Much study has been carried out to determine the properties of Lamellar Graphite Iron (LGI) or grey iron and their relations to factors such as the cooling rate, the dendrite morphology, the pouring temperature, and so on. However, there hasn’t been much comprehensive study on the properties of LGI outside the generally used and accepted composition, with 1 to 3% Silicon. The scope of this study is to measure and evaluate the thermal conductivity and tensile strength of LGI, for a higher concentration of  Si and different carbon contents. The concentration of Si aimed for was 4% but the concentration obtained after spectroscopy was between 4.1% to 4.15%. There are two hypereutectic, one near-eutectic and three hypoeutectic samples considered and these six chemical compositions were cast under different cooling conditions . The cooling time has been varied by providing different molds of 30mm, 55mm, and 80mm diameter cylinders respectively, for all the six sample compositions. The microstructure analysis carried out studies the segregation of Si, the graphite morphology, primary austenite morphology. These factors are then compared to the thermal and tensile behavior measured in this study. It can be observed that the thermal conductivity studied in the present work has a direct correlation for a higher Si content and tends to be greater than the thermal conductivity values observed from other studies with lower content Of Si. However, the conductivity shows an inverse relation with the cooling rate and is maximum for the samples with the lowest cooling rate. The tensile strength, on the other hand, seems to have a lower value than that observed in previous studies for LGI with 1 to 3% Si, but shows a direct correlation with the cooling rate. The mean area fraction of dendrites obtained and the mean interdendritic hydraulic diameter is also measured and their influence on the properties are also studied. The addition of more Si has greatly favored the thermal behavior positively but has also reduced the tensile strength.

Steel has played an indispensable role in shaping our contemporary world  and will persist to play that role for the foreseeable future. However, the steel industry currently is responsible for 7% of the global CO2-emissions, primarily due to the conventional carbon-based reduction process of iron ore. Fossil-free steel manufacturing, such as hydrogen direct reduction,  could essentially make the  CO2-emissions from primary steel production obsolete. The product from hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron ore is H-DRI, which subsequently are molten in an EAF to produce crude steel. Due to H-DRI  being   a   novel   product,   its   thermophysical   properties   are   not   well documented,  which  are  essential  when  investigating  the  heating  and dissolution behavior.  When  feeding  H-DRI  to  an  EAF,  ferrobergs  may  form,  which  consist  of unmolten material that interrupts the continuous melting process. It is not established whether the heat transfer of the pellets or the heat transfer to the pellets is the leading cause of ferroberg-formation. Modelling the melting process in an EAF is considered near impossible, therefore a simplified heating model of H-DRI was required. In the present thesis, H-DRI pellets were examined with heating experiments in a lab-scale vertical tube furnace to 1500°C  while  the  surface- and center  temperatures  of  the  pellets were  measured.  The measured  surface  temperatures  were  applied  as  varying boundary  conditions  in COMSOL  Multiphysics  heat transfer simulations of  H-DRI  and H-HBI.  The  thermal conductivity  function  was  utilized  as  an  adjustable  parameter to  fit  the  theoretical center temperatures from the heat transfer simulations with the experimental center temperatures to acquire the temperature dependent effective heat conductivity and thermal diffusivity of H-DRI. By establishing an estimate correlation between the heat conductivity of H-DRI and H-HBI, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of H-HBI could also be obtained. The experiments together with the heat transfer simulations proved to be effective and yielded successful results of the effective heat conductivity and thermal diffusivity of H-DRI  and  H-HBI,  which  can  be  used  in  process  design,  future  models,  and simulations. Furthermore, it is unlikely that ferroberg-formation is caused by slow heat transfer of the H-DRI. It is more likely that it is due to slow heat transfer to the H-DRI. Therefore, the focus should be to increase the heat transfer to the H-DRI pellets while melting in an EAF to avoid ferrobergs. / Stål har haft en oumbärlig roll i att forma vår samtida värld och kommer att fortsätta att inneha  den  rollen  under  en  överskådlig  framtid.  Men  stålindustrin  ansvarar närvarande  för  7%  av  den  totala  globala  CO2-utsläppen,  främst  på  grund  av den konventionella kolbaserade reduktionsprocessen av järnmalm. Fossilfri ståltillverkning, som direktreduktion av järnmalm med vätgas, kan i princip göra CO2-utsläppen   från   primärståltillverkning föråldrat.   Produkten   från   vätgasbaserad direktreduktion  av järnmalm  är  H-DRI,  som  sedan  smälts  i  en  ljusbågsugn  för att producera  råstål. Eftersom  H-DRI  är  en  ny  produkt  så  är  dess  termofysiska egenskaper,  som  är väsentliga  när  man  undersöker  dess  uppvärmnings-  och smältbeteende, inte väl dokumenterat. Vid matning av H-DRI till en ljusbågsugn kan det bildas  ferroberg  som består  av  osmält  material  som  hindrar  den  kontinuerliga smältningsprocessen. Det är inte fastställt om det är värmeöverföringen i pelletsen eller värmeöverföringen  till pelletsen  som  är  den  främsta  orsaken  till  att  ferroberg bildas. Modellering  av  smältprocessen  i  en  ljusbågsugn  anses  nästintill  omöjlig, därför krävdes en förenklad uppvärmningsmodell av H-DRI. I detta examensarbete undersöktes H-DRI-pellets med uppvärmningsexperiment i en vertikal rörugn till 1500°C samtidigt som yt- och centrumtemperaturerna för pelletsen mättes. De uppmätta yttemperaturerna  användes  som  varierande  randvillkor  i  COMSOL Multiphysics värmeöverföringssimuleringar  av  H-DRI  och  H-HBI.  Den  termiska konduktiviteten användes som en justerbar parameter för att anpassa de teoretiska centrumtemperaturerna från värmeöverföringssimuleringarna med de experimentella centrumtemperaturerna  för  att  erhålla  den  temperaturberoende effektiva  termiska konduktiviteten och termiska diffusiviteten för H-DRI. Genom  att   fastställa   en uppskattad korrelation mellan värmeledningsförmågan för H-DRI och H-HBI, kunde även den termiska konduktiviteten och termiska diffusiviteten för H-HBI erhållas. Experimenten  tillsammans  med  värmeöverföringssimuleringarna  visade  sig  vara effektiva och gav framgångsrika resultat av den effektiva termiska konduktiviteten och termiska  diffusiviteten  hos H-DRI och H-HBI,  som  kan  användas  i  processdesign, framtida modeller och simuleringar. Det är osannolikt att ferrobergbildning orsakas av långsam värmeöverföring  i H-DRI, utan det är mer troligt att det beror  på långsam värmeöverföring till H-DRI. Därför bör fokus vara att öka värmeöverföringen till H-DRI pellets i en ljusbågsugn för att undvika ferrobergbildning.

Microstructure and micro-mechanical characterization of as-built and heat-treated samples of Hastelloy X produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process has been carried out in this study. As-built LPBF blocks were solution heat-treated at 1177°C and 1220°C followed by fast cooling. The microstructure of as-built and heat-treated samples were studied by light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction. Instrumented indentation micro Vickers testing was performed to obtain microhardness and elastic modulus of asbuilt and heat-treated samples. Microtensile samples from as-built and heat-treated blocks were prepared and polished for mechanical characterization. Microtensile testing inside the scanning electron microscope was performed to evaluate the mechanical properties and to get information about the microstructural changes during plastic deformation. Microstructure characterization revealed disrupted epitaxial grain growth for the as-built samples whereas the two heated-treated Hastelloy X samples exhibited equiaxed grains with varying twin fractions. As-built Hastelloy X samples exhibited higher mean hardness than heat-treated samples. The yield strength of as-built samples reveals higher values as compared to conventional wrought Hastelloy X samples, whereas lower yield strength and higher elongation were observed for heat-treated samples as compared to as-built samples. Higher elongation and lower yield strength values were observed for the samples solution heat-treated at 1220°C compared to the solution heat-treated at 1177°C. Microstructural evaluation at different plastic strains during in-situ microtensile testing reveals a clear difference in dislocation density for as-built and heat-treated samples.

This thesis focuses on the effect of microstructural variation on the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of ductile iron. To research and determine these effects, two grades of ductile iron, (i) GJS-500-7 and (ii) high silicon GJS-500-14, were cast in a geometry containing several plates with different section thicknesses in order to produce microstructural variation. Microstructural investigations as well as tensile and hardness tests were performed on the casting plates. The results revealed higher ferrite fraction, graphite particle count, and yield strength in the high silicon GJS-500-14 grade compared to the GJS-500-7 grade. To study the relationship between the microstructural variation and tensile behavior on macroscale, tensile stress-strain response was characterized using the Ludwigson equation. The obtained tensile properties were modeled, based on the microstructural characteristics, using multiple linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The models showed that silicon content, graphite particle count, ferrite fraction, and fraction of porosity are the major contributing factors that influence tensile behavior. The models were entered into a casting process simulation software, and the simulated microstructure and tensile properties were validated using the experimental data. This enabled the opportunity to predict tensile properties of cast components with similar microstructural characteristics. To investigate deformation behavior on micro-scale, a method was developed to quantitatively measure strain in the microstructure, utilizing the digital image correlation (DIC) technique together with in-situ tensile testing. In this method, a pit-etching procedure was developed to generate a random speckle pattern, enabling DIC strain measurement to be conducted in the matrix and the area between the graphite particles. The method was validated by benchmarking the measured yield strength with the material’s standard yield strength. The microstructural deformation behavior under tensile loading was characterized. During elastic deformation, strain mapping revealed a heterogeneous strain distribution in the microstructure, as well as shear bands that formed between graphite particles. The crack was initiated at the stress ranges in which a kink occurred in the tensile curve, indicating the dissipation of energy during both plastic deformation and crack initiation. A large amount of strain localization was measured at the onset of the micro-cracks on the strain maps. The micro-cracks were initiated at local strain levels higher than 2%, suggesting a threshold level of strain required for micro-crack initiation. A continuum Finite Element (FE) model containing a physical length scale was developed to predict strain on the microstructure of ductile iron. The material parameters for this model were calculated by optimization, utilizing the Ramberg-Osgood equation. The predicted strain maps were compared to the strain maps measured by DIC, both qualitatively and quantitatively. To a large extent, the strain maps were in agreement, resulting in the validation of the model on micro-scale. In order to perform a micro-scale characterization of dynamic deformation behavior, local strain distribution on the microstructure was studied by performing in-situ cyclic tests using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A novel method, based on the focused ion beam (FIB) milling, was developed to generate a speckle pattern on the microstructure of the ferritic ductile iron (GJS-500-14 grade) to enable quantitative DIC strain measurement to be performed. The results showed that the maximum strain concentration occurred in the vicinity of the micro-cracks, particularly ahead of the micro-crack tip. / Denna avhandling fokuserar på effekten av variationer i mikrostrukturen på mekaniska egenskaper och deformationsbeteende hos segjärn. För att undersöka dessa effekter, två olika sorter av segjärn, (i) GJS-500-7 och (ii) högkisellegerad GJS-500-14, gjutits till plattor av olika tjocklekar för att generera mikrostrukturvariationen. Mikrostrukturundersökning, samt drag- och hårdhetsprov gjordes på de gjutna plattorna. Resultaten visade att en högre ferritfraktion, grafitpartikelantal och sträckgräns i den högkisellegerade GJS-500-14-sorten jämfört med GJS-500-7. För att studera förhållandet mellan mikrostrukturell variation och spännings-töjningsbeteendet på makroskala, modellerades detta med hjälp av Ludwigson-ekvationen. De erhållna spännings-töjningsegenskaperna modellerades baserat på mikrostrukturell karaktäristika genom multipel linjärregression och variansanalys (ANOVA). Modellerna visade att kiselhalt, grafitpartikelantal, ferritfraktion och porfraktion var de viktigaste bidragande faktorerna. Modellerna implementerades i ett simuleringsprogram för gjutningsprocessen. Resultatet från simuleringen validerades med hjälp av experimentella data som inte ingick i underlaget för regressionsanalysen. Detta möjliggjorde att prediktera spännings-töjningsbeteendet och dess variation hos gjutna segjärns komponenter med liknande sammansättning och gjutna tjocklekar som användes i denna studie. För att kunna undersöka deformationsbeteendet på mikroskala utvecklades en metod för kvantitativ mätning av töjning i mikrostrukturen, genom DIC-tekniken (digital image correlation) tillsammans med in-situ dragprovning. I denna metod utvecklades en grop-etsningsprocess för att generera ett slumpvis prickmönster, vilket möjliggjorde DIC-töjningsmätning i matrisen och i området mellan grafitpartiklarna med tillräcklig upplösning. Metoden validerades genom benchmarking av den uppmätta sträckgränsen mot materialets makroskopiska sträckgräns mätt med konventionell dragprovning. Det mikrostrukturella deformationsbeteendet under dragbelastning karakteriserades. Under elastisk deformation avslöjade töjningsmönstret en heterogen töjningsfördelning i mikrostrukturen, och bildandet av skjuvband mellan grafitpartiklar. Sprickbildning initierades vid låg spänning och redan vid de spänningsnivåer som ligger vis ”knät” på dragprovningskurvan, vilket indikerar energidissipering genom både begynnande plastisk deformation och sprickbildning. Den lokala töjningen vis sprickinitiering skedde då den lokala töjningen översteg 2%, vilket indikerar att detta skulle kunna vara en tröskelnivå för den töjning som erfordras för initiering av mikro-sprickor. En kontinuum Finita Element (FE) modell utvecklades för att prediktera töjningen hos ett segjärn och dess fördelning i segjärns mikrostruktur. Materialparametrarna för denna modell optimerades genom att anpassa parametrarna i Ramberg-Osgood ekvationen. De predikterade töjningsfördelningarna jämfördes med de experimentell uppmätta töjningsmönstren uppmätta med DIC, både kvalitativt och kvantitativt. Töjningsmönstren överensstämde i stor utsträckning, vilket resulterade i att modellerna kunde anses vara validerade på mikronivå. För att kunna mäta töjningsmönster under dynamiska förlopp på mikronivå utvecklades en metod för att skapa prickmönster och att utföra in-situ CT provning i ett svepeletronmikroskop (SEM). Prickmönstret skapades genom avverkning med en fokuserad jonstråle (FIB), och provades på det ferritiska segjärnet (GJS-500-14 grad). Resultaten visade att maximal töjningskoncentration fanns i närheten av mikrosprickorna, framförallt framför sprickspetsen.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Festkörperkontinuumsmechanik und Metall- bzw. Kristallplastizität auf verschiedenen Längenskalen. Diesbezüglich besteht die Arbeit aus drei größeren Teilen. Im ersten Teil werden Verformungsvorgänge mit expliziter FEM (Finite-Elemente-Methode) und einem makroskopischen phänomenologischen Modell der Viskoplastizität simuliert. Hierbei wird sich auf das Gleichkanalwinkelpressen (ECAP) eines Metallbarrens und die Stauchung einer sogenannten Crashbox konzentriert. In beiden Fällen gelingt es, die im Experiment bereits beobachtete Lokalisierung der Verformung korrekt wiederzugeben. Da bei den Simulationen die konkrete Mikrostruktur des Materials vernachlässigt wird, werden diese Lokalisierungsphänomene als verformungsinduziert angesehen. Der zweite Teil beschäftigt sich mit der Erweiterung des viskoplastischen Modells, sodass mikroskopische Vorgänge der Gitterdefektstruktur des Materials berücksichtigt werden können. Dazu wird ein Modell des dynamischen Verhaltens von Versetzungspopulationen entwickelt und an das makroskopische viskoplastische Modell gekoppelt. Auf diese Weise können Aspekte der sogenannten Kornfeinung – einem komplexen Strukturbildungsprozess von Versetzungen und anderen Gitterdefekten – erfasst werden. Allerdings kann die für die makroskopischen Eigenschaften entscheidende Bildung von Subkorngrenzen auf diese Weise nicht abgebildet werden. Um dies zu erreichen, wird im dritten Teil der Arbeit eine mesoskopische Theorie der Kristallplastizität mit kontinuierlich verteilten Versetzungen verwendet und weiterentwickelt. Hierbei werden die für eine Subkornbildung wesentlichen Freiheitsgrade hinzugenommen, die Anzahl phänomenologischer Ansätze und zugehöriger Materialparameter aber so klein wie möglich gehalten. Mit dieser Kontinuumsversetzungstheorie (KVT) gelingt es, die Bildung von Subkorngrenzen bei großen plastischen Verformungen eines Kristallits zu verfolgen. Bei den impliziten FEM-Simulationen wird ebenfalls eine Lokalisierung beobachtet, allerdings in Bezug auf die Aktivität der Versetzungen in verschiedenen Gleitebenen. Dementsprechend wird dieses Lokalisierungsphänomen als versetzungsinduziert angesehen. Der Beitrag der vorliegenden Arbeit liegt zum einen in der Aufarbeitung und Gegenüberstellung unterschiedlicher methodischer Herangehensweisen zur Modellierung verformungs- und versetzungsinduzierter Lokalisierungsphänomene. Zum anderen wird eine Analyse und Vereinheitlichung der geometrisch linearen KVT nach Berdichevsky & Le vorgenommen. Wie sich dabei zeigt, verhindern inhärente kinematische Einschränkungen der Theorie die Simulation einer Subkornbildung. Aus diesem Grund wird die konsistente geometrisch nichtlineare KVT von Gurtin aufgegriffen und erweitert. Mit einem daraus abgeleiteten elastisch und plastisch anisotropen Modell der Einkristallviskoplastizität wird der Nachweis erbracht, dass die Subkornbildung damit simuliert werden kann. Darüber hinaus wird eine Aufbereitung und Synthese von Algorithmen zur numerischen Lösung der zugehörigen Feldgleichungen mittels der Methode der finiten Differenzen und der finiten Elemente geliefert. Zudem werden beide Näherungsverfahren in Bezug auf Vor- und Nachteile sowie thermodynamische Konsistenz bei der Anwendung auf Mehrfeldprobleme miteinander verglichen. / The present thesis deals with solid continuum mechanics applied to metal and crystal plasticity on different length scales. In this respect, the work consists of three larger parts. In the first part, deformation processes are simulated with explicit FEM (Finite Element Method) and a macroscopic phenomenological model of viscoplasticity. Here the focus is on the Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) of a metal billet and the compression of a so-called crash box. In both cases it is possible to correctly reproduce the localization of the deformation as already observed in the experiment. Since the concrete microstructure of the material is neglected in the simulations, these localization phenomena are regarded as deformation-induced. The second part deals with the extension of the viscoplastic model so that microscopic processes of the lattice defect structure of the material can be considered. A model of the dynamic behavior of dislocation populations is developed and coupled to the macroscopic viscoplastic model. In this way, aspects of the so-called grain refinement – a complex structure formation process of dislocations and other lattice defects – can be captured. However, the formation of subgrain boundaries, which is decisive for the macroscopic properties, cannot be predicted in this way. To achieve this, a mesoscopic theory of crystal plasticity with continuously distributed dislocations is used and further developed in the third part of the thesis. Here, the degrees of freedom essential for subgrain formation are added, while the number of phenomenological approaches and associated material parameters are kept as small as possible. With this continuum dislocation theory it is possible to follow the formation of subgrain boundaries during large plastic deformations of a crystallite. In the implicit FEM simulations, localization is also observed, but with respect to the dislocation activity in different slip planes. Accordingly, this localization phenomenon is considered dislocation-induced. The contribution of the present work lies on the one hand in the review and comparison of different methodical approaches to the modeling of deformation- and dislocation-induced localization phenomena. On the other hand, an analysis and unification of the geometrically linear continuum dislocation theory according to Berdichevsky & Le is carried out. As it turns out, inherent kinematic limitations of the theory prevent the simulation of subgrain formation. For this reason the consistent geometrically non-linear continuum dislocation theory from Gurtin is adopted and extended. With the derived model of elastically and plastically anisotropic single crystal viscoplasticity it is proven that subgrain formation can be simulated. Moreover, a preparation and synthesis of algorithms for the numerical solution of the associated field equations using the method of finite differences and finite elements is provided. In addition, both approximation methods are compared in terms of advantages and disadvantages as well as thermodynamic consistency when applied to multi-field problems.

The challenges faced in today’s industry require materials capable of working in chemically aggressive environments at elevated temperature, which has fueled the development of oxidation resistant materials. All-Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites (OCMC) are a promising material family due to their inherent chemical stability, moderate mechanical properties, and low weight. However, limited information exists regarding their behavior when in contact with other high-temperature materials such as superalloys. In this work three sets of tribological tests were performed: two at room temperature and one at elevated temperature (650 °C). The tests were performed in a pin-on-disk configuration testing Inconel 718 (IN-718) pins against disks made with an aluminosilicate geopolymeric matrix composite reinforced with alumina fibers (N610/GP). Two different loads were tested (85 and 425 kPa) to characterize the damage on both materials. Results showed that the pins experienced ~ 100 % wear increase when high temperature was involved, while their microstructure was not noticeably affected near the contact surface. After high temperature testing the OCMC exhibited mass losses two orders of magnitude higher than the pins and a sintering effect under its wear track, that led to brittle behavior. The debris generated consists of alumina and suggests a possible crystallization of the originally amorphous matrix which may destabilize the system. The data suggests that while the composite’s matrix is stable, wear will not develop uncontrollably. However, as soon as a critical load/temperature combination is attained the matrix is the first component to fail exposing the reinforcement to damage which drastically deteriorates the integrity of the component.