Papers by Keyword: Mechanical Spectroscopy

Abstract: Dynamic modulus vs. temperature was measured in different alloys (stainless steels, Al alloys, Ti alloys, Ni-base superalloys) prepared by additive manufacturing and an anomalous trend was observed in some of them. Dynamic modulus, measured in successive mechanical spectroscopy test runs with heating-cooling cycles, exhibits an anomalous trend in the first test run that is no longer present in the successive runs. The phenomenon consists in the inversion of the decreasing trend of modulus occurring during heating and gives rise to its permanent increase at the end of the complete heating-cooling cycle. The temperature range where the modulus anomaly takes place and the permanent increase observed after cooling depend on the specific alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations and density measurements revealed that the irreversible process causing the anomalous behavior is the closure of pores of nanometric size leading to material densification. This result has been discussed by considering lattice diffusion.

Abstract: Mechanical spectroscopy (MS) is a dynamic technique for the characterization of material properties providing information that can not be obtained otherwise, and is important for a variety of engineering fields. To illustrate the potentiality of MS, this work provides some examples regarding different metallic systems: (i) thin Al foils for MEMS, (ii) complex structures of point defects in Cr martensitic steels for structural applications in future nuclear fusion reactors, (iii) depinning of dislocations from point defects and precipitates.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing of Al alloys can represent an interesting solution for high-performance components in various industrial fields, as for instance the automotive and aerospace industry. Often, for these applications, the alloys are required to withstand exposure to high temperatures. Therefore, the investigation of the evolution of material properties with increasing temperature is of utmost importance in order to assess their suitability for this kind of applications. In the present study, tensile properties at high temperature were investigated for an AlSi10Mg alloy. Samples were manufactured by laser-based powder bed fusion in horizontal and vertical direction in order to examine the influence of building direction on material behavior. The samples were tested in as-built condition and after exposure to high temperature. Tensile tests were performed up to 150 °C and the effect of holding time at the test temperature was evaluated. Furthermore, the alloy was characterized by mechanical spectroscopy in order to evaluate the behavior of dynamic modulus with temperature and, thus, to provide a comprehensive characterization of the material behavior. It was found that the peculiar microstructure of the alloy produced by additive manufacturing is responsible for good high-temperature strength of the material up to 150 °C. The material also exhibits a good thermal stability even after holding at test temperature for 10 h.

Abstract: Precursor phenomena of melting in pure metals (In, Pb, Bi and Sn) and alloys of the systems Pb-Bi and In-Sn with different compositions have been investigated by means of Mechanical Spectroscopy (MS), i.e. dynamic modulus and damping measurements. MS tests evidenced that a sharp drop of dynamic modulus E takes place in a temperature range ΔT before the formation of the first liquid: the modulus variation ΔE and the corresponding temperature range ΔT depend on the specific metal or alloy. The modulus drop is consistent with a relevant increase of interstitial concentration (self-interstitials assuming the dumbbell configuration), as predicted by the Granato’s theory of melting. The increase of damping in the same temperature range of modulus drop supports this explanation. Owing to their dumbbell configuration self-interstitials interact with the flexural vibration of samples and the periodic re-orientation under the external applied stress leads to energy loss and damping increase. The increase of self-interstitials has the effect to weaken interatomic bonds (modulus drop) and favours the collapse of crystal lattice (melting).

Abstract: Anelastic properties of Bulk Metallic Glasses (BMG) were studied by mechanical spectroscopy using a flexural vibration apparatus. BMG’s samples, with nominal composition Cu₄₈Zr₄₃Al₉ and Cu₅₄Zr₄₀Al₆, were produced by skull push-pull casting technique in rectangular cavity cooper mold. In both samples, the differential scanning calorimeter patterns have evidenced the presence of amorphous structure, although the X-ray diffraction for Cu₄₈Zr₄₃Al₉ composition has shown a heterogeneous microstructure embedded in the amorphous matrix. Anelastic relaxation spectra were obtained using an acoustic elastometer system with vibration frequency in the kilohertz bandwidth, a heating rate of 1 K/min, vacuum greater than 10^-5 mBar in the temperature range of 300 K to 620 K. In the flexural apparatus, an acoustic elastometer system, the internal friction (energy loss) and the elastic modulus were obtained by free decay of vibrations and by the squared of the oscilation frequency, respectively. Internal friction spectra were not reproducible among the measurements, which may imply atomic rearrangement in the samples due to consecutive heating. Normalized elastic modulus data showed distinct behavior from the first to the other measurements evidencing irreversible microstructural alterations in the samples possibly associated with mechanical relaxation due to the motion of atoms or clusters in the glassy state.

Abstract: Ti and its alloys are widely used as biomaterials. Their main properties are excellent corrosion resistance, relatively low elastic modulus, high specific strength, and good biocompatibility. The development of new Ti alloys with properties favorable for use in the human body is desired. To this end, Ti alloys with Mo, Nb, Zr, and Ta are being developed, because these elements do not cause cytotoxicity. The presence of interstitial elements (such as oxygen and nitrogen) induces strong changes in the elastic properties of the material, which leads to hardening or softening of the alloy. By means of anelastic spectroscopy, we are able to obtain information on the diffusion of these interstitial elements present in the crystalline lattice. In this paper, the effect of oxygen on the anelastic properties of some binary Ti-based alloys was analyzed with anelastic spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficients, pre-exponential factors, and activation energies were calculated for oxygen and nitrogen in these alloys.

Abstract: The wide damping maximum which is reported to appear in bones, involving both cortical and cancellous parts, between around 280 K and 420 K; has been determined to be a composition of different processes taking place at different temperatures in cancellous and cortical parts. In fact, in the present work the mechanical response of cow ribs bones has been analysed by coupling mechanical spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy studies. Cancellous part develops two damping maxima at around 320 K and 350 K. Cortical part exhibits a wide maximum in damping between around 310 K and 410 K and another damping relaxation between 390 K and 410 K. The physical-chemical driving force giving rise to the above relaxation processes are discussed.

Abstract: AISI 316L steel, subjected to a low temperature carburizing treatment (kolstering), has been examined by Mechanical Spectroscopy (MS) and nanoindentation to determine the Youngs modulus of the surface hardened layer (S phase). MS results showed that the average value of elastic modulus of S phase is 202 GPa, a little higher than that of the untreated material.Nanoindentation tests, carried out with loads of 5, 15 and 30 mN, evidence a modulus profile vs depth: E is ~ 400 GPa at a distance from the surface of ~ 110 nm, then decreases to reach the value of the steel substrate (190 GPa) at 33 μm.These results, together with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) measurements of carbon concentration profile, can be explained by considering the presence of a very thin surface layer, different from S phase and consisting of a mixed structure of Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and tetrahedral carbon (taC).Furthermore, the same experiments have been carried out also after heat treatments at 450 °C to correlate the modulus change to the decomposition of the metastable S phase leading to the formation of (Cr,Mo)C and Cr₂₃C₆ carbides in a Cr-depleted austenitic matrix.

Abstract: The anelastic behavior of the ferroelectric ceramics (Pb)(Zr/Ti)O₃ (PZT) and (Pb/La)(Zr/Ti)O₃ (PLZT), with Zr/Ti = 65/35, La = 5 at.% and 8 at.%, was investigated in the region of the ferroelectric phase transitions. Anelastic spectroscopy experiments were performed in an acoustic elastometer system, operating in a kilohertz bandwidth, at temperatures rising from 300 K to 770 K, at a heating rate of 1 K/min, under pressure of 10^-5mbar. Anelastic measurements on PZT showed only one anomaly, associated with the occurrence of a ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, while the PLZT data showed two anomalies, which were associated with the following transitions: the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition and a ferro-ferroelectric phase transition between distinct rhombohedral ferroelectric phases. The behavior of the relative variation of the elastic moduli with temperature, near the phase transitions, which describes the change in the type of coupling between strain and the order parameter in ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, with the increase of lanthanum amount and, linear coupling in the strain and order parameter type to PZT ceramic and linear coupling in the strain but quadratic in order parameter type for PLZT ceramics.

Abstract: The mechanical properties of metals with a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, such as Nb, Ta, V, and their alloys, are modified with the introduction of interstitial impurities, such as O, N, C, or H. These metals can dissolve great amounts of O and N, for example, to form solid solutions. The interstitial solute atoms (ISA) in metals with a bcc structure occupy octahedral sites and cause local distortion with tetragonal symmetry. So ISA in these metals forms an elastic dipole that can align along one of the three cubic axis of the crystal. In the present paper, the torsion pendulum technique was employed for the investigation of various interactions among the metallic matrix and different interstitial solutes in the Nb-46wt%Ti alloy. From the relaxation spectra, we obtained the diffusion coefficients, pre-exponential factors, and activation energies for nitrogen in the Nb-46wt%Ti alloy.