Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:36:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Sayuri Hattori.pdf: 7042218 bytes, checksum: 0bc43ea853ac897f08d717277994e267 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-10 / IPEN - Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares / The fatigue and toughness resistance are properties that exerts a strong influence on the spring suspension performance in the vehicles. The choice of SAE 9254 steel is due to the wide utilization in the springs fabrication and to have fatigue and toughness properties. The manufacture of SAE 9254 spring steel has been made by hot rolling process and submitted to heat treatment of quenching and tempering by conventional process or by cold process with induction heat treatment. Therefore, it is important to study the performance of this steel in these two processes. This study investigated the effect of the two production process and compared hardness and fatigue mechanical properties. The hardness is compatible with the heat treatment and the microstructure present in each condition. The shot peening induced a compressive residual stress which increased the fatigue life of SAE 9254 steel. The residual stress profile from the surface of springs showed a peak in the values of compressive stress for both manufacturing processes. The maximum residual stress in the cold processed spring was higher than the hot processed spring and maintained much higher values along the thickness of the spring from the surface, resulting from manufacturing processes. The fatigue cracking of the springs, produced by both process without shot peening, started by torsional fatigue process, with typical macroscopic propagation, showing stretch marks with high plastic deformation depending on the request type that accentuates the shear stresses. / A resistência à fadiga e a tenacidade são propriedades que exercem uma grande influência no desempenho das molas de suspensão dos veículos. A escolha do aço SAE 9254 ocorreu devido à sua ampla utilização na fabricação dessas molas e por possuir propriedades de fadiga e tenacidade. A fabricação de molas do aço SAE 9254 tem sido feita pelo processo de enrolamento a quente e submetido a tratamentos térmicos de têmpera e revenimento convencional ou pelo processo a frio e têmpera e revenimento por indução. Portanto, torna-se importante estudar o desempenho desse aço nesses dois processos. Esse trabalho investigou o efeito dos dois processos de produção e comparou as propriedades mecânicas em fadiga e dureza. Os valores de dureza das molas nas diversas condições investigadas estão compatíveis com o tratamento térmico e com a microestrutura presente em cada condição. O jateamento das molas induziu a uma tensão residual compressiva que aumentou consideravelmente a resistência à fadiga do aço SAE 9254. O perfil de tensão residual a partir da superfície das molas jateadas apresentou um pico nos valores de tensão de compressão para ambos os processos de fabricação. A tensão residual máxima na mola processada a frio e jateada foi superior à da mola processada a quente e mantiveram valores bem mais elevados ao longo da espessura da mola a partir da superfície, decorrentes dos processos de fabricação. As trincas por fadiga das molas fabricadas por ambos os processos sem jateamento tiveram seu início pelo processo de fadiga torcional, com propagação macroscópica típica, apresentando sinais de estrias com elevada deformação plástica em função do tipo de solicitação que acentua as tensões de cisalhamento.

Capítulo 1. Objetivos: Medir e comparar o perfil de tensão residual da cerâmica de recobrimento aplicada sobre infraestruturas em zircônia tetragonal policristalina estabilizada por ítria (Y-TZP), em um compósito de alumina/zircônia (ZTA) e em uma alumina policristalina (AL). Material e Métodos: Os perfis de tensão residual de cada um dos materiais foi medido por meio do método \"hole-drilling\" em discos de 19 mm de diâmetro e 2,2 mm de espessura (0,7 mm de infraestrutura + 1,5 mm de porcelana de cobertura) .Resultados: Os espécimes de AL exibiram tensões de compressão que aumentaram numericamente com a profundidade, enquanto que as tensões compressivas mudaram para tensões de tração no interior das amostras de Y-TZP. As amostras de ZTA exibiram tensões de compressão na superfície, decrescendo com a profundidade até 0,6 mm, tornando-se compressivas novamente próximo à infraestrutura. Conclusão: O ZTA não apresentou tensões de tração em nenhum ponto ao longo da espessura da cerâmica de recobrimento. A AL apresentou um perfil de tensão residual mais favorável, gerado pelas tensões compressivas. A Y-TZP apresentou o perfil mais desfavorável, por apresentar tensões de tração próximo à infraestrutura. Capítulo 2. Objetivos: 1) Comparar os coeficientes de susceptibilidade ao crescimento subcrítico (n), de uma zircônia tetragonal policristalina estabilizada por ítria, obtidos por meio de dois ensaios de fadiga: cíclica e dinâmica. 2) Verificar o efeito da frequência usada no ensaio de fadiga cíclica no tempo de vida característico. Material e Métodos: Espécimes em forma de barras (25 mm x 4 mm x 3 mm) foram confeccionadas de acordo com as recomendações do fabricante. Os ensaios de fadiga dinâmica (n=70) e de fadiga cíclica (n=75) foram realizados por meio de resistência à flexão em quatro pontos para a obtenção dos parâmetros de crescimento de trincas subcrítico (SCG). O ensaio de fadiga cíclica também foi realizado em duas frequências (2 e 10 Hz), utilizando valores de tensão máxima entre 350 e 600 MPa. Todos os espécimes fraturados foram inspecionados em microscópio eletrônico de varredura para que fosse identificada a origem da fratura. Os dados de fadiga dinâmica foram analisados por meio das fórmulas apresentadas na ASTM C 1368-00. Os dados de fadiga cíclica foram analisados por meio da estatística de Weibull e por meio de análise tipo \"General Log Linear Model\". Resultados: A Y-TZP apresentou valores dos parâmetros de SCG obtidos no ensaio de fadiga dinâmica de ?fo = 667 MPa e n = 54. Os parâmetros de Weibull obtidos a partir dos resultados do mesmo ensaio foram de m = 7,9, ?0 = 968,9 MPa e ?5% = 767 MPa. Os parâmetros de Weibull obtidos no ensaio de fadiga cíclica foram estatisticamente semelhantes para as duas frequências utilizadas, o m* foi de 0,17 para 2Hz e de 0,21 10Hz; os tempos de vida característicos (?, em número de ciclos) foram de 1,93 x 106 e 40.768, respectivamente para 2 e 10 Hz. O valor de n obtido na fadiga cíclica foi de 48 e 40, nas frequências de 2 e 10 Hz, respectivamente. Não foi observado o efeito da frequência da aplicação da tensão, do nível de tensão, nem da interação dos dois no tempo de vida da Y-TZP, quando analisados pelo General Log Linear Model. Conclusão: Os coeficientes de susceptibilidade ao crescimento subcrítico (n) obtidos por meio de fadiga cíclica e dinâmica foram semelhantes para a Y-TZP testada. Os extensos intervalos de confiança obtidos nos ensaios de fadiga cíclica indicaram não haver efeito da frequência usado nesse método de fadiga nos tempos de vida característicos da Y-TZP testada. / Chapter 1. Objective: was: to measure and compare the residual stress profile in the veneering ceramic layered on three different polycrystalline ceramic frame-work materials: Y-TZP, alumina polycrystalline (AL) and zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA).Materials and Methods. The stress profile was measured with the hole-drilling method in bilayered disk samples of 19 mm diameter with a 0.7 mm thick Y-TZP, AL or ZTA framework and a 1.5 mm thick layer of the corresponding veneering ceramic. Results: The AL samples exhibited increasing compressive stresses with depth, while compressive stresses switching into interior tensile stresses were measured in Y-TZP samples. ZTA samples exhibited compressive stress at the ceramic surface, decreasing with depth up to 0.6 mm from the surface, and then becoming compressive again near the framework. Conclusions: Y-TZP samples exhibited a less favorable stress profile than those of AL and ZTA samples. Chapter 2. Objectives: 1) To compare the stress corrosion coefficient (n) of a Y-TZP, obtained by two fatigue tests: cyclic and dynamic and 2) Evaluate the effect of frequency used in the cyclic fatigue test in the characteristic lifetime. Methods: Bar shaped specimens (4 mm x 25 mm x 3 mm) were prepared according to the manufacturer\'s recommendations. The dynamic fatigue test (n = 70) and cyclic fatigue (n = 75) were performed by four-point bending to obtain the slow crack growth parameters (n) .The cyclic fatigue test was also conducted in two frequencies (2 and 10Hz), using stress levels between 350 and 600 MPa. All fractured specimens were inspected by SEM so that the origin of the fracture were identified. The dynamic fatigue data were analyzed using the formulas given in ASTM C 1368-00. Cyclic fatigue data were analyzed using Weibull statistics and by the Log General Linear Model. Results: The material showed values of parameters obtained in the SCG assay dynamic fatigue ?fo = 667 and n = 54. The Weibull parameters obtained from the same test results were m = 7.9, ?0 = 968, 9 and ?5% = 767. The Weibull parameters obtained by cyclic fatigue were statistically similar for the two frequencies used, the m* was 0.17 (2 Hz) and 0.21 (10 Hz); characteristic lifetimes (?) were 1.93 x 106 and 40768, respectively. The n value obtained by cyclic fatigue was 48 and 40 at frequencies of 2 and 10 Hz, respectively. There was no effect of the frequency, the stress level or the interaction of the two in the Y-TZP lifetime, when analyzed by General Log Linear Model. Conclusion: The n values obtained by cyclic and dynamic fatigue tests were similar to Y-TZP tested. The extensive confidence intervals obtained in cyclic fatigue tests showed no effect of frequency used this method in fatigue characteristic lifetimes of the Y-TZP tested.

O presente trabalho, realizado junto ao Grupo de Novos Materiais e Dispositivos (GNMD), no Laboratório de Microeletrônica do Departamento de Sistemas Eletrônicos da Escola Politécnica da USP, visou determinar algumas das propriedades termo-mecânicas de materiais depositados pela técnica de plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) que são importantes para o desenvolvimento de sistemas microeletromecânicos (MEMS). O módulo de elasticidade, a tensão mecânica residual, o coeficiente de expansão térmica e a condutividade térmica de filmes finos de carbeto de silício amorfo hidrogenado (a-SiC:H) e de oxinitreto de silício (SiOxNy) foram estudados. Medidas de nanoindentação e ressonância de cantilevers foram utilizadas para a obtenção do módulo de elasticidade e os resultados obtidos foram similares (75 e 91 GPa) pelos dois métodos e compatíveis com valores encontrados na literatura. Além disso, obteve-se o módulo de elasticidade de filmes de cromo (285 GPa). A tensão mecânica residual dos filmes utilizados neste trabalho foi medida através da curvatura do substrato induzida pela deposição dos filmes e pela deformação de cantilevers. O valor médio da tensão mecânica, obtido pela curvatura do substrato, variou de -69 MPa até -1750 MPa, mostrando grande dependência das condições de deposição dos filmes. O método que utiliza a deformação de cantilevers possibilitou a obtenção do gradiente de tensão mecânica, que também mostrou uma dependência das condições de deposição, sendo sempre o a-SiC:H quase estequiométrico o menos tensionado. O coeficiente de expansão térmica foi medido utilizando a técnica do gradiente de temperatura e o valor obtido foi similar a valores reportados na literatura para o carbeto de silício cristalino. Para um a-SiC:H quase estequiométrico foi obtido um coeficiente de expansão térmica de 3,41 m/oC, enquanto para um a-SiC:H rico em carbono o valor foi de 4,36 m/oC. Também foi verificado que a variação da resistência do cromo em função da temperatura é pequena, não permitindo sua utilização como sensor de temperatura e inviabilizando a obtenção da condutividade térmica dos filmes estudados. Além disso, foram apresentados trabalhos promissores, mostrando o potencial dos materiais estudados para o desenvolvimento de MEMS. Nesses trabalhos, demonstrou-se a viabilidade de integrar microestruturas atuadas termicamente e guias de onda ópticos, utilizando os materiais estudados neste trabalho. Foram fabricados chaves ópticas, portas lógicas ópticas, fontes de luz integradas e acoplamento das fontes de luz com guias de onda. / This work, realized at the New Materials and Devices Group (GNMD) at the Microelectronics Laboratory of the Department of Electronic Systems of the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, focused at the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of materials deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) that are important for the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The Youngs modulus, the residual stress, the coefficient of thermal expansion and the thermal conductivity of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) and silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) thin films were studied. Nanoindentation and the resonance of cantilevers were used to obtain the Youngs modulus. The results were similar (75 and 91 GPa) with both methods and compatible with literature values. Further, the Youngs modulus of chromium films was also obtained (285 GPa). The residual stress of thin films was obtained through the substrate curvature induced by the film deposition and through the deformation of cantilever beams. The residual stress, obtained through the substrate curvature, varied between -69 MPa and -1750 MPa, showing great dependence on the deposition conditions of these materials. The deformation of cantilevers allowed the determination of the stress gradient and it was also affected by the deposition conditions. In all stress measurements the near stoichiometry a-SiC:H film was less stressed. The coefficient of thermal expansion was measured using the temperature gradient technique and the obtain values were similar to those reported in the literature for crystalline silicon carbide. For a near stoichiometry a-SiC:H film, a value of 3.41 m/oC was obtained, while a carbon rich film showed a thermal expansion coefficient of 4.36 m/oC. It was also verified that the variation of the chromium resistance as a function of temperature is small. This did not allow the utilization of chromium as a temperature sensor, which prevented the obtention of the thermal conductivity of the studied films. Also, some promising works were presented, showing potential applications of the studied materials for the development of MEMS. In these works, the viability of integration of thermal actuated microstructures and optical waveguides was demonstrated. In these works, optical switches, optical logic gates, integrated light sources and coupling of integrated light sources with optical waveguides were presented.

There is a strong industrial driving force to find alternative production technologies in order to make the production of aero engine components of superalloys even more efficient than it is today. Introducing new and nonconventional machining technologies allows taking a giant leap to increase the material removal rate and thereby drastically increase the productivity. However, the end result is to meet the requirements set for today's machined surfaces.The present work has been dedicated to improving the knowledge of how the non-conventional machining methods Abrasive Water Jet Machining, AWJM, Laser Beam Machining, LBM, and Electrical Discharge Machining, EDM, affect the surface integrity. The aim has been to understand how the surface integrity could be altered to an acceptable level. The results of this work have shown that both EDM and AWJM are two possible candidates but EDM is the better alternative; mainly due to the method's ability to machine complex geometries. It has further been shown that both methods require post processing in order to clean the surface and to improve the topography and for the case of EDM ageneration of compressive residual stresses are also needed.Three cold working post processes have been evaluated in order to attain this: shot peening, grit blasting and high pressure water jet cleaning, HPWJC. There sults showed that a combination of two post processes is required in order to reach the specified level of surface integrity in terms of cleaning and generating compressive residual stresses and low surface roughness. The method of high pressure water jet cleaning was the most effective method for removing the EDM wire residuals, and shot peening generated the highest compressive residual stresses as well as improved the surface topography.To summarise: the most promising production flow alternative using nonconventional machining would be EDM followed by post processing using HPWJC and shot peening.

La projection à froid est une technologie en plein essor pour le dépôt de matériaux à l'état solide. Le procédé de dépôt des particules par pulvérisation à froid est simulé par la modélisation de l'impact à haute vitesse de particules sphériques sur un substrat plat dans diverses conditions. Pour la première fois, nous proposons une approche numérique par couplage Euler-Lagrange (CEL) afin de résoudre ce problème à haute vitesse de déformation. Les capacités de l'approche numérique CEL pour la modélisation du processus de dépôt de projection à froid sont évaluées par une étude paramétrique de : la vitesse d'impact, la température initiale des particules, le coefficient de frottement et le choix des matériaux. Les résultats de la simulation à l'aide de l'approche numérique CEL sont en accord avec les résultats expérimentaux publiés dans la littérature. La méthode CEL est généralement plus précise et plus robuste dans des régimes de déformations élevées. Un nouveau modèle d'empilement de type CFC, inspiré de la structure cristalline, est construit afin d'étudier le taux de porosité des particules déposées et les contraintes résiduelles dans le matériau de substrat pour diverses conditions. Nous pouvons observer non seulement la géométrie 3D de porosités, mais aussi leur répartition et leur évolution pendant les impacts successifs. Pour les particules, une vitesse d'impact et une température initiale élevées, sont des avantages pour produire des revêtements denses par projection à froid. Des contraintes résiduelles de compression existent à l'interface entre les particules et le substrat. Ces dernières sont causées par les grandes amplitudes et vitesses de déformation plastique induites par le procédé. Un second modèle moins complexe pour la modélisation de l'impact multiple oblique a été créé afin de simuler l'érosion de surface. Une forte érosion de surface est le résultat : d'une plus grande vitesse d'impact, d'un coefficient de frottement élevé et d'un angle de contact réduite. Pour un matériau ductile comme le cuivre, il y a deux modes de rupture : le mode 1 de traction et le mode 2 de rupture par cisaillement. Le premier survient principalement en dessous de la surface du substrat et à la périphérie de impacts, tandis que le second intervient de manière prédominante à la surface des impacts. On observe quatre étapes lors de la propagation des fissures : la formation de porosités, de fissures, la croissance de ces dernières, puis une dernière étape de coalescence et rupture. Un critère simple, où la vitesse d'érosion est fonction de l'angle de contact et de la vitesse critique d'érosion lors d'un impact de vitesse normale , est proposé sur la base des résultats des simulations afin de prédire l'initiation de l'endommagement. La déformation plastique équivalente est également un paramètre clef pour identifier l'initiation de l'endommagement, une valeur critique de 1,042 a été trouvée dans notre étude pour le cuivre. / Cold spray is a rapidly developing coating technology for depositing materials in the solid state. The cold spray particle deposition process was simulated by modeling the high velocity impacts of spherical particles onto a flat substrate under various conditions. We, for the first time, proposed the Couple Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) numerical approach to solve the high strain rate deformation problem. The capability of the CEL numerical approach in modeling the Cold Spray deposition process was verified through a systematic parameter study, including impact velocity, initial particle temperature, friction coefficient and materials combination. The simulation results by using the CEL numerical approach agree with the experimental results published in the literature. Comparing with other numerical approaches, which are Lagrangian, ALE and SPH, the CEL analyses are generally more accurate and more robust in higher deformation regimes. Besides simulating the single particle impact problem, we also extended our study into the simulation of multiple impacts. A FCC-like particles arrangement model that inspired by the crystal structure was built to investigate the porosity rate and residual stress of deposited particles under various conditions. We observed not only the 3D profiles of voids, but also their distributions and developments during different procedures. Higher impact velocity and higher initial temperature of particles are both of benefit to produce a denser cold spray coating. The compressive residual stresses existed in the interface between the particle and substrate is mainly caused by the large and fast plastic deformation. Another simplified model for multiple impacts was created for the simulation of surface erosion. A severe surface erosion is the result of a high impact velocity, a high friction coefficient and a low contact angle. Two element failure models suitable for high-strain-rate dynamic problems were introduced in this study. For a ductile material as Copper, it followed two fracture modes in our study, which are tensile failure mode and shear failure mode. The former one mainly occurred beneath the substrate surface and the periphery of substrate craters, nevertheless the latter one was found predominately at the surface of craters. Four steps were found during the propagation of crack: void formation; crack formation; crack growth; coalescence and failure. A simple criterion equation was derived based on the simulation results for predicting the initiation of damage, which the erosion velocity v_{ero} is a function of contact angle and erosion velocity for normal impact v_{pi/2}. The equivalent plastic strain could also be a parameter for identifying the onset of damage, identified as being 1.042 for Copper in our study.

Title: Structural study of nanocrystalline titanium oxide films and their temperature stability Author: Lea Chlanová Department: Department of Condensed Matter Physics Supervisor: Prof. RNDr. Radomír Kužel, CSc., Department of Condensed Matter Physics Abstract: TiO2 thin films can exhibit photocatalytic activity and photoinduced su- perhydrophilicity depending on crystallinity, phase composition and mi- crostructure. These parameters were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and reflectivity (XRR) for magnetron deposited films - nanocrystalline and amorphous, namely their temperature and time evolution. For nanocrystalline films, it was found that higher partial oxygen pressure during the deposition is beneficial. Small anatase crystallites were stable up to about 450 ◦ C. Depth-profiling XRD of some samples revealed that rutile phase was only present close to the substrate. For amorphous films it was found that the crystallization depends strongly on the film thickness and it is slower for very thin films. Evolution of the intensities of anatase diffraction peaks with annealing time could be described by a modified Avrami equation. XRD profile was relatively narrow from the very be- ginning of crystallization (at about 220 ◦ C), which indicated relatively larger crystallites (> 100 nm), and hence, nanocrystalline films...

La modélisation des défauts de planéité apparaissant en ligne en laminage à froid des tôles minces est abordée comme un problème de flambage de tôles minces sous contraintes résiduelles. Celles-ci sont les contraintes engendrées au-delà de l'emprise par le laminage lui-même. Pour cela, un modèle de flambage et post-flambage de tôle (forme, amplitude, contraintes) fondé sur la méthode multi-échelle de Damil et Potier-Ferry, et nommé MSBM pour Multi-Scale Based Method, a été développé. En entrée, on y introduit une carte de contraintes post-emprise venant d'un calcul de laminage. Les hypothèses simplificatrices du modèle de flambement permettent de ramener sa résolution à un ensemble de problèmes éléments finis 1D, mais de ce fait restreignent l'analyse aux défauts de type bord long ou centre long. Dans sa version découplée, ce modèle a été comparé avec succès à des résultats de la littérature. Il permet d'effectuer des études paramétriques d'intérêt pratique, comme l'influence du frottement ou de la force de contre-flexion des cylindres sur l'état de contrainte et la géométrie de la tôle.Dans un second temps, ce modèle est introduit comme modèle de flambage intégré dans le logiciel éléments finis de laminage Lam3/Tec3. Comme dans le modèle précédent implémenté par Abdelkhalek en 2010, MSBM calcule un champ de déformation lié spécifiquement aux déplacements hors-plan caractérisant le flambage, champ de déformation qui est ajouté à la décomposition élastique – plastique et réactualisé à chaque itération du calcul éléments finis. Des comparaisons ont été effectuées avec les deux modèles couplés précédemment implantés par Abdelkhalek. Elles montrent les insuffisances du présent modèle de flambage, unidirectionnel, qui ne permet pas de traiter toutes ensemble les diverses instabilités, d'orientations différentes, qui ont lieu après la sortie d'emprise et se révèlent fortement couplées entre elles. Des pistes d'amélioration sont proposées en conséquence. / Modelling of on line manifest flatness defects in thin strip cold rolling is addressed as a problem of buckling under residual stresses. The latter are stresses built beyond the roll bite by the rolling process itself. To this aim, a buckling / post buckling model has been developed, giving strip shape, amplitude and stresses, based on Damil and Potier-Ferry's method and hereafter named MSBM like Multi-Scale Based Method. Its input is a post-bite stress map computed by a rolling model. Simplifications of the buckling model make it amenable to a series of 1D FEM solutions, but restrict its application to simple flatness defects such as wavy edges or wavy centre. In a decoupled version, it has been successfully compared with literature results. It allows parametric studies of practical interest, such as the influence of friction or work roll bending force on post-buckled strip shape and stress.In a second stage, this model is implemented as the internal buckling model in the FEM software Lam3/Tec3. As the previous one, implemented by Abdelkhalek in 2010, MSBM computes a strain field strictly due to the out-of-plane displacement which characterizes buckling. This strain field is introduced into the elastic – plastic decomposition and updated at each iteration of the finite element computation. Comparisons have been performed with the two models previously coupled to Lam3/Tec3 by Abdelkhalek. They show the limits of the present unidirectional buckling model, which cannot deal with all instabilities together, which have different orientations and take place after roll bite exit, which furthermore prove to be strongly interacting. Ideas for future generalization of the coupled model are proposed accordingly.

La méthode du contour est une technique récente pour la mesure de contraintes résiduelles dans des structures mécaniques. Elle permet d'obtenir un champ de contraintes résiduelles en 2D. Dans la méthode du contour, l'échantillon est découpé en deux parties. Les contraintes résiduelles normales aux faces découpées se détendent, ce qui cause leur déformation. Le profil de déformation des faces coupées est mesuré, puis utilisé pour le calcul de contraintes résiduelles. La méthode du contour est basée sur le principe de superposition élastique. Sa théorie assume que la détente de contraintes résiduelles est entièrement élastique. Cependant, en pratique, la détente élastique de contraintes résiduelles peut être accompagnée d'une détente plastique, ce qui induit des erreurs dans les contraintes mesurées. Ce projet se concentre sur l'étude et le contrôle des erreurs de plasticité dans la méthode du contour. Les résultats de cette recherche fournissent d'importantes informations sur la façon dont les déformations plastiques affectent les résultats de la méthode du contour. Par ailleurs une nouvelle technique de coupe pour l'atténuation des erreurs de plasticité a été développée. Des outils de calcul et des instructions sont proposés pour l'estimation des erreurs de plasticité. Enfin des instructions pour la minimisation des erreurs de plasticité sont proposées et appliquées à la mesure de contraintes résiduelles dans un échantillon. / The contour method has emerged as a promising technique for residual stress measurement in relatively large, thick and complex engineering components. The method involves making a cut in the sample of interest, measuring the subsequent relaxed deformation of the cut face and using this profile to back-calculate the original residual stress field by FE modelling. The method is based on the theory of elasticity in that the stress relaxation during test specimen cutting is assumed to be entirely elastic. However, when measuring residual stresses close to the material yield stress, plasticity can occur and affect the measurements.The main aim of this thesis was to develop methods of mitigating and estimating plasticity-induced errors in the contour method. The outcomes of this research provide a valuable insight into how accumulation of plasticity affects the performance of the contour method. A novel cutting strategy that aims at mitigating the plasticity-induced errors has been developed. Furthermore, procedures are developed to estimate the plasticity-induced errors. Finally guidelines are proposed and applied to a case study for mitigating the plasticity-induced errors in the contour method.

In recent years a strong interest has been expressed to produce lighter structures.One possible solution to reduce the weight is to utilize high strength steels and use welding as the joining method. Many components experience fatigue loadingduring all or part of their life time and welded connections are often the prime location of fatigue failure. This becomes more critical in welded high strength steels as fatigue strength of welds does not increase by increasing the steel strength. A possible solution to overcome this issue is to use fatigue improvement methods.The main objectives of this project are, therefore, to increase understanding of the factors that control fatigue life and to investigate how the fatigue strength improvement methods; high frequency mechanical impact (HFMI) treatment and use of Low Transformation Temperature (LTT) consumables will affect fatigue properties of welds in high strength steels. In this regard, Gas Metal Arc Welding(GMAW) was used to produce butt and fillet welds using LTT or conventional fillers in steels with yield strengths ranging from 650-1021 MPa and T-joint weldsin a steel with 1300 MPa yield strength. The effect of HFMI on fatigue strength of the welds in 1300 MPa yield strength steels was also investigated. Butt and fillet welds in 650-1021 MPa steels were fatigue tested under constant amplitude tensile loading with a stress ratio of 0.1 while T-joints were fatigue tested under constant amplitude fully reversed bending load with a stress ratio of -1. The nominal stress approach was used for fatigue strength evaluation of butt and fillet welds whereas the effective notch stress approach was used in case of T-joints. Relative effectsof the main parameters such as residual stress and weld toe geometry influencing fatigue strength of welds were evaluated. Residual stresses were measured using X-ray diffraction for as-welded and HFMI treated welds. Neutron diffraction was additionally used to investigate the near surface residual stress distribution in 1300 MPa LTT welds.Results showed that use of LTT consumables increased fatigue strength of welds in steels with yield strengths ranging from 650-1021 MPa. For butt welds, the vii characteristic fatigue strength (FAT) of LTT welds at 2 million cycles was up to46% higher when compared to corresponding welds made with conventional fillermaterials. In fillet welds, a maximum improvement of 132% was achieved when using LTT wires. The increase in fatigue strength was attributed to the lower tensile residual stresses or even compressive stresses produced close to the weldtoe in LTT welds. Weld metals with martensite transformation start temperatures around 200 °C produced the highest fatigue strength. In 1300 MPa yield strength steel, similar FAT of 287 MPa was observed for LTT welds and 306 MPa for conventional welds, both much higher than the IIW FATvalue of 225 MPa. The relative transformation temperatures of the base and weldmetals, specimen geometry and loading type are possible reasons why the fatigue strength was not improved by use of LTT wires. Neutron diffraction showed that the LTT consumable was capable of inducing near surface compressive residual stresses in all directions at the weld toe. It was additionally found that there arevery steep stress gradients both transverse to the weld toe line and in the depth direction, at the weld toe. Due to difficulties to accurately measure residual stresses locally at the weld toe most often in the literature and recommendations residual stresses a few millimetre away from the weld toe are related to fatigue properties. However, this research shows that caution must be used when relating these to fatigue strength, in particular for LTT welds, as stress in the base materiala few millimetre from the weld toe can be very different from the stress locally at the weld toe.HFMI increased the mean fatigue strength of conventional welds in 1300 MPa steels about 26% and of LTT welds by 13%. It increased the weld toe radius slightly but produced a more uniform geometry along the treated weld toes. Large compressive residual stresses, especially in the longitudinal direction, were introduced adjacent to the weld toe for both LTT and conventional treated welds. It was concluded that the increase in fatigue strength by HFMI treatment is due to the combined effect of weld toe geometry modification, increase in surface hardness and introduction of compressive residual stresses in the treated region.It was concluded that the residual stress has a relatively larger influence than the weld toe geometry on fatigue strength of welds. This is based on the observation that a moderate decrease in residual stress of about 15% at the 300 MPa stress level had the same effect on fatigue strength as increasing the weld toe radius by approximately 85% from 1.4 mm to 2.6 mm, in fillet welds. Also, a higher fatigue strength was observed for HFMI treated conventional welds compared to as welded samples having similar weld toe radii but with different residual stresses.

Surface treatments used to improve the life of a material known as peening are already extensively used in industry. The main aim of peening is to introduce compressive resiudal stress to the surface and subsurface of a metallic material, however literature also includes a number of microstructural and mechanical effects that peening introduces to a material when the compressive residual stress is established. The aim of this dissertation is compare and contrast the mechanical and microstructural effects of a current industrial peening method called shot peening, with three new increasingly competitive surface treatments. These are laser shock peening, ultrasonic impact treatment and water jet cavitation peening. The surface finish, and changes in microstructure, hardness depth profile, residual stress depth profile and plastic work depth profile of the four surface treatments are analysed. The effect of the peening parameters on the material is also determined, such as length of time of treatment, shot size, step size, direction of treatment, and irradiance per centimetre squared. The effect of peening on the residual stress depth profile of a gas tungsten eight pass grooved weld is also determined. Welding is a known region of early failure of material, with one of the factors affecting this being the introduction of tensile residual stress to the surface and near surface of the weld. An analysis to determine if peening the welded region alters the residual stress was carried out. In all experiments in this dissertation, the material that was used was austenitic stainless steel, as this material is highly used, especially within the nuclear industry. The results of this dissertation show that different peening types and peenign parameters produce a variety of surface, microstructural and mechanical effects to austenitic stainless steel. Peening of an aaustenitic stainless steel welded region results in teh near surface tensile residual stress to alter to ccompressive residual stress.