Ductile Metallic Glasses in Supercooled Martensitic Alloys

We report ductile bulk metallic glasses based on martensitic alloys. The slowly cooled specimens contain a mixture of parent 'austenite' and martensite phase. The slightly faster cooled bulk metallic glasses with 2-5 nm sized 'austenite'-like crystalline cluster reveal high strength and large ductility (16%). Shear bands propagate in a slither mode in this spatially inhomogeneous glassy structure and undergo considerable 'thickening' from 5-25 nm. A 'stress induced displacive transformation' is proposed to be responsible for both plasticity and work-hardening-like behavior of these 'M-Glasses'.

Incremento de la productividad de frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) a nivel de finca mediante la inoculación con Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli

El efecto de una mezcla de tres cepas de Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoll (CIAT-613, CR-477 y KIM-5) relacionado con los factores limitantes del suelo (P, Ca, Cu, y Zn) sobre la simbiosis en tres variedades de Phaseolus vulgaris L. (DOR-364, ESTELI-90B y FIEVOLUCION-84) fue estudiado en un suelo Molisol y un Aluvial en las localidades de San Diego (Nandaime) y San Lorenzo (La Trinidad, Estelí), respectivamente, bajo condiciones de labranza convencional para ambas localidades. En la localidad de San Lorenzo se trabajó con las variedades DOR-364 y EST-908 con la corrección del cobre (factor A) y el zinc (factor 8), mientras que en la localidad de San Diego, el trabajo se realizó con las variedades DOR-364 y REVOLUCION-84 y la corrección del calcio (factor A) y el fósforo (factor 8), Ambos estudios se llevaron a cabo en época de postrera de 1994. En los dos ensayos la inoculación se hizo directamente a la semilla. Los tratamientos a evaluar fueron los siguientes: Alto nitrógeno, bajo nitrógeno como testigos (sin inocular), mezcla de inoculantes con (-A,-B), (+A,-B), (-A,+B), y (+A,+B) para un total de seis tratamientos por cada variedad. El diseño usado fue de bloques completos al azar (B.C.A). Las variables evaluadas fueron: Número y peso seco de nódulos, peso de materia seca de la planta en R6, peso de mil granos y rendimiento de grano en R9. Los datos se procesaron usando análisis de varianza (ANDEVA) y se utilizó la prueba de rangos múltiples de DUNCAN (P ≤ 0,05). Se observó a nivel general en ambos experimentos que la variedad introducida mostró un mayor rendimiento y que el mejor rendimiento de grano se obtuvo con el tratamiento en el que se usó alta dosis de nitrógeno y sin inocular. Por otro lado el rendimiento de frijol fue afectado negativamente por las aplicaciones de zinc en el caso del experimento en San Lorenzo. Para la localidad de San Diego se obtuvo respuesta positiva a las aplicaciones de fósforo junto con la mezcla de inoculantes usados. En los dos experimentos no se encontró respuesta significativa con el uso de la mezcla de inoculantes relacionados con los elementos limitantes del suelo comparado con los testigos.

Incremento de la productividad de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) a nivel de finca mediante la inoculación con Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. Phaseoli

En el presente trabajo experimental se evaluó la respuesta a la inoculación de dos variedades de frijol común Phaseolus vulgaris L. con el objetivo de incrementar los rendimientos unitarios. Las variedades fueron DOR-364 y EST-90B, inoculadas con tres cepas de Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli (CR-477, KIM-5 y CIAT-613) bajo condiciones de labranza convencional en la localidad de San Lorenzo, ubicada a 1O km del municipio de La Trinidad en el departamento de Estelí. Este estudio se realizó en dos etapas, postrera (1993) y primera (1994). En la primera etapa experimental se aplicó el inoculante al suelo al momento de la siembra y en la segunda etapa la inoculación se hizo a la semilla. En la primera etapa se utilizaron dos inoculantes (KIM-5 y CR-477) comparados con dos testigos sin inocular, con bajo nitrógeno (20 kg/ha de N) y el testigo sin inocular y el otro con alto nitrógeno (90 kg/ha de N en forma fraccionada). En la segunda etapa experimental, los tratamientos inoculados (KIM-5, CR-477, CIAT-613 y mezcla de las tres cepas), se compararon siempre con dos testigos sin inocular, uno sin nitrógeno y otro con alto nitrógeno (50 kg/ha de N). El diseño utilizado para ambas fases fue el de parcelas divididas (DPD). En el primer ensayo las variables medidas fueron número y peso seco de nódulos, peso seco de la parte aérea en las etapas R6 y R8 así como el rendimiento de grano. En el segundo ensayo se hicieron las mismas mediciones con la excepción del peso seco de la parte aérea en la etapa R8 del cultivo. En el primer experimento hubo respuesta significativa a la inoculación con las cepas evaluadas en la etapa R8 del cultivo, mientras que en el segundo experimento no hubo respuesta significativa en el peso seco de la parte aérea en esta etapa, en donde el mejor tratamiento fue el fertilizado con alto nitrógeno en el primer ensayo. En la primera fase del estudio, el rendimiento aunque no significativo, se vio favorecido con la fertilización nitrogenada para ambas variedades. En el segundo experimento se observó diferencias significativas en el rendimiento de grano, obteniéndose los más altos rendimientos con el tratamiento CR-477 en ambas variedades. En este estudio los tratamientos fertilizados presentaron menor rendimiento comparado con los tratamientos sin nitrógeno.

Thermal transport in high porosity cellular metal foams

The heat dissipation capability of highly porous cellular metal foams with open cells subject to forced air convection is studied using a combined experimental and analytical approach. The cellular morphologies of six FeCrAlY (an iron-based alloy) foams and six copper alloy foams with a range of pore sizes and porosities are quantified with the scanning electronic microscope and image analysis. Experimental measurements on pressure drop and heat transfer for copper foams are carried out. A numerical model for forced convection across open-celled metal foams is subsequently developed, and the predictions are compared with those measured. Reasonably good agreement with test data is obtained, given the complexity of the cellular foam morphology and the associated momentum/energy transport. The results show that cell size has a more significant effect on the overall heat transfer than porosity. An optimal porosity is obtained based on the balance between pressure drop and overall heat transfer, which decreases as the Reynolds number is increased.

Convective heat dissipation with lattice-frame materials

This paper presents experimental results on heat transfer and pressure drop for a compact heat sink made of fully triangulated, lightweight (porosity∼0.938), aluminum lattice-frame materials (LFMs). Due to the inherent structural anisotropy of the LFMs, two mutually perpendicular orientations were selected for the measurements. Constant heat flux was applied to the heat sink under steady state conditions, and dissipated by forced air convection. The experimental data were compared with those predicted from an analytical model based on fin analogy. The experimental results revealed that pressure drop is strongly dependent upon the orientation of the structure, due mainly to the flow blockage effect. For heat transfer measurements, typical local temperature distributions on the substrate under constant heat flux conditions were captured with infrared camera. The thermal behavior of LFMs was found to follow closely that of cylinder banks, with early transition Reynolds number (based on strut diameter) equal to about 300. The Nusselt number prediction from the fin-analogy correlates well with experimental measurements, except at low Reynolds numbers where a slightly underestimation is observed. Comparisons with empty channels and commonly used heat exchanger media show that the present LFM heat sink can remove heat approximately seven times more efficient than an empty channel and as efficient as a bank of cylinders at the same porosity level. The aluminum LFMs are extremely stiff and strong, making them ideal candidates for multifunctional structures requiring both heat dissipation and mechanical load carrying capabilities. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature Dependence of the Tribological Properties of Laser Re-Melted Al-Cu-Fe Quasicrystalline Plasma Sprayed Coatings

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on tribological properties of plasma-sprayed Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal (QC) coating after laser re-melting treatment. The laser treatment resulted in a more uniform, denser and harder microstructure than that of the as-sprayed coatings. Tribological experiments on the coatings were conducted under reciprocating motion at high frequency in the temperature range from 25 to 650 degreesC. Remarkable influence of temperature on the friction behavior of the coating was recorded and analyzed. Microstructural analysis indicated that the wear mechanisms of the re-melted QC coatings changed from abrasive wear at room temperature, to adhesive wear at 400 degreesC and severe adhesive wear at 650 degreesC owing to the material transfer of the counterpart ball. It was also observed that the ratio of the icosahedral (i)-phase to beta-Al-50(Fe,CU)(50) phase in the coating was higher after test at 400 'C than that at 650 'C. The variation of the ratio UP of coating and of the property of the counterpart ball and coating with the temperature are the two main factors influencing the wear mechanisms and value of the friction coefficient.

ZnO film based surface acoustic wave micro-pump

In this study, a micro-pump unit based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) on piezoelectric ZnO film is designed and fabricated as a micro-fluidic device. It employs a mechanical wave, which is generated electrically using an aluminum interdigital transducer (IDT), and propagates on the surface of the ZnO film. The ZnO film was used in this study because it has a high electromechanical coefficient and an excellent bonding with various substrate materials, in particular silicon. The sputtering parameters for ZnO film deposition have been optimized, and the ZnO films with different thickness from 1 micron to 5.5 microns were prepared. The film properties have been characterized using different methods, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Aluminum IDT with a finger width and spacing of 8 microns was patterned on the ZnO film using a lift-off process. The frequency generated was measured using a network analyzer, and it varies from 130 MHz to 180 MHz as a function of film thickness. A signal generator was used to generate the frequency with a power amplifier to amplify the signal, which was then applied to aluminum IDT to generate the surface acoustic wave. If a liquid droplet exists on the surface carrying the acoustic wave, the energy and the momentum of the SAW will be coupled into the fluid, causing the liquid to vibrate and move on film surface. The strength of this movement is determined by the applied voltage and frequency. The volume of the liquid drop loaded on the SAW device in this study is of several hundreds of nanoliters. The movement of the liquid inside the droplet and also on the ZnO film surface can be demonstrated. The performance of ZnO SAW device was characterized as a function of film thickness. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.

ZnO films for surface acoustic wave microfluidic devices

SAW devices were fabricated on c-axis oriented ZnO films grown on Si substrates. Effects of film thickness on the film microstructure and acoustic frequencies were studied. Both Rayleigh and Sezawa mode waves were detected on the devices, and their resonant frequencies were found to decrease with increase in film thickness.