Daniela Pilone

Effects of the manufacturing process on fracture behaviour of cast TiAl intermetallic alloys

The ? -TiAl based intermetallic alloys are interesting candidate materials for high-temperature applications with the efforts being directed toward the replacement of Ni-based superalloys. TiAl-based alloys are characterised by a density (3.5-4 g/cm3) which is less than half of that of Ni-based superalloys, and therefore these alloys have attracted broad attention as potential candidate for high-temperature structural applications. Specific composition/microstructure combinations should be attained with the aim of obtaining good mechanical properties while maintaining satisfactory oxidation resistance, creep resistance and high temperature strength for targeted applications. Different casting methods have been used for producing TiAl based alloys. In our experimental work, specimens were produced by means of centrifugal casting. Tests carried out on several samples characterised by different alloy compositions highlighted that solidification shrinkage and solid metal contraction during cooling produce the development of relevant residual stresses that are sufficient to fracture the castings during cooling or to produce a delayed fracture. In this work, crack initiation and growth have been analysed in order to identify the factors causing the very high residual stresses that often produce explosive crack propagation throughout the casting.

Fatigue behaviour of titanium dental endosseous implants

In this work two different titanium dental implants are analyzed in order to evaluate their mechanical strength. An ad-hoc designed experimental apparatus is prepared to test against fatigue these implants in a way that approximates as much as possible the actual stresses occurring during mastication motion. The results of these endurance tests are summarized in the form of Wohler-type diagrams showing the duration of a specific implant for different applied loads. These plots show a fatigue limit below which the implants could resist indefinitely. Other aspects of this research concern the influence of a potentially corrosive medium and the analysis of the deformation and failure of the specimens. During fatigue cycling, the titanium implants do not seem to be affected by a more aggressive environment, such as a saline solution. The analysis of the broken specimen allowed the crack initiation sites and the type of fracture propagation to be investigated in depth. In all the considered implants fatigue cracks were seen to initiate preferentially from sites in which the tensile stress concentration is the highest. The results of a finite element analysis performed on one of the specimens is in good agreement with the failure mode observed after the tests. The SEM fracture surface analysis shows a clear similarity between the fracture mode of the tested implants and of the actual implants broken after a certain operating period.

Investigation on some factors affecting crack formation in high resistance aluminum alloys

Aluminum alloys having good mechanical properties are Al-Zn- Mg alloys (7xxx) and Al-Cu-Li alloys (Weldalite®). These alloys may be subjected to stress corrosion cracking. In order to overcome this problem the Al 7050 alloy has been developed and it is widely used for aerospace applications. Despite that, some components made of this alloy cracked during the manufacturing process including machining and chemical anodization. In a previous work cracked Al 7050 components have been analyzed in order to identify possible causes of crack formation. In this work the susceptibility of this alloy to intergranular corrosion has been analysed and compared with that of other high resistance aluminum alloys.

Design, Prototyping and Preliminary Testing of a Ti-Al Gas Turbine Blade

This work investigates the feasibility of manufacturing a turbine blade made of a Ti-Al intermetallic alloy by means of investment casting. The work is based on a multidisciplinary approach that combines a conventional CFD analysis of the flow field around the statoric and rotoric blades with the results of several metallurgical studies aimed at the optimization of the alloy composition by finding the best compromise among fracture toughness, oxidation resistance at high temperatures and mechanical properties. The combination of the two techniques lead to an iterative procedure (of which only the first two steps are reported in this paper): a conventional blade is first modeled and the corresponding investment cast is produced via a 3D printing technique; a first version of the blade is built; a modified blade shape is then obtained by a refined CFD study; as a last step the final version of the blade is cast. On the basis of standard operational specifications representative of modern gas turbines, a turbine blade was therefore designed, tested by CFD (ANSYS-FLUENT) to ensure proper fluid dynamic performance, and its levels of thermo-mechanical stress under working conditions were calculated via a commercial CAD software (ANSYS). The fully 3D version of the component was subsequently prototyped by means of fused deposition modeling. A full-scale set of blades (blade height approximately 7 cm, blade chord approximately 5 cm) was produced by means of investment casting in an induction furnace. The produced items showed acceptable characteristics in terms of shape and soundness. The blade alloy was analyzed by performing metallographic investigations and some preliminary mechanical tests. At the same time, the geometry was refined by a complete and more complex CFD study, and a slightly modified shape was obtained. Its final testing under operative conditions is left for a later study. The paper describes the spec-to-final product procedure and discusses some critical aspects of this manufacturing process such as the considerable reactivity between the molten metal and the mold material, the resistance of the ceramic shell to the molten metal impact at temperatures as high as 2073 K and the limit mold porosity that may compromise the component surface finish. Furthermore, a detailed account is provided for the CFD results that led to the modification of the original commercial shape: pressure, velocity and temperature fields in the statoric and rotoric channels are described in some detail, and a preliminary performance assessment of the turbine stage is presented and discussed.Copyright

Use of FBG sensors for monitoring cracks of the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice

The Bartolomeo Colleoni monument suffered for years damage from the local climate. The process of restoring the Colleoni equestrian statue, started in 2003, allowed to understand how the bronze statue was originally cast and manufactured and the techniques used in its construction. During this process a relevant crack on the right foreleg was investigated in correspondence of the cast-on joining the right foreleg to the front portion of the horse body. The crack was investigated experimentally by Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, avoiding any modelling because of the very complex structure of the statue. An array of FBG sensors connected in series was glued on the crack with the aim of capturing live information about the effect of applying stress on the crack opening. The monitoring system was successfully tested during repositioning of the RIDER on the horse and is available for long term inspection of the crack opening evolution.