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The present work investigates the effect of 1-4 dioxane (10 ml) as additive to the diesel and blend of canola biodiesel (CABD20) on the performance of a diesel engine. The physiochemical properties of diesel, CABD20, diesel+1-4 dioxane and CABD20+1-4 dioxane fuels were measured and improved fuel properties were identified with the additive based fuels. From the experimental results, BTE was enhanced (by 1.9-2.2%) with additive based fuel over both the diesel and CABD20 fuels. The presence of HA, CO and smoke emissions were decreased in the exhaust emissions for CABD20 fuel with a marginal increment of NOx emissions. Furthermore, adding 1-4 dioxane to diesel and CABD20 fuel significantly reduced the exhaust emissions. From the observations, it is concluded that better engine performance can be obtained with the use of additives in the diesel and the blend of biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry sliding wear behaviour of ZE41 magnesium alloy was evaluated under the air and argon environment at room temperature, 125 °C, and 250 °C. The coefficient of friction was increased with increasing the test temperature. At room temperature and 125 °C, the friction coefficient was reduced in the argon environment. However, at 250 °C, the friction coefficient in the argon environment was measured as higher compared to that of the tests conducted in the air environment. The wear rate increased with the increasing temperature. However, a lower wear rate was observed in the case of argon atmosphere than in air for all the test temperatures. Abrasion and delamination were dominant wear mechanisms at room temperature and 125 °C, whereas at 250 °C, thermal softening and shearing were found to be dominant. Furthermore, oxidation wear was observed as the prominent mechanism in the air environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

316L stainless steel is known for its high corrosion resistance and extensively being used for biomedical implants and for the fabrication of the parts in nuclear reactors, and fuel cells. In the current study, 316L stainless steel samples were grounded using different grades of surface grits (400, 1200, and mirror-finished) by mechanical polishing, and influence of surface finish on the wear and corrosion characteristics was studied. The dry sliding wear experiments were carried out on ball-on-plate setup against hardened steel ball and the corresponding friction curves were obtained and specific wear rates were measured. The wear mechanisms were identified by examining the worn-out surface using scanning electron microscope and Raman spectrometer. It was evident that the formation and removal of iron oxides is the dominant mechanism for material loss from the samples during wear tests. The higher wear resistance of the mirror-finished sample was attributed to the formation of stable chromium oxide layer on the wear track. Potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed on the samples and better corrosion resistance was observed for the mirror-finished sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reciprocating wear behaviour of high velocity oxy-fuel WC-12Co coatings subjected to sliding against SiC and Si3N4 counter-balls was investigated by varying the load from 10 to 60 N. The worn-out coatings and the counter-balls were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The WC-12Co/SiC tribo-pair exhibited lower coefficient of friction values as compared to WC-12Co/Si3N4 tribo-pair. The coating's volume wear rate was found to be lower when the coating was paired against the SiC counter ball as compared to the Si3N4 counter ball which is attributed to the formation of oxide layers. The volume wear rate was increased along with the load regardless of the counter ball material. The formation of tribo-chemical products was responsible to reduce the wear rate of the coatings. Abrasion, surface fatigue, and tribo-oxidation are the observed wear mechanisms for the coatings sliding against both SiC and Si3N4 counter balls under higher loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WC-Co coatings were produced on SS 410 plates and subjected to heat treatment at different temperatures (from 300 to 900 °C). The microstructural studies and structural analysis of the coatings before and after heat treatment were carried out by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. From the Vickers indentation method, hardness values were measured, and higher microhardness was observed for the coatings after heat treatment. The sample that was heat-treated at 750 °C exhibited the highest hardness. From the sliding wear test results, the wear resistance of the coatings was observed as increased after the heat treatment. However, it was found that the heat-treated coatings at 600 °C exhibited higher wear resistance. Cracking and fracture were the dominant wear mechanisms observed for the heat-treated coatings, along with coating delamination and oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]