Concrete, due to its low cost, durability and fire resistance, is one of the world’s most widely used construction materials. Concrete is typically reinforced with steel bars and welded wire mesh. Since the cost of steel is increasing and steel corrosion is a significant contributor to structural failure, it is advantageous to find an alternative replacement reinforcement material which can not only replace the steel, but also resist corrosion. Over the past few decades, polymeric fibres have been used as concrete reinforcement. The chemical bond between the polymeric fibre and the cementitious matrix is an important factor in the fibre’s performance as a concrete reinforcement. Despite the great importance of the chemical bonding at the polymeric fibre/concrete interface, the chemical bonding at the interface is not well understood. To investigate the chemical interactions between polymeric materials and concrete, model systems of polymeric powder/white cement and polymeric fibre/white cement were chosen, where white cement was chosen for its suitability for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The chemical interactions between poly(ethylenevinyl acetate) (EVA), poly(ether imide) (PEI), and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymeric powders were studied via 13C NMR spectroscopy. It was found that EVA admixture undergoes hydrolysis in a cementitious matrix and follows a pseudo-second order kinetics model up to 32 days of cement hydration. PEI was also found to undergo hydrolysis at the imide functional group in a cementitious matrix. PVDF powder undergoes dehydrofluorination in the cementitious environment, producing a brown coloured polymer which is a result of conjugation of the polymer backbone. The interfacial transition zone between fluoropolymeric powder/white cement and steel and polymeric fibres (high density polyethylene/polypropylene, poly(vinyl alcohol), PEI, PVDF, and Nylon 6.6) was studied at short range using 19F, 27Al, and 43Ca NMR spectroscopy and at long range using the scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy method. It was concluded that the chemistry of polymeric fibres themselves can alter the surrounding interfacial transition zone such that the calcium silicate hydrate favours a tobermorite or jennite-like structure, which could contribute to a strong or weak interface.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The effect of friction-stir processing (FSP) on the microstructure of a cast nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB) material has been characterized by various micro-analytical methods including orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). Cast NAB is widely utilized in the production of propellers for the surface ships and submarines of the U.S. Navy due to excellent corrosion-resistance. New applications require improved mechanical properties that may be attainable using FSP to achieve localized microstructure modification. Friction between a rotating tool and the surface of the material results in a *stirring* action that, in turn, produces adiabatic heating and local softening of the material. The tool rotation results in very large shear deformations in the softened regions and thus microstructure refinement and homogenization; in effect FSP may convert an as-cast microstructure to a wrought condition in the absence of macroscopic shape change. In as-cast material, results of optical and scanning electron microscopy (using energy dispersive analysis) show an ` (FCC) matrix containing globular and particulate dispersions that correspond to the *I, *II and *IV second phases; these represent various morphologies of the Fe3Al intermetallic compound, which has a D03 structure. Also present are lamellar particles of *III, which is NiAl and has a B2 structure. The grain size in the ` matrix is ~ 1 mm. In OIM, the microtexture and microstructure in the ` (FCC) matrix may be readily obtained and analyzed. However, interatom distances in the Fe3Al and NiAl phases differ by only about one percent and so these phases are not distinguishable from one another during OIM. Altogether, microstructure and microtexture analysis showed that there are several regions in the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) of a material subjected to FSP. From base material inward toward the TMAZ, these include: annealing effects in undeformed base material; a region just inside the TMAZ in which grain deformation and C-type shear deformation textures are observed; regions of highly refined and recrystallized grains further inside the TMAZ, wherein the grain size is < 5æm; and, finally, regions of elongated, banded and twinned grain structures that suggest grain growth following recrystalliztion. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

This master thesis studies the behaviour of two aluminium alloys in ultrasonic cleaning at two different intensities, as well as the effect of a cleaning solution, Formula 815 GD-NF on the same surface have been studied with respect to surface roughness and material composition. Methods like Light Optical Microscopy (LOM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and 3D topography using white light interferometry (VSI) was used to study the surface and material composition. It was found that both the ultrasonic cleaning, as well as the solution itself both increase surface roughness of the samples. When crossing a threshold in ultrasonic intensity micro jet cavitation dislodge precipitates, or areas weakened by precipitate to form a large pit. And the following heat from the jet causes the surface to oxidise, becoming more brittle, and be broken up by other cavitation phenomena to cause rapid acceleration of surface roughness in an area originating from the pit.

To design high pressure fuel system components that resist wear and scuffing failure when operated in low viscosity fuels, a comprehensive study on the tribological performance of various existing coating materials is necessary. This thesis aims to provide the relative performance of a variety of coating materials across different fuel environments by testing them in conditions that model those experienced in fuel pumps. The relative performance of these coatings are then indexed across a variety of material properties, including hardness, elastic modulus, wettability, and the interaction between the surface and the various types of fuel molecules.

Environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) phenomena affect the in-service behaviour of austenitic stainless steels in nuclear power plants. EAC includes such degradation phenomena as Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) and Corrosion Fatigue (CF). Factors affecting EAC include the material type, microstructure, environment, and stress. This is an important degradation issue for both current and Gen III+ light water reactors, particularly as nuclear power plant lifetimes are extended ( > 60 years). Thus, it is important to understand the behaviour of the alloys used in light water reactors, and phenomena such as SCC to avoid failures. Although there is no agreement on the mechanism(s) of SCC, the importance of localized electrochemical reactions at the material surface is widely recognised. Considerable research has been performed on SCC and CF crack growth, but the initiation phenomena are not fully understood. In this project, novel in situ analytical TEM techniques have been developed and applied to explore localised reactions in Type 304 austenitic stainless steel. In situ transmission electron microscopy has become an increasingly important and dynamic research area in materials science with the advent of unique microscope platforms and a range of specialized in situ specimen holders. In metals research, the ability to image and perform X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XED) analyses of metals in liquids are particularly important for detailed study of the metal-environment interactions with specific microstructural features. To further facilitate such studies a special hybrid specimen preparation technique involving electropolishing and FIB extraction has been developed in this thesis to enable metal specimens to be examined in the liquid cell TEM specimen holder using both distilled H2O and H2SO4 solutions. Furthermore, a novel electrode configuration has been designed to permit the localized electrochemical measurement of electron-transparent specimens in the TEM. These novel approaches have been benchmarked by extensive ex situ experiments, including both conventional electrochemical measurements and microcell measurements. The results are discussed in terms of validation of in situ test data as well as the role of the electron beam in the experiments. In situ liquid cell TEM experiments have also explored the localized dissolution of MnS inclusions in H2O, and correlated the behaviour with ex situ experiments. Based on the research performed in this thesis, in situ liquid cell and in situ electrochemical cell experiments can be used to study nanoscale reactions pertaining to corrosion and localized dissolution leading to "precursor" events for subsequent EAC phenomena.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 elisondafonsecaesilva.pdf: 5310395 bytes, checksum: c89f2c8b3846fc7ab92440accf66f534 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-26 / Este trabalho estudou a composição química e metalográfica (microestrutura, tamanho de grão, teor de inclusões) de aços inoxidáveis austeníticos, desenvolvidos para aplicações como biomateriais, utilizados na fabricação de implantes ortopédicos, removidos de pacientes afetados por quadro inflamatório, e comparou as superfícies das amostras, através da Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) após ataque eletroquímico. Os resultados da análise química, por Espectrometria de Emissão Ótica e Microanálise por Dispersão de Energia (EDS), mostraram que todos os grupos apresentaram conformidade com as normas ASTM F138-92 e ABNT NBR ISO 5832-9:2008. O tamanho de grão foi determinado por Microscopia Ótica e Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV). As superfícies das amostras foram analisadas por Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), depois de serem submetidos a ensaio de polarização cíclica potenciodinâmica em potencial de 50 mV após a região passiva em meio de solução de Ringer Lactato e solução de NaCl 0,9 mol.L-1na temperatura de 36,5 oC. Essas análises por MEV foram conduzidas nas amostras para identificar o tipo de corrosão apresentada. Concluiu-se que todos os implantes apresentavam tamanho de grão superior ao recomendado pela norma. Constatou-se também a presença de ferrita delta em oito dos doze implantes removidos, que de acordo com a norma ASTM 138-92, não deveria ser percebida microscopicamente com um aumento de 100 vezes. Verificou-se ainda que em meio de NaCl, o aço ISO 5832-9 ao contrário do aço F138, não apresentou nenhuma forma de corrosão localizada. Em solução de Ringer lactato, após ataque por 15 min. no potencial de 1000 mV/ECS foi notada a presença de pites no aço ISO 5832-9. O ensaio de polarização cíclica revelou que um dos aços, identificado como ISO 5832 9 apresentou resistência à corrosão localizada muito superior ao outro identificado como F 138, além de não liberar íons metálicos nas soluções eletrolíticas. Essa propriedade é principalmente atribuída ao aumento da estabilidade do filme passivo, que por sua vez, é favorecida pela presença do nitrogênio em solução sólida intersticial na austenita do aço ISO 5832-9. Os ensaios de polarização revelaram-se úteis para indicar a baixa resistência à corrosão por pites exibida “in-vitro” pelas próteses. As amostras do aço F 138 após serem submetidas ao ensaio eletroquímico em solução de Ringer lactato apresentaram perdas de 63% de níquel e 26% de ferro em relação à composição inicial. Tais elementos foram deslocados eletroquimicamente na forma iônica para a solução de Ringer lactato, onde formaram precipitados sendo, portanto, um forte indicador de que as reações sofridas pelos portadores das próteses foram motivadas por esses íons metálicos, que são posteriormente incorporados no organismo. Pretende-se com os resultados dessa pesquisa propor aos órgãos governamentais reguladores de normas técnicas e de vigilância sanitária, bem como a médicos e hospitais que exijam dos fabricantes de próteses de aços inoxidáveis laudos técnicos que atestem a qualidade dos implantes, onde cada lote de fabricação das peças seja acompanhado por certificados garantindo a composição química e as características metalográficas especificadas pelas norma existentes no Brasil. / This work has studied the chemical and metallographic composition (microstructure, grain size, inclusion rate) of austenitic stainless steels which were developed to be applied as biomaterials, and used in the production of orthopedical implants, removed from patients which had been affected by inflammation; it has also been compared the sample surfaces, by means of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) after electrochemical attack. The results of chemical analysis, performed by optical emission spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) have shown that all samples are in agreement with the ASTM F138-92 e ABNT NBR ISO 5832-9:2008 regulations, whereas the grain size has been determined by optical microscopy and SEM. The surfaces of the samples were analyzed by SEM and EDS techniques; samples were submitted to potentiodynamic cyclic polarization tests in 50 mV potential after the passivation region in Ringer lactate and NaCl 0,9 mol.L-1 solutions at 36,5C; such SEM measurements were done to identify the type of corrosion over the samples. It has been concluded that all implants showed average grain sizes above the recommended by the regulations; also the presence of delta ferrite in eight of the twelve investigated implants has been seen, which according to the ASTM 138-92 regulation this would not been possible even with a 100-fold increase at the optical microscope. It has also been verified that in NaCl medium the ISO 5832-9 steel did not present any kind of localized corrosion, instead of F 138 steel; in Ringer lactate solution, after 15 minutes attack at 1000mV/SCE, has been noted the presence of pits for ISO 5832-9 steel. The cyclic polarization measurements have revealed that one of the investigated steels, named ISO 5832-9, presented a very high resistance to localized corrosion when compared to the F 138 samples, besides they did not release metallic ions to the electrolytic solutions. This characteristic can be mainly attributed to the increasing of the passivation film stability, which is also favored by the presence of nitrogen atoms in the solid solution composing the structure of ISO 5832-9 steel. The pit corrosion tests have shown very useful to indicate the low resistance to pit corrosion, present “in-vitro” in all the studied samples. The EDS mapping analysis of F 138 samples, submitted to electrochemical attack in Ringer lactate medium, have shown a loss of 63% of nickel and 26% of iron, when compared to the initial composition; such metals were electrochemically solubilized to the Ringer lactate solution, where they can probably precipitate from the solution, being a strong indication that the reactions taking place in the patients have been motivated by these metal ions, which can be incorporated by the human body. The obtained results of this work are the basis of a tentative proposition to the governmental organisms which are the responsible for the regulation of the technical specifications for the prosthesis producers, requiring from them technical reports assuring the quality for the implant pieces, i.e., for each manufacturing lot a description or a special certificate containing the chemical composition and the metallographic characteristics specified by the Brazilian laws.

The aim of this work is to describe the influence of temperature on the structure and chemical composition of electrode materials for Li-ion accumulators. Theoretical part of this thesis contains described terminology and general issues of batteries and their division. Every kind of battery is provided with a closer description of a specific battery type. A separate chapter is dedicated to lithium cells, mainly Li-ion batteries. Considering various composition of Li-ion batteries, the next subchapters deeply analyzes the most used cathode (with an emphasis on the LiFePO4, LiMn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3O2) and anode materials (with an emphasis on the Li4Ti5O12). The next chapters describe the used analytical methods: electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy and thermomechanical analysis. The practical part is devoted to the description of the individual experiments and the achieved results.

This master thesis deals with analysis of battery mass using x-ray spectral microanalysis. For the measurement two scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopes were used. Appropriate examples were prepaired by standard method. Then elemental analysis was performed with changing conditions of measurement. Two programs were used for spectrums evaluation and in the end the size of errors was observed for every conditions.

Eighteen elements, including: carbon, oxygen, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, titanium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, strontium, and barium were measured using a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy from deposits. The deposits were collected by burning eight different coals in a 160 kWth, staged, down-fired, swirl-stabilized combustor. Both up-stream and down-stream deposits from an oxidizing region (equivalence ratio 0.86) and reducing region (equivalence ratio 1.15) were collected. Within the deposits, the particle size and morphology were studied. The average particle cross-sectional area from the up-stream deposits ranged from 10 - 75 µm2 and had a standard deviation of 36 - 340 µm2. These up-stream particles were of various shapes: spherical, previously molten particles; irregular particle that had not melted, hollowed spherical shells; and layered or strands of particles. These particles were a mixture of burned and unburned coal being deposited at various stages of burnout and having completed some burnout after deposition. The average particle cross-sectional area from the down-stream deposits ranged 0.9 - 7 µm2 and the standard deviation range of 2.6 - 30 µm2. The shape of the particles on the bottom sleeves are typically spherical indicating melting prior to deposition. Particles contained a distribution of elemental compositions that were not tightly grouped on ternary phase diagrams. This indicated that particles were not single compounds or phases but each particle contained a mixture of multiple compounds. Coals' deposit sulfur was strongly correlated with the calcium and iron content of the ASTM ash analysis. The low rank sub-bituminous and lignite coals that had high calcium content produced high sulfur deposits, particularly in the oxidizing region, down-stream deposits. The high iron bituminous coals, also produced high sulfur deposits, but more so in the reducing region, up-stream deposits. The low calcium and low iron coals produced low sulfur deposits. Mahoning was an exception being high in iron content but remaining low in sulfur content in the deposit. Gatling coal showed numerous deposit particles that contained only iron and sulfur consistent with the high pyrite content of Gatling coal. The average concentration of chlorine was insignificant in all of the deposits with the concentration being less than 100 ppm. Individual particles containing chlorine were found and were associated with potassium, sodium, and iron.

Superaustenitická korozivzdorná ocel typu 22Cr25NiWCoCu určená pro vysokoteplotní aplikace v energetickém průmyslu byla studována za podmínek nízkocyklové únavy při pokojové a zvýšené teplotě. Jednotlivé vzorky byly podrobeny různým zátěžným procedurám, což umožnilo studium materiálové odezvy spolu s mechanismem poškození. Křivky cyklického zpevnění/změkčení, cyklického napětí a Coffin-Mansonovy křivky byly vyhodnoceny. Únavová životnost materiálu byla diskutována s ohledem na uplatňované mechanismy poškození, které se vyvinuly za specifických zátěžných podmínek. Standardní izotermální únavové experimenty byly provedeny při pokojové a zvýšené teplotě. Hysterezní smyčky zaznamenané během cyklického zatěžování byly analyzovány pomocí zobecněné statistické teorie hysterezní smyčky. Pro různé amplitudy napětí byla určena jak distribuce hustoty pravděpodobnosti interních kritických napětí (dále PDF), tak rovněž zjištěn její vývoj během cyklického namáhání. Zjištěné průběhy PDF byly korelovány s vývojem povrchového reliéfu a vnitřního dislokačního uspořádání zdokumentované pro obě teploty pomocí rastrovací elektronové mikroskopie (SEM) vybavené technikou fokusovaného iontového svazku (FIB), která umožnila rovněž efektivní studium nukleace povrchových únavových trhlin. Při cyklickém zatížení při pokojové teplotě byla pozorována lokalizace cyklické plastické deformace do perzistentních skluzových pásů (PSP). V místech, kde tyto PSP vystupují na povrch materiálu byly pozorovány perzistentní skluzové stopy (PSS) tvořené extruzemi a intruzemi. Postupné prohlubování intruzí, zejména na čele nejhlubší intruze, vede k iniciaci únavové trhliny. Odlišný mechanismus tvorby trhlin byl zjištěn při únavové zkoušce při zvýšené teplotě, kde zásadní roli hrál vliv prostředí. Rychlá oxidace hranic zrn a jejich následné popraskání představuje dominantní mechanismus v I. stádiu nukleace trhlin. Aplikace desetiminutové prodlevy v tahové části zátěžného cyklu vedlo k vývoji vnitřního (kavitačního) poškozování. Mechanismy vnitřního poškozování byly studovány na podélných řezech rovnoběžných s napěťovou osou zkušebních vzorků. Trhliny a jejich vztah k hranicím zrn a dvojčat byly studovány pomocí difrakce zpětně odražených elektronů (EBSD). Vliv prodlevy na únavovou životnost byl korelován s vývojem povrchového reliéfu a vnitřního poškození. Vzorky z uvedené oceli byly rovněž podrobeny zkouškám termomechanické únavy (TMF), při nichž se v čase mění jak zátěžná síla tak i teplota. Termomechanické únavové zkoušky v režimu soufázném (in-phase) a protifázném (out-of-phase) byly provedeny jak s prodlevou, tak i bez ní. Ve všech případech bylo pozorováno rychlé cyklické zpevnění bez ohledu na použitou amplitudu deformace, u vzorků testovaných v out-of-phase režimu byla zjištěna tendence k saturaci. Zkoumáním povrchového reliéfu za pomocí technik SEM a FIB byla odhalena přednostní oxidace hranic zrn a následné praskání těchto hranic kolmo k ose zatížení. Prodlevy v cyklech při maximálním napětí vedly ke zvýšení amplitudy plastické deformace a následně ke creepovému poškození ve formě vnitřních kavit a trhlin. Interkrystalické šíření trhlin bylo pozorováno na vzorcích testovaných v režimu in-phase. Vývoj poškození v režimu out-of-phase nebyl principiálně ovlivněn zařazením prodlevy do zátěžného cyklu. Charakteristickým znakem namáhání v režimu out-of-phase je nukleace několika trhlin v homogenní oxidické vrstvě jdoucích napříč zrny kolmo k ose zatěžování.