The success in fabrication of various nano-sized powders, wires or tubes has arisen the new possibility in modifying the existing commercial materials in terms of their functional or structural characteristics. In this study, the AZ61 Mg alloy is adopted as the matrix, and nano-sized SiO2 particulates are introduced into the alloy by means of casting, powder metallurgy, or spray forming processes to fabricate a high performance Mg matrix composite. The strengthening mechanisms, fracture toughness and bending toughness of the AZ61 Mg based composites are examined. The composites were prepared either by spray forming, ingot metallurgy, or powder metallurgy, followed by severe hot extrusion. The spray formed composites exhibit the best nano particle distribution and toughness, but the volume fraction of the nano particles that can be inserted is limited. The nano composites fabricated through the powder metallurgy method possess the highest strength due to the extra strengthening effect from the MgO phase. Strengthening analysis based on the Orowan strengthening mechanism can predict well the composite strength provided that the nano particles are in reasonably uniform dispersion. For composites containing higher nano particle volume fractions greater than 3%, the experimental strength data fall well below the theoretical predictions, suggesting poor dispersion of the reinforcement. The creep properties of the composites are also explored. The specimens are subjected to tensile loading at temperatures 200 to 400oC and strain rates 1x10-3 to 1x10-1. The creep mechanism is identified as dislocation creep controlled with the rate controlling diffusion step being the magnesium lattice diffusion at low strain rates and grain boundary diffusion at high strain rates.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23195号 / 工博第4839号 / 新制||工||1756(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科材料工学専攻 / (主査)教授 辻 伸泰, 教授 奥田 浩司, 教授 安田 秀幸 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第22777号 / 工博第4776号 / 新制||工||1747(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科材料工学専攻 / (主査)教授 乾 晴行, 教授 安田 秀幸, 教授 辻 伸泰 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

Ni electrodeposition is a suitable process for producing thick deposits and thick metallic microstructures, especially for producing relatively deep micromoulds in Microsystems industry. Ni-P deposits, due to their better properties compared to Ni deposits – particularly high mechanical properties (hardness, wear resistivity), corrosion resistance, magnetic properties, a higher fatigue limit and lower macroscopic deformation – can be a very good alternative for producing Microsystems, especially for MEMS or Microengines. According to few limited literature and our primary investigations, dispersion coating and adding particle into the electrolyte can be considered as an approach in order to decrease the stress and ease the deposition of Ni-P galvanically. Although in the last decades the influence of particles embedment in the matrix by electroplating techniques have attracted the scientific interest, there are still contradictions among the research community concerning the influence of codeposited particles on the microstructure and strengthening properties of Ni-based composites coatings. In many cases, it is believed that the enhanced mechanical performance of the coatings is mainly caused by a change in the microstructure of the metal matrix and not so much by the presence of the particles themselves. In other words, the role of particle characteristics - like their nature, size and concentration - on the layer features and strengthening mechanism of electrodeposited Ni-based composite coating with different matrix is not cleared well. Furthermore, the incorporation of particles into the deposit is mainly considered as a key factor for determining the composite coatings properties. Despite of existing models of ECD, the mechanism of particle incorporation into the film under influence of different particle characteristics has not been well understood yet. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to shed light on the effect of particle characteristics (size, concentration, type) on the codeposition process, microstructure and strengthening mechanisms in Ni and Ni-P electrodeposited composite coatings.

This study focuses on developing explicit analytical and numerical process models for mechanical micro-machining of heterogeneous materials. These models are used to select suitable process parameters for preparing and micro-machining of these advanced materials. The material system studied in this research is Magnesium Metal Matrix Composites (Mg-MMCs) reinforced with nano-sized and micro-sized silicon carbide (SiC) particles. This research is motivated by increasing demands of miniaturized components with high mechanical performance in various industries. Mg-MMCs become one of the best candidates due to its light weight, high strength, and high creep/wear resistance. However, the improved strength and abrasive nature of the reinforcements bring great challenges for the subsequent micro-machining process. Systematic experimental investigations on the machinability of Mg-MMCs reinforced with SiC nano-particles have been conducted. The nanocomposites containing 5 Vol.%, 10 Vol.% and 15 Vol.% reinforcements, as well as pure magnesium, are studied by using the Design of Experiment (DOE) method. Cutting forces, surface morphology and surface roughness are characterized to understand the machinability of the four materials. Based on response surface methodology (RSM) design, experimental models and related contour plots have been developed to build a connection between different materials properties and cutting parameters. Those models can be used to predict the cutting force, the surface roughness, and then optimize the machining process. An analytical cutting force model has been developed to predict cutting forces of MgMMCs reinforced with nano-sized SiC particles in the micro-milling process. This model is iv different from previous ones by encompassing the behaviors of reinforcement nanoparticles in three cutting scenarios, i.e., shearing, ploughing and elastic recovery. By using the enhanced yield strength in the cutting force model, three major strengthening factors are incorporated, including load-bearing effect, enhanced dislocation density strengthening effect and Orowan strengthening effect. In this way, the particle size and volume fraction, as significant factors affecting the cutting forces, are explicitly considered. In order to validate the model, various cutting conditions using different size end mills (100 µm and 1 mm dia.) have been conducted on Mg-MMCs with volume fraction from 0 (pure magnesium) to 15 Vol.%. The simulated cutting forces show a good agreement with the experimental data. The proposed model can predict the major force amplitude variations and force profile changes as functions of the nanoparticles’ volume fraction. Next, a systematic evaluation of six ductile fracture models has been conducted to identify the most suitable fracture criterion for micro-scale cutting simulations. The evaluated fracture models include constant fracture strain, Johnson-Cook, Johnson-Cook coupling criterion, Wilkins, modified Cockcroft-Latham, and Bao-Wierzbicki fracture criterion. By means of a user material subroutine (VUMAT), these fracture models are implemented into a Finite Element (FE) orthogonal cutting model in ABAQUS/Explicit platform. The local parameters (stress, strain, fracture factor, velocity fields) and global variables (chip morphology, cutting forces, temperature, shear angle, and machined surface integrity) are evaluated. Results indicate that by coupling with the damage evolution, the capability of Johnson-Cook and Bao-Wierzbicki can be further extended to predict accurate chip morphology. Bao-Wierzbiki-based coupling model provides the best simulation results in this study. v The micro-cutting performance of MMCs materials has also been studied by using FE modeling method. A 2-D FE micro-cutting model has been constructed. Firstly, homogenized material properties are employed to evaluate the effect of particles’ volume fraction. Secondly, micro-structures of the two-phase material are modeled in FE cutting models. The effects of the existing micro-sized and nano-sized ceramic particles on micro-cutting performance are carefully evaluated in two case studies. Results show that by using the homogenized material properties based on Johnson-Cook plasticity and fracture model with damage evolution, the micro-cutting performance of nano-reinforced Mg-MMCs can be predicted. Crack generation for SiC particle reinforced MMCs is different from their homogeneous counterparts; the effect of micro-sized particles is different from the one of nano-sized particles. In summary, through this research, a better understanding of the unique cutting mechanism for particle reinforced heterogeneous materials has been obtained. The effect of reinforcements on micro-cutting performance is obtained, which will help material engineers tailor suitable material properties for special mechanical design, associated manufacturing method and application needs. Moreover, the proposed analytical and numerical models provide a guideline to optimize process parameters for preparing and micro-machining of heterogeneous MMCs materials. This will eventually facilitate the automation of MMCs’ machining process and realize high-efficiency, high-quality, and low-cost manufacturing of composite materials.

Ni electrodeposition is a suitable process for producing thick deposits and thick metallic microstructures, especially for producing relatively deep micromoulds in Microsystems industry. Ni-P deposits, due to their better properties compared to Ni deposits – particularly high mechanical properties (hardness, wear resistivity), corrosion resistance, magnetic properties, a higher fatigue limit and lower macroscopic deformation – can be a very good alternative for producing Microsystems, especially for MEMS or Microengines. According to few limited literature and our primary investigations, dispersion coating and adding particle into the electrolyte can be considered as an approach in order to decrease the stress and ease the deposition of Ni-P galvanically. Although in the last decades the influence of particles embedment in the matrix by electroplating techniques have attracted the scientific interest, there are still contradictions among the research community concerning the influence of codeposited particles on the microstructure and strengthening properties of Ni-based composites coatings. In many cases, it is believed that the enhanced mechanical performance of the coatings is mainly caused by a change in the microstructure of the metal matrix and not so much by the presence of the particles themselves. In other words, the role of particle characteristics - like their nature, size and concentration - on the layer features and strengthening mechanism of electrodeposited Ni-based composite coating with different matrix is not cleared well. Furthermore, the incorporation of particles into the deposit is mainly considered as a key factor for determining the composite coatings properties. Despite of existing models of ECD, the mechanism of particle incorporation into the film under influence of different particle characteristics has not been well understood yet. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to shed light on the effect of particle characteristics (size, concentration, type) on the codeposition process, microstructure and strengthening mechanisms in Ni and Ni-P electrodeposited composite coatings.