2008 Vol. 15, No. 2

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Mineral
Geomechanical design of a room and rib pillar granite mine
Daniele Peila, Claudia Guardini, and  Sebastiano Pelizza
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 97-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60020-1
Abstract:
The geomechanical and stability design of an underground granite mine located in Canal San Bovo (Trento district, Northeastern Italy) was described. The exploitation of the granite, which is used in the ceramic industry, was carried out by the rooms and rib pillars method. The rooms are 12 m wide while the pillars are 11 m wide and they cross the main discontinuity set of the rock mass in the perpendicular direction. To verify the stability condition of an underground mine, it is necessary to carry out the calculations that are able to check both the local and global stability of the rock mass. In the studied example, this approach has been applied with the development of analytical and numerical parametric analyses and it has permitted to get the best orientation and to design the size of rooms and pillars.
Metallurgy
Fundamentals of fast reduction of ultrafine iron ore at low temperature
Pei Zhao and  Peimin Guo
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 104-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60021-3
Abstract:
Fundamentals on the fast reduction of ultrafine iron ore at low temperature, including characterization of ultrafine ore, deoxidation thermodynamics of stored-energy ultra.fine ore, kinetics of iron ore deoxidation, and deoxidation mechanism, etc., and a new ironmaking process are presented in this article. Ultrafine ore concentrate with a high amount of stored energy can be produced by mechanical milling, and can be deoxidated fast below 700℃ by either the coal-based or gas-based process. This novel process has some advantages over others: high productivity, low energy consumntion, and environmental friendliness.
Metallurgy
Nonmetallic inclusions in SUS304 strip produced by twin-roll strip casting
Fuxiang Huang, Jiongming Zhang, Xinhua Wang, Yuan Fang, and  Yan Yu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 110-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60022-5
Abstract:
The shape, type, content, and dimension of nonmetallic inclusions in SUS304 strip produced by twin-roll strip casting were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the inclusions are mainly spherical Al2O3 and complex oxides composed of MnO, Al2O3, and SiO2. The percentage of fine oxides smaller than 3 μm reaches up to 51.8%. The theoretical calculations show that fine oxides have precipitated during solidification. Therefore, it is concluded that during twin-roll strip casting, because of high cooling rate, the size of inclusions precipitated during solidification decreases, and the amount increases.
Metallurgy
Formation of internal cracks in steel billets during soft reduction
Wenjun Wang, Linxin Ning, Raimund Bülte, and  Wolfgang Bleck
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 114-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60023-7
Abstract:
To investigate the formation of internal cracks in steel billets during soft reduction, fully coupled thermo-mechanical finite element models were developed using the commercial software ABAQUS, also casting and soft reduction tests were carried out in a laboratory strand casting machine. With the finite element models, the temperature distribution, the stress and strain states in the billet were calculated. The relation between internal cracks and equivalent plastic strain, as well as maximal principal stress was analyzed. The results indicate that tensile stresses can develop in the mushy zone during soft reduction and the equivalent strain nearby the zero ductility temperature (ZDT) increases with decreasing solid fraction. Internal cracks can be initiated when the accumulated strain exceeds the critical strain or the applied tensile stress exceeds the critical fracture stress during solidification.
Metallurgy
Effect of SEN structure on the mold level fluctuation and heat transfer for a medium thin slab caster
Heming Zhao, Xinhua Wang, Jiongming Zhang, and  Wanjun Wang
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 120-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60024-9
Abstract:
It is important to select suitable parameters of a submerged entry nozzle (SEN) for optimizing the flow and temperature patterns in a mold. The effect of SEN design on the mould level stability, meniscus steel flow velocity, and heat transfer of the mold of a medium thin slab caster was studied by means of 1:1 water modeling and industrial testing. The advantages of a 2-port SEN compared with a 3-port SEN are the following: more optimal flow patterns with a lower mold level fluctuation and a lower meniscus steel flow velocity; proper powder consumption without slag bears due to a reasonable liquid powder thickness. The argon flow rate can be reduced and the mold average heat flux and temperature near the edges of the copper plate are reduced. At a casting speed of 2.5 m·min-1, the mold level fluctuation lies within +5 mm. In addition, soft cooling of the steel shell in the mold is realized, which is suitable for casting crack susceptible steel grades.
Materials
Microstructure and mechanical properties of railway wheels manufactured with low-medium carbon Si-Mn-Mo-V steel
Mingru Zhang and  Haicheng Gu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60025-0
Abstract:
The suitability of carbide-free bainite steel as railway wheel materials was investigated. The low-medium carbon Si-Mn-Mo-V steel was designed to make railway wheels by forging and rolling. The slack quenching with water was conducted on the tread of rim section by programmed control to simulate isothermal heat treatment after being austenitized. Microstructures and mechanical properties have been studied. The results indicate that the microstructure of the rim is mainly carbide-free bainite, and the mixed microstructure of bainitic ferrite and granular bainite is observed in web and hub. The mechanical properties are superior to both the standard requirements and the commercial production, such as CL60 plain carbon. The Charpy impact energy is relatively high at room and/or subzero temperatures. The force-displacement curves and fractographies reveal the excellent ability of resistance to crack initiation and propagation.
Materials
Bake hardening behavior of TRIP and DP steels
Jicheng Zhang, Renyu Fu, Mei Zhang, Rendong Liu, Xicheng Wei, and  Lin Li
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 132-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60026-2
Abstract:
The bake hardening (BH) behavior of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and dual-phase (DP) steels after different prestrains was studied. The experimental results indicate that TRIP steel exhibits good BH ability while DP steel does not, and prestrain displays a strong effect on the BH values of both steels. The comparison of microstructures of the two steels showed that the hard second phase in the matrix might be harmful to the BH ability. For deformed specimens, baking resulted in a loss of uniform elongation, but there was no obvious decrease in uniform elongation for unprestrained specimens.
Materials
Effect of boron on hot strips of low carbon steel produced by compact strip production
Hao Yu and  Yonglin Kang
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 138-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60027-4
Abstract:
The effect of boron on hot strips of low carbon steel produced by compact strip production (CSP) to reduce the strength to a certain degree was investigated, which is quite different from that of high-strength low alloy steel. The mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of the hot strip were studied using optical microscopy and tensile tests. By means of an electrolytic dissolution technique and Thermo-Cal calculation, the precipitates containing boron were analyzed and detected. From the electron backscattered diffraction analysis, it can be deciphered whether the microstructure has recrystallized or not. Furthermore, the effect of boron segregation on the recrystallization or non-recrystallization conditions can be distinguished. The segregation behavior of boron was investigated in boron-containing steel. The nonequilibrium segregation of boron during processing was discussed on the basis of the forming complexes with vacancies that migrate to the boundaries prior to annihilation, which was confirmed by the subsequent cold rolling with annealing experiments.
Materials
Austempering of hot rolled transformation-induced plasticity steels
Zhuang Li and  Di Wu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 143-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60028-6
Abstract:
Thermomechanical controlled processing (TMCP) was conducted by using a laboratory hot rolling mill. Austempering in the salt bath after hot rolling was investigated. The effect of isothermal holding time on mechanical properties was studied through examining of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the specimens. The mechanism of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) was discussed. The results show that the microstructure of these steels consists of polygonal ferrite, granular bainite, and a significant amount of stable retained austenite. Strain-induced transformation to martensite of retained austenite and TRIP occur in the hot rolled Si-Mn TRIP steels. Excellent mechanical properties were obtained for various durations at 400℃. Prolonged holding led to cementite precipitation, which destabilized the austenite. The mechanical properties were optimal when the specimen was held for 25 min, and the tensile strength, total elongation, and strength ductility balance reached the maximum values of 776 MPa, 33%, and 25608 MPa.%, respectively.
Materials
Preparation of high nitrogen and nickel-free austenitic stainless steel by powder injection molding
Dawei Cui, Junsheng Jiang, Guangming Cao, Enzhong Xiao, and  Xuanhui Qu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 150-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60029-8
Abstract:
High nitrogen and nickel-free austenitic stainless steel has received much recognition worldwide because it can solve the problem of "nickel-allergy" and has outstanding mechanical and physical properties. In this article, 0Cr17Mn11Mo3N was prepared by powder injection molding (PIM) technique accompanied with solid-nitriding. The results show that the critical solid loading can achieve up to 64vol% by use of gas-atomized powders with the average size of 17.4 μm. The optimized sintefing conditions are determined to be 1300℃,2 h in flowing nitrogen atmosphere, at which the relative density reaches to 99% and the N content is as high as 0.78wt%. After solution annealing at 1150℃for 90 rain and water quench, the 0.2% yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), elongation, reduction in area, and hardness can reach as high as 580 MPa, 885 MPa, 26.0%, 29.1%, and Hv 222, respectively.
Materials
Flow field simulation of the thin metal ribbon formed by twin-belt rapid solidification
Yan Liu, Jianxin Xie, Feng Guo, and  Cheng Zhou
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 155-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60030-4
Abstract:
The flow field formed when an aluminum ribbon is produced by twin-belt rapid solidification is simulated with the solution algorithm (SOLA)-volume of fluid (VOF) method, and the influence of casting speed and cooling-belt velocity on the flow field is analyzed for a given ejection nozzle size. It has been found that the flow field can be filled well when the width of the ejection nozzle outlet is the same as that of the up slit of the cooling belt. When the ejection nozzle outlet is wider than the up slit of the cooling belt, the aluminum fluid can fill well if only the casting speed matches the cooling-belt velocity properly, otherwise under filling occurs in some areas in the cooling zone.
Materials
Microscopic phase-field simulation of the coarsening behavior of coherent precipitates in Ni-Al alloys
Yanli Lu, Zheng Chen, Yongxin Wang, and  Yongsheng Li
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 161-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60031-6
Abstract:
On the basis of the microscopic phase-field dynamic model and the microelasticity theory, the characteristics of the coarsening behavior of γ' phase in Ni-Al alloys have been systematically studied in a certain volume fraction of the precipitates. It was found that the initial irregular shape, randomly distributed γ' phase, gradually transformed into cuboidal shape, regularly aligned along the [100] and [010] directions, and a highly preferential selected microstructure was formed during the later stage of precipitation. The volume fraction of the precipitates produced some effects on the precipitate morphology but did not produce an obvious effect on the regularities of precipitate distribution. The coarsening rate constant from the cubic growth law decreased as a function of volume fraction for small volume fractions, remained constant for intermediate volume fractions, and increased as a function of volume fraction for large volume fractions. During the coherent coarsening process, four "splitting" patterns between γ' phases, which belonged to different antiphase domains, were produced via particle aggregation, such as an L-shaped pattern, a doublet, a triplet, and a quartet.
Materials
Behavior of NiCrAlY coating on the TC6 titanium alloy
Changqing Xia, Xiaomin Peng, and  Jia Li
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 167-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60032-8
Abstract:
A NiCrAlY coating was deposited on the TC6 titanium substrate by arc ion plating (ALP). The structure and morphologies of the NiCrAlY coating were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the influence of vacuum heat treatment on the element diffusion behavior was studied. The results showed that the γ'-Ni3Al phase was precipitated on the NiCrAlY coating after heat treatment. The Ni3(AI,Ti), TiNi, and Ti2Ni intermetallic layers appeared at the interface from the outside to the inside at 700℃, and the thickness of the intermetallic layers increased with the increase in temperature. At 700℃ Ti and Ni were the major diffusion elements, and the diffusion of Cr was observed when the heat treatment temperature increased up to 870℃. The violent inward diffusion of Ni at 950℃ resulted in the degradation of the NiCrAlY coating.
Materials
Microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt/MgO multilayers deposited by RF magnetron sputtering
Xiaoli Li, Fang Wang, Fengxian Jiang, Xiaohong Xu, and  Haishun Wu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 173-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60033-X
Abstract:
FePt (50 nm) and [FePt(a nm)/MgO(b nm)5/glass (a=1, 2, 3; b=1, 2, 3) films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique, and then were annealed at 600℃ for 30 min. The effect of MgO layer thickness on the structures and magnetic properties of the FePt/MgO multilayers was investigated. The coercivities and inter-grain interactions of the FePt/MgO films were decreased, yet the degree of (001) texturing drastically increased with the increase in MgO layer thickness when the FePt layer thickness was fixed. Thus, the FePt/MgO films with appropriate coercivities, high perpendicular anisotropy, and weak intergrain interactions were obtained by controlling the MgO layer thickness. Overall, these results indicate that the FePt/MgO nanostructured films are promising candidates for future high-density perpendicular recording media.
Materials
Formation of Ca3SiO5 prepared by electric and microwave burning
Kai Wang, Shizong Long, and  Caixia Yan
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 178-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60034-1
Abstract:
A new method of sintering Ca3SiO5 by the combination of conventional and microwave heating methods was studied. The influence of transitional metal oxides such as Fe2O3, Cr2O3, MnO2, and V2O5 used as the additive of microwave absorption on the microwave-promoted burning of Ca3SiO5 was investigated. The experimental results indicate that the new burning technique is capable of promoting the sintering of Ca3SiO5. At 1200-1300℃ in an electric furnace, Ca3SiO5 can be obtained only when the sample is heated in a microwave for 110-240 s, and the free lime content is below 40wt%. Based on the experiments, Fe2O3, Cr2O3, MnO2, and V2O5 can enhance microwave sintering. Amongst them, Cr2O3 is the most effective. The characteristic of the X-ray diffraction peaks of Ca3SiO5 is similar to those of standard Ca3SiO5, but the peaks are wider.
Materials
Effects of Al,F dual substitutions on the structure and electrochemical properties of lithium manganese oxide
Tingfeng Yi, Xinguo Hu, Dianlong Wang, and  Huibin Huo
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 182-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60035-3
Abstract:
Spinel LiMn2O4 and F, Al-doped spinel LiAl0.05Mn1.95O3.58F0.02 have been synthesized by a soft chemistry method using adipic acid as the chelating agent. The synthesized spine/materials were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetery (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chargedischarge testing. The results indicate that all the samples have high phase purity, and fluorine is important in controlling the morphology; the doped aluminum enhances the stability of spinel LiMn2O4. The charge-discharge tests indicate that LiAl0.05Mn1.95O4 has high capacity retention, which is 92.60% of the initial after 50 cycles. It is found that the novel compound LiAl0.05Mn1.95O3.98F0.02 with smaller particles can offer much higher capacity, whose initial discharge capacity is 126.5 mAh·g-1. The cyclic voltammetric experiments disclose the enhanced reversibility of the F, Al3+-modified spinel as compared with the undoped spinel.
Materials
Electrochemical properties of spinel LiMn2O4 and LiAl0.1Mn1.9O3.9F0.1 synthesized by solid-state reaction
Tao Li, Weihua Qiu, Hailei Zhao, and  Jingjing Liu
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 187-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60036-5
Abstract:
Two types of spinel cathode powders, LiMn2O4 and LiAl0.1Mn1.9O3.9F0.1, were synthesized by solid-state reaction, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the prepared samples were identified as the spinel structure with a space group of Fd3m. The cubic lattice parameter was determined from least-squares fitting of the XRD data. The LiAl0.1Mn1.9O3.9F0.1 sample showed a little lower initial capacity, but better cycling performance than the LiMn2O4 sample at both room temperature and an elevated temperature. The Vanderbilt method was used to test the electrochemical conductivity of the LiMn2O4 samples. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method was employed to investigate the electrochemical properties of these spinel LiMn2O4 samples.
Materials
Preparation and characterization of 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane self-assembled monolayers
Tao Bai and  Xianhua Cheng
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 192-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60037-7
Abstract:
Silane coupling regent (3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTS)) was prepared on the single-crystal silicon substrate to form 2-dimensional self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The growth behavior of SAMs formed from 3-MPTS was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The formation behavior of MPTS SAMs was investigated by a series of AFM images and the roughness of MPTS SAMs on silicon substrates with the assembling time from 1 min to 24 h. The water contact angle measurements indicated the growth behavior of MPTS that correlated with the AFM measurements at different immersion times, too. The chemical states of the typical elements in the MPTS SAMs were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that MPTS is self-assembled on the substrate.
Materials
Relationship between texture and residual macro-strain in CVD diamond films based on phenomenological analysis
Weimin Mao, Hongxi Zhu, Leng Chen, and  Huiping Feng
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 197-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60038-9
Abstract:
The relationship between texture and elastic properties of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond films was analyzed based on the phenomenological theory, which reveals the influence of crystalline orientation and texture on the residual macro-strain and macro-stress. The phenomenological calculations indicated that the difference in Young's modulus could be 15% in single diamond crystals and 5% in diamond films with homogeneously distributed strong fiber texture. The experimentally measured residual strains of free-standing CVD diamond films were in good agreement with the correspondingly calculated Young's modulus in connection with the multi-fiber textures in the films, though the difference in Young's modulus induced by texture was only around 1%. It is believed that texture should be one of the important factors influencing the residual stress and strain of CVD diamond films.
Materials
Amendment on the strain measurement of thin-walled human skull shell as intracranial pressure changes
Xianfang Yue, Li Wang, and  Feng Zhou
2008, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 202-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1005-8850(08)60039-0
Abstract:
The human skull, composed of tabula extema, tabula intema, and a porous diploe sandwiched in between, is deformed with changing intracranial pressure (ICP). Because the human skull's thickness is only 6 mm, it is simplified as a thin-walled shell. The objective of this article is to analyze the strain of the thin-wailed shell by the stress-strain calculation of a human skull with changing ICP. Under the same loading conditions, using finite element analysis (FEA), the strains of the human skull were calculated and the results were compared with the measurements of the simulative experiment in vitro. It is demonstrated that the strain of the thin-walled shell is totally measured by pasting the one-way strain foils on the exterior surface of the shell with suitable amendment for data. The amendment scope of the measured strain values of the thin-walled shell is from 13.04% to 22.22%.