Flat Samples Research Articles

The creep behaviors of single crystal Ni-based superalloys with slant film cooling holes

The film cooling holes system is an indispensable structure for advanced turbine blades of aircraft engines. The film cooling holes with different slant angles have a significant impact on the service life of the blade. In the work, the effects of film cooling holes with different slant angles on creep rapture behaviors of single crystal Ni-based superalloys were systematically studied by experimental and numerical methods. The creep tests of the samples with different slant film cooling holes were carried out under 260 MPa and 980 °C. The experimental results showed that the creep fracture life first decreases and then increases with the increased slant angle of the film cooling holes. Furthermore, the creep fracture mode, path and mechanism also change significantly, which was related to the difference of stress distribution caused by distinct slant angles of film cooling hole. Based on the stress distribution characteristics obtained by finite element method, the crystal plasticity theory and “skeletal point” method were used to predict the creep life of the flat samples with film cooling holes at different slant angles. The predicted life were in good agreement with the test results.

Towards Material Digitization with a Dual-scale Optical System

Existing devices for measuring material appearance in spatially-varying samples are limited to a single scale, either micro or mesoscopic. This is a practical limitation when the material has a complex multi-scale structure. In this paper, we present a system and methods to digitize materials at two scales, designed to include high-resolution data in spatially-varying representations at larger scales. We design and build a hemispherical light dome able to digitize flat material samples up to 11x11cm. We estimate geometric properties, anisotropic reflectance and transmittance at the microscopic level using polarized directional lighting with a single orthogonal camera. Then, we propagate this structured information to the mesoscale, using a neural network trained with the data acquired by the device and image-to-image translation methods. To maximize the compatibility of our digitization, we leverage standard BSDF models commonly adopted in the industry. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate the precision of our device and the quality of our digitization process using a set of challenging real-world material samples and validation scenes. Further, we demonstrate the optical resolution and potential of our device for acquiring more complex material representations by capturing microscopic attributes which affect the global appearance: we characterize the properties of textile materials such as the yarn twist or the shape of individual fly-out fibers. We also release the SEDDIDOME dataset of materials, including raw data captured by the machine and optimized parameteres.

Poly‐SiOx Passivating Contacts with Plasma‐Assisted N2O Oxidation of Silicon (PANO‐SiOx)

Passivating contacts are crucial for realizing high‐performance crystalline silicon solar cells. Herein, contact formation by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) followed by an annealing step is focused on. Poly‐SiOx passivating contacts by combining plasma‐assisted N2O‐based oxidation of silicon (PANO‐SiOx) with a thin film of phosphorus (n+) or boron (p+)‐doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a‐SiOx:H) are manufactured. Postannealing is conducted for transitioning a‐SiOx:H into poly‐SiOx. The aim is to achieve a contact with low absorption and high‐quality passivation. It is demonstrated that by tuning the plasma oxidation process time and power, the PANO‐SiOx thickness and its passivation quality can be controlled. A higher SiO2 content is observed in PANO‐SiOx than in the nitric acid oxidation of silicon (NAOS‐SiOx) counterpart. PANO‐SiOx acts as a stronger diffusion barrier for both boron and phosphorus atoms compared to NAOS‐SiOx, affecting the dopant distribution during annealing. Implied open‐circuit voltages up to 751 and 710 mV for n+ and p+ flat symmetric samples, respectively, are demonstrated. With respect to standard thermally grown SiO2 tunneling oxide combined with (in/ex )situ‐doped low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition poly‐Si, this study presents a simple alternative for manufacturing passivating contact fully based on PECVD processes.

Enhancing corrosion resistance of anodized AA7075 alloys by electrodeposition of superhydrophobic coatings

Electrodeposition of superhydrophobic coatings was carried out on anodized AA7075 alloy to further enhance its corrosion resistance. Several compositions of electrodeposition bath were studied to find the most suitable one to obtain superhydrophobic coating. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy proved the deposition of coatings with different characteristics depending on electrodeposition bath composition. Highest contact angle value (∼ 160°) and highest corrosion resistance were obtained for the Mn-containing coating, proving also high stability after 21 days of immersion in an aqueous solution mimicking seawater. Experiments on flat pellet samples were carried out to split the effect due to the material composition with respect to that due to the coating morphological features, estimating the vacuum fraction of the superhydrophobic coatings according to the Cassie Baxter model.

Improving the Mechanical Properties of Orthodontic Occlusal Splints Using Nanoparticles: Silver and Zinc Oxide.

The goal of the current study was to determine the mechanical proprieties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and the improved compound, the graphene-based PMMA, with Zn and Ag and to compare the results. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the samples before and after the mechanical test was conducted. The compression behavior, flexural properties, tensile strength, and shape of the samples were all investigated and compared between the variants of PMMA. Commercially available polymethylmethacrylate was used (Orthocryl®-Dentaurum, Ispringen, Germany) with the salt and pepper technique according to the manufacturer's instructions to produce 20 samples for each mechanical trial with standard cylinders (4 mm diameter × 8 mm length) for compression, parallelepipedal prisms for flexing (2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm) and flat samples for traction. There was no statistical difference in the mechanical proprieties of the samples evaluated, although there were values that could suggest significance. The graphene-based PMMA demonstrated good mechanical proprieties, like the commercially available PMMA, and appears promising for future clinical use based on its multiple advantages.

A method for studying the frequency stability of materials during tests for multi-cycle fatigue of steel

For trouble-free operation without loss of elastic and inelastic properties of particularly critical elements of electrical-to-mechanical vibration converters during a long period of cyclic operation, it is necessary, in addition to studying the fatigue characteristics of materials used for their manufacture, to study these alloys for frequency stability, since minor deviations in the frequency of natural oscillations lead to unacceptable errors in the operation of such high-precision products. To carry out such studies, we developed and constructed an original installation, in which sinusoidal loading is carried out according to the “soft” scheme of flat samples cantilever bending operating in self-oscillation mode. The frequency of cyclic loading in this installation is generated by current pulses, which are a response to the frequency of the test sample natural oscillations converted using electronics. As a result, frequency equality is achieved in the test process. An algorithm for calculating stresses depending on the loading amplitude of steel samples of different geometric shapes was developed. It is shown that the stress on the sample calculated by the deformation amplitude in all cases is 8 – 10 % higher than the stress calculated by the force, regardless of the shape of the proposed samples. To verify the proposed research method, martensitic-aging steel was tested at loads close to the fatigue limit, since frequency stability in this range is of great interest. We obtained the frequency characteristics in the multi-cycle test area. It was determined that with an operating time of 50 million loading cycles, the frequency change was 0.75 Hz. The dynamics of frequency stability was revealed: the frequency changed most intensively during the first 10 million loading cycles, during this time the frequency changed by 0.54 Hz.

Under bending optical assessment of flexible glass based multilayer structures fabricated on polymeric substrates

We present the results of the spectral transmittance and reflectance of a SiO2/TiO2 1D photonic crystal deposited by Radio Frequency sputtering on a flexible polymeric substrate, which shows a blue-shift in its transmittance stopband proportional to the incidence angle when bent. An adjustable sample holder was designed to regulate the bending and keep the sample in a bent condition. Different angles of incidence were also achieved through variable angle reflectance, where an increase in incidence angle led to the blue-shift and narrowing of the transmittance stopband. We addressed the sample's resistance against bending wear and tear by comparing the transmittance spectra acquired for the flat sample before and after the measurements made in bent configurations. An important stability has been observed.

Highly Responsive Near-Infrared Si/Sb2Se3 Photodetector via Surface Engineering of Silicon.

The development of imaging technology and optical communication demands a photodetector with high responsiveness. As demonstrated by microfabrication and nanofabrication technology advancements, recent progress in plasmonic sensor technologies can address this need. However, these photodetectors have low optical absorption and ineffective charge carrier transport efficiency. Sb2Se3 is light-sensitive material with a high absorption coefficient, making it suitable for photodetector applications. We developed an efficient, scalable, low-cost near-infrared (NIR) photodetector based on a nanostructured Sb2Se3 film deposited on p-type micropyramidal Si (made via the wet chemical etching process), working on photoconductive phenomena. Our results proved that, at the optimized thickness of the Sb2Se3 layer, the proposed Si micropyramidal substrate enhanced the responsivity nearly two times, compared with that of the Sb2Se3 deposited on a flat Si reference sample and a glass/Sb2Se3 sample at 1064 nm (power density = 15 mW/cm2). More interestingly, the micropyramidal silicon-based device worked at 0 V bias, paving a path for self-bias devices. The highest specific detectivity of 2.25 × 1015 Jones was achieved at 15 mW/cm2 power density at a bias voltage of 0.5 V. It is demonstrated that the enhanced responsivity was closely linked with field enhancement due to the Kretschmann configuration of Si pyramids, which acts as hot spots for Si/Sb2Se3 junction. A high responsivity of 47.8 A W-1 proved it suitable for scalable and cost-effective plasmonic-based NIR photodetectors.

INVESTIGATION OF FRACTURE MECHANISMS OF 09G2S STEEL ACOUSTIC EMISSION METHOD

The destruction mechanism during static stretching of flat samples of structural steel 09G2S in a defect-free state and with an artificial defect in the form of a fatigue crack are studied using the method of acoustic emission and fractographic analysis of surface violations.

Experimentally validated phase-field model to design the wettability of micro-structured surfaces

Surfaces with tailored wettability have attracted considerable attention because of their wide range of potential applications. Wettability can be finely designed by controlling the chemistry and/or morphology of a surface. However, the commonly adopted analytical theories of Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter cannot describe a variety of intermediate and metastable states, being a thorough understanding of the combined chemical and morphological effect on surface wettability still lacking. Hence, the design and optimization of these surfaces is generally expensive and time-consuming. In this work, we propose a numerical method based on the phase-field model to predict the wettability of micro-structured surfaces and assist their design. First, we simulated the sessile droplet experiment on flat surfaces to calibrate model parameters. Second, we modelled several surface morphologies, intrinsic contact angles and droplet impact velocities. Finally, we produced and tested 3D printed flat and micro-structured samples to validate the phase-field model, obtaining a reasonable qualitative and quantitative agreement between numerical and experimental results. The validated model proposed here can help design and prototype surfaces with tailored wettability. Furthermore, integrated with atomistic/mesoscopic simulations, it represents the last step of a predictive multi-scale model, where both chemical and morphological features of surfaces can be designed a priori.

The penguin feather as inspiration for anti-icing surfaces

Understanding how to influence ice adhesion to structures and prevent icing catastrophes is a paramount research question. Conventional industrial anti-icing methods are active, requiring an energy source. However, active strategies are energy intensive. Passive anti-icing surfaces have thus become an area of engineering interest. Such strategies, like low surface energy chemical coatings, produce highly anti-icing surfaces on a lab-scale but they have not succeeded in industrial applications. They lack efficacy over repeated icing/de-icing cycles and their materials are unsuited for harsh environments. The body feather of the sub-Antarctic Gento penguin Pygoscelis papua, which ornithologists note is perpetually free of ice despite its freezing environment, serves as a compelling source of passive anti-icing biomimetic inspiration which may overcome these aforementioned deficiencies. Through studying these feathers, it has become clear that two aspects of anti-icing (water-shedding and ice-shedding) are addressed in distinct ways by the Gentoo penguin. The water-shedding functionality of the feathers is derived from an air cushion created by the wire-like microstructure of the feather and is augmented by nano-scale grooves in the feather coated in preen oil. The preen oil is necessary to maintain water-shedding functionality, however once removed the ice-shedding functionality of the feathers is maintained. The ice-shedding functionality appears to be derived from wire-like morphology of the penguin body feather barbs and barbules which induce cracks that are easily opened at the ice-feather interface. Such a design strategy shows promise in addressing the common failings of passive systems. These anti-icing strategies were then tested on metallic biomimetic substrates. The barb structure of the penguin body feather was mimicked using ultra-fine woven stainless-steel wire cloth. Some stainless-steel wire cloths were laser machined to mimic the texturing and surface chemistry of the feathers. These cloths were indeed hydrophobic like the feathers. Both stainless-steel wire cloths had significantly reduced ice adhesion strengths compared to those of the flat monolithic stainless-steel sample. The laser-machined wire cloth had an ice adhesion strength of 63 ± 10 kPa compared to 603 ± 236 kPa for the flat sample. This both indicates that the ice-shedding capabilities of the sample are imparted by the structure and further strengthens the argument that water-shedding and ice-shedding are distinct phenomena that need to be addressed with two separate design strategies.

Bottom-up self-assembly of macroporous ZnO nanostructures for photovoltaic applications

The present study utilized a template-assisted electrodeposition route for the bottom-up epitaxial growth of macroporous zinc oxide nanostructures. To this end, the ZnO seed layer was coated on the p-type silicon substrates using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique to form a p-n heterojunction. Then, polymer microspheres were implanted on ZnO/Si substrates to act as a template. Subsequently, ZnO nanostructures were electrodeposited through the interstitial spaces between the microspheres. After the deposition, the microspheres were removed by dissolving in chloroform solvent, forming a porous structure. The planar and cross-sectional electron microscopy analyses exhibited a uniform macroporous morphology with an average pore diameter of ∼1 μm. The pores were homogeneously distributed on the surface of the electrodeposited ZnO layer. The advantage of this technique over the top-down approaches, such as electrochemical etching, is that the porosity and size of pores can be easily adjusted by varying the concentration and diameter of microsphere templates. The optical investigations revealed enhancement in photon absorption and photoluminescence (PL) intensity due to multiple light scattering in the pore walls of the deposited ZnO nanostructures. For the templated sample, a PL blue shift was observed due to the reduction in crystallite size of ZnO nanostructures. A heterojunction thin film solar cell was designed by the metallization of ZnO/p-Si samples to study the power conversion capability of macroporous ZnO nanostructures. The photovoltaic performance of the developed devices was evaluated under a solar light simulator. The device based on the templated sample showed increased shunt resistance and reduced series resistance compared to the flat sample. The optoelectrical results indicated an efficiency improvement for the fabricated solar cells based on the macroporous ZnO sample due to its higher exposed area and increased rate of electron-hole generation.

Wear performance of Ti-6Al-4 V titanium alloy through nano-doped lubricants

Titanium and its alloys are widely utilized in the biomedical sector, they still exhibit poor tribological properties and low wear resistance when employed against even weaker substances. The poor hardness, instability, high coefficient of friction, low load-carrying capacity, and insufficient resistance to not only abrasive but also adhesive wear are further disadvantages of titanium alloys. The focus of this investigation is on the tribological performance of Ti-6Al-4 V alloy in contact with WC carbide abrasive balls when subjected to nanodoped cooling and lubrication conditions. Tribological experiments were executed on Ti-6Al-4 V flat samples using a ball-on-flat tribometer in dry hybrid graphene/boron nitride combination nanoparticles (MQL, nano-3), nanographene with MQL (nano-1), and boron nitride with MQL (nano-2) conditions. After that, the most significant tribological characteristics were investigated, including volume loss, friction coefficient, wear rate, and micrographic structures. The outcomes also demonstrated that the hybrid nanoparticle situation experienced the least amount of volume loss.

Study of a flat-surface, high-pressure, pool boiling test instrument

A study has been conducted of a newly developed high-pressure instrument, capable of pool boiling testing on multiple flat surfaces without instrumentation of each sample tested. The instrument has a unique design for testing flat samples with instrumentation only in the instrument and a data reduction procedure appropriate for the design. The validity of the instrument design and data reduction procedure was verified through boiling water heat transfer testing on a flat stainless-steel surface at atmospheric and 0.69-MPa pressures. The boiling heat transfer results obtained were shown to be in reasonable agreement with predicted values from correlations in the engineering literature. This test instrument is especially useful for evaluating the performance of newly engineered surfaces, such as textured and coated surfaces, compared to that of the base surface, where experimental testing on the base and engineered surfaces under the same operation conditions is required, and instrumentation of the surfaces would be detrimental to them.

ПРИСПОСОБЛЕНИЯ ДЛЯ ЦИКЛИЧЕСКИХ ИСПЫТАНИЙ ОБРАЗЦОВ

Adaptations of various designs for testing flat samples under cyclic loads are considered

Analisis Daya Serap Suara Material Berbasis Polyester Staple Fibre Untuk Karpet Lantai Kendaraan

This research studies about the ability of the acoustic properties or absorption of the vehicle floor carpet material which consists of several forming components, with an experimental method using the tube impedance method. The components of this car floor carpet material consist of a skin section which includes a surface made of polyester staple fiber plastic fiber, binders made of latex SBR material, backing made of Polyethylene (PE) powder and the under layer made of Polyester Fiber material (PET) Silencer. The carpet material for the vehicle floor was made into three samples to determine the average of sound absorption coefficient. The sound absorption coefficient was obtained from testing the flat test sample using the ASTM E1050-98 tube impedance method. The use of Polyethylene (PE) powder as a backing for floor mats has a sound absorption coefficient with a rating of B (above 0.8) at a frequency of 3,000 Hz. While the sound absorption coefficient reaches the highest point of 0.99 at a frequency of 3,000 Hz. This is because the backing with Polyethylene (PE) powder material has porous holes. The micro surface is used as a layer of air space so that it can effectively reduce and increase the absorption of sound that occurs inside the vehicle when driving. The sound absorption coefficient of vehicle floor carpet increases significantly at low frequencies and slightly decreases at high frequencies

Force-Based Characterization of the Wetting Properties of LDPE Surfaces Treated with CF4 and H2 Plasmas.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films are widely used in packaging, insulation and many other commodity applications due to their excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, the water-wetting and water-repellant properties of these films are insufficient for certain applications. In this study, bare LDPE and textured LDPE (T-LDPE) films were subjected to low-pressure plasmas, such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) and hydrogen (H2), to see the effect of plasma treatment on the wetting properties of LDPE films. In addition, the surface of the LDPE film was textured to improve the hydrophobicity through the lotus effect. The LDPE and T-LDPE films had contact angle (θ) values of 98.6° ± 0.6 and 143.6° ± 1.0, respectively. After CF4 plasma treatments, the θ values of the surfaces increased for both surfaces, albeit within the standard deviation for the T-LDPE film. On the other hand, the contact angle values after H2 plasma treatment decreased for both surfaces. The surface energy measurements supported the changes in the contact angle values: exposure to H2 plasma decreased the contact angle, while exposure to CF4 plasma increased the contact angle. Kinetic friction force measurements of water drops on LDPE and T-LDPE films showed a decrease in friction after the CF4 plasma treatment, consistent with the contact angle and surface energy measurements. Notably, the kinetic friction force measurements proved to be more sensitive compared to the contact angle measurements in differentiating the wetting properties of the T-LDPE versus 3× CF4-plasma-treated LDPE films. Based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images of the flat LDPE samples, the 3× CF4 plasma treatment did not significantly change the surface morphology or roughness. However, in the case of the T-LDPE samples, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed noticeable morphological changes, which were more significant at sharp edges of the surface structures.

Automated optimization of spatial resolution for single-sided NMR.

Single-sided NMR instruments utilize inhomogeneous magnetic fields with strong gradients to nondestructively probe physical properties of materials. The sensitive region of this type of magnet is often a thin slice above the magnet's surface; measuring planar samples with high spatial resolution requires coplanarity between the sensitive region of the magnet and the sample region of interest. We developed an algorithmic approach to position flat samples coplanar with the magnet's sensitive region. The efficient and objective positioning process utilizes an adjustable stage that offers control over three degrees of freedom, and the optimal position for each sample is found with a quadtree algorithm. We show this algorithm is effective for positioning samples with various relaxation behaviors. We report resolution values that describe position optimization, acquisition constraints, and final spatial resolution for each sample. Measurements after optimized positioning had appropriate spatial resolution to distinguish physical regions of layered samples with different physical properties, namely, relaxation behavior. Our algorithmic positioning process can be implemented for planar samples in research and industrial settings to enhance spatial resolution of single-sided NMR measurements.

Titanium alloy fatigue strength and eigenfrequency stability

We conducted a study on fatigue in flat samples of the VT3-1 titanium alloy using “soft” cyclic beam bending tests. For this purpose, we developed an innovative electromagnetic test bench. The test bench's electromechanical system induces mechanical vibrations at a frequency that matches the eigenfrequency of the sample, ensuring that the cyclic load frequency remains constant. The electromagnetic force bends the sample while the elastic force unbends it, producing a quasi-sinusoidal cyclic load. Through our investigation, we determined the impact of this cyclic loading on both cyclic strength and durability. Our findings indicate that the VT3-1 titanium alloy possesses high resistance to fatigue and an endurance limit. Furthermore, we observed a low variability of the experimental fatigue resistance in relation to the approximating fatigue curve, suggesting the alloy has high structural stability. This finding indicates that the VT3-1 titanium alloy possesses high structural stability. To assess eigenfrequency stability, we subjected the alloy samples to cyclic tests, interrupting them at a reference number of 50 million cycles to evaluate changes in eigenfrequencies and stability under loads close to the fatigue limit. The results showed that the titanium alloy has a high level of eigenfrequency stability. Interruptions in cyclic tests resulted in jump-like increases in eigenfrequencies, which was not observed in continuous tests. Nevertheless, the total eigenfrequency deviations from the initial value at the end of the tests were similar in both cases

Analysis of Space Charge Signal Spatial Resolution Determined with PEA Method in Flat Samples including Attenuation Effects

The constant development of the electrical engineering sector, especially in the transmission of electrical energy under high-voltage direct current (HVDC), requires research on new insulation materials and investigations of physical phenomena under ultrahigh electrical fields in solid dielectrics. One of the current problematic issues is the formation of space charge in HV insulation systems, which affects the operational electrical field distribution and can lead to faster insulation degradation. There are several problems that have to be considered before every space charge measurement, such as the attenuation and dispersion of sound waves in tested dielectric materials, reflections at the interfaces, and the spatial resolution of the measured charge profile. The spatial resolution is one of the most important technical factors of the PEA measurement stand. The spatial resolution, as it is assumed, depends on several factors, such as the width of the pulser and the pulse rise time, the thickness of the piezoelectric sensor, and the dispersion of the tested material. The article presents the laboratory measurement results of the impact of pulser parameters, such as pulse width and rise time, and sensor thickness on the equivalent thickness of the measured net charge layer corresponding to the resolution of the method. The dispersion in the tested LDPE material is also presented and analysed. The results show that with an increase in the pulser rise time, a higher resolution of the pea method can be achieved.