Jonathan Almer

Microstructure, stress and mechanical properties of arc-evaporated Cr–C–N coatings

Abstract The relationships between coating microstructure and properties in the Cr–C–N system have been investigated as a function of composition and post-deposition annealing. Coatings of varying compositions were grown using arc-evaporation, by varying the reactive gas flow ratio fR=f(C2H4)/f(N2) from 0 to 0.2, and were found to consist primarily of the cubic δ-Cr(C,N) phase. Changes in both the unstressed lattice parameter, ao, and X-ray diffraction background intensity indicate that both the carbon concentration within the δ-phase and amorphous/crystalline content increases with fR. Increasing fR also decreases the magnitude of the compressive biaxial residual stress, from approximately 6 to 1 GPa, while increasing both the inhomogeneous stress and thermal stability. The elastic modulus and hardness of as-deposited coatings were determined from nanoindentation to be 320 and 23 GPa, respectively, for moderate carbon concentrations (fR≤0.05). Concurrent variations in microstructure and hardness with post-deposition annealing indicate that the as-deposited hardness is significantly enhanced by the microstructure, primarily by lattice defects and related stresses (microstresses) rather than average stresses (macrostresses).

Strain and texture analysis of coatings using high-energy x-rays

We investigate the internal strain and crystallographic orientation (texture) in physical-vapor deposited metal nitride coatings of TiN and CrN. A high-energy diffraction technique is presented tha ...

Microstructural evolution during tempering of arc-evaporated Cr–N coatings

Cr-N coatings were arc-deposited at 50 and 300 V. The changes in the coating microstructure and phase content during tempering were monitored. As a result, the phase stability and activation energi ...

Bone cell-independent benefits of raloxifene on the skeleton: a novel mechanism for improving bone material properties.

Raloxifene is an FDA approved agent used to treat bone loss and decrease fracture risk. In clinical trials and animal studies, raloxifene reduces fracture risk and improves bone mechanical properties, but the mechanisms of action remain unclear because these benefits occur largely independent of changes to bone mass. Using a novel experimental approach, machined bone beams, both from mature male canine and human male donors, were depleted of living cells and then exposed to raloxifene ex vivo. Our data show that ex vivo exposure of non-viable bone to raloxifene improves intrinsic toughness, both in canine and human cortical bone beams tested by 4-point bending. These effects are cell-independent and appear to be mediated by an increase in matrix bound water, assessed using basic gravimetric weighing and sophisticated ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging. The hydroxyl groups (OH) on raloxifene were shown to be important in both the water and toughness increases. Wide and small angle X-ray scattering patterns during 4-pt bending show that raloxifene alters the transfer of load between the collagen matrix and the mineral crystals, placing lower strains on the mineral, and allowing greater overall deformation prior to failure. Collectively, these findings provide a possible mechanistic explanation for the therapeutic effect of raloxifene and more importantly identify a cell-independent mechanism that can be utilized for novel pharmacological approaches for enhancing bone strength.

A new model to simulate the elastic properties of mineralized collagen fibril

Bone, because of its hierarchical composite structure, exhibits an excellent combination of stiffness and toughness, which is due substantially to the structural order and deformation at the smaller length scales. Here, we focus on the mineralized collagen fibril, consisting of hydroxyapatite plates with nanometric dimensions aligned within a protein matrix, and emphasize the relationship between the structure and elastic properties of a mineralized collagen fibril. We create two- and three-dimensional representative volume elements to represent the structure of the fibril and evaluate the importance of the parameters defining its structure and properties of the constituent mineral and collagen phase. Elastic stiffnesses are calculated by the finite element method and compared with experimental data obtained by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The computational results match the experimental data well, and provide insight into the role of the phases and morphology on the elastic deformation characteristics. Also, the effects of water, imperfections in the mineral phase and mineral content outside the mineralized collagen fibril upon its elastic properties are discussed.

Synchrotron applications of an amorphous silicon flat-panel detector

A GE Revolution 41RT flat-panel detector (GE 41RT) from GE Healthcare (GE) has been in operation at the Advanced Photon Source for over two years. The detector has an active area of 41 cm x 41 cm with 200 microm x 200 microm pixel size. The nominal working photon energy is around 80 keV. The physical set-up and utility software of the detector system are discussed in this article. The linearity of the detector response was measured at 80.7 keV. The memory effect of the detector element, called lag, was also measured at different exposure times and gain settings. The modulation transfer function was measured in terms of the line-spread function using a 25 microm x 1 cm tungsten slit. The background (dark) signal, the signal that the detector will carry without exposure to X-rays, was measured at three different gain settings and with exposure times of 1 ms to 15 s. The radial geometric flatness of the sensor panel was measured using the diffraction pattern from a CeO(2) powder standard. The large active area and fast data-capturing rate, i.e. 8 frames s(-1) in radiography mode, 30 frames s(-1) in fluoroscopy mode, make the GE 41RT one of a kind and very versatile in synchrotron diffraction. The loading behavior of a Cu/Nb multilayer material is used to demonstrate the use of the detector in a strain-stress experiment. Data from the measurement of various samples, amorphous SiO(2) in particular, are presented to show the detector effectiveness in pair distribution function measurements.

Significant elastic anisotropy in Ti1-xAlxN alloys

Strong compositional-dependent elastic properties have been observed theoretically and experimentally in Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N alloys. The elastic constant, C{sub 11}, changes by more than 50% depending on the Al-content. Increasing the Al-content weakens the average bond strength in the local octahedral arrangements resulting in a more compliant material. On the other hand, it enhances the directional (covalent) nature of the nearest neighbor bonds that results in greater elastic anisotropy and higher sound velocities. The strong dependence of the elastic properties on the Al-content offers new insight into the detailed understanding of the spinodal decomposition and age hardening in Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N alloys.

High-energy X-ray optics with silicon saw-tooth refractive lenses.

Silicon saw-tooth refractive lenses have been in successful use for vertical focusing and collimation of high-energy X-rays (50-100 keV) at the 1-ID undulator beamline of the Advanced Photon Source. In addition to presenting an effectively parabolic thickness profile, as required for aberration-free refractive optics, these devices allow high transmission and continuous tunability in photon energy and focal length. Furthermore, the use of a single-crystal material (i.e. Si) minimizes small-angle scattering background. The focusing performance of such saw-tooth lenses, used in conjunction with the 1-ID beamlines bent double-Laue monochromator, is presented for both short ( approximately 1:0.02) and long ( approximately 1:0.6) focal-length geometries, giving line-foci in the 2 microm-25 microm width range with 81 keV X-rays. In addition, a compound focusing scheme was tested whereby the radiation intercepted by a distant short-focal-length lens is increased by having it receive a collimated beam from a nearer (upstream) lens. The collimation capabilities of Si saw-tooth lenses are also exploited to deliver enhanced throughput of a subsequently placed small-angular-acceptance high-energy-resolution post-monochromator in the 50-80 keV range. The successful use of such lenses in all these configurations establishes an important detail, that the pre-monochromator, despite being comprised of vertically reflecting bent Laue geometry crystals, can be brilliance-preserving to a very high degree.

Microstructure evolution during the isostructural decomposition of TiAlN—A combined in-situ small angle x-ray scattering and phase field study

This paper describes details of the spinodal decomposition and coarsening in metastable cubic Ti0.33Al0.67N and Ti0.50Al0.50N coatings during isothermal annealing, studied by in-situ small angle x-ray scattering, in combination with phase field simulations. We show that the isostructural decomposition occurs in two stages. During the initial stage, spinodal decomposition, of the Ti0.50Al0.50N alloy, the phase separation proceeds with a constant compositional wavelength of � 2.8nm of the AlN- and TiN-rich domains. The time for spinodal decomposition depends on annealing temperature as well as alloy composition. After the spinodal decomposition, the coherent cubic AlN- and TiN-rich domains coarsen. The coarsening rate is kinetically limited by diffusion, which allowed us to estimate the diffusivity and activation energy of the metals to 1.4 � 10 � 6 m 2 s � 1 and 3.14eV at � 1 , respectively. V C 2013 AIP Publishing LLC .[ http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4809573]

Microstructure–property relationships in arc-evaporated Cr–N coatings

Chromium nitride (Cr-N) coatings have received increased attention for tribological applications due to their favorable properties including wear resistance, toughness and oxidation resistance. The ...