Advanced Materials Research Vol. 1165

Abstract: Effects of Cerium (Ce) addition on solidification structure of a low-carbon 42CrMo4 steel was investigated. The addition of up to 0.067 wt.% of Ce in the steel produced greatly improved solidification structure with a suppressed columnar grain zone, finer grain size in an equiaxed grain zone and zero area fraction of casting shrinkage cavity. The added Ce occurred in the steel both in the form of Ce oxy-sulfide inclusions and as dissolved atomic Ce segregated together with other elements at prior austenite grain boundaries and at interdendritic spacing. The Ce oxy-sulfide inclusions were found to play a major role in the observed improved grain structure meanwhile dissolved Ce had pronounced effects on morphology of dendritic networks. The fraction of Ce dissolved in the melt appeared to bring about increase in fluidity of the molten steel, leading to total elimination of interdendritic shrinkage porosity in solidification structure of the steel with added Ce. Ce addition can be considered as a potential solution for grain structure refinement in heavy-weight castings of 42CrMo4 steel grade.

Abstract: Friction stir welding (FSW) is an advanced solid-state metal joining technique. This operation fuses adjacent materials through the use of a non-consumable, rotating tool, which is plunged into and travels along the seam of the materials. Since this joining method avoids the bulk melting of the base materials, it is considered a relatively energy efficient process. Additionally, the strength of the base material is often improved due to significant grain refinement resulting from the stirring action of the tool at relatively low temperatures. Another inherent benefit is that the joint thickness, which is dependent on the length of the pin, can be much greater than most other joining processes and can also be well controlled. This joining method conventionally relies on the friction at the tool-base material interface to stir materials. Other research has implemented complex tooling to mechanically enhance this stirring action. However, these tools are often expensive, requiring a high level of capability within industry. In order to improve the weld strength of FSW, a novel toolpath is utilized which significantly improves the mechanical mixing of the constituent materials without the need for complex tooling, such as tools with threaded pins. The path currently investigated forms a curl as it travels both perpendicular and parallel to the joint. This motion is used to extend the stirring action of the tool to regions outside the immediate joint area. It was found that this tool path is effective in improving weld strength under specific process parameters. Constraining the tool's axis normal to the workpiece surface resulted in a void that was formed in the majority of tests; however, this void was eliminated with modification of the process parameters. An uneven distribution of heat was recognized within this testing in which one side of the joint was hotter than the other. This observation may be used in future studies to perform multi-material joining where it is often necessary to increase the temperature of one material more than the other.

Abstract: Thermosetting systems based on epoxy resin (RE) with the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNT), have been extensively studied by the development of high-performance materials with interesting mechanical, thermal and electrical properties that the thermo-rigid system achieves with the addition of CNT, and thus contribute to obtain composites with excellent performance in low amounts of this filler. However, ensuring a good dispersion of these systems is not easy, as CNTs have a great tendency to cluster due to Van der Waals interactions. To assist in the dispersion of the systems, a phosphonium-based ionic liquid, tributyl (ethyl) -phosphonium diethyl phosphate, acted with a double role, as a dispersion agent and catalyst in systems hardened with MCDEA (4,4’-methylenebis (3 - chloro-2,6-diethylaniline), which is a solid compound giving the systems high viscosity, and with the addition of LI improved the dispersion of the systems, as well as the processability in the preparation of the nanocomposites.

Abstract: The key focus of this work was to examine the effect of hybrid fiber reinforcement on thethermal properties of particulate based natural fiber-reinforced hybrid composites. Banana and sisal fiberswere selected as natural fiber reinforcements for the polyester matrix based composites, which wereproduced by mechanical stir mix technique. Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier-TransformInfrared Spectroscopy (FTIS) were conducted in accordance with American Society for Testing andMaterials (ASTM) standards for the characterization of the hybrid composites. The FTIS result shows thedisappearance of 1735 cm-1 peak, a notable evidence of NaOH treatment. The thermal analysis showedthat the hybridization significantly affected the high temperature stability of the composite, with 70%Sisal/30%Banana found to have the lowest high temperature mass loss at a temperature of 300–520oC, thushighest high temperature stability. Derivative Thermogravimetry (DTG) results shows a minor mass lossrate at a temperature range of 50–150oC as well as a major mass loss rate due to pyrolysis of key fiberconstituents such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin between 260 and 350oC. Also it was observed thatas the percentage of banana in the hybrid fiber increases the speed of high temperature mass loss reduces.

Abstract: In this paper, the post ballistic impact behaviour of kevlar-glass fibre hybrid composite laminates was investigated against 9×19 mm projectile. Eight different types of composite laminates with different ratios of kevlar woven fibre to glass fibre were fabricated using hand lay-up with epoxy matrix. Ballistic behaviour like ballistic Limit (V₅₀), energy absorption, specific energy absorption and Back Face Signature (BFS) were studied after bullet impact. The results indicated that as the Percentage of glass fibre is increased there was a linear increment in the ballistic behaviour. Addition of 16% kevlar fabric, composite sample meets the performance requirement of NIJ0101.06 Level III-A. Since the maximum specific energy absorption was observed in Pure Kevlar samples and the adding of glass fibre increases the weight and Areal Density of the sample, further investigations need to be carried out to utilize the potential of glass fibre for ballistic applications.

Abstract: The important characteristic in the creation of longitudinal splitting cracks in pretensioned concrete members has found to be the geometry of the pre-stressing wire indents. Longitudinal splitting along prestressing tendons can result in severe splitting of prestressed member in the field under loading over time. The research evaluated the influence of wire type indentation on the longitudinal splitting in prestressed concrete members fabricated with different concrete mixtures and different compressive strength of concrete. A key objective was to find the best type of wire to avoid failures in the field. A study was conducted at Kansas State University to understand the effect of wire type on the longitudinal splitting between prestressing steel and prestressed concrete. Three different types of wires will be presented in this paper denoted as “WB”, “WF” and “WQ”. The wires have different parameters which include indent depth, indent width, indent sidewall angle, indent pitch and indent volume.

Abstract: The present work investigate the microwave absorption properties of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Silicon carbide (SiC)-Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites prepared in different concentration of fillers(10, 20, 30, 40 wt. %) with LLDPE matrix. Synthesis of RGO is confirmed from XRD analysis and SiC is used as received from supplier. Complex permittivity of the composites is measured using Nicolson Ross method showing an increasing trend with increasing filler concentrations with maximum and for 40 wt. % composite sample. Based on transmission line theory and using measured value of complex permittivity, conductor backed single and double layer absorber is designed by thickness optimization. The calculated reflection loss (RLc) value of ~-71 dB at 11.23 GHz is observed for 40 wt. % composite sample of 7 mm thickness with -10 dB absorption bandwidth of 1.48 GHz and -20 dB bandwidth of 0.64 GHz.

Abstract: In the present report, a two dimensional (2D) model was developed to describe the fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer of a Chemical Vapor Deposition activated by a Hot Filament (HFCVD) reactor, as well as the chemical generation of the precursor species which are present in the growth of non-stoichiometric silicon rich oxide (SRO) films. The SRO is known for have excellent photo luminescent properties which are useful in optoelectronic applications. This material can be obtained by the HFCVD technique which offers important advantages such as the easily to obtain thin films with diverse structural, compositional and optical characteristics. During deposition is a priority to control key parameters as inlet flow, substrate temperature and pressure so it compels to know previous theoretical information about these parameters which can be obtained by computational simulation. Therefore, by means of commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) were solved the continuity, momentum and energy equations in steady state. Also, a thermodynamic equilibrium study of the SiO₂(s) + H₂ (g) reaction was carried out with the Factsage software. The thermodynamic equilibrium results provide the main chemical species which are present during the deposit process of the SRO films. The 2D model was used to simulate the temperature and velocity distribution of the hydrogen in the deposit process. The theoretical calculated temperatures were compared with those obtained experimentally by thermocouple measurements. From the simulation results, the temperature and gas velocity profiles were obtained at different hydrogen flow levels (50, 75, 100 sccm) and temperature source-substrate distances (5, 6 and 7mm) for a 50 sccm level. SEM micrographs and profilometry measurements disclose that the outlet configuration affects substantially both the thickness and surface uniformity of the SRO films. This parameter was modified to obtain a better quality (thickness and uniformity) and a large deposit area.

Abstract: In photovoltaic system the major challenge is the cost reduction of the solar cell module to compete with those of conventional energy sources. Evolution of solar photovoltaic comprises of several generations through the last sixty years. The first generation solar cells were based on single crystal silicon and bulk polycrystalline Si wafers. The single crystal silicon solar cell has high material cost and the fabrication also requires very high energy. The second generation solar cells were based on thin film fabrication technology. Due to low temperature manufacturing process and less material requirement, remarkable cost reduction was achieved in these solar cells. Among all the thin film technologies amorphous silicon thin film solar cell is in most advanced stage of development and is commercially available. However, an inherent problem of light induced degradation in amorphous silicon hinders the higher efficiency in this kind of cell. The third generation silicon solar cells are based on nano-crystalline and nano-porous materials. Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) is becoming a promising material as an absorber layer of solar cell due to its high stability with high V_oc. It is also suggested that the cause of high stability and less degradation of certain nc-Si:H films may be due to the improvement of medium range order (MRO) of the films. During the last ten years, organic, polymer, dye sensitized and perovskites materials are also attract much attention of the photovoltaic researchers as the low budget next generation PV material worldwide. Although most important challenge for those organic solar cells in practical applications is the stability issue. In this work nc-Si:H films are successfully deposited at a high deposition rate using a high pressure and a high power by Radio Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF PECVD) technique. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show the formations of distinct nano-sized grains in the amorphous tissue with sharp crystalline orientations. Light induced degradation of photoconductivity of nc-Si:H materials have been studied. Single junction solar cells and solar module were successfully fabricated using nanocrystalline silicon as absorber layer. The optimum cell is 7.1 % efficient initially. Improvement in efficiency can be achieved by optimizing the doped layer/interface and using Ag back contact.

Abstract: Facile synthesis of completely inorganic Zinc oxide-Copper oxide (ZnO-CuO) based bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJSCs) along with the impact of the film thickness on the different properties like morphological, structural, chemical, optical and electrical have been reported in this work. A simple spin-coating technique was used to fabricate the BHJSC. The elemental presence of ZnO and CuO with wurtzite and cubic phase was confirmed by EDX and XRD analysis correspondingly. The surface quality, optical transmittance and the resistivity of spin-coated BHJ films decrease with increasing the the film thickness revealed by morphological, optical and electrical study respectively. The photovoltaic parameters of FTO/ZnO-CuO/Al heterostructure SC like efficiency η, current density J_sc and fill factor also decreased conspicuously, whereas the open circuit voltage was found to increase conversly. Moreover, experimental outcomes indicate, the thickness of the film has inescapable impact on inorganic BHJSCs performances and must take in consideration during cell fabrication.