Papers by Author: E. Galego

Abstract: This paper reports the results of investigations carried out to determine the microstructure and magnetic properties of some praseodymium-based magnets represented by the formula Pr14Fe63.9-xCo16B6Nb0.1Mx. Bonded magnets were prepared the annealed alloys using the hydrogenation, disproportionation, desorption and recombination (HDDR) process. The HDDR powders were isostatically pressed and bonded with cyanoacrylate adhesive to form permanent magnets. The effect of addition element content on the magnetic properties of these magnets was investigated. The amount of addition has a significant effect on the magnetic behaviour of these bonded magnets.

Abstract: The aim of the work was to prepare an overview about the microstructures present in high-speed steel, focused on the crystallography of the carbides. High-speed steels are currently obtained by casting, powder metallurgy and more recently spray forming. High-speed steels have a high hardness resulting from a microstructure, which consists of a steel matrix (martensite and ferrite), in which embedded carbides of different crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and size, exist. These carbides are commonly named MxC, where M represents one or more metallic atoms. These carbides can be identified by X-ray diffraction considering M as a unique metallic atom. In this work, it is discussed, in basis of the first principles of physics crystallography, the validation of this identification when it is considered that other atoms in the structure are substitutional. Further, it is discussed some requirements for data acquisition that allows the Rietveld refinement to be applied on carbide crystallography and phase amount determination.

Abstract: The main objective of this work is to present the preliminary results on the analysis of the signals arising from the electrical arc, during the vacuum arc remelting of Zircaloy electrodes, aiming the automation of the fusion process. Zircaloy electrodes were made from compacted chips resultant of the machining of Zircaloy rods. The melts were performed in a prototype (vacuum arc remelting) VAR furnace under low pressure of argon and the arc was fed by a constant DC power source. Both filtered and unfiltered signals were recorded by means of a data acquisition system. The fast Fourier transforms FFT and autocorrelation integral were used as tools for data analysis. The result showed that the events occurring within the electric arc have a strong influence on the electric signals. The analysis allowed inferring that the VAR electric arc system has mainly a chaotic behaviour and sporadic periods of linear behaviour. The conclusion of this work is that a control system may be developed, based on the modelling of the non-linear behaviour of the arc, mainly chaotic. This may allow the achievement of an automatic control for the process and yield better quality products.