ALBERT

Description: Used as fuel cladding in the Gen IV fission reactors, ODS steels would be held at temperatures in the range of 350°C to 600°C for several months. Under these conditions, spinodal decomposition is likely to occur in the matrix, resulting in an increase of material brittleness. In this study, thin films consisting of a modulated composition in Fe and in Cr in a given direction have been elaborated. The time evolution of the composition profiles during aging at 500°C has been characterized by atom probe tomography, indicating an apparent kinetic stasis of the initial microstructure. A computer model has been developed on the basis of the Cahn–Hilliard theory of spinodal decomposition, associated with the mobility form proposed by Martin ( 1990 ). We make the assumption that the initial profile is very close to the amplitude-dependent critical wavelength. Our calculations show that the thin film is unstable relative to wavelength modulations, resulting in the observed kinetic stasis.

Description: The effect of Hf (0–1 at.%) additions in a Ni-Ti-Pd alloy on P-phase precipitation and martensitic transformations was studied. The addition of hafnium resulted in the refinement of precipitates with an increase in number density. The overlapping strain fields created due to the decrease in inter-precipitate spacing are suspected to reduce the matrix volume to be less than the critical free volume size needed for the martensitic transformation over the temperature range studied (183–573 K). Hafnium was also found to delay the aging time to achieve peak hardness, suggesting a reduction in growth and coarsening kinetics.

Description: We present in situ indentation in a transmission electron microscope on Al-TiN multilayers with individual layer thicknesses of 50 nm and 2.7 nm to explore the effect of length scales on the plastic co-deformability of a metal and a ceramic. At 50 nm, plasticity was confined to the Al layers with brittle fracture in the TiN layers. At 5 nm and below, cracking in TiN was suppressed with co-deformation evident in both layers. The in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) straining results demonstrate a profound size effect in enhancing plastic co-deformability in nanoscale metal-ceramic multilayers, as well as direct validation of ex situ and 3-D elastic–plastic deformation models.

Description: Mo-Si-B-alloys are promising materials for high-temperature applications because of their high melting point, excellent phase stability, large alloying capabilities, and reasonable mechanical as well as oxidative properties. A continuing alloy development is, however, required because of the catastrophic oxidation taking place at intermediate temperatures and the rather high density. The addition of Ti stabilizes a new ternary phase field including the Mo 5 Si 3 (T1) phase instead of the Mo 3 Si (A15) phase. Alloys comprising the phases Mo ss , T1 and Mo 5 SiB 2 (T2) show very high creep resistance, improved oxidation behavior and significantly reduced density. The new T1 phase seems to play a crucial role in the improved oxidation resistance of these new materials, since this phase exhibits excellent oxidation behavior at intermediate and high temperatures. The 4-component alloys possess superior creep behavior compared to Mo-Si-B alloys with the same microstructural phase arrangement and size or to the single crystal Ni-base superalloy CMSX-4. The main reason was found to be the formation of Ti-rich silicide precipitates during processing.

Description: High-entropy alloys are multicomponent solid solutions in which various elements with different chemistries and sizes occupy the same crystallographic lattice sites. Thus, none of the atoms perfectly fit the lattice site, giving rise to considerable local lattice distortions and atomic-level stresses. These characteristics can be beneficial for performance under radiation and in a high-temperature environment, making them attractive candidates as nuclear materials. We discuss electronic origin of the atomic-level stresses based upon first-principles calculations using a density functional theory approach.

Description: In this study, the mechanical characteristics of electrospun palm fruit bunch reinforced poly lactic acid (PLA) nanofiber composites using treated and untreated filler was examined. Poly lactic acid–palm fruit bunch–dichloromethane blends were electrospun by varying the concentration of the palm fruit bunch between 0 wt.% and 8 wt.%. A constant voltage of 26 kV was applied, the tip-to-collector distance was maintained at 27.5 cm and PLA-palm fruit bunch-dichloromethane (DCM) concentration of 12.5% (w/v) was used. The results revealed that the presence of untreated palm fruit bunch fillers in the electrospun PLA matrix significantly reduces the average diameters of the fibers, causing the formation of beads. As a result there are reductions in tensile strengths of the fibers. The presence of treated palm fruit bunch fillers in the electrospun PLA matrix increases the average diameters of the fibers with improvements in the mechanical properties. The optimal mechanical responses were obtained at 3 wt.% of the treated palm fruit bunch fillers in the PLA matrix. However, increase in the palm fruit fillers (treated and untreated) in the PLA matrix promoted the formation of beads in the nanofiber composites.

Description: Chitosan, a naturally derived polysaccharide, was covalently linked to chemically converted graphene (CCG) and the properties of the resulting composites were investigated. The composites were prepared using a stable dispersion of CCG in aqueous solvent. The CCG sheets are stabilised in solution by a small number of peripheral charged groups that can be used to form amide linkages with the polymer matrix. Apart from processability and swellability, the synthesized composites exhibited improved mechanical properties and conductivity by the addition of graphene. Graphene incorporation also introduced a control over the extent of swelling in the composites. The synthesized graphene/composites are promising materials for a variety of applications, for example as conducting substrates for the electrically stimulated growth of cells.

Description: The reductive acid leaching kinetics of synthetic cadmium-bearing zinc ferrite was investigated, and the influence of reaction temperature, sulfuric acid and hydrazine sulfate were studied. The results illustrated that an increase in the reaction temperature, initial sulfuric acid and hydrazine sulfate significantly enhanced the extraction efficiencies of cadmium, zinc and iron. The leaching kinetics were controlled by a surface chemical reaction based on a shrinking core model. The empirical equation \( 1 - (1 - X)^{{{\raise0.7ex\hbox{\(1\)} \!\mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}}\right.\kern-0pt} \!\lower0.7ex\hbox{\(3\)}}}} = k_{\text{r}} t \) applied was found to fit well with the kinetics analysis; the leaching processes of cadmium, zinc and iron were similar and the activation energies were 79.9 kJ/mol, 77.9 kJ/mol and 79.7 kJ/mol, respectively. The apparent orders of cadmium-bearing zinc ferrite dissolution with respect to sulfuric acid concentration were 0.83, 0.83 and 0.84 for Cd, Zn and Fe, respectively.

Description: The irradiation behavior of Al x CoCrFeNi ( x  = 0.1, 0.75, and 1.5) high entropy alloys was studied under 3 MeV Au-ions irradiation. The microstructural change and volume swelling due to irradiation were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results showed that, with increasing the Al contents, the phase crystal structures of the as-cast samples evolved from face-centered cubic (FCC), to FCC + body-centered cubic (BCC), and BCC and irradiation-induced volume swelling increased. All alloys showed exceptional structural stability when irradiated up to over 50 displacement per atom at 298 K, and the irradiation-induced volume swellings in Al x CoCrFeNi HEAs were significantly lower than conventional nuclear materials under similar irradiation dosages.

Description: Sn whiskers/hillocks are believed to form due to stress in the layers, but the dependence on the stress has been difficult to quantify. We therefore used the thermal expansion mismatch between Sn thin films and Si substrates to induce controlled stress by heating. This enables us to measure the average stress in the layer (using wafer curvature) at the same time as we monitor the nucleation rate (using optical microscopy). Scanning electron microscopy of the surface after intervals of heating is also used to quantify the whisker volume as a function of stress and time. The results allow us to determine the dependence of the whisker nucleation rate and the growth rate on the applied stress. They also show that whisker formation is not the dominant mode of plastic strain relaxation in the Sn layer.

Description: The current work aims to reveal the effects of solute atoms (TM = Ag, Zn, and Zr) on the age hardening of Mg-Gd-based alloys via the density functional theory and electron work function (EWF) approaches. The 10H LPSO phases of Mg-Gd-TM alloys are selected as the model case due to the improved strength and ductility such long periodic stacking ordered precipitates (LPSOs) offer. The CALPHAD-modeling method is applied to predict the EWF in the ternary Mg-Gd-TM alloys. The obtained EWFs of these Mg alloys are shown to match well with previous experimental and theoretical results. Moreover, the variation of EWF in the ternary Mg-Gd-TM alloys is attributed to the structure contribution [i.e., the formation of face-centered cubic (fcc)-type fault layers] and the chemical effect of solute atoms (i.e., electron redistributions). With the knowledge of bonding charge density between the solute and solvent atoms, the present work provides insight into the correlations between the EWF and hardness of Mg-Gd-TM alloys.

Description: Anodic potential, morphology and phase composition of the anodic layer, corrosion morphology of the metallic substrate, and oxygen evolution behavior of Pb-Ag anode in H 2 SO 4 solution without/with fluoride ion were investigated and compared. The results showed that the presence of fluoride ions contributed to a smoother anodic layer with lower PbO 2 concentration, which resulted in lower double layer capacity and higher charge transfer resistance for the oxygen evolution reaction. Consequently, the Pb-Ag anode showed a higher anodic potential (about 35 mV) in the fluoride-containing electrolyte. In addition, the fluoride ions accelerated the detachment of loose flakes on the anodic layer. It was demonstrated that the anodic layer formed in the fluoride-containing H 2 SO 4 solution was thinner. Furthermore, fluoride ions aggravated the corrosion of the metallic substrate at interdendritic boundary regions. Hence, the presence of fluoride ions is detrimental to oxygen evolution reactivity and increases the corrosion of the Pb-Ag anode, which may further increase the energy consumption and capital cost of zinc plants.

Description: The nanomechanical behavior of the Co 20 Cr 20 Fe 20 Mn 20 Ni 20 high-entropy alloy was investigated in as-cast, rolled, annealed, and thin-film forms. Dislocation nucleation was studied by repeated indents at a low load for each of the different processing conditions. Distinct displacement bursts (pop in) were observed in the loading curve marked by incipient plasticity for all the samples. The as-cast and annealed samples showed pop ins for 100% of the indents, whereas the rolled and thin-film samples showed a much lower fraction of displacement bursts. This was explained by the high density of dislocations for the cold-worked and thin-film conditions. The strong depth dependence of hardness was explained by geometrically necessary dislocations. The nanomechanical behavior and twinned microstructure indicate low stacking-fault energy for this high-entropy alloy.

Description: The use of duplex stainless steels (DSS) in nuclear power generation systems is limited by thermal instability that leads to embrittlement in the temperature range of 204°C to 538°C. New lean-grade alloys, such as 2101, offer the potential to mitigate these effects. Thermal embrittlement was quantified through impact toughness and hardness testing on samples of alloy 2101 after aging at 427°C for various durations (1–10,000 h). Additionally, atom probe tomography (APT) was utilized in order to observe the kinetics of α – α ′ separation and G-phase formation. Mechanical testing and APT data for two other DSS alloys, 2003 and 2205, were used as a reference to 2101. The results show that alloy 2101 exhibits superior performance compared to the standard-grade DSS alloy 2205 but inferior to the lean-grade alloy 2003 in mechanical testing. APT data demonstrate that the degree of α – α ′ separation found in alloy 2101 closely resembles that of 2205 and greatly exceeds 2003. Additionally, contrary to what was observed in 2003, 2101 demonstrated G-phase like precipitates after long aging times, although precipitates were not as abundant as was observed in 2205.

Description: The present work is concerned with the study of the relationship between microstructure and ductility of nanostructured bainite. The tensile behavior of two steels treated at the same temperature during different times has been analyzed. Special attention has been paid to the role that the retained austenite mechanical stability plays in enhancing the ductility through its contribution to the work-hardening and the damage resistance of these materials. The results have shown that the relative mechanical properties of the phases present affect both the martensitic transformation behavior and the total elongation.

Description: The strengthening mechanisms of Co 21 Cr 22 Cu 22 Fe 21 Ni 14 multiple-principal element alloy processed by high pressure torsion (HPT) and annealing were examined. Two face-centered cubic (FCC) phases were observed in the as-cast alloy; one was a Cu-rich phase and the other was a Cu-lean one. In the HPT process, the microhardness increased from 190 HV to 470 HV at a strain of 157 due to strain hardening and grain refinement hardening. X-ray diffraction showed that the lattice parameters of the two FCC phases became closer to each other at higher HPT strain, indicating the alloying of Cu into the Cu-lean matrix. The HPT processed specimens were annealed at 500°C, 550°C, 600°C, and 650°C. The microhardness increased to 540 HV after annealing at temperatures lower than 650°C, whereas it decreased when the specimen was annealed at 650°C. The mean grain size of the specimens annealed at temperatures lower than 650°C was much smaller than 100 nm, and Cu-rich clusters with sizes ranging from 2 nm to 32 nm were distributed homogeneously. The reasons for the formation of the Cu-rich nano-clusters were discussed from a perspective of the positive mixing enthalpy of Cu in the alloy and thermalenergy for Cu diffusion at a given temperature. The dissolution and partitioning of two FCC phases played a key role in strengthening the Co 21 Cr 22 Cu 22 Fe 21 Ni 14 system.

Description: The microstructural stability of Y-Al oxides during the recrystallization of Fe-Cr-Al oxide dispersion strengthened alloy is studied in this work. The goal is to determine the specific distribution pattern of oxides depending where they are located: in the matrix or at the grain boundaries. It was concluded that those located at the grain boundaries yielded a faster coarsening than the ones in the matrix, although no significant differences in composition and/or crystal structure were observed. However, the recrystallization heat treatment leads to the dissolution of the Y 2 O 3 and its combination with Al to form the YAlO 3 perovskite oxide particles process, mainly located at the grain boundaries. Finally, atom probe tomography analysis revealed a significant Ti build-up at the grain boundaries that might affect subsequent migration during recrystallization.

Description: It is established that the eliminations of construction sand with the content of SiO 2 about 70 wt.% and particle size less than 60  μ m are suitable for the production of a foam-glass–crystal material on the basis of the low-temperature frit, which was synthesized at the temperature of 900°C. The obtained foam-glass–crystal material exceeds foam-glass (by 3.0 times) and clayite (by 1.5 times) by strength and is characterized by the low value of water absorption (0.1%).

Description: The tensile deformation mechanisms of an extruded Mg-1Mn (wt.%) alloy at 323 K (50°C) was investigated by a combination of in situ tensile testing and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The strong basal texture of the material resulted in placing the c -axis of most of the grains under compression during tensile loading parallel to the extrusion axis. Basal, prismatic, and pyramidal 〈 c + a 〉 slip activity was observed along with \( \left\{ {10\overline{1}2} \right\} \) extension twinning. However, \( \left\{ {10\overline{1}1} \right\} \) contraction twinning dominated the deformation. Although contraction twinning and pyramidal 〈 c + a 〉 slip both allow for c-component deformation, contraction twinning was preferred over pyramidal 〈 c + a 〉 slip, and this was expected to be due to the lower critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) value for the former mechanism at ambient temperatures. The contraction twins evolved into \( \left\{ {10\overline{1}1} \right\} - \left\{ {10\overline{1}2} \right\} \) double twins with an increase in strain. The propensity of double twins to form shear bands due to shear localization within the double twinned region, which eventually resulted in cracks, led to the failure of the material. The shear localization in the double twins was expected to be due to the enhanced activity of basal slip in the twinned volume. The observations from the present study suggest that contraction twinning may play a critical role in the limited cold formability of magnesium and its alloys.

Description: In this work, we present a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) experimental setup for high-temperature uniaxial tensile behavior of nanocrystalline thin films. This setup utilizes self-heating (Ohmic) to raise the temperature of thin films while applying uniaxial tensile loading using electro-thermal actuators. Self-heating is achieved by passing a high-density direct current through the specimen. We carried out a qualitative uniaxial tensile experiment on a 75-nm platinum thin film at 360 K. Temperature is estimated using COMSOL modeling. In this qualitative experiment, we observed initial grain growth followed by formation of edge serrations. We propose that grain boundary sliding coupled with grain growth is the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed behavior.

Description: Sheet-like precursors of NiO and Ag/NiO with different Ag contents were synthesized by a facile and easily controlled hydrothermal method. The NiO and Ag/NiO composite nanosheets were prepared by calcination of the corresponding precursors at 400°C for 3 h. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity of NiO and Ag/NiO composites to several gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was examined. Results showed that NiO nanosheets hardly exhibited antibacterial activity; however, Ag/NiO composites displayed higher activity even with low Ag content.

Description: Compression behavior of the Al 0.5 CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) was studied at different temperatures from 673 K to 873 K at a low strain rate of 5 × 10 −5 /s to investigate the temperature effect on the mechanical properties and serration behavior. The face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure is confirmed at the lower temperature of 673 K and 773 K, and a structure of mixed fcc and body-centered cubic (bcc) is identified at a higher temperature of 873 K after compression tests using high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction. By comparing the stress–strain curves at different temperatures, two opposite directions of serrations types were found, named upward serrations appearing at 673 K and 773 K and downward serrations at 873 K, which may be due to dynamic strain aging.

Description: In this paper, aluminosilicate glass was prepared from blast furnace slag and quartz sand. Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry and density measurements were carried out to investigate the effects of SiO 2 on the aluminosilicate glass network rigidity. The results indicate that glass structure would be enhanced if more SiO 2 was introduced into the glass system. Meanwhile, both the glass transition temperature ( T g ) and the glass crystallization temperature ( T c ) increase slightly; the increase in density of the glass being further evidence of the enhancement in glass network rigidity. Dielectric measurements show that the dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease with more SiO 2 . The properties of the prepared aluminosilicate glasses are comparable to those of E glass, indicating that blast furnace slags are suitable for producing aluminosilicate glass with low dielectric constant and dielectric loss.

Description: The effect of inverting the Mo/Si ratio on the oxidation of two boron-containing alloys has been studied in air for temperatures 700–1400°C. The compositions of the alloys in atomic percent are Nb-25Cr-20Mo-15Si-15B, Nb-25Cr-20Mo-15Si-10B, Nb-25Cr-15Mo-20Si-10B, and Nb-25Cr-15Mo-20Si-15B hereafter referred to as 10B, 15B, 2010, and 2015 alloys, respectively. The as-cast microstructure of the alloys contains a mixture of NbCr 2 Laves phase, Nb 5 Si 3 silicide, and additionally Nb 3 Si silicide for the Mo/Si modified alloys. Primary oxides developed for all alloys are CrNbO 4 , Nb 2 O 5 , and SiO 2 . Improvements in high-temperature oxidation have been seen for the Mo/Si-modified 15B containing alloy under cyclic testing. Samples have shown similar oxidation responses in both long-term static and cyclic oxidation for 168-h exposures up to 1300°C. Characterization of oxide products was done by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy.

Description: The measurement of mechanical properties at the microscale is of interest across a wide range of engineering applications. Much recent work has demonstrated that micropillar compression can be used to measure changes in flow properties at temperatures up to 600°C. In this work, we demonstrate that an alternative microscale bend testing geometry can be used to measure elastic, plastic, and fracture behavior up to 770°C in silicon. We measure a Young’s modulus value of 130 GPa at room temperature, which is seen to drop with increasing temperature to ≈125 GPa. Below 500°C, no failure is seen up to elastic strains of 3%. At 530°C, the microcantilever fractures in a brittle fashion. At temperatures of 600°C and above plastic deformation is seen before brittle fracture. The yield stresses at these temperatures are in good agreement with literature values measured using micropillar compression.

Description: The microthermomechanical behavior of a precipitation-hardenable Ni-48Ti-25Pd (at.%) shape memory alloy has been investigated as a function of temperature. Micropillars were fabricated within a large 〈145〉-oriented grain and compressed in situ in the SEM at elevated temperatures corresponding to the martensite and austenite phase transformation temperatures. The precipitation-strengthened alloys exhibited stable pseudoelastic behavior with little or no residual strains when near the transformation temperatures. In the plastic regime, slip was observed to occur via pencil glide, circumventing the fine scale precipitates along multiple slip planes.

Description: Electrolysis-assisted calciothermic reduction method is proposed and successfully used to prepare ferrotitanium alloy from ilmenite by using equal-molar CaCl 2 -NaCl molten salt as electrolyte, molybdenum rod as cathode, and graphite as anode at 973 K with cell voltages of 3.2–4.4 V under inert atmosphere. Thermodynamics analysis of the process is presented, and the products obtained are examined with x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that the calciothermic reduction of ilmenite is a stepwise process since intermediate CaTiO 3 is observed in the products partially reduced. In the calciothermic reduction process, the reduction of FeTiO 3 first gives rise to the formation of Fe and CaTiO 3 , which as intermediates will further react with calcium metal to form ferrotitanium alloys. This is in good agreement with the prediction of thermodynamics. Experimental results also show that increasing cell voltage can accelerate the formation of calcium metal through electrolysis of CaO and CaCl 2 and, hence, promote the calciothermic reduction of ilmenite. As the electrolytic zone and reduction zone are combined in the same bath, the theoretical energy requirement for the production of FeTi in the calciothermic process is lower than that in the aluminothermic process.

Description: This study examines the synergy between reinforcement surface modifications on the evolution of microstructures of AA6011-silicon carbide particle (SiC p ) composites in multidirectional solidification. Silicon carbide particles (SiC p) were cleaned with ammonium chloride, tin(II) chloride, sodium chloride, and palladium(II) chloride and used as reinforcement to cast AA6011-SiC p composites by applying the stir casting method. A scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffractometer were used to investigate the morphology and phases present, respectively, in the composite material. Results show that wetting agents were effective as they inhibited the formation of Al 4 C 3 in all modified composites. The modified SiC p was found to have varying effects on the morphology, dendrite arm size and direction, size and configuration of AlFeSi, and the amount of eutectic silicon depending on the concentration of the reagent and cleaning time. The highest effect was shown by the use of 40 g/L of tin(II) chloride. The composites had short dendritic arms, good interfacial interaction, and only a few crystals of AlFeSi.

Description: The reaction behavior of aluminium nitride (AlN) powder at the temperature range of 1573 K to 1773 K in wet air was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the reaction behavior of AlN powder in wet air depends on temperature and water content. Initially, weight increases quickly due to oxidation. Once the oxide product Al 2 O 3 is formed, the volatile reaction caused by Al 2 O 3 and H 2 O occurs simultaneously. Because of the appearance of cracks caused by the phase transformation of Al 2 O 3 , the reaction behavior is controlled both by oxidation and volatile reaction at a later stage. This phenomenon becomes more obvious with increasing water content. Based on the experimental result, the reaction kinetics is in reasonable agreement with the real physical picture model.

Description: Dislocations are at the heart of the plastic behavior of materials yet they are very difficult to probe experimentally. Lack of a practical nonintrusive measuring tool for, say, dislocation density, seriously hampers modeling efforts, as there is little guidance from data in the form of quantitative measurements, as opposed to visualizations. Dislocation density can be measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). TEM can directly show the strain field around dislocations, which allows for the counting of the number of dislocations in a micrograph. This procedure is very laborious and local, since samples have to be very small and thin, and is difficult to apply when dislocation densities are high. XRD relies on the broadening of diffraction peaks induced by the loss of crystalline order induced by the dislocations. This broadening can be very small, and finding the dislocation density involves unknown parameters that have to be fitted with the data. Both methods, but especially TEM, are intrusive, in the sense that samples must be especially treated, mechanically and chemically. A nonintrusive method to measure dislocation density would be desirable. This paper reviews recent developments in the theoretical treatment of the interaction of an elastic wave with dislocations that have led to formulae that relate dislocation density to quantities that can be measured with samples of cm size. Experimental results that use resonant ultrasound spectroscopy supporting this assertion are reported, and the outlook for the development of a practical, nonintrusive, method to measure dislocation density is discussed.

Description: With atomic-scale imaging and analytical capabilities such as electron diffraction and energy-loss spectroscopy, the transmission electron microscope has allowed access to the internal microstructure of materials like no other microscopy. It has been mostly a passive or post-mortem analysis tool, but that trend is changing with in situ straining, heating and electrical biasing. In this study, we design and demonstrate a multi-functional microchip that integrates actuators, sensors, heaters and electrodes with freestanding electron transparent specimens. In addition to mechanical testing at elevated temperatures, the chip can actively control microstructures (grain growth and phase change) of the specimen material. Using nano-crystalline aluminum, nickel and zirconium as specimen materials, we demonstrate these novel capabilities inside the microscope. Our approach of active microstructural control and quantitative testing with real-time visualization can influence mechanistic modeling by providing direct and accurate evidence of the fundamental mechanisms behind materials behavior.

Description: We present a three-dimensional extension of the multiscale dendritic needle network (DNN) model. This approach enables quantitative simulations of the unsteady dynamics of complex hierarchical networks in spatially extended dendritic arrays. We apply the model to directional solidification of Al-9.8 wt.%Si alloy and directly compare the model predictions with measurements from experiments with in situ x-ray imaging. We focus on the dynamical selection of primary spacings over a range of growth velocities, and the influence of sample geometry on the selection of spacings. Simulation results show good agreement with experiments. The computationally efficient DNN model opens new avenues for investigating the dynamics of large dendritic arrays at scales relevant to solidification experiments and processes.

Description: Determination of elastic constants using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy requires transducers that can measure resonance frequencies accurately and identify the vibrational mode of each resonance frequency. We developed three transducers, namely an electromagnetic acoustic transducer, a tripod piezoelectric transducer coupled with a laser Doppler interferometer, and an antenna transmission transducer, for use with various materials and in different measurement circumstances. Their capability in resonant ultrasound spectroscopy and their applications are described.

Description: Bulk elemental compositions of 74 modern cast bronze sculptures from the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Rodin Museum (Philadelphia, PA) were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and a handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. The elemental compositions of the cast sculptures as measured previously by ICP-OES and presently by XRF are compared: A good match is found between the two methods for the base metal (Cu) and the two majority alloying elements (Zn and Sn). For both ICP-OES and XRF data, when the Zn composition is plotted versus the Sn composition, three discernable clusters are found that are related to the artist, foundry, casting date, and casting method; they consist of (A) high-zinc brass, (B) low-zinc, low-tin brass, and (C) low-zinc, tin bronze. Thus, our study confirms that the relatively fast, nondestructive XRF spectrometry can be used effectively over slower and invasive, but more accurate, ICP-OES to help determine a sculpture’s artist, foundry, date of creation, date of casting, and casting method.

Description: The possible use of lost-wax casting in China has long been a matter of controversy. Based on the study of pertinent ancient texts concerning the technical origins of lost-wax casting in China, direct examination of questioned ancient Chinese bronzes as well as definite lost-wax castings from both overseas and China, and modern production of objects using piece-mold casting, the authors point out their own conceptual ideas about ancient lost-wax casting as follows. First, the lost-wax casting technique does not have its earliest origins in ancient China but rather from the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, where it was predominantly used to cast small human and animal figures (statuettes). Next, some essential characteristics of the lost-wax casting technique can be identified from the point of view of a distortable soft starting model. The locally deformed shape of lost-wax castings is found to be variable. Finally, it is improper to consider the ease of extraction from the mold as the criterion for distinguishing lost-wax casting from piece-mold casting. It is therefore incorrect to conclude that the three-dimensional openwork decorations present on Chinese bronzes from the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period, are fabricated using lost-wax castings.

Description: Microscale plastic strain heterogeneity can arise in polycrystalline Mg and its alloys in a variety of different ways. In this article, we illustrate how microscale digital image correction based on scanning electron microscope images can reveal this plastic heterogeneity in commercially pure polycrystalline Mg and how such observations provide insight into plasticity, damage, and ductility.

Description: A confidence interval on the yield strength prediction for wrought titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V is presented, statistically estimated from a recently developed phenomenological model relating the material parameters to material properties. In this study, the material composition and microstructure parameters were statistically characterized using multimodal, three-parameter Weibull, Normal and Uniform distributions to capture their naturally occurring variability. These estimations were used to predict mean square error and confidence intervals on the material strength of the alloy, comparing model results with experimentally obtained data. Model estimation is in good agreement with the experimental data, deviating by no more than 6%. The work presented here provides a probabilistic relationship between titanium alloy processing, resulting microstructure, and its performance.

Description: Direct evidence of the relationship between the polymorphic phase transformation from monoclinic Cu 6 Sn 5 to hexagonal Cu 6 Sn 5 and stress accumulation/release in Cu 6 Sn 5 , formed at the interface between Sn-0.7Cu lead-free solder and their Cu substrates, has been obtained. To explore this challenging phenomenon, we developed an in situ heating/isothermal observation technique in ultrahigh-voltage transmission electron microscopy that enables the observation of thick samples (around 0.5  μ m) for solder joints, including Cu/Cu 3 Sn/Cu 6 Sn 5 /Sn-0.7Cu solder interfaces prepared by a focused ion beam milling technique. The results show evidence of stress creation and release events by imaging bend contours that may arise due to the polymorphic transformations of the Cu 6 Sn 5 phase and the associated volumetric change.

Description: Effects of temperature and slag basicity on the reduction rate of iron oxide in molten synthetic electric arc furnace oxidizing slag by Al-40 wt.%Fe alloy was investigated. An alloy sample was dropped into molten slag in an MgO crucible. When the initial slag temperature was 1723 K, there was no reduction. However, when the initial slag temperature was 1773 K and the slag basicity was 1.1, the reduction was initiated and the temperature of the slag rapidly increased. When the slag basicity was 1.1, increasing the initial slag temperature from 1773 K to 1823 K increases the reaction rate. As the slag basicity increased from 1.1 to 1.4 at 1773 K, the reaction rate increased. From SEM analysis, it was found that an Al 2 O 3 or a spinel phase at the slag-metal interface inhibited the reaction at a lower temperature and a lower slag basicity.

Description: TiN and (Ti,Mg)N thin film coatings were deposited on Ti substrates by an arc-physical vapor deposition technique. The effect of cell presence on hydroxyapatite (HA) formation was investigated using surfaces with four different Mg contents (0, 8.1, 11.31, and 28.49 at.%). Accelerated corrosion above 10 at.% Mg had a negative effect on the performance in terms of both cell proliferation and mineralization. In the absence of cells, Mg-free TiN coatings and low-Mg (8.1 at.%)-doped (Ti,Mg)N surfaces led to an early HA deposition (after 7 days and 14 days, respectively) in cell culture medium (DMEM), but the crystallinity was low. More crystalline HA structures were obtained in the presence of the cells. HA deposits with an ideal Ca/P ratio were obtained at least a week earlier, at day 14, in TiN and low-Mg (8.1 at.%)-doped (Ti,Mg)N compared with that of high-Mg-containing surfaces (〉10 at.%). A thicker mineralized matrix was formed on low-Mg (8.1 at.%)-doped (Ti,Mg)N relative to that of the TiN sample. Low-Mg doping (〈10 at.%) into TiN coatings resulted in better cell proliferation and thicker mineralized matrix formation, so it could be a promising alternative for hard tissue applications.

Description: The content of TiO 2 has an important influence on both the basic structure and the crystallization behavior of titanium-bearing blast furnace (BF) slag. The results of thermodynamic calculations show that, when the mass content of TiO 2 is smaller than 25%, CaTiO 3 increases as the content of TiO 2 increases. However, when the TiO 2 content is more than 25%, the CaTiO 3 content decreases and TiO 2 gradually increases. The results of a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) experiment show that, when the TiO 2 mass content is 10%, Ca 2 MgSi 2 O 7 and Ca 2 Al 2 SiO 7 are the main crystallized phases resulting from the molten slag. Furthermore, when the TiO 2 mass content is 20%, CaMgSi 2 O 6 , Ca(Ti,Mg,Al)(Si,Al) 2 O 7 and dendrite CaTiO 3 are the crystallized phases, while when the TiO 2 mass content increases to 30%, CaTiO 3 is the sole phase. The discrepancy between the CLSM results and the thermodynamic calculations occurs mainly due to the high melting point of the titanium-bearing BF slag. During the cooling process for the molten slag, CaTiO 3 is crystallized first, due to its high crystallization temperature. Furthermore, the molten slag is solidified in its entirety before the other phases crystallize.

Description: Forest-derived biomaterials can play an integral role in a sustainable and renewable future. Research across a range of disciplines is required to develop the knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges of incorporating more renewable forest resources in materials, chemicals, and fuels. We focus on wood specifically because in our view, better characterization of wood as a raw material and as a feedstock will lead to its increased utilization. We first give an overview of wood structure and chemical composition and then highlight current topics in forest products research, including (1) industrial chemicals, biofuels, and energy from woody materials; (2) wood-based activated carbon and carbon nanostructures; (3) development of improved wood protection treatments; (4) massive timber construction; (5) wood as a bioinspiring material; and (6) atomic simulations of wood polymers. We conclude with a discussion of the sustainability of wood as a renewable forest resource.

Description: The AA7050 alloy strips can be successfully prepared by semi-solid powder rolling. The effect and factors of particle size on the microstructure, relative density, and mechanical properties were discussed. The results show that coarse starting powders require less liquid to achieve high relative density, and the formed strips have lower elongation compared with that prepared with the fine starting powders. The strength is more related to defects, whereas elongation partially depends on the grain size. Additionally, the fracture mechanism of strips prepared with fine powders is the ductile fracture because many dimples are observed. For relative density, when the initial liquid fraction is lower than 10%, the difference of deformation degree is the main factor. When the liquid fraction is higher than 10–20%, premature solidification and more particle interfaces are the two main factors.

Description: Based on FACTSage® software, this paper focuses on the thermodynamic calculations of selective carbothermal reactions of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates for preparing iron-based wear-resistant material directly from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates. The calculations show that it was most likely to generate metallic iron, titanium carbide and vanadium carbide among all possible carbothermal reactions of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates in a vacuum of 10 Pa. The equilibrium composition calculations indicate that Fe 3 O 4 can be reduced to metallic iron by carbon above 400°C, FeTiO 3 can be converted into TiC by carbon above 800°C and V 2 O 5 can be converted into VC by carbon above 600°C in a vacuum of 10 Pa. The investigations demonstrated that the percentage of ferrous oxides reduced to metallic iron was about 96%, the conversion percentage of FeTiO 3 into TiC was about 75% and the conversion percentage of V 2 O 5 into VC was about 94% after the selective carbothermal reactions of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates at 1300°C for 3 h in a vacuum of 10 Pa.

Description: Cellulose nanomaterials (CNs) are a new class of cellulose particles with properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp, and as a result, they are being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials. Momentum is growing in CN research and development, and commercialization in this field is happening because of the unique combination of characteristics (e.g., high mechanical properties, sustainability, and large-scale production potential) and utility across a broad spectrum of material applications (e.g. as an additive, self-sustaining structures, and template structures) that CNs offer. Despite the challenges typical for materials development, CN and near-CN production is ramping up with pilot scale to industry demonstration trials, and the first commercial products are starting to hit the marketplace. This review provides a broad overview of CNs and their capabilities that are enabling new application areas for cellulose-based materials.

Description: Novel kinds of nanocomposites based on bisphenol A-aniline based polybenzoxazine matrix P(BA-a) and 0 wt.%–20 wt.% boron carbide (B 4 C) nanoparticles were produced and their properties were evaluated in terms of the nano-B 4 C content. The thermal conductivity of the P(BA-a) matrix was improved approximately three times from 0.18 W/m K to 0.86 W/m K at 20 wt.% nano-B 4 C loading, while its coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was deceased by 47% with the same nanofiller content. The microhardness properties were significantly improved by adding the B 4 C nanoparticles. At 20 wt.% of nano-B 4 C content, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a marked increase in the storage modulus and the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the nanocomposites, reaching 3.9 GPa and 204°C, respectively. Hot water uptake tests showed that the water-resistance of the polybenzoxazine matrix was increased by filling with nano-B 4 C nano-filler. The morphological analysis reflected that the improvements obtained in the mechanical and thermal properties are related to the uniform dispersion of the nano-B 4 C particles and their strong adhesion to the P(BA-a) matrix.

Description: This article investigates the development of porosity in titania-rich slag obtained by sintering via conventional and thermal plasma heating at 1000°C in inert atmosphere. The holder in the plasma reactor acted as the discharge anode confined within a hollow graphite cathode. Quantitative evaluation of the porosity in the conventionally sintered and plasma-sintered titania-rich slag was performed via pycnometry. Specifically, the physical dimension and morphology of the pores were characterized according to the area fraction, mean diameter, shape factor, and elongation factor. Under both conventional and thermal plasma heating conditions, porosity developed on the surface of titania-rich slag. The titania-rich slag obtained by two processes showed different porosity features in terms of the morphology and porosity. A lower porosity was observed in the plasma-sintered sample when compared with that obtained via conventional heating.

Description: The solubility of lithium metal in molten LiCl–Li 2 O mixtures has been measured at various concentrations of Li 2 O ranging from 0 wt.% to 2.7 wt.% at a temperature of approximately 670–680°C. After contacting molten lithium with molten LiCl–Li 2 O for several hours to achieve equilibrium saturation, samples were taken by freezing the salt onto a room-temperature steel rod and dissolving in water for analysis. Both volume of hydrogen gas generated and volume of titrated HCl were measured to investigate two different approaches to calculating the lithium concentration. There appeared to be no effect of Li 2 O concentration on the Li solubility in the salt. But the results vary between different methods of deducing the amount of dissolved Li. The H 2 collection method is recommended, but care must be taken to ensure all of the H 2 has been included.

Description: Decreasing pitch size in electronic packaging has resulted in a drastic decrease in solder volumes. The Sn grain crystallography and fraction of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in small-scale solder joints evolve much differently at the smaller length scales. A cross-sectional study limits the morphological analysis of microstructural features to two dimensions. This study utilizes serial sectioning technique in conjunction with electron backscatter diffraction to investigate the crystallographic orientation of both Sn grains and Cu 6 Sn 5 IMCs in Cu/Pure Sn/Cu solder joints in three dimensional (3D). Quantification of grain aspect ratio is affected by local cooling rate differences within the solder volume. Backscatter electron imaging and focused ion beam serial sectioning enabled the visualization of morphology of both nanosized Cu 6 Sn 5 IMCs and the hollow hexagonal morphology type Cu 6 Sn 5 IMCs in 3D. Quantification and visualization of microstructural features in 3D thus enable us to better understand the microstructure and deformation mechanics within these small scale solder joints.

Description: Free-standing NiCo 2 O 4 @Ni cathodes for aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries were synthesized through a simple hydrothermal process followed by heat treatment in the air. The morphology of the NiCo 2 O 4 deposit changed from nanosheet to nanowire with the increase of hydrothermal time. Further observation revealed that the nanosheet/nanowire NiCo 2 O 4 were assembled by nanoparticles with a size of 10–20 nm. The directional assembly of the nanoparticles were not affected by the reaction time. The influence of catalyst microstructure on the electrochemical performance of Li-O 2 batteries was studied. The results of battery tests in pure oxygen indicate that the cathode material with a high specific surface area, large pore volume and broad pore size distribution can facilitate the discharge reaction, leading to an improved cell performance. As a result, the cathode based on the NiCo 2 O 4 nanowire array delivered a specific discharge capacity of 1682 mAh g −1 at 30 mA g −1 and a stable cyclability of 50 cycles with a capacity limitation of 500 mAh g −1 .

Description: The room temperature mechanical behavior of the fully bainitic steel grade 20CrMoVTiB410 was studied in the as-quenched and tempered conditions. The hardenability response of the steel during heat treatment was assessed. In the as-quenched condition itself, the steel exhibited a good combination of strength, ductility and toughness. Tempering the quenched steel till to 550°C, showed uniform mechanical properties. Tempering at 650°C showed secondary hardening behaviour, where the highest strength and least impact toughness was observed. Tempering at 700°C showed a sharp decrease in strength but with significant enhancement of toughness. The properties obtained were correlated with the microstructure and phase analysis was established using optical, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and x-ray diffraction techniques.

Description: In present study, 6061- and A356-based nano-composites are fabricated by using the ultrasonic stirring technology (UST) in a coreless induction furnace. SiC nanoparticles are used as the reinforcement. Nanoparticles are added into the molten metal and then dispersed by ultrasonic cavitation and acoustic streaming assisted by electromagnetic stirring. The applied UST parameters in the current experiments are used to validate a recently developed magneto-hydro-dynamics (MHD) model, which is capable of modeling the cavitation and nanoparticle dispersion during UST processing. The MHD model accounts for turbulent fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification, and electromagnetic field, as well as the complex interaction between the nanoparticles and both the molten and solidified alloys by using ANSYS Maxwell and ANSYS Fluent. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are conducted to analyze the complex interactions between the nanoparticle and the liquid/solid interface. The current modeling results demonstrate that a strong flow can disperse the nanoparticles relatively well during molten metal and solidification processes. MD simulation results prove that ultrafine particles (10 nm) will be engulfed by the solidification front instead of being pushed, which is beneficial for nano-dispersion.

Description: In this article, the wrinkling behavior and thickness distribution of 5A06 aluminum alloy sheets in an annealed state with thickness of 1.0 mm and 2.5 mm was numerically and experimentally investigated under different hydraulic pressures in the hydroforming of single-layer and double-layer sheets. Note that, in double-layer sheets hydroforming, an upper-aided sheet is needed. The upper, thicker sheet synchronously deforms with the lower, thinner sheet during hydroforming. When the double-layer sheets are separated, a thinner curved sheet part will be manufactured. As can be seen from the simulation and experimental results, the upper, thicker sheet could effectively suppress the wrinkles of the lower, thinner sheet and improve the thickness distribution due to the increasing anti-wrinkle ability of the formed sheet and the interfacial friction between the double-layer sheets. In addition, the maximum hydraulic pressure can be decreased via hydroforming of double-layer sheets; this approach reduces the drawing force for large sheet parts and meets the requirement of energy conservation.

Description: Manual attribution of crystallographic phases from high-throughput x-ray diffraction studies is an arduous task, and represents a rate-limiting step in high-throughput exploration of new materials. Here, we demonstrate a semi-supervised machine learning technique, SS-AutoPhase, which uses a two-step approach to identify automatically phases from diffraction data. First, clustering analysis is used to select a representative subset of samples automatically for human analysis. Second, an AdaBoost classifier uses the labeled samples to identify the presence of the different phases in diffraction data. SS-AutoPhase was used to identify the metallographic phases in 278 diffraction patterns from a FeGaPd composition spread sample. The accuracy of SS-AutoPhase was 〉82.6% for all phases when 15% of the diffraction patterns were used for training. The SS-AutoPhase predicted phase diagram showed excellent agreement with human expert analysis. Furthermore it was able to determine and identify correctly a previously unreported phase.

Description: The present work focuses on the processing of cathode active material of spent lithium ion batteries to improve the recovery of constituent metals using reducing agents. Reductants enhance the solubility of metals, which hitherto have been solubilised to a lesser extent using only acid as leaching agent. Thus, we have investigated sulfuric acid leaching in the presence of sodium bisulfite comparing its efficiency with hydrogen peroxide. By simple acid leaching using 1 M H 2 SO 4 at 368 K and 50 g/L pulp density, 93.4% Li, 66.2% Co, 96.3% Ni and 50.2% Mn were recovered in 240 min. In the presence of 5% H 2 O 2 as a reducing agent at 368 K with 1 M H 2 SO 4 and 50 g/L pulp density, the leaching of cobalt (79.2%) and manganese (84.6%) were significantly improved in 240 min. With the addition of 0.075 M NaHSO 3 as a reducing agent, ~96.7% Li, 91.6% Co, 96.4% Ni and 87.9% Mn were recovered under similar conditions. Sodium bisulfite addition results in better recovery of cobalt and manganese by reducing them to their lower oxidation states. The HSC evaluation of thermodynamic feasibility vis-à-vis x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy characterization of residues generated by leaching with hydrogen peroxide and sodium bisulfite substantiates the governing mechanism.

Description: This paper investigated the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of the spinel crystals in vanadium slags containing high CaO content. Experiments were performed in combination with theoretical calculation to address this issue, and statistical analyses based on the Crystal Size Distribution theory. The results indicate that low cooling rate and high CaO content benefit the growth of spinel crystals. The growth mechanism is revealed to be controlled by interface reactions and diffusion at the cooling rates of 5 K/min and 15 K/min, respectively. However, at higher temperatures (〉1673 K), the growth of spinel crystals is controlled by nucleation. While the temperature is decreased to 1523 K at the cooling rate of 5 K/min, the mean diameter of spinel crystals could reach 36.44 μm. Experimental results combining with theoretical reveal that low cooling rate benefits spinels growth, especially for the interval of 1523 K–1200 K.

Description: To maximize the recovery of iron and copper from copper slag, the modification process by adding a compound additive (a mixture of hematite, pyrite and manganous oxide) and optimizing the cooling of the slag was studied. The phase reconstruction mechanism of the slag modification process was revealed by thermodynamic calculations, x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the synergy between the burnt lime and the compound additive promotes the generation of target minerals, such as magnetite and copper matte. In addition, the multifunctional compound additive is able to improve the fluidity of the molten slag, which facilitates the coalescence and growth of fine particles of the target minerals. As a result, the percentage of iron distributed in the form of magnetite increased from 32.9% to 65.1%, and that of the copper exiting in the form of metallic copper and copper sulfide simultaneously increased from 80.0% to 90.3%. Meanwhile, the grains of the target minerals in the modified slag grew markedly to a mean size of over 50 μm after slow cooling. Ultimately, the beneficiation efficiency of copper and iron was improved because of the ease with which the target minerals could be liberated.

Description: The high cost and time typically expended in the successful deployment of new materials into high-performance commercial products is attributable to multiple factors. The most significant of these include the heavy reliance on experiments, the persisting disconnect between multiscale experiments and multiscale models, the lack of a broadly accessible data and knowledge infrastructure that can support the implementation of a holistic systems approach, and the lack of a suitable framework for facilitating and enhancing the critically needed cross-disciplinary collaborations. The emerging discipline of materials data science and informatics (MDSI) promises to address these key technology gaps. The potential benefits to the materials innovation enterprise that could accrue from an aggressive adoption of the novel concepts and toolsets offered by MDSI are examined. A specific vision is expounded for the role of MDSI in bridging the large gap that exists between the multiscale materials experiments and the multiscale materials models.

Description: Greenhouse gas (GHG) generation is inherent in the production of aluminium by a technology that uses carbon anodes. Most of those GHG are composed of CO 2 produced by redox reaction that occurs in the cell. However, a significant fraction of the annual GHG production is composed of perfluorocarbons (PFC) resulting from anode effects (AE). Multiple investigations have shown that tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ) can be generated under low-voltage conditions in the electrolysis cells, without global anode effect. The aim of this paper is to find a quantitative relationship between monitored cell parameters and the emissions of CF 4 . To achieve this goal, a predictive algorithm has been developed using seven cell indicators. These indicators are based on the cell voltage, the noise level and other parameters calculated from individual anode current monitoring. The predictive algorithm is structured into three different steps. The first two steps give qualitative information while the third one quantitatively describes the expected CF 4 concentration at the duct end of the electrolysis cells. Validations after each step are presented and discussed. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the effect of each indicator on the onset of low-voltage PFC emissions. The standard deviation of individual anode currents was found to be the dominant variable. Cell voltage, noise level, and maximum individual anode current also showed a significant correlation with the presence of CF 4 in the output gas of an electrolysis cell.

Description: The study of material failure with digital analytics is in its infancy and offers a new perspective to advance our understanding of damage initiation and evolution in metals. In this article, we study the failure of aluminum using data-enabled methods, statistics and data mining. Through the use of tension tests, we establish a multivariate acoustic-data matrix of random damage events, which typically are not visible and are very difficult to measure due to their variability, diversity and interactivity during damage processes. Aluminium alloy 6061-T651 and single crystal aluminium with a (111) orientation were evaluated by comparing the collection of acoustic signals from damage events caused primarily by slip in the single crystal and multimode fracture of the alloy. We found the resulting acoustic damage-event data to be large semi-structured volumes of Big Data with the potential to be mined for information that describes the materials damage state under strain. Our data-enabled analyses has allowed us to determine statistical distributions of multiscale random damage that provide a means to quantify the material damage state.

Description: A two-stage sequential heavy reduction (HR) method, in which the reduction amount was increased both before and after the solidification end, is presented to simultaneously improve the homogeneity and compactness of the continuous casting bloom. With bearing steel GCr15 chosen as the specific research steel, a three-dimensional thermal–mechanical finite element model was developed to simulate and analyze the thermal and mechanical behaviors of the continuous casting bloom during the HR process. In order to ensure the accuracy of the simulation, the constitutive model parameters were derived from the experimental results. The predicted temperature distribution and shell thickness were verified using a thermal infrared camera and nail shooting results, respectively. The real measured relationship between the HR pressure and amount were applied to verify the mechanical model. The explorative application results showed that the quality of the bloom center and compactness of rolled bars have both been significantly improved after the HR was applied.

Description: The mass of automotive components has a direct influence on several aspects of vehicle performance, including both fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions, but the real environmental benefit has to be evaluated considering the entire life of the products with a proper life cycle assessment. In this context, the present paper analyzes the environmental burden connected to the production of a safety-relevant aluminum high-pressure die-casting component for commercial vehicles (a suspension cross-beam) considering all the phases connected to its manufacture. The focus on aluminum high-pressure die casting reflects the current trend of the industry and its high energy consumption. This work shows a new method that deeply analyzes every single step of the component’s production through the implementation of a wide database of primary data collected thanks to collaborations of some automotive supplier companies. This energy analysis shows significant environmental benefits of aluminum recycling.

Description: Nearly 400 million years of evolution and field-testing by the natural world has given humans thousands of wood types, each with unique structure–property relationships to study, exploit, and ideally, to manipulate, but the slow growth of trees makes them a recalcitrant experimental system. Variations in wood features of two genotypes of peach ( Prunus persica L.) trees, wild-type and crinkle-leaf, were examined to elucidate the nature of weak wood in crinkle-leaf trees. Crinkle-leaf is a naturally-occurring mutation in which wood strength is altered in conjunction with an easily observed ‘crinkling’ of the leaves’ surface. Trees from three vigor classes (low growth rate, average growth rate, and high growth rate) of each genotype were sampled. No meaningful tendency of dissimilarities among the different vigor classes was found, nor any pattern in features in a genotype-by-vigor analysis. Wild-type trees exhibited longer vessels and fibers, wider rays, and slightly higher specific gravity. Neither cell wall mechanical properties measured with nanoindentation nor cell wall histochemical properties were statistically or observably different between crinkle-leaf and wild-type wood. The crinkle-leaf mutant has the potential to be a useful model system for wood properties investigation and manipulation if it can serve as a field-observable vegetative marker for altered wood properties.

Description: As the size of databases has significantly increased, whether through high throughput computation or through informatics-based modeling, the challenge of selecting the optimal material for specific design requirements has also arisen. Given the multiple, and often conflicting, design requirements, this selection process is not as trivial as sorting the database for a given property value. We suggest that the materials selection process should minimize selector bias, as well as take data uncertainty into account. For this reason, we discuss and apply decision theory for identifying chemical additions to Ni-base alloys. We demonstrate and compare results for both a computational array of chemistries and standard commercial superalloys. We demonstrate how we can use decision theory to select the best chemical additions for enhancing both property and processing, which would not otherwise be easily identifiable. This work is one of the first examples of introducing the mathematical framework of set theory and decision analysis into the domain of the materials selection process.

Description: Al-4.5wt.%Cu-5wt.%TiB 2 in situ composite, fabricated by stir casting through a mixed salt reaction route process, needs further processing to exclude casting defects. Mushy state rolling has been developed as an easy and energy-efficient method for microstructural refinement and improvement in mechanical properties. It has been carried out at 621°C and 632°C with 20 vol.% and 30 vol.% of liquid, respectively, for up to 5% reduction in thickness. Mushy state rolling of the as-cast composite gives rise to a bimodal microstructure, which consists of very fine equiaxed grains adjacent to the rolled surface and comparatively larger elongated grains away from the rolled surface of the sample. Microhardness of the mushy state rolled sample has been observed to decrease gradually from edge to center of the rolled sample. The presence of the dislocation tangles and subgrains formed by dynamic recovery within solid-state deformed elongated grains and formation of recrystallized grains just adjacent to the second-phase particles have been examined with the help of electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis.