Search results

A new recently proposed mechanism of the lenticular grain face bubble migration which controls the bubble mobility and determines the drag force exerted on the grain boundary, is further developed in application to the peripheral (edge and corner) intergranular bubbles. It is shown that contribution of the peripheral bubbles to the retarding effect can be significant, especially under irradiation conditions with high fission rates in UO2 fuel. In addition, simultaneous consideration of intergranular bubbles and pores evolution allows further improvement of the model predictions for grain growth under irradiation conditions. The improved model was implemented in the integral code MFPR, which is designed for modelling of fission product release from irradiated UO2 fuel, and validated against various tests under irradiation and annealing conditions with various types (dense and porous) fuel pellets.

The purpose of this paper is to assess a new powder metallurgy process to make alumina parts through indirect selective laser sintering (SLS). Density measurements, some geometrical assessments and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructural analyses are performed after each stage of the process, allowing an objective overview to be provided of the challenges and possibilities for the processing of high density technical ceramic parts through SLS of ball milled alumina/polyamide powder agglomerates.

The powder production by ball milling, SLS, cold isostatic pressing (CIP) or quasi isostatic pressing (QIP), debinding and sintering (FS) stages of the powder metallurgy process were sequentially investigated.

Alumina parts with a density up to 94.1 per cent could be produced by a powder metallurgy process containing an SLS step. Microstructural investigation of the sintered samples reveals an alumina matrix with a grain size of ∼5 μm and two different kinds of pore morphologies, i.e. long elongated pores, which stem from the intergranular spacings during SLS, and intermediate pores, which likely originate from larger polyamide agglomerates in the ball milled powder. Also, QIPing at elevated temperatures is found to be a promising alternative for CIPing at room temperature to increase the final part density.

Cracks, long elongated pores and intermediate pores remained in the sintered parts. Homogenizing the microstructure of the parts through optimizing the composite starting powder, the deposition during SLS, the SLS parameters and QIPing parameters is essential to overcome these limitations.

Homogenizing the starting powder mixture and the microstructure of the SLS material is the key issue for producing ceramic parts through indirect SLS.

Indirect SLS of ceramics has hardly been reported and the combined use of SLS and QIPing is innovative in the field of indirect SLS of ceramics.

Anodizing is used widely in the surface treatment of aluminium alloys for aerospace applications. Considers recent advances in understanding of the influences of alloying elements in anodizing of aluminium alloys and, in particular, their applicability to second phase particles during anodizing of commercial alloys. Through more precise knowledge of the response of second phase materials to anodic polarization, improved anodizing and related surface treatment processes may be developed in order to enhance the performance of aluminium alloys.

The above Congress, being held at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, from April 10–15, has been described as likely to be the corrosion event of the decade. Size alone is no criterion, though over 80 papers are being presented, but the standing of many of the corrosionists associated with the Congress is, perhaps, the best indication of the truth of this statement. Summaries and abstracts of some of the papers appear in the following pages. More will be published in next month's issue.

The Ni-based superalloy IN-738 LC is known to be susceptible to porosity and different types of cracking during the build-up process and, thus, challenging to manufacture using selective laser melting (SLM). Determining a feasible set of operating parameters for SLM of nickel-based superalloys involves new approach to experimental design based on the Doehlert method that assists in determining an optimal (feasible) set of operating parameters for SLM of IN-738 LC powder alloy.

The SLM parameters are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in obtaining the microstructure with a porosity content of <0.5 per cent and without micro-cracking. The experimental approach is exemplified with the Doehlert matrix response variable, relative density, by comparing Archimedes method with microstructural assessments of pores and cracks from image analysis. The effect of heat treatment (HT) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on the microstructure of the SLMed IN-738 LC powder alloy has been examined and the consequential tensile response characterised.

By using optimised process parameters (low heat input, medium scanning speed and small hatching distance) which provides medium energy density, samples of IN-738 LC with a macroscopic porosity <0.5 per cent and free of micro-cracks can be manufactured by SLM. The results indicate that HIP of SLMed material did not lead to a noticeable effect on mechanical properties compared to HT of SLMed material suggesting that the level of both porosity and crack density might be already below the detection limit for the mere heat-treated material.

SLM processing parameters (power, scan speed, hatching distance) for IN-738 LC were successfully optimised after only 14 experiments using Doehlert design. Two independent methods, Archimedes method and image analysis, were used in this study to assess relative density of SLM-produced samples with sets of processing parameters showing coherency in prediction with predicted response by Doehlert design.

The purpose of this paper is to eliminate Part defects and enrich additive manufacturing of ceramics. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) experiments were carried to investigate the effects of laser parameters and selective oxidation of Titanium (mixed with TiO₂) on the microstructure, surface quality and melting state of Titania. The causes of several L-PBF parts defects were thoroughly analyzed.

Laser power and scanning speed were varied within a specific range (50–125 W and 170–200 mm/s, respectively). Furthermore, varying loads of Ti (1%, 3%, 5% and 15%) were mixed with TiO₂, which was selectively oxidized with laser beam in the presence of oxygen environment.

Part defects such as cracks, pores and uneven grains growth were widely reduced in TiO₂ L-PBF specimens. Increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed shown significant improvements in the surface morphology of TiO₂ ceramics. The amount of Ti material was fully melted and simultaneously changed into TiO₂ by the application of the laser beam. The selective oxidation of Ti material also improved the melting condition, microstructure and surface quality of the specimens.

TiO₂ ceramic specimens were produced through L-PBF process. Increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed is an effective way to sufficiently melt the powders and reduce parts defects. Selective oxidation of Ti by a high power laser beam approach was used to improve the manufacturability of TiO₂ specimens.

Human aging is becoming a common issue these days as it results in orthopaedic-related issues such as joints disorderness, bone-fracture. People with age = 60 years suffer more from these aforesaid issues. It is expected that these issues in human beings will ultimately reach 2.1 billion by 2050 worldwide. Furthermore, the increase in traffic accidents in young people throughout the world has significantly emerged the need for artificial implants. Their implantation can act as a substitute for fractured bones or disordered joints. Therefore, this study aims to focus on electron beam melted titanium (Ti)-based orthopaedic implants along with their recent trends in the field.

The main contents of this work include the basic theme and background of the metal-based additive manufacturing, different implant materials specifically Ti alloys and their classification based on crystallographic transus temperature (including α, metastable β, β and α + β phases), details of electron beam melting (EBM) concerning its process physics, various control variables and performance characteristics of EBMed Ti alloys in orthopaedic and orthodontic implants, applications of EBMed Ti alloys in various load-bearing implants, different challenges associated with the EBMed Ti-based implants along with their possible solutions. Recent trends and shortfalls have also been described at the end.

EBM is getting significant attention in medical implants because of its minor issues as compared to conventional fabrication practices such as Ti casting and possesses a significant research potential to fabricate various medical implants. The elastic modulus and strength of EBMed ß Ti-alloys such as 24Nb-4Zr-8Sn and Ti-33Nb-4Sn are superior compared to conventional Ti for orthopaedic implants. Beta Ti alloys processed by EBM have near bone elastic modulus (approximately 35–50 GPa) along with improved tribo-mechanical performance involving mechanical strength, wear and corrosion resistance, along with biocompatibility for implants.

Advances in EBM have opened the gateway Ti alloys in the biomedical field explicitly ß-alloys because of their unique biocompatibility, bioactivity along with improved tribo-mechanical performance. Less significant work is available on the EBM of Ti alloys in orthopaedic and orthodontic implants. This study is directed solely on the EBM of medical Ti alloys in medical sectors to explore their different aspects for future research opportunities.

It is now increasingly recognised that surface coating technology offers production engineers and designers significant opportunities to optimise the use of raw materials. Due to the forecasted shortage in a number of engineering metals, such as zinc, mercury, tin … etc., surface coating technology offers the most attractive finishing process, with material conservations. Suitable bulk materials may be selected for cost or structural reasons, whilst surface coating materials are chosen to meet specific surface properties, such as wear resistance, protection against corrosion, surface thermal and electrical conductance, optical reflections and decorative features. The recent design trends towards higher speeds, minimum airplane weight and maximum load capacity, however, encourage the use of light weight titanium fasteners in airplane aluminium alloy structures. This creates a serious galvanic corrosion problem to airplane skin sheets. In the following a new surface coating technique which is recently recognised as a growth of a new technology is applied to the problem of galvanic corrosion in air frame structures. The application of aluminium coatings for the protection of airplane skin sheets and fasteners against the galvanic corrosion in local environments is investigated. Both polarisation and galvanic tests are used for the evaluation of the potential of the new surface coatings. Furthermore both sodium chloride and sulphur dioxide electrolytes are used to simulate sea water and jet exhaust environments. Electrolyte saturation with either air or nitrogen are considered to compensate for the presence and lack of oxygen at different environments. It is concluded that the strong adhesion and the extensive graded interfaces of the ion plated films are responsible for the good protection of coated metallic couples.

Last month we published abstracts and summaries of some of the papers presented at the Congress, which was held at the Imperial College of Science and Technology from April 10–15 under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. In this issue we publish further abstracts and summaries together with illustrations of many of the corrosionists attending and photographs of some of the many visits which were arranged to works and laboratories. The Congress attracted over 800 delegates.

Pitting Pitting is possibly the most expensive form of corrosion, in that one small hole can result in the failure or destruction of a process or plant. By its very nature it is a localised form of attack, the diameter of the resultant pit being approximately the same as its depth. Some materials are very prone to pitting—the pits are so close that the surface resembles a roughened specimen. The most important factor, that of pit depth, is sometimes referred to in terms of ‘pitting factor’. This relates the ratio of deepest pit to average metal penetration, the latter being derived from the weight loss of the specimen. Uniform corrosion has a pitting factor of unity.