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Severe erosion wear is found on valve spools, which threatens the safety and reliability of these units. The use of the plasma beam spraying surfacing method can significantly improve the corrosion resistance and sealing performance of hydraulic valve spools, reduce material waste, and reduce maintenance costs. The effects of the co-addition of CeO2 and SiC particles on the morphology, surface cracks, microstructure, precipitated phases, and wear property of plasma-beam-sprayed Fe55-based coatings on 1025 steel were investigated using OM, EDS, ultra-deep field microscopy, and a wet sand rubber wheel friction tester, respectively. The dendrite exhibited a directional growth pattern perpendicular to the substrate and the transitional states of the microstructure with the co-addition of CeO2 and SiC particles. CeO2 or SiC reduced the liquid phase diffusion coefficient DL of Cr and C and resulted in a decrease in the G/R ratio. The dendrites changed into equiaxed grains. The main phase composition of the Fe55 welding layer was Cr7C3, γ-Fe. The martensite in the surfacing layer and the carbides formed Cr7C3, which can improve the hardness of the surfacing layer. The grain boundaries consisted mainly of a reticular eutectic structure. The uniform distribution of the Cr7C3 hard phase in the Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 resulted in a uniformly worn surface. The sub-wear mechanisms during the friction process were micro-ploughing and micro-cutting. The hardness and toughness of Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 were well-matched, avoiding excessive micro-cutting and microplastic deformation. A low content of CeO2 could lead to the formation of equiaxed grain and effectively improve the uniformity of the microstructure. The wear-resistant layer of Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 can effectively improve the service life and long-term sealing performance of the valve spools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an Al2O33D/5083 Al composite was fabricated by infiltrating a molten 5083 Al alloy into a three-dimensional alumina reticulated porosity ceramics skeleton preform (Al2O33D) using a pressureless infiltration method. The corrosion resistance of 5083 Al alloy and Al2O33D/5083 Al in NaCl solution were compared via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dynamic polarization potential (PDP), and neutral salt spray (NSS) tests. The microstructure of the two materials were investigated by 3D X-ray microscope and scanning electron microscopy aiming at understanding the corrosion mechanisms. Results show that an Al2O33D/5083 Al composite consists of interpenetrating structure of 3D-continuous matrices of continuous networks 5083 Al alloy and Al2O33D phase. A large area of strong interfaces of 5083 Al and Al2O33D exist in the Al2O33D/5083 Al composite. The corrosion development process can be divided into the initial period, the development period, and the stability period. Al2O33D used as reinforcement in Al2O33D/5083 Al composite improves the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al composite via electrochemistry tests. Thus, the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al is higher than that of 5083 Al alloy. The NSS test results indicate that the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al was lower than that of 5083 Al alloy during the initial period, higher than that of 5083 Al alloy during the development period, and there was no obvious difference in corrosion resistance during the stability period. It is considered that the elements in 5083 Al alloy infiltrated into the Al2O33D/5083 Al composite are segregated, and the uniform distribution of the segregated elements leads to galvanic corrosion during the corrosion initial period. The perfect combination of interfaces of Al2O33D and the 5083 Al alloy matrix promotes excellent corrosion resistance during the stability period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between clutch thermodynamic characteristics and contact states of friction components is explored numerically and experimentally. The clutch thermodynamic numerical model is developed with consideration of the contact state and oil film between friction pairs. The clutch bench test is conducted to verify the variation of the clutch thermodynamic characteristics from the uniform contact (UCS) to the intermittent contact (ICS). The results show that the oil film decreases gradually with increasing temperature; the lubrication state finally changes from hydrodynamic lubrication to dry friction, where the friction coefficient shows an increasing trend before a decrease. Thus, the friction torque in UCS gradually increases after the applied pressure stabilizes. When the contact state changes to ICS, the contact pressure increases suddenly and the oil film decreases rapidly in the local contact area, bringing about a sharp increase in friction torque; subsequently, the circumferential and radial temperature differences of friction components expand dramatically. However, if the contact zone is already in the dry friction state, friction torque declines directly, resulting in clutch failure. The conclusions can potentially be used for online monitoring and fault diagnosis of the clutch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of friction-induced noise is a crucial research area for enhancing vehicle comfort, and this paper proposes a method based on circular pit texture to achieve this goal. We conducted a long-term sliding friction test using a pin-on-disc friction and a wear test bench to verify the validity of this method. To compare the friction noise of different surfaces, texture units with varying line densities were machined on the surface of friction disk samples. The resulting friction-wear and noise characteristics of the samples were analyzed in conjunction with the microscopic morphology of the worn surfaces. The results indicate that surfaces with textures can delay the onset of squeal noise, and the pattern of its development differs from that of smooth surfaces. The noise reduction effect is most evident due to the proper distribution of textures that can form furrow-like wear marks at the wear interface. The finite element results demonstrate that this morphology can improve pressure distribution at the leading point and reduce the tendency of system instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated sericite was prepared by thermal modification, acid activation and sodium modification, and it was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), N2 adsorption test, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicated that the crystallinity of raw sericite decreased after thermal modification; the pores with sizes between 5 nm to 10 nm of thermal-modified sericite have collapsed and the surface area increased after thermal modification. The dissolving-out amount of Al3+ reached ca. 31 mg/g in the optimal processing conditions during acid activation; cation exchange capacity (CEC) of acid-treated sericite increased to 56.37 mmol/100 g meq/g after sodium modification compared with that of raw sericite (7.42 mmol/100 g). The activated sericite is a promising matrix for clay-polymer nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface problems and the destruction of the continuity of the oxide film in the Al matrix usually reduce the corrosion resistance of the material. In this paper, the corrosion resistance of Al matrix composites (AMCs) was improved by introducing the silicon carbide skeletons (SiC3D) obtained with polymer replica technology. SiC3D/6061Al was fabricated by infiltrating molten 6061Al alloy in the oxidized SiC3D using the low-pressure casting method. The corrosion resistance performances of 6061Al and SiC3D/6061Al in NaCl solution were studied by electrochemical, neutral salt spray corrosion (NSS), and salt leaching (SL) tests. Results show corrosion resistance of SiC3D/6061Al is higher than that of 6061Al alloys by open circuit potential (OCP), potentio-dynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. However, NSS and SL tests show the corrosion resistance of SiC3D/6061Al is lower than that of 6061Al alloy. The reason is a corrosion resistant and anti-oxidation network macrostructure with large interface recombination, few concentrated interfaces, and a small specific area that formed in SiC3D/6061Al. SiC3D cannot damage the continuity of the Al2O3 passivating film, and the network macrostructure greatly improves the corrosion resistance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the effects of aging treatment on the microstructures of a TC18 alloy are studied. The influence of aging treatment on the tensile properties and failure mechanisms is systematically analyzed. It is found that the size and morphology of the primary α (αp) phases are insensitive to aging temperature and time. Furthermore, the aging temperature and time dramatically influence the precipitation of the secondary α (αs) phases. Massive αs phases precipitate and gradually coarsen, and finally weave together by increasing the aging temperature or extending the aging time. The variations in αp and αs phases induced by aging parameters also affect the mechanical properties. Both yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) first increase and then decrease by increasing the aging temperature and time, while ductility first decreases and then increases. There is an excellent balance between the strengths and ductility. When the aging temperature is changed from 450 to 550 °C, YS varies from 1238.6 to 1381.6 MPa, UTS varies from 1363.2 to 1516.8 MPa, and the moderate elongation ranges from 9.0% to 10.3%. These results reveal that the thickness of αs phases is responsible for material strengths, while the content of α phases can enhance material ductility. The ductile characteristics of the alloy with coarser αs phases are more obvious than those with thinner αs phases. Therefore, the aging treatment is helpful for the precipitation and homogeneous distribution of αs phases, which are essential for balancing the strengths and ductility of the studied Ti alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zone refining method is a physical method for effectively purifying metals. Increasing yield and reducing impurity content have always been the focus of its research. This article systematically summarizes the relevant research on the production of high-purity metals by zone refining, including mechanisms, parameter optimization, zone refining types, analysis methods, limitations, and future development directions, and it provides relevant theoretical foundations for the production of high-purity metals as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper-based friction material (CFM) and paper-based friction material (PFM) are the two most commonly used clutch friction materials. The friction and wear characteristics of these two kinds of friction materials under dry conditions were investigated by the pin-on-disc test over a broad range of applied loads, rotating speeds and ambient temperatures. Before experiments, the running-in test was conducted to stabilize the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear amount of the test samples. After experiments, the metallographic micrographs of the tested samples were presented to investigate the wear mechanisms. Experimental results showed that both the COF and wear depth of the CFM are much greater than these of PFM. The COF of CFM decreases with the increase of applied load, and changes slightly with the variation of rotating speed, whereas it increases first and then decreases with the increase of ambient temperature. However, the COF of PFM decreases dramatically with the increase of the rotating speed and ambient temperature, while it remains stable at first and then decreases slowly as the applied load increases. Additionally, under such three working conditions, the wear depth of CFM changes linearly, while the wear depth of PFM varies greatly. This study can be used as a guide for selecting friction materials for clutches with different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) In order to improve the interface bonding state between poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers and a polyimide (PI) polymer matrix, as well as its effectiveness under elevated temperature, rare earth solution (RES) and coupling agent were employed toward PBO fibers as surface modifiers in this article, respectively. (2) The surface characteristics of the PBO fibers before and after modifications were characterized and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effects of the surface treatment of the PBO fibers on the flexural properties and friction and wear behaviors of the polyimide polymer matrix composites reinforced by PBO fibers (PBO/PI) were studied under normal and elevated temperature, and the morphologies of the bending fracture and the worn surface were observed through scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). (3) The results revealed that the RES modification was superior to the coupling agent modification regarding increasing the surface activity of the PBO fibers. (4) The PBO/PI composite treated by RES had higher flexural properties and more excellent anti-friction and wear resistance than the pretreated and coupling agent-treated composites under both normal and elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al alloy into Al2O3 three-dimensional reticulated porous ceramic (Al2O3(3D) RPC) is essential for optimizing the microstructure and properties of Al2O3(3D)/5083Al interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) prepared by low-pressure infiltration process (LPIP). This study employs ProCAST software to simulate the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al with pouring velocities (PV) of 0.4 m/s infiltrating into Al2O3(3D) RPC preforms with varying porosities at different pouring temperatures (PT) to prepare Al2O3(3D)/5083Al IPCs using LPIP. The results demonstrate that pore diameter of Al2O3(3D) RPC preforms and PT of liquid 5083Al significantly influence the of the infiltration. Solidification process analysis reveals that the Al2O3(3D) RPC preform with smaller pore diameters allows the lower pouring velocity of 5083Al to solidify faster compared to the preform with larger pore diameters. Al2O3(3D)/5083Al IPCs were prepared successfully from Al2O3(3D) RPC porosity of 15 PPI with liquid 5083Al at PV 0.4 m/s and PT 800 °C using LPIP, resulting in nearly fully dense composites, where both Al2O3(3D) RPCs and 5083Al interpenetrate throughout the microstructure. The infiltration and solidification defects were reduced under air pressure of 0.3 MPa (corresponding to PV of 0.4 m/s) during LPIP. Finite volume method simulations are in good agreement with experimental data, validating the suitability of the simplified model for Al2O3(3D) RPCs in the infiltration simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stiffnesses of embankments and culverts differ in the transition sections of high-speed railways (HSRs) due to their different supporting conditions. The dynamic irregularity caused by the different stiffnesses makes this transition area the weakest part of high-speed railways. Graded crushed stone combined with 5% cement is typically used to fill the subgrade in these transition areas. Thus, three different particle size ratios of crushed stone were matched and tested regarding the construction parameters to explore the most suitable materials to fill the roadbed in a transition section. Then, field dynamic tests were carried out on the culvert–embankment–culvert transition area where trains run at speeds of 5–360 km/h. A time-domain analysis of the test data was performed to obtain the laws of variation that cause the dynamic characteristics to change with the railway line and roadbed layer and the changes induced by a train's running speed, operating direction, and axle weight. The results indicate that (i) it is feasible to fill transition section roadbeds with well-graded crushed stone combined with 5% cement with optimal water contents; (ii) extreme dynamic responses in some special sections are observed, suggesting the value of taking special measures at the transition section. For example, the sections 14.5 m and 30 m from the 679 culvert and the bed layer should be specially stabilized; (iii) the train's axle load and driving direction show a great effect on corresponding sections and layers but present a small effect on the sections and layers nearby; and (iv) 260 km/h is a critical speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facile synthesis of carbon materials with high heteroatom content, large specific surface area (SSA) and hierarchical porous structure is critical for energy storage applications. In this study, nitrogen and oxygen co-doped clews of carbon nanobelts (NCNBs) with hierarchical porous structures are successfully prepared by a carbonization and subsequent activation by using ladder polymer of hydroquinone and formaldehyde (LPHF) as the precursor and ammonia as the activating agent. The hierarchical porous structures and ultra-high SSA (up to 2994 m2 g−1) can effectively facilitate the exchange and transportation of electrons and ions. Moreover, suitable heteroatom content is believed to modify the wettability of the carbon material. The as-prepared activated NCNBs-60 (the NCNBs activated by ammonia at 950 °C for 60 min) possess a high capacitance of 282 F g−1 at the current density of 0.25 A g−1, NCNBs-45 (the NCNBs are activated by ammonia at 950 °C for 45 min) and show an excellent capacity retention of 50.2% when the current density increase from 0.25 to 150 A g−1. Moreover, the NCNBs-45 electrode exhibits superior electrochemical stability with 96.2% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at 5.0 A g−1. The newly prepared NCNBs thus show great potential in the field of energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel fiber-reinforced ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is becoming an important type of concrete reinforcement. After mixing with the reinforced steel fibers, the UHPC has perfect flex resistance, shear strength, crack resistance, shock resistance, and anti-seepage. In this study, the influence of straight, corrugated, and hooked brass-coated steel fibers (BCSFs) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and crack expansion mechanism of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with varying content of 1–6 wt.% under different curing times were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry were employed to characterize the microstructure of the BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens. X-ray computed tomography was employed to determine the porosity of the BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens. The obtained results indicate the flexural strength and compressive strength of BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens are enhanced, along with increasing the content of BCSFs reinforcement with different shapes (straight, corrugated, and hooked). The embedded BCSFs play a major role in the adhesive property and stress transfer of the BCSFs–UHPC matrix interface. Different from many studies, the flexural strength of mix UHPC with straight BCSFs is higher than those with corrugated and hooked BCSFs. However, the compressive strength of UHPC with corrugated BCSFs is higher than those with straight and hooked BCSFs. The flexural strength of mix UHPC with 6 wt.% straight BCSFs at 28 days reaches the maximum value of 26.2 MPa, and the compressive strength of UHPC with 6 wt.% corrugated BCSFs at 28 days reaches the maximum value of 142.3 MPa. With the increase in straight BCSF content from 1 wt.% to 6 wt.%, the porosity in mix UHPC reduces gradually from 18.4% to 8.3%. The length of average crack spacing is dependent on the straight BCSF content. With the increase in straight BCSF content from 1 wt.% to 6 wt.%, the average crack length reduces gradually from 34.2 mm to 12.1 mm, and the average crack width reduces gradually from 0.78 mm to less than 0.1 mm. During crack extension, part of the energy in the UHPC mixture specimen with the 6 wt.% BCSF content flows into the crack tip region converted into the work dissipated during the bridging process. The crack propagation resistance of the UHPC mixture with straight BCSFs was improved compared with those with corrugated and hooked BCSFs. The bond strength between the BCSFs and UHPC matrix was enhanced by using vibrational mixing, and the brass film coated on the BCSFs contributes to increase the flexural and compressive strength of the UHPC mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the friction and wear performance of carbon fiber reinforced friction materials under different working conditions, paper-based friction materials with different fibers were prepared. Experiments on the SAE#2 test bench were conducted to study the infectors including friction torques, surface temperature, coefficient of friction (COF), and surface morphologies. The results were analyzed, which indicated that the carbon fiber reinforced friction material could provide a higher friction torque and a lower temperature rising rate under the applied high pressure and high rotating speed conditions. As the pressure increased from 1 MPa to 2.5 MPa, the friction torque of plant fiber reinforced material increased by 150%, the friction torque of carbon fiber reinforced material increased by 400%, and the maximum temperature of plant fiber reinforced and carbon fiber reinforced material reached the highest value at 1.5 MPa. Thus, carbon fibers not only improved the COF and friction torque performance but also had advantages in avoiding thermal failure. Meanwhile, carbon fiber reinforced friction materials can provide a more stable COF as its variable coefficient (α) only rose from 38.18 to 264.62, from 1 MPa to 2.5 MPa, which was much lower than the natural fiber reinforced friction materials. Simultaneously, due to the good dispersion and excellent mechanical properties of PAN chopped carbon fibers, fewer pores formed on the initial surface, which improved the high wear resistance, especially in the intermedia disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential part of the transmission, the life of the clutch directly affects the stability of the transmission. In this paper, a finite element model and a thermodynamic numerical model of a multi-disc clutch are established to investigate the influence of material parameters on the contact pressure distribution. The pressure distribution index (PDI) is firstly proposed to evaluate the pressure difference among friction pairs. Moreover, the correctness of the numerical model is verified by the clutch static pressure experiment. The results show that increasing the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the backplate can effectively improve the uniformity of the contact pressure. However, the variations in material parameters of other clutch components can not easily smooth the pressure difference. Therefore, optimized material parameters for the clutch are proposed, where the maximum pressure and temperature differences are reduced by about 27.2% and 10.3%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a theoretical model of three-dimensional (3D) transient temperature field for Al alloy brake discs with Al2O3-SiC(3D)/Al alloy wear-resisting surface layer was established. 3D transient thermo-stress coupling finite element (FE) and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models of the brake discs was presented. The variation regularities of transient temperature and internal temperature gradient of the brake discs under different emergency braking conditions were obtained. The effects of initial braking velocity (IBV) and thickness of Al2O3-SiC(3D)/Al alloy composite wear-resisting layer on the maximum friction temperature evolution of the disc were discussed. The results indicated the lower temperature and thermal stress distributed uniformly on the wear-resisting surface, which was dominated by high conductivity and cooling ability of the Al alloy brake disc. The maximum friction temperature was not obviously affected by the thickness of the wear-resisting layer. The maximum friction temperature of the brake discs increased with the increase of the IBV, the maximum friction temperature and thermal stress of the brake discs is about 517 °C and 192 MPa at IBV = 97 m/s considering air cooling, respectively. The lower thermal stress and fewer thermal cracks are produced during the braking process, which relatively decrease the damage. The friction behavior of the tribo-couple predicted using FE method correlated well with the experimental results obtained by sub-scale testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]