Gamma -> Epsilon Martensite Transformation and Twinning Deformation in fcc Cobalt During Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment

The deformation microstructure of face-centered cubic cobalt subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment was studied as a function of strain levels. Strain-induced gamma --> epsilon transformation and twinning deformation were evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and were found to progress continuously in ultrafine and nanocrystalline grains as the strain increased.

Strain-Induced Grain Refinement of Cobalt During Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment

The microstructural evolution during surface mechanical attrition treatment of cobalt (a mixture of hexagonal close packed (hep) and face-centered cubic (fcc) phases) was investigated. In order to reveal the mechanism of grain refinement and strain accommodation. The microstructure was systematically characterized by both cross-sectional and planar-view transmission electron microscopy. In the hcp phase, the process of grain refinement. Accompanied by an increase in strain imposed in the surface layer. Involved: (1) the onset of 110 111 deformation twinning, (2) the operation of (1 120) 110 1 0} prismatic and (1 120) (000 1) basal slip, leading to the formation of low-angle dislocation boundaries, and (3) the successive subdivision of grains to a finer and finer scale. Ressulting in the formation of highly misoriented nanocrystalline grains. Moreover. The formation of nanocrystalliies at the grain boundary and triple junction was also observed to occur concurrently with straining. By contrast. The fec phase accommodated strain in a sequence as follows: (1) slip of dislocations by forming intersecting planar arrays of dislocations, (2) {1 1 1} deformation twinning, and (3) the gamma(fcc) --> epsilon(hcp) martensitic phase transformation. The mechanism of grain refinement was interpreted in terms of the structural subdivision of grains together with dynamic recrystallization occurring in the hep phase and the gamma --> E: martensitic transformation in the fcc phase as well.

Microstructural evolution and formation of nanocrystalline intermetallic compound during surface mechanical attrition treatment of cobalt

Nanocrystalline intermetallic Co3Fe7 was produced on the surface of cobalt via surface mechanical attrition (SMA). Deformationinduced diffusion entailed the formation of a series of solid solutions. Phase transitions occurred depending on the atomic fraction of Fe in the surface solid solutions: from hexagonal close-packed (<4% Fe) to face-centered cubic (fcc) (4-11% Fe), and from fcc to body-centered cubic (>11% Fe). Nanoscale compositional probing suggested significantly higher Fe contents at grain boundaries and triple junctions than grain interiors. Short-circuit diffusion along grain boundaries and triple junctions dominate in the nanocrystalline intermetallic compound. Stacking faults contribute significantly to diffusion. Diffusion enhancement due to high-rate deformation in SMA was analyzed by regarding dislocations as solute-pumping channels, and the creation of excess vacancies. Non-equilibrium, atomic level alloying can then be ascribed to deformation-induced intermixing of constituent species. The formation mechanism of nanocrystalline intermetallic grains on the SMA surface can be thought of as a consequence of numerous nucleation events and limited growth. (C) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Situ Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Intermetallic Compound Layer During Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment of Zirconium

The surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) technique was developed to synthesize a nanocrystalline (NC) layer on the surface of metallic materials for upgrading their overall properties and performance. In this paper, by means of SMAT to a pure zirconium plate at the room temperature, repetitive multidirectional peening of steel shots (composition (wt%): 1C, 1.5Cr, base Fe) severely deformed the surface layer. A NC surface layer consisting of the intermetallic compound FeCr was fabricated on the surface of the zirconium. The microstructure characterization of the surface layer was performed by using X-ray diffraction analysis, optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations. The NC surface layer was about 25 mu m thick and consisted of the intermetallic compound FeCr with an average grain size of 25 +/- 10 nm. The deformation-induced fast diffusion of Fe and Cr from the steel shots into Zr occurred during SMAT, leading to the formation of intermetallic compound. In addition, the NC surface layer exhibited an ultrahigh nanohardness of 10.2 GPa.

Localized Solid-State Amorphization at Grain Boundaries in a Nanocrystalline Al Solid Solution Subjected to Surface Mechanical Attrition

Using high-resolution electron microscopy, localized solid-state amorphization (SSA) was observed in a nanocrystalline (NC) Al solid solution (weight per cent 4.2 Cu, 0.3 Mn, the rest being Al) subjected to a surface mechanical attrition treatment. It was found that the deformation-induced SSA may occur at the grain boundary (GB) where either the high density dislocations or dislocation complexes are present. It is suggested that lattice instability due to elastic distortion within the dislocation core region plays a significant role in the initiation of the localized SSA at defective sites. Meanwhile, the GB of severely deformed NC grains exhibits a continuously varying atomic structure in such a way that while most of the GB is ordered but reveals corrugated configurations, localized amorphization may occur along the same GB.

Nanocrystalline Formation During Mechanical Attrition of Cobalt

The nanocrystalline (nc) formation was studied in cobalt (a mixture of c (hexagonal close packed) and gamma (face-centered cubic) phases) subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment. Electron microscopy revealed the operation of {10(1) over bar 0}< 11(2) over bar 0 > prismatic and {0001}< 11(2) over bar 0 > basal slip in the E phase, leading to the successive subdivision of grains to nanoscale. In particular, the dislocation splitting into the stacking faults was observed to occur in ultrafine and nc grains. By contrast, the planar dislocation arrays, twins and martensites were evidenced in the gamma phase. The strain-induced gamma ->epsilon martensitic transformation was found to progress continuously in ultrafine and nc grains as the strain increased. The nc formation in the gamma phase was interpreted in terms of the martensitic transformation and twinning.

Nanocrystalline Formation during Mechanical Attrition of Cobalt

The nanocrystalline (nc) formation was studied in cobalt (a mixture of c (hexagonal close packed) and gamma (face-centered cubic) phases) subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment. Electron microscopy revealed the operation of {10(1) over bar 0}< 11(2) over bar 0 > prismatic and {0001}< 11(2) over bar 0 > basal slip in the E phase, leading to the successive subdivision of grains to nanoscale. In particular, the dislocation splitting into the stacking faults was observed to occur in ultrafine and nc grains. By contrast, the planar dislocation arrays, twins and martensites were evidenced in the gamma phase. The strain-induced gamma ->epsilon martensitic transformation was found to progress continuously in ultrafine and nc grains as the strain increased. The nc formation in the gamma phase was interpreted in terms of the martensitic transformation and twinning.

Enhancing the mechanical and biological performance of a metallic biomaterial for orthopedic applications through changes in the surface oxide layer by nanocrystalline surface modification

Nanostructured metals are a promising class of biomaterials for application in orthopedics to improve the mechanical performance and biological response for increasing the life of biomedical implants. Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) is an efficient way of engineering nanocrystalline surfaces on metal substrates. In this work, 316L stainless steel (SS), a widely used orthopedic biomaterial, was subjected to SMAT to generate a nanocrystalline surface. Surface nanocrystallization modified the nature of the oxide layer present on the surface. It increased the corrosion-fatigue strength in saline by 50%. This increase in strength is attributed to a thicker oxide layer, residual compressive stresses, high strength of the surface layer, and lower propensity for intergranular corrosion in the nanocrystalline layer. Nanocrystallization also enhanced osteoblast attachment and proliferation. Intriguingly, wettability and surface roughness, the key parameters widely acknowledged for controlling the cellular response remained unchanged after nanocrystallization. The observed cellular behavior is explained in terms of the changes in electronic properties of the semiconducting passive oxide film present on the surface of 316L SS. Nanocrystallization increased the charge carrier density of the n-type oxide film likely preventing denaturation of the adsorbed cell-adhesive proteins such as fibronectin. In addition, a net positive charge developed on the otherwise neutral oxide layer, which is known to facilitate cellular adhesion. The role of changes in the electronic properties of the oxide films on metal substrates is thus highlighted in this work. This study demonstrates the advantages of nanocrystalline surface modification by SMAT for processing metallic biomaterials used in orthopedic implants.

Grain Refinement at the Nanoscale Via Mechanical Twinning and Dislocation Interaction in a Nickel-Based Alloy

A nanostructured surface layer was formed on an Inconel 600 plate by subjecting it to surface mechanical attrition treatment at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the treated surface layer were carried out to reveal the underlying grain refinement mechanism. Experimental observations showed that the strain-induced nanocrystallization in the current sample occurred via formation of mechanical microtwins and subsequent interaction of the microtwins with dislocations in the surface layer. The development of high-density dislocation arrays inside the twin-matrix lamellae provides precursors for grain boundaries that subdivide the nanometer-thick lamellae into equiaxed, nanometer-sized grains with random orientations.

The effect of conventional mechanical periodontal treatment on red complex microorganisms and clinical parameters in Down syndrome periodontitis patients: a pilot study

Periodontal disease (PD) is induced by a complex microbiota, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola (together called the red complex), which triggers intense inflammatory reaction. Down syndrome (DS) individuals demonstrate a high prevalence of PD compared with those who are otherwise chromosomally normal (euploids). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment in DS chronic periodontitis patients on clinical and microbiological parameters. Patients with chronic periodontitis, 23 DS and 12 euploids (control group), were submitted to non-surgical mechanical periodontal treatment, followed by maintenance for 45 days. Clinical parameters after periodontal treatment were similar in diseased and healthy sites, independent of the genetic background. Diseased sites of DS and control patients harbored similar levels of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia at baseline, but significantly higher levels of T. denticola were found in DS patients. Increased levels of P. gingivalis at healthy sites were found in DS individuals. Non-surgical periodontal therapy decreased the levels of red complex microorganisms and improved the tested clinical parameters of diseased sites in both groups. However, the levels of red complex bacteria were higher in diseased sites of DS patients after the periodontal treatment. We conclude in this pilot study that, although the mechanical periodontal treatment seemed to be effective in DS subjects over a short-term period, the red complex bacteria levels did not decrease significantly in diseased sites, as occurred in controls. Therefore, for DS patients, it seems that the conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy should be improved by utilizing adjuvants to reduce the presence of periodontopathogens.

Solid biofuel production by mechanical pre-treatment of brewers' spent grain

The brewing industry produces large amounts of by-products and wastes like brewers' spent grain (BSG). In Germany, each year approximately 2.1 million tonnes of BSG are generated. During the last years conventional routes of BSG utilization face a remarkable change, such as the decline in the demand as animal feed. Due to its high content of organic matter energetic utilization may create an additional economic value for breweries. Furthermore, in the recent past breweries tend to shift their energy supply towards more sustainable concepts. Although, a decent number of research projects were carried out already, still no mature strategy is available. However, one possible solution can be the mechanical pretreatment of BSG. This step allows optimized energy utilization by the fractionation of BSG. Due to the transfer of digestible components, such as protein, to the liquid phase, the solid phase will largely consist of combustible components. That represents an opportunity to produce a solid biofuel with lower fuelnitrogen content compared to only thermal dried BSG. Therefore, two main purposes for the mechanical pre-treatment were determined, (1) to reduce the moisture content to at least 60 % (w/w) and (2) to diminish the protein content of the solid phase by 30 %. Moreover, the combustion trials should demonstrate whether stable processes and flue gas emissions within the legal limits in Germany are feasible. The results of the mechanical pre-treatment trials showed that a decrease of the moisture and protein content has been achieved. With regard to the combustion trials inconsistent outcomes were found. On the one hand a stable combustion was realized. On the other hand the legal emission levels of NOx (500 mgm -3) and dust (50 mgm-3) could not be kept during all trials. The further research steps will focus on the optimization of the air/fuel ratio by reducing the primary and secondary air conditions. Copyright © 2014,AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.

In Situ Synthesis Of Nanocrystalline Intermetallic Layer During Surface Plastic Deformation Of Zirconium

By means of a surface plastic deformation method a nanocrystalline (NC) intermetallic compound was in situ synthesized on the surface layer of bulk zirconium (Zr). Hardened steel shots (composition: 1.0C, 1.5Cr, base Fe in wt.%) were used to conduct repetitive and multidirectional peening on the surface layer of Zr. The microstructure evolution of the surface layer was investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations. The NC intermetallic layer of about 25 gm thick was observed and confirmed by concentration profiles of Zr, Fe and Cr, and was found to consist of the Fe100-xCrx compound with an average grain size of 22 nm. The NC surface layer exhibited an extremely high average hardness of 10.2 GPa. The Zr base immediately next to the compound/Zr interface has a grain size of similar to 250 nm, and a hardness of similar to 3.4 GPa. The Fe100-xCrx layer was found to securely adhere to the Zr base. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

The main factor influencing the tensile properties of surface nano-crystallized graded materials

The improved mechanical properties of surface nano-crystallized graded materials produced by surface severe plastic deformation ((SPD)-P-2) are generally owing to the effects of the refined structure, work-hardened region and compressive residual stress. However, during the (SPD)-P-2 process, residual stress is produced simultaneously with work-hardened region, the individual contribution of these two factors to the improved mechanical properties remains unclear. Numerical simulations are carried out in order to answer this question. It is found that work hardening predominates in improving the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength of the surface nano-crystallized graded materials, while the influence of the residual stress mainly emerges at the initial stage of deformation and decreases the apparent elastic modulus of the surface nano-crystallized graded materials, which agrees well with the experimental results. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal and mechanical shocks affecting the first flush of production of Lentinula edodes on Eucalyptus saligna logs

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do choque térmico e mecânico na produtividade de Lentinula edodes em 140 toras de Eucalyptus saligna, completamente colonizadas pelo fungo, em diferentes tempos de imersão em água e no primeiro fluxo de produção. As toras foram imersas em água resfriada (16ºC) ou à temperatura ambiente (22ºC); os períodos de imersão corresponderam a 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 e 38 horas; o choque mecânico foi acompanhado por três quedas consecutivas da tora, em posição vertical, no chão. A temperatura da água e o tempo de imersão afetaram a produção de L. edodes, resultando em aumentos significativos (2 a 4 vezes) nos tratamentos em que as toras foram submetidas à água resfriada e nos tempos de imersão mais curtos (6 e 10 horas). O choque mecânico não resultou em aumento na produção de basidiomas.

Treatment of osteoporosis in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy using black bear parathyroid hormone

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive disease affecting skeletal and cardiac muscle, as well as bone. Long term disuse and glucocorticoid treatments cause progressive osteoporosis in DMD patients, leading to an increase in fracture incidence. Treatments for osteoporosis in these patients have not been widely explored. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), an anabolic treatment for post-menopausal osteoporosis, could benefit DMD patients by improving skeletal properties and reducing fracture risk. Other PTH analogues are not currently FDA approved to treat osteoporosis, but may have improved osteogenic effects compared to the human analogue. Black bear PTH is especially promising as an osteoporosis treatment for the DMD population. Black bears are unique models of bone maintenance during disuse, since during six months of inactivity (hibernation), they maintain skeletal properties, unlike other hibernators. Additionally, black bear PTH has been correlated to bone formation markers during hibernation, indicating it may be, at least in part, the mechanism by which bears maintain bone during disuse. Employing black bear PTH as a treatment for osteoporosis in DMD patients could greatly improve quality of life for these individuals, and reduce the pain and expense associated with frequent fractures.