Effect of Factors on Performance of the Disc Brake System: A Discussion

Vol. 4  Issue 3
Year: 2016
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Effect of Factors on Performance of the Disc Brake System: A Discussion
Author Name:Viswanatha B.M, Prasanna Kumar. M, Basavarajappa. S and Kiran T.S
Synopsis:
Brake is one of the most important control components of the vehicles. Brake is used in all automotives, locomotives aircraft, and some stationary machines. Different types of brakes like band brakes, drum brakes, electromagnetic brakes are most commonly used. Good and reliable design of brakes has assumed utmost importance in the context of modern world, where the increase in the number of vehicles and improvement in their speed is an everyday phenomenon. Therefore, a brake should be capable of stopping a vehicle within the shortest distance possible, under all conditions of motoring and the brake system should be completely reliable. The design methods used for brakes are
based mainly on statistical considerations, and a number of simplifying assumptions. However, in reality, brakes are exposed to operate under extreme environmental conditions and it is the dynamic performance of the brake, which really matters. This paper discusses about the various factors affecting the performance of the Disc Brake system.

Evaluation of Rutting Characteristics in Stone Mastic Asphalt Mix When Added with Basalt Fiber

Vol. 4  Issue 3
Year: 2016
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Evaluation of Rutting Characteristics in Stone Mastic Asphalt Mix When Added with Basalt Fiber
Author Name:Manoj Kumar T., Ramesh A and Kumar M.
Synopsis:
Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is a gap graded asphalt mix which has large proportion of coarse aggregate and rich in binder content. The mix exhibits lesser stiffness and rutting value. To improve the rutting characteristics of the mix, basalt fibre was added as a substitute to conventional cellulose fibres in SMA Mix. IRC recommends 0.3% of cellulose fibres in SMA Mix. The results explain that there is a considerable increase in engineering properties with the addition of basalt fibres compared with conventional cellulose fibres of SMA. Marshall Properties, Rutting characteristics, Stripping value and Drain down characteristics were improved when SMA Mix is prepared with basalt fibre.

Fabrication and Characteristics of AMC/RHA Functionally Graded Materials by Controlled Mold Filling

Vol. 4  Issue 3
Year: 2016
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Fabrication and Characteristics of AMC/RHA Functionally Graded Materials by Controlled Mold Filling
Author Name:P. Nanda Kumar, P.S. Ravi Kumar and G. Ranga Janardhana
Synopsis:
Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) have been continuously attracting attention in the recent days as they offer varied properties in an uniform manner which is otherwise not possible for common engineering materials. However, production of FG products is still a practicing art. Producing functionally graded materials in the form of layered structure consisting of Al-Mg-Cu (AMC) alloy and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) by Controlled mold filling procedure is presented. The density, impact strength, and hardness in each layer of the FG product were measured. The microstructures of these layers were studied. The results obtained show that functionally graded materials produced by the controlled mold filling process exhibited an improvement in impact strength and hardness and a reduced density with addition of the rice husk ash.

Synthesis of Graphene Oxide via Modified Hummer's Approach and its Characterization

Vol. 4  Issue 3
Year: 2016
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Synthesis of Graphene Oxide via Modified Hummer's Approach and its Characterization
Author Name:Prachi Kate and A. K. Goswami 
Synopsis:
Graphene Oxide, the most recent nano scale form of carbonaceous material, has attracted much attention recently because of its unique electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, and its tremendous applications in different fields such as in optical, electronic, and catalytic fields. Graphite powder was used as a raw source for the synthesis of graphene oxide via modified Hummer's method. The structural and physiochemical properties of the synthesized product were investigated using techniques, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The FTIR
analysis of graphene oxide was found to exhibit several characteristic absorption bands C=O, C=C, C-OH, and C-O suggesting that oxygen-containing groups were introduced into the graphene. The XRD pattern of the prepared graphene oxide showed a sharp peak centered at 2O =9.388, which resembled to the graphene oxide. The SEM micrographs of synthesized graphene oxide demonstrated the layered structure, which affords homogeneous ultra thin graphene films. The EDS analysis of the graphene oxide showed that the sample contains C and O, no other impurity was detected indicating the final product is free of impurities. C and O content was detected 60.90 and 39.10 weight% respectively.

Corrosion Behavior of AA2014/SiC Metal Matrix Composite Fabricated by Stir Casting Process

Vol. 4  Issue 3
Year: 2016
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Corrosion Behavior of AA2014/SiC Metal Matrix Composite Fabricated by Stir Casting Process
Author Name:Shashi Prakash Dwivedi, Anand Sharma, Shashank Pratap Rao and Sumit Bahuguna
Synopsis:
The objective of the work is to predict the Corrosion behavior of AA2014 reinforced with SiC with different percent of reinforcement. Effects of the weight fraction of SiC particulates on the corrosion behavior of Al/SiC Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) were studied. The results revealed that the Al/SiC MMCs exhibited higher density than pure Al matrix. The static immersion corrosion tests of Al/SiC MMCs in 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution at exposure time 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours was carried out. Results showed that the Al/15% SiC MMCs have better corrosion resistance than the pure Al matrix. Increasing the weight fraction of the SiC particulates reduces the corrosion rate of the Al/SiC MMCs.

Composite Materials and their Recycling

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Composite Materials and their Recycling
Author Name:Tom Page 
Synopsis:
This paper presents an assessment of the growing use of Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic and Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic composites in the automotive and marine industry through the decades to current use. This report investigates how legislation such as the End of Life of Vehicles (ELV) will force the automotive industry to prepare for end of life recycling and gauge their progress with the aid of reports from the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Stella Job, who is a Supply Chain and Environment Officer for the UK trade association Composites UK, outlining the process of pyrolysis and solvolysis, with the aid of informal industry interviews and a case study at a small British sports car manufacturer to consider the practical work required.

Superalloys under the Effect of Hot Corrosion and Role of HVOF Coatings - A Review

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Superalloys under the Effect of Hot Corrosion and Role of HVOF Coatings - A Review
Author Name:Atul Agnihotri and Sukhminderbir Singh Kalsi
Synopsis:
Superalloys are generally used for structural components at high temperatures above 540 °C in corrosive environments. The rising demand for more electricity, reduced plant emissions and higher efficient power plants had forced us to use better corrosion resistance materials. Only superalloys can meet these demands since they exhibit outstanding strength and surface stability at temperatures upto 85% of their melting points. At elevated temperatures and in oxidizing atmosphere, the metals and alloys start degrading due to the induction of fused salts deposits which is also known as the hot corrosion. Hot Corrosion has become a serious problem in boilers, gas turbines, IC engines and paper and pulp industries. No alloy is found to resist hot corrosion attack indefinitely. Though superalloys have been designed for elevated temperature applications, however protective coatings are applied to enhance their life for use in corrosive environments as they are not able to meet the requirement of high temperature strength and high temperature corrosion resistance simultaneously. The aim of the present study is to discuss the hot corrosion behaviours of the coatings at higher temperature under the light of available literature.

FTIR Analysis of Aging of Binder Modified with Chromium Waste Generated from Leather Industry

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:FTIR Analysis of Aging of Binder Modified with Chromium Waste Generated from Leather Industry
Author Name:Siksha Swaroopa Kar, Pramod Kumar Jain and G. Sekaran
Synopsis:
Bitumen is a visco-elastic material, and primary requirement for flexible pavement construction. Elementally, bitumen is around 95% carbon and hydrogen, containing about 85% of hydrogen and 8% of carbon, and up to 5% sulfur, 1% nitrogen, 1% oxygen and 2000 ppm metals. It is composed mainly of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) microscope is used for studying the hydrocarbon composition of bitumen. With the addition of different modifiers, the required properties of bitumen for road construction is improved. In this study, waste generated from leather industry is converted into non hazardous form which is used as a modifier to the bitumen. FTIR measurements were conducted for obtaining the microstructure distribution of neat and modified bitumen. Meanwhile, the short-term and long-term aging processes of bitumens are simulated by Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) and Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) tests. Sulfoxide and carbonyl index were calculated for the aged and neat binders and it has been observed that, the rate of oxidation is faster in neat bitumen compared to modified binder.

Thermal Conductivity of Fly Ash Cenospheres for Variable Particle Size Ranges

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Thermal Conductivity of Fly Ash Cenospheres for Variable Particle Size Ranges
Author Name:Craig Menezes, Ajit P. Rathod and Kailas L. Wasewar
Synopsis:
Thermal conductivity of a material is a physical property of significant importance in the field of engineering. In the present study, the thermal conductivity of cenospheres have been experimentally determined for particle diameter size ranges of < 105 μm, 105 μm to 180 μm, and > 180 μm using concentric spheres method. The experimentally estimated thermal conductivity of cenosphere has been found to be in the range of 0.128 - 0.365 W/mK which is comparable with literature.

Study of the Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Hot Die Steel AISI-H13

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Study of the Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Hot Die Steel AISI-H13
Author Name:Sanjeev Katoch, Rakesh Sehgal and Vishal Singh
Synopsis:
In this paper, an effort has been made to investigate the influence of Deep Cryogenic Treatment (DCT) on the mechanical properties of hot die steel grade AISI H13. DCT has been performed at -154 °C for 6, 21, and 36 hours and tempered for 2 hours at 620 °C. The mechanical properties obtained after DCT and conventional vacuum heat treatment have been characterized with a distinction to comprehend the influence of cryogenic treatment vis-à-vis vacuum heat treatment and tempering on the hardness, tensile strength, % elongation, and toughness (in Charpy Vnotch Impact Test (CVN)). The results show that cryogenically treated samples viz. ATC1 (6) T have 3.1% higher hardness, 36% higher toughness (CVN) and 46% higher percentage elongation than A3T treated samples respectively, while the tensile strength varied cryogenically treated samples show the reduction in tensile strength by 12.8%, in comparison to A3T treated samples. Field emission scanning electron microscopy has been used for the study of the morphology of microstructure and fractured surfaces.

Role of Polymer in Enhancement of Conductivity of Proton and Lithium Conducting Polymer Gel Electrolytes

Vol. 4  Issue 2
Year: 2016
Issue:Jul-Sep
Title:Role of Polymer in Enhancement of Conductivity of Proton and Lithium Conducting Polymer Gel Electrolytes
Author Name:Rajiv Kumar, Shuchi Sharma, Naresh Dhiman and Dinesh Pathak 
Synopsis:
In this paper, proton and lithium conducting polymer gel electrolytes containing ortho-nitrobenzoic acid, lithium hexafluorophosphate, diethyl carbonate, polymethylmethacrylate have been prepared and characterized by impedance spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity, pH and viscosity of the electrolytes have been studied as a function of acid/salt and polymer concentration. In both proton and lithium conducting polymer gel electrolytes, the ionic conductivity has been found to increase with an increase in acid/salt and polymer concentration. In proton conducting polymer gel electrolytes, an increase in conductivity has been explained to be due to the dissociation of undissociated acid or ion aggregates present in the electrolytes, which increases the free H+ ion concentration and this has been monitored by pH measurements. Similar results have also been observed for lithium ion conducting polymer gel electrolytes. An increase in conductivity with polymer addition has been explained by “Breathing Polymeric Chain Model”, which shows that the polymer plays an active role in enhancing the conductivity along with an increase in mechanical strength, which is advantageous for their use in various applications.

A Review on Nanocoating of Metallic Structures to Improve Hardness and Maintaining Toughness

Vol. 4  Issue 1
Year: 2016
Issue:Apr-Jun 
Title:A Review on Nanocoating of Metallic Structures to Improve Hardness and Maintaining Toughness
Author Name:Fasil Gessesew Beyene
Synopsis:
Nanocoatings are one of the most important topics within the range of nanotechnology. Through nanoscale engineering of surfaces and layers, a vast range of functionalities and new physical effects can be achieved. Some application ranges of nanolayers and coatings include Wear protection, Anti-graffiti, Anti-fouling, Corrosion protection, Biocompatible implants, Ultrathin die electrics, Better catalytic efficiency, Photo and electro chromatic windows, etc. Nanocoating on metallic surfaces can be applied using Six Synthesis technique Method. Mechanical properties of metals which are related to plastic deformation are yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, toughness and hardness. A requirement for almost all engineering structural materials is that they are both strong and tough (damage tolerant) yet invariably, in most materials, the properties of strength and toughness are mutually exclusive. It is the lower-strength, and hence higher-toughness, materials that find use for most safety-critical applications where premature or, worse still, catastrophic fracture is unacceptable. For these reasons, the development of strong and tough (damage-tolerant) materials has traditionally been an exercise in compromise between hardness versus ductility. There have been a lot of researches in nanocaoting that improve toughness and hardness, but there is a limitation in improving toughness without affecting its minimum hardness. This paper presents a review on those methods and mechanisms.

Improvement in Mechanical Property of Aluminium Alloy LM-6 Reinforcement with Silicon Carbide and Boron Carbide Particles

Vol. 4  Issue 1
Year: 2016
Issue:Apr-Jun 
Title:Improvement in Mechanical Property of Aluminium Alloy LM-6 Reinforcement with Silicon Carbide and Boron Carbide Particles
Author Name:Prabhat R. Kumar and M. K. Pradhan
Synopsis:
Aluminium matrix composites are widely used in various advance industries like aerospace, transportation, defence, marine and auto-mobile, piston cylinder and sports, due to their better corrosion resistance, good mechanical property and high strength to weight ratio. Attention is being paid by researchers towards increasing the mechanical properties, and also to provide the attractive aesthetic appearance of the existing material by adding various reinforcement particles. Hence, in the proposed work, silicon carbide and boron carbide is considered to improve the mechanical properties like Tensile strength, hardness, wear resistance and density of the casted aluminium alloy LM6. Aluminium alloy metal matrix composites are prepared by varying the weight percentage of silicon carbide (5, 5, 7.5) and boron carbide (2, 4, 4) using stir casting technique, which is the simple and economical method. When vortex is generated by the stirrer, on the centre of the liquid matrix in the furnace, 220 mesh of boron carbide and 240 mesh size of silicon carbide particle are added on the matrix. Casted Aluminium metal matrix composite has to be tested to find the various mechanical properties. Brinell hardness tester is used to evaluate the bonding strength between reinforcement and the matrix, with 10 mm diameter of steel ball indenter. Atomic force microscopy is used to know the distribution of reinforcement in the matrix.

Polytetrafluoroethylene as a Proton Exchange Membrane in an Algae Fuel Cell

Vol. 4  Issue 1
Year: 2016
Issue:Apr-Jun 
Title:Polytetrafluoroethylene as a Proton Exchange Membrane in an Algae Fuel Cell
Author Name:Abdulhadi Ali Albaser, Numrah Nisar and Vijitra Luang-In
Synopsis:
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) offer an attractive solution for energy production that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. This process is mediated by microbes that oxidise the organic matter (fuel) and generates electrons and protons. The aims of this study were to test Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a proton exchange membrane and to test current generation from a mixed culture of photosynthetic microbes. PTFE is commonly used in the plumbing industry (Teflon tape) and is known to have a tendency to attract electrons. A low cost H shape (two chamber) photo MFC was built in order to harvest electricity from a mixed culture of green algae that inhabit fresh water in a local farm located in the city of Sebha, Libya. The main bodies (chambers) of the fuel cell were made of two transparent plastic food storage containers (L 13.5, H 6.5, W9.5 cm) with lid, the containers connected with dark plastic tubing and separated by PTFE membrane. A lead plate (net) was used as the anode, while a pencil graphite was used as cathode. Several resistors of different ohm's values were tested, in order to determine the optimal resistor. The maximum voltage generated using this photo MFC was 0.5 V in less than 24h of incubation under the effect of sunlight, and remained stable for more than 72h. The use of PTFE as a proton exchange membrane in the microbial fuel cell is the main advantage of this study, in terms of cost. Furthermore, the carbon source (substrate) and mediators are not required. The study concluded that, protons released during the algae action move through the PTFE membrane and reach the cathode chamber and hence electricity is produced.

A Study on Metal Matrix Composites for Disc Brake Systems

Vol. 4  Issue 1
Year: 2016
Issue:Apr-Jun 
Title:A Study on Metal Matrix Composites for Disc Brake Systems
Author Name:Viswanatha B. M, Prasanna Kumar M., Basavarajappa S. and Kiran T.S.
Synopsis:
Brake system is one of the necessary components of the vehicle. The braking system is used to stop the vehicle within a smallest distance possible. A Review will be helpful in understanding the improvement of the performance of the brake system, to reduce the fuel consumption and weight in automobiles. This article discusses the use of MMC material instead of conventional material. An improvement in MMCs is observed during the last three decades in a big way, primarily because of their superior mechanical and tribological properties compared to monolithic materials. The principal advantage of MMCs over other materials lies in the improved strength and hardness on weight basis. The discussion is concentrated on selection of matrix and reinforcement material and variables considered during the performance test on disc brake system.

Material Protection: A Challenge in Waste to Energy Plants

Vol. 4  Issue 1
Year: 2016
Issue:Apr-Jun 
Title:Material Protection: A Challenge in Waste to Energy Plants
Author Name:Sukhminderbir Singh Kalsi 
Synopsis:
The management of municipal waste is a big challenge all over the world. Although, it can be reduced to a large extent by incineration process, a large amount of thermal energy can be generated. But, Waste to Energy (WTE) plants all over the world are running at very low efficiency due to the problem of hot corrosion of boiler tubes. It is required to understand the phenomena of hot corrosion in waste to energy plants in depth, in order to develop the new techniques for the protection of boiler tubes from hot corrosion. The presence of chloride salts in waste to energy plants give rise to active oxidation, resulting in rapid rate of materials degradation. The aim of this paper is to explore the mechanism of hot corrosion in waste to energy plant with support of present literature.

A Review on Critical Aspects of the Burnishing Process

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:A Review on Critical Aspects of the Burnishing Process
Author Name:Manish Kapoor and C.S. Jawalkar 
Synopsis:
Burnishing is defined as a low-cost chipless finishing process, which can be effectively used to improve the surface roughness and surface micro hardness. The present paper presents a review on “Process Parameters and uses of the Roller Burnishing Process”. A roller tool is used to perform the roller burnishing process using different process parameters, which can be optimized to improve the surface roughness and hardness, resulting in the improvement of certain physical and mechanical properties, such as corrosion, wear, fatigue resistance, etc. Roller burnishing is an economical process as it doesn't require skilled operators. The present paper is a review of the different techniques, which has been used recently.

Effect of Mn Content on the Properties Affecting Shape Memory Behaviour of Cu-12Al-4Ni-10Zn Alloy

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:Effect of Mn Content on the Properties Affecting Shape Memory Behaviour of Cu-12Al-4Ni-10Zn Alloy
Author Name:Rupa Dasgupta, Ashish Kumar Jain, Shahadat Hussain, Abhishek Pandey and V. Sampath
Synopsis:
The present paper describes the role of Mn on the properties of a Cu-Al-Ni-Zn shape memory alloy. The effect of addition of different amounts of Mn has been studied on a Cu-12Al-4Ni-10Zn alloy, known to exhibit shape memory properties. The transformation temperatures, phase precipitation and thermal properties have been determined. It has been found that the quantity of Mn has a significant effect on the formation, morphology, and structure of the obtained martensite. Therefore, the properties of these alloys are varied in accordance of these effects. The efficacy of adding Mn and its quantity has been described in this study and a correlation is attempted to relate it to the thermal properties.

Effect of Donor Number of Plasticizers on Conductivity of Polymer Electrolytes Containing NH4F

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:Effect of Donor Number of Plasticizers on Conductivity of Polymer Electrolytes Containing NH4F
Author Name:Shuchi Sharma, Naresh Dhiman, Dinesh Pathak and Rajiv Kumar
Synopsis:
Polymer electrolytes based on ammonium fluoride (NH4F) and poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF- HFP) have been prepared by solution casting technique using Tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent and characterized by complex impedance spectroscopy. Maximum conductivity of 2.17x10-7 S/cm at room temperature has been obtained for polymer electrolytes PVdF-HFP+10wt%NH4F. The effect of different plasticizers Propylene Carbonate (PC), Dimethylformamide (DMF) and Dimethylacetamide (DMA) on conductivity behavior has been studied. It has been found that, the conductivity of polymer electrolytes increases by three orders of magnitude from 10-7 to 10-4S/cm with the addition of plasticizers. Maximum room temperature conductivity of 8.8x10-6 S/cm, 7.8x10-5 S/cm and 1.1x10-4 S/cm has been observed for plasticized polymer electrolytes containing PVdF-HFP+30 wt% NH4F and 95 wt% PC, DMF, DMA respectively, which can be explained on the basis of donor numbers of plasticizers used. The addition of plasticizer to polymer electrolytes has been observed to decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg ). The variation of conductivity with temperature suggests that, these polymer electrolytes are thermally stable and small change in conductivity with temperature is suitable for their use in practical applications like solid state batteries, fuel cells, electro chromic devices, super capacitors, etc.

Effect of Addition of Transition Metal Oxides on the Optical and Structural Properties of Phosphate Glasses

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:Effect of Addition of Transition Metal Oxides on the Optical and Structural Properties of Phosphate Glasses
Author Name:Manpreet Kaur 
Synopsis:
Phosphate glasses having composition 50P2O5–30MgO–20Na2O and 50P2O5–30MgO–15Na2O-5TMO (with TMO(Transition Metal Oxides) as CuO, Fe2O3 and TiO2 ) were prepared using conventional melt quench technique and were characterized for their optical and structural properties. The absence of any sharp peak in the XRD spectra confirmed the amorphous behaviour of prepared glasses. Density of prepared glasses was found in the range of 2.51-2.62 g/cm3 . The FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) spectra of the glasses only showed a variation in the intensity of peaks with doping of different transition elements. The band gap energy and refractive index were calculated from the UVVisible optical absorption spectra in the wavelength range of 200-900 nm. It was found that, the band gap energy was maximum for host glass (3.37 eV) and minimum for CuO doped glass samples (3.21 eV). SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) morphology also showed the lack of any long range periodicity in the prepared glass samples.

Technology Forecast for Composite Materials in Product Design

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:Technology Forecast for Composite Materials in Product Design
Author Name:Tom Page
Synopsis:
An investigation into the applications of composite materials focusing on how they have either replaced traditional materials or allowed innovations to be realised from a performance perspective. Through use of a survey and interview, the author assessed consumer and expert opinion that composites have moved from being a highly performing technical material, reserved for the most extreme applications, to an aesthetic material appreciated for its cosmetic values. The research also looks into where the future may lie with the development of new processes and materials.

Graphene: A Rock Star Nano-Sized Material

Vol. 3  Issue 4
Year: 2016
Issue:Jan-Mar
Title:Graphene: A Rock Star Nano-Sized Material
Author Name:Maninder Kaur 
Synopsis:
Graphene is one of the several forms of carbon, also known as its “allotropes”. It consists of a single-atom–thick sheet of carbon atoms with remarkable and exciting properties. It is super-strong and stiff, amazingly thin, almost completely transparent, extremely light, and an amazing conductor of electricity and heat. It also has extremely unusual electronic properties. These qualities make Graphene, a superb alternative for the use as a transparent conductor, now found in everything from computer displays and flat panel TVs to ATM touch screens and solar cells. It can be used to make excellent transistors in which, the electrons travel ballistically over submicron distances. Moreover, gas sensors could be created which are sensitive to a single atom or molecule with the help of Graphene. In condensed matter physics, electronic properties of materials are described by the Schrodinger equation, but Graphene is an exception. Its charge carriers mimic relativistic particles and are described starting with the Dirac equation, rather than the Schrodinger equation. So it can be used to test the predictions of quantum electrodynamics. This is a new area of research, since it hasn't been easy to find a material that displays Dirac particles. The list of applications of Graphene is countless. Thus, Graphene is a rock star material that relies on one of the most abundant materials on Earth, Carbon. It will drastically change the feasibility and efficiency of many future technologies, and in turn these future technologies will change our lives. This paper presents a review on the properties and applications of Graphene.

A Review on use of Aluminium Alloys in Aircraft Components

Vol. 3  Issue 3
Year: 2015
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:A Review on use of Aluminium Alloys in Aircraft Components
Author Name:Yashpal, C.S.Jawalkar and Suman Kant 
Synopsis:
In aerospace applications, materials with high strength to weight ratios along with properties such as excellent corrosion resistance, light weight, creep resistance and high thermal strength are needed. Also cost parameters need to be considered without compromising with quality. In accordance with the properties required; aluminium, titanium, magnesium, nickel and their alloys are mostly used in aerospace industries for making most of its sub components. In this paper, a detailed review has been presented on Al based alloy used in making aircraft structures and components. The characteristics of metallic components for aircraft seats are discussed. It has been found that, the aluminum alloys are the major contributors for aircraft components. The aluminium alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx and 8xxx) are found to be the prominent ones. Among these, the 8xxx series is widely used due to its low density.

Effect of Wear Load and Heat Treatment Parameters on Wear Characteristics of ADI

Vol. 3  Issue 3
Year: 2015
Issue:Oct-Dec
Title:Effect of Wear Load and Heat Treatment Parameters on Wear Characteristics of ADI
Author Name:Prince Setia, J.D. Sharma and Sumit Sharma
Synopsis:
Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) in the recent past has established itself as a versatile material for engineering applications with its wide range of tensile strength, yield strength ranging from 850 MPa to 1600 MPa and elongation ranging from 1 – 10 %. The wear performance of ADI is achieved through the special heat treating process on a commercially produced ductile iron with high Manganese (Mn) content which is a characteristic of the ductile iron produced in commercial Indian foundries. The present work shows the ability of ADI produced from commercial grade ductile iron with Mn content as high as 0.22 %, to be used as wear resistant material and the effect of austempering time and temperature on wear behavior of ADI is studied. Wear tests were performed on a pin on disc wear, friction monitoring machine at loads of 20 Newtons (N), 60 N and 80 N for a fixed interval of time (120 min). For better comparison, different grades of ADI are produced by austempered the samples at four different scales of temperatures 250oC, 300oC, 350oC and 400oC for different periods of time 30 minutes (min), 60 min, 90 min corresponding to each temperature respectively. In this paper, attempt has been made to correlate the wear properties of ADI with wear load and heat treatment conditions. Final part of the research work aims at studying the effect of austempering temperature and time on the wear characteristics of ADI. Wear loss (mg) decreases with increase in austempering time, because at the higher austempering time retained, austenite content is higher and as the temperature is increased, wear loss from the sample increases due to decrease in hardness. Wear loss (mg) at higher load (N) is more due to increase in normal reaction, thus friction.