Materials Science Forum Vol. 879

Abstract: Diatoms are unicellular aquatic microalgae possessing amazing self-assembled ordered micro-and nanoporous hierarchical silica cell walls called frustules. The quasi-periodic and highly regular pore patterns on the diatom surface are very attractive for applications based on optical and photonic properties of materials. The present contribution reports on pioneering research aimed at explore the multiple scattering and localization of light shown by diatom frustules in order to amplify their photoluminescence in a random laser (RL), as this technology is highly attractive for medical diagnostics and other advanced applications. RL is a special type of laser in which the optical feedback is due to light scattering in an amplifying medium instead of a conventional optical cavity. We have studied a set of selected frustules with different shapes and pore patterns, obtained from diatom cultivation in large scale photobioreactors, for comparative analysis of their random lasing effect in the bioscaffold soaked with organic dyes having luminescence in the visible range. Taking advantage from a multidisciplinary approach combining expertise from biology, physics and materials sciences, relying on high-resolution instrumentation and advanced algal cultivation equipment the results about random laser emission in the composite material were obtained. This will allow going ahead in the research aimed to the application to photonic devices in the field of medicine and medical diagnostic.

Abstract: In this study, the effect of aging on the mechanical properties of unmodified A356 aluminium casting alloy with trace additions of Ni or V was investigated. Trace elements were added in concentrations of 600 and 1000 ppm of Ni and V, respectively. Samples from sand and permanent mould castings in as cast and T6 heat-treated conditions were tested. Tensile tests were performed at both room and high temperature (235 °C). Taking into account the results from both testing conditions, Vickers hardness was measured in order to endorse the hypothesis of artificial aging occurring during high temperature tensile tests. In order to study this effect, a series of specimens was aged at 235 °C for different aging times, and aging curves were plotted. The occurrence of static and dynamic aging was evaluated by comparing hardness values of tensile specimens and aged samples, particularly in the range of 5-20 min, as this range corresponds to the time necessary for pre-heating and testing of the tensile samples. A basic correlation between tensile strength and hardness is also given.

Abstract: The present study is focused on analyzing the effect of Mn amount in two experimental steel compositions, specially designed for Quenching and Partitiong (Q&P), 0.15C-2.5Mn-1.5Si and 0.15C-3Mn-1.5Si without significant contribution of Al. Two-Step Q&P thermal treatments were performed at laboratory scale in a quenching dilatometer Bähr DIL805A/D. The fractions of retained austenite were evaluated by X-ray diffraction techniques. The mechanical properties of the Q&P samples were evaluated, a strong dependence of strength, uniform elongation and strain hardening values on process parameters has been found. Higher uniform elongation were related to higher residual austenite contents. The 0.15C-3Mn-1.5Si steel showed systematically the largest mechanical values with respect to the 0.15C-2.5Mn-1.5Si steel.

Abstract: The microstructures and the mechanical properties of two Fe-26Mn-xAl-1C steels with 8 and 10 % Al have been investigated at different strain rates. The results show that Fe-26Mn-10Al-1C steel possesses higher strength and at the same time higher ductility than Fe-26Mn-8Al-1C steel at both low and high strain rates. The strengths of the steels increase and ductility declines slightly with increasing strain rate. These observations can be attributed to the different strain hardening mechanisms acting at different strain rates. Planar slip occurs and microbands form duringthe steady state stage, whereas deformation twinning occurs in the final stage ofdeformation. The higher strain hardening at high strain rates are due to the strong increase in the twinning propensity. The strain hardening at high strain rates also depends on the adiabatic heating, causing a competition between softening and strain hardening.

Abstract: In the framework of the made researches nanocomposite of CNT-NPs type (Carbon Nanotube-Nanoparticles) consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated by rhodium nanoparticles and/or palladium using the two-step indirect method: chemical reduction have been produced. In the researches high-quality multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs with a length of 100 to 500 nm and a diameter of 8 to 20 nm previously obtained in the catalytic-chemical vapour deposition CCVD have been used. Nanotubes produced within the framework of own researches contain minor amounts of metallic impurities and amorphous carbon deposits. In order to deposit the noble metal nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanotubes functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a mixture of H₂SO₄ and HNO₃ acids have been used. The prepared material has been subjected chemical reduction using noble metal precursors (RhCI₃, PdCl₂). The characterization of the produced material including the examination of the structure, morphology, chemical composition and evaluation of the size and distribution of rhodium and/or palladium nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanotubes has been performed using: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The produced nanomaterials may be used as the active layer of sensors of chemical/biological agents.

Abstract: A component in service experiences stress conditions that change continuously with time. Since service conditions are usually difficult and expensive to reproduce in laboratory, the creep behaviour of alloys in service has to be extrapolated from a limited number of creep tests at constant loads and temperatures. Empirical rules have been proposed to forecast the effects of variable load and temperature both on the time to rupture, as the life fraction rule (LFR), and on the accumulation of creep strain with time, as the strain hardening rule (SHR). Two directionally solidified (DS) nickel based superalloys have been investigated with creep tests at constant and variable loads and constant temperature. Nickel based superalloys, for the typical stresses experienced in service, are often characterised by a small negligible primary, a minimum of strain rate with no secondary state, and a dominant accelerating creep caused by dislocation multiplication. The damage mechanisms causing the final rupture appear only in the very last percentage of life. In the present work, simulation results are reported to show that the physical-sounded model used to describe the accelerating creep due to dislocation multiplication can be employed to better predict the times to rupture and the creep curves of the two DS nickel based super-alloys with step-like variable stress than the empirical LF and SH rules.

Abstract: Microstructure and texture evolution of commercially pure Ni processed by accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) up to eight cycles were studied using electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). During ARB processing, the original coarse equiaxed grains were gradually transformed into refined lamellar grains along the rolling direction (RD). Shear bands started forming after three cycles. The fraction of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) increased after the first and second cycle because of orientation spreading within the original grains. However, their fraction decreased with the evolution of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) during subsequent deformations, until saturation was reached after six cycles. Overall, the typical deformation texture components (S, Copper and Brass) were enhanced up to six ARB cycles and then only Copper was further strengthened. At higher cycles a higher Copper concentration was found near sample surface than the interiors due to a high frictional shear of ARB processing.

Abstract: Miniaturization of small metallic systems can lead to a softening of the mechanical behavior due to the reduction of scale. Size effects have been considerably studied recently for materials with various crystallographic structures. Under tensile conditions, thin specimen exhibit softer mechanical properties when the number of grains across thickness is lower than a critical number and this modification appears above a critical strain level. In this work, stamping tests were performed on five hundred micrometers in thickness sheets of hexagonal closed-packed cobalt. The results are compared with those obtained for face centered cubic copper and nickel. The influence of thickness over grain size ratio was studied for several proportional loadings linked to forming processes. Complex loadings were applied with 20 mm hemispherical punch and strain paths were checked with a 3D video extensometer. Hill criterion was systematically used to take into account the anisotropy of the samples. Our results revealed that the critical strain level for which the size effects appears is strongly sensitive to the stress triaxiality which, in turn, is closely dependent to the loading path.

Abstract: A 10%Cr martensitic steel with 3%Co and 0.008%B tempered at 770°C exhibits no creep strength breakdown at a temperature of 650°C up to an extremely high rupture time of ∼4×10⁴ h under an applied stress of 120 MPa. The minimum creep rate was ∼3×10^-11 s^-1. Microstructural characterization showed that superior creep resistance associated with a high stability of tempered martensite lath structure. Boundary M₂₃(B⋅C)₆ phase particles are highly stable against coarsening under long-term aging and creep conditions. These particles retain their orientation relationship with ferritic matrix unchanged under creep at a temperature of 650°C. As a result, no migration of lath boundaries and their transformation to subboundaries diminishing the long-range elastic stress fields take place. The role of M(C,N) carbonitrides in achieving extraordinary high creep strength consists in hindering the knitting reaction between mobile lattice dislocations and lath boundaries.

Abstract: The main reason why new technologies and treatment procedure are being developed is to attain special mechanical properties. However, these developments are nowadays done on a small material volume either using some laboratory simulators, applying sever plastic deformation procedures or chemical composition screening for multicomponent alloys development by laser or electron beam melting. In all these application a small volume of the material assessed is available and standard procedures for crucial mechanical properties determinations are not applicable. Thus small size techniques should be applied. There has been extensively used small punch test technique (SPT) for those cases in recent years. This technique is mainly based on the evaluation using correlation between standard and SPT tests for considered material. In cases when insufficient material volume is available, those correlations cannot be established and thus comparative evaluation only can be carried out. This kind of evaluation is insufficient for the contemporary purposes, when full material potential is to be utilized. Therefore, procedures providing results directly comparable with standard specimens are being developed. Fundamental properties are those determined from tensile tests. The current paper is presenting application of developed miniature tensile test specimen method to materials after SPD processes. Quasi static properties determination is shown here for Magnesium and Titanium alloys for ECAP and Rotary Swaging SPD techniques. The results obtained from testing can be used not only for a direct material properties assessment and comparison, but also as input data for FEM codes, significantly increasing the materials considered application potential assessment.