Enhancing Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of AISI 420 with Titanium-Nitride Reinforcement through High-Power-Density Selective Laser Melting Using Two-Stage Mixed TiN/AISI 420 Powder.

This study investigates the effect of laser volume energy density (VED) on the properties of AISI 420 stainless steel and TiN/AISI 420 composite manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM). The composite contained 1 wt.% TiN and the average diameters of AISI 420 and TiN powders were 45 µm and 1 µm, respectively. The powder for SLMing the TiN/AISI 420 composite was prepared using a novel two-stage mixing scheme. The morphology, mechanical, and corrosion properties of the specimens were analyzed, and their correlations with microstructures were investigated. The results showed that the surface roughness of both SLM samples decreases with increasing VED, while relative densities greater than 99% were achieved at VEDs higher than 160 J/mm3. The SLM AISI 420 specimen fabricated at a VED of 205 J/mm3 exhibited the highest density of 7.7 g/cm3, tensile strength (UTS) of 1270 MPa, and elongation of 3.86%. The SLM TiN/AISI 420 specimen at a VED of 285 J/mm3 had a density of 7.67 g/cm3, UTS of 1482 MPa, and elongation of 2.72%. The microstructure of the SLM TiN/AISI 420 composite displayed a ring-like micro-grain structure consisting of retained austenite on the grain boundary and martensite in the grain. The TiN particles strengthened the mechanical properties of the composite by accumulating along the grain boundary. The mean hardnesses of the SLM AISI 420 and TiN/AISI 420 specimens were 635 and 735 HV, respectively, which exceeded previously reported results. The SLM TiN/AISI 420 composite exhibited excellent corrosion resistance in both 3.5 wt.% NaCl and 6 wt.% FeCl3 solutions, with a resulting corrosion rate as low as 11 µm/year.

Effects of Laser Spot Size on the Mechanical Properties of AISI 420 Stainless Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of laser spot size on the mechanical properties of AISI 420 stainless steel, fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM), process. Tensile specimens were built directly via the SLM process, using various laser spot diameters, namely 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm. The corresponding volumetric energy density (EV) is 80, 40, 26.7, and 20 J/mm3, respectively. Experimental results indicate that laser spot size is an important process parameter and has significant effects on the surface roughness, hardness, density, tensile strength, and microstructure of the SLM AISI 420 builds. A large laser spot with low volumetric energy density results in balling, un-overlapped defects, a large re-heated zone, and a large sub-grain size. As a result, SLM specimens fabricated by the largest laser spot diameter of 0.4 mm exhibit the roughest surface, lowest densification, and lowest ultimate tensile strength. To ensure complete melting of the powder and melt pool stability, EV of 80 J/mm3 proves to be a suitable laser energy density value for the given SLM processing and material system.

Effects of Build Direction on the Mechanical Properties of a Martensitic Stainless Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting.

Mechanical properties and microstructure are investigated for a martensitic stainless steel (AISI 420) fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) in three build directions. The tensile specimens built by SLM are classified into three groups. Group A is horizontally built in the thickness direction, Group B is horizontally built in the width direction, and Group C is vertically built in the length direction. The loading direction in tensile test is parallel to the build direction of Group C, but perpendicular to that of Groups A and B. Experimental results indicate build direction has significant effects on the residual stress, hardness, and tensile properties of SLM builds. Microstructural analyses indicate the as-fabricated SLM AISI 420 builds exhibit elongated cells and acicular structures which are composed of martensite and retained austenite phases growing along the build direction. Such anisotropy in the microstructure leads to anisotropic mechanical properties as Group C specimens (length direction) exhibit greater yield stress, ultimate tensile stress, and elongation than the specimens of Groups A (thickness direction) and B (width direction). The residual compressive stress in the gauge section also contributes to the superior tensile properties of Group C (length direction), as compared to Groups A (thickness direction) and B (width direction), which exhibit residual tensile stress in the gauge section.

Organic thin-film-transistor Au/poly(3-hexylthiophene)/ (bilayer dielectrics)/Si having carbon nanotubes chemically bonded to poly(3-hexylthiophene) in the active layer.

Using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) covalently bonded with carbon nanotubes (CNT) as an active layer in a bottom-gate/top contact, Au/(P3HT)/(bilayer dielectric)/Si OTFT device has resulted in an enhanced charge transport. The CNTs were firstly functionalized via ligand exchange with ferrocene, next lithiated by sec-butyllithium (s-BuLi) and then linked anionically with P3HT which has been synthesized via the modified Grignard metathesis method. Compared to the pristine P3HT, the CNTs-containing P3HT composite material has a higher energy level of HOMO and a smaller electrochemical bandgap E(g)(chem). The smaller bandgap enhances the charge carrier transport and the higher HOMO energy level indicates a reduced barrier and an increased injection rate for charge carriers at the source contact. Furthermore, the threshold voltage V(T) of CNTs-containing P3HT samples is lower and its saturation current I(D) and the the field-effect mobility are higher. An OTFT device fabricated with such a composite sample containing 1.16% CNTs has a carrier mobility and saturation current three to five times higher than pristine P3HT.

Enhanced performance of Au/P3HT/ (bilayer dielectrics)/Si thin-film-transistor having gold nanoparticles chemically bonded to P3HT.

The charge transport enhancement of using poly(3-hexylthiophene) covalently bonded with gold nanoparticles as an active layer in a bottom-gate/top contact, Au/(P3HT)/(bilayer dielectric)/Si OTFT device has been studied. P3HT was synthesized via the modified Grignard metathesis method and functionalized to have a thiol terminal (P3HT(SH)). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with sizes ranging from 2 to 10 nm were then formed via a reduction of HAuCl4 in the presence of P3HT(SH). Compared to the pristine P3HT, the AuNPs-containing P3HT composite materials have a higher energy level of HOMO and a smaller electrochemical bandgap E(g)chem. The smaller bandgap enhances the charge carrier mobility and the higher HOMO energy level indicates a reduced barrier and an increased injection rate for charge carrier at the source contact. Furthermore, the threshold voltage V(T) of AuNPs-containing P3HT samples remain nearly unchanged and their saturation current I(D) and the field-effect mobility are higher. An OTFT device fabricated with a composite sample containing 1.30% AuNPs has a carrier mobility and saturation current nearly two time higher than pristine P3HT.

Lattice-Boltzmann modeling of phonon hydrodynamics.

Based on the phonon Boltzmann equation, a lattice-Boltzmann model for phonon hydrodynamics is developed. Both transverse and longitudinal polarized phonons that interact through normal and umklapp processes are considered in the model. The collision term is approximated by the relaxation time model where normal and umklapp processes tend to relax distributions of phonons to their corresponding equilibrium distribution functions-the displaced Planck distribution and the Planck distribution, respectively. A macroscopic phonon thermal wave equation (PTWE), valid for the second-sound mode, is derived through the technique of Chapman-Enskog expansion. Compared to the dual-phase-lag (DPL) -based thermal wave equation, the PTWE has an additional fourth-ordered spatial derivative term. The fundamental difference between the two models is discussed through examining a propagating thermal pulse in a single-phased medium and the transient and steady-state transport phenomena on a two-layered structure subjected to different temperatures at boundaries. Results show that transport phenomena are significantly different between the two models. The behavior exhibited by the DPL model, as thermal wave behavior goes over to diffusive behavior, tau_{T}-->tau_{q} is incompatible with any microscopic phonon propagating mode. Unlike the DPL model, in which tau_{T} only has an effect on the transient phenomena, in the PTWE model tau_{T} shows effects on phenomena at both transient and steady state. With the intrinsic compatibility to the microscopic state, discontinuous quantities, such as a jump of temperature at a boundary or at an interface, can be calculated naturally and straightforwardly with the present lattice-Boltzmann method.