Iranian Journal of Materials Science and Engineering

EFFECT OF ANNEALING ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND CORROSION PERFORMANCE OF ADB AND ALB ALLOYS

M. Ehteshamzadeh

Microstructure and corrosion performance of admiralty brass (ADB) and aluminum brass (ALB) alloys after passing different annealing heat treatments were investigated using optical and scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), DC polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that heat treating of ALB caused gradient in aluminum concentration across the grains whose increased with increasing of annealing temperature. On the other hand, corrosion current density (i corr) of ADB in 3.5%NaCl media decreased with increasing of recrystallization, while ALB showed corrosion behavior inconsistent with ADB. The impedance measurements showed that corrosion rate of ADB decreased with increasing of exposure time from 0 to 15 days which could be related to the formation of SnO 2 surface film and the Sn-rich phases. While polarization resistance of ALB decreased by passing days in the corrosive media which could be associated to establishing of differential aluminum concentration cells.

EFFECT OF CERAMIC FOAM FILTERS ON OXIDES REMOVAL AND THE TENSILE PROPERTIES OF A-356 ALLOY CASTINGS

A. Khakzadshahandashti

This article examines the Weibull statistical analysis that was used for investigating the effect of melt filtration on tensile properties and defects formed inside the casting. Forming and entrapping of double oxide films have been explained by using the context of critical velocity of melt in the runner. SutCast software results were used to examine the amounts of the velocity of melt as such. SEM/EDX analysis is used to observe the presence of double oxide films in the fracture surfaces of the tensile specimens. The article goes on to propose that castings made with foam filters with smaller pores show higher mechanical properties and reliability due to higher Weibull modulus and fewer defects

INVESTIGATING THE CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF NANO STRUCTURED COPPER STRIP PRODUCED BY ACCUMULATIVE ROLL BONDING (ARB) PROCESS IN ACIDIC CHLORIDE ENVIRONMENT

A. Nikfahm

In this research accumulative roll bonding process as sever plastic deformation process was applied up to 8 cycles to produce the ultrafine grain copper. Microstructure of cycle 1, cycle 4 and cycle 8 investigated by TEM images. By analyzing TEM images the grain size measured below 100 nm in cycle 8 and it was with an average grain size of 200 nm. Corrosion resistance of rolled copper strips in comparing with unrolled copper strip was investigated in acidic (pH=2) 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarization and EIS tests used for corrosion resistance investigations. The corrosion morphologies analyzed by FE-SEM microscopy after polarization test and immersion for 40 hours. Results show that the corrosion resistance decreased up to cycle 2 and increased after rolled for forth time. The corrosion degradation was more intergranular in cycle 2 and unrolled counterpart. It was more uniform rather than intergranular type in cycle 8. Corrosion current density in unrolled sample (2.55 µAcm -2 ) was about two times of that in cycle 8 (1.45 µAcm -2 ). The higher corrosion rate in cycle 2 in comparison with others was attributed to unstable microstructure and increase in dislocation density whereas the uniform corrosion in cycle 8 was due to stable UFG formation

KINETIC STUDIES FOR GOLD LEACHING OF A REFRACTORY SULFIDE CONCENTRATE BY CHLORIDE–HYPOCHLORITE SOLUTION

F. Rashchi

In this paper, gold leaching of a refractory sulfide concentrate by chloride–hypochlorite solution was investigated and effects of stirring speed, temperature and particle size on the leaching rate were reported. Experimental data for leaching rate of gold were analyzed with the shrinking–core model. Results were consistent with chemical reaction control mechanism in the first 1 h of leaching and diffusion control mechanism in the second 1 h. Apparent activation energy also was found to be 22.68 kJ/mol in the first step and 3.93 kJ/mol in the second step of leaching.

EFFECT OF SPIRAL DESIGN ON CRYSTAL ORIENTATION DURING SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWTH

S. G. Shabestari

Geometrical design of the spiral crystal selector can affect crystal orientation in the final single crystal structure. To achieve a better understanding of conditions associated with the onset of crystal orientation in a spiral crystal selector, temperature field was investigated using three-dimensional finite element method during the process. Different geometries of spiral crystal selector were used to produce Al- 3 wt. % Cu alloy single crystal using a Bridgman type furnace. The Crystal orientation of the samples was determined using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and optical microscopy. Analysing the temperature field in the crystal selector revealed that, the orientation of growing dendrites against liquidus isotherm in the spiral selector was the reason for crystal misorientation which differs in various selector geometries. Increasing the take-off angle from 35° up to 45° increases the misorientation with respect to <001> direction. Further increase of take-off angle greater than 45° will decrease the crystal misorientation again and the efficiency of the selector to produce a single grain is decreased.

EFFECT OF IMMERSION TIME ON THE ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR OF AISI 321 STAINLESS STEEL IN 0.1 M H2SO4 SOLUTION

A. Fattah-alhosseini

In this study, effect of immersion time on the electrochemical behaviour of AISI 321 stainless steel (AISI 321) in 0.1 M H 2SO 4 solution under open circuit potential (OCP) conditions was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization, Mott–Schottky analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Mott–Schottky analysis revealed that the passive films behave as n-type and p-type semiconductors at potentials below and above the flat band potential, respectively. Also, Mott–Schottky analysis indicated that the donor and acceptor densities are in the range 1021 cm-3 and increased with the immersion time. EIS results showed that the best equivalent circuit presents two time constants: The high-medium frequencies time constant can be correlated with the charge transfer process and the low frequencies time constant has been associated with the redox processes taking place in the surface film. According to this equivalent circuit, the polarization resistance (interfacial impedance) initially increases with the immersion time (1 to 12 h), and then it is observed to decreases. This variation is fully accordance with potentiodynamic polarization results

FABRICATION OF A “CONE PAA NANOSTRUCTURE” BY GRADUAL DECREASE OF VOLTAGE

H. Omidvar

The conical nanostructure improves the applications of alumina membranes and provides three dimensional nanometer scale systems to study the chemical and physical properties. In this study, the nano cone structure is produced in porous anodic alumina (PAA) by two-step anodizing. This conical nanostructure will improve the application of PAA membranes. This approach is novel generation of the so-called "gradually decreased voltage" technique, in which the voltage- time curve is divided into three stages and the effect of each step is investigated for different electrolytes. The effect of the decreasing voltage is examined in two types of electrolytes oxalic and phosphoric acid with a constant decrease in voltage rate. The results of SEM, FE-SEM images show the slope of the inner cone layer in the oxalic acid to be considerably larger compared with phosphoric acid.

HEAT TREATMENT AND OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY OF CR4+:GGG FOR PASSIVELY Q-SWITCHING ND:GARNET LASERS

S. Mohamed

High quality GGG:Cr,Ca crystal for passive Q-switching Nd:garnet lasers has been grown by the Czochralski method. Thermal treatment of GGG crystals co-doped with Cr4+ and Ca2+ at different temperatures is investigated. The absorption spectra were resolved into different peaks, of modified Gaussian line-shape. Transition from octahedral sites to tetrahedral ones is thermally activated. An optimal temperature interval for this transition was found to be 1200-1300 ˚C. The investigated samples were used as saturable absorbers in flash-lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser, and a pulse width of about 16 nsec was obtained