61 Search Results

Here, in the transportation industry, reducing component weight is an effective strategy to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Martensitic AISI 52100 steel is commonly used in drivetrain bearing components due to its high strength and excellent tribological performance. To achieve lightweighting without sacrificing mechanical properties and tribological behavior, this study explored the 52100 steel alloy modified by introducing nominally 5 wt% aluminum. The addition of aluminum led to an approximately 6% density reduction, however, it resulted in reduced hardness, strength and wear resistance, in part due to stabilization of a substantial amount of ferrite, as suggested by microstructural examination.more » Introducing 0.15 wt% additional carbon reduced the ferrite and demonstrated feasibility of mitigating the mechanical and tribological degradation caused by aluminum. This case study provides fundamental insights into the balance between lightweighting and mechanical/tribological performance for steel alloys, serving as a reference for further development of lightweight bearing steels.« less

This report reviews the tribological and tribocorrosion performance of steels that are case-hardened via boriding, chromizing, carburizing, nitriding, nitrocarburizing, and carbonitriding. Case-hardening is commonly used to improve the hardness, impact durability, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of steel alloys and has been successfully applied in various industries, providing a cost-effective, high-throughput solution for applications involving contact and sliding interfaces in complex service environments. This article summarizes the literature results of the wear and friction behavior of common case-hardening methods for steel alloys under various conditions, including corrosive environments. Special attention is given to the influences of case-hardening process parameters andmore » alloy composition on tribological performance. Furthermore, by discussing key findings from the literature, this review provides insights into optimizing case-hardening processes for improving the tribological and tribocorrosion performance of steel alloys.« less

Lost circulation material (LCM) selection is critical to effectively and efficiently treating wellbore fluid losses in geothermal drilling where costs of treatment can be as much as 30% of the total drilling cost. We conducted several uniaxial compaction experiments on 10 different materials and several material mixtures to identify critical mechanical parameters of each. Materials degraded at 200°C were also investigated to understand how elevated temperatures in geothermal wells would degrade their compaction behavior. Granular materials tended to have lower compressibility and higher compression resistance, while more elongated and softer materials had less mechanical stiffness. Mixing materials tended to moderatemore » the mechanical behaviors while heating universally increased the compaction of materials. Microscopy showed that particle strength tended to correlate positively with roundness and circularity and negatively with elongation of a material. Convexity of the degraded and undegraded materials showed heating may have increased the convexity or roughness of the individual particles. In conclusion, we concluded that granular materials are likely to provide the best seals in wells but that a mixture of size distribution, mechanical rigidity, and elongation is more likely to form a better seal for geothermal wells.« less

This study systematically investigates the enhancement of wear resistance in 3D printed surface textures through both experimental and theoretical approaches. Three distinct surface morphologies (Smooth Surface, Surface with uniformly distributed Pits, and Surface with uniformly distributed Bumps) were fabricated using High-Impact Polystyrene, where the meso-scale textures were precisely controlled through the 3D printing process. Wear behavior was evaluated using a 3-body wear tester in an abrasive particle environment, analyzing the influence of surface textures under various operating conditions. Systematic wear tests revealed that optimally designed surface textures achieved a remarkable 77 % reduction in wear compared to the worst-performing sample.more » The wear mechanisms were comprehensively characterized through weight loss measurements, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analyses, elucidating the surface morphology changes and their interaction with wear particles. Notably, the study identified how the geometric characteristics of surface textures influence the movement of wear particles and the distribution of contact stresses. Discrete element method simulations corroborated the experimental findings, providing theoretical validation for the enhanced wear resistance of the optimal structure. The high correlation between simulated wear patterns and experimental results validates the reliability of the proposed design methodology. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that 3D printed surface texturing offers a cost-effective and scalable approach to significantly improve wear resistance in engineering applications, presenting a practical alternative to conventional, high-cost surface engineering methods.« less

In this paper, optimization of the winding AC resistance of the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) wire windings is performed. A one-dimensional model of the FPCB winding is introduced and an equation for the FPCB winding AC resistance and its low and medium frequency approximation are derived. The approximate FPCB winding AC resistance equation is used to derive optimum thickness of the FPCB winding conductor thickness at which minimum of winding AC resistance (global optimum) is achieved. The Finite Element Method analysis and experimental verification of derived equations (winding resistance, impedance, power loss, and temperature measurements) is performed in ordermore » validate derived model and winding resistance equation.« less

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), basically rolled graphene sheets, have been studied lately as oil additives in the literature. However, we observed discrepant impact of CNTs on wear protection from two common tribological tests, four-ball unidirectional sliding and high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding. To gain a stable suspension and dispersion of the CNTs in the oil, the CNT surface was functionalized with a phenyl ligand and a dispersant, polyisobutylene succinimide (PIBSI), was added. In the four-ball test, PIBSI alone failed to protect the surface but the CNTs effectively reduced the wear loss. The observations in the HFRR test howevermore » were the opposite: the PIBSI alone provided strong wear reduction but the CNTs had no positive impact. Here, such a discrepancy was hypothetically attributed to the different wear protection mechanisms by the PIBSI and CNTs which responded distinctively under different testing conditions. Additional unidirectional and reciprocating sliding tests with matching Hertzian contact pressures were able to validate the hypothesis. Worn surface morphological examination and tribofilm chemical analysis further supported the proposed wear mechanisms. Fundamental understanding gained in this study provides insights into the potential benefits and limitations of using CNTs in lubrication.« less

A coupled Calculation of Phase Diagrams (CALPHAD), machine learning, and data mining approach was used to design a new, highly wear-resistant nanostructured bainitic steel. Arc melting of the designed compositions, dilatometry, and advanced microscopy indicate that the designed steel had a nanoscale dual-phase structure of ferrite and austenite (approximately 50 nm) with kinetics 7x faster for the onset of bainite and 2x faster for complete transformation. Under dry sliding conditions using the current state-of-the-art AISI 52100 bearing steel as the counter sample, the designed steel little to no wear, indicating its potential for applications in high-wear service conditions.

Vegetation resistance and resilience to drought are linked to the stability of terrestrial ecosystems under climate change. However, the factors driving the spatial heterogeneity in drought resistance and resilience remain poorly understood. In the study, we utilized multiple satellite-derived vegetation indices to calculate and analyze changes in drought resistance and resilience across various biomes worldwide. Results indicated that drought resistance showed a significant increase with the increase in water availability, but no significant relationship was observed between drought resistance and energy. In contrast, drought resilience exhibited a significant increase with an increase in energy rather than in water. Furthermore, amore » negative correlation was observed between drought resistance and resilience across different biomes worldwide, indicating a trade-off between resistance and resilience. However, the strength of the negative correlation varied based on water and energy conditions. These findings provide compelling evidence that water and energy co-regulated the spatial heterogeneity in drought resistance and resilience across the globe. The robust linear relationship between drought resistance and resilience and available water and energy demonstrated in our study is critical to accurately predicting and assessing the impact of climate change on vegetation growth and terrestrial carbon cycling in the future.« less

The molten salt reactor (MSR) concept recently gained renewed interest in developing Generation IV nuclear reactors. One MSR design uses fluoride molten salts to cool tri-structural isotropic particle fuel encapsulated by a carbon matrix into spherical pebbles, which would inevitably contact the reactor's stainless steel container wall during salt circulation. Characterizing this interaction is crucial for reactor safety. Here, in this work, we report the tribocorrosion behavior of graphite sliding against Type 316H stainless steel lubricated by a FLiNaK (LiF:NaF:KF; 46.5:11.5:42 mol %) molten salt in an argon environment. Accelerated wear loss was observed at a higher temperature because ofmore » a lower molten salt viscosity and a higher corrosion rate. The graphite had a more rapid material loss at a higher sliding speed than stainless steel because of its higher vulnerability to vibration-induced microfracture. The salt-starved condition caused more material loss than either the no-salt or the salt-flooded condition because neither a graphite transfer film nor stable boundary lubrication could be established at salt starvation. An interesting dual-layer surface film was discovered on the stainless steel worn surface: a chromium-rich top film and a nickel-accumulated but chromium-depleted interlayer. The film composition and structure provide fundamental insights to the mechanochemical interactions between stainless steel and graphite in a molten salt environment.« less

Beavers (Castor) stand out among mammals for their unique capacity to fell trees using their large, ever-growing incisors. This routine consumption of resistant fodder induces prodigious wear in the lower incisors, despite this blunting effect the incisors maintain a remarkably sharp cutting edge. Notably, the enamel edges of their incisors show a highly complex two-part microstructure of which the biomechanical import is unknown. Here, using fracture analysis, nanoindentation, and wear testing on North American beaver (C. canadensis) incisors we test the microstructure's possible contribution to maintaining incisal sharpness. Although comparable in hardness, the inner enamel preferentially fails and readily wearsmore » at 2.5 times the rate of the outer enamel. The outer microstructure redirects all fractures in parallel, decreasing fracture coalescence. Conversely, the inner microstructure facilitates crack coalescence increasing the wear rate by isolating layers of enamel prisms that readily fragment. Together these two architectures form a microstructurally driven self-sharpening mechanism contained entirely within the thin enamel shell. Here, our results demonstrate that enamel microstructures exposed at the occlusal surface can markedly influence both enamel crest shape and surface texture in wearing dentitions. The methods introduced here open the door to exploring the biomechanical functionality and evolution of enamel microstructures throughout Mammalia.« less