List of questions

What analysis methods (e.g. X-ray micro tomography) can be used for investigation of the breakdown path in mica1) - epoxy composite structure?

1) Mica - a natural mineral, in Swedish it is called ”glimmer”

It is interesting, for tracking the failure mechanism, to know the breakdown path in a machine insulation structure. The actual breakdown mechanisms and breakdown path are not well understood.
Breakdown occurs, probably, in the epoxy. Application: large electrical motors and generators

Is it possible to understand and simulate the development of fracture due to bending/shearing (micro level) in laminated pressboard?

The material is pressboard (cellulose based) laminated with polyester or casein glue. Application: Mechanical support in transformers.

Is it possible to understand and simulate the changes (micro level) in the fiber structure during out-of-plane (throught-thickness) compressive load in a pressboard?

The pressboard material is cellulose. Application: The pressboard is used as mechanical support in transformers.

How do we find a substitute for silver as contact material by using simulations?

Silver is the ultimate contact material in many respects, e.g. high conductivity, novelty, self-healing properties at high temperatures. However, it is expensive! We would like to discuss the opportunities when it comes to advanced material simulations as a tool for searching for alternative to silver.

What material parameters determine the adhesion bonding between polymers?

The goal is to achieve a void free bonding between different polymer materials for insulation application, e.g.: Cables, and machine insulations. For the application it is of importance to avoid the voids where partial discharging (PD) can occur. It is also of interest to make the voids smaller.

How is the bonding interface (polymers) influenced by mechanical stress?

Insulation application, e.g.: Bending and winding of cables, important to avoid voids in the treatment.

How is the hardenability of steel influenced by a high external pressure and why?

Avure Technologies has developed a Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) with the possibility to perform quenching inside the HIP-furnace with maintained pressure up to 2070 bar. This functionality, called Uniform Rapid Quenching or URQ®, has many advantages over conventional quenching. One advantage is said to be that the hardenability of steel or other hardenable metal alloys is increased due to the high isostatic pressure inside the HIP during quenching. That is, the perlite nose in the TTT-diagram is pushed to the right or further ahead in time for a specific alloy if the pressure is increased. Is this a correct phenomenon and why does it occur?

What are potential risks and risk eliminations in increasing hardness from 43 HRC to 48 HRC in material 42CrMo4?

Want to increase wear resistance in a worm shaft gear. 42CrMo4 is a quenched and tempered steel, with a combination of strength and toughness after the right heat treatment. Through hardening can be reached up to Ø60 mm:n when oil hardened. For larger dimensions the structure will not be fully martensitic.

What methods (e.g. morphological) are available to characterize (surface) archaeological findings like iron objects, runic characters etc.?

My company Objectra is a very small company specialized in consultancy and instruments for in situ studies of surfaces especially on big and heavy objects that can not be moved (very often you otherwise have to cut a piece and bring it home to the lab for studies). Our customer are all over the world, today mostly in the Paint factories and coil coating industry but also people interested in quality and paint control of nuclear power plants, cranes, bridges, ships, cars etc. The last years we have had some inquiries from people working with wind power plants (coating thickness) and people working with ancient material and antiquarian objects like runic stones and lime paintings in castles and churches.

My equipment is small, easy to transport and I can work with polarized light and magnifications up to 200x. We can also bore in the surface and study for example different layers of material (like paint, maybe also oxides?).

Today some people use for example laser light to study characteristic properties of runic characters on heavy runic stones

Some questions: Which characteristic properties could eventually be studied with my instrument (maybe completed with some other instruments and technics too), preliminary studies of corrosion and oxides? morfology??

By what experimental or theoretical methods, can wear caused by chemical interaction between surfaces (e.g. between a stainless steel and a coated cemented carbide insert) be studied and better understood?

Please see attached publications on chemical wear.

What are the possibilities and limitations for HT-XRD measurements of precipitation or dissolution of particles, e.g., sigma phase as dependent of time-temperature processing for stainless steels (for time-temperature-transformation diagram)?

During heat treatment particles precipitate and grow. However measure the kinetics of this precipitation as dependent of the time-temperature profile is difficult for stainless steels. Measurement of this at high temperature is perhaps possible for instance by HT-XRD. The limitations and possibilities are interesting to know in order to use the technique for relevant questions. Is it possible to control temperature at a constant cooling rate? Is it possible to measure sigma phase precipitation/or dissolution isothermally? Is it possible to measure in the temperature range 300-1150°C?

What is the driving force for isothermal transformation and how do different alloying elements and temperature influence the transformation? Are there any differences between deformation, thermal activated and athermal martensite?

The magnetic behavior of two high purity alloys: Fe-18.8Cr-8.5Ni and Fe-18.9-11.7Ni (C concentration 0.006 wt%) show an isothermal martensitic phase transformation. A similar behavior is observed for the more complicated Nanoflex alloy.
From a thermodynamically perspective it has been suggested that the process for forming isothermal martensite follows a scheme where initial a nucleation occurs by athermal martensite, which is then followed by anisothermal martensite and then isothermal martensite formation. Another theory is that martensite formation occurs in materials with low stacking fault energies. The three mentioned alloys all have low stacking fault energies and fulfill this criterion. We like to know more about the mechanisms involved in the phase transformation and if this information can be obtained with DFT simulations and/or with some experimental techniques.

What kind of reaction products are possible in a TiCl4 and CH3CN chemistry as a function of pressure and temperature?

Tools for cutting operations in steel often uses CVD coatings of Ti (C,N). General reactants are TiCl4 and CH3CN, both liquids at room temperature and pressure, which evaporates into gasses in a container. On the tools, TiCl4 and CH3CN react and form Ti (C,N). However, can other reactions take place between TiCl4 and CH3CN before the molecules reach the tool?

Is it possible to add something to Indium, that at 1000degC reacts with Cd and/or Al to form a compound with low vapor pressure, which remains as slag in the crucible after the Indium is vaporized?

We use high-purity indium (5N = 99.999% pure) in our production (evaporation process), but some of the pollutants appear to be harmful to us, e.g. Cd and possibly Al. Buy 6N In with lower levels of these substances are much more expensive (all levels of other pollutants is also lower).

Is it possible to construct a stable joint with high strength for an aluminum shaft for a horse stable fork tool?

The company was recently rewarded “Best in Test” among stable forks in a horse magazine, but in order to reach a worldwide market, there is a need to pack the shaft more efficiently (hence the requirement for a split shaft).

Which evaluation methods are possible to measure the fraction of non-chrystallized grains in the structure?

Steel is recrystallized during forging and rolling and that is dependent of both temperature and amount of deformation. To find out the right parameters for each steel grade, we use a dilatometer with a deformation unit. Today we use LOM to evaluate the structure. Are there any other possibilities to decide the fraction non –recrystallized structure?

What different sample preparation methods are there for EBSD measurement?

We have found that depending on what in our martensitic steels that are of interest for EBSD evaluation; FCC, BCC or carbides, the same sample preparation method is not suitable. What is your experience?

What kind of methods or programs are there for evaluation of diffraction pattern in TEM investigations of martensitic steels?

We would like to distinguish between different types of carbides like MC, M2C, M6C etc. Also between phases FCC and BCC.

How to simulate final mechanical properties in hot-/warm-formed materials?

Short term importance:
With focus of light weight design for automotive new forming processes are more important than ever. However to fully utilize the final properties and thereby light weight design in a ready component or structure new data is necessary for CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) validation - Forming- Crash- Joining simulation.

How to select geometry and material for multiple load cases in a defined structure (valid for both metal and Carbon Fiber Re-inforced Polymer (CFRP) materials)?

Long term importance:
Significant weight reduction requirements implies implication of more ultra high strength steels, aluminium and CFRP materials, single or combined.