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The effect of hot stamping on the corrosion properties of boron-manganese 22MnB5 steel coated with hot-dip aluminum-silicon was evaluated under severe conditions by a continuous salt spray test (SST). The corrosion mechanism changed from localized to generalized, as cathodic precipitates were not present after hot stamping. Intrinsic defects in press-hardened steel samples were the reason for severe damage in both metallic coating and steel substrate under SST conditions. The red rust formed at the top surface, characterized as different iron-based compounds, is due to both the iron diffusion from the steel substrate toward the surface and the corrosion of the steel substrate.

This research has been carried on to analyze the capability of a new composite to be effectively used as shielding of gamma radiation. The preparation of a metal-organic composite formed by tungsten and Kraft lignin is presented. Samples have been characterized through X-rays and scanning electron microscopy measurements. The results led to the study of the different phase formations. The microscopic analyzes indicate that two different phases are present in the composite. The absence of oxidation in the process even after the temperature treatment imposed to form the sample has also been noticed. Measurements of the attenuation have been performed to study its ability to absorb gamma radiation. A sample of cobalt 60 (Co-60), for which the peak energies are at 1173 keV and 1332 keV, was used as a source of gamma radiation in the experiment of attenuation. The measured attenuation of gamma radiations when the composite is placed to act as a shield is only 16% smaller than the attenuation obtained for standard pure tungsten. This is a clear indication that the new metal-organic composite is suitable for the fabrication of devices dedicated to shielding radiation, with the advantage of being easier to manipulate.

Currently, magnesium alloys are gaining great interest for medical applications due to their degrading properties in the human body ensuring a great biocompatibility. These alloys also provide profitable mechanical properties due similarities with human bone. However, a difficulty in applying these materials in the biomaterials industries is the corrosion prior to cell healing. The effect of the chemical composition of Mg alloys on their corrosion behavior is well known. In this study, samples of AZ31 magnesium alloy were cut into chips for elemental chemical analysis by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Concentrations of the elements As, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Sb and Zn were determined in the AZ31 alloy. Visualization tests of agar corrosion development in various media, of 0.90% sodium chloride solution (mass), phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and simulated body fluid (SBF) were performed. Visualizations of the effect of agar gel corrosion revealed pH variation during the corrosion process due to the released into the cathode. The highest released of hydroxyl ions occurred in NaCl solution compared to PBS and SBF solutions indicating that NaCl solution was much more aggressive to the alloy compared to the others.

The ISO 5832-1 austenitic stainless steel used as biomaterial is largely applied in the area of orthopedics, especially in the manufacture of implants, such as temporary or permanent replacement of bone structures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the localized corrosion resistance of the ISO 5832-1 stainless steel used in orthopedic implants by electrochemical tests in two different solutions. The results of this study are of great interest to evaluate the corrosion of metallic implants that can result in the release of corrosion products into bodily fluids causing possible adverse biological reactions. The determination of the chemical elements in the composition of the ISO 5832-1 stainless steel was performed by neutron activation analysis (NAA). The samples for electrochemical tests were grinded with silicon carbide paper up to #4000 finishing, followed by mechanical polishing with diamond paste. The open circuit potential measurements and anodic polarization curves were obtained in solution of 0.90 wt. % of NaCl and of simulated body fluid (SBF). The results indicated that the ISO 5832-1 stainless steel presented a high resistance to crevice corrosion in simulated body fluid solution but high susceptibility to this form of corrosion in the chloride solution.

The use of dental implants of titanium and its alloys has proved to be effective, through well established and documented parameters, both in the dimensions and in the manufacturing processes and also in the surgical techniques. There are clinical situations where there is a need to reduce the diameter of the implants, below 3.75 mm in diameter. In the current state of art of the implant technology it is desirable that these also have surfaces capable of decreasing the period of osseointegration. In the present work, to improve the mechanical strength of the material, an alloy of 80% of Ti and 20% of Zr % in mass was proposed and elaborated, aiming its use as biomaterial. Physical, chemical, microstructural and mechanical characterization was carried out. The surfaces of the treated samples were observed using: scanning electron microscopy (SEM); semi quantitatively chemically analyzed using dispersive energy spectroscopy (EDS: wettability of the samples was determined and, finally, the roughness was measured using optical profilometry. For the conditions used in the present work, it was concluded, that the best surface treatment for the TiZr 80/20 alloy was acid etching with 1% vol. hydrofluoric acid for 5 minutes, as this treatment presented the most prominent results of wettability and roughness simultaneously.

Despite the success of osseointegrated implants, some biomechanical problems such as loosening or fracture of the abutment, crown fixation screw loosening and prosthetic instability, are common problems reported in the literature. Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the pullout resistance of straight and angled abutments in narrow diameter implants installed by means of friction. The specimen was composed of an implant of 3.3 mm x 11 mm fixed 2 mm above of a resin block. The abutments were fixed by friction receiving 3, 5 and 7 strikes of 0.05 J along the implant axis, and were positioned with 0 ̊, 10 ̊ and 20 ̊ of angulation. The abutments were subjected to pullout load, totalizing 10 repetitions for each test, i.e., the abutment was reinserted up to 10 times in the same implant. The results showed higher values of pullout load for the abutments with 7 strikes, and no statistical difference with 5 strikes suggesting better mechanical stability.

The pressurized water reactor (PWR) employs UO2 pellets as nuclear fuel, which are packed in zirconium alloy tubes called nuclear fuel cladding. In the manufacture of the nuclear fuel, machining scraps are generated which are not easily discarded as scraps because of its high cost. These zirconium nuclear alloys are very costly and are not produced in Brazil. In this work, novel methods to recycle Zircaloy scraps using vacuum induction melting and electron beam furnaces were used to obtain ingots. The cast ingots were subjected to thermal treatments and then chemically analyzed, followed by microstructural characterization, mechanical properties evaluation, and X-ray diffraction. The results indicated the feasibility of the processes for obtaining alloys for application in the nuclear area, chemical industry or materials for biological applications such as dental prostheses.

Science and technology of materials are widely interested in the development of new alloys involving tungsten due to its large applicability to the domain of nuclear material transportation. Tungsten is a refractory material and it has many applications in the nuclear industry due to its mechanical properties and excellent cross-section for thermal neutrons, being widely used for shielding of high-energy radiation. Some of the main elements added to tungsten forming alloys are Nb, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mo, Co, Sn, Ti, and Ta, which are responsible for modifications of the physical and chemical properties of the resulting alloy, interfering on the attenuation of gamma radiation. The main goal of this paper is to present a refractory alloy based on tungsten with embedded infiltrating elements like copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) and characterize the microstructural evolution of different sintering process during its formation. Such a refractory alloy is submitted to the following characterization process: X-rays diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The diffractometry exhibit typical standard results for the precursor powders: W, Cu, and Ni demonstrating high degrees of purity accordingly to the crystallographic determined parameters. The TGA for the powder W demonstrated thermal stability until 360 oC, after an increase of mass due to the process of oxidation. The DSC analyze present two endothermal processes at temperatures 350 °C and 450 °C. The microstructural evolution of WCuNi samples presents the absence of oxidation, homogeneous morphology and stability of the binary phase α–β (W and CuNi respectively) for different sintering. These results shall be taken into consideration for future works, particularly on the study of shielding and gamma radiation attenuation.

The nuclear industries have large interest on the development of new alloys involving zirconium (Zr) because this material presents extraordinary mechanical properties, outstanding resistance to corrosion and high permeability to thermal neutrons, being suitable for applications in areas such as energy and human health. The alloy studied in this paper is formed by Zr and niobium (Nb), normally expressed as Zr1Nb. These two elements have large chemical affinities with oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, elements that normally are responsible for a series of damages in the alloy. The principal goal of this work is to obtain Zr1Nb alloys and to perform microstructural characterizations before and after the hot rolling process. The resulting alloys were subjected to a process of heat treatment, the temperature was increased at a rate of 10 K/min up to 1273 K and maintained for 2 h, after which it was cooled down at −10 K/min until room temperature, with the only purpose of relieving residual stresses. The next step was to apply the hot rolling process to the alloy. The sample initially measured, approximately, 1.5 cm of thickness when it was inserted into the furnace at 1203 K to start the hot rolling. Every pass on the hot rolling reduced the thickness by 0.5 mm, originating uniform and homogeneous samples of 2.5 mm thickness. Auxiliary technical tools, such as XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and EDS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy), were used to analyze the microstructure of the samples before and after the hot rolling process. The XRD results show the formation of only a single α-HCP (Hexagonal Close Packed) phase for our samples, indicating that they are free of other phases that can damage the material. This result is consistent and coherent with both SEM and EDS analysis. The observed homogeneity of our samples is very good; proving that both techniques employed to obtain Zr1Nb as well as the hot rolling process was well succeeded. Therefore, the obtained alloy can be directly used in the pipes of nuclear combustible industries.

Over the last decades there was an increasing interest in using magnesium alloys for medical applications due to their biodegradability in the human body, providing a temporary mechanical support and corroding completely after the tissue healing. Although magnesium is a non-toxic element, it is of great importance to evaluate the element concentration, as well as the impurities present in both, pure magnesium and magnesium alloys, as the AZ31. The purpose of this study was to analyze the element composition of these materials using the method of neutron activation analysis (NAA). Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) acquired from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were analyzed for analytical quality control. Short and long term irradiations were carried out at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor and gamma-ray activities induced to the samples and element standard were measured using HPGe detector coupled to a Digital Spectrum Analyzer. The radioisotopes were identified by gamma ray energies and half-life. Concentrations of the elements As, Cr, Cd, Co, Fe, In, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Sb, V, W and Zn were determined in pure magnesium sample and the Al, As, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Sb and Zn in the AZ31 alloy, calculated by comparative method. The SRMs were analyzed by applying the same experimental conditions used for magnesium-based materials and their results presented good accuracy and precision. Thus, from the measurements obtained in this study it can be concluded that NAA is a suitable method for element determinations in magnesium-based materials providing reliable results.

Press-hardened steels are commonly protected with hot-dip Al-Si coating. Due to the electrochemical complexity of this system, either before or after hot-stamping process, SKPFM was used to investigate the influence of the thermo-mechanical process on the electrochemical behaviour of the galvanic coupling. The hot-stamping process changed significantly the anodic/cathodic coupling of the coating/steel due to iron enrichment in the coating layer. Hence, a concurrent mechanism was thoroughly established, i.e., while the press hardening enhances the corrosion properties of the steel system (steel and metallic coating) through diffusion, at the same time it diminishes the cathodic protection of the Al-Si layer.

This paper presents the initial developments of a prototype device intended to perform measurements of the fastening torque in the range bellow 1 N.m – hereby denominated microtorque. The device is intended to yield data for analysis of in vitro torquing and detorquing experiments, for fixation and removing of abutments in dental implants and implants in artificial bones. The analysis of the data acquired allowed the authors to observe characteristic fingerprints or signal signatures associated to the type of abutment or implant under experimentation as well as of the mechanical prototype characteristics. In this paper, two different systems of abutment and implant were analyzed. The correlation between the phenomena associated to the signal fingerprints indicate that the developed measurement protocol may be extended to other implant / abutment systems. The authors suggest that the insertion and removal torque curves evaluated in this study would facilitated the correlation between the abutments stability in actual patients and the dynamical behavior under masticatory function.

This study describes the thermal diffusivity of thin duplex steel plates in the thickness direction measured using the laser-flash method after welding. The work reports the experimental efforts in recording temperature profiles of the grade UNS S32304 duplex steel during autogenous welding. The butt weld autogenous joints were carried out by the GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) process with either argon or argon - 2% nitrogen atmospheres. The amount of nitrogen in the heat affected regions, after welding, was measured and correlated with the variation of the thermal diffusivity of the studied material. The temperature profiles were obtained using k-type thermocouples connected to a digital data acquisition system. Different thermal cycles and thermal diffusivity values were observed in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) for both samples. In the solidified zone (SZ) was observed similar increase of the thermal diffusivity values for the plates welded with pure argon and argon plus nitrogen atmosphere.

The hot stamping process consists to heat the steel blank, at total austenitization temperatures and to transfer it into the press tooling for forming and fast cooling to fully martensitic transformation. This transference from furnace to press stage promotes some steel oxidation. The application of metallic coatings avoids this phenomenon. The Al-Si coating, a patented process, has been the most applied on steel. Hence, alternative coatings like Zn-Ni are under development. It is known that this furnace heating causes chemical elements diffusion that results in intermetallics formation. This study had the objective of analyze the diffusion profiles of chemical elements present in the substrate, 22MnB5 steel, and coatings of Al-Si and Zn-Ni, using glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy - GDOES and to correlate the results with those obtained with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy - EDS. The results showed that for the Zn-Ni sample, the Zn and Fe profiles at the interfacial zone, are predominant; which justify the high proportion of ZnFe phases as showed using scanning electron microscopy - SEM images. For the Al-Si sample at the interfacial zone, the profile of Al and Fe varies simultaneously; besides that, silicon diffusion in the substrate is more effectively than the nickel diffusion. For this reason, it was possible to identify AlFeSi phase near to the steel substrate.

Turning chips of zirconium alloys are produced in large quantities during the machining of alloy rods for the fabrication of the end plugs for the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fuel elements parts of Angra II nuclear reactor (Brazil – Rio de Janeiro). This paper presents a study on the search for an efficient way for the cleaning, quality control and Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) of pressed zirconium alloys chips to produce a material viable to be used in the production of the fuel rod end plugs. The process starts with cutting oil clean out. The first step in this process consists in soaking a bunch of chips in clean water, to remove soluble cutting oils, followed by an alkaline degreasing bath and a wash with a high-pressure flow of water. Drying is performed by a flux of warm air. The oil free chips are then subjected to a magnet in order to detect and collect any magnetic material, essentially ferrous, that may be present in the original chips. Samples of the material are collected and then melted in a small non consumable electrode vacuum arc furnace for evaluation by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRFS) in order to define the quality of the chips. The next step consists in the 15 ton hydraulic pressing the chips in a die with 40 mm square section and 500 mm long, producing an electrode with 20% of the Zircaloy bulk density. The electrode was finally melted in a laboratory scale modified VAR furnace located at the CCTM–IPEN, producing 0.8 kg ingots. The authors conclude that the samples obtained from the fuel element industry can be melting in a VAR furnace, modified to accommodate low density electrodes, allowing a reduction up to 40 times the original storage volume, however, it is necessary to remelt the ingots to correct their composition in order to recycle the original zirconium alloys chips. in a process to reduce volume and allow the reutilization of valuable Zircaloy scraps.

International audience; The effect of the nitrogen content in the shielding gas and its effect on temperature distributions at the welded zone of thin sheets of duplex stainless steel have been evaluated. The duplex stainless steels have many features due to unique microstructural combination of austenite and ferrite grains. The phase balance can be easily shifted depending on the welding parameters. Two sheets were welded using pure argon and pure argon plus 2% of nitrogen as shielding gas. The thermal profile had shown that N2-supplemented shielding gas lead to higher peaks of temperature using similar welding parameters. Microstructural examination showed that the austenite phase in the weld increased with the presence of nitrogen in the shielding gas. The added nitrogen promoted primary austenite formation and slightly increases the microhardness at the solidified zone. Microhardness mapping and metallographic imaging presented information about microstructures, confirming the formation of secondary phases during thermal cycle in the temperature range 850 °C and 950 °C. Control of ferrite amounts in the welds is essential mainly to improve mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of welding zones.

Thin plates of duplex stainless steel UNS S32304 were welded using the pulsed gas tungsten arc GTAW process (butt joint) without filler addition. The used shielding gas was pure argon and 98% argon plus 2% of nitrogen. The thermal cycles were acquired during welding, in regions near the melting pool. This alloy is candidate for the external clad of a cask for the transport of high activity radiopharmaceuticals substances. For the residual stress measurements in austenite phase an X-ray diffractometer was used in a Bragg-Brentano geometry with CuKα radiation (λ= 0.154 nm) and for ferrite phase was used a pseudo-parallel geometry with CrKα radiation (λ= 0.2291nm). The results of residual stress using sin2y methodology shown that the influence of the high welding temperature leads to compressive stresses for both phase of the duplex steels mainly in heat-affected zone. It was observed a high temperature peak and an increase of the mean residual stress after addition of nitrogen to the argon shielding gas.

The objective of this work was to use tungsten and lignin as precursors to obtain a metal-organic composite tungsten-lignin (W-Lig) using different sintering temperatures. Tungsten is a refractory metal and it was selected for the composite since it is widely used for high-energy radiation shielding as it has an excellent absorption cross section for thermal neutrons. Lignin extracted from lignocelluloses biomass and it was selected to be the organic precursor for the composite due to its multiple applications. Analysis of the composite was performed after sintering processes, using a 3D optical surface profiler and measurement of the gamma radiation attenuation coefficient using cobalt source (Co-60). Metal-organic composites in ratios of W2.5%Lig and W5%Lig (in mass % of lignin) were used. The gradient of the attenuation coefficient differed when standard tungsten and the composites of W2.5%Lig and W5%Lig were compared. Therefore, the attenuation coefficient between unobstructed free radiation and the W5%Lig 90 ºC composite showed a gradient of about 43% in the two characteristic Co-60 energy peaks, with a sample thickness of 0.679 cm the calculated linear attenuation coefficient was 0.832 cm-1.

Carmakers must achieve the worldwide targets for lightweight materials, safety and reducing the fuel consumption. The use of press-hardened steel (PHS), in vehicle structures has been contributing with these requirements. This type of steel is widely used for the hot-stamping which consists in heating the steel blank to total austenitization temperature and then transferring it from the furnace into the die tool where the steel is formed and quenched at the same time. PHS is usually protect with metallic coatings in order to avoid both steel oxidation and decarburization. Hot-dip Al-Si coating is currently the main used in this application. However, alternative coatings, like zinc-based, are under investigation. This work aims at evaluating the corrosion resistance of the 22MnB5 grade PHS, electroplated with Zn-Ni, before and after hot stamping, using the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). Results from SVET showed that samples prior to hot stamping, the corrosion mechanism was uniform over the exposed surface, and was mainly related to selective dissolution of zinc from the coating. On the other hand, hot stamped samples showed localized corrosion mechanism with decrease in current with time of immersion due to the formation of corrosion products on the exposed surface.

Zirconium alloys have many applications in industry in services too harsh for stainless steels, nickel alloys or where a noteworthy improvement in service life may be achieved, by choosing zirconium alloys instead of other metals, such as high permeability to thermal neutrons and excellent corrosion resistance in nuclear reactor environments. Mixing alloying elements, such as niobium, molybdenum, tin, titanium and tantalum, with zirconium changes its physical and chemical properties, especially its resistance to corrosion. In this study, specimens of Zr-1.0Nb alloy were obtained by melting in a furnace with non-consumable electrodes in argon atmosphere. Different samples were prepared to ensure good homogeneity of the specimens. The melting procedure was tested several times to determine the parameters that ensure proper alloy handling. These parameters include the melting point of the alloys under pressure and the current in the furnace. Using the derived melting parameters and processing parameters, it has been obtained Zr-1.0Nb alloy specimens with appropriate homogeneity, as confirmed by auxiliary characterization techniques, such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. For these methods, the requirements for physicochemical properties in the nuclear sector were incorporated into the analyses.

EnglishThe automotive industry has constantly sought improvements in its products, whether through technological innovation or the improvement of its production processes. More durable materials that bring economies of scale, lower consumption, and ever-shorter manufacturing costs are the subject of ongoing research. Automotive engines are an integral part of this search and its increasingly efficient, cost-effective operation is under investigation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of polymer composites, their use as vehicle engine piston rings and the feasibility of filing their patent. Organizations are increasingly complex and their longevity depends on a clear observation of the setting where they are acting and decision-making increasingly based on experience and the perception of their realities. In order to do so, books and articles were consulted that allowed the desired analysis. As a result, a generalist view was obtained on how polymer composites can contribute to achieve the expected parameters. portuguesA industria automotiva tem buscado constantemente melhorias de seus produtos, quer seja por meio da inovacao tecnologica ou da melhoria de seus processos produtivos. Materiais mais duraveis que tragam economia de escala, menor consumo e custos de fabricacao cada vez mais enxutos sao objeto de pesquisas continuas. Os motores dos automoveis sao parte integrante desta busca e o seu funcionamento cada vez mais eficiente, aliado a uma boa relacao custo-beneficio sao alvo de investigacao. O objetivo deste artigo e explorar as caracteristicas de materiais compositos polimericos, sua utilizacao como aneis de pistao de motores de veiculos e, em especial, a viabilidade do deposito de sua patente. As organizacoes demonstram estar cada vez mais complexas e sua longevidade depende de uma observacao clara do cenario onde estao atuando e tomadas de decisao cada vez mais embasadas na experiencia e na percepcao de suas realidades. Para tanto, foram consultados livros e artigos que possibilitaram a analise desejada. Como resultado, obteve-se uma visao generalista de como os compositos polimericos podem contribuir para se atingir os parâmetros esperados.

Purpose: The thermal diffusivity variation of UNS S32304 duplex stainless steel welds was studied after pulsed GTA welding autogenous process without filler addition. This property was measured in the transverse section of thin plates after welding process and post-heat treated at 750°C for 8 h followed by air-cooling. Design/methodology/approach: The present work reports measurements of thermal diffusivity using the laser-flash method. The thermal cycles of welding were acquired during welding by means of k-type thermocouples in regions near the weld joint. The used shielding gas was pure argon and 98% argon plus 2% of nitrogen. The temperature profiles were obtained using a digital data acquisition system. Findings: It was found an increase of thermal diffusivity after welding process and a decrease of these values after the heat treatment regarding the solidified weld pool zone, irrespective of the welding protection atmosphere. The microstructure was characterized and an increase of austenite phase in the solidified and heat-affected zones was observed for post-weld heat-treated samples. Research limitations/implications: It suggests more investigation and new measurements about the influence of the shielding gas variation on thermal diffusivity in the heat-affected zone. Practical implications: The nuclear industry, especially, requests alloys with high thermal stability in pipes for power generation systems and safe transportation equipment’s for radioactive material. Thus, the duplex stainless steel grades have improved this stability over standard grades and potentially increase the upper service temperature reliability of the equipment. Originality/value: After heat treatment, the welded plate with 98%Ar plus 2%N2 as shielding gas presented a thermal diffusivity closer to the as received sample. By means of 2%-nitrogen addition in shielding gas during GTAW welding of duplex stainless steel may facilitate austenite phase reformation, and then promotes stability on the thermal diffusivity of duplex stainless steels alloys.