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.