Operational and Material Causes of High-Pressure Turbine Disc Damage in the RD-33 Engine.

This paper presents an analysis of the causes of damage and fragmentation to the high-pressure turbine (HTP) disc of the RD-33 engine mounted in the MIG-29 aircraft. The authors have carried out an analysis of the changes to the structure of the disc material, both in the areas containing cracks and in the undamaged areas. The impact of structural changes on the alterations in the analysed strength properties along the disc radius was assessed. Material tests were correlated with the analysis of the recorded engine parameters, indicating potential causes of the HPT disc fragmentation.

On the Influence of Manufacturing Parameters on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of AISI 316L Steel Deposited by Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS®).

Samples of 316L SS were manufactured by Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS®) using different technological parameters. The deposited samples were investigated in terms of microstructure, mechanical properties, phase content and corrosion resistance (salt chamber and electrochemical corrosion). Parameters were chosen to obtain a proper sample built for layer thicknesses of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.7 mm by changing the laser feed rate while keeping the powder feed rate constant. After a comprehensive analysis of the results, it was found that the manufacturing parameters slightly affected the resulting microstructure and also had a minor impact (almost undetectable considering the uncertainty of the measurement) on the mechanical properties of samples. Decreases in resistance to electrochemical pitting corrosion and environmental corrosion with an increased feed rate and a decrease in layer thickness and grain size were observed; however, all additively manufactured samples were found to be less prone to corrosion than the reference material. In the investigated processing window, no influence of deposition parameters on the phase content of the final product was found-all the samples were found to possess austenitic microstructure with almost no detectable ferrite.

Al13Fe4-Al Composites with Nanocrystalline Matrix Manufactured by Hot-Pressing of Milled Powders.

The paper describes composites with the matrix containing a nanocrystalline intermetallic Al13Fe4 phase and microcrystalline aluminium. Mechanically alloyed Al80Fe20 powder, containing a metastable nanocrystalline Al5Fe2 phase, was mixed with 20, 30, and 40 vol.% of Al powder and consolidated at 750 °C under the pressure of 7.7 GPa. During the consolidation, the metastable Al5Fe2 phase transformed into a nanocrystalline Al13Fe4 phase. In the bulk samples, Al13Fe4 areas were wrapped around by networking Al regions. The hardness of the Al13Fe4-Al composites was in the range of 4.52-5.50 GPa. The compressive strength of the Al13Fe4-30%Al and Al13Fe4-40%Al composites was 805 and 812 MPa, respectively, and it was considerably higher than that of the Al13Fe4-20%Al composite (538 MPa), which failed in the elastic region. The Al13Fe4-30%Al and Al13Fe4-40%Al composites, in contrast, showed some plasticity: namely, 1.5% and 9.1%, respectively. The density of the produced composites is in the range of 3.27-3.48 g/cm3 and decreases with the increase in the Al content.

Assessment of Selected Structural Properties of High-Speed Friction Welded Joints Made of Unalloyed Structural Steel.

Commonly used S235JR structural steel, generally associated with good weldability, was joined by high-speed friction welding (HSFW). The friction welding tests were performed with a rotational speed of n = 8000 rpm and four different values of the unit pressure in the friction phase (pf) in the range of 64−255 MPa. The obtained joints were subjected to metallographic observations using an optical microscope; in selected zones of friction joints the average grain size was specified in accordance with the EN ISO 643:2012 standard; the hardness of friction joints was measured using the Vickers method. The friction-welded joint with the highest pf was EBSD-investigated. The obtained friction-welded joints resembled an hourglass, and the microstructure of individual zones of the joints differed depending on the height (axis, radius) of the observations. The generated joining conditions resulted in a significant refinement of the microstructure in the friction weld­the average grain size is about 1 µm2 (for base material it was 21 µm2). The highest increase in hardness above 340 HV0.1 was recorded in the friction weld of the welded joint with the lowest used value pressure in the friction phase. Such a sharp increase in hardness can make the resulting friction-welded joint become sensitive to dynamic or fatigue loads. The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) investigation confirmed the strong refinement of the microstructure in the friction-welded joint and the occurrence of the phenomenon of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The friction weld was also characterized by a large share of high-angle boundaries (HAGBs) >80%. These results may indicate that during high-speed friction welding it is possible to create conditions like those obtained during the High-Pressure Torsion (the method used to produce UFG materials) process.

Investigation of the Relationship between Degradation of the Coating of Gas Turbine Blades and Its Surface Color.

This article presents issues concerning the relationship between the degradation of the coating of gas turbine blades and changes in the color of its surface. Conclusions were preceded by the determination of parameters characterizing changes in the technical condition of protective coatings made based on a metallographic examination that defined the morphological modifications of the microstructure of the coating, chemical composition of oxides, and roughness parameters. It has been shown that an increased operating time causes parameters that characterize the condition of the blades to deteriorate significantly. Results of material tests were compared with those of blade surface color analyses performed using a videoscope. Image data were represented in two color models, i.e., RGB and L*a*b* with significant differences being observed between parameters in both representations. The study results demonstrated a relationship between the coating degradation degree and changes in the color of the blade's surface. Among others, this approach may be used as a tool to assess the condition of turbine blades as well as entire gas turbines.

Characterization of Silver Nanowire Layers in the Terahertz Frequency Range.

Thin layers of silver nanowires are commonly studied for transparent electronics. However, reports of their terahertz (THz) properties are scarce. Here, we present the electrical and optical properties of thin silver nanowire layers with increasing densities at THz frequencies. We demonstrate that the absorbance, transmittance and reflectance of the metal nanowire layers in the frequency range of 0.2 THz to 1.3 THz is non-monotonic and depends on the nanowire dimensions and filling factor. We also present and validate a theoretical approach describing well the experimental results and allowing the fitting of the THz response of the nanowire layers by a Drude-Smith model of conductivity. Our results pave the way toward the application of silver nanowires as a prospective material for transparent and conductive coatings, and printable antennas operating in the terahertz range-significant for future wireless communication devices.

Effects of Heat and Momentum Gain Differentiation during Gas Detonation Spraying of FeAl Powder Particles into the Water.

In this paper, dynamic interactions between the FeAl particles and the gaseous detonation stream during supersonic D-gun spraying (DGS) conditions into the water are discussed in detail. Analytical and numerical models for the prediction of momentum and complex heat exchange, that includes radiative effects of heat transfer between the FeAl particle and the D-gun barrel wall and phase transformations due to melting and evaporation of the FeAl phase, are analyzed. Phase transformations identified during the DGS process impose the limit of FeAl grain size, which is required to maintain a solid state of aggregation during a collision with the substrate material. The identification of the characteristic time values for particle acceleration in the supersonic gas detonation flux, their convective heating and heat diffusion enable to assess the aggregation state of FeAl particles sprayed into water under certain DGS conditions.

Analysis of the Morphology and Structure of Carbon Deposit Formed on the Surface of Ni3Al Foils as a Result of Thermocatalytic Decomposition of Ethanol.

This article presents the results of investigations of the morphology and structure of carbon deposit formed as a result of ethanol decomposition at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C without water vapour and with water vapour (0.35 and 1.1% by volume). scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) observations as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopic analyses allowed for a comprehensive characterization of the morphology and structure of cylindrical carbon nanostructures present on the surface of the Ni3Al catalyst. Depending on the reaction mixture composition (i.e., water vapour content) and decomposition temperature, various carbon nanotubes/carbon nanofibres (CNTs/CNFs) were observed: multiwalled carbon nanotubes, herringbone-type multiwall carbon nanotubes, cylindrical carbon nanofibers, platelet carbon nanofibers, and helical carbon nanotubes/nanofibres. The discussed carbon nanostructures exhibited nickel nanoparticles at the ends and in the middle part of the carbon nanostructures as catalytically active centres for efficient ethanol decomposition.

The Influence of A Cross-Channel Extrusion Process on The Microstructure and Properties of Copper.

A new cross-channel extrusion (CCE) method with the application of a back pressure (BP) is proposed and experimentally tested. The introduction of pressure blocks the free flow of material by using an additional set of pistons, which prevents the loss of consistency. The paper presents results of experimental trials of CCE process. Between one and eight passes of CCE with and without a BP were applied to pure copper billets to refine their initial coarse-grained microstructure at room temperature. It was found that processing by CCE results in the formation of a lamellar structure along the extruded axis and the fine-grained structure in the remaining volume. The material exhibited dynamic recrystallization, which results in the formation of 0.5- to 2-µm grains after one pass and 2- to 8-µm grains after four CCE passes. The fine-grained material had YS of 390-415 MPa. An increase in the microhardness from 70 to 130 HV02 after one pass and then a decrease after four passes were observed. This might indicate that secondary recrystallization and selective grain growth occur, because an exothermic peak (158.5 °C, 53 ± 2.1 J/mol) was observed during DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) testing. The resistivity of the once deformed copper significantly decreases, while its further processing causes the resistivity to increase.

Influence of Manufacturing Technology on the Structure of 80W-20Re Heavy Sinters.

Preliminary measurement results of 80W-20Re heavy sinters are presented in this paper. Tested samples were taken from three different technology processes, i.e., resistance sintering (RS), pulse plasma sintering (PPS), and conventional sintering in a vacuum furnace. In the first two cases, the obtained sinters were of similar usable properties (porosity and microhardness), while for vacuum sintering, the material with high porosity was obtained. At the same time, it was found that sintering with the use of electric current (RS, PPS) generates microstructures with highly elongated grains.

Identification of Mechanical Properties for Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V Produced Using LENS Technology.

This paper presents a characterization study of specimens manufactured from Ti-6Al-4V powder with the use of laser engineered net shaping technology (LENS). Two different orientations of the specimens were considered to analyze the loading direction influence on the material mechanical properties. Moreover, two sets of specimens, as-built (without heat treatment) and after heat treatment, were used. An optical measurement system was also adopted for determining deformation of the specimen, areas of minimum and the maximum principal strain, and an effective plastic strain value at failure. The loading direction dependence on the material properties was observed with a significant influence of the orientation on the stress and strain level. Microstructure characterization was examined with the use of optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM); in addition, the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was also used. The fracture mechanism was discussed based on the fractography analysis. The presented comprehensive methodology proved to be effective and it could be implemented for different materials in additive technologies. The material data was used to obtain parameters for the selected constitutive model to simulate the energy absorbing structures manufactured with LENS technology. Therefore, a brief discussion related to numerical modelling of the LENS Ti-6Al-4V alloy was also included in the paper. The numerical modelling confirmed the correctness of the acquired material data resulting in a reasonable reproduction of the material behavior during the cellular structure deformation process.

Synthesis and characterization of noble metal-titania core-shell nanostructures with tunable shell thickness.

Core-shell nanostructures have found applications in many fields, including surface enhanced spectroscopy, catalysis and solar cells. Titania-coated noble metal nanoparticles, which combine the surface plasmon resonance properties of the core and the photoactivity of the shell, have great potential for these applications. However, the controllable synthesis of such nanostructures remains a challenge due to the high reactivity of titania precursors. Hence, a simple titania coating method that would allow better control over the shell formation is desired. A sol-gel based titania coating method, which allows control over the shell thickness, was developed and applied to the synthesis of Ag@TiO2 and Au@TiO2 with various shell thicknesses. The morphology of the synthesized structures was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their sizes and shell thicknesses were determined using tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) technique. The optical properties of the synthesized structures were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy. Ag@TiO2 and Au@TiO2 structures with shell thickness in the range of ≈40-70 nm and 90 nm, for the Ag and Au nanostructures respectively, were prepared using a method we developed and adapted, consisting of a change in the titania precursor concentration. The synthesized nanostructures exhibited significant absorption in the UV-vis range. The TRPS technique was shown to be a very useful tool for the characterization of metal-metal oxide core-shell nanostructures.

Improved hydrogen storage kinetics of nanoconfined NaAlH4 catalyzed with TiCl3 nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles of NaAlH(4) have been infiltrated in nanoporous carbon aerogel with TiCl(3) nanoparticles in order to explore possible synergetic effects between nanoconfinement and a functionalized catalytic scaffold. Resorcinol formaldehyde carbon aerogels with an average pore size of 17 nm and total pore volume of 1.26 mL/g were infiltrated with TiCl(3) to obtain an aerogel doped with 3.0 wt % TiCl(3) nanoparticles. NaAlH(4) was melt-infiltrated into the functionalized carbon aerogel at 189 °C and p(H(2)) ∼ 186-199 bar. Energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) combined with focused ion beam (FIB) techniques revealed the presence of Na, Al, Ti, and Cl inside the aerogel scaffold material. The infiltrated NaAlH(4) was X-ray amorphous, whereas (27)Al magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of nanoconfined NaAlH(4). Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectroscopy (TPD-MS) and Sieverts' measurements demonstrated significantly improved hydrogen desorption kinetics for this new nanoconfined NaAlH(4)-TiCl(3) material as compared to nanoconfined NaAlH(4) without the catalysts TiCl(3) and to bulk ball-milled samples of NaAlH(4)-TiCl(3). We find that the onset temperature for hydrogen release was close to room temperature (T(onset) = 33 °C), and the hydrogen release rate reached a maximum value at 125 °C, which demonstrates favorable synergetic effects between nanoconfinement and catalyst addition.