Enhancement in Bath Mixing and Plume area in a New Degassing Process - A Computational Fluid Dynamic Study

Reaction between the various species in slag and metal phase is usually mass transfer controlled. There have been continuous efforts to increase the reaction efficiency in slag-metal system, especially during decarburization of steel to produce the ultra low carbon steel (ULCS) in secondary steelmaking. It has been found that the surface reaction is a dominant factor in the final stage of decarburization. In the initial stage, the inner site reaction is major factor in the refining process. The mixing of bath affects the later reaction. However, the former reaction (surface reaction) is affected by the plume size area at the top of the metal surface. Therefore, a computational study has been made to understand the fluid dynamics of a new secondary steelmaking process called Revolutionary Degasser Activator (REDA) to study the bath mixing and plume area. REDA process has been considered as it is claimed that this process can reduce the carbon content in steel below 10ppm in a less time than the other existing processes such as RH and Tank degasser. This study shows that both bath mixing and plume area are increased in REDA process facilitating it to give the desired carbon content in less time. Qualitative comments are made on slag-metal reaction system based on this finding.

Effect of strain rate on the high-temperature low-cycle fatigue properties of a nimonic PE-16 superalloy

Strain-rate effects on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of a NIMONIC PE-16 superalloy have been evaluated in the temperature range of 523 to 923 K. Total-strain-controlled fatigue tests were per-formed at a strain amplitude of +/-0.6 pct on samples possessing two different prior microstructures: microstructure A, in the solution-annealed condition (free of gamma' and carbides); and microstructure B, in a double-aged condition with gamma' of 18-nm diameter and M23C6 carbides. The cyclic stress response behavior of the alloy was found to depend on the prior microstructure, testing temperature, and strain rate. A softening regime was found to be associated with shearing of ordered gamma' that were either formed during testing or present in the prior microstructure. Various manifestations of dynamic strain aging (DSA) included negative strain rate-stress response, serrations on the stress-strain hysteresis loops, and increased work-hardening rate. The calculated activation energy matched well with that for self-diffusion of Al and Ti in the matrix. Fatigue life increased with an increase in strain rate from 3 x 10(-5) to 3 x 10(-3) s-1, but decreased with further increases in strain rate. At 723 and 823 K and low strain rates, DSA influenced the deformation and fracture behavior of the alloy. Dynamic strain aging increased the strain localization in planar slip bands, and impingement of these bands caused internal grain-boundary cracks and reduced fatigue life. However, at 923 K and low strain rates, fatigue crack initiation and propagation were accelerated by high-temperature oxidation, and the reduced fatigue life was attributed to oxidation-fatigue interaction. Fatigue life was maximum at the intermediate strain rates, where strain localization was lower. Strain localization as a function of strain rate and temperature was quantified by optical and scanning electron microscopy and correlated with fatigue life.

Ferromagnetic La0.6Pb0.4MnO3 thin films with giant magnetoresistance at 300 K

Highly textured, as-deposited La0.6Pb0.4MnO3 thin films have been grown on LaAlO3 by pulsed laser deposition. The films are ferromagnetic metals below 300 K. Giant negative magnetoresistance of over 40% is observed at 300 K at 6 T.

Flow Instabilities and fracture in Ti-6Al-4V deformed in compression at 298 K to 673 K

Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on Ti-6Al-4V specimens in the strain-rate range df 0.001 to 1 s(-1) and temperature range of 298 to 673 K. The stress-strain curves exhibited a peak flow stress followed by flow softening. Up to 523 K, the specimens cracked catastrophically after the flow softening started. Adiabatic shear banding was observed in this regime. The fracture surface exhibited both mode I and II fracture features. The state of stress existing in a compression test specimen when bulging occurs is responsible for this fracture. The instabilities observed in the present tests are classified as ''geometric'' in nature and are state-of-stress dependant, unlike the ''intrinsic'' instabilities, which are dependant on the dynamic constitutive behavior of the material.

Metastable extension of the fluorite phase field in Y2O3---ZrO2 and its effect on grain growth

Pure Y2O3 and Y2O3---ZrO2 solid solutions have been prepared by melt atomization and by pyrolysis of nitrate solutions. Extended solubility is readily achieved in both techniques for the entire composition range investigated: melts with 0–30% ZrO2 and precursors with 0–50% ZrO2. However, solidification of under cooled droplets yields almost exclusively single phase powders with the structure of cubic yttria (D53). In contrast, the pyrolysis route leads to a sequence of metastable microstructures beginning with a nanocrystalline disordered fluorite-based (C1) solid solution. Further heating leads to the evolution of much larger (micron size) flake crystals with a {001} texture, concurrent with partial ordering of the oxygen ions to the sites occupied in the D53 structure. The driving force for ordering and the rate of grain growth decrease with increasing ZrO2 addition. Abrupt heating to high temperatures or electron irradiation can induce ordering without substantial grain growth. There is no significant reduction in porosity during the recrystallization, which with the other observations suggests that grain growth is driven by the free energy available for the ordering transformation from fluorite to the yttria structure. This route offers opportunities for single crystal thin film development at relatively low processing temperatures.

Microstructural control in hot working of IN-718 superalloy using processing map

The hot-working characteristics of IN-718 are studied in the temperature range 900 °C to 1200 °C and strain rate range 0.001 to 100 s−1 using hot compression tests. Processing maps for hot working are developed on the basis of the strain-rate sensitivity variations with temperature and strain rate and interpreted using a dynamic materials model. The map exhibits two domains of dynamic recrystallization (DRX): one occurring at 950 °C and 0.001 s−1 with an efficiency of power dissipation of 37 pct and the other at 1200 °C and 0.1 s−1 with an efficiency of 40 pct. Dynamic recrystallization in the former domain is nucleated by the δ(Ni3Nb) precipitates and results in fine-grained microstructure. In the high-temperature DRX domain, carbides dissolve in the matrix and make interstitial carbon atoms available for increasing the rate of dislocation generation for DRX nucleation. It is recommended that IN-718 may be hot-forged initially at 1200 °C and 0.1 s−1 and finish-forged at 950 °C and 0.001 s−1 so that fine-grained structure may be achieved. The available forging practice validates these results from processing maps. At temperatures lower than 1000 °C and strain rates higher than 1 s−1 the material exhibits adiabatic shear bands. Also, at temperatures higher than 1150°C and strain rates more than 1s−1, IN-718 exhibits intercrystalline cracking. Both these regimes may be avoided in hotworking IN-718.

High-temperature stability of Ca2ZrSi4O12

The standard Gibbs free energy of formation of orthorhombic Ca2ZrSi4O12 from component oxides ZrO2 (monoclinic), CaO (rock salt), and SiO2 (quartz) has been determined in the temperature range 973 to 1273 K using a solid-state cell incorporating single-crystal CaF2 as the electrolyte: Delta G(f) degrees = -219930 + 11.77T (+/- 1500) J.mol(-1) This is the only quantitative information now available on the stability of Ca2ZrSi4O12.

Hot deformation characteristics of INCONEL alloy MA 754 and development of a processing map

The characteristics of hot deformation of INCONEL alloy MA 754 have been studied processing maps obtained on the basis of flow stress data generated in compression in the temperature range 700-degrees-C to 1150-degrees-C and strain rate range 0.001 to 100 s-1. The map exhibited three domains. (1) A domain of dynamic recovery occurs in the temperature range 800-degrees-C to 1075-degrees-C and strain rate range 0.02 to 2 s-1, with a peak efficiency of 18 pct occurring at 950-degrees-C and 0.1 s-1. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs revealed stable subgrain structure in this domain with the subgrain size increasing exponentially with an increase in temperature. (2) A domain exhibiting grain boundary cracking occurs at temperatures lower than 800-degrees-C and strain rates lower than 0.01 s-1. (3) A domain exhibiting intense grain boundary cavitation occurs at temperatures higher than 1075-degrees-C. The material did not exhibit a dynamic recrystallization (DRX) domain, unlike other superalloys. At strain rates higher than about 1 s-1, the material exhibits flow instabilities manifesting as kinking of the elongated grains and adiabatic shear bands. The material may be safely worked in the domain of dynamic recovery but can only be statically recrystallized.

Intermetallic Ti2Ni/TiNi nanocomposite by rapid solidification

Nanoscale dispersions of intermetallic Ti2Ni particles in an ordered TiNi intermetallic matrix have been produced by rapid solidification processing of near equiatomic TiNi alloys containing small amount of Si utilising the principle of kinetic competition in the undercooled liquid, A detailed characterisation of the microstructures obtained by different processing conditions was carried out to establish the trend of the refinement of the scale of microstructure. The observed microstructural conditions are rationalised in terms of a metastable phase diagram and the Uhlmann, Chalmers and Jackson theory of the trapping of second phase particles by a moving interface.

Texture Evolution in Boron Modified Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, titanium (Ti) and its alloys, especially (alpha+beta) alloys like Ti-6Al-4V is the backbone materials for aerospace, energy, and chemical industries. Trace boron addition (similar to 0.1 wt. %) to the alloy Ti-6Al-4V produces a reduction in as-cast grain size by roughly an order of magnitude resulting in enhanced ductility, higher stiffness, strength and good fracture resistance. Boron addition could also affect the evolution of texture and microstructure in the material. The solidification microstructures of Boron free as well as Boron containing Ti-6Al-4V are found to be almost homogeneous from periphery towards the center of as-cast ingot in terms of both alpha-colony size and distribution. Boron addition substantially reduces alpha-colony size (similar to 50-80 mu m). A gradual change in alpha texture from periphery towards the center has been observed with orientations close to specific texture components suggesting the formation of texture zones. The mechanism of texture evolution can be visualized as a result of variant selection during solidification through (alpha+beta) phase field.

Evolution of Transformation Texture in a Metastable B - Titanium Alloy

Texture evolution in h. c. p. (alpha) phase derived from aging of a differently processed metastable b.c.c. (beta) titanium alloy was investigated. The study was aimed at examining (i) the effect of different b. c. c. cold rolling textures and (ii) the effect of different defect structures on the h. c. p transformation texture. The alloy metastable beta alloy Ti-10V-4.5Fe-1.5Al was rolled at room temperature by unidirectional (UDR) and multi-step cross rolling (MSCR). A piece of the as-rolled materials were subjected to aging in order to derive the h. c. p. (alpha) phase. In the other route, the as-rolled materials were recrystallized and then aged. Textures were measured using X-ray as well as Electron Back Scatter Diffraction. Rolling texture of beta phase, as characterized by the presence of a strong gamma fibre, was found stronger in M S C R compared to UDR, although they were qualitatively similar. The stronger texture of MSCR sample could be attributed to the inhomogeneous deformation taking place in the sample that might contribute to weakening of texture. Upon recrystallization in beta phase field close to beta-transus. the textures qualitatively resembled the corresponding beta deformation textures; however, they got strengthed. The aging of differently beta rolled samples resulted in the product alpha-phase with different textures. The (UDR + Aged) sample had a stronger texture than (MSCR + Aged) sample, which could be due to continuation of defect accumulation in UDR sample, thus providing more potential sites for the nucleation of alpha phase. The trend was reversed in samples recrystallized prior to aging. The (MSCR + Recrystallized + Aged) sample showed stronger texture of alpha phase than the (UDR + Recrystallized + Aged) sample. This could be attributed to extensive defect annihilation in the UDR sample on recrystallization prior to aging. The (MSCR + Aged) sample exhibited more alpha variants when compared to (MSCR + Recrystallized + Aged) sample. This has been attributed to the availability of more potential sites for nucleation of alpha phase in the former. It could be concluded that alpha transformation texture depends mainly on the defect structure of the parent phase.

Study of Texture Evolution at High Strain Rates in FCC Materials

Evolution of crystallographic texture during high strain rate deformation in FCC materials with different stacking fault energy (Ni, Cu, and Cu-10Zn alloy) has been studied. The texture evolved in FCC materials at these strain rates show little dependence on the Stacking Fault Energy and the amount of deformation. Copper shows an anomalous behavior that is attributed to the ease of cross slip and continuous Dynamic Recrystallization that are operative under the experimental conditions.

Metastable extension of the fluorite phase field in Y2O3---ZrO2 and its effect on grain growth

Pure Y2O3 and Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solutions have been prepared by melt atomization and by pyrolysis of nitrate solutions. Extended solubility is readily achieved in both techniques for the entire composition range investigated: melts with 0-30% ZrO2 and precursors with 0-50% ZrO2. However, solidification of under cooled droplets yields almost exclusively single phase powders with the structure of cubic yttria (D5(3)). In contrast, the pyrolysis route leads to a sequence of metastable microstructures beginning with a nanocrystalline disordered fluorite-based (C1) solid solution. Further heating leads to the evolution of much larger (micron size) flake crystals with a {001} texture, concurrent with partial ordering of the oxygen ions to the sites occupied in the D5(3) structure. The driving force for ordering and the rate of grain growth decrease with increasing ZrO2 addition. Abrupt heating to high temperatures or electron irradiation can induce ordering without substantial grain growth. There is no significant reduction in porosity during the recrystallization, which with the other observations suggests that grain growth is driven by the free energy available for the ordering transformation from fluorite to the yttria structure. This route offers opportunities for single crystal thin film development at relatively low processing temperatures.