Sujoy Kumar Kar

Rapid characterization of titanium microstructural features for specific modelling of mechanical properties

Mechanical properties of α/β Ti alloys are closely related to their microstructure. The complexity of the microstructural features involved makes it rather difficult to develop models for predicting properties of these alloys. Advances in stereology and microscopy permit rapid characterization of various features in Ti alloys including Widmanstatten α-laths, grain sizes, grain shapes, colony structures and volume fractions of different phases. This research documents the stereology procedures for characterizing microstructural features in Ti alloys, including the use of three-dimensional serial sectioning and reconstruction procedures for developing through material measurements. The resulting data indicate the powerful characterization processes now available, and the ability to rapidly assess microstructural features in Ti alloys. The processes were tested using Ti-62222 by serial sectioning the sample and conducting automated stereology protocols to determine features. In addition, three-dimensional reconstruction was completed on a Ti-6242 sample to evaluate lath interactions within the alloy. Results indicate the tremendous potential for characterizing microstructures using advanced techniques.

Selection of α variants during microstructural evolution in α/β titanium alloys

The solid-state β→β + α transformation in titanium alloys leads to complex microstructures with feature spanning across a range of length scales. In order to develop a better understanding of the microstructural evolution process, a detailed characterization of the crystallography of α laths formed from the β phase in a candidate α/β Ti alloy, Timetal 550, has been carried out. Specifically, the influence of the orientation relationship (OR) between the grain boundary α (GB α) and the adjacent β grains on the microstructural evolution has been investigated in this alloy employing orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) studies in a high-resolution SEM. The results indicate that the colony microstructure (clustering of α laths belonging to the same variant) tends to develop in the β grain that exhibits the Burgers OR with the GB α allotriomorph, whereas the basketweave microstructure (clustering of multiple variants) develops in the adjacent β grain. Additionally, the multiple variants of α laths forming the basketweave microstructure appear to be related by certain selection criteria.

Microstructures, Forming Limit and Failure Analyses of Inconel 718 Sheets for Fabrication of Aerospace Components

Abstract Recently, aerospace industries have shown increasing interest in forming limits of Inconel 718 sheet metals, which can be utilised in designing tools and selection of process parameters for successful fabrication of components. In the present work, stress-strain response with failure strains was evaluated by uniaxial tensile tests in different orientations, and two-stage work-hardening behavior was observed. In spite of highly preferred texture, tensile properties showed minor variations in different orientations due to the random distribution of nanoprecipitates. The forming limit strains were evaluated by deforming specimens in seven different strain paths using limiting dome height (LDH) test facility. Mostly, the specimens failed without prior indication of localized necking. Thus, fracture forming limit diagram (FFLD) was evaluated, and bending correction was imposed due to the use of sub-size hemispherical punch. The failure strains of FFLD were converted into major-minor stress space (σ-FFLD) and effective plastic strain-stress triaxiality space (ηEPS-FFLD) as failure criteria to avoid the strain path dependence. Moreover, FE model was developed, and the LDH, strain distribution and failure location were predicted successfully using above-mentioned failure criteria with two stages of work hardening. Fractographs were correlated with the fracture behavior and formability of sheet metal.

Effect of Bending Strain in Forming Limit Strain and Stress of IN-718 Sheet Metal

The forming limit diagram (ε-FLD) was estimated by deforming IN-718 sheet metal in different strain paths using a sub-size limiting dome height test set-up. The bending strains induced due to the use of smaller punch were estimated in all the strain paths, and the corrected ε-FLD was evaluated. The mathematical models such as Hill localized necking, Swift diffuse necking and Storen-Rice bifurcation theories were implemented to predict the limiting strains. In-order to avoid the path dependency of the ε-FLD during multi-stage forming process, stress based forming limit diagram (σ-FLD) was estimated using von-Mises and Hill-48 anisotropy plasticity theory with incorporation of Hollomon power hardening law. It was found that the bending strain influenced the limiting strains and stresses in the forming limit diagram. However, IN-718 material has encouraging formability in stretch forming process. The plot of the equivalent strains versus triaxiality indicated increasing limiting strain of the material in tension-tension mode.

Creep Fatigue Interaction under Different Test Variables: Mechanics and Mechanisms

We present detailed analyses of dwell characteristics of various waveforms of creep fatigue interaction tests performed on the nickel-based superalloy IN 718. We discuss the effects of different dwell modes (strain, stress, and mixed) on creep fatigue properties. Strain dwell tests cause relaxation/accumulation of the mean stress, and stress dwell tests cause accumulation/relaxation of mean strain. True interaction of strain-controlled low cycle fatigue and creep takes place when stress-controlled dwell has been introduced within a strain-controlled cycling. In this article, the effects of pure and mixed modes have been compared in terms of the creep strain accumulation rate at dwell positions. It has been found, irrespective of creep and fatigue, that there is also a second competitive process that goes on, like tensile strain accumulation and compressive strain accumulation. These two processes compete with each other and show a difference in evolution with cycles. Mean strain rates for different stress and mixed control tests have also been determined; by comparing the creep strain accumulation rate and plastic strain rate, the competition of creep and fatigue processes has also been demonstrated in this article. The mechanism of cracking and cavity formation has also been illustrated by computed microtomography and subsequent fractography.

Root-like structure at the nanowire/substrate interface in GaAs nanowires

We report the observation of a root-like structure at the interface between GaAs nanowires and the (100) single-crystal GaAs substrate. These nanowires were grown via the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The root-like structure extends from the base of the nanowires into the substrate and has been investigated in detail using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy. While the nanowires predominantly exhibit the zinc-blende type diamond cubic structure with the growth axis parallel to ⟨111⟩ and growth twins perpendicular to the growth axis, the root regions have a CdTe type orthorhombic structure that has been reported to occur in GaAs only under high-pressure conditions.