Friction and transfer layer formation in polymer-steel tribo-system: Role of surface texture and roughness parameters

In the present investigation, various kinds of surface textures were attained on the steel plates. Roughness of the textures was varied using various grinding or polishing methods. The surface textures were characterized in terms of roughness parameters using an optical profilometer. Then experiments were conducted using an inclined pin-on-plate sliding apparatus to identify the role of surface texture and its roughness parameters on coefficient of friction and transfer layer formation. In the experiments, a soft polymer (polypropylene) was used for the pin and hardened steel was used for the plate. Experiments were conducted at a sliding velocity of 2 minis in ambient conditions under both dry and lubricated conditions. The normal load was varied from 1 to 120 N during the tests. The morphologies of the worn surfaces of the pins and the formation of a transfer layer on the steel plate surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope. Based on the experimental results, it was observed that the transfer layer formation and the coefficient of friction along with its two components, namely adhesion and plowing, were controlled by the surface texture of the harder mating surfaces and were less dependent of surface roughness (R(a)) of the harder mating surfaces. The effect of surface texture on the friction was attributed to the variation of the plowing component of friction for different surfaces. Among the various surface roughness parameters studied, the mean slope of the profile, Delta(a), was found to most accurately characterize variations in the friction and wear behavior. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructure and texture evolution during accumulative roll bonding of aluminium alloy AA5086

In the present investigation, a strongly bonded strip of an aluminium-magnesium based alloy AA5086 is successfully produced through accumulative roll bonding (ARB). A maximum of up to eight passes has been used for the purpose. Microstructural characterization using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique indicates the formation of submicron sized (similar to 200-300 nm) subgrains inside the layered microstructure. The material is strongly textured where individual layers possess typical FCC rolling texture components. More than three times enhancement in 0.2% proof stress (PS) has been obtained after 8 passes due to grain refinement and strain hardening. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evolution of sub-micron grain size and weak texture in magnesium alloy Mg-3Al-0.4Mn by a modified multi-axial forging process

This is the first successful attempt to produce simultaneously ultrafine grain size and weak texture in a single-phase magnesium alloy Mg-3Al-0.4Mn through an optimal choice of processing parameters in a modified multi-axial forging (MAF) process. An average grain size of similar to 0.4 mu m and a weak texture could be achieved. This has led to an increase in the strength as well as room-temperature ductility (55%). The plot of the yield loci shows a decrease in anisotropy after MAF. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolution of texture and grain boundary microstructure in two-phase (α + β) brass during recrystallization

The evolution of texture and microstructure during recrystallization is studied for two-phase copper alloy (Cu–40Zn) with a variation of the initial texture and microstructure (hot rolled and solution treated) as well as the mode of rolling (deformation path: uni-directional rolling and cross rolling). The results of bulk texture have been supported by micro-texture and microstructure studies carried out using electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD). The initial microstructural condition as well as the mode of rolling has been found to alter the recrystallization texture and microstructure. The uni-directionally rolled samples showed a strong Goss and BR {236}385 component while a weaker texture similar to that of rolling evolved for the cross-rolled samples in the α phase on recrystallization. The recrystallization texture of the β phase was similar to that of the rolling texture with discontinuous 101 α and {111} γ fiber with high intensity at {111}101. For a given microstructure, the cross-rolled samples showed a higher fraction of coincident site lattice Σ3 twin boundaries in the α phase. The higher fraction of Σ3 boundaries is explained on the basis of the higher propensity of growth accidents during annealing of the cross-rolled samples. The present investigation demonstrates that change in strain path, as introduced during cross-rolling, could be a viable tool for grain boundary engineering of low SFE fcc materials.

A stochastic dynamical system for image segmentation

Image segmentation is formulated as a stochastic process whose invariant distribution is concentrated at points of the desired region. By choosing multiple seed points, different regions can be segmented. The algorithm is based on the theory of time-homogeneous Markov chains and has been largely motivated by the technique of simulated annealing. The method proposed here has been found to perform well on real-world clean as well as noisy images while being computationally far less expensive than stochastic optimisation techniques

Interrelation of grain boundary microstructure and texture in a hot rolled Ni-rich NiTi alloy

This investigation deals with the evolution of grain boundary microstructure and crystallographic texture during hot rolling of a Ni-rich NiTi alloy. Electron backscattered diffraction studies revealed the occurrence of several coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries. The origin of these boundaries has been identified. The crystallographic texture of the deformed sample consists mainly of (1 1 1)parallel to normal direction fiber. The texture components on the fiber exhibit some correlation with the type of CSL boundary. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microstructure and texture evolution during beta extrusion of boron modified Ti-6A1-4V alloy

Boron addition to conventional titanium alloys below the eutectic limit refines the cast microstructure and improves mechanical properties. The present work explores the influence of hypoeutectic boron addition on the microstructure and texture evolution in Ti-6Al-4V alloy under beta extrusion. The beta extruded microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V is characterized by shear bands parallel to the extrusion direction. In contrast, the extruded Ti-6Al-4V-0.1B alloy shows a regular beta worked microstructure consisting of fine prior beta grains and acicular alpha-lamellae with no signs of the microstructural instability. Crystallographic texture after extrusion was almost identical for the two alloys indicating the similarity in their transformation behavior, which is attributed to complete dynamic recrystallization during beta processing. Microstructural features as well as crystallographic texture indicate dominant grain boundary related deformation processes for the boron modified alloy that leads to homogeneous deformation without instability formation. The absence of shear bands has significant technological importance as far as the secondary processing of boron added alloys in (alpha + beta)-phase field are concerned. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Texture and Microstructural Evolution in Pearlitic Steel During Triaxial Compression

This article presents the deformation behavior of high-strength pearlitic steel deformed by triaxial compression to achieve ultra-fine ferrite grain size with fragmented cementite. The consequent evolution of microstructure and texture has been studied using scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scatter diffraction, and X-ray diffraction. The synergistic effect of diffusion and deformation leads to the uniform dissolution of cementite at higher temperature. At lower temperature, significant grain refinement of ferrite phase occurs by deformation and exhibits a characteristic deformation texture. In contrast, the high-temperature deformed sample shows a weaker texture with cube component for the ferrite phase, indicating the occurrence of recrystallization. The different mechanisms responsible for the refinement of ferrite as well as the fragmentation of cementite and their interaction with each other have been analyzed. Viscoplastic self-consistent simulation was employed to understand deformation texture in the ferrite phase during triaxial compression.

Microstructure and texture evolution during accumulative roll bonding of aluminium alloys AA2219/AA5086 composite laminates

Accumulative roll bonding of two aluminium alloys, AA2219 and AA5086 was carried out up to 8 passes. During the course of ARB, the deformation inhomogeneity between the two alloy layers results in interfacial instability after the 4th pass, necking of the AA5086 layers after the 6th pass and fracture along the necked regions after the 7th and 8th pass. The EBSD analysis shows deformation bands along the interfaces after 8 passes of ARB. The ARB-processed materials predominantly show characteristic deformation texture components. The weak texture after the 2nd pass results from the combination of a weakly-textured starting AA2219 layer and a strongly-textured starting AA5086 layer. A strong deformation texture forms due to the high imposed strain after a higher number of ARB passes. Subgrain formation and related shear banding induces copper/S components in the case of the small elongated grains, while planar slip leads to the formation of brass component in the large elongated grains.

Asymmetric and symmetric rolling of magnesium: Evolution of microstructure, texture and mechanical properties

In the present study, asymmetric rolling was carried out for incorporating a shear component during the rolling at different temperatures, and was compared with conventional (symmetric) rolling. The microstructures were investigated using electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The strain incorporated was compared with the help of grain orientation spread (GOS). GOS was eventually used as a criterion to partition the microstructure for separating the deformed and the dynamically recrystallized (DRX) grains. The texture of the partitioned DRX grains was shifted by similar to 30 degrees along the c-axis from the deformed grains. The mechanism of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) has been identified as continuous dynamic recovery and recrystallization (CDRR). The partitioned deformed grains for the higher temperature rolled specimens exhibited a texture similar to the room temperature rolled specimen. The asymmetric rolling introduces a shear component which shifts the texture fibre by similar to 5-10 degrees from the conventional rolling texture. This led to an increase in ductility with little compromise on strength. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of microstructure and texture in Copper during warm accumulative roll bonding

The evolution of microstructure and texture gradient in warm Accumulative Roll Bonded Cu-Cu multilayer has been studied. Grain size distribution is multimodal and exhibits variation from middle to surface layer. Evolution of texture is largely influenced by shear, in addition to rolling deformation. This leads to the formation of a texture comprising of high fraction of Brass and rolling direction-rotated cube components. Partial recrystallization was observed. Deformed and recrystallized grains were separated using a partition scheme based on grain orientation spread and textures were analyzed for both the partition. Retention of deformation texture components in recrystallized grains suggests the mechanism of recrystallization as continuous recrystallization. Shear deformation plays an important role in grain refinement through continuous recrystallization. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Texture and formability studies on AA7020 Al alloy sheets

This paper deals with the influence of crystallographic texture on room temperature mechanical behavior of the sheets of the aluminum alloy AA7020 processed to different thicknesses. Three different thicknesses of the alloy sheet, namely 1, 1.85, and 3.6 mm, corresponding to different textures were investigated. Tensile tests were carried out at 0°, 45° and 90° with respect to sheet rolling direction and the resulting in-plane anisotropy in 0.2 proof stress, work hardening and plastic strain ratio (r-value) were determined. Texture derived r-values are also calculated and discussed vis-à -vis the experimentally obtained r-values. Finally the formability of the optimal alloy was studied using forming limit diagrams. Effect of natural aging, with a simulated heat treatment of 70 °C for 2 h on FLD was studied and compared with the as solutionized samples. It was observed that, the strain levels in the bi-axial region of the FLD were not much affected by the heat treatment. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Strain Rates and Microstructural Evaluation during Metal Forming: Role of Surface Texture and Friction

The surface texture of a die plays an important role in friction during metal forming. In the present study, unidirectional and random surface finishes were produced on hardened steel plate surfaces. To understand the influence of surface texture on friction, experiments were conducted using Al-Mg alloy pins that slid against steel plates of different surface textures. In the sliding experiments, a high coefficient of friction was observed when the pins slid perpendicular to the unidirectional grinding marks and low friction occurred when the pins slid on the random surfaces. Finite element simulations were performed using the measured friction values to understand the stress and strain evolutions in the deforming material using dies with various friction. The numerical results showed that the states of stress and strain rates are strongly influenced by the friction at the interface and hence would influence the final material microstructure. To substantiate the numerical results, laboratory compression tests were conducted. Different surface textures were obtained in order to experience different friction values at different locations. A large variation in the microstructure at these locations was observed during experiments, verifying that surface texture and die friction significantly influence fundamental material formation behavior.

Microstructure and Texture Evolution in Interstitial-free (IF) Steel processed by Multi-Axial Forging

In this study, severe plastic deformation (SPD) of Ti-bearing interstitial-free steel was carried out by multi-axial forging (MAF) technique. The grain refinement achieved was comparable to that by other SPD techniques. A considerable heterogeneity was observed in the microstructure and texture. Texture of multi-axially forged steels has been evaluated and reported for the first time. The material exhibited a six-fold increase in the yield strength after four cycles of MAF.