Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Hulya Dogan / Viscoelastic wheat flour doughs are renowned for their ability to produce high quality aerated bread products. Dough exhibits extremely complex rheological properties which makes it capable of occluding and retaining gas cells. The ability of these bubbles to resist failure and remain stable throughout the proofing and baking process is critical to final bread structure and volume. Understanding these factors is important when creating the distinct structural and textural characteristics that consumers desire in baked products. In this study, a method was established for using X-ray microtomography (XMT) to study the microstructure of proving dough as well as bread made from three very different wheat flours. Doughs were prepared according to AACC Method 10-10B optimized straight-dough bread-making method. Sections from unproofed (0 min), underproofed (20 min) and optimally proofed (40 min) doughs were carefully cut and frozen at –80°C. Baked loaves were also prepared following standard test bake procedures. Small specimens were cut from two locations of both the proofed and baked loaves prior to microstructural analysis. A total of 96 dough and bread samples were scanned using a high resolution desktop X-ray micro-CT system Skyscan1072 (Skyscan, Belgium) consisting of an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector and a CCD-camera. X-ray images were obtained from 137 rotation views through 180° of rotation. Hundreds of reconstructed cross sectional images were analyzed using CTAn (v.1.7) software. 3-D analysis of the bubbles indicated that average dough void fractions increased dramatically over proof time from 30.9% for the unproofed dough (0 min) to 62.0% and 74.5 % for the underproofed (20 min) and optimally proofed (40 min) doughs respectively. Oven spring caused further expansion in the baked loaves which increased average void fraction to 84.3%. Gas cell size distributions were largely skewed to the right and shifted in that same direction as processing time increased. Differences in gas cell size seen among flour varieties were largely due to variations in the size of the largest cells caused by coalescence.

Engineers constantly seek advancements in the performance of aircraft and power generation engines, including, lower costs and emissions, and improved fuel efficiency. Nickel-base superalloys are the material of choice for turbine discs, which experience some of the highest temperatures and stresses in the engine. Engine performance is proportional to operating temperatures. Consequently, the high-temperature capabilities of disc materials limit the performance of gas-turbine engines. Therefore, any improvements to engine performance necessitate improved alloy performance. In order to take advantage of improvements in high-temperature capabilities through tailoring of alloy microstructure, the overall objectives of this work were to establish relationships between alloy processing and microstructure, and between microstructure and mechanical properties. In addition, the project aimed to demonstrate the applicability of neural network modeling to the field of Ni-base disc alloy development and behavior. A full program of heat-treatment, microstructural quantification, mechanical testing, and neural network modeling was successfully applied to next generation Ni-base disc alloys. Mechanical testing included hot tensile, hot hardness, creep deformation, creep crack growth, and fatigue crack growth. From this work the mechanisms of processing-structure and structure-property relationships were studied. Further, testing results were used to demonstrate the applicability of machine-learning techniques to the development and optimization of this family of superalloys.

A novel and efficient methodology is developed for computer simulations of realistic two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures. The simulations incorporate realistic 2D and 3D complex morphologies/shapes, spatial patterns, anisotropy, volume fractions, and size distributions of the microstructural features statistically similar to those in the corresponding real microstructures. The methodology permits simulations of sufficiently large 2D as well as 3D microstructural windows that incorporate short-range (on the order of particle/feature size) as well as long-range (hundred times the particle/feature size) microstructural heterogeneities and spatial patterns at high resolution. The utility of the technique has been successfully demonstrated through its application to the 2D microstructures of the constituent particles in wrought Al-alloys, the 3D microstructure of discontinuously reinforced Al-alloy (DRA) composites containing SiC particles that have complex 3D shapes/morphologies and spatial clustering, and 3D microstructure of boron modified Ti-6Al-4V composites containing fine TiB whiskers and coarse primary TiB particles. The simulation parameters are correlated with the materials processing parameters (such as composition, particle size ratio, extrusion ratio, extrusion temperature, etc.), which enables the simulations of rational virtual 3D microstructures for the parametric studies on microstructure-properties relationships. The simulated microstructures have been implemented in the 3D finite-elements (FE)-based framework for simulations of micro-mechanical response and stress-strain curves. Finally, a new unbiased and assumption free dual-scale virtual cycloids probe for estimating surface area of 3D objects constructed by 2D serial section images is also presented.

Les matériaux polymères renforcés de fibres (PRF) sont de plus en plus utilisés dans les ouvrages du génie civil à cause de leurs nombreux avantages par rapport à l'acier d'armature. Toutefois, certaines conditions d'application peuvent potentiellement affecter leur durabilité, rendant cruciales les études exhaustives de leur durabilité à long terme pour permettre leur plein développement. Plusieurs agresseurs de l'environnement d'application des barres de PRF peuvent potentiellement altérer les propriétés de ces dernières à court ou à long terme. Plusieurs études portant sur l'effet de l'alcalinité du béton et de l'humidité ont déjà été menées dans le passé en utilisant des vieillissements accélérés en laboratoire par immersion en solution alcaline simulant le pH du béton. Ces études doivent obligatoirement faire intervenir un facteur accélérant comme la température permettant de les effectuer dans des délais raisonnables. L'usage de paramètres de conditionnement trop sévères peut amplifier de manière non représentative la réduction des propriétés et la diffusion de l'humidité et mener à une sous-estimation de la durabilité des composites de PRF impliquant même une conception trop conservatrice des ouvrages contenant ces nouveaux matériaux. La présente thèse présente l'étude de la durabilité à long terme de barres PRF soumis à des vieillissements accélérés en laboratoire simulant mieux la réalité comparativement aux vieillissements traditionnellement utilisés. En particulier, il sera question d'évaluer la durabilité des barres de PRF et de l'interface entre le béton et les barres en termes de perte de propriétés physiques et mécaniques et d'effets microstructuraux suite à des vieillissements en laboratoire. Il sera aussi question d'identifier les principaux phénomènes de dégradation pouvant affecter les composites de PRF lors de leur utilisation comme renforcement interne du béton et de confirmer la pertinence des paramètres de vieillissements accélérés en laboratoire utilisés pour prédire le comportement à long-terme des composites de PRF. Finalement, les effets des températures extrêmes d'application et de la fissuration due à un impact sur la durabilité des barres seront d'intérêt.Les résultats de cette thèse démontrent clairement que les barres de PRFV testées ne sont que très peu affectées par l'environnement du béton et que les résultats obtenus par des vieillissements traditionnels en solution alcaline mènent à des résultats conservateurs et à une sous-estimation des propriétés à long terme des barres de PRF.

Η πτυχιακή εργασία αφορά στην μελέτη της σχέσης της μικροδομής ψαμμιτών και της μηχανικής τους συμπεριφοράς. Αναλύονται μηχανικές, φυσικές και γεωτεχνικές ιδιότητες σε σχέση με το πορώδες, διαπερατότητα, δομική ωριμότητα και γενικά όλες τις πετρογραφικές ιδιότητες ιζηματογενών πετρωμάτων. / This BSc thesis is about the studying of the relationship of the sandstone microstructure as it is influenced by their mechanical behaviour. We review the mechanical, physical and geotechnical behaviour in comparison to the porosity, the permeability, structural maturity and in general all the sedimentary petrographic characters.

This work concerns the vacuum deposition of novel thin films that exhibit nonlinear optical effects due to their unusual microstructure. We discuss four different materials: 1) Tilted columns of aluminum-oxide 2) Gold particles in aluminum-oxide 3) Cadmium sulpho-selenide particles in aluminum-oxide 4) Silver particles in zinc-sulphide. We begin with a description of the vacuum system and some the techniques used to characterize the optical and structural properties of the films. This leads to our study of second-harmonic generation (SHG) in aluminum-oxide thin films deposited at an angle to the evaporant source. We show that SHG is very sensitive to the non-isotropic microstructure that results from such a deposition. and the behavior of the SHG signal with sample orientation provides insight to the symmetry properties of the microstructure. In a related study we show that AU/Al₂O₃ composite films produce a large SHG signal. We investigate the dependence of the strength of the SHG signal with fill-fraction of gold and show that it increases quadratically. in agreement with theory. The third material we discuss is cadmium sulpho-selenide doped aluminumoxide. We describe attempts at nucleating semiconductor crystallites in a variety of hosts through a process of co-deposition and subsequent annealing. We also deposit alternate layers of CdS-Se and Al₂O₃ with the semiconductor layer thin enough that interspersed crystallites form. This results in suspended. isolated crystallites similar to the doped-glass materials of interest to nonlinear optics. A waveguide of a CdS/Al₂O₃ "sandwich" demonstrates optical nonlinearity through a power-dependent prism coupling experiment, and the degree of nonlinearity is much greater than undoped glass, though less than doped glass. The final section of the dissertation is a theoretical description of nonlinear optical behavior in a novel composite material consisting of metal particles in a nonlinear dielectric host. We assume the enhanced field around the resonating particles drives the host locally nonlinear through either a Kerr-type or thermal nonlinearity. We calculate the change in optical properties of the medium due to this effect and show that for a system of silver in zinc-sulphide the nonlinearity can be significant.

No description available.

Magnesium alloys, as the lightest of all structural metallic materials, and aluminium-based particulate metal matrix composites (PMMCs), offering unified combination of metallic and ceramic properties, have attracted increased interest from the automotive, aerospace, electronic and recreation industries. Current processing technologies for PMMCs do not achieve a uniform distribution of fine-sized reinforcements and produce agglomerated particles in the ductile matrix, which are detrimental to the ductility. At the same time, molten magnesium alloys contain impurities and oxides and when cast conventionally, the final components usually exhibit a coarse and non-uniform microstructure with various casting defects. The key idea in this thesis has been to adopt a novel intensive melt conditioning process, allowing the application of sufficient shear stress that would disperse solid particles present in the melt and offer unique solidification behaviour, improved fluidity and die-filling during casting. The Melt Conditioned High Pressure Die Casting (MC-HPDC) process, where intensive shearing is directly imposed on the alloy melt, which is then cast by the conventional HPDC process, has been used to produce PMMC and magnesium alloy castings. The MC-HPDC process for PMMCs leads to a uniform dispersion of the reinforcement in the matrix, confirmed by quantitative statistical analysis, and increased mechanical performance as indicated by an increase in the hardness and the tensile properties of the composites. We describe a solidification path for aluminium containing magnesium alloys, where intensive shearing prior to casting leads to effective dispersion of solid oxide particles, which then effectively act as nucleation sites for magnesium grains, resulting in significant grain refinement. The MC-HPDC processed magnesium castings have a significantly refined microstructure, with reduced porosity levels and casting defects. Evaluation of the mechanical properties of the castings reveals the beneficial effect of intensive shearing. After careful optimization, the MC-HPDC process shows promising potential for the direct recycling of high purity magnesium die casting scrap, producing casting with mechanical properties comparable to those of primary magnesium alloys.

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is currently being considered for use in manufacture of the Navy's NiAl bronze propellers. Incorporating this technology may improve service performance and enable reduction of manufacturing time and cost. This program of research has employed miniature tensile sample designs to examine the distributions of longitudinal properties through the various regimes in a fusion weld. Also, the distributions of both longitudinal and transverse properties throughout the stir zones for selected FSP conditions were examined. Yield strengths were larger in various FSP conditions by at least a factor of two relative to fusion welds. Ultimate strengths were comparable in the weld pool and stir nugget. WidmanstaÌ tten microstructures and microvoid formation and coalescence in the fracture surface resulted in high ductilities in weld metal and the stir nugget. The thermomechanically affected zone of FSP and the heat affected zone of a fusion weld both exhibit low ductility. This may reflect formation of "a" upon heating to temperatures of 800-850 [degrees]C, followed by rapid cooling and transformation of the "a" to form martensitic transformation products in their respective microstructures. For a single-pass raster pattern, transverse ductility is lower than longitudinal ductility. For a multi-pass raster, transverse ductility is higher than longitudinal ductility. For multi-pass raster and spiral patterns in FSP, the data show that the mechanical properties are more nearly isotropic. / US Navy (USN) author.

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is currently being developed for applications including as-cast Nickel- Aluminum Bronze (NAB). Fabrication and repair of the United States Navy's NAB propellers involve fusion welding of as-cast NAB and so it is probable that FSP is likely to encounter as deposited weld metal as well as the more slowly cooled as-cast material. Here, the microstructure and resulting distribution of mechanical properties was examined for a fusion weld overlay, an FSP stir zone and an FSP stir zone that was placed in fusion weld metal. As-deposited weld metal exhibited a refined WidmanstaÌ tten morphology and higher yield and ultimate strengths as well as increased ductility in comparison to base metal. However, the heat affected zone (HAZ) exhibited severely reduced ductility. Strength and ductility varied throughout the FSP stir zone. The reduction in ductility in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and HAZ was less for FSP than for the fusion weld. FSP over a fusion weld resulted in strengths and ductility's similar to those produced by FSP alone, although a region of low ductility was observed at a location where stir zone weld metal and base metal were all present.