain a desirable combination property of the dissimilar FSW joints, the optimum process parameters after experimental verification were proposed as: rotational speed 1495 rev/min, welding speed 187 mm/min and plunge depth 0.03 mm. This verification illustrated that the developed models are appropriate for the modeling and optimization of process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructure and Work Hardening Behavior of Micro-plasma Arc Welded AISI 316L Sheet Joint

The aim of this research is to investigate the microstructural changes and work hardening behavior of AISI 316L 0.5-mm-thick sheet due to micro-plasma arc welding. AISI 316L similar sheets were welded in single-pass square butt joint configuration. The microstructure in the fusion zone typically contains a variety of complex δ-ferrite-austenitic structure, which significantly increased hardness value compared to the base material because of rapid solidification of the weld pool. Systematic tensile test was performed to investigate strain rate sensitivity of the welded joint under quasi-static loading conditions. The multistage work hardening behavior was determined by Kocks–Mecking (K–M) model and differential Crussard–Jaoul analysis. In both the cases, stage III work hardening behavior and stage IV work hardening behavior were observed. The stress–strain curves of welded specimen at different strain rates were analyzed in terms of Hollomon, Ludwik and Swift equations to determine work hardening exponent values. The welded joints were ruptured in the transition zone of heat affected and fusion zones. The fractographic observation exhibited variation in dimple and void density over strain rate from 0.0001 to 0.0015 s{sup −1}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of Preheating and Water Cooling on the Performance of Friction-Stir-Welded Aviation-Grade Aluminum Alloy Joints

This paper examined the effect of preheating and water cooling on the thermal, mechanical, metallurgical, and texture properties of friction-stir-welded AA6082. Joints are fabricated under different preheating (FSW-P) and water cooling (FSW-C) conditions. The experimental outcomes indicate that the preheating and water cooling enhance the mechanical properties of the joint. The maximum tensile strength of 295 MPa is obtained for FSW-P1. It is also observed that preheating has more impact on microhardness. Microstructural analysis using optical microscope and electron backscatter diffraction analysis indicated that FSW produced fine equiaxed grains in the nugget zone due to dynamic recrystallization. Texture analysis shows that finer grain grains are obtained under preheating and water cooling conditions. The minimum grain size of 5.3 µm is obtained under FSW-P1. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that Mg{sub 2}Si phase in nugget zone that is an indication of dissolution and formation of strengthening precipitates. Fracture analysis indicates that preheating also improves the ductility of the joint.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of Postweld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of Laser-Welded Ti-24Al-15Nb Alloy Joint

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of laser-welded joints of Ti-24Al-15Nb alloy under different postweld heat treatment (PWHT) conditions were systematically investigated. The results show that the microstructure is very sensitive to PWHT temperatures. The weld zone consists of B2 and O phases after PWHT. With the PWHT temperatures increasing from 850 to 1000 °C, the amount of O phase decreases gradually, while the grains of O precipitates become coarser. After PWHT, there are some thin acicular O precipitates in heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the decomposition of α{sub 2}-phase caused by niobium diffusion can be observed in the HAZ. The PWHT can significantly increase the microhardness of joints, resulting from O phase precipitation hardening effect. The tensile strength and elongation of joints can be remarkably improved after PWHT, which was closely related to the strengthening effect of O precipitates and slip transmission between O and B2 phases. In addition, the results indicate that the best mechanical properties can be achieved only when the number and size of O phase and B2 phase are the best match.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Combined Experimental and Modeling Approach to Investigate the Performance of Joint Between AZ31 Magnesium and Uncoated DP590 Steel Using Friction Stir-Assisted Scribe Technique

In this study, friction stir assisted scribe technique is used to achieve a viable joint between AZ31 magnesium alloy and uncoated DP590 steel. Here, the mechanical properties and performance of the joint are investigated using finite element modeling and electron microscopy. The joint strength can be ascribed to two factors, the mechanical interlocking and the metallurgical bonding of two materials at their interface. The contribution of both factors is intended, and the metallurgical bonding is studied to understand the basic joining phenomenon.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Joint strength in high speed friction stir spot welded DP 980 steel

High speed friction stir spot welding was applied to 1.2 mm thick DP 980 steel sheets under different welding conditions, using PCBN tools. The range of vertical feed rates used during welding was 2.5 mm – 102 mm per minute, while the range of spindle speeds was 2500 – 6000 rpm. Extended testing was carried out for five different sets of welding conditions, until tool failure. These welding conditions resulted in vertical welding loads of 3.6 – 8.2 kN and lap shear tension failure loads of 8.9 – 11.1 kN. PCBN tools were shown, in the best case, to provide lap shear tension fracture loads at or above 9 kN for 900 spot welds, after which tool failure caused a rapid drop in joint strength. Joint strength was shown to be strongly correlated to bond area, which was measured from weld cross sections. Failure modes of the tested joints were a function of bond area and softening that occurred in the heat-affected zone.

DP980↗

Predicting transport of intra-articularly injected growth factor fusion proteins into human knee joint cartilage

There are no drugs or treatment methods known to prevent the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a type of osteoarthritis (OA) that is triggered by traumatic joint injuries and accounts for ~12% of the nearly 600 million OA cases worldwide. Lack of effective drug delivery techniques remains a major challenge in developing clinically effective treatments, but cationic delivery carriers can help overcome this challenge. Scaling up treatments that are effective in in vitro models to achieve success in preclinical in vivo models and clinical trials is also a challenging problem in the field. Here we use a cationic green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a carrier to deliver Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), a drug considered as a potential therapeutic for PTOA. GFP-IGF-1 conjugates were first synthesized as fusion proteins with different polypeptide linkers, and their transport properties were characterized in human cartilage explants. In vitro experimental data were used to develop a predictive mathematical transport model that was validated using an independent in vitro experimental data set. In this study, the model was used to predict the transport of these fusion proteins upon intra-articular injection into human knee joints. The predictions included results for the rate and extent of fusion protein penetration into cartilage, and the maximum levels of fusion proteins that would escape into systemic circulation through the joint capsule. Together, our transport measurements and model set the stage for translation of such explant culture studies to in vivo preclinical studies and potentially clinical application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stochastic joint inversion of hydrogeophysical data for salt tracer test monitoring and hydraulic conductivity imaging

The assessment of hydraulic conductivity of heterogeneous aquifers is a difficult task using traditional hydrogeological methods (e.g., steady state or transient pumping tests) due to their low spatial resolution. Geophysical measurements performed at the ground surface and in boreholes provide additional information for increasing the resolution and accuracy of the inverted hydraulic conductivity field. We used a stochastic joint inversion of Direct Current (DC) resistivity and Self-Potential (SP) data plus in situ measurement of the salinity in a downstream well during a synthetic salt tracer experiment to reconstruct the hydraulic conductivity field between two wells. The pilot point parameterization was used to avoid over-parameterization of the inverse problem. Bounds on the model parameters were used to promote a consistent Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling of the model parameters. To evaluate the effectiveness of the joint inversion process, we compared 8 cases in which the geophysical data are coupled or not to the in situ sampling of the salinity to map the hydraulic conductivity. We first tested the effectiveness of the inversion of each type of data alone (concentration sampling, self-potential, and DC resistivity), and then we combined the data two by two. We finally combined all the data together to show the value of each type of geophysical data in the joint inversion process because of their different sensitivity map. We also investigated a case in which the data were contaminated with noise and the variogram unknown and inverted stochastically. The results of the inversion revealed that incorporating the self-potential data improves the estimate of hydraulic conductivity field especially when the self-potential data were combined to the salt concentration measurement in the second well or to the time-lapse cross-well electrical resistivity data. Various tests were also performed to quantify the uncertainty in the inverted hydraulic conductivity field.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Joint estimation of biogeochemical model parameters from multiple experiments: A bayesian approach applied to mercury methylation

Here, to characterize complex biogeochemical systems, results from multiple experiments, where each targets a specific subprocess, are commonly combined. The resulting datasets are interpreted through the calibration of biogeochemical models for process inference and predictions. Commonly used calibration approaches of fitting datasets from individual experiments to subprocess models one at a time is prone to missing information shared between datasets and incomplete uncertainty propagation. We propose a Bayesian joint-fitting scheme addressing the above-mentioned concerns by jointly fitting all the available datasets, thus calibrating the entire biogeochemical model in one go using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The identification of null spaces in the parameter distributions from MCMC guided the simplification of certain subprocess models. For example, fast kinetic sorption was replaced by equilibrium sorption, and Monod demethylation was replaced by first-order demethylation. Joint fitting of datasets resulted in complete uncertainty propagation with parameter estimates informed by all available data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Alternative mixed integer linear programming optimization for joint job scheduling and data allocation in grid computing

This paper presents a novel approach to the joint optimization of job scheduling and data allocation in grid computing environments. We formulate this joint optimization problem as a mixed integer quadratically constrained program. To tackle the nonlinearity in the constraint, we alternatively fix a subset of decision variables and optimize the remaining ones via Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). We solve the MILP problem at each iteration via an off-the-shelf MILP solver. Our experimental results show that our method significantly outperforms existing heuristic methods, employing either independent optimization or joint optimization strategies. We have also verified the generalization ability of our method over grid environments with various sizes and its high robustness to the algorithm setting.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Ultrasonic Elastography for Nondestructive Evaluation of Dissimilar Material Joints

Dissimilar material joints or multilayered metals have become inevitable in the manufacturing industry due to the increasing demand for multifunctional materials with variable mechanical, thermal, or electrical characteristics in a single assembly. Lattice mismatch of materials at the interface of dissimilar materials leads to inferior mechanical characteristics. In particular, the mismatch in elastic properties indicated by a large initial elastic deformation is critical to determine the extent of variation in stress. However, nanoindentation, the most common and accepted technique to measure elastic modulus, is destructive, time-consuming, and can only examine mechanical properties within a limited area. A non-invasive elastographic mapping technique evaluates the mechanical properties using ultrasonic elastography to study incompressibility. The dissimilar joint between steel and copper was obtained via friction stir welding. The variation of the stress developed at the welded joint of the two different metals was evaluated from the dynamic bulk modulus map. A tensile test of the involved workpiece confirmed a good agreement with our analysis based on the dynamic bulk modulus elastographic mapping results. This study provides a rapid and non-invasive technique for the bulk metallurgic elastic modulus inspection to overcome the limitations of conventional methods.

Jin, Yuqi↗

Influencing mechanism of pre-existing nanoscale Al 5 Fe 2 phase on Mg–Fe interface in friction stir spot welded Al-free ZK60–Q235 joint

Al-free ZK60 magnesium (Mg) alloy sheet was selected as substrate material of Mg–steel pinless friction stir spot welding (FSSW), avoiding the effect of the Al element in the substrate on the alloying reaction of Mg-iron (Fe) interface. The sound FSSW joint of ZK60 Mg alloy and Q235 steel with a hot-dipped aluminum (Al)-containing zinc (Zn) coating was successfully realized. The detailed microstructural examinations proved that Al 5 Fe 2 phase at the Mg-Fe interface came from the pre-existing Al 5 Fe 2 phase in the coating and acted as the transition layer for promoting the metallurgical bonding of Mg and Fe. The interfaces with well-matched lattice sites among Fe, Al 5 Fe 2 and Mg were formed during FSSW. A low energy interface with good match of lattice sites ((002) Al5Fe2 //(110) Fe , [110] Al5Fe2 //[13] Fe ) between Al 5 Fe 2 and Fe was identified. For the interface between Al5Fe2 and Mg, an orientation relationship of ( 6 2 ¯ 2 ) A l 5 F e 2 / / ( 3 1 ¯ 1 ¯ 2 ¯ ) M g and [ 1 5 ¯ 8 ¯ ] A l 5 F e 2 / / [ 2 4 ¯ 23 ] M g was observed. The tensile–shear load of the ZK60–steel joint could reach 4.6 kN. Moreover, the joint fracture occurred at the interface between the Al5Fe2 layer and the Mg alloy substrate, suggesting the brittle fracture characteristic.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Irradiation response in weldment and HIP joint of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, F82H

This work investigates irradiation response in the joints of F82H employed for a fusion breeding blanket. The joints, which were prepared using welding and diffusion welding, were irradiated up to 6 dpa in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Post-irradiation tests revealed hardening in weldment (WM) and base metal (BM) greater than 300 MPa. However, the heat affected zones (HAZ) exhibit about half that of WM and BM. Therefore, neutron irradiation decreased the strength of the HAZ, leaving it in danger of local deformation in this region. Further the hardening in WM made with an electron beam was larger than that in WM made with tungsten inert gas welding. However the mechanical properties of the diffusion-welded joint were very similar to those of BM even after the irradiation.

Hirose, Takanori↗

Irradiation resistance of silicon carbide joint at light water reactor–relevant temperature

We fabricated and irradiated monolithic silicon carbide (SiC) to SiC plate joints with neutrons at 270–310 °C to 8.7 dpa for SiC. The joining methods included solid state diffusion bonding using titanium and molybdenum interlayers, SiC nanopowder sintering, reaction sintering with a Ti-Si-C system, and hybrid processing of polymer pyrolysis and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). All the irradiated joints exhibited apparent shear strength of more than 84 MPa on average. Significant irradiation-induced cracking was found in the bonding layers of the Ti and Mo diffusion bonds and Ti-Si-C reaction sintered bond. Furthermore, the SiC-based bonding layers of the SiC nanopowder sintered and hybrid polymer pyrolysis and CVI joints all showed stable microstructure following the irradiation.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Tailoring the interfacial microstructure and mechanical strength of SiC ceramic joints using joining temperature and interlayer thickness

Highlights: • Bonding temperature could be decreased from 1600 °C to 1300 °C by inserting the Ti foil between SiC and Ta-5W. • The initial thickness interlayer and the number of interlayer had a significant influence on interface bonding. • Layered reaction layers consisting of carbides and silicide formed at the SiC/Ti/Ta-5W interfaces. • The joint strength depended mainly on the reaction layer thickness, especially the thickness of silicide layer. - Abstract: Silicon carbide ceramic joints solid state diffusion bonded by spark plasma sintering with Ti/Ta-5W/Ti multi-interlayer in the temperature range from 1250 °C to 1500 °C were investigated in detail in terms of interfacial microstructure, elemental diffusion, phase constituents, shear strength, and fracture morphology. Layered reaction layers consisting of carbides (TiC, Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2}, (Ta,Ti,W)C), silicide ((Ta,Ti,W){sub 5}Si{sub 3}) and Ta-rich solid solution (Ta,Ti,W) formed at the SiC/Ti/Ta-5W interfaces. It was found that joining temperature could be decreased from 1600 °C to 1300 °C by inserting the Ti foil between SiC and Ta-5W. Nevertheless, an attempt to further decrease the joining temperature to 1250 °C failed even using a thin Ti foil. The initial thickness interlayer and the number of interlayer had an influence on the interfacial diffusion bonding at SiC/Ti interface. Higher joining temperature was needed to achieve a tough interface joining for a thick interlayer compared with a thin interlayer. The increase of interlayer number also required higher joining temperature. The shear strength reached 123.5 ± 25.3 MPa for the joint diffusion bonded at 1300 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Design of a six-DOF motion tracking system based on a Stewart platform and ball-and-socket joints

This paper presents a six degree-of-freedom (DOF) real-time motion tracking system of measuring the position and the orientation for industrial robots in three-dimensional (3D) space. The proposed system is based on a typical Stewart platform design and utilizes six low-cost displacement sensors to monitor the motion of the Stewart platform. The advantage of the proposed system is its simple calibration and easy accessibility; the magnetic ball-and-socket joints used for rotational joints. With special measurement tools, the center of rotation of all twelve joints can be measured in 3D space at a glance. Following more than fifty measurements, the average root mean square (RMS) position accuracy error of the proposed device is less than 0.186 mm and the average of angular accuracy error is less than 0.160 °, making it suitable for monitoring the performance of industrial robot. As a result, a commercial robot is also tested by the proposed system to verify its usefulness.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of constituent phases in transition joint between nickel alloy 738LC and a MnFeCoNiCu alloy

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed on transition joints between a single-phase MnFeCoNiCu alloy and Ni-base Alloy 738LC to efficiently identify the constituent phases across the interface, with different levels of material intermixing generated by laser-welding with variable power. Here, the intermixing extent was quantified by postmortem energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy mapping. Diffraction-based analyses on complex composition spaces with limited prior data present significant challenges because elemental substitution in both disordered and ordered phases is more extensive than in conventional alloy spaces, which may effectuate relatively large shifts in the observed lattice parameters that convolute the analysis. Therefore, thermodynamic simulations and crystallographic literature data were employed to construct a system-specific diffraction library of twelve prospective phases for the composition space investigated. Subsequently, for predicted disordered cubic phases, statistical hard-sphere models were established to estimate the lattice parameters and predict diffraction peak positions for inclusion in the library. The library was then employed to analyze diffraction profiles measured from the variably intermixed transition joints, with focus on accounting for both high and low-intensity peaks. 99.0 % of diffraction peaks with relative intensity greater than 0.001 were assigned to phases from the system-specific library, exemplifying rigorous peak accounting and indicating that no unexpected phases were present. Up to six of the twelve library phases were experimentally found in the transition joints. The lattice parameters predicted by the statistical hard-sphere model based upon thermodynamic simulations agree reasonably well with the measured values for the disordered FCC matrix phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗