Key Engineering Materials Vols. 510-511

Abstract: A direct-chill (DC) cast magnesium alloys ZK60 has been forward-extruded at 300 °C in a single pass at two extrusion ratios (ER) 12 and 44, which correspond to a total degree of deformation (φ) of 2.5 and 3.8, respectively. The as-extruded microstructure in both cases consists of two colonies of grain sizes, i.e. about 15 µm and <5 µm, and highly deformed original grains which have not recrystallized. The crystallographic texture at both extrusion ratios consists of a predominant component accompanied by a relatively weaker component in the extrusion direction. Although, the qualitative crystallographic texture at both extrusion ratios remains fairly similar, a higher extrusion ratio gives a relatively weaker basal texture. A relatively higher degree of DRX and much lesser volume fraction of coarse grains (>25 µm) at higher extrusion ratios give significantly weaker strength differential effect (difference in tensile yield stress and compressive yield stress).

Abstract: Engineering metals have a desirable property of absorbing energy especially when they are manufactured into helical springs. This ability has been utilized favorably in the design of isolation systems. The material and spring behavior prolongs the time period of excitation thereby decreasing the frequency and acceleration of the shock into the structure. This paper presents the design and behavioral response of a steel spring isolation system subjected to shock excitation as experienced in real world applications. The isolation discussed is for the support motion where the shock excitation originates outside the structure. In particular the focus is on undamped single degree of freedom (SDOF) systems. The goal is to design a passive isolation system in the form of helical steel springs. The system must limit the instance of high acceleration energy transferred into the structure in a very short time frame. A transmissibility algorithm is developed and presented. A test case is designed and manufactured based upon the design data simulated from the algorithm. A comparative study is presented to validate the accuracy of the algorithm and isolation system against empirical results from the test case using a drop testing apparatus. The shock response spectra commonly used in problems of shock excitation to a half sine wave is presented.

Abstract: Bone implants are widely used to treat patients due to trauma in different causalities. The major types of bone implants are plates known as Dynamic Compression Plates (DCP) and nails, both made of stainless steel (AISI 316L Grade). In Pakistan both local made and foreign made (DCP) are available. The unit price of foreign made DCP is about 8 to 10 times that of the local made, however, no comprehensive study has been done on the comparison of these plates. An in-depth analysis was performed to compare the essential properties of six different brands of DCP including two foreign, two local and two unknown brands. These properties included mechanical properties, such as bending stiffness, yield strength, modulus of elasticity and hardness. Compositional analysis and various dimensions of plate important for bone healing process were also compared. The results show that all plates have similar mechanical properties. The compositional analysis showed some variations from the ASTM standards for most of the plates. The dimensional analysis of plates showed that Slot Width and Land were within range for most of the plates but the Spherical Radius was out of range for all the plates. Generally, all plates have no major differences in their properties, material and shape.

Abstract: The impregnation of the fiber with a resin system, the polymeric matrix with the interface needs to be properly cured so that the dimensional stability of the matrix and the composite is ensured. A modified epoxy resin matrix was obtained with a reactive toughening agent and anhydride as a curing agent. The mechanical properties of the modified epoxy matrix and its fiber reinforced composites were investigated systematically. The polymeric matrix possessed many good properties, including high strength, high elongation at break, low viscosity, long pot life at room temperature, and good water resistance. The special attentions are given to the matrix due to its low out gassing, low water absorption and radiation resistance. In addition, the fiber-reinforced composites showed a high strength conversion ratio of the fiber and good fatigue resistance. The dynamic and static of the composite material were studied by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with EDX. The influences of processing technique such as curing and proper mixing on the mechanical and interfacial properties were determined. The results demonstrated that the modified epoxy resin matrix is very suitable for applications in products fabricated with fiber-reinforced composites.

Abstract: The effects of sintering temperature on the structural and electrical transport properties of nanocrystalline zinc ferrites are reported. The zinc ferrites were prepared by WOWS sol-gel synthesis route. The prepared sample was sintered at temperatures 500°C, 700°C and 900°C respectively for 2 h. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique was used to describe the structural properties. The crystallite size, lattice parameters and porosity of samples were measured from the analysis of XRD data. The average crystallite size for each sample was measured using the Scherrer formula by considering the most intense (3 1 1) peak. The dielectric constant (ε), dielectric loss tangent (tan ) and AC electrical conductivity of nanocrystalline Zn ferrites are investigated as a function of frequency and sintering temperature. All the electrical properties are explained in accordance with MaxwellWagner model and Koops phenomenological theory.

Abstract: This article describes the applications and benefits of a recently developed smart building material namely Engineered cementitious composite (ECC), also known as flexible or bendable concrete. Conventional concretes have a strain capacity of only 0.1 percent and are highly brittle and rigid. This lack of bendability is a major cause of failure under strain and has been a pushing factor in the development of an elegant material which is capable to exhibit an enhanced flexibility. An ECC has a strain capacity of more than 3 percent and thus acts more like a ductile metal rather than like a brittle glass. The aim of this paper is to highlight a probable success of ECC in terms of industrial and commercial use in Pakistan. With the introduction of flexible concrete in building technology, it is likely to have safer and more durable construction. The material is expected to display reduced detrimental impacts on the natural environment. A bendable concrete is composed of all the ingredients of a traditional concrete minus coarse aggregates or crushed stones and is reinforced with micromechanically designed polymer fibers. The mechanism of action of the micro-polymeric fibers in concrete has also been emphasized. The principles of mix designs of the mortar incorporating fibers to make an ECC have also been explained. It has also been mentioned in detail as how this technology can be used to enhance the flexibility of some modern concrete types like flowing concrete, self-compacting concrete, and lightweight concrete. ECC is a green construction material. The possible benefits like environment friendliness, cost effectiveness, and durability have been also been elucidated in the paper.

Abstract: Powder metallurgy is a conventional technique for making engineering articles from powders. Main objective is to produce final products with the highest possible uniform density, which depends on the initial loose powder characteristics. Producing, handling, characterizing and compacting materials in loose powder form are part of the manufacturing processes. Density of loose metallic or ceramic powder is an important parameter for die design. Loose powder density is required for calculating the exact mass of powder to fill the die cavity for producing intended green density of the powder compact. To fulfill this requirement of powder metallurgical processing, a loose powder density meter as per ASTM standards is designed and fabricated for measurement of density. The density of free flowing metallic powders can be determined using Hall flow meter funnel and density cup of 25 cm³ volume. Density of metal powders like cobalt, manganese, spherical bronze and pure iron is measured and results are obtained with 99.9% accuracy.

Abstract: Barrier materials possess the ability to restrict the passage of gases, vapors, and organic liquids through their boundaries. These barrier materials have large number of applications in industry and scientific research. To measure the permeability of barrier materials, a specific gas flow system has been developed, pure helium gas is used to measure the back ground reading through SS-316. The permeability and break-through time has been measured through Inconel X-750, NBR and Viton below and above the atmospheric pressure and at different temperatures 20°C, 40°C and 70°C.

Abstract: Comparison of finite elements and comparison of ANSYS with MSC Patran Nastran, for analysis of composite material multicell beams, is the main idea of this paper. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a valuable tool of modeling and simulation in development, processing, production and application of modern hi-tech materials and structures for reliable design. Multicell beams have important industrial applications in the automotive and aerospace sectors. ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) is an important language in parametric modeling and analysis of structures with simple to complex geometry. Its major advantage is virtual prototyping which can be used to analyze and compare different materials. This work introduces core techniques required for APDL using the case study of composite multicell beams subjected to constrained torsional loading. The published results using MSC NASTRAN have been verified using ANSYS and the corresponding arising issues and notes are the focus of this research study. The details of geometry, material and boundary conditions have been explained in order to construct Finite Element (FE) model. This FE model was simulated several times in ANSYS by the authors using various options of APDL language. A step-wise flowchart was used to detect and reduce problems in iterations of analysis in APDL programming. Results of FEA largely depend on FE model and software used. These issues become prominent while trying to verify results of MSC NASTRAN with ANSYS. The author has introduced three error criteria to select an equivalent finite element of one FEA package (ANSYS) for an equivalent element of other FEA package (MSC NASTRAN). These criteria are the relative error criterion, the absolute error criterion and the combined error criterion. The results from this research provide an insight into finite elements for reliability in design of composite materials. The practical milestones for research to develop FE model and APDL programs related to material research field are also manifested through this paper.