Modeling and numerical simulation of the resistance spot welding of zinc coated steel sheets using rounded tip electrode: Analysis of required conditions

This paper investigates the essential conditions to improve the accuracy of a resistance spot welding computational study of advanced zinc coated steel sheets using rounded tip electrode. An experimental analysis is performed to highlight the required considerations for a suitable simulation. A sequential Electrical-Thermal-Metallurgical and Mechanical (ETMM) finite element analysis with appropriate precautions of the contact conditions enables to accurately simulate the nugget development during the welding. A critical smooth evolution of the contact radius is required. A fine meshing with an interfacial mesh size of at least 0.05 × 10⁻³ m combined with a coupling time step of 0.0025 s between the electrical-thermal-metallurgical and the mechanical analysis allows a regular incrementation of the contact radius, without burdening the time computing. Accurate values of the contact resistance depending on the interfacial pressure and temperature are essential for a good simulation of the nugget size. The ETMM calculation is successfully extended to the simulation of the welding of a typical two sheets assembly.     

On the use of AES data analysis to determine local enrichments of conversion coating elements at intermetallic particles on rolled Al

In this paper, the behaviour of the industrial applied Ti/Zr conversion coating (CC) pretreatment on rolled automotive aluminium samples (AA5182) is analysed. Due to its nanometre lateral and depth resolution, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) is used to analyse the CC distribution at surface cathodic intermetallic particles. As a result of its high surface sensitivity, the AES technique is very susceptible to differences in the top contamination layer thickness. It is demonstrated that AES point measurements performed on aluminium model samples coated with 1.5 and 3 nm of Ti (oxide) layer cannot differentiate the two-layer thicknesses if a difference in the top contamination thickness is not taken into account. A data analysis methodology is introduced, based on the ratio of normalized peak areas (enrichment ratios), to eliminate the effect of the contamination layer thickness. The experimental validation of the methodology is performed on the model samples, demonstrating errors of 2% on the enrichment ratios on similar samples with different contamination layer thicknesses, while the conventional spectra quantification results in errors of 49%. The methodology is also theoretically substantiated within certain constraints. By the use of the AES methodology, an enriched Ti and Zr deposition is confirmed at the cathodic intermetallic particles at the surface of the industrial no-rinse CC sprayed automotive aluminium sheet samples.     

Compaction of nanosilicon pellets and sol-deposited films via high-vacuum annealing

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Porous Molybdenum Carbide Nanostructures Synthesized on Carbon Cloth by CVD for Efficient Hydrogen Production

Molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C) is a promising noble-metal-free electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), due to its structural and electronic merits, such as high conductivity, metallic band states and wide pH applicability. Here, a simple CVD process was developed for synthesis of a Mo₂C on carbon cloth (Mo₂C@CC) electrode with carbon cloth as carbon source and MoO₃ as the Mo precursor. XRD, Raman, XPS and SEM results of Mo₂C@CC with different amounts of MoO₃ and growth temperatures suggested a two-step synthetic mechanism, and porous Mo₂C nanostructures were obtained on carbon cloth with 50 mg MoO₃ at 850 °C (Mo₂C-850(50)). With the merits of unique porous nanostructures, a low overpotential of 72 mV at current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a small Tafel slope of 52.8 mV dec⁻¹ was achieved for Mo₂C-850(50) in 1.0 m KOH. The dual role of carbon cloth as electrode and carbon source resulted into intimate adhesion of Mo₂C on carbon cloth, offering fast electron transfer at the interface. Cyclic voltammetry measurements for 5000 cycles revealed that Mo₂C@CC had excellent electrochemical stability. This work provides a novel strategy for synthesizing Mo₂C and other efficient carbide electrocatalysts for HER and other applications, such as supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries.     

Three-dimensional interfacial fracture analysis of a one-dimensional hexagonal quasicrystal coating

In this paper, the three-dimensional (3D) interfacial fracture is analyzed in a one-dimensional (1D) hexagonal quasicrystal (QC) coating structure under mechanical loading. A planar interface crack with arbitrary shape is studied by a displacement discontinuity method. Fundamental solutions of interfacial concentrated displacement discontinuities are obtained by the Hankel transform technique, and the corresponding boundary integral-differential equations are constructed with the superposition principle. Green’s functions of constant interfacial displacement discontinuities within a rectangular element are derived, and a boundary element method is proposed for numerical simulation. The singularity of stresses near the crack front is investigated, and the stress intensity factors (SIFs) as well as energy release rates (ERRs) are determined. Finally, relevant influencing factors on the fracture behavior are discussed.     

Hyperbranched Kaustamin as an antibacterial for surface treatment

Hyperbranched Kaustamin as a commercially available cationic flocculant adsorbs on a glass surface with formation of the polymer film. Kaustamin has antimicrobial effect on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, its film on glass keeps integrity and shape after absorption of water from air, which make the polymer appropriate as an antibacterial cover.     

Controlled evaporative self-assembly of polymer nanoribbons using oscillating capillary bridges

Evaporative self-assembly (ESA), based on the “coffee-ring” effect, is a versatile technique for assembling particle solutions into mesoscale patterns and structures on different substrates. ESA works with a wide variety of organic and inorganic materials, where the solution is a combination of volatile solvent and nonvolatile solute. Modified ESA methods, such as “stop-and-go flow coating,” use a programmed meniscus “stick–slip” motion to create mesoscale assemblies with controlled shape, size, and architecture. However, current methods are not scalable for increased production volumes or patterning large surface areas. We demonstrate a new ESA method, where an oscillating blade controls the meniscus depinning and drives the evaporative assembly of solutes at the pinned meniscus. Results show that oscillation frequency and substrate speed control time/distance intervals between successive meniscus depinning, and the assembly dimensions depend on solution concentration, oscillation frequency, substrate speed, and meniscus height. We report the mechanism of the meniscus depinning and the control over assembly cross-sectional dimensions. This advance provides a scalable ESA method with faster processing times and maintained advantages. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1545–1551