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The present work reports on foaming of magnesium alloys and composites using MgCO3 as the blowing agent. Foaming was done via the molten metal route by direct addition of MgCO3 in molten Mg. The alloys and composites required for foaming were prepared by varying the concentration of aluminum (10 to 30 wt pct) and calcium (0 and 2 wt pct) in Mg. SiC of 10-µm size and about 10 to 20 vol pct was added as reinforcement particles in the composite. The liquidus temperature of the alloys and composites, the decomposition behavior of MgCO3, and the intrinsic oxides that formed in the melt have a significant effect on the structure of the foams. Mg alloys and composites with 30 wt pct Al showed better foaming behavior with higher expansion, lower density, good cell structure, and uniform cell size distribution due to the smaller difference between their liquidus temperature and the decomposition temperature of MgCO3. The addition of 2 wt pct Ca showed a significant effect on foaming, and the MgO and MgAl2O4 (spinel) particles formed in situ in the molten Mg during foaming acted as the stabilizing agents.

In the present work, Al-4 wt pct Cu/TiC composite was synthesized by the molten salt route that contains submicron-sized TiC particles in the Al-4 wt pct Cu matrix. The concentration of the TiC particle in the base alloy is 7.5 wt pct. Melt ultrasound treatment was done by remelting the as-cast composite at 1023 K (750 °C) in a view to refine the size of TiC particles to nanoscale and distribute them evenly in the matrix. The microstructure and age hardenability of the untreated and ultrasound-treated composites were investigated. The TiC particles accelerate the precipitation kinetics of CuAl2 phase in Al-4 wt pct Cu alloy. In the present study, the hardness obtained for untreated Al-4 wt pct Cu/TiC composite is 120 VHN within 5 hours of peak aging time, which is higher than the hardness of the monolithic Al-4 wt pct Cu, which is 104 VHN at 35 hours of peak aging time. Melt ultrasound treatment of Al-4 wt pct Cu/TiC composite shows no significant effect on the distribution and refinement of TiC particles in the matrix. However, it partially disintegrates the TiC into Al3Ti and Al4C3 particles. The ultrasound-treated composite showed an improved hardness of about 132 VHN at 5 hours of peak aging, in comparison to that of the untreated composite, by forming denser and homogeneous CuAl2 precipitates.

Closed-cell foams were produced from re-melted aluminum alloy scrap that contained 0.13 wt pct Mg magnesium in the as-received state and higher levels after adding 1, 2, or 5 wt pct Mg. The excess Mg gave rise to the fragmentation of long oxide filaments present in the scrap alloy into smaller filaments and improved its distribution and wetting by the Al matrix. Foaming the re-melted scrap alloy containing 1, 2, and 5 wt pct Mg excess showed stability and good expansion in comparison to the scrap alloy containing 0.13 wt pct Mg only, but the cells became non-equiaxed when the Mg concentration was high (≥2 wt pct excess) due to cell wall rupture during solidification. Compressibility and energy absorption behavior were studied for scrap alloy foams containing 1 wt pct Mg excess, which is the optimum level to obtain good expansion, stability, and uniform cell size. Foams with densities in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 g cm−1 produced by holding at the foaming temperature for different times were used for the investigation. A uniform cell structure led to flatter stress plateaus, higher energy absorption efficiencies, and reduced “knockdown” in strength compared with commercial foams made by gas bubbling. The mechanical performance found is comparable to that of commercial foams made by a similar method but the expected costs are lower.

Dry powder inhalers (DPI) attracted the attention of pharmaceutical field due to its enlarging market share in inhalable formulations. These formulations also pose patient compliance and good shelf life. Earlier DPI formulations were intended for local effect in lung (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), whereas 21(st) century witnessed formulations intended for systemic effect too. A better understanding of physiology of lung and fluidics of air flow helped in targeting alveoli using DPI technology. Modern characterization tools also accelerated the research pace. In addition to the synthetic molecules, DPI also was proved to be a better system for delivering biological molecules including vaccines. This review includes the mechanisms of drug deposition, advancements in the fields of DPI devices, various characterization tools and particle engineering. In this review we have related the chronological advancement of inhalational technology starting from 1788 AD to the present.

The expansion and stability of foams made from remelted aluminium alloy scrap has been studied. Foams made from scrap alloy contain oxide bi-films introduced from the swarf (machining chips and turnings) of LM26 alloy and these oxides act as stabilizing agents. The wettability of the oxides and hence the stabilisation is studied by varying the addition of Mg (0 to 2 wt.%) in the alloy. The viscosity of the melts with and without Mg addition is measured and correlated with foam expansion and stability. A detailed microstructural analysis of the base alloy and foam cell wall was conducted to obtain an understanding of the stabilisation behaviour of oxides.

Aluminium alloy foams are created by injecting air into liquid alloys containing non metallic particles. In addition to an alloy containing the usual SiC particles, other types of metal particle composites are studied, which are created by in situ reactions in the melts two fluoride salts react and form TiB2 particles, and Ca addition or addition of CuO and SiO2 gives rise to the formation of various oxides and spinel particles. Injecting air into the molten composites through two different steel cannulas leads to the formation of first bubbles and then foam. The entire process is monitored in situ by X ray radioscopy. The goal is not only to understand how and what kind of particles stabilise gas injected foams better, but also to reduce the fraction of added particles, which could improve mechanical properties, solve recycling issues and reduce production costs. All the observed composites are shown to have the potential to be processed to metallic foam. Melts containing TiB2 particles are found to perform as well as those containing SiC even at lower volume fractions. Oxidation of alloy melts promoted by Ca addition gives rise to melts that exhibit good foamability. Melts oxidised by CuO and SiO2 addition show partial stability. Mg is found to be a required alloying element to create stable foams. Smaller bubbles can be produced using smaller injector needle openings. By reducing bubble size and using new variants of in situ generated particles, more stable foams can be achieved with a lower number density of stabilising particles

Liquid metallic alloys with and without stabilizing particles such as TiB2 or SiC were processed to single films or artificial single Plateau borders to clarify the stabilization mechanisms of metallic foams based on the same melts. First, isolated single films were pulled out of a liquid metal by using circular wire frames of various sizes. Modified wire frame structures comprising double or quadruple parallel frames were then used to create artificial metallic Plateau borders. Drainage in single metallic films between two Plateau borders was studied by cutting films vertically and analysing their cross sections. Particle movement in liquid films was observed in-situ via synchrotron X-ray radioscopy. It was found that Mg-free liquid metallic alloys containing stabilising particles are less stable and rupture immediately because of unhindered drainage. In contrast, films made of AlSi9Mg0.6 alloy containing TiB2 or SiC are stable for long holding times. Our study shows that the complexity of drainage and evolution of Plateau borders in true metal foams can be studied by using a simple model system based on a single metallic film between two artificial Plateau borders.

A novel foamable aluminum alloy has been developed. It contains sub-micron-sized MgAl2O4 (spinel) particles that are generated in situ by a reaction of SiO2 with a molten Al-Mg alloy. The study involves an optimization of parameters such as Mg concentration, SiO2 particles size, and reaction time and shows that a composite containing MgAl2O4 particles as chief reinforcement in the matrix leads to effective foaming. Composites containing large sized transition phases and particle agglomerates in the matrix yield poor foam structure. The best foamable composite obtained contained 3.4 vol. pct of ultrafine (80 nm to 1 μm) MgAl2O4 particles uniformly distributed in an Al-Si alloy matrix. The corresponding metal foam contained 75 pct porosity and exhibited a uniform distribution of cells.

Strontium-modied Al-15wt%Si casting alloys were investigated after 5 and 60 minutes of melt holding. The eutectic microstructures were studied using complementary methods at dierent length scales: focused ion beamenergy selective backscattered tomography, transmission electron microscopy and three-dimensional atom probe. Whereas the samples after 5 minutes of melt holding show that the structure of eutectic Si changes into a ne brous morphology, the increase of prolonged melt holding (60 minutes) leads to the loss of Sr within the alloy with an evolution of an unmodied eutectic microstructure displaying coarse interconnected Si plates. Strontium were found at the Al/Si eutectic interfaces on the side of the eutectic Al region, measured by three-dimensional atom probe. The new results obtained using three-dimensional atom probe shed light on the location of Sr within the Al-Si eutectic microstructure.

The effect of TiAl3 particle size and distribution on their settling and dissolution behaviour in molten aluminium during grain refinement has been studied. For this purpose Al-5Ti master alloys containing blocky TiAl3 particles of different size and distribution are synthesised at reaction temperatures 750, 800 and 850 �C for 60 min and used for grain refinement. The extent of fading and the recovery due to stirring is calculated from the measured grain size and used to judge the dissolution and settling behaviour of TiAl3 in molten Al, which is greatly attributed to its size and distribution in Al-5Ti master alloy. Fine TiAl3 particle dissolve faster in the melt and cause fading. Larger size TiAl3 particles exist for longer time in molten Al and act as a nucleating site even when added in hypoperitectic concentration (0.05 wt% Ti). � 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Al-5Ti-0.8C and Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloys have been successfully prepared by reaction of K2TiF6 salt and graphite powder with molten Al. While the Al-5Ti-0.8C consists of some TiAl3 particles in addition to TiC particles in the Al matrix, the Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloy revealed the presence of only TiC particles. The grain refining efficiency of these two master alloys has been compared with that of the conventional Al-5Ti-1B master alloy on Al and Al-7Si alloy at different addition levels. Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloy was found to be the most efficient grain refiner for Al amongst the grain refiners studied. Even in case of Al-7Si alloy, the Al-5Ti-0.8C and Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloys performed better than conventional Al-5Ti-1B master alloy. However, the Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloy shows poor response to grain refinement in Al-7Si alloy at higher addition levels than the Al-5Ti-0.8C master alloy, indicating poisoning. ? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We developed a novel process for foaming aluminum and its alloys without using a blowing agent. The process involves a designated apparatus in which molten aluminum and its alloys are first foamed under reduced pressure and then solidified quickly. Foaming was done for pure aluminum (99.99 pct) and AlMg5 alloy not containing stabilizing particles and AlMg5 and AlSi9Mg5 alloys containing 5 vol pct SiO2 particles. We discuss the foaming mechanism and develop a model for estimating the porosity that can be achieved in this process. The nucleation of pores in foams is also discussed. � 2012 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.

The grain refining response of LM25 (Al-7Si-0.35Mg) alloy has been studied with the newly made Al-5Ti-0.8C and Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloys which have been successfully prepared in the laboratory by reaction of K 2TiF 6 salt and graphite powder with Al. The results have been compared with the grain refining efficiency of Al-3B, Al-1Ti-3B and Al-5Ti-1B master alloys on LM25 alloy at different addition levels. The results show that the grain refining efficiency of even lowest addition level (0.1 wt.%) of both Al-5Ti-0.8C and Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloys are equivalent to the 1.0 wt.% addition levels of Al-1Ti-3B and better than 1.0 wt.% of Al-3B master alloy. At higher addition levels of Al-5Ti-0.8C and Al-5Ti-1.2C master alloys exhibits fading in grain structure on longer holding due to agglomeration of TiC particles and poisoning of Si. � 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In the present paper the authors studied isolated metallic films made from the same material used for making metallic foams, and then characterised their properties. Metal films were made from a liquid aluminium alloy reinforced with ceramic particles of known concentration. Melts without such particles were also investigated. It is shown that stable films could not be made from Al-Si alloy having no particles, and just extremely thin and fragile films could be made from commercially-pure Al. In contrast, aluminium alloys containing particles such as SiC and TiB2 allowed pulling thin, stable films, which did not rupture. Significant thinning of films was observed when the particle concentration in the melt decreased. By in situ X-ray monitoring of liquid films during pulling, film thickness and drainage effects within the liquid film could be studied. The morphology and microstructure of films was characterised after solidification. Our work shows that the question of how foams are stabilised can be studied using a simplified system such as a film, instead of having to deal with the multitude of different structural elements present in a foam. � the Owner Societies.

The present study is based on the idea of understanding the rupture of films in metal foams by studying free standing metallic films as a model system. Liquid dynamics, the velocity of the rupturing material as well as the behaviour of ceramic particles inside the melt were analysed optically ex situ and by synchrotron X-ray radiography in situ. It was found that the resistance of films to rupture is mainly based on the interaction between solid particles and an immobile oxide skin, the formation of which depends on the oxygen content of the surrounding atmosphere and the presence of magnesium.