This dissertation work focuses on the processability improvement of B4C, especially the compaction and sintering improvement of B4C by applying a Ni-B nanolayer coating on individual B4C particles. A modified electroless coating procedure was proposed and employed to coat nanometer Ni-B layer onto micron-sized B4C particles. The thickness was able to be tuned and controlled below 100 nm. Key parameters, including the amount of nickel source, the amount of the surface activation agent (PdCl2), the amount of the complexing agent (C2H8N2), and the addition rate of the reducing agent (NaBH4) were studied. When the targeted thickness was 5 nm, a continuous and uniform nanolayer coating was obtained with the optimal condition of individual parameter combined. Reduction of the as-coated B4C powder in a H2-Ar atmosphere was studied between 400-900C to reduce the surface oxides' Ni2O3 and B2O3. Reduction at 800C in hydrogen atmosphere was found to be the most effective condition to remove oxygen in the coating layer, with Ni2B as the reduction product. Compaction of the as-received, separated and uncoated, and separated with Ni-B coating B4C powders using uniaxial die compaction and combustion driven compaction (CDC) techniques was studied. CDC technique showed the advantage over the traditional uniaxial die compaction by yielding much higher green density and green strength (73% vs. 53.8% green density for the Ni-B coated B4C). Among compacts obtained from the same technique, Ni-B coated B4C compact yielded the densest packing with crack-free compact surface and the highest strength, demonstrating more bonding between B4C particles provided by Ni-B surface coating. Sintering of the Ni-B coated B4C in an Ar atmosphere between 1150 - 1600C with soaking time of 2 hrs and 10 hrs was studied. Liquid phase was found to form during the sintering process. Density measurement showed that the liquid phase Ni-B formed greatly facilitated B4C densification. Considerable density increase and inter-granular connection was achieved when sintered at 1600C for 10 hrs. The density enhancement by Ni-B coating was supported by transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) examination which showed that there was B4C species diffusion into liquid Ni-B phase. This liquid phase enhanced the diffusion of B4C species and formed strong bonding between B4C grains by dissolving small B4C particles and sharp edge and corners of B4C particles. Strength test demonstrated that the Ni-B coating dramatically improved the strength of B4C compacts by yielding a much higher strength of the Ni-B coated samples than the uncoated samples (13.97 vs. 1.79 MPa for the uinaxial die compacted samples, 27.03 vs. 2.21 MPa for the CDC samples). Electrical conductivity Ni-B coated B4C samples was also shown to be improved with the electrical resistivity being reduced from infinite for pure B4C samples to 1.8Ã 10-3 Ω·m for the Ni-B coated samples. This research work has shown that with the Ni-B coating, B4C densification can start at a temperature as low as 1600C via a liquid phase sintering process. / Ph. D.

The work presented has the ultimate aim to increase dynamic mechanical properties by improvements in density and optimisation of microstructure of ultra high carbon PM steels by careful selection of processes, i.e. mixing, binding, alloying, heating profile and intelligent heat treatment. ThermoCalc modelling was employed to predict liquid phase amounts for two different powder grades, Astaloy 85Mo or Astaloy CrL with additive elements such as (0.4-0.6wt%)Si, (1.2-1.4wt%)C and (1-1.5wt%)Mn, in the sintering temperature range 1285-1300ºC and such powder mixes were pressed and liquid phase sintered. In high-C steels carbide networks form at the prior particle boundaries, leading to brittleness, unless the steel is heat-treated. To assist the breaking up of these continuous carbide networks, 0.4-0.6% silicon, in the form of silicon carbide, was added. The water gas shift reaction (C + H2O = CO + H2, start from ~500ºC) and Boudouard reaction (from ~500ºC complete ~930ºC) form CO gas in the early part of sintering and can lead to large porosity, which lowers mechanical properties. With the use of careful powder drying, low dew point atmospheres and optimisation of heating profiles, densities in excess of 7.70g/cm3 were attained. The brittle microstructure, containing carbide networks and free of cracks, is transformed by intelligent heat treatment to a tougher one of ferrite plus sub-micron spheroidised carbides. This gives the potential for production of components, which are both tough and suitable for sizing to improve dimensional tolerance. Yield strengths up to 410 MPa, fracture strengths up to 950 MPa and strains of up to 16 % were attained. Forging experiments were subsequently carried out for spheroidised specimens of Fe-0.85Mo+06Si+1.4C, for different strain rates of 10-3, 10-2, 10-1 and 1sec-1 and heated in argon to 700ºC, density ~7.8g/cm3 and 769 MPa yield strength were obtained.

Orientadores: Maria Helena Robert, Elisa Maria Ruiz Navas / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T00:27:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 BravoSalazar_JaimeAlejandro_D.pdf: 9695376 bytes, checksum: d35ebfbcaf1dac8c6665392b7d784d23 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Este trabalho estuda o processo de fabricação de compósitos de matriz de alumínio AA6061 reforçado com TiCN por metalurgia do pó, envolvendo as etapas de mistura de pós, compactação uniaxial e sinterização com fase líquida. Para efeitos de comparação foram produzidos e caracterizados compactados da liga AA6061 sem adição de reforços. Foram investigados os parâmetros de processo: teores de reforço (5% e 10% massa), teor de aditivos Pb e Sn (0,1, 0,15, 0,2 e 0,4% massa), pressão de compactação (400, 600 e 800 MPa), tempos (15, 30, 45 e 60 min) e temperatura de sinterização (590, 600, 610 e 620 ºC). Em cada etapa do processo foram caracterizados os produtos (mistura de pós e compactados); o produto final obtido, após sinterização, foi caracterizado com relação à sua microestrutura, propriedades físicas (densificação e variação dimensional) e mecânicas (resistência à flexão e dureza). Os resultados obtidos mostraram uma grande eficiência do processo na obtenção de compósitos; a adição do teor de reforço de 5%TiCN foi eficiente na promoção de rupturas das camadas de óxidos do pó da liga de alumínio compactado à pressão de 400 MPa, auxiliando a sinterização por difusão da fase líquida formada a partir da fusão de Al+Mg2Si, melhorando a densificação e diminuindo a variação dimensional dos produtos sinterizados. Do ponto de vista metalúrgico, os materiais compósitos obtidos apresentaram microestruturas homogêneas, com uma boa distribuição dos reforços na matriz e relativa diminuição de poros. A adição de Pb e Sn promovem maior eficiência de ativação de mecanismos de sinterização; para compactados produzidos à pressão de 800 MPa, a adição de 0,1% desses elementos já apresentou significativa influência na sinterização. Com relação às propriedades mecânicas e físicas observou-se que a adição de TiCN aumentou quase no dobro de seus valores obtidos quando são comparados com a liga AA6061 / Abstract: This work investigates the process of production of composites of the alloy AA6061 reinforced with TiCN particles, by powder metallurgy involving the steps: conventional mixture of powders, compaction by uniaxial cold pressing and sintering with formation of a liquid phase. For comparative analysis it was also produced sintered AA6061 without addition of reinforcements. The following processing parameters were studied: reinforcing particles content (5 and 10 wt%); content of trace elements Pb and Sn (0.1, 0.15, 0.2 0.4 wt%); compaction pressure (from 400, 600 and 800 MPa); time and temperature of sintering (15, 30, 45, 60 min and 590, 600, 610, 620 oC). In each step products were characterized (powder mixture and green compacts); the final sintered product was characterized related to microstructure, physical (densification and dimensional changes) and mechanical (hardness and bending strength) properties. Obtained results showed high efficiency of the applied process to produce reliable composite products; the addition of 5 wt% TiCN was efficient to promote fracture of the oxide layer in the aluminum particles surface during pressing. At sintering temperatures liquid phase is formed by Al+Mg2Si melting and is distributed among particles through the fractures of the oxide layer, improving the material densification and its mechanical properties. Microstructures obtained showed homogeneous distribution of TiCN and reduced porosity, whereas AA6061 alloy microstructure showed higher porosity. Addition of Pb and Sn promoted higher efficiency of sintering mechanisms in compacts submitted to high pressures, leading to enhanced physical and mechanical properties in those materials. / Doutorado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

The work presented has the ultimate aim to increase dynamic mechanical properties by improvements in density and optimisation of microstructure of ultra high carbon PM steels by careful selection of processes, i.e. mixing, binding, alloying, heating profile and intelligent heat treatment. ThermoCalc modelling was employed to predict liquid phase amounts for two different powder grades, Astaloy 85Mo or Astaloy CrL with additive elements such as (0.4-0.6wt%)Si, (1.2-1.4wt%)C and (1-1.5wt%)Mn, in the sintering temperature range 1285-1300ºC and such powder mixes were pressed and liquid phase sintered. In high-C steels carbide networks form at the prior particle boundaries, leading to brittleness, unless the steel is heat-treated. To assist the breaking up of these continuous carbide networks, 0.4-0.6% silicon, in the form of silicon carbide, was added. The water gas shift reaction (C + H2O = CO + H2, start from ~500ºC) and Boudouard reaction (from ~500ºC complete ~930ºC) form CO gas in the early part of sintering and can lead to large porosity, which lowers mechanical properties. With the use of careful powder drying, low dew point atmospheres and optimisation of heating profiles, densities in excess of 7.70g/cm3 were attained. The brittle microstructure, containing carbide networks and free of cracks, is transformed by intelligent heat treatment to a tougher one of ferrite plus sub-micron spheroidised carbides. This gives the potential for production of components, which are both tough and suitable for sizing to improve dimensional tolerance. Yield strengths up to 410 MPa, fracture strengths up to 950 MPa and strains of up to 16 % were attained. Forging experiments were subsequently carried out for spheroidised specimens of Fe-0.85Mo+06Si+1.4C, for different strain rates of 10-3, 10-2, 10-1 and 1sec-1 and heated in argon to 700¿C, density ~7.8g/cm3 and 769 MPa yield strength were obtained. / Libyan Education Ministry Office

<p>In powder metallurgy research field, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Metal Powder Starch Consolidation (MPSC) are relatively new rapid forming techniques to fabricate complex and near net-shaped components. The working principles of DMLS are to melt and fuse metal powder layer by layer in computer controlled systems to pile up components like three dimensional printing. It has been for instance extensively used for mould inserts, die parts, and functional metal prototypes. Another, less explored method, starch consolidation is a pressureless direct casting method which consists principally of mixing powder slurry, casting into moulds, consolidation, drying, and sintering. With a strong focus on both methods, the study here combines several strong material technology sectors; powder, rapid forming, mechanical property testing and surface technology. It covers the processing chain from green body preparation, optimization of</p><p>sintering, nitriding, post sinter heat treatment, to modeling and assessment of material behaviour for end-user applications. An iron based powder and a high vanadium high speed steel powder with low and high carbon contents were used in the DMLS and MPSC processes, respectively. The overall aim of the study is to synthesize near net-shaped powder-based components, to characterize pores and microstructure, and to establish a fundamental understanding of failure mechanisms of powder based materials in bending fatigue, thermal fatigue and wear.</p><p>The study showed the DMLS and MPSC technologies could produce shaped components with a multi-phased structure, controllable nitriding depth and high relative densities in a range of 97 - 99.7 %. Materials' heterogeneity and porosity have detrimental influence on mechanical properties, especially on crack initiation and subsequent propagation.</p>

The initial stage of liquid phase sintering, involving liquid penetration, agglomerate separation, particle spreading and growth has been investigated in experiments using tungsten heavy alloys. The particle composites used were produced by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of pure powder mixtures of W-Ni-Fe-(Co). By using different HIP temperatures, volume fractions of tungsten, alloying elements like Cobalt and Sulphur or excluding Iron from the matrix, liquid penetration, agglomerate separation and particle growth conditions were affected. The investigations were performed mainly under microgravity (sounding rockets or parabolic trajectories by airplanes) but at high tungsten particle fractions, short sintering times or at infiltration of solid pure tungsten, they were performed at normal gravity. The liquid penetration of the tungsten agglomerates is explained by initial wetting under non-equilibrium conditions, due to the reaction between the liquid matrix and the particles, and a decrease of interfacial energy. The dissolving of tungsten gives a pressure drop in the penetrating liquid and a driving force for the liquid movement by a suggested parabolic penetration model. For cold worked tungsten, a penetration theory was proposed, where an internal stress release in the penetrated tungsten grains creates space for the advancing liquid. The spreading of the tungsten agglomerates is explained by an interagglomerate melt swelling due to a Kirkendall effect. The liquid matrix undergoes a volume increase since the diffusion rates of Ni-Fe are higher than for W and initial concentration gradients of W and Ni, Fe exists. The suggested model by Kirkendall are also used for an analysis of the interaction behaviour between solid particles and a solidification front and inclusion behaviour in iron base alloys during teeming and deoxidation. The average tungsten particles size decrease initially since part of the tungsten particles is dissolved when the non-equilibrium matrix phase is melting. When equilibrium is reached, the tungsten particles grow in accordance with the Ostwald ripening process by an approximately 1/3 power law. Larger particle fraction of particles showed a higher growth rate, due to shorter diffusion distances between the particles. Cobalt, Sulphur and absence of iron in the matrix were found to increase the growth rate of the tungsten particles due to a higher surface tension between the solid tungsten particles and the matrix melt. / QC 20100528

Surface energy plays a major role in many phenomena that are important in technological and industrial processes, for example in wetting, grain growth and sintering. In this thesis, such surface-energy driven processes are studied by means of the phase-field method. The phase-field method is often used to model mesoscale microstructural evolution in materials. It is a diffuse interface method, i.e., it considers the surface or phase boundary between two bulk phases to have a non-zero width with a gradual variation in physical properties such as energy density, composition and crystalline structure. Neck formation and coarsening are two important diffusion-controlled features in solid-state sintering and are studied using our multiphase phase-field method. Inclusion of Navier-Stokes equation with surface-tension forces and convective phase-field equations into the model, enables simulation of reactive wetting and liquid-phase sintering. Analysis of a spreading liquid on a surface is investigated and is shown to follow the dynamics of a known hydrodynamic theory. Analysis of important capillary phenomena with wetting and motion of two particles connected by a liquid bridge are studied in view of important parameters such as contact angles and volume ratios between the liquid and solid particles. The interaction between solute atoms and migrating grain boundaries affects the rate of recrystallization and grain growth. The phenomena is studied using a phase-field method with a concentration dependent double-well potential over the phase boundary. We will show that with a simple phase-field model it is possible to model the dynamics of grain-boundary segregation to a stationary boundary as well as solute drag on a moving boundary. Another important issue in phase-field modeling has been to develop an effective coupling of the phase-field and CALPHAD methods. Such coulping makes use of CALPHAD's thermodynamic information with Gibbs energy function in the phase-field method. With the appropriate thermodynamic and kinetic information from CALPHAD databases, the phase-field method can predict mictrostructural evolution in multicomponent multiphase alloys. A phase-field model coupled with a TQ-interface available from Thermo-Calc is developed to study spinodal decomposition in FeCr, FeCrNi and TiC-ZrC alloys. / QC 20100622

In the present dissertation the formation of microstructure, the kinetics of densification and the formation of surface layers developing during liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide are studied. The focus is on the additive systems Al2O3 plus Y2O3 and AlN plus Y2O3. Phase and especially liquid phase formation in both of the systems SiC, Al2O3 , Y2O3 and AlN, Al2O3 , Y2O3 are investigated in detail examining 12 espectively 17 different compositions per system. Melting temperatures have been determined by TG/DTA, in both systems for the first time. Phase composition of samples was analysed by the combination of XRD, SEM and EDX. In the system SiC, Al2O3 , Y2O3 the formation of the phases expected from the quasibinary Al2O3 , Y2O3 could be observed thus silicon carbide has to be in equilibrium with the oxide additives. The low solubility of SiC in the oxide melt, which was suggested by Hoffmann and Nader, could be confirmed. In the system AlN, Al2O3 , Y2O3 the formation of phases as stated by Medraj was confirmed, except for the dimension of the stability region of the γ- spinel and YAG which is wider in the present work. For the first time diffusion coefficients of the species Y3+ and Al3+ in the oxide melt formed by Al2O3 and Y2O3 at temperatures above 1825 ◦ C were determined. The values are in the order of 2 · 10−6 cm2 /s which results in a diffusion length of 14.1 μm for a diffusion time of one second. This allows the fast equilibration of Y and Al deficiencies. Kinetics of densification was modeled by kinetic field, master curve and thermokinetic method, based on detailed experimental investigation of the shrinkage during liquid phase sintering of SiC. It could be proved that the first 30 − 40 % of densification are controlled by solid phase reactions which accelerate particle rearrangement without presence of a liquid phase. During the remaining 60 − 70 % of densification a liquid is present, resulting in the predominance of mechanisms of liquid phase sintering. The models deliver activation energies in the range from 608 KJ/mol to 1668 kJ/mol and allow, within the scope of validity of each method the prediction of densification during liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide. When sintering silicon carbide with Al2O3 plus Y2O3 the formation of several surface layers, depending on atmosphere, maximum temperature, dwelling time and amount and composition of additives was observed. In nitrogen atmosphere with low partial pressures a surface layer consisting of AlN is forming whilst at high partial pressures SiAlON- polytypes occur. After sintering in Argon or Ar-CO- atmosphere three main types of surface layers are present. One consists of alumina, one contains only YAG and one shows highly porous, additive depleted regions. An explanation for the formation of the several surface layers could be given by the combination of the determined diffusion coefficients with the results achieved in the thermodynamics part. The results achieved in this work can be a contribution to the knowledge based design of the production process of liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide.

In powder metallurgy research field, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Metal Powder Starch Consolidation (MPSC) are relatively new rapid forming techniques to fabricate complex and near net-shaped components. The working principles of DMLS are to melt and fuse metal powder layer by layer in computer controlled systems to pile up components like three dimensional printing. It has been for instance extensively used for mould inserts, die parts, and functional metal prototypes. Another, less explored method, starch consolidation is a pressureless direct casting method which consists principally of mixing powder slurry, casting into moulds, consolidation, drying, and sintering. With a strong focus on both methods, the study here combines several strong material technology sectors; powder, rapid forming, mechanical property testing and surface technology. It covers the processing chain from green body preparation, optimization of sintering, nitriding, post sinter heat treatment, to modeling and assessment of material behaviour for end-user applications. An iron based powder and a high vanadium high speed steel powder with low and high carbon contents were used in the DMLS and MPSC processes, respectively. The overall aim of the study is to synthesize near net-shaped powder-based components, to characterize pores and microstructure, and to establish a fundamental understanding of failure mechanisms of powder based materials in bending fatigue, thermal fatigue and wear. The study showed the DMLS and MPSC technologies could produce shaped components with a multi-phased structure, controllable nitriding depth and high relative densities in a range of 97 - 99.7 %. Materials' heterogeneity and porosity have detrimental influence on mechanical properties, especially on crack initiation and subsequent propagation.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:06:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GilbertoM_DISSERT_PARCIAL.pdf: 494543 bytes, checksum: da2d1ceb188b373977eacdb9f150846c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-01-31 / In this work, was studied the formation of a composite of the refractory metal niobium with copper, through the process of high-energy milling and liquid phase sintering. The HEM can be used to synthesize composite powders with high homogeneity and fine size particle distribution. It may also produce the solid solubility in immiscible systems such as Nb-Cu, or extend the solubility of systems with limited solubility. Therefore, in the immiscible system Cu-Nb, the high-energy milling was successfully used to obtain the composite powder particles. Initially, the formation of composite particles during the HEM and the effect of preparation technique on the microstructure of the material was evaluated. Four loads of Nb and Cu powders containing 20%wt Cu were synthesized by MAE in a planetary type ball mill under different periods of grinding. The influence of grinding time on the metal particles is evaluated during the process by the withdrawal of samples at intermediate times of milling. After compaction under different forces, the samples were sintered in a vacuum furnace. The liquid phase sintering of these samples prepared by HEM produced a homogeneous and fine grained. The composite particles forming the sintered samples are the addition of a hard phase (Nb) with a high melting point, and a ductile phase (Cu) with low melting point and high thermal and electrical conductivities. Based on these properties, the Nb-Cu system is a potential material for many applications, such as electrical contacts, welding electrodes, coils for generating high magnetic fields, heat sinks and microwave absorbers, which are coupled to electronic devices. The characterization techniques used in this study, were laser granulometry, used to evaluate the homogeneity and particle size, and the X-ray diffraction, in the phase identification and to analyze the crystalline structure of the powders during milling. The morphology and dispersion of the phases in the composite powder particles, as well the microstructures of the sintered samples, were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Subsequently, the sintered samples are evaluated for density and densification. And finally, they were characterized by techniques of measuring the electrical conductivity and microhardness, whose properties are analyzed as a function of the parameters for obtaining the composite / Neste trabalho, foi estudada a forma??o de um comp?sito do metal refrat?rio ni?bio com o cobre, atrav?s do processo de moagem de alta energia e sinteriza??o por fase l?quida. A MAE pode ser usada para sintetizar p?s comp?sitos com alta homogeneidade e fina distribui??o de tamanho de part?culas. Ela tamb?m pode produzir a solubilidade s?lida em sistemas imisc?veis como o Nb-Cu, ou, estender a solubilidade de sistemas com limitada solubilidade. Portanto, no sistema imisc?vel Nb-Cu, a moagem de alta energia foi utilizada com sucesso para a obten??o das part?culas do p? comp?sito. Inicialmente a forma??o das part?culas comp?sitas durante a MAE e o efeito dessa t?cnica de prepara??o na microestrutura do material foi avaliada. Quatro cargas de p?s de Nb e Cu contendo 20% em massa de Cu foram sintetizados por MAE em um moinho de bolas tipo planet?rio, sob diferentes per?odos de moagem. A influ?ncia do tempo de moagem nas part?culas met?licas ? avaliada no decorrer do processo, atrav?s da retirada de amostras em tempos parciais da moagem. Ap?s a compacta??o sob diferentes for?as, as amostras foram sinterizadas em um forno ? v?cuo. A sinteriza??o por fase l?quida destas amostras preparadas por MAE produziu uma estrutura homog?nea e com granula??o refinada. As part?culas comp?sitas que formam as amostras sinterizadas, s?o a jun??o de uma fase dura (Nb) com alto ponto de fus?o, e uma fase d?ctil (Cu) de baixo ponto de fus?o e de elevadas condutividades t?rmica e el?trica. Com base nestas propriedades, o sistema Nb-Cu ? um material em potencial para in?meras aplica??es, como contatos el?tricos, eletrodos de solda, bobinas para gera??o de altos campos magn?ticos, dissipadores de calor e absorvedores de microondas, que s?o acoplados a dispositivos eletr?nicos. As t?cnicas de caracteriza??o utilizadas neste estudo, foram a granulometria ? laser para avaliar a homogeneidade e o tamanho das part?culas, e a difra??o de raios-X, na identifica??o das fases e an?lise da estrutura cristalina dos p?s durante a moagem. J? a morfologia e a dispers?o das fases nas part?culas do p? comp?sito, assim como as microestruturas das amostras sinterizadas, foram observadas atrav?s de microscopia eletr?nica de varredura (MEV). Posteriormente, as amostras sinterizadas foram avaliadas quanto ? densidade e densifica??o. E, finalmente, foram caracterizadas atrav?s de t?cnicas de medi??o da condutividade el?trica e microdureza Vickers, cujas propriedades s?o analisadas em fun??o dos par?metros de obten??o do comp?sito