فصلنامه مواد پیشرفته در مهندسی
سال سی و هفتم شماره 4 (زمستان 1397)

Microstructural evolutions during the high-temperature annealing of Mg alloys containing Al and Gd and after the extrusion process were evaluated and compared to those of the AZ61 alloy. It was revealed that during exposure at the elevated temperatures, the presence of (Mg,Al)3Gd phase, in the form of fine and dispersed particles in the matrix after the extrusion process, could be favorable for the inhibition of grain growth. It was also found that the Al2Gd particles could not effectively retard the coarsening of grains. On the other hand, the grain growth of AZ61 alloy was found to be problematic, which was related to the dissolution of the Mg17Al12 intermetallic phase at temperatures higher than 300°C. In the Mg alloys containing both Al and Gd elements, the increased thermal stability was observed, which was ascribed to the rise of the melting temperature. Finally, some abnormal grain growth was observed in the presence of Al2Gd phase, which was attributed to the nonuniform pinning of grain boundaries by this intermetallic compound.

In this research, the rheological behavior and stability of suspensions containing Si3N4, Al2O3, Y2O3 and starch were investigated in order to use them in the starch consolidation casting of porous silicon nitride. Dolapix CE64 was used as the dispersant. Then, the effect of some parameters such as Si3N4 surface oxidation, dispersant content, solid loading and starch content on the viscosity and rheological behavior of Si3N4-starch slurry was determined. Surface oxidation of Si3N4 powder at 800°C for 2 hours reduced the viscosity of the slurry, effectively. The best dispersant content was 0.4 wt. %, relative to ceramic powders. Slurries containing 30 to 40 vol. % and 7.5 to 25 vol. % starch, relative to total solid loading, had the suitable viscosity and the sufficient stability for casting by the starch consolidation method.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is one of the most widely used solid lubricants. In this study, MoS2-Cr composite coatings were deposited onto AISI 1045 steel substrates by direct-current magnetron sputtering. The MoS2/Cr ratio in the coatings was controlled by sputtering the composite targets. The coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and nano-indentation and nano-scratch techniques. The tribological behavior of the coatings was investigated using the pin-on-disc test at room temperature. The results showed that the thickness and the hardness of the coating were 6 µmand 850-1300 HV, respectively. The degree of the crystallization of the composite coatings was enhanced with increasing the Cr contents. The incorporation of Cr into MoSx coatings resulted in the considerable improvement of coating adhesion and hardness. The optimum doping level for MoS2-Cr coatings to show the best tribological propertie was 13 atomic percent. The main wear mechanisms of the coating were delamination, tribochemical and abrasive micro cracking

In this study, the effects of boron (B) and zirconium (Zr) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe3Al-based alloys were investigated. Cylindrical samples were produced using a vacuum induction melting furnace (VIM); consequently, the melt was cast into a metallic mold. The microstructure, phase identification, tensile and compressive mechanical properties and fractography of the samples were investigated. Upon microstructural observation, it was found that the alloys microstucture was denderitic and the precipitated phases were mostly present between interdendritic regions. Addition of B and Zr to the alloys resulted in the formation of boride precipitates and Laves phases. The results, therefore, showed that Zr had the most pronounced effect on the mechanical properties because of the formation of Laves phases. Fractographic studies of alloys also revealed that the brittle fracture was dominant between the samples.

In this study, boron containing Cu-12wt%Al-4wt%Ni shape memory alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying, pressing and rolling. In this regard, 20 and 40 hour-milled powder was compacted and changed to the bulk alloy by cold pressing, sintering, rolling, heat treatment and quenching. Phase structure, micro-structure, micro-hardness, and transformation temperatures of the prepared samples were studied. It was found that increasing the milling time from 20 to 40 hours led to the rise of the starting temperature of martensite transformation (Ms) from 254 to 264°C. Also, the results showed that adding 0.5 wt.% B decreased the Ms temperature to 211°C and enhanced the micro-hardness from 154 (for the sample without B) to 193 vickers. These alternations were attributed to the fine structure caused by Boron rich precipitations. Moreover, two martenistic transformations with different structures were formed due to the non-homogeneity of the Al concentration in the matrix, which appeared in the form of two different transformation temperatures (Ms) in the Differential Scanning Calorimetry curves.

Polyurethane polymer plays an important role in health care, and it is widely used in medical devices and instruments. However, the low biocompatibility and biofilm formation on the surface can be regarded as a challenging issue. Engineering the wetting capability of the surface is an effective way to increase the biodegradability of polymer surfaces with sufficient bulk properties. In this study, the surface modification of polyurethane sheets by a thin layer of polyethylene glycol and trapping of titanium dioxide nanoparticles were carried out by means of physical and chemical changes on the surface to enhance the biocompatibility. The physicochemical properties of the modified surfaces were determined using fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy , scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and contact angle and free surface energy measurement. The biocompatibility of the modified levels was evaluated using the MTT toxicity test on cervical cancer cells (HeLA), bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and the protein absorption assay by the Bradford method. A thin, autoclave able and inexpensive thin layer with a solid and stable roughening structure was created covalently on the surface of the polyurethane plates for biological and medical applications. The results, therefore, showed that apart from antibacterial activity, the modified sample also had the ability to reduce the biofilm formation, such that the maximum biofilm attachment inhibition in the first 24 hours was 94% higher than that of the modified sample.

Mechanical properties of the alloys are a strong function of the average silicon particles size and the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS). Modified Hall-Petch equation expresses the effects of these two microstructural parameters on the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the Al-Si based alloys. These microstructural parameters depen on parameters such as chemical composition, cooling rate and melt treatment. In this study, the effect of cooling rate on the equation constants of the alloy were determined. For this purpose, the alloy was poured at 750 °C in three different molds including a sand mold, a preheated steel mold, and a water cooled steel mold. The Thermal and microstructural analysis showed that the cooling rate in the metal mold was 15.7 times higher than that of the sand mold, which resulted in a decrease of the SDAS from 54 micrometers to 17 micrometers. It was also found that by reducing the SDAS from 45 micrometers to 17 micrometers, the yield strength and tensile strength were increased by 16.5% and 6.5%, respectively. The modified Hall-Petch equation constants and the microstructure-mechanical properties relationships were then established by the microstructural and tensile test studies.

A TEOS-GPTMS nano-hybrid thin film was deposited on the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrate by a sol-gel dip coating method. Morphology, roughness and surface chemical bonding of the thin films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods, respectively. UV-vis spectrophotometer was used to measure the transmittance spectra of the samples. Also, the adhesion and hardness of the coatings were investigated using pencil hardness the adhesion tape test and the test, respectively. XRD results proved that the thin film had an amorphous structure. Also, FE-SEM images indicated that addition of GPTMS to the TEOS yielded a crack-free thin film. Based on the UV-vis spectroscopy results, the transmittance of the polymer substrate in the visible region was increased by the deposition of the nano-hybrid coating. Moreover, the hardness of the PMMA substrate was increased from 3H to 6H by the deposition of the nano-hybrid thin film. Also, tape test confirmed the high adhesion of the nano-hybrid thin film on the PMMA substrate. Consequently, the transparent organic-inorganic GPTMS-TEOS hybrid coating can be used as a scratch resistant coating on the PMMA substrate.