Deformation Behavior of Wrought and EBAM Ti-6Al-4V under Scratch Testing

The microstructure, mechanical properties, and deformation behavior of wrought and electron beam additive manufactured (EBAM) Ti-6Al-4V samples under scratching were studied. As-received wrought Ti-6Al-4V was subjected to thermal treatment to obtain the samples with microstructure and mechanical characteristics similar to those of the EBAM samples. As a result, both alloys consisted of colonies of α phase laths within prior β phase grains and were characterized by close values of hardness. At the same time, the Young’s modulus of the EBAM samples determined by nanoindentation was lower compared with the wrought samples. It was found that despite the same hardness, the scratch depth of the EBAM samples under loading was substantially smaller than that of the wrought alloy. A mechanism was proposed, which associated the smaller scratch depth of EBAM Ti-6Al-4V with α′→α″ phase transformations that occurred in the contact area during scratching. Ab initio calculations of the atomic structure of V-doped Ti crystallites containing α or α″ phases of titanium were carried out to support the proposed mechanism.

Roughness Effect on Thermo-Elasto-Hydrodynamic Performance of a 170ᵒ -Arc Partial Journal Bearing

In the current analysis, the effects of circumferential scratches along the inner surface of a 170ᵒ -arc partial journal bearing has been numerically investigated. Their impact on the thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic performance characteristics, including maximum pressure, temperature, deformation, and stress, has been examined thoroughly. The ANSYS Fluent CFD commercial code was employed to tackle the iterative solution of flow and heat transfer patterns in the fluid film domain. They are then applied to the ANSYS Static Structure solver to compute the deformation and stress resulted in the solid bearing zone. A wide range of operating conditions has been considered, including the eccentricity ratio ( ) and scratch depth ( ). In contrast, the bearing length-diameter ratio (L/D) and the rotation speed (N) have been fixed at 0.77 and 1500 rpm, respectively. The thermo-hydrodynamic pressure, temperature, stress, and deformation have all been computed. It was found that the scratch depth has a direct effect on the thermo-hydrodynamic performance of the partial bearings. Meanwhile, the deep central scratches are important, especially at scratch depth equal to 0.224 mm.

Roughness Effect on Thermo-Elasto-Hydrodynamic Performance of a 170ᵒ -Arc Partial Journal Bearing

In the current analysis, the effects of circumferential scratches along the inner surface of a 170ᵒ -arc partial journal bearing has been numerically investigated. Their impact on the thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic performance characteristics, including maximum pressure, temperature, deformation, and stress, has been examined thoroughly. The ANSYS Fluent CFD commercial code was employed to tackle the iterative solution of flow and heat transfer patterns in the fluid film domain. They are then applied to the ANSYS Static Structure solver to compute the deformation and stress resulted in the solid bearing zone. A wide range of operating conditions has been considered, including the eccentricity ratio ( ) and scratch depth ( ). In contrast, the bearing length-diameter ratio (L/D) and the rotation speed (N) have been fixed at 0.77 and 1500 rpm, respectively. The thermo-hydrodynamic pressure, temperature, stress, and deformation have all been computed. It was found that the scratch depth has a direct effect on the thermo-hydrodynamic performance of the partial bearings. Meanwhile, the deep central scratches are important, especially at scratch depth equal to 0.224 mm.

Scratch Testing of AlSi12/SiCp Composite Layer with High Share of Reinforcing Phase Formed in the Centrifugal Casting Process

The scratch test enables assessing the susceptibility of a material to the development of scratches and, being in some ways a measure of its abrasion resistance, allows extended knowledge in the field of material application usability, especially its machining capabilities. The aim of the study was to assess the resistance of a centrifugally formed AlSi12/SiCp composite layer with a high share of reinforcing phase (Vp > 40%) to scratching with a diamond indenter. The microstructure and effect of the load applied to the diamond indenter on the scratch depth and susceptibility of the composite layer to the nucleation and propagation of cracks in hard and brittle SiC particles were analyzed. A simple model of SiCp cracking depending on their size, shape (geometry), and orientation in relation to the direction of scratching has been proposed.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Material Removal and Surface Defect Mechanism in Scratch Tests of High Volume Fraction SiCp/Al Composites

This paper addresses a comprehensive and further insight into the sensitivity of material removal and the surface defect formation mechanism to scratch depth during single-grit scratch tests of 50 vol% SiCp/Al composites. The three-dimensional (3D) finite element model with more realistic 3D micro-structure, particle-matrix interfacial behaviors, particle-particle contact behaviors, particle-matrix contact behaviors and a Johnson-Holmquist-Beissel (JHB) model of SiC was developed. The scratch simulation conducted at scratch velocity 10 mm/min and loading rate 40 N/min revealed that the scratch depth plays a crucial role in material removal and the surface forming process. Brittle fracturing of SiC particles and surface defects become more deteriorative under a large scratch depth ranging from 0.0385 to 0.0764 μm. The above phenomenon can be attributed to the influence of scratch depth on SiC particles’ transport; the increase in the amount of SiC particle transport resulting from an increase of scratch depth raises the occurrence of particle-particle collision which provides hard support and shock for the scratched particles; therefore, brittle fracturing gradually becomes the major removal mode of SiC particles as the scratch depth increases. On the deteriorative surface, various defects are observed; i.e., lateral cracks, interfacial debonding, cavies filled with residually broken particles, etc. The von Mises stress distribution shows that SiC particles bear vast majority of load, and thus present greater stress than the surrounding Al matrix. For example: their ratio of 3 to 30 under the scratch depth of 0.011 mm. Namely, SiC particles impede stress diffusion within the Al matrix. Finally, the SEM images of the scratched surface obtained from the single-grit scratch experiments verify the numerical analysis’s results.

Transverse Vibration of a Moving Viscoelastic Hard Membrane Containing Scratches

The transverse vibration and stability of a moving viscoelastic hard printing membrane containing scratches are investigated. Based on the viscoelastic differential constitutive relation, thin plate theory, and d’Alembert principle, the differential equation of a moving viscoelastic hard membrane with a straight scratch through the surface is derived by using the continuity condition of the scratches. The complex characteristic equation is obtained by using the differential quadrature method. The effects of the scratch depth and scratch position on the critical instability speed of the moving hard membrane were highlighted by solving the differential equation and numerical calculation, and the coupling effects of speed and scratch depth on vibration characteristics of the hard membrane are also analyzed. Numerical calculation results show that the hard membrane experiences divergence instability when the actual printing speed is v=23.2 m/s, and the membrane is stable when v<23.2 m/s. The theoretical guidance and method for scratches detection of the precision coated hard membrane are provided.

Scratch Behaviour of Silicon Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI)

The present study focuses on scratch behaviour of a conventional pearlitic and a number of solid solution strengthened ferritic Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) alloys. This was done by employing a single-pass microscratch test using a sphero-conical diamond indenter under different constant normal loads conditions. Matrix solution hardening was made by alloying with different content of Si alloy; (3.66, 4.09 and 4.59 wt%. Si) which are named as low-Si, medium-Si and high-Si ferritic CGI alloys, respectively. A good correlation between the tensile and scratch test results was observed explaining the influence of CGI’s matrix characteristics on scratch behaviour both for pearlitic and fully ferritic solution strengthened ones. Both the scratch depth and scratch width showed strong tendency to increase with increasing the normal load, however the pearlitic one showed more profound deformation compared to the solution strengthened CGI alloys. Among the investigated alloys, the maximum and minimum scratch resistance was observed for high-Si ferritic CGI and pearlitic alloys, respectively. It was confirmed by the scratched surfaces analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) as well. In addition, the indenter’s depth of penetration value (scratch depth) was found as a suitable measure to ascertain the scratch resistance of CGI alloys.Keywords: Silicon solution strengthening, CGI, Abrasion, Scratch testing, Scratch resistance