Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Improving Cast Steel Rail Coupler Fatigue Resistance Through Local Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing, Andrew M. Bunge

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Every year, thousands of cast-steel railcar couplers suffer from corrosion-initiated fatigue cracking in similar areas of the coupler’s knuckle; between 2015 and 2018 about 90,000 knuckles were replaced, otherwise these couplers would have been at risk for unexpected failures. These types of couplers have been common in industrial use as early as 1932, hence it is desirable for a countermeasure to the fatigue cracking that does not involve significantly altering the geometry or casting process. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAM) is a developing technology which boasts the ability to produce complex near-net-shape components; however, less attention has been paid to …

Characterization Of Hydrogen Embrittlement Sensitivity In High Hardness Steels, David Ahlen Salley

Theses and Dissertations

High hardness steels can be affected by delayed brittle cracking often attributed to hydrogen embrittlement. Improved resistance to hydrogen embrittlement would be beneficial to many industries including military, automotive, and high-rise construction. While other prevention methods include coating, trapping, and barriers, design efforts in this study were focused on improving intrinsic properties to be more resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Four alloys targeting 477 – 534 HB were designed and produced in-house and compared against a commercial grade 500 HB alloy. Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact toughness and tensile specimens were made according to ASTM E23 and ASTM E8 to characterize mechanical …

Austenitic, Duplex, And Lean Duplex Stainless Steel Critical Pitting Temperature In Simulated Concrete Environment, Bobby Giebel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this work, the critical pitting temperature (CPT) will be observed for a selection of austenitic (316LN and 24100) and duplex (2205), and lean duplex (2304, 2001) stainless steels in simulated concrete pore solution. To study the influence of temperature on the pitting stability of the stainless steels, three temperatures were tested: 25oC, 45oC, and 65oC for cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical properties of the interfaces we studied via EIS analysis. Kinetics were studied via CPP testing. To reveal the critical pitting temperature of the stainless steels, cyclic thermammetry was used. Characterization of the pits …

Assessing Mechanical Performance Of Dissimilar Steel Systems Made Via Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing, Obed Daniel Acevedo

Masters Theses

Hot stamping is part of a specific type of metalworking procedure widely used in the automotive industry. This research seeks to help make hot stamp tooling component production more cost-effective by using large-scale additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing can produce dissimilar steel components that can be more cost-effective and time-efficient and allow for complex geometries to be made. A dissimilar steel system consisting of 410 martensitic stainless steel and AWS ER70S-6 mild steel is proposed to make hot stamps, making them more cost-efficient. However, the material interface's mechanical behavior in 410SS-mild steel additively manufactured material systems is not well understood. This …

Pulse Reverse Current Electrodeposited Tio2 Doped Ni-W Coating, Sydney Hughes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nickel-Tungsten (Ni-W) coatings via the pulse reverse current method have been under development as a potential replacement for typical Chromium/Cadmium coatings. To increase the effectiveness of Ni-W as a coating, dopants have been tested to decrease microcracks and pores and increase overall tribological performance. Previous research by Timken Engineered Surfaces Laboratory showed that Ni-W doped with TiO₂ nanoparticles had a positive effect on coating performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the ideal solution parameters (i.e. TiO₂ concentration, pH) to maximize the benefit of the dopant when samples are subjected to tribological testing. Here, solutions of …

Galvanic Corrosion In Aluminum/Steel Joints, Maegan Saul

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As car manufacturers seek to use lighter weight materials, aluminum is being more commonly used in the construction of vehicles. However, the strength of steel cannot be matched and both metals are necessary, leading to the joining of dissimilar metals. This connection of different metals leads to a galvanic coupling and subsequent corrosion of the less noble metal. This project aims to observe the corrosion and galvanic coupling behavior of aluminum alloys and carbon steel so that a model may be produced which can accurately predict the expected responses of the metals in various environments. Better, more accurate modeling of …

Inclusion Control In Steel Castings, Koushik Karthikeyan Balasubramanian

Masters Theses

“Non-metallic inclusions are mainly comprised of oxides, sulfides, and nitrides, and are formed in liquid steel during the melting and refining process, as a result of reoxidation, worn-out refractories, or entrained slag. The notch toughness of high strength steels is particularly susceptible to the type, number, size, and distribution of non-metallic inclusions. High manganese and aluminum austenitic steels, or Fe-Mn-Al steels, have gained much interest in the military and automotive sector because of their excellent combinations of high strength and toughness. However, these steels are subject to both oxide bifilms and aluminum nitride, AlN, inclusions which form during melting and …

Removal Of Non-Metallic Inclusions From Molten Steel By Ceramic Foam Filtration, Soumava Chakraborty

Doctoral Dissertations

”Ceramic filters are routinely used in steel foundries to remove non-metallic inclusions from steel melt. Removal efficiency for both solid and liquid inclusions by magnesia-stabilized zirconia foam filters (10ppi) were evaluated and distribution of the captured inclusions through the filter thickness was also investigated. A mold design was developed using a commercial computational fluid dynamics software package to produce two castings that fill simultaneously, one with a filter and the other without a filter, from a single ladle pour, while also matching the fill rates and avoid turbulence and reoxidation during pouring. An industrial-scale experiment was also performed to investigate …

Direct Patterning Of Nature-Inspired Surfaces For Biointerfacial Applications, Feyza Dundar

Doctoral Dissertations

There are three major challenges for the design of patterned surfaces for biointerfacial applications: (i) durability of antibacterial/antifouling mechanisms, (ii) mechanical durability, and (iii) lifetime of the master mold for mass production of patterned surfaces. In this dissertation, we describe our contribution for the development of each of these challenges. The bioinspired surface, Sharklet AF^TM, has been shown to reduce bacterial attachment via a biocide-free structure-property relationship effectively. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of polymer-based sharkskin surfaces is challenged over the long term by both eventual bacteria accumulation and a lack of mechanical durability. To address these common modes of …

Optimization Of The Practice Of Slow Cooling Steel Bars: A Redesign And Modernization Of Materials, Eryn Johnston

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout the process of steel making, certain grades of steel are a higher risk for defects caused by the inability to quickly diffuse hydrogen through the steel when cooled to room temperature at a normal rate based on the ambient air temperature. To reduce the hydrogen flaking defects that are caused due to hydrogen entrapment in the steel, the process of slow cooling is utilized. This process reduces the cooling rate of steel bars by keeping them at a higher temperature for extended periods and in turn gives the hydrogen a chance to fully dissipate from the steel. In many …

Temper Response Of A Vanadium Microalloy Steel, Bradley W. Hostetler

Materials Engineering

This investigation details the effect of a quench-and-temper processing treatment on the mechanical properties of a microalloy steel being considered for use as a pipeline flange. Microalloy steels are normally processed via Thermo-Mechanically Controlled Processing (TMCP) due to the increased strength from ferrite grain refinement; however, the geometry of a pipeline flange requires post processing beyond TMCP which diminishes the strengthening effect provided by TMCP. The purpose of this research project is to determine the mechanical properties produced when a vanadium microalloy steel is quenched and tempered. The two major considerations are the effect of tempering time on properties and …

Process Development And Implementation For The Imaging Of Heat Treated A2 Steel For Consolidation Into An Atlas, Jessica Roberts

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Material processes, properties, and microstructure are interconnected, often visualized as the points of a triangle. Changing the process a material goes through will in turn change the properties and microstructure of that material. In materials research and education (specifically with metals), comparison between research or experiment results and scholarly-accepted results is important. When reading textbooks addressing different properties of metals and the process of metal treatment, images are often shown of the various microstructures associated with each property or process stage. The difficulty comes in trying to compare the stages or properties to one another; often different materials and processes …

Development Of Low Alloy Steel By Direct Metal Laser Sintering, Elias Jelis

Dissertations

The US Department of Defense is interested in developing, understanding, and optimizing process parameters for low alloy (4340/4140 steel) for the powder bed fusion process. Low alloy steel is used in parts where high strength and toughness are required. During parameter optimization, several aspects of the process are investigated. Powder size and morphology optimization is important for manufacturability because adequate packing is required to produce full density components. Microstructure evaluation is used in order to provide insight into parameters that lead to optimal mechanical performance and recoating performance. Influence of residual stress is evaluated with this process. Large thermal stress …

Analysis Of Fatigue Crack Propagation In Welded Steels, Roberto Angelo Demarte

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This thesis presents the study of fatigue crack propagation in a low carbon steel (ASTM A36) and two different weld metals (AWS A5.18 and AWS A5.28). Fatigue crack propagation data for each weld wire is of interest because of its use for predicting and analyzing service failures. Fatigue crack growth test specimens were developed and fabricated for the low carbon steel base metal and for each weld wire. Weld specimens were stress relieved prior to fatigue testing. Specimens were tested on a closed-loop servo hydraulic test machine at two different load ratios. Fatigue test data was collected to characterize both …

Carbon Transfer From Magnesia-Graphite Ladle Refractories To Ultra-Low Carbon Steel, Andrew Arthur Russo

Masters Theses

"Ultra-low carbon steels are utilized in processes which require maximum ductility. Increases in interstitial carbon lower the ductility of steel; therefore, it is important to examine possible sources of carbon. The refractory ladle lining is one such source. Ladle refractories often contain graphite for its desirable thermal shock and slag corrosion resistance. This graphite is a possible source of carbon increase in ultra-low carbon steels. The goal of this research is to understand and evaluate the mechanisms by which carbon transfers to ultra-low carbon steel from magnesia-graphite ladle refractory.

Laboratory dip tests were performed in a vacuum induction furnace under …

Heterogeneous Thermal Effects On Structural-Grade Steel, Eric Wickersham

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The AISC Steel Construction Manual covers structural steel design while at atmospheric and elevated temperatures. The manual does not, though, cover what happens to the steel after it has cooled from elevated temperatures. To fill in this knowledge gap, A36 steel was studied with respect to three main criteria: time, temperature, and cooling. Time was sub-divided into a standard burn (17-20min) and a prolonged burn (90min). Temperature was sub-divided into an average burn (600-800⁰F) and an extreme burn (>1200⁰F). To reach such temperatures, a forge was constructed and used during the burning process. Cooling was sub-divided into standard (air …

A Study On Non-Metallic Inclusions In Foundry Steel Process, Marc Leonard Harris

Masters Theses

"The effects of sample area and automated SEM/EDS feature analysis parameters (step size, magnification and threshold) on nonmetallic inclusion characterization results has been investigated and optimized. A post-processing program was developed to automatically determine average inclusion chemistry, total element concentrations within inclusions, and for generating joint ternary diagrams with size visualization for representing nonmetallic inclusion populations. Using these tools the evolution of nonmetallic inclusions was examined for 4320 steel at a participating industrial steel foundry. The steel was sampled throughout electric arc furnace melting through ladle refining to the final casting where an in-mold sampling procedure was developed to procure …

The Examination Of Stress Corrosion Cracking In High Strength Carbon Steel Through Combined Mechanical-Electrochemical Testing, Jacob Sines

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Through the analysis of materials and environments seen in industry a better understanding of the fundamentals behind degradation mechanisms can be observed. The scope of this project was to better understand the fundamentals behind the degradation of high strength pipeline steels in a lab setting to simulate an environment seen in industry. Specifically the degradation mechanisms of high and nearly neutral pH stress corrosion cracking were examined in environments that simulated oil and gas pipelines buried in soil. Experimentation was carried out utilizing X65 carbon steel specimen, a Gamry potentiostat, a CORTEST proof ring, a CORTEST slow strain rate machine, …

An Intercritical Heat Treatment Study Of High Strength, Microalloyed Ferrous Open Die Forgings, Kelly Elizabeth Stewart

Materials Engineering

High strength, low alloy steel is most commonly utilized in plate or sheet form-with a thickness under 4 in, one unconventional application however, is open die forging where cross-sectional area can be as large as 9.5 in by 11.5 in. When forging to larger section size than one would thermo-mechanically roll sheet steel, a new set of complications, such as variation in microstructure and mechanical properties, arise. This study investigates the heat treatment and processing options needed to negate the inherent microstructural irregularity and Charpy V-Notch (CVN) toughness variation. Intercritical heat treatment—normalizing and then quench and tempering above the A …

The Effects Of Heat Treatment On The Grain Growth, Phase Evolution, And Hardness Of Newly Developed Steel-Based Hardfacing Alloys For Industrial Applications, Renee Kuzniar

Materials Engineering

Steel-based hardfacing alloys are welded onto the outside diameter of tool joints in three beads with a slight overlap between welds for underground drilling to prolong the tool joints’ life. Current hardfacing alloys have a shortened life due to cracks occurring in neighboring weld beads. To decrease cracking, the effects of composition and heat treatment on the microstructure was investigated on five alloys. Five small arc-melt circular ingots roughly 1.4 x 0.3 inches were produced. Each sample had varying amounts of C, B, Cr, Mn, Mo, Nb, Si, Ti, V, and W. The carbon levels in the alloys were .91wt%, …

Bacterial Growth On Metal And Non-Metal Surfaces In A Static Bioreactor, Rolan Yuk Loong Liong

Master's Theses

Research was conducted to observe bacterial growth on the surface of metals in a static bioreactor. Metal and non-metal samples were subjected to bacterial exposure (1 day and 9 days). The metal samples were surface treated prior to bacterial exposure. The microstructures of the surface treated samples were analyzed by optical microscopy. After exposure, the microstructures of the samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analysis suggested that microbial attachment on the surface was related to the underlying microstructure of steel. The preferential attachment of microbes could potentially be influenced by cathodic and anodic regions created by the …

Kelvin Probe Electrode For Contactless Potential Measurement On Concrete-Properties And Applications, Michael Thomas Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practical feasibility of using a Kelvin Probe as a novel reference electrode in the measurement of both potential and polarization pulse response of reinforcing steel in concrete is demonstrated. Potential values measured using a KP reflect greater stability and repeatability than can typically be attained with conventional reference electrodes. Duplicate reinforced concrete beam test specimens with well-differentiated centrally corroding rebar segments were analyzed using both the Kelvin Probe (KP) and a conventional Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE). Potential profile maps were developed using potential values recorded under static conditions with both the SCE and the KP. Nominal polarization resistance was …

Development And Use Of A Simple Test Method To Evaluate Reheat Cracking Sensitivity In The Weld Deposit Region Of A Submerged Arc Weld, Maxwell Calder Trent

Masters Theses

Several fabricators have recently noted the occurrence of reheat cracking in the weld deposits of 2¼[ two and one fourth]Cr‑1Mo‑¼[one fourth]V (22V) during the fabrication of pressure vessels used in the petrochemical industry. Due to increased oversight now required during fabrication of already expensive pressure vessels, studies have commenced worldwide in an effort to identify root causes and formulate mitigating actions to weld reheat cracking issues. The Materials Joining Group (MJG) at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) have adapted an existing reheat cracking test originally developed for use with alloys similar to 22V. This original C‑Ring test was …

Encapsulation Of High Temperature Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage, Rupa Nath

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal energy storage is a major contributor to bridge the gap between energy demand (consumption) and energy production (supply) by concentrating solar power. The utilization of high latent heat storage capability of phase change materials is one of the keys to an efficient way to store thermal energy. However, some of the limitations of the existing technology are the high volumetric expansion and low thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs), low energy density, low operation temperatures and high cost. The present work deals with encapsulated PCM system, which operates at temperatures above 500°C and takes advantage of the heat …

Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Cold Drawn Steel Wires, Ning Liu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Cold drawn eutectoid steel wires have been widely used for a variety of applications, such as suspension bridges, steel cords for automobile tires, and springs. Much research has been done to increase their mechanical strength. With advances in modern production technology, both the drawing speed and the quality of drawn steels have been enhanced. After a careful literature survey, it is obvious that some issues are still controversial. As Y.S. Yang, J.G. Bae and C.G. Park mentioned, the lamellar spacing, thickness and volume fraction of cementites have all reached the nanometer regime, and the conventional theory is not enough to …

Steel Angle Section Members Under Combined Axial Load And Unsymmetric Bending, Maheshchandra Rajasekharan Phanibhushan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the outcome of an investigation into the experimental and theoretical behavior of steel angle section members under combined axial load and unsymmetric bending. Tests are conducted on a series of six angle section members provided with biaxial pinned-end boundaries about the cross-sectional non-principal axes. The end bending moments and axial load are applied in a quasi-static manner until the member load-carrying capacity is reached. The experimental load-deflection and load-strain curves are recorded. The theoretical analysis is based on a system of both elastic as well as materially nonlinear differential equations. The equations were solved using an iterative …

Numerical/Experimental Investigation Of Plunge Stage And Effect Of Donor Material In Friction Stir Welding, Saptarshi Mandal

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) was developed in 1991 as a robust solid-state joining technique that uses a specially shaped rotating tool to generate heat and plasticize material around the tool. The tool then mixes plasticized material along the joint line to produce the weld. Over the last decade, FSW has become increasingly popular for welding aluminum. The combination of attractive properties of the weld and cost-efficiency has led researchers to investigate the feasibility of using FSW for steel. One of the major impediments for using friction stir welding for harder materials such as steel is tool wear. It is well-documented …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Atmospheric Pressure Chemically Vapor Deposited Aluminum, Sipeng Gu

Dissertations

This study investigates the use of atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) to produce high quality aluminum coatings for corrosion protection of steel. The coatings were produced through thermal decomposition of tri-isobutyl-aluminum (TIBAL) over the 275 to 300°C temperature range. Under optimal deposition conditions, growth rates as high as 1.2 um/min were achieved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, auger electron spectroscopy, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis revealed that the coatings consisted essentially of pure aluminum (~99 at.%) with oxygen and carbon present as minor constituents. The coatings were characterized in terms of their morphological, structural, electrical, and mechanical …

Characterization Of Thermally Diffused Bordie Layers On Aisi 1018 Steel : Residual Stresses (By Synchrotron Radiation) And Microhardness, Joel A. Payne

Theses

Boronization is a thermal diffusion process in which needle like boride layers are formed at the surface of the metallic substrate. The boride coatings formed by the diffusion process have high hardness and strong ware and corrosion resistance. In order for coatings of this nature to be industrially successful, their service life should be long and characterization should be extensive. Measuring the residual stresses of the coatings caters to each of these aspects.

In this study, AISI 1018 steel samples were boronized by a powder-pack process for four hours at 850°C in an argon atmosphere. Characterization techniques included coating thickness, …

The Localized Corrosion Behavior Of 6% Mo And 316l Stainless Steels In Chloride Media And The Effect Of Applied Mechanical Stress, Houssam El-Din Sabry Ahmed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical techniques were applied to study the crevice corrosion resistance of two types of stainless steel alloys namely, conventional 316L and super austenitic 6% Mo in acidified 3% NaCl solution at room temperature. Potentiodynamic results showed that 6% Mo alloy possessed a remarkable resistance to crevice corrosion compared to 316L alloy when tested in the same solution. The breakdown potential at which passivity broke down for 316L alloy was 0.00 m V, SCE, the corresponding value for 6% Mo alloy could not be reached up to the potential value of 700 m V, SCE. 316L alloy suffered extremely from crevice …