Sharif Digital Repository

Weldability is one of the key requirements for automotive materials. This two-part paper aims at understanding the metallurgical phenomena during resistance spot welding of stainless steels, as interesting candidates for automotive body in white. Part I addresses the phase transformations in the fusion zone of three types of stainless steels including austenitic, ferritic and duplex types. The solidification and solid state phenomena including columnar to equiaxed transition, ferrite– austenite post-solidification transformation, martensitic transformation and carbide precipitation are discussed. Particular attention is given to the effect of high cooling rate of resistance spot welding... 

In this paper, the effect of aluminum content on the formation mechanism, volume fraction, morphology and particle size distribution of graphite has been investigated. Addition of aluminum on ductile iron causes some fundamental changes in iron-carbon phase-diagram and as a result, improves the graphite formation during eutectic transformation. The results reveals that aluminum compounds have been formed in the core of graphite nodules, thus aluminum plays an important role in the formation of graphite nodules. Furthermore, it is indicated that an increase in the aluminum content also leads to an increase in the number of graphite nodules and a decrease in the nodules size. By using EPMA,... 

Titanium dioxide nanopowders were synthesized by the diffusion controlled sol-gel process (LaMer model) and characterized by DTA-TG, XRD, and SEM. The prepared TiO 2 nanoparticles have uniform size and morphology, and the phase transformation kinetics of obtained material was studied by interpretation of the X-ray diffraction patterns peaks on the base of Avrami equation. The stating point of anatase-rutile phase transformation temperature in the prepared nanoparticles was found between 100 and 200 C. A decreasing trend on the intensity of X-ray peaks of anatase phase was observed up to 600 C when the presence of the rutile phase became predominant. Results indicated that the transition... 

This paper presents a new phenomenological constitutive model for shape memory alloys, developed within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics and based on a scalar and a tensorial internal variable. In particular, the model uses a measure of the amount of stress-induced martensite as scalar internal variable and the preferred direction of variants as independent tensorial internal variable. Using this approach, it is possible to account for variant reorientation and for the effects of multiaxial non-proportional loadings in a more accurate form than previously done. In particular, we propose a model that has the property of completely decoupling the pure reorientation mechanism from... 

Most devices based on shape memory alloys experience both finite deformations and non-proportional loading conditions in engineering applications. This motivates the development of constitutive models considering finite strain as well as martensite variant reorientation. To this end, in the present article, based on the principles of continuum thermodynamics with internal variables, a three-dimensional finite strain phenomenological constitutive model is proposed taking its basis from the recent model in the small strain regime proposed by Panico and Brinson (J Mech Phys Solids 55:2491-2511, 2007). In the finite strain constitutive model derivation, a multiplicative decomposition of the... 

The effect of aluminium content on the formation mechanism, volume fraction, morphology, and particle size distribution of graphite has been investigated. Addition of aluminium to ductile iron causes some fundamental changes in iron-carbon phase diagrams and, as a result, improves graphite formation during eutectic transformation. Results reveal that aluminium compounds have been formed in the core of graphite nodules; thus aluminium plays an important role in the formation of graphite nodules. Furthermore, it is indicated that an increase in the aluminium content also leads to an increase in the number of graphite nodules and a decrease in the nodule size. By using electron probe... 

Recently, an increasing concern has been raised about turn-to-turn faults (TTFs) in power transformers, because these faults can lead to severe transformer insulation failure and consequently, its outage. Generally, it is impossible to experimentally analyze the transformer behavior under such faults, since the implementation of those experiments may be substantially destructive. Therefore, computer-aided models should be developed to investigate the performance of transformer protective relays under turn-to-turn faults. So far, existing transformer models are mainly formulated to implement in the EMTP-based softwares. However, most of power system protection engineers and researchers... 

The paper addresses the microstructure and failure characteristics of dissimilar resistance spot welds between austenitic stainless steel and ferritic stainless steel. The fusion zone (FZ) of dissimilar welds exhibited complex microstructure consisting of ferrite, austenite and martensite. The development of this triplex structure in the FZ was explained by analysing the phase transformation path and austenite stability. Results showed that all dissimilar welds failed in partial thickness-partial pull-out failure mode. It was shown that the fraction of the nugget fracture of the weld is reduced by increasing the FZ size improving the mechanical performance of the weld. Peak load and energy... 

Porous shape memory alloys are a class of very interesting materials exhibiting features typical of porous metals and of shape memory alloys. In contrast to dense shape memory alloys, considerable plastic strain accumulates in porous shape memory alloys even during phase transformation. Moreover, due to the microstructure of porous materials, phase transformation and plasticity phenomena are significantly pressure-dependent. In this article, we propose a three-dimensional phenomenological constitutive model for the thermomechanical behavior of porous shape memory alloys able to predict shape memory effect, pseudo-elastic behavior and plastic behavior under proportional as well as... 

A thermo-elastic analysis coupled with a phase change model is employed to evaluate thermal stresses as well as progress of austenite decomposition after hot strip rolling operations. The thermo-mechanical finite element analysis is utilized to assess the distributions of temperature and thermal stresses during cooling while at the same time, a model based on the additivity rule is used to determine the rate of austenite to ferrite decomposition. The proposed model is applicable to multi-pass rolling schedules while the effects of different process parameters including the rolling speed and cooling configuration of the run-out table can be taken into account. In order to verify the... 

This paper investigates the metallurgical and mechanical response of 2304 duplex stainless steel-as an interesting candidate for automotive body-in-white applications-to resistance spot welding. The results showed the high cooling rate associated with the resistance spot welding process suppressed the postsolidification ferrite-austenite transformation leading to improper ferrite-austenite phase balance with a reduced volume fraction of austenite and consequent precipitation of chromium-rich nitrides. The effects of welding current, as the key parameter determining the weld heat input, on the austenite volume fraction and precipitation are discussed. The minimum fusion zone hardness... 

The technological and industrial needs for development of fully dense nanocomposites have led to significant advances in spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique and its enhanced forms. This technique has opened up a new prospect over carbon nanotube (CNT)-metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) with superior physical or mechanical characteristics. To date, a large number of authentic papers have been published over this ongoing field, but have not been comprehensively reviewed. The pertinent research works cover some significant aspects of CNT-MMNCs requiring a concise review on (i) the potential phase transformations of pure CNTs and microstructure evolution; (ii) the novel approaches for... 

The inclusion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into metallic systems has been the main focus of recent literature. The aim behind this approach has been the development of a new property or improvement of an inferior one in CNT-dispersed metal matrix nanocomposites. Although it has opened up new possibilities for promising engineering applications, some practical challenges have restricted the full exploitation of CNTs’ unique characteristics. Non-uniform dispersion of CNTs in the metallic matrix, poor interfacial adhesion at the CNT/metal interface, the unfavorable chemical reaction of CNTs with the matrix, and low compactability are the most significant challenges, requiring more examination.... 

This paper proposes a straightforward control method for voltage control of a three-phase transformer-based inverter in uninterruptible power supplies or distributed generation systems. The approach offers a dual-loop design consisting inner current control loop and outer voltage loop. Sliding mode current controller provides desired bandwidth for voltage controller which consists of a state feedback term for stabilization and resonant term for harmonic damping. The proposed scheme provides fast dynamic response and low total harmonic distortion even for high power inverters with the limitations of switching frequency and LC filter components. Experimental studies for 2KVA linear and... 

Abstract: Nickel–titanium (NiTi) nanoparticles are ultrafine smart materials manifesting shape memory effect at very small scales. We have produced NiTi nanoparticles surrounded by an amorphous carbon shell using an innovative spark discharge system. The resulting nanoparticles were studied using various characterization methods to systematically study their size, morphology, size distribution, composition, structure, and thermal behavior. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light-scattering results indicated that the average size of the produced nanoparticles was about 13 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and... 

Recent uses of intelligent composites in biomedical appliances aggrandize the necessity of bonding-strength improvement in NiTi/silicone matrix interface. SEM micrographs and pull-out tests are employed to determine the strength of the NiTi/silicone bonds in a flexible composite piece. Greater adhesion strengths are obtained due to the presence of thin oxide layer, surface roughness and frictional forces between the embedded-wires and the contacting phase. Effect of curing treatment on phase transformation temperatures of the wires is determined by electrical resistivity (ER) measurements. Results show that the curing treatment shifts the transition points of the wires towards higher... 

Highly stable, water-based barium titanate (BaTiO3) sols were developed by a low cost and straightforward sol-gel process. Nanocrystalline barium titanate thin films and powders with various Ba:Ti atomic ratios were produced from the aqueous sols. The prepared sols had a narrow particle size distribution in the range 21-23 nm and they were stable over 5 months. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that powders contained mixture of hexagonal- or perovskite-BaTiO3 as well as a trace of Ba2Ti 13O22 and Ba4Ti2O27 phases, depending on annealing temperature and Ba:Ti atomic ratio. Highly pure barium titanate with cubic perovskite structure achieved with Ba:Ti = 50:50 atomic ratio at the high... 

Nickel titanium shape memory alloys (NiTi-SMAs) were successfully produced from elemental Ni/Ti powders by powder metallurgical method and then subjected to age treatment. Microstructure was examined by SEM and XRD and phase transformation temperatures were measured by dilatometric method. The phase transformation temperatures increased with both duration and temperature of the age treatment. The porous product exhibited desirable shape memory effect. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved  

Biphase TiO2 nanoparticles have been prepared by sol-gel method. Water/titanium molar ratio (r) has been used to control the hydrolysis and condensation of titanium isopropoxide in solution producing titanium oxide with two different polymorphs. The influence of crystallite size and morphology of prepared TiO2 on the phase transformation of the resultant materials has been investigated. Synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Different trends can be observed in the phase transformation and particle growth of the prepared titanium oxide nanomaterial. It was concluded that, the rate of particle... 

Graphitization in steels is a subject which has been studied temporarily in past decades. The importance of this phenomenon is due to the fact that graphite formation in steels can ease machining treatment and increase cold-work capability of steels. Weight reduction of the parts and the dedicated bioenvironmental properties of these steels are considered as a valuable replacement for lead containing steels for researchers. Anyway there has been always the assumption that this operation is long and not economically cost effective. For this reason due to the different conditions of applied heat treatments, the effects of the temperature and the time period of heat treatment on the...