Hybrid education is a complex combination of simultaneous face-to-face and online teaching. This model of teaching comes with a wide range of benefits, primarily being able to offer the same content to a wider audience. Hybrid education became an effective form of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. In these post pandemic years, the benefit of hybrid education can still be utilized, allowing for improved flexibility in teaching schedules, engaging students in interactive learning, bringing online students closer to the teacher and face-to-face students, and offering education to students who could not otherwise participate. However, with all the benefits of hybrid education, there are some significant challenges which restrict the implementation or hinder the full potential of hybrid education. Some key challenges are student engagement from the online students with the teacher as well as with other students, technological requirements, physical classroom set-up, education of the teachers, and time investment in re-structuring courses. In this article, we review the challenges of hybrid education, strategies to address these challenges focusing on implementation and effectiveness, as well as evaluating student feedback from students at Jönköping University that have been a part of hybrid education. 

Uppsatsen syfte är att öka förståelsen och föreslå nya värmebehandlingsparametrar för att förbättra gigacykelutmattningsegenskaperna för austempererat segjärn (ADI). Arbetet utfördes hos gruv- och infrastrukturföretaget Epiroc där de tidigare undersökt gigacykelutmattnings-egenskaper för ADI men endast för ett värmebehandlingsrecept. Utmattningsegenskaperna för ADI har undersökts akademiskt i stor utsträckning men då framförallt i låg- till högcykelområdet (≤10⁸ cykler) med endast ett fåtal studier i gigacykelområdet (>10⁸ cykler). Därför baserades arbetet på tesen: ’förbättringar i högcykelutmattning bör ge en förbättring vid gigacykelutmatning’. Den tesen möjliggör nyttjande av större mängd publicerad forskning som genomförts i området för värmebehandlingens inverkan på högcykelutmattning (>10⁷ cykler).

För att effektivt kunna utföra värmebehandlingsexperiment på den Cu-Ni-Mo legerade segjärnet var det kritisk att finna material- och mekaniska egenskaper som kännetecknar hög högcykelutmattningsgräns. Potentialen att kunna nyttja dessa egenskaper nyttjas för experimentering med värmebehandling men samtidigt hålla nere mängden utmattningsprov är hög.

Identifiering av de kritiska värmebehandlingsparameterana (och parameterområdena) som visades ge hög högcykelutmattningsstyrka var de första steget, vilka är: Austempereringstemperatur (T_aus), austempereringstid (t_aus), och austenitiseringstemperatur (T_γ). Hög dukilitet, slagseghet (onotchat) och hög volymfraktion kolstabiliserad austenit identifierades som de mekaniska och material-egenskaper som var karaktäriserande för dessa väl presterande material i högcykelutmattning. Med värmebehandlingsparameterar, material- och mekaniska egenskaper utmärkande för hög högcykelutmattningsgräns utvecklades en experimentell testserie baserat på faktoriell design (2³). Metodiken valdes för sin enkelhet och styrka, framförallt att kunna se effekten av både de individuella värmebehandlingsparameterna men även interaktionseffekterna mellan dem. För varje parameter (2³) testas två nivåer (2³), en hög och en låg vilket resulterar i totalt 8 olika värmebehandlingsförsök. Svarsvariablerna som utvärderas för varje värmebehandlingsförsök var primärt dukilitet, slagseghet och volymfraktion kolstabiliserad austenit. Vilket medger att följande provning utfördes på de 8 test materialen: dragprov, slagprov, röntgendiffraktion. Råmaterial för värmebehandling och provning gjöts av ett kommersiellt gjuteri i form av Y-block typ III med kemisk sammansättning enligt Epiroc’s specifikation. Provresultaten i form av individuella och interaktionseffekter bedömdes både grafiskt och beräknades fram samt att resultaten validerades genom jämförelse med resultat från litteraturen. Bra överrensstämmelse mellan de experimentella resultaten i arbetet och jämförd litteratur sågs för denna kemiska sammansättning. Slutligen föreslogs en ny uppsättning värmebehandlingsparameterar för ökad högcykelutmattningsgräns.

NiP (P > 10 wt.%) coatings are amorphous coatings whose structure can be transformed by heat treatment into a crystalline structure and hardened by precipitation of Ni3P. In this study, NiP coatings and composite ones with SiC nanoparticles were produced by electrodeposition, and their structural transformation by heat treatment was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microhardness and the scratch and corrosion resistance of the coatings were evaluated and compared before and after different heat treatments. The results showed that in as-plated condition, the addition of SiC particles in the coatings did not modify the microstructure, microhardness, or electrochemical behavior. However, the SiC particles’ role was disclosed in combination with heat treatment. Composite coatings that were heat treated at 300◦C had higher microhardness and scratch resistance than the pure NiP one. In addition, composite coatings maintained their scratch resistance up to 400◦C, while in the case of the NiP ones, there was a reduction in scratch resistance by heating at 400◦C. It was also concluded that heating temperature has the main role in hardness and corrosion resistance of NiP and composite coatings, rather than heating time. The optimum heat-treatment protocol was found to be heating at 360◦C for 2 h, which resulted in a maximum microhardness of about 1500 HV0.02 for NiP and its composite coating without sacrificing the corrosion resistance.

Electrodeposition of NiP composite coatings with nano and sub-micron sized SiC has been carried out to investigate the possibility of replacing hard chromium coatings. The composition and structure of the coatings were evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. Microhardness was measured by Vickers indentation and polarization measurements were carried out to study the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results showed that submicron particles can be codeposited with a higher content as compared to nano sized ones. However, even if a smaller amount of the nano-sized SiC particles are incorporated in the coating, the contribution to an increasing microhardness was comparable with the submicron sized particles, which can be related to the higher density of codeposited particles. SiC particles did not change the anodic polarization behavior of NiP coatings in a 3.5% NaCl solution. Finally, the effect of heat-treatment on the coatings properties at 400 °C for 1 h was studied to investigate the contribution of particles and heat-treatment on hardness and corrosion properties. It was found that the heat-treatment doubled the microhardness and changed the anodic polarization behavior of the coatings from passive to active with respect to the as-plated conditions.

High-pressure torsion (HPT) processing was applied to cast pure Mg pieces and its effects on microstructure, hardness and tensile properties as well as corrosion resistance were evaluated. The microstructure of the processed samples was examined by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and the mechanical properties were determined by microhardness and tensile tests. Corrosion resistance of the samples was studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results showed that HPT refined the grain size of Mg very effectively from millimeters in the cast structure to a few micrometers homogeneously through the thickness and created a basal texture on the surface. One or five turns of HPT produced no significant difference in the grain size of the processed Mg but the hardness was a maximum after one turn. The yield strength of the cast Mg was increased by seven times whereas the corrosion resistance was not affected by the HPT processing.

High-pressure torsion (HPT) processing was applied to cast pure magnesium, and the effects of the deformation on the microstructure, hardness, tensile properties and corrosion resistance were evaluated. The microstructures of the processed samples were examined by electron backscatter diffraction, and the mechanical properties were determined by Vickers hardness and tensile testing. The corrosion resistance was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The results show that HPT processing effectively refines the grain size of Mg from millimeters in the cast structure to a few micrometers after processing and also creates a basal texture on the surface. It was found that one or five turns of HPT produced no significant difference in the grain size of the processed Mg and the hardness was a maximum after one turn due to recovery in some grains. Measurements showed that the yield strength of the cast Mg increased by about seven times whereas the corrosion resistance was not significantly affected by the HPT processing. 

This study aimed to deposit high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings with five different elements, Ni, Co, Cu, Mo, and W, from a single aqueous bath. The influence of pH, current density, and complex agent on the composition of deposited coating was examined. It was shown that Mo and W were codeposited mainly with Ni and Co. pH had the most impact on the codeposition of reluctant elements like Mo and W, while current density had the minimum effect. The deposited coating had a metallic, dense, and nodular morphology with configurational entropy of around 1.6 R.

The purpose of the study is to assess the influence of SiC particles and heat treatment on the wear behaviour of Ni–P coatings when in contact with a 100Cr6 steel. Addition of reinforcing particles and heat treatment are two common methods to increase Ni–P hardness. Ball-on-disc wear tests coupled with SEM investigations were used to compare as-plated and heat-treated coatings, both pure and composite ones, and to evaluate the wear mechanisms. In the as-plated coatings, the presence of SiC particles determined higher friction coefficient and wear rate than the pure Ni–P coatings, despite the limited increase in hardness, of about 15%. The effect of SiC particles was shown in combination with heat treatment. The maximum hardness in pure Ni–P coating was achieved by heating at 400◦C for 1 h while for composite coatings heating for 2 h at 360◦C was sufficient to obtain the maximum hardness. The difference between the friction coefficient of composite and pure coatings was disclosed by heating at 300◦C for 2 h. In other cases, the coefficient of friction (COF) stabilised at similar values. The wear mechanisms involved were mainly abrasion and tribo-oxidation, with the formation of lubricant Fe oxides produced at the counterpart.

Selective laser melting is one of the additive manufacturing technologies that have been known for building various and complicated shapes. Despite numerous advantages of additive manufacturing technologies, they strongly influence the microstructure and typically show a relatively high surface roughness. In this study, maraging steel was produced by selective laser melting (SLM), and its microstructure, hardness and corrosion behavior before and after heat treatment were studied and compared to traditionally manufactured ones (wrought, forged samples). In addition, the effect of electropolishing on the surface roughness was evaluated. The microstructural study was carried out by scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron backscattered diffraction in three different sections: parallel to the top surface (xy), transverse cross section (xz) and longitudinal cross section (yz). The same characterization was applied to heat-treated samples, austenitized and quenched as well as the aged ones. The results showed that selective laser melting produced a fine grain martensitic structure (in the as-printed condition) with a surface roughness (R-a) of about 10 mu m. There was no sign of preferred texture or anisotropy in the microstructure of as-print SLM materials. The SLM microstructure was similar in all 3 sections (xy, xz and yz). Despite finer microstructure, nano-hardness and corrosion behavior of SLM and conventional wrought maraging steel in heat-treated conditions were similar. Aging resulted in the maximum nano-hardness and the minimum corrosion potential values. Precipitation has the main role in both hardness and corrosion behavior. Electropolishing was optimized and reduced the surface roughness (R-a) by 65%.

In this study, electrodeposition of Ni-P composite coatings has been carried out to investigate the possibility of replacing hard chromium coatings. Therefore, electrodeposition of Ni-P based composite coating with different SiC particle size (50 nm, 100 nm and 500 nm) or B4C (500 nm) was performed. The coating’s composition was evaluated by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), microhardness of the coatings was measured by Vickers indentor and polarization measurements were carried out to study the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results showed that B4C particles can codeposit in higher percent respect to SiC ones. Ceramic particles increased microhardness of Ni-P coatings to 700HV0.01. The polarization behavior of all the coatings in 3.5% NaCl was similar in as plated state proving that particles did not hindered the passive behaviour. Finally, the effect of heat-treatment (at 400 ºC for 1 hour) on the coating’s properties was studied to compare the contribution of particles and heat-treatment on mechanical and corrosion properties of the coatings. Heat-treatment increased the coating’s microhardness and changed the anodic polarization behavior of the coatings respect to the as plated conditions.

This study is focused on finding optimised conditions for electrodeposition of NiP and NiP/SiC coatings, which enhance the coatings' microhardness. Both the effect of particles and the effect of heat treatment at 400°C for 1 h on the microhardness of the coating were studied. The effects of pulse electrodeposition parameters including duty cycle, frequency, and peak current density on the composition of NiP and NiP/SiC composite coatings were examined, and the results were compared with those from direct current plating. Pulse plating increased the current efficiency of NiP deposition while decreasing the phosphorus content of these coatings in comparison to direct plating, resulting in higher microhardness values. It was also shown that wt.%P in NiP coating depends not only on peak current density but also on bath charge of pulse plating. Pulse plating parameters (duty cycle and frequency) and the low incorporation of SiC particles did not affect microstructure or the microhardness of the coatings, while heat treatment was the main factor that increased microhardness.

In this study, electrodeposition of NiP composite coatings with the addition of SiC 100 nm was carried out on low carbon steel studying the effect of additives (sodium dodecyl sulfate, saccharin), particles load (10 or 20 g/L) and current density (1, 2 and 4 A/dm2). As a benchmark, coatings from an additive-free bath were also deposited, despite additives being essential for a good quality of the coatings. The coating's morphology and composition were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It was shown that by addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), pure NiP coating with a higher P content was achieved, and their morphology changed to nodular. SDS also reduced the codeposited fraction of SiC particles, while saccharin increased it. SiC loading and current density had less impact respect to the additives on codeposition of SiC particles. Finally, the microhardness of NiP coatings did not increase linearly by codeposition of SiC particles. 

This study aimed to investigate the influence of process parameters on crack formation in laser alloying or cladding of grey cast iron. For this purpose, the effects of laser power and feeding rate of Ni-based alloying powders were examined. The microstructure and hardness of the coating and the interface of the coating with cast iron (bonding zone) were studied. The results showed that the dilution ratio is crucial in crack formation, explaining the challenges in achieving a defect-free laser alloying coating on cast iron. The higher dilution ratio of laser alloying resulted in higher dissolved carbon and bigger (Nb, Ti)C carbides formation than in laser cladding coatings. In this study, cracks appeared in the coating due to the combination of the high amount of carbide in the layer and a sharp hardness gradient at the interface with the cast iron substrate. An empirical relation was proposed for dilution ratio as a function of specific energy density, which combined the most critical process parameters on crack formation.

In this study, the fracture toughness of the multi-layered commercial pure aluminum samples (AA1050) prepared by warm accumulative roll bonding (WARB) was investigated for the first time. Based on the ASTM E561 standard, the R-curve method was utilized to measure the plane stress fracture toughness. Compact tension (CT) samples were prepared from the sheets that were processed by different ARB cycles. Mechanical properties, microstructure, and fracture surfaces of the CT samples were studied by uniaxial tensile test, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. By increasing the number of WARB cycles, fracture toughness increased; after five cycles, 78% enhancement was observed compared to the pre-processed state. A correlation was seen between the fracture toughness variations and ultimate tensile strength (UTS). WARB enhanced UTS up to 95%, while the grain size showed a reduction from 35 to 1.8 μm. Measured fracture toughness values were compared with the room temperature ARB outcomes, and the effective parameters were analyzed. Fractography results indicated that the presence of tiny cliffs and furrows and hollow under fatigue loading zones and shear ductile rupture in the Quasi-static tensile loading zone.

Several studies had been performed on accumulative roll bonding (ARB) for AA1050; however, most of them were conducted at room temperature. Here, the ARB process was performed on AA1050 plates through nine cycles at elevated temperature. An innovation introduced a new parameter (UTS×El.ε) to compare the strength-elongation balance between the present study and previous works. Also, as another parameter, the toughness was compared. Comparing these parameters with previous works showed that the considered samples in the present study performed 14 to 63% better than the other samples, so they were more industrially favorable in terms of mechanical behavior and performance. ARB process at elevated temperature may slightly lead to grain growth compared to room/cryogenic temperature, but creates a better elongation, which ultimately leads to a better balance of the strength-elongation parameter. The results showed that the effect of inter-cycle heating was found significant on microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior. Upon five cycles of the process, the grain size was decreased from 35 to 1.8 μm. The yield strength and ultimate strength increased up to 305% and 94%, respectively. Microhardness test showed that warm ARB reduces inhomogeneity factor in the thickness after 3 cycles. Fractography by SEM showed that the sample failed through shear ductile rupture and that the dimples became smaller, more elongated, and shallower onto the failure surface as the number of ARB cycles increased. In short, the warm process is preferred to the cold process to achieve better mechanical performance and toughness.

Thermal resistance and temperature distribution for high-power AlGaInN LED chip-on-board arrays were measured by different methods and tools. The p-n junction temperature was determined through measuring a temperature-dependent forward voltage drop on the p-n junction, at a low measuring current after applying a high heating current. Furthermore, the infrared thermal imaging technique was employed to obtain the temperature map for the test object. A steady-state 3D computational model of the experimental setup was created including temperature-dependent power dissipation in the LED chips. Simulations of the heat transfer in the LED array were performed to further investigate temperature gradients observed in the measurements. Simulations revealed possible thermal deformation of the assembly as the reason for the hot spot formation. The bending of the assembly was confirmed by surface curvature measurements.

This paper reports the hardness, elastic modulus and refractive index values of the oxynitride glasses prepared from woody biofuel ashes. The glasses were prepared in nitrogen atmosphere at 1350-1500°C with addition of Ca metal as a precursor to the extra addition of this modifier. The glasses were homogenous, but appeared translucent grey to black. They contained up to 23 eq% of Ca and 5 eq% of N. The glass densities vary slightly between 2·76 to 2·92 g/cm3. The molar volume and compactness values vary between 8·01 cm3/mol to 8·31 cm3/mol and 0·446 to 0·462 respectively. Mechanical properties like hardness and reduced elastic modulus show values, up to 10 and 105 GPa, respectively. These properties are strongly correlated with the amount of N in the glass. The refractive index (1·54-1·75) increases with increasing N and Ca contents.

All devices working in hazardous environments have specific requirements to reduce the intervention of human power as much as possible. The robot that this thesis is focused on is no exception to this rule. This dissertation summarized theprocess followed to achieve a theoretical design of a traction system for the CERNBot, the robot that operates at CERN facilities.

This traction system had to be capable of achieving a speed of 10 km/h, going upstairs and make tight turns without draining completely the battery of the device. For that purpose, it was decided to include three types of traction systems such apneumatic wheel, a track system and a mecanum-wheel (an omnidirectional wheel capable of moving in any direction). This design had to include as many commercially available pieces as possible to maintain the costs contained.

In order to comply and extend the battery lifetime as much as possible, topological optimization was applied to the non-commercial pieces, reducing the weight of thepiece by 25%.

After achieving the weight reduction, a discussion about the best manufacturing methodology is done, comparing the manufacture using a CNC machine or casting the device, including the possible defects and costs that both models can have.

The results show that manufacturing this piece with casting can lead to a cheaper and more complex piece.

Cast iron is one of the most used materials in the industry due to its wide properties. Specifically, graphitic cast iron is used in applications where the material is submitted to high temperatures due to its high conductivity and thermal shock resistance. Depending on the graphite morphology, thermal conductivity or mechanical properties can be controlled in graphite cast iron. Spheroidal morphology (SGI) promotes good mechanical properties, while lamellar morphology (LGI) improves thermal conductivity. Graphite can also appear in an intermediate shape, called vermicular (CGI) that presents medium mechanical and thermos-physical properties. Nevertheless, how these properties change when the graphite change from SGI to LGI is still not completely known. 

The present work pretends to clarify the relation between thermo-physical properties and the graphite morphology in cast iron, from SGI to LGI. This work uses solidification experiments to control the chemical composition of the alloy, more specifically, the Mg content. At higher content of Mg, the graphite nucleates and grows in nodular shape, at lower Mg content, the graphite appears in lamellar morphology [1, 2]. Once different graphite morphologies are obtained, the thermo-physical properties will be measured. 

It was found that nodularity decreases linearly with the time that the alloy stays over the liquidus temperature. Nevertheless, to times longer than 80 min, the nodularity decreases slower, showing, and exponential variation. Thermal conductivity decreases abruptly when the graphite changes from lamellar to 5% of nodularity, then continues decreasing slower when the nodularity increases. 

The conductivity of LGI decreases when the temperature increases while to CGI and SGI, the conductivity increases with temperature until it reaches a maximum, then the conductivity starts to decrease. The differences between LGI, CGI, and SGI conductivity shorten as temperature increases. 

In this work hypoeutectic lamellar graphite iron alloyed with seven different levels of molybdenum was studied in order to characterize its thermal and mechanical properties. Several tests were conducted and experimental data was collected from, laser flash (LFA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), dilatometer and tensile test.

Micrographs taken from the polished specimens were captured and studied through quantitative measurements of several parameters, e.g. graphite fraction, shape, form. Afterward, the same samples were colour etched with picric acid in order to perform a qualitative analysis of the matrix.

It was concluded from the data collected, that molybdenum has a significant influence in the UTS. Such influence, increases the UTS strongly with the amount of molybdenum. It was also found that the pearlitic matrix changes into ausferrite matrix, for the 0.96% of molybdenum, but ausferrite it is detected from 0.65% of molybdenum onwards. Regarding thermal properties, molybdenum does not have noticeable effect but it is possible to see a clear worsen in the conductivity in the specimen, which has ausferrite as matrix.

Graphite does not seem to have a clear behavior with the different concentration of molybdenum but in the other hand, the matrix shows clear differences as it was mention before.

During solid state reaction, it was detected a clear influence of molybdenum additions, where the latent heat and the volumetric change were measured during the eutectoid reaction and show a decreasing behavior for molybdenum contents above 0.65%.

The use of recommended S-N curves, presented in current literature, to analyse and determine the fatigue life of a part is common practice in, inter alia, the construction industry.However, the recommended S-N curves are generally created for larger components used in mainly the construction industry. Hence, the use of S-N curves for the evaluation of smaller parts, may result in over-dimensioning of such parts. For this reason, evaluation and designing of smaller parts could benefit from the development of an in house S-N curve specific for the part.

The purpose of this thesis is to generate and validate an in-house method for creating a S-N curve, for a specific part to be compared with recommended S-N curves in the literature. The specific part used for the generating of the method is a welded steel joint with the geometry of two steel pipes, welded together in a t-formation and which has been provided by Thule AB for the purpose of the thesis.

The method presented uses the results from 1) physical fatigue tests using a fatigue testing machine and 2) static FEA to derive a S-N curve for the specific part using the least squares method. A fatigue testing rig enables the gathering of data of the number of cycles to failure when the part is subject to a given cyclic load. The rig uses pneumatics to control the forces applied onto the part with the use of a cylinder. Furthermore, the fatigue testing rig was designed to be controlled by the applied force, meaning, that the rig ensured a homogeneous load cycle by measuring the force from a load cell and alternating the direction of the cylinder with an electrically controlled pressure valve. The performance of static FEA evaluations aim at locating stresses in the part. For this thesis the stresses were evaluated using the hot spot method due to the part's welded geometry.

The data gathered from the physical fatigue tests and the static FEA evaluations are subsequently combined deriving S-N curves applicable to the part.

From the fatigue tests and FEA evaluations for the t-shaped welded steel part, four S-N curves were derived of which two curves showed the results of a linear fitted curve whereas the other curves used the recommended slope of $-1/3$. The results showed that the S-N curves derived, using a set slope, resulted in similar curves to the recommended S-N curve provided by the literature. However, the linear fitted S-N curve showed that the part, according to the S-N curve, had a higher fatigue resistance than recommended.

 Due to limitations in the thesis work, the S-N curves derived within the framework of this thesis should be regarded as theoretical and have been strictly used to identify whether the method generated is applicable for deriving of S-N curves.

Large caliber gun barrels are exposed to deferent kinds of high strain, from pressure to wear, with influence of chemical, and thermal effects. With the ever increasing demand on better guns, the demand on the barrel increases as well. This study will go through the thermal part of the strain that affect the gun barrel steel. The will be experiment on how thermal cyclic load affect low alloy steel, documentation the cracks, hardness and create computer simulations on the physical experiments.

The heating experiment is carried though by the help of an induction coil that is the supplement for the burring propellant to not get any unwanted chemical residue. The heat and timeframe of one cycle, does not one hundred percent representative the reality but it will still give a got comparison of the materials tested. The experiment was completed on five different material 1.2709-A1, -A2, -B, CrMoV, and H13, which are all used in the tooling industry and therefore interesting material in a gun barrel.

The material show vastly different cracks intensity and crack length, with is connected to grain size, thermal conductivity, coefficient of the thermal expansion, strength, toughness, and hardness. The hardness measurement showed a phenomena that does not happen in a fired gun barrel, which is thermal softening. Thermal softening happens in this test for the simple reason that the temperate was never high enough to make the steel phase change to austenite. This makes the secondary carbide crystals to recrystallize into larger ones to lower their energy, in turn reducing hardness and strength. The simulations show that there is tensile stress at the outside, closest to the induction coil, and compressive stress on the inside of the test sample. It also gave a good insight on how the properties affect the steel. 

The material 1.2709B got the best results from the experiment conducted in the study, few and short cracks, almost nonexistent hardness softening. It has the ductility and toughness to reduce the softening and the strength and thermal conductivity to stand against the major crack formations.

Recent X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements have revealed that plastic deformation and a residual elastic strain field can be present around the graphite particles in ductile cast iron after manufacturing, probably due to some local mismatch in thermal contraction. However, as only one component of the elastic strain tensor could be obtained from the XRD data, the shape and magnitude of the associated residual stress field have remained unknown. To compensate for this and to provide theoretical insight into this unexplored topic, a combined experimental-numerical approach is presented in this paper. First, a material equivalent to the ductile cast iron matrix is manufactured and subjected to dilatometric and high-temperature tensile tests. Subsequently, a two-scale hierarchical top-down model is devised, calibrated on the basis of the collected data and used to simulate the interaction between the graphite particles and the matrix during manufacturing of the industrial part considered in the XRD study. The model indicates that, besides the viscoplastic deformation of the matrix, the effect of the inelastic deformation of the graphite has to be considered to explain the magnitude of the XRD strain. Moreover, the model shows that the large elastic strain perturbations recorded with XRD close to the graphite–matrix interface are not artifacts due to e.g. sharp gradients in chemical composition, but correspond to residual stress concentrations induced by the conical sectors forming the internal structure of the graphite particles. In contrast to common belief, these results thus suggest that ductile cast iron parts cannot be considered, in general, as stress-free at the microstructural scale. 

Sammanfattning

Avhandlingsarbetet har genomförts på KEMET AB i samarbete med yttekniklaboratoriet vid JTH i syfte att karakterisera den etsade anodiska aluminiumfolien som grundprov med anodisering och etsning för ytbehandling.

I inledningsskedet gjordes provberedningen med användning av teknikerna för anodisk etsning och anodbildande processer där en upprepad provnings- och felmetod för provberedning ledde ut mot att utarbeta en lämplig provuppsättning med avseende på karakterisering. Efter detta steg infördes uppsättningen av 2 olika industriella prover och anodoxidbildande process utfördes i olika elektrolyter.

I provpreparaten användes 4 olika elektrolyter 15 % vikt Ammoniumadiphat, 1,5 vikt% Ammoniumfosfat, 7 vikt% Borsyra och 15 % Penta-borat vid olika steg för utförande av anodoxidbildningsförfarandet. Minimala formningsspänningar på 20V till ett maximum av 100V användes i provframställningen och för att övervinna väntetiden vid bildning av de etsade proven användes en högre ström av 0,5A.

Efter provberedningen användes elektrokemisk impedansspektroskopi som ett verktyg för att karakterisera de olika grupperna av prover och för att observera mikrostrukturerna i olika prover, de bröts och de observerades i tvärsnittet av SEM.

Efter att analysen av de etsade proverna gjordes ett försök att jämföra resultaten av data från dessa prover till den för de två uppsättningarna av industriella prover.

Det är konstaterat att de resulterande data inte var stabila nog att karakterisera eftersom stor spridning inträffade och varigenom simuleringen av CPE-kretsen för den valda kretsen i analysen inte var möjlig.

Under analysen användes också ett slumpmässigt valt industriellt prov och de resulterande data användes för att förstå systemets respons till olika elektrolyter.

In this study, damage initiation micromechanisms in friction stir-welded DP600 steel sheets during tensile deformation were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction. For this purpose, DP600 steel was welded using friction stir welding with two combinations of rotational and transverse speed, to prepare joints with low and high heats. Microhardness measurements on the cross section of the weldments revealed the formation of a softened zone in the HAZ as a result of the tempering of the martensite, which led to the localization of strain and failure during the tensile testing. SEM observations on the cross section of tensile tested specimens showed that ferrite–martensite interface decohesion and martensite fracture are the main void nucleation mechanisms in the DP600 steel. For the sample welded with low heat input, ferrite–martensite interface decohesion started at higher strains compared to the DP600 steel. A new void initiation mechanism including plastic deformation of tempered martensite, necking, separation of martensite fragments and formation of a void between the separated segments was also suggested for this sample. For the sample welded with high heat input, formation of void at the ferrite–cementite interface was the main void nucleation mechanism and ferrite–martensite interface decohesion was an inactive mechanism.

The void formation and plastic deformation micromechanisms of a cold-rolled DP600 steel during tensile loading were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The SEM observations revealed that the main void nucleation mechanism in the DP600 steel is decohesion at the ferrite–martensite interfaces. The voids were mostly observed between the closely spaced martensite islands situated at the boundaries of relatively finer ferrite grains. The EBSD results indicated a strain gradient developed from the ferrite–martensite and ferrite–ferrite interfaces into the interior of ferrite grains during the tensile deformation, which led to a stress concentration at these interfaces. Moreover, it was demonstrated that local misorientation inside the finer ferrite grains surrounded by martensite islands was higher than that for the coarser ferrite grains, which made the former more prone to void initiation.

Commercially pure copper rod was successfully subjected to severe plastic deformation by applying the continuous equal channel angular pressing (ECAP-Conform) method at room temperature. Microstructural characterizations of copper rod samples at various stages of plastic deformation were carried out by optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction methods. X-ray diffractometry and Kernal average misorientation were used for dislocation density estimations. Microstructural evaluations revealed grain size change of 30 mm for the initial annealed copper rod to less than 5 mm and even 100 nm for severely deformed samples. Mechanical behaviors of samples after different deformation stages were characterized using tensile and hardness tests. The ultimate tensile strength of the severely deformed copper rod was increased threefold by ECAP-Conform while elongation halved in comparison to the initial annealed copper. Low-temperature annealing of severely plastic deformed samples led to bi-modal grain size distribution and lowering of strength accompanied by the increase of elongation. Tensile properties of severely deformed and then annealed copper samples showed around a 40% increase in both ultimate tensile strength and elongation in comparison to the initial annealed copper rod.

In a quest to develop new light metal alloys that can perform excellently at elevated-temperatures (from 300°C to 400°C), a ternary eutectic Al-Cu-Si alloy was exploited to gain a deeper understanding of the alloy system and its suitability for high temperature applications. The alloys studied, with chemical composition of Al-27%Cu-5%Si (by weight percent) with Ni addition in the range of 0 to 1.5%wt, were cast in a rapid solidification casting technique. The solidification characteristics of the alloy was studied using the Thermo-Calc software. Microstructures were characterized in a scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Finally, the elevated-temperatures tensile properties of the alloys were investigated. Comparing the microstructures and mechanical properties of these Al-Cu-Si(-Ni) alloys with conventional Al-Si alloy A319, the refined microstructure with dispersed Ni intermetallic particles formed in the as-cast Al-Cu-Si(-Ni) alloys deliver improved elevated temperature properties. In particular, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the new alloy with 1.5% Ni at 400?C were observed to be 220% and 309% higher, respectively, than for conventional A319 alloy.

Polymers are useful engineering materials and are used extensively in almost all walks of life worldwide because of their outstanding engineering properties such as low densities, good strength-to-weight ratios, toughness, and resistance to corrosion, ease of processing, design freedom, and most importantly low-cost and global availability. These factors lead to the high production of polymers. Despite their engineering significance, single-use plastics are becoming a major concern due to the environmental perils associated with the use-and-discard mindset. This thesis work explores the possibility of utilizing post-consumer recyclates of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate(PET) to develop microfibrillar composites (MFCs) that can be used for high-end applications. This process makes use of discarded, single-use plastic materials and renders them into useful engineering products that no longer provide hazards to the environment furthermore such composite materials are completely recyclable in comparison to their conventional counterparts made by incorporation of inorganic fillers.

På grund av sina många kvaliteter är gjutjärn ett av de mest använda materialen i branschen. Gjutjärn med grafitnoduler spridda över hela matrisen kallas segjärn eller sfäriskt grafitjärn (SGI). De mekaniska och termiska egenskaperna hos segjärn påverkas av mikrostrukturfaserna som utgör den metalliska matrisen samt antalet, storleken och nodulariteten hos grafitpartiklarna. Gjutindustrin står inför utmaningar att optimera formen och storleken på sina gjutkomponenter för att minska miljöpåverkan och dess prestanda. De använder också numerisk simuleringsprogramvara för processimulering av gjutning och förutsägelse av materialegenskaper, som en del av produktutvecklingen. Tillförlitliga materialegenskapsmodeller utgör en viktig förutsättning för simulering av gjutna komponenter.  Mikrostrukturen för SGI kan justeras genom varierande kylförhållanden och den kemiska sammansättningen.  Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka hur kylhastigheten och kolhalten påverkar mikrostrukturens morfologi och de mekaniska och termiska egenskaperna hos SGI.  Fem olika kylhastigheter och två olika kolhalter (hypereutektisk och hypoeutektisk) undersöktes i denna avhandling.  Resultaten visar att de mekaniska och termiska egenskaperna inte är beroende av kylhastighet, så länge matrismikrostrukturen (ferrit/perlitförhållande) förblir lika.  Vidare har de olika kolinnehållen inte någon betydande inverkan på de olika mikrostrukturegenskaperna och följaktligen på de mekaniska och termiska egenskaperna.  Mikrostrukturundersökningen visar att ökningen av kylhastigheten resulterar i en signifikant ökning av små grafitnoduler vid gjutgodsens termiska centrum.  Denna observation indikerar en sekundär kärnbildningshändelse för sist stelnade områden och kräver ytterligare undersökning.

Experimental evaluation of several active anti-condensation methods for application in non-hermetic electronics enclosures was performed in harsh climatic conditions, including RH = 70% and T = 43 °C. The studied methods included blowing the air along the exposed surface, combination of blowing and air heating as well as local heating of the exposed surface in natural convection conditions. The purpose was to prevent/remove the dew on/from the exposed surface of a micro-condensation sensor. The difference between the methods was quantified in terms of time for dew removal. The power consumption aspects were discussed. A CFD based optimization methodology was developed to determine the heating profiles for the local anti-condensation PCB heater in a non-hermetic cabinet exposed to the quickly changing climatic conditions. The potential for 60% energy savings was revealed by simulation.

Thermal conductivity is an important property for many iron cast components, and the lack of widely accepted thermal conductivity model for cast iron, especially grey cast iron, motivates the efforts in this research area. The present study contributes to understanding the effects alloy microstructure has on thermal conductivity. A thermal conductivity model for a pearlitic cast iron has been proposed, based on the as-cast alloy composition and microstructural parameters obtained at different solidification rates. According to the model, available parallel heat transfer paths formed by connected graphite flakes across eutectic cells are determined by the space between dendrite arms. The uncertainties both for model inputs and for validation measurements have been estimated. Sensitivity analysis has been conducted to result in better understanding of the model behaviour. The agreement between modelled and measured thermal conductivities has been achieved within 5% on the average for the investigated samples.

Thermal conductivity is an important property for cast components produced from different types of cast iron. Development of a general widely-accepted thermal conductivity model for compacted and lamellar graphite irons poses a research challenge. The present study extends the modeling approach introduced earlier for pearlitic lamellar graphite iron toward compacted graphite iron and ferritic lamellar graphite iron. The proposed thermal conductivity model of the bulk material is based on the alloy microstructure and Si segregation between eutectic cells and non-cell regions, at the main assumption that the heat paths in the eutectic cells are formed by connected graphite phases surrounded by ferrite phases. The overall thermal resistance of these heat paths is determined by the hydraulic diameter of the interdendritic region. The uncertainties both for the modeled and for experimentally derived thermal conductivities have been estimated. The importance of considering the Si segregation in the model has been discussed. For the investigated samples, the agreement between modeled and measured thermal conductivities has been achieved within 4% on the average, at the same value of the single fitting parameter found for pearlitic, pearlitic–ferritic lamellar, and compacted graphite iron alloys. The results contribute to the understanding of the material microstructure effects on the cast iron thermal conductivity.

The finite element three-dimensional transient model of the annealing process, including conductive and convective heat transfer in an aluminum (Al) coil was developed, implemented, and validated. It combines winding force dependent effective radial thermal conductivity model and the novel convective heat transfer modeling methodology. Experimental validation of the finite element model was performed for two industrial coils having different dimensions, strip thickness and crowning depth. The general agreement between the predicted and measured temperatures for most of the probes was better than 10% at the target material temperature. A series of measurements were configured and performed to supply both the input and validation data for the simulations. The effect of the additional wetted area on the convective heat transfer at the coil base was quantified. The guidelines on the virtual prototyping of the Al coil annealing process were provided, which can be of interest for the process designers.

A methodology for evaluation of transient performance of, and comparison between plate heat exchanger and plate-fin-and-tube heat exchanger was developed and realized, including experiment and 3-D simulation. Heat transfer from water to a gas medium was addressed. The heated gas volume was the same for both heat exchanger designs. This was achieved by placing the plate-fin-and-tube heat exchanger into enclosure. The volume average temperature of the gas as function of time was computed. Estimated material cost for the studied designs was at least seven times lower than for the stainless steel plate heat exchanger. The performance of the selected plate-fin-and-tube heat exchanger design was found comparable to the plate heat exchanger, when both fin and tube materials were set to Al, and the enclosure was a light-weight thermal insulator. Transient behavior of the studied heat exchangers should be of interest for micro-grid applications, but also for thermal management in electronic cabinets and data centers.

A mathematical model of a multi-phase power conversion system composed of modified bridge-elements (B-system) capable for parallel computation has been developed. Experimental validation on the example of a power system including a synchronous generator and an AC-DC rectifier has been performed. A mathematical algorithm for B-system assembly and steps to obtain mathematical model of the B-system have been developed. Integration of mathematical models of conversion system into the complete model of a multi-phase power system has been explained and evaluation of computational efficiency of parallel computation techniques for the developed model of an AC-DC-AC converter has been performed. The presented modelling method can be employed in the design phase of smart grids, for power quality and conducted emission analysis. 

The work presented aims to reduce the amount and viscosity of the slag produced in the furnace during the production of Compacted Graphite Iron in SCANIA foundry and simulate the actual process using thermodynamic calculations to estimate the amount and the composition of the slag.

The estimation of slag amount and slag compositions was done using CALPHAD (Calculation of Phase Diagram) method which can be done using the thermodynamic software Thermo-Calc using the composition of the raw materials and the phase diagrams calculation. In the present work, an appropriate calculation method to estimate the amount and composition of slag was established and based on the calculations, strategies to decrease the viscosity were suggested.

Genom att återvinna aluminium kan stora energibesparingar göras eftersom återvinning kan förbruka så lite som 5% av den energi som behövs för produktion av primär aluminium. Vid gjutning av högkvalitativa aluminiumprodukter krävs förståelse för defekter i mikrostrukturen och denna kunskap är extra viktig vid användning av återvunnen aluminium, som i regel innehåller mer defekter än primär aluminium. Defekterna består bland annat av Si, Fe och Mn samt oxider. Si behövs för gjutbarhet men kan också initiera brott. Järnrika intermetaller kan ha olika morfologier som generellt påverkar gjutna komponenter negativt. Oxider, som kan utgöra sprickor, är gäckande då de är svåra att kvantifiera.

Denna avhandlings syfte är att öka kunskapen om defekter i gjutna komponenter av återvunnen aluminium. Experiment utfördes med avancerad laborationsutrustning så som röntgenfotografering av prover under stelning och dragprovning i svepelektronmikroskop. Experiment utfördes också i industrimiljö.

Experimenten visade att kärnbildningstemperaturen steg för primära α-Fe intermetaller med ökade andelar av Fe, Mn och Cr. Resultaten tyder starkt på att primär α-Fe kärnbildas på oxider och att de växer i fyra olika morfologier. Lägre kärnbildningstäthet av α-Fe främjade snabbare tillväxt av kristaller med håligheter men högre kärnbildningstäthet främjade långsammare tillväxt av massiva kristaller. Resultaten visade också att minskad storlek av eutektiskt Si och β-Fe intermetaller ledde till förbättring av dragprovsresultaten, främst brottförlängningen. I legeringar med β-Fe ledde transversellt orienterade intermetaller till makrosprickor vilka kan initiera brott. I legeringar med primär α-Fe var det främst kluster av intermetaller som orsakade makrosprickor. I utmattningsprovning orsakade modifiering av β-Fe till α-Fe förflyttning av sprickinitieringen från oxider och porer till α-Fe, vilket resulterade i en reducerad utmattningshållfasthet. Oxiderna i Al-Si-legeringar fortsätter att gäcka; ingen korrelation mellan försök att kvantifiera oxiderna och draghållfasthet kunde påvisas.

Morphology and growth of primary α-Al(FeMnCr)Si intermetallics have been studied in-situ during solidification of a commercial secondary aluminum alloy employing X-radiographic imaging combined with deep-etching. The α-Al(FeMnCr)Si intermetallics were found to nucleate primarily on surface oxides, and the continued growth yielded both rhombic dodecahedrons and elongated rod-like morphologies. Both morphologies were observed as hopper and massive types, where the hopper intermetallics had the higher growth rates. The growth rate, which determines the type, appears to be linked to nucleation frequency; higher nucleation frequency promoted massive types and lower nucleation frequency promoted hopper intermetallics. 

To evaluate the role of Fe-rich intermetallics on crack initiation, two fully modified Al-Si alloys, one containing plate-like β-Fe and the second containing primary α-Fe intermetallics, were investigated by in-situ tensile testing in the scanning electron microscope. In the first alloy, large plate-like β-Fe intermetallics oriented parallel to the test direction were the first to crack at an elongation of about 1.8%. More transversely oriented intermetallics caused crack initiation in the matrix which linked up with the final fracture. In the second alloy, the cracking of α-Fe intermetallics initiated at an elongation of about 0.9%. It is concluded that large α-Fe intermetallics crack first and that clusters of α-Fe are the most potent crack initiation sites.

Aluminium-silicon alloys have gained increasing market share in the automotive and aerospace industry because of increased environmental demands. These alloys have a high strength-to-weight ratio, good corrosion resistance, castability and recycling potential. However, variations in properties and limited performance at elevated temperature are restricting these alloys from use at elevated temperatures. During the last decades, researchers have investigated ways to improve the properties at elevated temperatures. However, the effect of some transition elements is not well understood. The aim of this work is to investigate the aluminium-silicon alloys with addition of cobalt and nickel for high temperature applications. Tensile testing and hardness testing were conducted on samples produced by directional solidification in a Bridgman furnace with condition generating a microstructure corresponding to that obtained in high pressure die casting, i.e. SDAS ~ 10 µm. The results show that cobalt and nickel improve the tensile properties up to 230 °C.

Klimatförändringar runt om i världen driver industrin att tillverka lättare komponenter för att minska utsläppen av koldioxid (CO2). Lovande kandidater för att uppnå detta är aluminium-silikon (Al-Si) gjutna legeringar, som erbjuder hög vikt-till-styrkeförhållande, utmärkt korrosionsbeständighet och god gjutbarhet. Förståelsen av variationer i de mekaniska egenskaperna hos dessa legeringar är dock avgörande för att producera högpresterande komponenter för kritiska tillämpningar. Defekter och oxider är de främsta orsakerna till att gjutna komponenter i utmattningsapplikation avvisas, eftersom de påverkar de mekaniska egenskaperna negativt.

En heltäckande förståelse av sambandet mellan mekaniska egenskaper och parametrar som mikrostrukturella faser, ytfinhet, porositet och oxider i Al-Si-gjutningar har ännu inte blivit fullständigt kartlagd.

Forskningen som presenteras i denna avhandling använde toppmoderna experimentella tekniker för att undersöka de mekaniska egenskaperna samt initiering och propagering av sprickor i Al-Si-Mg-gjutgods under utmattningstester. Dessa tekniker möjliggjorde en omfattande studie av parametrar som påverkar utmattningen, inklusive väteinnehåll, ytfinhet, oxider och intermetalliska faser.

Den ökade Cu-koncentrationen i värmebehandlade Al-Si-legeringar ökade mängden intermetalliska faser, vilket påverkade sprickbeteendet. Vidare upptäcktes oxidfilmer på platser där sprickor initierades, även i områden långt borta från de mest påverkade områdena Kisel och järnfaser observerades ha kärnbildat på dessa oxidfilmer. På grund av deras mycket små storlek upptäcks dessa oxider vanligtvis inte av icke-destruktiva inspektioner, men de påverkar mekaniska egenskaper eftersom de tycks öppna vid relativt låga dragspänningar. Slutligen visade gjutskinnet på Al-Si-komponenter en intressant effekt när det förbättrade utmattningsegenskaperna och belyser den negativa effekten av bearbetning på dessa komponenter.

Ett sätt att nå målen med minskade koldioxidutsläpp inom industrin är att producera lättare komponenter. Aluminium-kisel (Al-Si) gjutna legeringar är därför ett bra alternativ då dessa legeringar har ett bra förhållande mellan hållfasthet och vikt, goda korrosionsegenskaper, utmärkt gjutbarhet och är ett återvinningsbart material. En av de största utmaningarna för att producera högpresterande komponenter för kritiska applikationer är variationerna i egenskaper inom dessa komponenter. Orsaken till att inte gjutna Al-Si legeringar andvänds i dessa applikationer är förståelsen av defekter och mikrostruktuella faser påverkar de mekaniska egenskaperna negativt. Koppar (Cu) tillsätts i Al-Si legeringar för att öka de mekaniska egenskaperna vilket ofta nyttjas inom bilindustrin. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) prosessen är en annan möjlighet att förbättra de mekaniska egenskaperna genom att reducera porositeter i materialet.

Studien syftar till att undersöka de mekaniska egenskaperna och sprickinitiering och spricktillväxt i en gjuten legering av Al-7Si-Mg med utmattningstestning i svepelektronmikroskop (SEM) i kombination med electron backscatter diffraction, digital image correlation och focused ion beam (FIB). Mängden Cu i Al-Si legeringen påverkade de statiska mekaniska egenskaperna genom att öka sträckgränsen och brottgränsen. Tillsats av Cu upp till 1.5 vikt.% påverkar inte spricktillväxten märkbart. Däremot förändras beteendet markant vid tillsatser av Cu på mer än 3.0 vikt.% som resulterade i en markant reducering i duktilitet. I det värmebehandlade materialet påverkades de mekaniska egenskaperna av Al-matrisen och mängden intermetalliska faser. Avståndet mellan Cu faserna och Si faserna används för att beskriva spricktillväxten i Al-Si legeringarna. Detta tillsammans med tredimensionell tomografi visade att legeringen med 3.2 vikt.% Cu hade en ökad mängd sprickor i området framför den avancerande sprickan, vilket inte den Cu fria legeringen visade. Al-Si legeringen som utsattes för HIP-processen och värmebehandlingen visade att materialets mikrostruktur i gjutet tillstånd påverkade resultatet. HIP processen slöt porositerena i alla undersökta prover och förbättrade de mekaniska egenskaperna.

Dessa resultat kommer kunna användas för att konstruera mer högpresterande komponenter.