Papers by Author: Robert Schaller

Abstract: Heavily deformed 18-carat yellow gold samples show a recrystallization peak at 700 K during the first heating. The mechanical loss spectrum of polycrystals shows a relaxation peak at about 780 K, which is absent in single crystals made from the same alloy. Stepwise deformation of a single crystal from 2 % to 10 % causes an increase of the high temperature mechanical loss background and the appearance of a high temperature peak. At 8 % deformation the high temperature peak disappears and the peak that is normally observed in polycrystals appears. The increase of the exponential background is interpreted as due to the introduction of new dislocations whereas the high temperature peak is attributed to a relaxation mechanism in the sub grain boundaries. The peak of polycrystalline samples located at intermediate temperatures depends on the grain size: with grain growth, the peak position shifts to higher temperatures. The peak temperature can be related to the mean grain size.

Abstract: Au₆₀Ag₃₀Cu₁₀ (in at%) gold alloy exhibits a mechanical loss spectrum composed of a Zener peak due to Cu atoms in the solid solution and of a second relaxation peak at higher temperature or lower frequency. It is shown that this second peak is related to the presence of grain boundaries as it is absent in the spectrum of a single crystal. This mechanical loss peak, which is stable and reproducible in heating and cooling cycles, is thermally activated with an activation enthalpy of 2.35 eV and an apparent limit relaxation time of 9.6·10^-17s. As it is hard to imagine that a whole grain should slip at once along a touching grain, the relaxation peak is interpreted by a dislocation model, which may account not only for the activation parameters but also for the stress amplitude dependency of the peak.

Abstract: A relaxation peak has been observed in the internal friction spectrum of 18-carat AuAgCu yellow gold alloys at about 750K for 0.5Hz. It is related to the presence of grain boundaries, since it is absent in the spectrum of single crystals. For the 14-carat yellow gold alloy (Au38%Ag32%Cu30%), a phase decomposition between silver-rich and copper-rich solid solution occurs in the same temperature range. The effects of the phase decomposition on the internal friction and the dynamic modulus are studied by isochronal and isothermal measurements and correlated with the microstructure evolution. Upon cooling, the phase decomposition starts at grain boundaries at about 840K, producing a fine lamellar structure, and the grain boundary peak amplitude strongly decreases. As the phase decomposition progresses at the interior of the grains upon further cooling, the internal friction background increases. It remains very high in heating until solid solution homogenisation, which occurs above 890K. Such an increase of the internal friction background is observed also in the single crystalline alloy and may be attributed to the interfaces between lamellae of the silver and copper-rich phase.

Abstract: Composites containing 3 mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia (3Y-TZP) reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with various amounts of CNTs (3Y-TZP / X wt% CNT, X= 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 5) were processed by spark plasma sintering. Microscopic analysis proves that CNTs were well dispersed and embedded in grain boundaries of the sintered body. High temperature mechanical properties have been investigated using mechanical spectroscopy and low stress (6 MPa) creep. The isothermal spectrum (measured at 1600 K) consists of a mechanical loss peak at a frequency of about 0.1 Hz, which is superimposed on an exponential increase at low frequency. The absence of a well-marked peak in monolithic 3Y-TZP is justified considering that restoring force decreases at low frequencies or high temperatures due to the elasticity of neighboring grains. Therefore, strain is no more restricted and the mechanical loss increases exponentially, which is correlated to macroscopic creep. However, with CNT additions the mechanical loss decreases and a better resolved peak was observed. In parallel, the results have shown that the creep rate drastically decreases with CNT additions. These results can be interpreted by the pinning effect of CNTs which can hinder grain boundary sliding at high temperatures, resulting in a creep resistance improvement.

Abstract: A new high temperature mechanical spectrometer, based on an inverted torsion pendulum, has been constructed for the measurement of the internal friction and the dynamic shear elastic modulus in two different working modes: (a) as a function of temperature (300 – 1800 K) at imposed frequency, during heating or cooling; and (b) as a function of frequency (10-3 – 10 Hz) in isothermal conditions. The whole installation is computer controlled by a dedicated software specifically developed. We describe the different parts of this new installation, as well as its performances in both temperature and frequency through an original example study on a high temperature structural intermetallic of Fe-Al.

Abstract: High temperature plasticity of fine-grained ceramics (ZrO2, Al2O3, etc) is usually associated with a grain boundary sliding process. The aim of the present research is then to improve the high-temperature mechanical strength of polycrystalline zirconia (3Y-TZP) through the insertion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or silicon carbide whiskers (SiCw), which are susceptible to pin the grain boundaries. The effect of these nano-sized particles on grain boundary sliding has been studied by mechanical spectroscopy.