<p>The thesis treats roll pass design in wire rod rolling of stainless steel for sequences and series built up by two-symmetrical grooves. It is focused on predicting rolling flexibility, also called working range, as well as product quality. For analysing the flexibility a computer program has been developed. The minimum and maximum roll gap and corresponding bar areas for series of grooves including "oval", "round", "false round", "square" and "diamond" shapes are calculated. Six pass designs used in Swedish mills are analysed. Full-scale rolling is compared with laboratory experiments for the square-oval and false round (round)-oval series. The false round-oval series offers the largest working range and that the flexibility is smaller for pass sequences designed for high reductions. The false round-oval series are also acknowledged as a series for high quality steels and are usually better than the square-oval series having a tendency for defect formation. The thesis also includes high-speed rolling of wire rod in blocks. Here interstand tensions are utilised in order to keep the process stable. For obtaining the required dimensional tolerances of the product they are kept as low as possible. However interstand tensions could be used in order to increase the working range and move the product range towards smaller wire cross sections. For analysing this possibility, a narrow spread technology is utilised. At present time a practical problem is referred to the fixed gearings in the common blocks, which require a certain and given level of interstand tensions and corresponding reductions. This problem can however be solved by means of new block design and modern process control technology. Roll stands can be separately driven and controlled at very high speeds. Thus the eight stand blocks can be subdivided into four plus four passes blocks with a cooling line between enabling also higher productivity without violating the product quality because defect formations caused by a too high rolling temperature. The true working range of a series for a specific steel grade is however not only dependent on the possible spectrum of wire dimensions that can be obtained but might also depend on its ability to decrease or eliminate defects such as surface cracks. Thus, the behaviour of artificial V-shaped cracks in the longitudinal direction has been investigated and compared for the square-oval and false round (round)-oval series mentioned above. In agreement with other research works it was established that efficient rolling conditions for reducing the cracks are obtained when the cracks open up at the same time as their depth is reduced. If the V-shaped crack is closed by contact between its oxidized side surfaces the rolling schedule is not optimal for getting a high quality product. A deeper understanding of the experimental results was obtained by means of an FE-analysis</p>

<p>A paper that shows motion when being exposed to heat has in this study been called a paper muscle. A paper muscle can be used for many different applications, e.g. smart advertisement or indicators in printed paper products. The muscles created in the present work were prepared by gluing or printing a polymer layer onto paper. The polymer layers consisted of MELINEX, MYLAR or toner, which are known to expand when exposed to heat. Furthermore, all three material systems showed bending when exposed to heat.</p><p>A mechanical bilayer model was implemented and used to quantitatively study the parameters that influence the bending of the muscles. The model indicated that the dimensional changes of the polymer layers relative to that of the copy paper was found to be approximately 0,1-0,5 % within the temperature range 23-60 °C. The experiments showed that the combined dimensional changes within the polymer and paper layers were not linear with respect to temperature, and that there was a significant difference in bending for muscles cut in the MD and in the CD. Also, when assuming that the polymer is the active component, the observed coefficient of thermal expansion was a factor ~10 greater compared to published literature data. These findings led to the conclusion that it was indeed the dimensional changes within the paper that were the dominant cause of the bending. This was confirmed by a muscle, comprising a bilayer of paper cut in the MD and the CD, which bended when exposed to heat. The results also indicate that a large part of the bending could be attributed to the hygrocontraction of paper.</p>

A paper that shows motion when being exposed to heat has in this study been called a paper muscle. A paper muscle can be used for many different applications, e.g. smart advertisement or indicators in printed paper products. The muscles created in the present work were prepared by gluing or printing a polymer layer onto paper. The polymer layers consisted of MELINEX, MYLAR or toner, which are known to expand when exposed to heat. Furthermore, all three material systems showed bending when exposed to heat. A mechanical bilayer model was implemented and used to quantitatively study the parameters that influence the bending of the muscles. The model indicated that the dimensional changes of the polymer layers relative to that of the copy paper was found to be approximately 0,1-0,5 % within the temperature range 23-60 °C. The experiments showed that the combined dimensional changes within the polymer and paper layers were not linear with respect to temperature, and that there was a significant difference in bending for muscles cut in the MD and in the CD. Also, when assuming that the polymer is the active component, the observed coefficient of thermal expansion was a factor ~10 greater compared to published literature data. These findings led to the conclusion that it was indeed the dimensional changes within the paper that were the dominant cause of the bending. This was confirmed by a muscle, comprising a bilayer of paper cut in the MD and the CD, which bended when exposed to heat. The results also indicate that a large part of the bending could be attributed to the hygrocontraction of paper.

Energy harvesting is an interesting topic for today since we face running out of energy source, a serious problem in the world. Thermoelectric devices are a good candidate. They can convert heat (i.e. temperature gradient) to electricity. This result leads us to use them to harvest waste heat from engines or in power plants to generate electricity. Moreover, thermoelectric devices also perform cooling by applied voltage to device. This process is clean, which means that no greenhouse gases are emitted during the process. However, the converting efficiency of thermoelectrics are very low compare to a home refrigerator. The thermoelectric figure of merit (ZTm) is a number which defines the converting efficiency of thermoelectric materials and devices. ZTm is defined by Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. To improve the converting efficiency, nanolaminated materials are good candidate.   This thesis studies TiN/ScN artificial nanolaminates, or superlattices were grown by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from Ti and Sc targets. For TiN/ScN superlattice, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and reciprocal space map (RSM) show that we can obtain single crystal TiN/ScN superlattice. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) shows the superlattice films have a rough surface, supported by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, TiN/ScN superlattices grew by TiN as starting layer has better crystalline quality than ScN as starting layer. The electrical measurement shows that our superlattice films are conductive films.   Ca-Co-O system for inherently nanolaminated materials were grown by reactive rf magnetron sputtering from Ca/Co alloy target. The XRD shows we maybe get the [Ca2CoO3]xCoO2 phase, so far. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) reported that our films have Al conmination. We also discovered unexpected behavior when the film grown at high temperature showed larger thickness instead of thinner, which would have been expected due to possible Ca evaporation. The Ca-Co-O system requires further studies.

In recent years, the interest for miniaturization of spaceborne instruments and subsystems has increased steadily, as this enables development of small and lightweight satellite classes as well as more versatile payloads on traditional spacecraft. In essence, this thesis work is an investigation of the applicability of magnetoresistive technology to a magnetometer intended for space. Two types of magnetoresistive sensors, promising with respect to performance competiveness also after considerable miniaturization, were developed and evaluated, namely magnetic tunnel junctions and planar Hall effect bridge sensors. In the case of the magnetic tunnel junctions, much effort was put on the micromanufacturing process. Two schemes were developed and evaluated for sensor contouring: one employing focused ion beam processes for rapid prototyping, and the other combining sputtering and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for precise etch depth monitoring during ion etching. For the former, the resulting implantation damages were investigated with chemical analysis and correlated to the sensor properties. In the latter, the depth of the etching was monitored live with a resolution sufficient to stop the etching in the 1 nm thick tunneling barrier. The effect and extent of redeposition were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and micromagnetic analysis. With the knowledge so gained, the tunneling magnetoresistance of the manufactured junctions could be improved significantly and their inherent noise could be reduced. As a step in space flight qualification, the magnetic tunnel junctions were subjected to both g and particle radiation, leaving them unaffected by the first, but rendering them a reduced tunneling magnetoresistance ratio and an increased coercivity by the latter. In the case of the planar Hall effect bridge sensors, their inherent noise was thoroughly investigated, revealing both electric and magnetic 1/f noise at low frequencies along with thermal noise at higher frequencies. In addition, an analytical model of the magnetic properties of the planar Hall effect bridges was developed, and a design process, based on the model, was established to optimize the bridges for a particular application. In conclusion, both types of sensors show great promises for use in space. Of the two, the planar Hall effect bridge sensors had a better detection limit at low frequencies, whereas the magnetic tunnel junctions were more precise at higher frequencies. However, both sensors had a bandwidth greatly exceeding that of traditional spaceborne magnetometers. A magnetometer employing the magnetic tunnel junctions from this work is currently included as payload onboard the Vietnamese satellite F-1 scheduled for launch this year. A magnetometer using magnetoresistive sensors – planar Hall effect sensors, magnetic tunnel junctions, or both – enables a mass reduction of more than two orders of magnitudes compared with traditional systems.

Performance of indexable insert cutting tools is not only about the performance of cutting inserts. It is also about the cutting tool body, which has to provide a secure and accurate insert positioning as well as its quick and easy handling under severe working conditions. The common damage mechanisms of cutting tool bodies are fatigue and plastic deformation. Cutting tools undergo high dynamic stresses going in and out cutting engagement; as a result, an adequate level of fatigue strength is the essential steel property. Working temperatures of tool bodies in the insert pocket can reach up to 600°C, why the tool steel requires high softening resistance to avoid plastic deformation. Machinability is also essential, as machining of the steel represents a large fraction of the production cost of a cutting tool. The overall aim of the study is to improve the tool body performance by use of an advanced steel grade with an optimized combination of all the demanding properties. Due to the high-temperature conditions, the thesis concerns mostly hot-work tool steels increasing also the general knowledge of their microstructure, mechanical properties and machinability. Knowing the positive effect of sulphur on machinability of steels, the first step was to indentify a certain limit of the sulphur addition, which would not reduce the fatigue strength of the tool body below an acceptable level. In tool bodies, where the demand on surface roughness was low and a geometrical stress concentrator was present, the addition of sulphur could be up to 0.09 wt%. Fatigue performance of the cutting tools to a large extent depended on the steel resistance to stress relaxation under high dynamic loading and elevated temperatures. The stress relaxation behaviour, material substructure and dislocation characteristics in low-alloyed and hot-work tool steels were studied using X-ray diffraction under thermal and mechanical loading.  Different tool steels exhibited different stress relaxation resistance depending on their microstructure, temper resistance and working temperature. Hot-work tool steels showed to be more preferable to low-alloyed tool steels because of their ability to inhibit the rearrangement and annihilation of induced dislocations. High-temperature softening resistance of the hot-work tool steels was investigated during high-temperature hold-times and isothermal fatigue and discussed with respect to their microstructure. Carbide morphology and precipitation were determined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Machinability of a prehardened hot-work tool steel of varying nickel content from 1 to 5 wt% was investigated in end milling and drilling operations. Machining the higher nickel containing steels resulted in longer tool life and generated lower cutting forces and tool/workpiece interface temperature. The difference in machinability of the steels was discussed in terms of their microstructure and mechanical properties.

Surfaces exposed to wear always transform and typically a layer of new structure and composition is formed. This layer, often called tribofilm, changes the friction and wear properties. Tribofilms formed on ceramic surfaces may consist of products from chemical reactions between the materials in contact and the environment or consist of compacted wear debris. In this thesis, focus has been to understand the friction and wear mechanisms of ceramic surfaces, as well as acquiring knowledge about the properties of the new surfaces created during wear. Ultimately, this understanding can be used to develop ceramic systems offering high or low friction, while the material loss in both cases should be minimised. Such ceramics could improve numerous tribological systems and applications, out of which ultrasonic motors, low-friction ceramic coatings and hip joint replacements have been treated in this thesis. Friction and wear tests, and subsequently various surface analyses have been essential for the knowledge about the friction, wear and tribofilm formation.  For ultrasonic motors of the studied type, the highest driving force is achieved when the friction is high between the alumina components in the friction drive system. The highest friction was here accomplished with a thick tribofilm on the surfaces. The formation of such tribofilms was favoured by dry conditions, and using an initially rough surface, which increased the initial generation of wear debris. In a detailed investigation of the importance of microtopography on tribofilm formation and friction behaviour, a low-friction, PVD coating of TaC/a-C was studied. This coating showed a very low, stable friction. High sensitivity to the microtopography was demonstrated, smooth coating exhibited a faster build-up of a dense tribofilm of fine ground material on the counter steel surface and subsequently a faster running in and friction decrease.  The life span for total hip joint replacements can be prolonged by minimising the wear particles that cause inflammation and subsequent implant loosening. In this work coatings of amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon nitride have shown low wear rate, and hence produce a minimum of wear particles. Furthermore, these particles that are expected to resorb in vivo. This system therefore has potential to reduce problems with inflammation and osteolysis connected to wear particles.

<p>More and more attention has been paid to decreasing the number and size of non-metallic inclusions existing in the final products recently in steel industries. Therefore, more efforts have been made to monitor the inclusions' size distributions during the metallurgy process, especially at the secondary steelmaking period. A liquid sampling procedure is one of the commonly applied methods that monitoring the inclusion size distribution in ladles, for example, during the secondary steelmaking. Here, a crucial point is that the steel sampler should be filled and solidified without changing the inclusion characteristics that exist at steel making temperatures. In order to preserve the original size and distributions in the extracted samples, it is important to avoid their collisions and coagulations inside samplers during filling. Therefore, one of the first steps to investigate is the flow pattern inside samplers during filling in order to obtain a more in-depth knowledge of the sampling process to make sure that the influence is minimized.</p><p>The main objective of this work is to fundamentally study the above mentioned sampler filling process. A production sampler employed in the industries has been scaled-up according to the similarity of Froude Number in the experimental study. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to capture the flow field and calculate the velocity vectors during the entire experiment. Also, a mathematical model has been developed to have an in-depth investigate of the flow pattern in side the sampler during its filling. Two different turbulence models were applied in the numerical study, the realizable k-ε model and Wilcox k-ω model. The predictions were compared to experimental results obtained by the PIV measurements. Furthermore, it was illustrated that there is a fairly good agreement between the measurements obtained by PIV and calculations predicted by the Wilcox k-ω model. Thus, it is concluded that the Wilcox k-ω model can be used in the future to predict the filling of steel samplers.</p>

<p>In the present work, the structural, electronic properties, thermodynamic stability and adatom surface movements of oxygen and sulfur adsorption on the Fe surface were studied based on the ab initio method.</p><p>Firstly, the oxygen adsorbed on the iron (100) surface is investigated at the three adsorption sites top, bridge and hollow sites, respectively. Adsorption energy, work function and surface geometries were calculated, the hollow site was found to be the most stable adsorption site, Which is in agreement with the experiments. In addition, the difference charge density of the different adsorption systems was calculated to analyze the interaction and bonding properties between Fe and O. It can be found out that the charge redistribution was related to the geometry relaxation.</p><p>Secondly, the sulfur coverage is considered from a quarter of one monolayer (1ML) to a full monolayer. Our calculated results indicate that the most likely site for S adsorption is the hollow site on Fe (100). We find that the work function and its change Df increased with S coverage, in very good agreement with experiments. Due to a recent discussion regarding the influence of charge transfer on Df, we show that the increase in Df can be explained by the increasing surface dipole moment as a function of S coverage. In addition, the Fe-S bonding was analyzed. Finally, the thermodynamic stabilities of the different structures were evaluated as a function the sulfur chemical potential.</p><p>Finally, a two dimensional (2D) gas model was proposed to simulate the surface active elements, oxygen and sulfur atoms, movement on the Fe (100) surface. The average velocity of oxygen and sulfur atoms was found out to be related to the vibration frequencies and energy barrier in the final expression developed. The calculated results were based on the density function and thermodynamics & statistical physics theories. In addition, this 2D gas model can be used to simulate and give an atomic view of the complex interfacial phenomena in the steelmaking refining process.</p>

<p>Quality of the castings is affected by several factors which the designer should take into consideration during the product development process. Although residual stress is one of those, it is often not considered in practical computations. Hence residual stresses are one of the forgotten areas in designing of machine parts. This master thesis is focused on the investigation of residual stresses in a high pressure die casted component, with the aim of extending its service life, by taking results from the study as a feedback.</p><p>The investigation of residual stresses was done on a variety of specimens, cast aluminum flywheel, provided by Husqvarna AB. This flywheel is a component in a product of the same company.In evaluating the residual stresses in the part, two tools-simulation and physical measurement were used. Moreover, comparison with these two methods is also done at an area of interest on the flywheel. The simulation was carried out by using MAGMAhpdc-a module for high pressure die casting process, from the commercial software package MAGMAsoft; while for the physical measurements, the hole drilling method was used, a method believed to be less accurate at low stresses areas.</p><p>The findings obtained from this study show that the results from both procedures are close, with small deviations observed, which reveals the reliability of the hole drilling method even when the stress levels are low. It is also found that the compressive residual stresses dominate in the component-a preferred phenomenon with regards to residual stress.</p>