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Additive manufacturing is a technology that is influencing every facet of manufacturing such as casting. 3D printing in particular has the potential to revolutionize castings in terms of precision and time taken in production. Patternless molds increase the efficiency of the casting process for large scale manufactured components. Therefore, ceramic based molds can be utilized for low temperature alloy parts such as mounting brackets. Nowadays, 3D printing technologies allow the direct printing of these molds. This is possible with the aid of CAD modelling of the casting mold which allows instant printing of patternless molds. The aim of this work is to introduce an approach to prepare a 3D design for a casting mold that can be manufactured using 3D printing technology. Mold design was made using Solidworks software according to standardized calculations from which cope and drag components were extracted. Candidates for potential mold material are highlighted along with advantages & limitations of utilizing 3D printing methodology.

A finite element based numerical model to simulate orthogonal machining process and associated burr formation process has been developed in the presented work. To incorporate simultaneous effects of mechanical and thermal loadings in high speed machining processes, Johnson and Cook`s thermo-visco-plastic flow stress model has been adopted in the conceived numerical model. A coupled damage-fracture energy approach has been used to observe damage evolution in workpiece and to serve as chip separation criterion. Simulation results concerning chip morphology, nodal temperatures, cutting forces and end (exit) burr have been recorded. Model has been validated by comparing chip morphology and cutting force results with experimental findings in the published literature. Effects of cutting edge geometries [Hone and Chamfer (T-land)] on burr formation have been investigated thoroughly and discussed in length. To propose optimum tool edge geometries for reduced burr formation in machining of an aerospace grade aluminum alloy AA2024, numerical analyses considering multiple combinations of cutting speed (two variations), feed (two variations) and tool edge geometries [Hone edge (two variations), Chamfer edge (four variations)] have been performed. For chamfer cutting edge, the “chamfer length” has been identified as the most influential macro geometrical parameter in enhancing the burr formation. Conversely, “chamfer angle” variation has been found least effecting the burr generation phenomenon.

Steel reinforced bars are increasingly becoming important and demanding for their role in reinforced concrete structures for which accurate information about their properties and chemical composition is becoming essential during the manufacturing stage. The minimum required properties of the bars is determined with the aid of international standards such as ASTM A615 within Saudi Arabian manufacturers. In this work, the variation within the mechanical properties and chemical composition of various reinforced steel produced in KSA was evaluated. Experimental tests were performed on ASTM A615 Grade 60 samples to obtain their yield, tensile strength, elongation and chemical composition. Statistical analysis showed the selected properties follow different types of continuous distributions for their respective cases. Finally, control charts have been generated to identify results falling above and below 3-sigma. Results showed that 1.5%, 3% and 7.3% of samples failed to meet the minimum ASTM criteria for yield, tensile strength and weight; while less than 3% of steel bars failed to meet ASTM standards for chemical composition.

The metallic glasses are known as amorphous and metastable materials. These materials have superior mechanical properties over crystalline materials with the same chemistry. Continuous efforts were made to improve the properties of metallic glass. The severe plastic deformation (SPD) method is used to improve the ductility of the glass. SPD causes the deformation at the atomic level in the disordered structure of the glass. Many methods are reported, such as cryogenic cycling, high-pressure torsion, and equal channel angular pressing, which are used for the SPD. In recent works on nanostructured metallic glasses, it has been evidenced that some properties, for example, mechanical, thermal, and magnetic, have improved compared to the bulk metallic glass. This paper has reviewed the recent progress in the SPD of the bulk and nanostructured metallic glasses. Different methods for the SPD have been addressed here. The effect of SPD on the properties of metallic glass is deliberated in this paper. Moreover, the challenging tasks of deformation occurrence in the glass and its characterization were considered, trying to develop a sound understanding of SPD in bulk and nanostructured metallic glasses.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an established method that has been extensively utilized for waste management, waste treatment, and biogas production. Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) is regarded as a practical approach to address substrate characteristics and system optimization issues. The distinction between AcoD and mono-digestion is that AcoD has a higher organic loading and significant substrate composition variation. There are many factors involved in AcoD which affect the biogas plant’s production ability and performance. Using response surface methodology (RSM) to forecast the optimal conditions for maximum biogas output, this article provides an overview of the different operational parameters in the AcoD process, modeling of the AcoD process, and overall process optimization. Standard software used for AcoD process simulation are Aspen Plus, SuperPro Designer, BioWin, CFD, and MATLAB. Review addresses design, development, and optimization frameworks for biogas production systems that take numerous aspects into account. The most significant AcoD optimization parameters include temperature, co-substrate concentration, inoculum ratio (percent), and C/N ratio.

The applications of coated mild steels are gaining significant attention in versatile industrial areas because of their better mechanical properties, anticorrosive behavior, and reproducibility. The life period of this steel reduces significantly under relative motion in the presence of friction, which is associated with the loss of billion-dollar every year in industry. Productivity is hampered, and economic growth is declined. Several pieces of research have been conducted throughout the industries to seeking the processes of frictional reduction. This study is attributed to the tribological behavior of electroplated mild steel under various operating parameters. The efficiency of commercial lubricant and self-lubrication characteristics of coated layer plays a significant role in the reduction of friction. The reciprocating and simultaneous motion in relation to pin as well as disc are considered during experimentation. The lubricating effects in conjunction with motions are responsible for compensating the friction and wear at the desired level. During frictional tests, the sliding velocity and loads are changed differently. The changes in roughness after frictional tests are observed. The coated and rubbing surfaces are characterized using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis. The coating characteristics are analyzed by EDS (Energy Disperse Spectroscopy), FTIR (Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis) methods. The lubrication, reciprocating motion, and low velocity result in low friction and wear. The larger the imposed loads, the smaller the frictional force, and the larger the wear rate. The machine learning (ML) concept is incorporated in this study to identify the patterns of datasets spontaneously and generate a prediction model for forecasting the data, which are out of the experimental range. It can be desired that the outcomes of this research will contribute to the improvement in versatile engineering fields, such as automotive, robotics, and complex motion-based mechanisms where multidimensional motion cannot be ignored.

In this study, the hardness and surface roughness of selective laser-melted parts have been evaluated by considering a wide variety of input parameters. The Invar-36 has been considered a workpiece material that is mainly used in the aerospace industry for making parts as well as widely used in bimetallic thermostats. It is the mechanical properties and metallurgical properties of parts that drive the final product’s quality in today’s competitive marketplace. The study aims to examine how laser power, scanning speed, and orientation influence fabricated specimens. Using ANOVA, the established models were tested and the parameters were evaluated for their significance in predicting response. In the next step, the fuzzy-based JAYA algorithm has been implemented to determine which parameter is optimal in the proposed study. In addition, the optimal parametric combination obtained by the JAYA algorithm was compared with the optimal parametric combination obtained by TLBO and genetic algorithm (GA) to establish the effectiveness of the JAYA algorithm. Based on the results, an orientation of 90°, 136 KW of laser power, and 650 mm/s scanning speed were found to be the best combination of process parameters for generating the desired hardness and roughness for the Invar-36 material.

Environmental and human-friendly welding is the need of the hour. In this context, this study explores the application of the regulated metal deposition (RMD) technique for ASTM A387-Gr.11-Cl.2 steel plates. To examine the effect of metal-cored filler wire (MCFW), MEGAFIL 237 M was employed during regulated metal deposition (RMD) welding of 6 mm thick ASTM A387-Gr.11-Cl.2 steel plates. The welding was carried out at an optimized current (A) of 100 A, voltage (V) of 13 V, and gas flow rate (GFR) of 21 L/min. Thereafter, the as-welded plates were examined for morphological changes using optical microscopy. Additionally, the micro-hardness of the as-welded plates was measured to make corroboration with the obtained surface morphologies. In addition to this, the as-welded plates were subjected to heat treatment followed by surface morphology and micro-hardness examination. A comparison was made between the as-welded and heat-treated plates for their obtained surface morphologies and microhardness values. During this, it was observed that the weld zone of as-welded plates has a dendritic surface morphology which is very common in fusion-based welding. Similarly, the weld zone of heat-treated plates has a finer and erratic arrangement of martensite. Moreover, the obtained surface morphologies in the weld zone of as-welded and heat-treated plates have been justified by their respective hardness values of 1588.6 HV and 227.3 HV.

The main goal of this research is to scrutinize the effect of texture and grain size on the biological response of hierarchical structured pure titanium (Ti), examining the interrelation between grain refinement mechanisms with texture variation. The hierarchical structure was produced using two methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD). The Ti specimens were first processed up to six passes by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and subsequently treated at the top surface using surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). Microstructure examination by Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) indicates that the SMAT-treated surface was categorized into three distinct microstructural regions based on the type of grain refinement process involved during SPD: twin induced dynamic recrystallization (TDRX) and geometric dynamic recrystallization (GDRX) in the topmost surface, and continuous (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) in the lower regions of the sample. The biological experiments showed meaningful improvement in the cellular response of SMATed and ECAPed samples. It was demonstrated that grain refinement could have the capability of improving the biological response of Ti surface. In this regard, SMATed + 2ECAPed sample showed the best result although it has not the smallest grain size and the highest texture intensity. It was observed that texture and grain orientation of planes have an important impact on the biological response of pure Ti and dominance of prismatic (1010) texture can improve the cell viability, adhesion and its differentiation. Therefore, microstructure and texture tailoring through combined SPD methods could be a promising strategy for the improvement of the next generation of medical implants.

Metal degradation due to corrosion is a major challenge in most industries, and its control and prevention has to maintain a balance between efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The rising concern over environmental damage has greatly influenced this domain, as corrosion prevention should comply with the waste regulations of different regions. In this respect, a fundamental question is which modern synthetic materials are more viable from the point of view of their effectiveness. Therefore, this paper is aims to provide an advanced and holistic review of corrosion prevention and control methods. Corrosion prevention techniques have become extensive; however, the literature indicates that polymer coatings, nano-composite coatings, and encapsulation techniques consistently provide the most efficient and feasible outcomes. Therefore, this review article examined the phenomenon of corrosion inhibition mainly from the perspective of these three techniques. Moreover, this research utilized secondary qualitative methods to obtain data and information on comparative techniques. It is found that due to the rapid development of novel materials, corrosion inhibition techniques need to be developed on scales that are more general, so that they could be applied to varying environments. The self-healing coatings are generally based on epoxy-resins incorporated with synthetic compounds such as inhibitor ions, amino-acids, or carboxylic acids. These coatings have become more widespread, especially due to bans on several traditional prevention materials such as compounds of chromium (VI). However, self-healing coatings are comparatively more costly than other techniques because of their method of synthesis and long-term durability. Therefore, although self-healing nanomaterial-based coatings are viable options for limited usage, their utilization in large and complex facilities is limited due to the costs involved. Amino acids and other biological macro-molecules provide another option to attain environmental sustainability and long durability, especially due to their origins being most of naturally occurring compounds such as lignin, cellulose, and proteins.

Biodiesel is a fuel that has numerous benefits over traditional petrodiesel. The transesterification process is the most popular method for biodiesel production from various sources, categorized as first, second and third generation biodiesel depending on the source. The transesterification process is subject to a variety of factors that can be taken into account to improve biodiesel yield. One of the factors is catalyst type and concentration, which plays a significant role in the transesterification of biodiesel sources. At present, chemical and biological catalysts are being investigated and each catalyst has its advantages and disadvantages. Recently, nanocatalysts have drawn researchers' attention to the efficient production of biodiesel. This article discusses recent work on the role of several nanocatalysts in the transesterification reaction of various sources in the development of biodiesel. A large number of literature from highly rated journals in scientific indexes is reviewed, including the most recent publications. Most of the authors reported that nanocatalysts show an important influence regarding activity and selectivity. This study highlights that in contrast to conventional catalysts, the highly variable surface area of nanostructure materials favours interaction between catalysts and substrates that efficiently boost the performance of products. Finally, this analysis provides useful information to researchers in developing and processing cost-effective biodiesel.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is among the most attractive methods to produce implants, the processes are very swift and it can be precisely controlled to meet patient’s requirement since they can be produced in exact shape, dimension, and even texture of different living tissues. Until now, lots of methods have emerged and used in this field with diverse characteristics. This review aims to comprehensively discuss 3D printing (3DP) technologies to manufacture metallic implants, especially on techniques and procedures. Various technologies based on their main properties are categorized, the effecting parameters are introduced, andthe history of AM technology is briefly analyzed. Subsequently, the utilization of these AM-manufactured components in medicine along with their effectual variables is discussed, and special attention is paid on to the production of porous scaffolds, taking pore size, density, etc., into consideration. Finally, 3DP of the popular metallic systems in medical applications such as titanium, Ti6Al4V, cobalt-chromium alloys, and shape memory alloys are studied. In general, AM manufactured implants need to comply with important requirements such as biocompatibility, suitable mechanical properties (strength and elastic modulus), surface conditions, custom-built designs, fast production, etc. This review aims to introduce the AM technologies in implant applications and find new ways to design more sophisticated methods and compatible implants that mimic the desired tissue functions.

In this paper, the effect of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on microstructure, mechanical, and erosion-corrosion behavior of commercial pure (CP) titanium was investigated through experimental work. Four passes of ECAP processing at 400 ℃ was performed on CP titanium. The results showed that the homogeneous structure and coarse equiaxed grains of the initial annealed sample are transformed into the combination of UFG and NS with an average size of 750 nm and 85 nm, respectively. Also, ECAP pass numbers increase the fraction of high angle grain boundaries which improves the ductility of the processed sample. The highest hardness and strength improvement rate was observed after the first pass. Furthermore, the increasing rate of hardness and strength is gradually decreased at the subsequent passes and reached the steady-state level at the 4th pass. This is due to the balance between hardening by dislocations and twinnings accumulation and softening by recovery mechanisms. As a result, a uniform hardness distribution on both the cross-sectional and longitudinal planes is achieved. It was confirmed that erosion-corrosion resistance of the processed sample is enhanced due to the grain refinement, material homogeneity, and quick formation of a strong oxide bond layer on the surface.

— tailoring material properties to specific application requirements is one of the major challenges in materials engineering. Grain size is a key factor affecting physical and mechanical properties of polycrystals materials. Grain size reduction in the metals and alloys can be achieved using Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) method. In this work, Nanostructure thin walled copper tube specimens with 1 mm wall thickness and 23mm diameter have been produced successfully with ECAP method using flexible polyurethane rubber pad to prevent the tube walls from collapsing. Furthermore, this paper details the development of a numerical simulation to analyse the fabrication of thin walled tube through ECAP process. A copper tube was pushed through a channel with a series of 90° bends. During each successive bend, the magnitude of plastic strains accumulate in the copper tube. A three dimensional numerical simulation was used to model the process and determine the extent of plastic deformation that takes place during each bend process. The numerical simulation was developed using the finite element (FE) code, ABAQUS V6.13, and analysed using the explicit solver.

Titanium and its alloys are used in several industries, especially in medical and dental applications. In the present study, the surface properties of nanostructured commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) and its erosion–corrosion (E–C) behavior in simulated body fluid were studied. Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) was performed at a high temperature (400 °C) to produce nanostructured grain samples of CP-Ti. Then, the effects of ECAP passes on the E–C resistance under various conditions were investigated via weight loss measurements. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations were performed to investigate the microstructural changes of the material. The surface roughness of the CP-Ti samples was evaluated using an optical profiling system. Mathematical equations of the modified Finnie model were employed for the analytical analysis of the E–C behavior. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics was utilized to model the E–C behavior of CP-Ti. Overall, the results showed that the ECAP process improved the E–C resistance of CP-Ti. A difference of 12 pct was observed between the experimental and numerical results of E–C resistance, which is acceptable for practical applications

This study investigated mechanical properties and texture evolution of Cu-xZn alloys (x = 5, 15, 20, 30) processed by multi-directional forging (MDF) up to 6 passes at ambient temperature. Mechanical properties were examined via shear punch and hardness tests. Optical microscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), equipped with electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) detector were also utilized to characterize the detailed microstructures and texture evolutions. The MDFed Cu-xZn alloys after 6 passes showed superior mechanical properties without the reduction of electrical conductivity. Hardness, ultimate shear strength and shear yield strength of Cu-30Zn alloy improved by 213%, 83% and 85%, respectively after 6 passes of MDF. Enhancement of mechanical properties can be attributed to grain refinement. The MDFed Cu-5Zn alloy presented a predominantly Copper-type texture due to the higher activity of shear bands. By increasing Zn to Cu-15Zn and Cu-20Zn, Brass and Goss texture components were observed. Finally, Cu-30Zn alloy possessed a Brass texture which could be attributed to a higher amount of twinings.

In this study, the flow-forming process for fabricating seamless thin-wall tubes is experimentally investigated on a commercially pure titanium sample. For this purpose, the influence of three processing parameters including feed rate, mandrel revolution, and thickness reduction is studied on the surface quality and geometrical accuracy of flow-formed tube. It is found that the feed rate increment results in more longitudinal displacement of the roller on the tube sample. This intern results in, more area of the material to be in contact with the roller during the tube revolution; hence, higher tube surface roughness. Also, surface finish and dimensional precision of spun tube are lessened by increment of the mandrel revolution due to the intensification of machine vibration. Additionally, increased reduction of wall thickness leads to the enlargement of diametral growth and the loss of roundness. Also, it will increase the resistance of the material flow, which results in the wave creation at the tube surface, thereby decreasing the surface quality of the spun sample.

Severe plastic deformation is a process in which high strain is applied to the samples to improve its mechanical properties. In this research, a new severe plastic deformation method which is based on forward extrusion process is presented to improve mechanical properties of materials, by reducing pressing force and increasing strain uniformity. Also, achieving high-strength materials with bigger size which can meet the industry is another goal of this new method. Initially, the process and related die design are introduced. Then, effects of the severe forward extrusion process on the aluminum mechanical properties such as material strength, hardness, fractographic analysis, and fatigue behavior are evaluated. Next, by using finite element method, some effects of die parameters on the pressing force and strain are studied. Finally, the obtained results show that the yielding stress is increased about 108%, by applying six passes of severe forward extrusion process. Also, the hardness value after sixth pass is greatly increased about 203%. In addition, the fatigue test results show that the endurance limit is improved 123% after sixth pass.

In this paper, the effect of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-20%Mg2Si and Al-15%Mg2Si, as well as hypoeutectic Al-10%Mg2Si composites has been investigated. After fabricating the composites by in-situ casting, the composites were processed using the ECAP process up to two passes at room temperature. Microstructural studies have been carried out using a field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Mechanical properties were also documented using Vickers microhardness and shear punch tests. In the hypereutectic composites, a decrease in the average size of pro-eutectic Mg2Si (Mg2Sip) particles, breakages in eutectic networks, and lengthening of the Al (&alpha, ) phase in direction of shear bands were observed after the ECAP process. For instance, the average size of Mg2Sip Particles in Al-20%Mg2Si composite reduced from 40 to 17 &mu, m after 2 passes of ECAP. Furthermore, a uniform distribution of Mg2Sip particles was developed in the matrix. In hypoeutectic composite, the ECAP process caused a uniform distribution of eutectic Mg2Si (Mg2SiE) in the matrix that considered a favorable microstructure. Microhardness measurements and shear punch results showed an ascending trend after each pass of ECAP for all specimens. For example, microhardness and shear strength of Al-20%Mg2Si increased from 88 HV and 109 MPa to 119 HV and 249 MPa after two passes indicating 35% and 34% increments, respectively. Density and porosity calculations by Archimedes principle revealed that the density of the composites increased after two passes of ECAP due to the reduction of porosity.

The nature of micro- and nanoplastics and their harmful consequences has drawn significant attention in recent years in the context of environmental protection. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an overview of the existing literature related to this evolving subject, focusing on the documented human health and marine environment impacts of micro- and nanoplastics and including a discussion of the economic challenges and strategies to mitigate this waste problem. The study highlights the micro- and nanoplastics distribution across various trophic levels of the food web, and in different organs in infected animals which is possible due to their reduced size and their lightweight, multi-coloured and abundant features. Consequently, micro- and nanoplastics pose significant risks to marine organisms and human health in the form of cytotoxicity, acute reactions, and undesirable immune responses. They affect several sectors including aquaculture, agriculture, fisheries, transportation, industrial sectors, power generation, tourism, and local authorities causing considerable economic losses. This can be minimised by identifying key sources of environmental plastic contamination and educating the public, thus reducing the transfer of micro- and nanoplastics into the environment. Furthermore, the exploitation of the potential of microorganisms, particularly those from marine origins that can degrade plastics, could offer an enhanced and environmentally sound approach to mitigate micro- and nanoplastics pollution.

This work focuses on the resonance frequency determination of a horn as a main part of ultrasonic vibrated equal channel angular pressing using experimental and simulated modal analyses. A stepped shape hot-work tool steel horn was successfully designed and manufactured to promote maximum punch force reduction. The resonance frequency of the system which includes the horn with an initial length of 220 mm was obtained by simulated modal analysis. Experimental work using Audio-Technica microphone on five different horn lengths at the free condition was developed to verify the simulated modal analysis. Also, the changes in frequency with the horn length were obtained experimentally. By considering both the system resonance frequency of 18,760 Hz for the horn length of 220 mm and 90 Hz change of longitudinal frequency for 1 mm of horn length, the final horn length was obtained to be 206 mm. Moreover, it was shown that the billet length has no considerable effect on the resonance frequency of the system. Finally, 9 % reduction at the required punch load was achieved by employment of ultrasonic vibration as compared to the conventional equal channel angular pressing process.

In this paper, influence of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the fracture behavior of Al-7075 alloy is experimentally investigated. The specimens are successfully processed by ECAP methodology up to four passes using different routes. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images showed that after four passes of ECAP, the average grain size is refined from 40 μm to less than about 500 nm. The percentage increase in yield strength, ultimate strength and microhardness of the specimens after four ECAP passes was 230, 90 and 110 respectively. Standard tests on the disk-shaped compact DC(T) specimens showed that fracture toughness is decreased up to 8% at the first ECAP pass while after four passes, this parameter roused to 17% higher than that of annealed condition. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs demonstrated that ductile fracture mechanism with large dimples occurred in the annealed samples, changed to limited ductile fracture with fine dimples after ECAP process. This research provides new insights into the effect of ECAP and grain refinement on the fracture behavior of materials.

Equal channel forward extrusion is a new severe plastic deformation method that has been developed in recent years. This study investigates the effect of significant parameters on the equal channel forward extrusion pressing force. First, the process was modeled by finite element method and has been validated using experimental results. Next, response surface method and analysis of variance were applied to investigate the influences of equal channel forward extrusion parameters such as friction coefficient magnitude, length-to-width ratio and main deformation zone height on the pressing force. Finally, a new formula is presented for prediction of equal channel forward extrusion pressing force using statistical modeling.

Improvement of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) efficiency is an important challenge for industrialization of this technique. The reduction of pressing load and improvement of material mechanical properties are among the most challengeable subjects during this process. In this research, commercial pure aluminum has been ECAPed at room temperature using conventional and ultrasonic vibration techniques to investigate the influence of ultrasonic wave on the pressing load and mechanical characteristics of deformed samples. The results showed that the superimposing ultrasonic vibration on the ECAP process not only decreases the required punch load, but also improves the mechanical properties of the material as compared to the conventional condition. Interestingly, the ultrasonic vibration assisted process leads to about 16%, 10% and 12% increments at the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and hardness value respectively and also, 9% reduction at the punch load. Furthermore, the dislocation density of the sample produced by ultrasonic assisted ECAP is about 35% more than the achieved conventional sample.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is of great interest to the biomedical industry especially for trauma, orthopedic and spinal implants. It is biocompatible and offers numerous advantages over other metallic biomedical implants. A good understanding of behavior of PEEK under different loading conditions is therefore necessary for its more efficient use. This paper investigates the notch sensitivity of PEEK in monotonic tension using the finite element modeling in ABAQUS. An unnotched specimen and three notched specimens (moderate, deep and razor) are modeled and the maximum true stress in each case is obtained. The stress distribution in front of the crack tip is also found by introducing a crack in the model for each specimen. It is observed that PEEK exhibits a ductile behavior in the absence of a stress concentration. The deformation mechanism is found to be dramatically changed from ductile to brittle in the presence of notches. Hence, the locations and severity of stress risers modeled as notches in PEEK should be taken into consideration prior to its use in biomedical implants.

To date, ECAP technique have been successfully employed to produce Ultra-fine/Nanostructure grain materials, but some materials such as hexagonal closed-packed (HCP) alloys are difficult to process by ECAP at room temperature. In this work, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Vickers hardness test and Torsion test were employed to confirm the attainment of ultrafine/nanostructured grain (UFG/NSG) commercial pure titanium (CP-Ti) Titanium fabricated by ECAP as a sever plastic deformation process. The samples were pressed by ECAP (route BC) up to four passes at elevated temperature (400° C). Finally, the Erosion-Corrosion (E-C) behavior of ultrafine/nanostructured grain (UFG/NSG) Titanium in a simulated body fluid were investigated through weight loss measurement.

Multiaxial forging (MAF) is one of the appealing methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD) techniques to fabricate ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials. In this study, the influence of process parameters such as strain rate, friction, and initial temperature has been assessed through finite element simulation of Nickel 200 alloy. The Johnson&ndash, Cook equation was applied in simulating the MAF process. The homogeneous microstructure of a material processed by MAF is an important requirement to obtain uniform mechanical and other properties. The uniformity in properties was evaluated by the investigation of the hardness measurements, effective strain (ES), and inhomogeneous factor (IF) or coefficient of standard deviation. The results showed that the inhomogeneous factor decreases with an increase in strain rate and decrease in temperature. It was found that a more homogeneous structure is observed with an increasing number of MAF cycles and the strain rate strain. Furthermore, the average grain size reduced from 850 nm to 220 nm after three cycles of MAF. Finally, experimental work was performed to validate the results.

To overcome some possible deficiencies of pure copper, dilute alloying and employment of equal channel angular pressing seem the cost-effective solutions. In this work, dilute copper alloys with the tin amount of 0.18, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.% were obtained with continuous casting and subsequently, they were subjected to ECAP process up to four passes. It was shown that integrated treatment by dilute alloying and ECAP lead to 182% improvement of the corrosion resistance as compared to the as-received condition due to the grain refinement. Meanwhile, the alloying impact on current density is decreased with the ECAP process which may result from the changes at the distribution of Sn atoms in Cu. The difference in measured corrosion current density of unprocessed and ECAPed samples for the alloys Cu-0.3%Sn and Cu-0.5%Sn are 15% and 2%, respectively. The corrosion improvement by means of current density reduction due to the alloying before the ECAP process is about 45% while this value after the ECAP diminishes to 35%. Microstructure analysis showed that four passes of ECAP process cause the average grain size of the pure copper to less than 700 nm and the Cu-0.5%Sn to about 550 nm. Also, the HAGBs fraction of the ECAPed pure Cu is 74%, while the corresponding magnitude for the Cu-0.5%Sn is 78%. © 2019 Politechnika Wrocławska