Papers by Author: K.G. Anthymidis

Abstract: Composite materials which main constituent part is a metal are called Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs). The other compounds may be metals too, ceramics or even organics. They are well known for their excellent thermo-physical and mechanical properties. Reinforcement is used to improve different properties of the main material, such as wear resistance, hardness, fatigue resistance, friction coefficient, thermal conductivity and others. As a result, during the last years, MMCs have found a lot of application in automobile industry for the production of brakes and parts of engines and in aerospace industry for the production of structural components, as well as in electrical and electronic industry and in many other applications. MMCs can be produced by many ways, such as, powder blending and consolidation, foil diffusion bonding, electroplating, spray deposition, stir-casting and others. In this research stir-casting was used as processing technique for the production of Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by ceramic particles and iron. The morphologies of the produced composite materials were examined using optical and SEM microscopy. The compositions of their micro structural features were determined by EDX spectroscopy. The phases formed were determined by XRD techniques. In the tribological tests, under dry wear conditions, the as-produced composites materials showed significant increased resistance to wear compared to pure Al metal.

Abstract: Chromium coatings have been used for the protection of gas turbine blades in power plants during the last years due to their very good resistance against steam corrosion. Microhardness, scratch, adhesion and pin-on-disk sliding tests are commonly used for rapid evaluation of the mechanical properties of these coatings [1,2]. However, very limited information exists on their fatigue resistance. In this paper we present the experimental results of the impact testing examination of the above coatings. This experimental method is capable to assess the fatigue and the impact wear resistance of coatings working under cyclic impact loading conditions. From the experimental results it was concluded that the slurry Cr, Zr coatings deposited on P91 steel showed adequate fatigue strength for the above-mentioned kind of use.

Abstract: The usage of Computer Numerical Controlled Machines has been generalized over the last decades due to the increased demands for the production of mechanical parts with précised dimensions, higher production rates and products with better treated surface quality. It is well known that the duration of life of a cutting tool is one of the most important parameters during the cutting of metal parts, because it affects the cost of the manufacturing process substantially. Therefore, it is important to know accurately, the relation between the duration of life of the cutting tool and the conditions of the machinery such as cutting velocity, feed rate (fz), the depth of cut (radial and axial) etc. The purpose of this research is to conduct a proper number of cutting experiments in milling, measuring the wear of the cutting tools, in order to conclude in a mathematical model the wear cutting tool. This model can be implemented for the prediction of the cutting tool life, which is very important for the determination of the best cutting conditions. From the experimental diagrams we can come to conclusions for the course of the wear of the cutting tool in connection with the velocity of cutting, for the machinability of the materials used etc. The wear of the used cutting tools was determined by means of optical microscopy and stereoscopy.

Abstract: Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by ceramic particles are well know for their good thermo-physical and mechanical properties. As a result, during the last years, there has been a considerable interest in using aluminum metal matrix composites (MMCs) in the automobile industry. These potential applications have greatly stimulated the tribological studies of MMCs under different operating conditions. In this paper, TiB – particles - reinforced aluminum - tungsten matrix composites were fabricated by the cost – effective squeeze – casting technology and their microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties were investigated. The microstructure observation showed that the produced composites were dense, with no micro-holes and obvious defects. Their wear resistance was evaluated using a pin on disc type equipment under dry wear conditions and found significantly increased compared to pure Al metal.

Abstract: Interactions between solid materials and liquid aluminum lead to a dissolution of solid elements into aluminum, which in turn results in a subsequent growth of intermetallic and intermediate phases. It was established that the growth of the intermetallic phases could be governed by chemical reactions at the interfaces and by interdiffusion of the reacting elements through the different phases. Dissolution on the other hand mainly depends on thermodynamic conditions, experimental parameters such as temperature, stirring time, and reacting holding time and on the degree of the saturation of aluminum as well as on the chemical composition of the solid materials in the reaction zone. The above-mentioned factors play also an important role in the formation of the different phases during dissolution. Nevertheless, a non-uniform distribution of the solute elements may causes a local concentration of these elements into the liquid aluminum, which practically delays the process or alters the equilibrium of the growth of the phases. Thus it is crucial to control the dissolution conditions so that the instabilities induced at the solid materials/aluminum interface are limited. The main objective of this study was to investigate both the formation of intermetallic and intermediate phases in the reaction zone and to examine the development of the diffusion structures of pure aluminum reinforced with TiB particles and to investigate the mechanical properties of the as-produced composite materials.

Abstract: Slurry coatings have been used for the protection of gas turbine materials in power plants during the last years. These coatings can be applied by spaying, brushing or dipping. The main constituent elements are silicon, chromium, potassium, borium, carbon and zirconium. They are characterized by high hardness and very good resistance against corrosion, erosion, abrasive and adhesive wear. To guarantee the reliability of coated steam turbines components used in power plants, the lifetime assessment of the coatings and their failure prediction become very important. Microhardness, scratch, adhesion and pin-on-disk sliding tests are commonly used for rapid evaluation of the mechanical properties of these coatings [F. Loeffler: Thin Solid Films, Vol. 339 (1999), p. 181]. However, the above testing methods do not model the dynamic cyclic fatigue. In this paper we evaluate the fatigue resistance of slurry coatings working under cyclic loading conditions by the impact testing method. The coating failure mode and its extent were assessed by SEM observations and EDX analysis. From the experimental results it was concluded that the Si,Cr,O,B,C coatings deposited on P91 steel substrate showed an improved fatigue strength compared to that of Si,Cr,O deposited on the same substrate.

Abstract: The impact testing is an efficient experimental method that enables the quantitative and qualitative determination of the fatigue resistance of mono- and multilayer coatings deposited on various substrates, which was not possible with the common testing methods previously available. In this paper the experimental assessment of the fatigue resistance of coatings working under cyclic loading conditions by means of the dynamic impact testing method is presented. The fatigue failure mode, such cohesive or adhesive, of the investigated coatings is determined using scanning electron and optical microscopy, as well as EDX analysis. Critical values of the stress components, responsible for distinctive fatigue failure modes of the coating substrate system are obtained and the fatigue limits of aluminide coatings are illustrated in simple diagrams containing the impact load versus the number of successive impacts that the examined aluminide-P91 system can withstand.