Thermoelectrics is the reversible process which transforms a temperature gradient across a material into an external voltage through a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. This has resulted in niche applications such as solid-state cooling for electronic and optoelectronic devices which exclude the need for a coolant or any moving parts and long-lasting, maintenance-free radioisotope thermoelectric generators used for deep-space exploration. However, the high price and low efficiency of thermoelectric generators have prompted scientists to search for new materials and/or methods to improve the efficiency of the already existing ones. Thermoelectric efficiency is governed by the dimensionless figure of merit 𝑧𝑇, which depends on the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient value of the material and has rarely surpassed unity. In order to address these issues, research conducted on early transition metal nitrides spearheaded by cubic scandium nitride (ScN) thin films showed promising results with high power factors close to 3000 μWm−1K−2 at 500 °C. In this thesis, rock-salt cubic chromium nitride (CrN) deposited in the form of thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering was chosen for its large Seebeck coefficient of approximately -200 μV/K and low thermal conductivity between 2 and 4 Wm−1K−1. The results show that CrN in single crystal form has a low electrical resistivity below 1 mΩcm, a Seebeck coefficient value of -230 μV/K and a power factor close to 5000 μWm−1K−2 at room temperature. These promising results could lead to CrN based thermoelectric modules which are cheaper and more stable compared to traditional thermoelectric material such as bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and lead telluride (PbTe). In addition, the project resulting this thesis was prompted to investigate prospective ternary nitrides equivalent to ScN with (hopefully) better thermoelectric properties. Scandium nitride has a relatively high thermal conductivity value (close to 10 Wm−1K−1), resulting in a low 𝑧𝑇. A hypothetical ternary equivalent to ScN may have a similar electronic band structure and large power factor, but with a lower thermal conductivity value leading to better thermoelectric properties. Thus the elements magnesium, titanium, zirconium and hafnium were chosen for this purpose. DFT calculations were used to simulate TiMgN2, ZrMgN2 and HfMgN2. The results show the MeMgN2 stoichiometry to be stable, with two rivaling crystal structures: trigonal NaCrS2 and monoclinic LiUN2. / <p>The series name <em>Linköping Studies in Science and Technology Licentiate Thesis</em> is incorrect. The correct series name is <em>Linköping Studies in Science and Technology Thesis</em>.</p>

Industrial gas turbines are often used as a mechanical drive for pumps and compressors or in power generation as an electric power supply. The gas turbine has for many years been a popular engine due to its flexibility with respect to different types of fuel and due to a design, that enables a high power-to-weight ratio. A simplified description of a gas turbine is that the engine consists of a cold and hot section. The turbo compressor section belongs to cold section and the combustion chamber together with the turbine section belongs to the hot section. In the hot section of a gas turbine, the condition is extremely severe because of an aggressive environment characterized by high temperatures, increased temperature gradients, high pressure and centrifugal forces resulting in large stresses on individual components together with an oxidizing and corroding atmosphere. Materials used in the high temperature section (hot gas path) of a modern gas turbine are different types of superalloys, as single crystal, directionally solidified or polycrystalline alloys, depending on temperature and load conditions. In the first turbine stage, temperature is very high due to exposure to the combustion gas. To handle the problem with creep, single crystal superalloys are often used in this section. In the second row of turbine blades, the temperature of the gas is lower and polycrystalline superalloys are typically used. IN-792 is a cast polycrystalline superalloy with high strength, good resistance to hot corrosion and a cheaper option than single crystals. In the hot section of gas turbine, IN-792 is a suitable material for components such as turbine blades and vans where a complex load condition, high temperature and severe environment prevails. Due to startup and shutdown of the gas turbine engine during service, the components in the hot section are exposed to cyclic load and temperature. This will generate mechanical and thermal fatigue damage in gas turbine components. Steady state temperature gradient arises by the cooling system acting at cold spots during service to introduce tensile stress, which indirectly gives rise to creep damage in the component. This work includes tree studies of deformation and damage mechanisms of superalloy IN-792. The first study is made on test bars exposed to thermomechanical fatigue in laboratory environment, the second and the third study is made on turbine blades used during service. In the second study, the machines are placed off-shore and exposed to marine environment. In the third study the machine is landbased and exposed to an industrial environment. In the second study, the deformation and damage mechanisms are compared between the turbine blades used during service and the test bars exposed to thermomechanical fatigue testing in the first study.

In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) of Alloy 718 has received increasing interest in the field of manufacturing engineering owing to its attractive features compared to those of conventional manufacturing methods. The ability to produce complicated geometries, low cost of retooling, and control of the microstructure are some of the advantages of the AM process over traditional manufacturing methods. Nevertheless, during the building process, the build material undergoes complex thermal conditions owing to the inherent nature of the process. This results in phase transformation from liquid to solid and solid state. Thus, it creates microstructural gradients in the built objects, and as a result,heterogeneous material properties. The manufacturing process, including the following heat treatment that is used to minimise the heterogeneity, will cause the additively manufactured material to behave differently when compared to components produced by conventional manufacturing methods. Therefore, understanding the microstructure formation during the building and subsequent post-heat treatment is important, which is the objective of this work. Alloy 718 is a nickel-iron based super alloy that is widely used in the aerospace industry and in the gas turbine power plants for making components subjected tohigh temperatures. Good weldability, good mechanical properties at high temperatures, and high corrosion resistance make this alloy particularly suitablefor these applications. Nevertheless, the manufacturing of Alloy 718 components through traditional manufacturing methods is time-consuming and expensive. For example, machining of Alloy 718 to obtain the desired shape is difficult and resource-consuming, owing to significant material waste. Therefore, the application of novel non-conventional processing methods, such as AM, seems to be a promising technique for manufacturing near-net-shape complex components.In this work, microstructure modelling was carried out by using multiphase-field modelling to model the microstructure evolution in electron beam melting (EBM) and laser metal powder directed energy deposition (LMPDED) of Alloy 718 and x subsequent heat treatments. The thermal conditions that are generated during the building process were used as input to the models to predict the as-built microstructure. This as-built microstructure was then used as an input for the heat treatment simulations to predict the microstructural evolution during heat treatments. The results showed smaller dendrite arm spacing (one order of magnitude smaller than the casting material) in these additive manufactured microstructures, which creates a shorter diffusion length for the elements compared to the cast material. In EBM Alloy 718, this caused the material to have a faster homogenisation during in-situ heat treatment that resulting from the elevated powder bed temperature (&gt; 1000 °C). In addition, the compositional segregation that occurs during solidification was shown to alter the local thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the alloy. This was observed in the predicted TTT and CCT diagrams using the JMat Pro software based on the predicted local segregated compositions from the multiphase-field models. In the LMPDED Alloy 718 samples, this resulted in the formation of δ phase in the interdendritic region during the solution heat treatment. Moreover, this resulted in different-size precipitation of γ'/γ'' in the inter-dendritic region and in the dendrite core. Themicro structure modelling predictions agreed well with the experimental observations. The proposed methodology used in this thesis work can be an appropriate tool to understand how the thermal conditions in AM affect themicro structure formation during the building process and how these as-built microstructures behave under different heat treatments.

I mitt examensarbete jämför jag styrkan för sammanfogningar i trämöbler med fasta tappar och centrumtappar utifrån fem parametrar: tappens dimensioner, tappens inpassning, tappens komprimering, tappens antal och tappens limning. Den övergripande frågan har varit, ”är fasta tappar eller centrumtappar starkast?” Målet har varit att sålla i olika teorier rörande dessa två typer av sammanfogningar och skapa ett underlag i syfte att hjälpa möbelsnickare och formgivare att kunna ta medvetna beslut vad gäller sina val av dessa typer av sammanfogningar. Genom litteraturstudier och verkstads besök har jag samlat kunskap som ligger till grund för det hållfasthets test jag sedan gjort i materiallabbet på Linköpings universitet. Testet har utgått från ett scenario där en stols bakben ska fogas samman med en sarg. Testet visar, utifrån ett antal angivna avgränsningar, att fasta tappar utan undantag är starkare än centrumtappar.Det visar också att en dubbel fast tapp fördelar belastningen bättre än en enkel fast tapp och bidrar till en betydligt starkare fog. För c-tappar gäller generellt att ökat antal tappar ökar fogens seghet men inte nödvändigtvis maxbelastningen. Inpassning och komprimering har betydelse för hur seg en fog är. / I have in my thesis compared the strength of mortise and tenon joints and dowel joints in wooden furniture. I´ve made the comparison based on five parameters: the dimensions of the tenon or dowel, the fit of the tenon or dowel, the compression of the tenon or dowel, the number of tenons or dowels and the gluing of the tenon or dowel. The bigger question has been, “is the mortise and tenon joint or the dowel joint the strongest?” The goal has been to go through different theories regarding these two types of joinery and making a foundation to help cabinet makers and designers to make conscious decisions regarding their choices of these two types of joinery. Through studies of literature and visiting workshops I´ve gathered knowledge that lies as a foundation for a test of strength of different joinery made in the material testing facility of Linköping University. The test was based on a scenario of joining the back leg and side rim of a chair. The test shows, from the given definitions, that mortise and tenon joints are without exceptions stronger than dowel joints. It also shows that double tenons better will distribute the load and make for a stronger and tougher joint. Dowel joints will get tougher with an increased number of dowels but it will not necessarily make for a stronger joint. The fit and compression of the tenon or dowel will affect the joints strength.

Arc welding still requires deeper process understanding and more accurateprediction of the heat transferred to the base metal. This can be provided by CFD modelling.Most works done to model arc discharge using CFD consider the arc corealone. Arc core simulation requires applying extrapolated experimental data asboundary conditions on the electrodes. This limits the applicability. To become independent of experimental input the electrodes need to be included in the arcmodel. The most critical part is then the interface layer between the electrodesand the arc core. This interface is complex and non-uniform, with specific physicalphenomena.The present work reviews the concepts of plasma and arc discharges that areuseful for this problem. The main sub-regions of the model are described, andtheir dominant physical roles are discussed.The coupled arc-electrode model is developed in different steps. First couplingsolid and fluid regions for a simpler problem without complex couplinginterface. This is applied to a laser welding problem using the CFD softwareOpenFOAM. The second step is the modelling of the interface layer betweencathode and arc, or cathode layer. Different modelling approaches available inthe literature are studied to determine their advantages and drawbacks. One ofthem developed by Cayla is used and further improved so as to satisfy the basicprinciples of charge and energy conservation in the different regions of thecathode layer. A numerical procedure is presented. The model, implementedin MATLAB, is tested for different arc core and cathode conditions. The maincharacteristics calculated with the interface layer model are in good agreementwith the reference literature. The future step will be the implementation of theinterface layer model in OpenFOAM.

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.

This thesis is about fundamental interaction mechanisms of laser remote fusion cutting, RFC, which is based on the formation of a quasi-stationary laser-induced boiling front that causes drop ejection, preferably downwards. Laser cutting of metals, invented in 1967, has developed from a niche to a well established high quality cutting technique in the manufacturing industry. Usually a gas jet is employed concentric to the laser beam, to eject the molten metal. One technique option, interesting though hardly applied yet because of usually low quality and speed, is remote laser cutting. Two techniques are distinguished, remote ablation cutting, grooving down through a sheet, layer-by-layer, and the here addressed remote fusion cutting, by a single pass through the sheet. For the latter, the ablation pressure from laser-induced boiling at the cutting front continuously accelerates and ejects the melt downwards. Advantages of remote laser cutting, facilitated by high brilliance lasers during the last decade, are the possibility of a larger working distance along with the avoidance of cutting gas and of a gas jet nozzle.   The review paper of the thesis surveys different laser remote cutting techniques, including their modelling, as well as the transition to keyhole welding, owing to similarities particularly from the boiling front and from root spatter ejection. The six Papers I-VI that compose the thesis address fundamental mechanisms of laser remote fusion cutting, theoretically and experimentally. In Paper I a simplified mathematical model of the RFC cutting front enables to estimate the geometrical and energetic conditions of the process. By evidence and post-modelling from high speed imaging, HSI, the simplified smooth cutting front model is developed further to a wavy topology in Paper III, for more sophisticated absorption analysis. As a systematic support, Paper II categorizes and analyses for the first time the different wavy topologies observed at the front, from HSI. The melt dynamics induced by a pulsed laser beam was studied in Paper IV, again from HSI. Apart from other interesting transient melt phenomena it was demonstrated that the ablation pressure can push the melt to a certain pending position during the laser pulse while the melt retreats by surface tension during the pulse break. To engage remote fusion cutting with additive manufacturing, Paper V introduces a novel technique where the drops ejected from RFC are transferred to a substrate, about a centimetre underneath, on which a continuous track forms. This technique can even be applied as an efficient recycling approach. In Paper VI a variant of the technique is presented, to develop a boiling front along the edge of a metal sheet from which the drop transfer takes place, in a different manner. This enables to systematically machine-off the entire sheet, which can be converted to a new shape and product.   Summarizing, the thesis provides a variety of analysis of fundamental mechanisms of a laser-induced boiling front that bear a certain simplicity and in turn controllability, of interest for established as well as for new applications, in manufacturing and in other sectors, including remote fusion cutting.

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.

Residual stresses are one of the major challenges in additive manufacturing of metallic materials today. They are induced during manufacturing because of the rapid local heating and cooling and may cause distortions, cracking and delamination between layers. The magnitude of the residual stresses depends on factors such as manufacturing technology, material, part geometry, scanning strategy, process parameters, preheating temperature and density of the component. In the present work, the magnitudes of residual stresses and distortions in austenitic stainless steel 316L components manufactured by Selective Laser melting have been investigated. Four specimens with rectangular cross-sections where produced with different heights and wall thicknesses. The residual stresses were measured by two different methods, x-ray diffraction and Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) incremental hole drilling in order to see how well they correspond to each other. The results showed peaks of high tensile stresses in the building direction in all specimens. The magnitudes of stresses were similar in all four specimens. The largest distortions occurred when the wall thickness was increased, and the height was reduced. It was also shown that the measurements made by x-ray diffraction and ESPI incremental hole drilling were not consistent with each other. The latter showed unrealistically high measurements near the surface.

Laser welding is commonly used in the automotive-, steel- and aerospace industry. It is a highly non-linear and coupled process where the weld geometry is strongly affected by the flow pattern in the melt pool. Experimental observations are challenging since the melt pool and melt flow below the surface are not yet accessible during welding. Improved process control would allow maintaining, or improving, product quality with less material and contribute further to sustainability by reducing production errors. Numerical modelling with Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD, provides complementary understanding with access to process properties that are not yet reachable with experimental observation. However, the existing numerical models lack predictability when considering the weld shape. The work presented here is the development of a model for conduction laser welding. The solver upon which the model is based is first described in detail. Then different validation cases are applied in order to test specific parts of the physics implemented. Two cases focus on thermocapillary convection in two-phase and three-phase flows with surface deformation. Finally, a third case considers the melt pool flow during conduction mode welding.It is concluded that the convection of fusion enthalpy, which was neglected in former studies, should be included in the model. The implementation of the thermo capillary force is recommended to be consistent with the other surface forces to avoid unphysical solution. Free surface oscillations, known from experimental observations, are also computed numerically. However, further investigation is needed to check that these oscillations are not disturbed b ynumerical oscillations.