Rapid Consolidation by Spark Sintering of Rapidly Solidified 7075 Aluminum Alloy Powder

Compacts of 7075 aluminum have been produced from rapidly solidified powders by optimizing spark sintering parameters, such as pulse discharge time, fixed maximum temperature, holding time at this temperature, and method of cooling to room temperature after the sintering. High-grade compacts can be obtained by a short process (40-50 s) consisting of heating to 773 or 873 K at a heating rate of 9.6 K/s and holding this temperature for 10 s. The rapidly cooled compacts show the same supersaturated state at room temperature as the received as-atomized powder. Compacts quenched in water just after spark sintering at 873 K for 1.2 ks show the same age-hardening behavior as solution-heat treated compacts. Compacts that are quenched in water and aged after sintering at 873 K for 1.2 ks show the same elongation and flow stress as compacts aged after solution heat treatment. Elongation data suggest that compacts produced with longer holding time at a higher temperature and rapid cooling show a large amount of main alloying elements in solid solution and sufficient promotion of sintering.     

Visualization of convection loops due to Rayleigh–Benard convection during solidification

This paper describes the techniques adopted for visualization of Rayleigh–Benard convection during solidification of eutectic, hypo- and hyper-eutectic salt solutions. Neutrally buoyant hollow glass spheres were inducted in the body of the solidifying salt solution. The convection currents were captured by scattering of a laser beam by these beads. The apparatus has two components, namely: (i) measurement of interface/mushy region movement and temperature distribution and (ii) flow visualization with laser beam scattered by hollow glass spheres. The distinct nature of convection cells in the eutectic and hypo eutectic region is brought out.     

Poromechanics of freezing materials

When subjected to a uniform cooling below the freezing point a water-infiltrated porous material undergoes a cryo-deformation resulting from various combined actions: (i) the difference of density between the liquid water and the ice crystal, which results in the initial build-up of an in-pore pressure at the onset of crystallization; (ii) the interfacial effects arising between the different constituents, which eventually govern the crystallization process in connection with the pore access radius distribution; (iii) the drainage of the liquid water expelled from the freezing sites towards the air voids; (iv) the cryo-suction process, which drives liquid water towards the already frozen pores as the temperature further decreases; (v) the thermomechanical coupling between the solid matrix, the liquid water and the ice crystal. We work out a comprehensive theory able to encompass this whole set of actions. A macroscopic approach first provides the constitutive equations of freezing poroelastic materials, including the interfacial energy effects. This approach reveals the existence of a thermodynamic state function—namely the liquid saturation degree as a function of the temperature only. The macroscopic ice-dependent poroelastic properties are then upscaled from the knowledge of the elastic properties of the solid matrix, of the pore access radius distribution, and of the capillary curve. The theory is finally illustrated by analysing quantitatively the effects of the cooling rate and of the pore radius distribution upon the cryo-deformation of water-infiltrated porous materials. The theory succeeds in accounting for the experimentally observed shrinkage of embedded air voids, while predicting the partial melting of the ice already formed when the cooling suddenly stops.     

Sensitive determination of methadone in human serum and urine by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic droplet followed by HPLC–UV

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet was developed for the extraction of methadone and determination by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. In this method, no microsyringe or fiber is required to support the organic microdrop due to the usage of an organic solvent with a low density and appropriate melting point. Furthermore, the extractant droplet can be collected easily by solidifying it at low temperature. 1‐Undecanol and methanol were chosen as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. Parameters that influence extraction efficiency, i.e. volumes of extracting and dispersing solvents, pH, and salt effect, were optimized by using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions, enrichment factor for methadone was 134 and 160 in serum and urine samples, respectively. The limit of detection was 3.34 ng/mmL in serum and 1.67 ng/mL in urine samples. Compared with the traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, the proposed method obtained lower limit of detection. Moreover, the solidification of floating organic solvent facilitated the phase transfer. And most importantly, it avoided using high‐density and toxic solvents of traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of methadone in serum and urine samples of an addicted individual under methadone therapy.     

The effect of ultrasonic processing on solidification microstructure and heat transfer in stainless steel melt

The heat transfer in the ultrasonic processing of stainless steel melt is studied in this thesis. The temperature field is simulated when the metal melt is treated with and without ultrasound. In order to avoid the erosion of high temperature melt, ultrasound was introduced from the bottom of melt. It is found that the temperature of melt apparently increases when processed with ultrasound, and the greater the ultrasonic power is, the higher the melt temperature will be; ultrasonic processing can reduce the temperature gradient, leading to more uniform temperature distribution in the melt. The solidification speed is obviously brought down due to the introduction of ultrasound during solidification, with the increasing of ultrasonic power, the melt temperature rises and the solidification speed decreases; as without ultrasound, the interface of solid and mushy zone is arc-shaped, so is the interface of liquid and mushy zone, with ultrasound, the interface of solid and mushy zone is still arc-shaped, but the interface of liquid and mushy zone is almost flat. The simulation results of temperature field are verified in experiment, which also indicates that the dendrite growth direction is in accord with thermal flux direction. The effect of ultrasonic treatment, which improves with the increase of treating power, is in a limited area due to the attenuation of ultrasound.     

Numerical analysis of the effect of the gas temperature on splat formation during thermal spray process

Thermal spray coatings are affected by various parameters. In this study, the finite element method with volume of fluid (VOF) procedure is used to investigate the deposition process which is very important for the quality of sprayed coatings. The specific heat method (SHM) is used for the solidification phenomenon. A comparison of the present model with experimental and numerical model available in the literature is done. A series of numerical calculations is carried out to investigate the effect of the surrounding gas temperature on the splat formation. The variation of the surrounding gas temperature has a significant effect on splat morphology and can affect the adhesion of the splat on the substrate.     

Numerical analysis of partially molten splat during thermal spray process using the finite element method

A finite element method is used to simulate the deposition of the thermal spray coating process. A set of governing equations is solving by a volume of fluid method. For the solidification phenomenon, we use the specific heat method (SHM). We begin by comparing the present model with experimental and numerical model available in the literature. In this study, completely molten or semi-molten aluminum particle impacts a H13 tool steel substrate is considered. Next we investigate the effect of inclination of impact of a partially molten particle on flat substrate. It was found that the melting state of the particle has great effects on the morphologies of the splat.     

铸件在凝固过程中的传热和自然对流计算

论文中以流函数、涡度和温度为基本变量,建立了铸件凝固时的传热和自然对流的数学模型。控制方程采用半隐式有限差分在固定网格上求解。在模型建立过程中,着重讨论了潜热的处理和固液相区(界面)速度条件。对于潜热处理,采用了基于合金平衡相图的比热焓法;对于固液相区(界面)速度条件,提出了一种新的、基于固相率进行修正的处理方法。另外还探讨了将本文提出的解法应用于复杂几何条件的可能性。最后,通过对一个典型例子进行计算,对自然对流对铸件凝固的影响作了深入的讨论。     

Dynamic stability analysis of the solidification of binary melts in the presence of a mushy region: changeover of instability

A dynamic linear instability analysis of steady-state binary melt solidification with a mushy region has been carried out. Such an instability differs from a conventional morphological one of a planar solid–liquid interface and is connected with the perturbations in the steady-state solidification velocity. Solidification with a narrow mushy region has been revealed to be absolutely unstable with a monotonous instability of a “hard” type. An increase of the mushy region width leads to an instability changeover from the “hard” type to the oscillatory “soft” one. Both the critical changeover width and the neutral stability curves have been determined as the functions of relevant physical and operating parameters. The steady-state solidification regime with a broad mushy region is absolutely stable. Thus, the mushy region width has been shown to represent a stabilizing factor.     

The crystallization kinetics of polyamide-12

The crystallization kinetics of polyamide-12 has been investigated using a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot-stage optical microscopy. The DSC data for isothermal crystallization were consistent with a simple two-parameter Avrami model for isothermal crystallization and optical measurements of the spherulite growth rates and nucleation density. On the basis of semiempirical expressions for these quantities, it is shown that with small adjustments the model can also account for DSC data for nonisothermal crystallization, provided that corrections are made for the dynamic heat balance between the sample and the DSC oven. Received: 9 March 2000 Accepted: 28 September 2000