The global use of energy increases every day and to meet the growing demand, energy sources are constantly being developed to become more efficient and reliable. During the last decade, the global solar photovoltaics (PV) capacity has increased every year and in 2017, solar PV was the global leading power source of renewable energy. However, hazards and risks regarding fire have been connected to the installation and use of solar PV systems. An Italian study showed an increase of fires in solar PV systems following the increase of installed PV systems. A German report estimated that integrated solar PV systems have 20 times higher fire risk than non-integrated systems. The fire risks of solar PV systems are related to their electrical components, the fact that they produce power as long as a light source is shining and the changed fire dynamic of e.g. roofs when systems are installed. To reduce risks and create standards, several countries have legislated and published recommendations of installation and maintenance of solar PV systems. However, the regulations and recommendations vary greatly between countries and a comparison has therefore been performed in this thesis with the purpose of identifying differences. Legislation and other recommendations from four countries as well as European guidelines have been investigated and compared to see how solar PV systems are regulated. The difference between non-integrated and integrated solar PV systems has been examined as well as the fire risks connected to each system. Furthermore, the impact of solar PV systems during a fire rescue operation have been investigated. Finally, computer simulations have been performed to see what temperatures can be expected at the presence of a solar PV system at a façade.  The result shows a great difference in the level of details in the regulations and recommendations. Some countries have more general requirements while others are very specific in distances between PV systems and fire walls etc. The only requirement found in every countries’ regulations or guidelines is of informative signage. The requirements regarding placement of solar PV systems is also similar between the countries. Such requirements can refer to clear pathways between panels for fire fighter access and distances between modules and smoke/heat exhaust ventilation. The regulations and recommendations found are mostly for non-integrated solar PV system wherefore a suggested further work is to investigate the need for specific regulations regarding integrated systems. Another conclusion is that reports regarding integrated systems are rather common but very few experiments have been performed. A commonly mentioned aspect of fire investigations regarding PV systems is the need for professional planning and installation of the systems. Since the development of solar PV systems is highly increasing, investigations have found that low-quality components and installation faults have led to fires.  The computer simulations were performed using the computer code TASEF with a model representing a wall structure of an integrated PV-system. Two different fire scenarios were investigated where the first scenario represented fire exposure on the solar panel and the other scenario fire exposure within the void (created between the PV and insulation of the wall). The design fires used were the ISO 834-curve and a constant temperature of 800 °C.  The temperatures received in the computer simulation did not vary much between different design fires or the simulated fire scenarios. The highest temperatures were measured in the cavity of the model (between the timber studs and the insulation) and reached between 792 and 937 °C after 60 minutes.  The conclusions of this thesis indicate that the legislation of safety regarding solar PV system is not developing as rapidly as the development of the systems themselves. The difference and specific risks regarding non integrated and integrated PV systems also need to be further investigated, as the current state of the literature is largely unexplored. / Den globala energianvändningen ökar varje dag och för att möta den växande efterfrågan utvecklas ständigt energikällor för att bli mer effektiva och pålitliga. Under det senaste decenniet har den globala solenergikapaciteten ökat varje år och 2017 var solenergi den globalt ledande kraftkällan för förnybar energi. Brandrisker har dock visats sig ha en koppling till installation och användning av solceller. En italiensk studie visade en ökning av bränder i solcellsanläggningar samtidigt som det ökade antalet installerade solcellsanläggningar. En tysk rapport uppskattade att integrerade solpaneler har 20 gånger högre brandrisk än icke-integrerade system. Brandriskerna för solcellsanläggningar är relaterade till deras elektriska komponenter, det faktum att de producerar ström så länge som en ljuskälla lyser och den förändrade branddynamiken hos t.ex. tak när solpaneler installeras. För att minska riskerna och skapa standarder har flera länder lagstiftat och publicerat rekommendationer om installation och underhåll av solceller. Reglerna och rekommendationerna varierar dock mycket mellan länder och en jämförelse har därför gjorts i denna avhandling med syftet att identifiera skillnader. Lagstiftning och andra rekommendationer från fyra länder samt europeiska riktlinjer har undersökts och jämförts för att se hur solcellsanläggningar regleras. Skillnaden mellan icke-integrerade och integrerade solpaneler har granskats såväl som brandriskerna för varje system. Dessutom har effekterna av solcellsanläggningar under en räddningstjänstsinsats undersökts. Slutligen har datorsimuleringar genomförts för att se vilka temperaturer som kan förväntas. Resultatet visar en stor skillnad i nivån på detaljer i regler och rekommendationer. Vissa länder har mer allmänna krav medan andra är mycket specifika i t.ex. avstånd mellan solpaneler och brandväggar/brandcellsgränser. Det enda krav som finns i varje lands regelverk eller riktlinjer är krav på informativ skyltning. Kraven på placering av solcellsanläggningar är också relativt lika mellan länderna. Sådana krav kan vara fri passage mellan paneler och avstånd mellan moduler och rök-/värmeutloppsventilation. De föreskrifter och rekommendationer som hittats är mestadels för icke-integrerat PV-system, varför ett föreslaget ytterligare arbete är att undersöka behovet av specifika regler för integrerade system. En annan slutsats är att rapporter om integrerade system är ganska vanliga men att få experiment har utförts. En vanligtvis nämnd aspekt i brandundersökningar avseende PV-system är behovet av professionell planering och installation av systemen. Undersökningar har funnit att komponenter av låg kvalitet och installationsfel har lett till bränder. Datorsimuleringarna utfördes med hjälp av TASEF med en modell motsvarande en väggkonstruktion med en integrerad solpanel.  Två olika brandscenarion undersöktes, ett scenario där modellen utsätts för utvändig brand och ett scenario där branden placerades inuti hålrummet mellan solpanelen och isoleringen. Brandkurvorna som användes var ISO 834-kurvan och en konstant temperatur på 800 °C. Temperaturerna från simuleringarna varierade inte så mycket mellan de olika brandkurvorna eller scenarierna. De högsta temperaturerna mättes i hålrummet i modellen (mellan träreglarna och isoleringen) och nådde mellan 792 och 937 °C efter 60 minuter.   Slutsatserna från denna avhandling indikerar att lagstiftningen om säkerhet beträffande solcellssystem inte utvecklas lika snabbt som utvecklingen av själva systemen. Skillnaden och specifika risker med avseende på icke integrerade och integrerade solcellssystem behöver också undersökas, eftersom det nuvarande läget i litteraturen till stor del är outforskat.

The focus of this thesis was to increase the knowledge in the area of "dynamic friction" during oblique helmet impacts, both experimentally and numerically. Physical experiments have been performed with multiple helmets, different angles of the anvil and different surface materials, with results of impact forces from the anvil and accelerations of the head. By the use of the Coulomb friction model the friction, over time, during the impact of the head and helmet has been calculated. Finite element method has then been used in LS-DYNA to try and replicate the physical results with the goal of creating an accurate friction model. There has been previous work done where the commonly used abrasive paper has been compared to asphalt as ground material in the drop tests. A similar study has been performed in this project which has been compared to the previous work. The results when comparing asphalt to abrasive paper and stainless steel shows that abrasive paper has a higher friction and rotational acceleration of the head compared to asphalt. Stainless steel however displays similar characteristics as asphalt in both friction and accelerations. The load cell used during the experimental testing has been examined carefully since the value of the friction coefficient has differed depending on the angle and the impact location on the anvil. There are still uncertainties surrounding the reliability of the results from the load cell. LS-DYNA has two different ways of modelling friction, one where LS-DYNA uses a modified equation of the Coulomb friction model and another one where the user can insert a table of values on coefficient of friction and relative velocity. Both methods have been used, however the latter method has proven to be more suitable for the kind of tests used in this project. / Fokuset för denna rapport var att öka förståelsen inom området ”dynamisk friktion” under sneda hjälmislag, både experimentellt och numeriskt. Fysiska experiment har genomförts med flertalet hjälmar och olika vinklar samt underlag på städet, med resultat på både krafter från städet samt accelerationer från huvudet. Genom användandet av Coulombs friktionsmodell har friktionen, över tid, under islag med en hjälm beräknats. Finita elementmetoden har använts i LS-DYNA för att försöka efterlikna resultaten från de fysiska experimenten med målet att kunna skapa en friktionsmodell. Det har gjorts liknande arbete tidigare där sandpapper har jämförts mot asfalt som underlagsmaterial i falltesterna. En liknande studie har genomförts i detta projekt vilket har jämförts med den tidigare gjorda studien. Resultaten när asfalt jämförs mot sandpapper och rostfritt stål visar att sandpapper har en högre friktion samt rotations acceleration av huvudet jämfört med asfalt. Rostfritt stål uppvisar dock liknande egenskaper som asfalt när det kommer till både friktion och acceleration. Lastcellen som har använts har undersökts noggrant, då värdet på friktionskoefficienten har förändrats beroende på vinkeln och träffpunkten på städet. Osäkerheter kring trovärdigheten på resultatet från lastcellen kvarstår. LS-DYNA har två olika sätt att modellera friktionen på, antingen så används en modifierad ekvation av Coulombs friktionsmodell eller så skapar användaren en tabell med värden på friktionskoefficienten och den relativa hastigheten. Båda metoderna har använts men det har visat sig att den senare metoden är bättre anpassad för de test som har utförts i detta projekt.

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After mineral exploitation the residual grinded and milled material, rich in sulphide minerals and heavy metals, is often left exposed to the atmospheric variables. This weathered mine waste material can lead to the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) which has negative effects to the environment. The fractionation of stable isotope of metals such as Cu and Fe can be measured using innovative analytical techniques developed recently and could offer a detailed hindsight of the geochemical processes occurring in mine contaminated sites. Tailings profiles from Northern Sweden with high content of Cu and Fe sulphides and in different stages of weathering and/or remediation, along with plant and soil samples from a phytoremediation test site in Ronneburg, Germany were analysed using MC-ICP-MS to measure the isotope ratios of 65Cu/63Cu and 56Fe/54Fe. The analytical method used requires anion exchange chromatography to extract Cu and Fe from a complex matrix prior to the proper isotope ratio measurement. The samples from the tailings profile were useful to interpret the geochemical processes that can lead to a fractionation of Cu and Fe in the field, since redox-driven reactions such as rock oxidation and mineral precipitation are present in such environment. This study shows that precipitation of covellite in a redox-boundary zone in a mine tailings can cause a clear fractionation of Cu (Δ65Curock-covellite= -5.66±0.05‰) and a depletion of the lighter Cu isotope in the oxidised areas of the tailings due to dissolution of the remaining Cu-sulphides. Precipitation of Fe(oxy)hydroxides as a result of the oxidation process of sulphide-bearing rocks can also fractionate Fe, being the precipitated mineral slightly enriched in 56Fe.The influence of soil bacteria and plant uptake in the fractionation of Cu and Fe was investigated in pot and field experiments at the Ronneburg site, where organic amendments were used. The results showed that the plant material was enriched in the lighter Fe isotope compared to the substrate used in the pot and field experiments, in spite of the application of a bacterial consortium. Cu isotope fractionation is more susceptible to the changes in the amendments used, being those bacterial consortium, mychorriza or compost than Fe isotope fractionation. There are differences in the fractionation values in pot and field trials, regardless of the type of organic amendment applied. As an overall view, leaves are enriched in the heavier Cu isotope compared to the soils, regardless of the amendment usedThe application of the results obtained in this work would help not only to offer a view in the cycle of Fe and Cu in the surface environment, and the understanding of the (bio)geochemical processes occurring in sulphide soil surfaces. But also in the way that current remediation techniques of metal contaminated sites could be evaluated, having in mind that simplified systems show a different Cu and Fe fractionation compared to natural systems where more variables are needed to take into account.

En esta tesis se realiza un estudio teórico de la adsorción de especies de arsénico sobre clusters y nanopartículas metálicas de hierro cero-valente (Fe°) e hidroxiladas, como material adsorbente. También se estudia el efecto sobre las propiedades adsortivas que tienen las impurezas de otros metales. Se consideran fenómenos vinculados a procesos superficiales tales como: adsorción, reacción, y el reordenamiento estructural de los átomos luego de las interacciones. Con el objetivo de evaluar los fenómenos a nanoescala, se estudian inicialmente las superficies extendidas de Fe° más estables, (111) y (110), y se identifican las más reactivas, así como diferente tamaño de partículas y la combinación de éstas con tres metales (Cu, Ni y Pd). El estudio se centra en las propiedades electrónicas, geométricas y moleculares, caracterizando el tipo de interacción presente entre los sustratos y los adsorbatos, utilizando herramientas de simulación molecular. Haciendo uso de la Teoría del Funcional de la Densidad (DFT), se puede observar cómo el ácido arsénico (H³AsO4) se reduce espontáneamente en ambas superficies extendidas de hierro, produciendo ácido arsenioso (H³AsO³) y oxidando la superficie del metal. También se evalúa el efecto que tiene la inclusión explícita de grupos hidroxilo y moléculas de agua en la formación de los complejos superficiales, tanto con los ácidos como con sus especies disociadas, con el objeto de simular las propiedades de estas partículas en agua. Para concluir, se analizan clusters bimetálicos de 32 átomos con dopantes superficiales de Cu, Ni y Pd y nanopartículas bimetálicas core-shell de 80 átomos. Hemos encontrado características muy peculiares en estos sistemas debido a que la adición de una segunda especie de metal afecta la densidad electrónica y, por lo tanto, los fenómenos de adsorción/desorción. Palabras claves: Hierro cero-valente, Fe (110) y Fe (111), transferencia de carga, DFT, H³AsO³, nanopartículas bimetálicas. / The study of the As species adsorption on zerovalent iron (Fe°) and hydroxylate particles of different sizes is carried out from theoretical simulations. The effect on the adsorptive properties of metal impurities (Cu, Ni and Pd) is also studied. Phenomena linked to surface processes such as adsorption, reaction, and structural rearrangement of atoms after interactions, are considered. In order to evaluate the nanoscale phenomena, the most stable extended Fe° surfaces, (111) and (110), are initially studied, and the most reactive one is identified. Afterwords, different particle sizes and the combination of these with three metals (Cu, Ni and Pd) are analized. This work has been focalized on electronic, geometrical and molecular properties, characterizing the type of interactions between substrates and adsorbates, using molecular simulation tools. Using the Density Functional Theory (DFT), it is observed how arsenic acid (H³AsO4) is spontaneously reduced on both extended iron surfaces, producing arsenious acid (H³AsO³) and oxidizing the metal surface. The effect of the explicit inclusion of hydroxyl groups and water molecules in the surface complexes formation, both with acids and their dissociated species, is also evaluated in order to simulate the properties of these particles in water. Finally, bimetallic clusters of 32 atoms with surface dopants of Cu, Ni and Pd atoms and bimetallic core-shell nanoparticles of 80 atoms are analyzed. Peculiar characteristics are found in these systems due to the addition of a second kind of metal significantly affects the electronic density of the surface and, therefore, the phenomena of adsorption / desorption. Keywords: zerovalent iron (ZVI), Fe (110) y Fe (111), charge transfer, DFT, H³AsO³, bimetallic nanoparticles.

La fusion sélective par laser (Selective Laser Melting, SLM), une des techniques de la fabrication additive (AM), permet la production de pièces en trois dimensions (3D) de formes complexes directement à partir de poudres métalliques. Elle présente de nombreux avantages significatifs par rapport aux méthodes traditionnelles de fabrication mais se heurte encore à une faible disponibilité des matériaux en poudre.Le travail effectué dans cette étude a donc consisté à étudier et à développer un nouveau moyen pour réaliser in situ des pièces en alliages et en composites à partir de mélanges de poudres.Au niveau expérimental le choix s’est porté sur le système Fer-Aluminium et sur un renforcement par des particules de SiC.Les essais ont permis de constater que dans le processus de fabrication de pièces par SLM la puissance du laser et la vitesse de balayage déterminent au premier chef la densité, la microstructure, la composition de phase et les propriétés mécaniques.À partir d’un mélange de poudres, des phases intermétalliques ont été obtenues en contrôlant les paramètres SLM. Un traitement thermique ultérieur influence les paramètres cristallins, le degré d’ordre et les propriétés mécaniques des pièces ainsi formées.Avec l’utilisation de poudres préalliées, un phénomène de texture a été observé prenant la forme de grains allongés/colonnaires orientés dans la direction de construction.Le renforcement de la matrice de fer par des particules de SiC de différentes tailles conduit à une modification structurale avec la formation de produits d’interaction, perlitie et martensite, conduisant à une amélioration de la résistance à la traction par rapport au Fe pur. / Selective laser melting (SLM), as one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, enables the production of three dimensional (3D) complex parts directly from metal powders. It offers many significant advantages compared with traditional manufacturing methods; however it faces a limited availability of powder materials.The work done during this study consisted in investigating and developing a new way of in situ producing alloys and composites from powder mixtures.The iron-aluminum system and reinforcement by SiC particles were considered.Experiments have shown that the laser power and scanning speed primarily determine the density, microstructure, phase composition and mechanical properties in the manufacturing process of SLM parts.Using pre-alloyed powders, a phenomenon of texture was observed in the form of elongated/columnar grains oriented in the building direction.Using powder mixtures, intermetallic phases were obtained by controlling the SLM parameters. A heat treatment influences the crystal parameters, the degree of order and the mechanical properties of the formed parts.The reinforcement of the iron matrix by SiC particles of several sizes leads to a structural change with the formation of interaction products, perlite and martensite, leading to an improvement in tensile strength compared to pure Fe.

The aim of this work was to improve the heat capacity estimation of a material for usage within a CALPHAD-type assessment. An algorithm is derived that estimates the trend of heat capacity with temperature based on zero Kelvin properties and the thermal expansion coefficient at the Debye temperature. The algorithm predicts not only the trend of heat capacity but also the temperature trend of the volume and the bulk modulus, which can be also included in new thermodynamic databases. The algorithm is used to assess thermophysical properties of the intermetallic phases eta (Fe2Al5), epsilon~(Fe5Al8) and tau4 (FeAl3Si2). The heat capacity of the intermetallic phases zeta, eta, theta and epsilon of the Al-Fe system and of tau4 of the Al-Fe-Si system was measured using DSC. For the phases zeta, eta, and theta, a non-linearly increasing heat capacity approaching the melting temperature was observed. In addition, the heat capacity of three bcc-based Al-Fe samples including the B2-->A2 transition were determined. The Al-rich section of the Al-Fe phase diagram was studied using DTA and quenching experiments. The homogeneity ranges of the intermetallic phases were determined using SEM/WDS measurements. Based on own and literature values, a thermodynamic description of the Al-Fe system was assessed including the modelling of A2/B2 ordering and the homogeneity range of all intermetallic phases. In addition, thermodynamic parameters of the Al-Fe-Si, Al-Fe-Mg, and the Fe-Mg-Si system were assessed to obtain a thermodynamic description of the Al-rich side of the Al-Fe-Si-Mg system, which can be used to study phase transitions of typical A356-aluminium alloys.

Magnetostrictive materials belong to an important class of smart magnetic materials which have potential applications as ultrasonic transducers, sensors, actuators, delay lines, energy harvesting devices etc. Although, magnetostrictive property is exhibited by almost all ferro and ferrimagnetic materials, the R-Fe type (R represents rare earth elements) intermetallic compounds display maximum promise owing to the large magnetostriction exhibited by them at ambient temperature. Among the several R-Fe type compounds, Tb-Fe and Sm-Fe alloys are found to exhibit maximum room temperature positive and negative magnetostriction respectively. Recently, Fe-Ga based alloys have gained significant interest as newly emerging magnetostrictive material due to a good combination of magnetic and mechanical properties. These magnetostrictive materials in thin film form are of interests for several researchers both from fundamental and applied perspectives. Currently, many researchers are exploring the possibility of using magnetostrictive thin films in micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS). Three material systems viz. Fe-Ga, Tb-Fe and Sm-Fe in thin film form have been chosen for our investigations. DC magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation techniques were used for deposition of these thin films on Si (100) substrates. Several aspects such as evolution of microstructure, film surface morphology, structure and change in film composition with different processing conditions were investigated in detail, as the existing literature could not provide a clear insight. Further, detailed magnetic characterizations of these films were carried out and established a process-structure-property correlation. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter presents a brief introduction of magnetostrictive phenomena and the physics behind its origin. A brief history of evolution of magnetostrictive materials with superior properties is also brought out. Introduction to the material systems considered for the present study has also been presented. Discussions on various aspects like crystal structures, magnetic properties, and phase diagrams of these material systems are also included in this chapter. Magnetostriction in thin films and its importance in current technological applications are discussed in short. Further, a summary of existing literature on thin films of these materials has been narrated to highlight the perspective of the work done in subsequent chapters. In addition to this, a clear picture of the grey area for further investigations has been provided. Formulation of detailed scope of work for this study is also provided in this chapter. Details of different experimental techniques used in this study for deposition and characterization of these films are given in chapter 2. In the third chapter of the thesis a detailed study on the structural, microstructural and magnetic properties of Fe-Ga films deposited using dc magnetron sputtering technique are presented. The effect of sputtering parameters such as (i) Ar pressure, (ii) sputtering power, (iii) substrate temperature and (iv) deposition time/film thickness on the magnetic properties of the films are discussed in detail. All the films are found to be polycrystalline in nature with A2 type structure as evidenced from grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies. Surface morphology of the films are found to be affected with processing conditions considerably. Thermomagnetic behaviour of the films studied using a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer under zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) conditions are also presented. The sputtering parameters are also found to influence the magnetic properties of the films through modifications in microstructure, surface morphology and film compositions. Irrespective of the sputtering parameters, room temperature (RT) deposited Fe-Ga films are found to exhibit large magnetic coercively and large saturation magnetic field as compared to the bulk alloy of similar compositions which are not desirable for micromagnetic device applications. A significant improvement in the magnetic properties of the films was obtained in the films deposited at higher substrate temperatures and is correlated with modifications in grain size and film surface roughness. These films are also found to exhibit better magnetostriction than the RT deposited films. Further, the magnetic properties of Fe-Ga films as a function of film thickness in the range 2 – 480 nm are also presented. The nature of variation of coercively with film thickness was correlated with grain size effect and explained successfully with the help of random anisotropy model. In the fourth chapter, studies on the microstructural and magnetic properties of Tb-Fe films were presented. It was reported earlier that TbxFe100-x films exhibit in-plane magnetic anisotropy for the films with x > 42 at.% of Tb and out-of-plane anisotropy for the composition 28 < x < 42. Presence of these anisotropies is technologically important for different applications. We have studied the magnetic properties of Tb-Fe films in these two composition range. TbxFe100-x films with 54  x  59 were prepared using dc magnetron sputtering technique under varying Ar pressure and sputtering power and the details about microstructural and magnetic properties are presented in this chapter. All the films are found to be amorphous in nature. While the composition of the film is found to remain constant with sputtering power, the Fe concentration in the film is found to be depleted with increase in Ar pressure. Magnetic properties are found to change from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic behaviour with increase in sputtering power. Curie temperature of the films are found to be low (below RT) and is explained based on sperimagnetic ordering of magnetic sub-lattices. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) or out-of-plane anisotropy behaviour of Tb-Fe films were not studied in detail as a function of film thickness. We have successfully prepared TbxFe100-x films with 29  x  40 using e-beam evaporation technique using alloy target composition of TbFe in order to study the PMA behaviour as a function of film thickness. The thickness of the films was varied from 50 to 800 nm. All the films are found to be amorphous and columnar growth structure with fine channels of voids are observed from the TEM studies. Detailed magnetization and thermomagnetic measurements were carried out using SQUID magnetometer at different temperatures. The out-of-plane magnetic coercivity of the films was found to increase with film thickness and then decreases with further increase in thickness. Maximum coercivity of ~ 20 kOe has been obtained for the 400 nm thick film. Magnetic domain patterns were studied using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) technique and the observed magnetic properties are correlated with domain pattern and microstructures. Although there are several reports on device applications of Sm-Fe thin films which exhibit negative magnetostriction, a comprehensive study on the effect of different process parameters on the magnetic properties and its correlation with structure and microstructure is still elusive. Hence, Sm-Fe films were deposited on Si (100) substrate using dc magnetron sputtering technique under varying Ar pressure and sputtering power. Effect of these parameters on the microstructural and magnetic properties of the films was studied in detail and is presented in chapter 5. The curie temperature of the films was found to increase with increase in sputtering power and Ar pressure. This was attributed to increase in film thickness and size of islands (atomic clusters). Coercivity as low as 30 Oe has been achieved in the film deposited at 15 mTorr Ar pressure. The Curie temperature for the films deposited at higher Ar pressure (10 and 15 mTorr) are found to be above RT. Maximum saturation magnetostriction of ~ - 390 -strains has been achieved in the film deposited at 15 mTorr Ar pressure. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) experiments were also carried out to increase the magnetic ordering in the films deposited at low Ar pressure (5 mTorr) by imparting structural ordering. Large improvement in magnetization and Curie temperature of the film was observed after RTA. However, this could be attributed to the formation of nano-crystalline Fe phase as evidenced from the TEM studies and thermomagnetic measurements. An overall summary of the experimental results has been presented in chapter 6. The scope of work for further study in future has also been highlighted in chapter 7.

La fusion sélective par laser (Selective Laser Melting, SLM), une des techniques de la fabrication additive (AM), permet la production de pièces en trois dimensions (3D) de formes complexes directement à partir de poudres métalliques. Elle présente de nombreux avantages significatifs par rapport aux méthodes traditionnelles de fabrication mais se heurte encore à une faible disponibilité des matériaux en poudre.Le travail effectué dans cette étude a donc consisté à étudier et à développer un nouveau moyen pour réaliser in situ des pièces en alliages et en composites à partir de mélanges de poudres.Au niveau expérimental le choix s'est porté sur le système Fer-Aluminium et sur un renforcement par des particules de SiC.Les essais ont permis de constater que dans le processus de fabrication de pièces par SLM la puissance du laser et la vitesse de balayage déterminent au premier chef la densité, la microstructure, la composition de phase et les propriétés mécaniques.À partir d'un mélange de poudres, des phases intermétalliques ont été obtenues en contrôlant les paramètres SLM. Un traitement thermique ultérieur influence les paramètres cristallins, le degré d'ordre et les propriétés mécaniques des pièces ainsi formées.Avec l'utilisation de poudres préalliées, un phénomène de texture a été observé prenant la forme de grains allongés/colonnaires orientés dans la direction de construction.Le renforcement de la matrice de fer par des particules de SiC de différentes tailles conduit à une modification structurale avec la formation de produits d'interaction, perlitie et martensite, conduisant à une amélioration de la résistance à la traction par rapport au Fe pur.