2006 Vol. 13, No. 4

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Mineral
Screening and flocculating properties of bioflocculant-producing microorganisms
Yanling Sheng, Qiang Zhang, Yanru Sheng, Chengbin Li, and  Huajun Wang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 289-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60061-3
Abstract:
Screening of bioflocculant-producing microorganisms was carried out. A strain that secreted excellent bioflocculant was isolated from municipal sewage using the spread plate technique, identified as Klebsiella sp. by the analytical profile index (API) identification system, and named A9. Several important factors that had an effect on A9’s bioflocculant-producing and flocculating activity were studied. A total of 4 g/L Kaolin suspension was used to measure the flocculating activity of the bioflocculant from A9. It was found that maltose and urea were A9’s best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, and the flocculating activity of the flocculating agent from A9 was markedly increased by the addition of trivalent cations such as Fe3+ and Al3+; furthermore, the bioflocculant produced by A9 was most effective when the pH value was 6.0.
Metallurgy
Numerical simulation on inclusion transport in continuous casting mold
Lifeng Zhang and  Brian G. Thomas
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 293-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60062-5
Abstract:
Turbulent flow, the transport of inclusions and bubbles, and inclusion removal by fluid flow transport and by bubble flotation in the strand of the continuous slab caster are investigated using computational models, and validated through comparison with plant measurements of inclusions. Steady 3-D flow of steel in the liquid pool in the mold and upper strand is simulated with a finite-difference computational model using the standard k-ε turbulence model. Trajectories of inclusions and bubbles are calculated by integrating each local velocity, considering its drag and buoyancy forces. A “random walk” model is used to incorporate the effect of turbulent fluctuations on the particle motion. The attachment probability of inclusions on a bubble surface is investigated based on fundamental fluid flow simulations, incorporating the turbulent inclusion trajectory and sliding time of each individual inclusion along the bubble surface as a function of particle and bubble size. The change in inclusion distribution due to removal by bubble transport in the mold is calculated based on the computed attachment probability of inclusions on each bubble and the computed path length of the bubbles. The results indicate that 6%-10% inclusions are removed by fluid flow transport, 10% by bubble flotation, and 4% by entrapment to the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) walls. Smaller bubbles and larger inclusions have larger attachment probabilities. Smaller bubbles are more efficient for inclusion removal by bubble flotation, so long as they are not entrapped in the solidifying shell. A larger gas flow rate favors inclusion removal by bubble flotation. The optimum bubble size should be 2-4 mm.
Metallurgy
Numerical simulation of dense particle-gas two-phase flow using the minimal potential energy principle
Xiangjun Liu, Xuchang Xu, and  Wurong Zhang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 301-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60063-7
Abstract:
A simulation method of dense particle-gas two-phase flow has been developed. The binding force is introduced to present the impact of particle clustering and its expression is deduced according to the principle of minimal potential energy. The cluster collision, break-up and coalescence models are proposed based on the assumption that the particle cluster are treated as one discrete phase. These models are used to numerically study the two-phase flow field in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB). Detailed results of the cluster structure, cluster size, particle volume fraction, gas velocity, and particle velocity are obtained. The correlation between the simulation results and experimental data justifies that these models and algorithm are reasonable, and can be used to efficiently study the dense particle-gas two-phase flow.
Materials
Creep rate sensitivities of materials by a depth-sensing indentation technique
Yang Gao, Shengping Wen, and  Feng Pan
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 308-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60064-9
Abstract:
The strain rate sensitivity to creep of single crystal Cu(110), metal tantalum, and 128oY-X LiNbO3 piezoelectric single crystal were measured at room temperature by MTS Nanoindenter XP. Among the three kinds of materials studied, Cu showed the highest degree of resistance to creep-induced deformation, which is followed by Ta, while the LiNbO3 single crystal deformed more readily than the others. The values of the steady-state strain rate sensitivities determined by the indentation methods are in the range of 0.002-0.006, 0.02-0.06 and 0.02-0.03 for Cu, Ta, and LiNbO3, respectively. The mechanisms for the indentation-induced creeping behavior and the factors that influenced the creeping are discussed.
Materials
Adiabatic shear localization evolution for steel based on the Johnson-Cook model and gradient-dependent plasticity
Xuebin Wang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 313-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60065-0
Abstract:
Gradient-dependent plasticity is introduced into the phenomenological Johnson-Cook model to study the effects of strain-hardening, strain rate sensitivity, thermal-softening, and microstructure. The microstructural effect (interactions and interplay among microstructures) due to heterogeneity of texture plays an important role in the process of development or evolution of an adiabatic shear band with a certain thickness depending on the grain diameter. The distributed plastic shear strain and deformation in the shear band are derived and depend on the critical plastic shear strain corresponding to the peak flow shear stress, the coordinate or position, the internal length parameter, and the average plastic shear strain or the flow shear stress. The critical plastic shear strain, the distributed plastic shear strain, and deformation in the shear band are numerically predicted for a kind of steel deformed at a constant shear strain rate. Beyond the peak shear stress, the local plastic shear strain in the shear band is highly nonuniform and the local plastic shear deformation in the band is highly nonlinear. Shear localization is more apparent with the increase of the average plastic shear strain. The calculated distributions of the local plastic shear strain and deformation agree with the previous numerical and experimental results.
Materials
Hot deformation behavior of FGH96 superalloys
Jiantao Liu, Guoquan Liu, Benfu Hu, Yuepeng Song, Ziran Qin, and  Yiwen Zhang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 319-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60066-2
Abstract:
The hot deformation behavior of FGH96 superalloys at 1070-1170°C and 5×10-4-2×10-1 s-1 were investigated by means of the isothermal compression tests at a Gleeble-1500 thermal mechanical simulator. The results show that dynamic recovery acts as the main softening mechanism below 2×10-3 s-1, whereas dynamic recrystallization acts as the main softening mechanism above 2×10-3 s-1 during deformation; the temperature increase caused by the deformation and the corresponding softening stress is negligible; the thermal-mechanical constitutive model to describe the hot deformation behavior is given, and the value of the apparent deformation activation energy (Qdef) is determined to be 354.93 kJ/mol.
Materials
Effect of pouring height on the solidified microstructure of AlSi7Mg alloy
Weimin Mao, Yuelong Bai, and  Hai Lin
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 324-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60067-4
Abstract:
The effect of different pouring heights and evenly soaking process in the liquidus and solidus range on the solidified microstructure of AlSi7Mg alloy has been studied. The results show that if the pouring temperature is 630 or 650°C and the pouring height is 40 mm, the microstructure of the solidified melt is not homogeneous and there are many rosette-like primary α-Al grains. But if the pouring height is increased to 400 mm, the solidified microstructure becomes more homogeneous and favorable to obtain spherical primary α-Al grains in the solidified melt. With further being evenly soaked in the liquidus and solidus range for some time, the temperature difference between the melt center and the melt periphery can be controlled within ±2°C and the primary α-Al grains will evolve into more spherical grains. The theoretical analysis indicates that the higher pouring height promotes the melt flow motion and makes the temperature field in the melt more homogeneous and restrains the large rosette primary α-Al grains. This flow motion can also promote the ripening effect and the primary α-Al grains in the melt are gradually changed into spherical grains. It can be concluded from the experiments that pouring at an appropriate superheat and from a proper height is a good new method for preparing the semisolid slurry of AlSi7Mg alloy, its process control is easy and the preparation cost is lower.
Materials
Laser cladding of Ni-based alloy on copper substrate
Fang Liu, Changsheng Liu, Xingqi Tao, and  Suiyuan Chen
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 329-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60068-6
Abstract:
The laser cladding of Ni1015 alloy on Cu substrate was prepared by a high power continuous wave CO2 laser. Its microstructure was analyzed by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The average microhardness of the cladding coating was Hv 280, which was almost three times of that of the Cu substrate (Hv 85). OM and SEM observations showed that the obtained coating had a smooth and uniform surface, as well as a metallurgical combination with the Cu substrate without cracks and pores at the interface. With the addition of copper into the nickel-based alloy, the differences of thermal expansion coefficient and melting point between the interlayer and cladding were reduced, which resulted in low stresses during rapid cooling. Moreover, large amount of (Cu, Ni) solid solution formed a metallurgical bonding between the cladding coating and the substrate, which also relaxed the stresses, leading to the reduction of interfacial cracks and pores after laser cladding.
Materials
Rapid directional solidification in Sn-Cu lead-free solder
Jun Shen, Yongchang Liu, and  Houxiu Gao
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 333-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60069-8
Abstract:
An experimental study on the microstructures of a rapid directionally solidified metallo-eutectic Sn-Cu alloy was carried out. This material is an important alloy that is used as a lead-free solder. The results showed that the kinetic undercooling due to the rapid solidification process led to the formation of a pseudoeutectic zone, whereas the hypereutectic reaction produced the regular lamellar structure in the hypereutectic Sn-1.0Cu alloy. The corresponding arm spacing in the obtained lamellar phases decreased gradually with the increase of the applied cooling rate, which corresponded well with the prediction of a rapid directional solidification model.
Materials
Kinetic characteristics of liquid phase sintering of mechanically activated W-15wt%Cu powder
Zhigang Li, Chengchang Jia, Yuntao He, and  Liliang Chen
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 338-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60070-4
Abstract:
The kinetic characteristics of W grain growth operated by diffusion controlled Oswald ripening (DOR) during liquid phase sintering were studied. A liquid phase sintering of W-15wt%Cu was carried out by pushing compacts into a furnace at the moment when the temperature increased to 1340°C for different sintering times. The results show that liquid phase sintering produces the compacts with considerably low relative density and inversely, rather high homogeneity. On the basis of the data extracted from the SEM images, the kinetic equation of W grain growth, Gn = G0n+ kt, is determined in which the grain growth exponent n is 3 and the grain growth rate constant k is 0.15 μm3/s. The cumulative normalized grain size distributions produced by different sintering times show self-similar. The cumulative distribution function is extracted from the curves by non-linear fitting. In addition, the sintering kinetic characteristics of W-15wt%Cu compacts were also investigated.
Materials
Fabrication and properties of ZAO powder,sputtering target materials and the related films
Wei Shao, Ruixin Ma, and  Bin Liu
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 346-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60071-6
Abstract:
Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al), abbreviated as ZAO, is a novel and widely used transparent conductive material. The ZAO powder was synthesized by chemical coprecipitation. The ZAO ceramic sputtering target materials were fabricated by sintering in air, and ZAO transparent conductive films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. XRD proved that such films had an orientation of (002) crystal panel paralleled to the surface of the glass substrate. The average transmittance of the films in the visible region exceeded 80%.
Materials
Preparation and characterization of high photoactive TiO2 catalyst using the UV irradiation-induced sol-gel method
Jianhua Liu, Rong Yang, and  Songmei Li
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 350-354. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60072-8
Abstract:
High photoactive TiO2 catalyst was prepared using the sol-gel method through UV irradiation during the formation stage of nuclei. The surface morphology and microstructure of the prepared catalyst were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The photoactivity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue. The results show that the photocatalysis of the prepared catalyst is higher than that of conventional heat-treated particles. The higher photoactivity is a combined result of favorable microstructure, appropriate hydroxyl groups, and active sites of Ti3+ ions on the surface of TiO2. It is concluded that the ultraviolet irradiation-induced sol-gel method is an effective method to enhance the photocatalysis of TiO2.
Materials
Preparation of ZrO2 nano-particles by the hydrolysis of ZrOCl2 solution in the reverse micelles
Chensha Li, Tongxiang Liang, and  Tianyong Luo
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 355-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60073-X
Abstract:
Zirconia nano-particles have been produced by the hydrolysis of ZrOCl2 solution in the reverse micelles of a liquid-liquid two-phase system, in which sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinite (AOT) and toluene were chosen as the surfactant and organic phase, respectively. The reverse micelles prevented the aggregation of primary particles and reduced the diameters of zirconia nano-particles. Superfine zirconia powders soft-aggregated by the zirconia nano-particles were obtained. The diameters of zirconia nano-particles were influenced by the quantity of the surfactant.
Materials
Kinetics of hydrogen absorption and desorption of a mechanically milled MgH2+5at%V nanocomposite
Qian Li, Kuangdi Xu, Kuochih Chou, Xionggang Lu, and  Qin Lin
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 359-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60074-1
Abstract:
The experimental data in the MgH2-5at%V composite was summarized and used to investigate the kinetic mechanism of hydrogen absorption and desorption using a new model. The research results indicate that a coincidence of the theoretical calculation values with the experimental data has been reached and the rate-limiting step is hydrogen diffusion through the hydride phase (β phase) with the activation energy of 47.2 kJ per mole H2 for absorption and the diffusion of hydrogen in the α solid solution (α phase) with that of 59.1 kJ per mole H2 for desorption. In addition, the hydriding rate of the MgH2-V composite is 2.9 times faster than that of MgH2 powders when compared with their characteristic absorption time directly.
Materials
Effects of gradient structure on the microstructures and properties of coated cemented carbides
Li Chen, Enxi Wu, Fei Yin, and  Jia Li
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 363-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60075-3
Abstract:
The effects of gradient structure on the microstructure and properties of coated cemented carbides were researched with optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), strength measurements, and cutting tests. It shows that vacuum sintering of WC-Ti(C, N)-TaC-Co cemented carbides results in the formation of a surface ductile zone. The ductile zone prevents crack propagation and leads to the increase of transverse rupture strength of the substrate. The impact resistance of coated gradient inserts was obviously improved on the basis of maintaining resistance to abrasion and the forming mechanism of the gradient structure was also analyzed.
Materials
Corrosion inhibition of a hygroscopic inorganic dust-depressor
Longzhe Jin, Lu Wang, and  Dongke Chen
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 368-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60076-5
Abstract:
Metallic corrosion is a serious problem in the application of a hygroscopic inorganic dust-depressor. The basic characteristics of a hygroscopic inorganic dust-depressor and its corrosivity, corrosion mechanism, as well as the principle of corrosion inhibition were analyzed. The static mass-loss test was carried out to investigate the corrosion behavior and the effect of the dust-depressor. The static corrosion rates of steel specimens were measured in six different corrosion inhibitor solutions of the dust-depressor, and the suitable corrosion inhibitors for the dust-depressor to reduce the corrosivity were found out.
Materials
Effects of postthermal treatment and UV irradiation on the structure of titania-polyacrylate nanocomposites
Tao Wan, Fei Feng, and  Yuechuan Wang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 372-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60077-7
Abstract:
The effects of postthermal treatment and irradiation time on the structure and thermal stability of TiO2/polyacrylate nanocomposites by a sol-gel process in reverse micelles and subsequent rapid photopolymerization were investigated, and the hybrid films were characterized by thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XPS data suggested that the prolongation of irradiation time and the postthermal treatment promoted titania formation, with the former affecting more remarkably. TGA data showed that TiO2-hybrid films could upgrade the decomposition onset temperature (Tonset) as well as the temperature at which there is a maximum mass loss rate (Tmax). AFM data demonstrated that the inorganic titania particles with a mean diameter of 25.26-28.84 nm were homogeneously distributed in the organic matrix.
Materials
Preparation of microsized crosslinked microspheres by dispersion copolymerization of polystyrene/polyethylene glycol 200-dimethacrylae
Wenli Guo, Juan Wang, and  Tongxiang Liang
2006, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 380-384. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(06)60078-9
Abstract:
Dispersion copolymerization of styrene with polyethylene glycol 200-dimethacrylae as the cross-linking agent was completed by using poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) and 2,2-azo-bisisobutyronitrile as the steric stabilizer and initiator, respectively. Crosslinked copolymeric microspheres were prepared directly by the one-step method of dispersion copolymerization. The effects of the content of polyethylene glycol 200-dimethacrylae on the particle morphology and the copolymerization rate were investigated. It shows that the crosslinking agent plays an important role in the particle morphology and the system stability. When the content of crosslinking reached 2.5wt%, the floriated particles were obtained.