Additively manufactured polymer tools are evaluated for use in metal forming as prototype tools and in the attempt to make sheet metal more attractive to small production volumes. Printing materials, strategies and accuracies are presented before the tools and tested in V-bending and groove pressing of 1 mm aluminum sheets. The V-bending shows that the tools change surface topography during forming until a steady state is reached at around five strokes. The geometrical accuracy obtained in V-bending is evaluated by the spring-back angle and the resulting bend radius, while bending to 90° with three different punch nose radii. The spring-back shows additional effects from the elastic deflection of the tools, and the influence from the punch nose radius is found to be influenced by the printing strategy due to the ratio between tool radius and the printed solid shell thickness enclosing the otherwise less dense bulk part of the tool. Groove pressing shows the combined effect of groove heights and angular changes due to spring-back. In all cases, the repeatability is discussed to show the potential of tool corrections for obtaining formed parts closer to nominal values. Full article

Self-passivating Metal Alloys with Reduced Thermo-oxidation (SMART) are under development for the primary application as plasma-facing materials for the first wall in a fusion DEMOnstration power plant (DEMO). SMART materials must combine suppressed oxidation in case of an accident and an acceptable plasma performance during the regular operation of the future power plant. Modern SMART materials contain chromium as a passivating element, yttrium as an active element and a tungsten base matrix. An overview of the research and development program on SMART materials is presented and all major areas of the structured R&D are explained. Attaining desired performance under accident and regular plasma conditions are vital elements of an R&D program addressing the viability of the entire concept. An impressive more than 10⁴-fold suppression of oxidation, accompanied with more than 40-fold suppression of sublimation of tungsten oxide, was attained during an experimentally reproduced accident event with a duration of 10 days. The sputtering resistance under DEMO-relevant plasma conditions of SMART materials and pure tungsten was identical for conditions corresponding to nearly 20 days of continuous DEMO operation. Fundamental understanding of physics processes undergone in the SMART material is gained via fundamental studies comprising dedicated modeling and experiments. The important role of yttrium, stabilizing the SMART alloy microstructure and improving self-passivating behavior, is under investigation. Activities toward industrial up-scale have begun, comprising the first mechanical alloying with an industrial partner and the sintering of a bulk SMART alloy sample with dimensions of 100 mm × 100 mm × 7 mm using an industrial facility. These achievements open the way to further expansion of the SMART technology toward its application in fusion and potentially in other renewable energy sources such as concentrated solar power stations. Full article

The detrimental effect of nitrogen and oxygen when it comes to the precipitation of the strengthening γ’’ and γ’ phases in Alloy 718 is well-known from traditional manufacturing. Hence, the influence of the two processing atmospheres, namely argon and nitrogen, during the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of Alloy 718 parts was studied. Regardless of the gas type, considerable losses of both oxygen of about 150 ppm O₂ (≈30%) and nitrogen on the level of around 400 ppm N₂ (≈25%) were measured in comparison to the feedstock powder. The utilization of nitrogen as processing atmosphere led to a slightly higher nitrogen content in the as-built material—about 50 ppm—compared to the argon atmosphere. The presence of the stable nitrides and Al-rich oxides observed in the as-built material was related to the transfer of these inclusions from the nitrogen atomized powder feedstock to the components. This was confirmed by dedicated analysis of the powder feedstock and supported by thermodynamic and kinetic calculations. Rapid cooling rates were held responsible for the limited nitrogen pick-up. Oxide dissociation during laser–powder interaction, metal vaporization followed by oxidation and spatter generation, and their removal by processing atmosphere are the factors describing an important oxygen loss during L-PBF. In addition, the reduction of the oxygen level in the process atmosphere from 500 to 50 ppm resulted in the reduction in the oxygen level in as-built component by about 5%. Full article

Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in the aerospace, automotive, marine and medical sectors, owing to their high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. However, they exhibit poor machinability due to low thermal conductivity, high shear modulus, strain hardening, etc. Various modifications have been incorporated into existing machining techniques to address these issues. One such modification is the incorporation of ultrasonic assistance to turning operations. The assisted process is popularly known as ultrasonic assisted turning (UAT), and uses ultrasonic vibration to the processing zone to cut the material. The present article investigates the effect of ultrasonic vibration on coated carbide tool wear for machining Nimonic-90 under dry and wet conditions. UAT and conventional turning (CT) were performed at constant cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. The results show that the main wear mechanisms were abrasion, chipping, notch wear and adhesion of the built-up edge in both processes. However, by using a coolant, the formation of the built-up edge was reduced. CT and UAT under dry conditions showed an approximate reduction of 20% in the width of flank wear compared to CT and UAT under wet conditions. UAT showed approximate reductions of 6–20% in cutting force and 13–27% in feed force compared to the CT process. The chips formed during UAT were thinner, smoother and shorter than those formed during CT. Full article

Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) of dissimilar S45C steel and 6061-T6 aluminum alloy in a butt configuration is experimentally investigated. Butt spot welding is performed using a convex scrolled shoulder tool at different tool rotational speeds. FSSW butt joints are successfully fabricated by offsetting the tool to the steel side. The microstructures of the joints fabricated at three different tool rotational speeds are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry. Microstructural analysis shows the presence of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) along the steel/aluminum interface. The thickness of the IMC layer and the tensile strength of the joint increase with increasing the tool rotational speed. The results of tensile tests and microstructural analysis show that the joint performance is closely related to the IMCs at the joint interface. Full article

In this paper, the damage mechanism of glass fiber reinforced composite (GFRC) under lightning strike by laying and inserting copper wires in the laminate was studied. The ablation characteristics of GFRC under different lightning current components were explored. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to conduct the morphology analysis at the damaged area. The results show that the high temperature induced by lightning striking leads to resin pyrolysis, glass fiber (GF) sublimation, and stress waves, which results in fiber breakage and delamination. Then, a finite element (FE) thermal-electric coupling model for predicting the lightning ablation damage of GFRC was established. The comparison between the simulation and experimental results are in good agreement, which validate the effectiveness of the proposed FE model. The relationship between the lightning ablation area and the lightning current amplitude, charge amount, and specific energy in creeping discharge and through discharge was obtained by data fitting. The whole ablation damage process was revealed by FE simulation. Full article

In this paper, boron carbide (B₄C) ceramics were added to a copper (Cu) base, to improve the mechanical properties and wear resistance of pure copper. The B₄C/Cu composites with different B₄C contents, were obtained by mechanical mixing and discharge plasma sintering methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy spectrum analysis (EDS), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) were used, to observe and analyze the microstructures of the B₄C/Cu composites. The influences of the B₄C content on the hardness, density, conductivity, and wear resistance were also studied. The experimental results show that B₄C has an important effect on Cu. With increasing B₄C content, both the density and conductivity of the B₄C/Cu composites gradually decrease. The hardness of the Cu-15 wt.% B₄C composite has the highest value, 86 HBW (Brinell hardness tungsten carbide ball indenter), which is 79.2% higher than that of pure copper. However, when the B₄C amount increases to 20 wt.%, the hardness decreases due to the metallic connection being weakened in the material. The Cu-15 wt.% B₄C composite has the lowest volume loss, indicating that it has the best wear resistance. Analyses of worn B₄C/Cu composite surfaces suggest that deep and narrow grooves, as well as sharp ridges, appear on the worn pure Cu surface, but on the worn Cu-15 wt.% B₄C composite surface, the furrows become shallow and few. In particular, ridge formation cannot be found on the worn Cu-15 wt.% B₄C composite surface, which represents the enhancement in wear resistance. Full article

In underwater wet welding, the unstable welding process caused by the generation and rupture of bubbles and the chilling effect of water on the welding area result in low quality of welded joints, which makes it difficult to meet the practical application of marine engineering. To improve the process stability and joining quality, a mixture of welding flux with a water glass or epoxy resin was placed on the welding zone before underwater welding. In this paper, welds’ appearance, geometry statistics of welds’ formation, welding process stability, slag structure, microstructure, pores and mechanical properties were investigated. It was found that with the addition of water glass in the mixture, the penetration of weld was effectively increased, and the frequency of arc extinction was reduced. Though the porosity rose to a relatively high level, the joints’ comprehensive mechanical properties were not significantly improved. Notably, the applied epoxy resin completely isolated the surrounding water from the welding area, which greatly improved process stability. Furthermore, it benefited from the microstructure filled with massive acicular ferrite, the average elongation and room temperature impact toughness increased by 178.4%, and 69.1% compared with underwater wet welding, respectively, and the bending angle of the joint reaches to 180°. Full article

High cycle fatigue failure has been recognized as one of the major forms of failure of aero-engine blades. This paper presents the high cycle fatigue testing of a Ni-based superalloy near <111> orientation at 800 °C. The fracture morphology and dislocation configuration were analyzed in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to indicate the influence of orientation deviation degree on the high cycle fatigue properties. The results show that the orientation deviation significantly affects the initiation of the slip systems, which is closely related to fatigue performance. The best fatigue life appears on the precise <111> orientation, and the deformation behavior is controlled by multiple sets of equivalent <110> {111} slip systems. With the increase in orientation deviation, the fatigue properties of the alloy degenerate significantly. On the boundary of <111>-<001>, two groups of <110> {111} slip systems with the maximum Schmid shear stress dominate the deformation behavior. On the other hand, on the <111>-<011> boundary, the formation of stacking faults and rapid cutting of γ’ precipitates results in a negative effect on the fatigue life. Full article

In order to investigate the relationship between tribo-magnetization and wear phenomena, a series of sliding-friction tests were carried out using a pin-on-block reciprocator type device, which was specially designed to generate sliding friction and to detect magnetic fields. The tribological behavior was observed by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera in real time, and the magnetic signal was detected by using a two-axis magnetic sensor. It was found that as the friction continues, both the tangential and the normal components of magnetic field on the material surface increase gradually, and that both the average value of the tangential magnetic field ΔH(x)_mean and the peak-to-peak value of the normal magnetic field V_pp at the wear scar clearly reflect changes of the wear state. Furthermore, in order to better understand the tribo-magnetization phenomenon, the changes of surface morphology and wear debris in different wear stages were analyzed. Moreover, an improved magnetic dipole model that considered the distribution of magnetic charges on the worn surface was established. This model can successfully describe the tribo-magnetization phenomenon during the stable wear stage, and should be useful for characterizing frictional wear phenomena in the future. Full article

In this study, we present the results of Young’s modulus and coefficient of friction (COF) of Ti–Ta surface alloys formed by electron-beam surface alloying by a scanning electron beam. Ta films were deposited on the top of Ti substrates, and the specimens were then electron-beam surface alloyed, where the beam power was varied from 750 to 1750 W. The structure of the samples was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Young’s modulus was studied by a nanoindentation test. The coefficient of friction was studied by a micromechanical wear experiment. It was found that at 750 W, the Ta film remained undissolved on the top of the Ti, and no alloyed zone was observed. By an increase in the beam power to 1250 and 1750 W, a distinguished alloyed zone is formed, where it is much thicker in the case of 1750 W. The structure of the obtained surface alloys is in the form of double-phase α’and β. In both surface alloys formed by a beam power of 1250 and 1750 W, respectively, Young’s modulus decreases about two times due to different reasons: in the case of alloying by 1250 W, the observed drop is attributed to the larger amount of the β phase, while at 1750 W is it due to the weaker binding forces between the atoms. The results obtained for the COF show that the formation of the Ti–Ta surface alloy on the top of Ti substrate leads to a decrease in the coefficient of friction, where the effect is more pronounced in the case of the formation of Ti–Ta surface alloys by a beam power of 1250 W. Full article

AISI 321 stainless steel has excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion and is generally used in nuclear power reactor vessels and other components. The as-cast and wrought structures are quite different in hot workability, so physical simulation, electron back-scatter diffraction, and hot processing maps were used to study the mechanical behavior and microstructure evolution of as-cast nuclear grade 321 stainless steel in the temperature range of 900–1200 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–10 s⁻¹. The results showed that the flow curve presented work-hardening characteristics. The activation energy was calculated as 478 kJ/mol. The fraction of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) increased with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate. DRX grain size decreased with increasing Z value. Combining the hot working map and DRX state map, the suggested hot working window was 1000–1200 °C and 0.01–0.1 s⁻¹. The main form of instability was necklace DRX. The nucleation mechanism of DRX was the migration of subgrains. The δ phase reduced the activation energy and promoted DRX nucleation of the tested steel. Full article

Refractory metal high entropy superalloys (RSAs) have been heralded as potential new high temperature structural materials. They have nanoscale cuboidal bcc+B2 microstructures that are thought to form on quenching through a spinodal decomposition process driven by the Ta-Zr or Nb-Zr miscibility gaps, followed by ordering of one of the bcc phases. However, it is difficult to isolate the role of different elemental interactions within compositionally complex RSAs. Therefore, in this work the microstructures produced by the Nb-Zr miscibility gap within the compositionally simpler Ti-Nb-Zr constituent system were investigated. A systematic series of alloys with compositions of Ti5Nb_xZr_95−x (x = 25–85 at.%) was studied following quenching from solution heat treatment and long duration thermal exposures at 1000, 900 and 700 °C for 1000 h. During exposures at 900 °C and above the alloys resided in a single bcc phase field. At 700 °C, alloys with 40–75 at.% Nb resided within a three phase bcc + bcc + hcp phase field and a large misfit, 4.7–5%, was present between the two bcc phases. Evidence of nanoscale cuboidal microstructures was not observed, even in slow cooled samples. Whilst it was not possible to conclusively determine whether a spinodal decomposition occurs within this ternary system, these insights suggest that Nb-Zr interactions may not play a significant role in the formation of the nanoscale cuboidal RSA microstructures during cooling. Full article

Wire arc additive manufacturing enables the production of near-net shape large-volume metallic components leveraging an established industrial base of welding and cladding technology and adapting it for layer-wise material deposition. However, the complex relationship between the process parameters and resulting mechanical properties of the components still remains challenging. In case of high-strength Al-Mg-Si aluminum alloys, no commercial filler wires are yet available due the high susceptibility of solidification cracking as well as the necessary efforts to obtain acceptable mechanical properties. To address this need, we evaluated a novel filler wire based on AlMg0.7Si doped with a Ti5B1 master alloy to foster fine equiaxed grains within the deposited metal. The correlation between the process parameters and component quality was examined by analyzing the size and distribution of pores as well as the grain morphology. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of different post-weld heat treatment strategies to achieve mechanical properties corresponding to the reference wrought material. We demonstrated that fine equiaxed grains in the weld metal reduced the susceptibility of solidification cracking significantly. The novel AlMg0.7Si-TiB (S Al 6063-TiB) filler wire facilitated wire arc additive manufacturing of high-strength aluminum components with mechanical properties that were almost as superior as the corresponding wrought base material. Full article

This work discusses the design and demonstration of an in-situ test setup for testing pipeline steels in a high pressure gaseous hydrogen (H₂) environment. A miniature hollow pipe-like tensile specimen was designed that acts as the gas containment volume during the test. Specific areas of the specimen can be forced to fracture by selective notching, as performed on the weldment. The volume of H₂ used was minimised so the test can be performed safely without the need of specialised equipment. The setup is shown to be capable of characterising Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) in steels through testing an X60 pipeline steel and its weldment. The percentage elongation (%El) of the base metal was found to be reduced by 40% when tested in 100 barg H₂. Reduction of cross-sectional area (%RA) was found to decrease by 28% and 11% in the base metal and weld metal, respectively, when tested in 100 barg H₂. Benchmark test were performed at 100 barg N₂ pressure. SEM fractography further indicated a shift from normal ductile fracture mechanisms to a brittle transgranular (TG) quasi-cleavage (QC) type fracture that is characteristic of HE. Full article