Search Results for solution treatment

Aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) alloys have good castability in combination with high corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, and specific strength, making them a strong candidate for many automotive applications. This article describes the processes used in the production of die-cast AlSi9Mg engine brackets for Volvo trucks, the effects of solution treatment temperature on Si particle size, and the benefits of Mg additions on yield strength and heat treatability.

Three types of thermal treating processes are commonly applied to magnesium alloys, including annealing, solution heat treatment, and precipitation, or aging.

Given the demonstrated antimicrobial properties of copper, it is incumbent upon materials scientists to design potent antimicrobial copper-containing stainless steels as an economical option.

Aluminum components with refined microstructures produced by high pressure die casting enable manufacturers to gain energy savings via shorter production cycles—if casting and tempering parameters are optimized. This article reports on research results indicating it is possible to increase hardness of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys by optimizing the water quenching rate and duration of room temperature hold, and producing castings with finer microstructures.

This article is a brief update on work by the Center for Heat Treating Excellence at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts to study the best way to heat treat additively manufactured parts for optimum performance. A particular focus of the CHTE research is on titanium and titanium alloys, cobalt alloys, and stainless steels for biomedical applications.

Integral quenching (IQ) is a widely adopted heat treatment technique known for its efficient and rapid quenching capabilities. Vertical vacuum IQ furnaces give heat treaters a larger working zone for efficient and rapid quenching. This article describes the elements of a vacuum IQ furnace line and describes its operational workflow and process control.

High strength, corrosion-resistant Ferrium C64 is the culmination of a rigorous design process that bypassed extensive physical experimentation—delivering a carburizable steel with unmatched capability.

For parts made by direct metal laser melting, heat treatment is important to set the final microstructure, which impacts mechanical properties.

In this study, 316L stainless steel samples were plasma nitrided for 64 h at 370-420 °C then subjected to surface hardness and pitting corrosion testing. The results show that interstitial hardening with nitrogen significantly improved the surface hardness as well as the pitting corrosion resistance of the austenitic stainless steel.

Vacuum solution nitriding is a promising technique for increasing the surface hardness, load-bearing capability, and fatigue strength of martensitic stainless steels without sacrificing corrosion resistance. This article examines the effects of nitriding pressure and temperature on surface nitrogen content and case depth in four martensitic stainless steels.

Low-temperature surface hardening of stainless steel by means of gaseous processing provides a high degree of tailorability of the hard surface case without affecting corrosion resistance. This article covers the fundamental and technological aspects of the process and examines the effect of different LTSH treatments on 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steel.

This article reviews steps to improve the cost and efficiency of electrical heating methods for vacuum furnaces based on recent technology developments. Topics addressed include improvements in durability and efficiency of industrial power supplies and digital power supply diagnostics.

Application of heat treat simulation using the finite element method is ideal to troubleshoot, improve, and design heat treating processes. This article presents examples of heat treating simulation used in the design of a tooling component and in refining a low-pressure carburizing process.

Thermal-spray and solution-based synthesized coatings offer improved efficiency and durability than currently used coatings in concentrating solar power receiver applications.

A digital refractometer gives more accurate quench concentration readings thereby reducing maintenance, increasing productivity, and ensuring desired metallurgical properties.

Modeling shows that achieving required gear performance in a reduced gear size is possible by changing the steel grade and heat treatment parameters during the design stage. This article describes work in which virtual computer models using DANTE software are applied to help achieve gear size reduction by including steel grade hardenability and heat treatment parameters in the design process.

Stress corrosion cracking is an insidious form of damage that can occur when a susceptible metal is subjected to a tensile stress in a specific environment. To relieve tensile stresses at welded joints, postweld heat treatment can be helpful in reducing the susceptibility of carbon steel fabrications to SCC. When planning to use stainless steels in chloride-containing environments, it is advisable to select alloys that have been specifically developed to resist stress chloride cracking such as ferritic-austenitic (duplex) alloys, low-carbon ferritic alloys, and 6% Mo austenitic alloys or to select high-nickel alloys.

This article reviews the analytical techniques used for phase identification in components, including x-ray diffraction, metallography/microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, trasmission electron microscopy,and atom probe tomography. The article addresses the advantages and disadvantages of each technique compared to the other approaches.

A joint Canadian project aims to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and future epidemics with cold sprayed, copper-based coatings. The objectives are: (1) to tailor the microstructure and surface state of Cu/Cu alloy cold spray coatings to maximize the antiviral activity and provide an economically viable solution that can be rapidly upscaled and industrialized; (2) to identify the most relevant high-touch surface components based on a systematic data-driven analysis and simulation of public infrastructure usage; and (3) to demonstrate viable production capability with real component demonstrators to be installed in public transport facilities for in situ testing.

Preventive multi-frequency testing using eddy current ensures heat-treated parts meet specifications.