Using Plane Strain Compression Test to Evaluate the Mechanical Behavior of Magnesium Processed by HPT

There is a great interest in improving mechanical testing of small samples produced in the laboratory. Plane strain compression is an effective test in which the workpiece is a thin sheet. This provides great potential for testing samples produced by high-pressure torsion. Thus, a custom tool was designed with the aim to test 10 mm diameter discs processed by this technique. Finite element analysis is used to evaluate the deformation zone, stress and strain distribution, and the accuracy in the estimation of stress–strain curves. Pure magnesium and a magnesium alloy processed by high-pressure torsion are tested using this custom-made tool. The trends observed in strength and ductility agree with trends reported in the literature for these materials.

A critical review of the mechanical properties of CoCrNi-based medium-entropy alloys

The CoCrFeMnNi alloy is one of the most notable first-generation high-entropy alloys and is also known as a Cantor alloy. This alloy was first proposed in 2004 and shows promising performance at cryogenic temperatures (CTs). Subsequent research has indicated that the equiatomic ternary CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy (MEA), as a subset of the Cantor alloy family, has better mechanical properties than the CoCrFeMnNi alloy. Interestingly, both the strength and ductility of the CoCrNi MEA are higher at CTs than at room temperature. CoCrNi-based alloys have attracted considerable attention in the metallic materials community and it is therefore important to generalize and summarize the latest progress in CoCrNi-based MEA research. The present review initially briefly introduces the discovery of the CoCrNi MEA. Subsequently, its tensile response and deformation mechanisms are summarized. In particular, the effects of parameters, such as critical resolved shear stress, stacking fault energy and short-range ordering, on the deformation behavior are discussed in detail. The methods for strengthening the CoCrNi MEA are then reviewed and divided into two categories, namely, modifying microstructures and adjusting chemical compositions. In addition, the mechanical performance of CoCrNi-based MEAs, including their dynamic shear properties, creep behavior and fracture toughness, is also deliberated. Finally, the development prospects of CoCrNi-based MEAs are proposed.

The Effect of Changing Stirrup Spacing and Hook Angle on RC Cantilever Beams with Industrial Iron Chips Waste

In this study, the usability of industrial iron chips waste was investigated in order to provide recycling in the production of reinforced concrete cantilever beams with different stirrup spacing and hook angle. In the concrete produced for cantilever beams, aggregates not larger than 4 mm in diameter were reduced by 20% and replaced with iron chips waste. Cantilever beams are manufactured with stirrup spaces of 50, 100 and 150 mm. The hook angles of the stirrups are differentiated to be 90 and 135 degrees. The experimental setup was prepared in such a way that one side of the samples was fixed, and the other side was free. The loading process was done from the end point of the released side. Load-Displacement curves of cantilever beams were obtained. In the research, it was observed that although 20% iron chips added cantilever beams experienced a decrease in their strength compared to the reference beams, they increased their ductility values at all three different stirrup spaces. As the stirrup spacing widened, the ductility values decreased. However, the effect of iron chips additive on ductility has increased. Samples with stirrup hook angle of 135 degrees increased both strength and ductility values compared to samples with 90 degrees.

Synergetic effect of Si addition on mechanical properties in face-centered-cubic high entropy alloys: A first-principles study

High-entropy alloys (HEA) have been receiving increased attention for their excellent mechanical properties. Our recent study revealed that Si-doped face-centered cubic (FCC) HEAs have great potential to improve both strength and ductility. Here, we carried out first-principles calculations in cooperation with Monte Carlo simulation and structural factor analysis to explore the effect of Si addition on the macroscopic mechanical properties. As a result, Si addition increased the local lattice distortion and the stacking fault energy. Furthermore, the short-range order formation in Si-doped alloy caused highly fluctuated stacking fault energy. Thus, the heterogeneous solid solution states in which low and high stacking fault regions are distributed into the matrix were nucleated. This unique feature in Si-doped FCC-HEA induces ultrafine twin formation in Si-doped alloys, which can be a dominant factor in improving both strength and ductility.