Magnetic separation studies on ferruginous chromite fine to enhance Cr:Fe ratio

The Cr:Fe ratio (chromium-to-iron mass ratio) of chromite affects the production of chrome-based ferroalloys. Although the lit-erature contains numerous reports related to the magnetic separation of di...     

Emission and performance study emulsified orange peel oil biodiesel in an aspirated research engine

This study paves the way on reducing smoke emission and NO_x emissions of research diesel engine by detailing the effect of water addition in biodiesel. Fuel samples were prepared with different concentrations of water in orange peel oil biodiesel (94% waste orange peel oil biodiesel + 4% water + 2% Span 80 (WOPOBDE1) and 90% waste orange peel oil biodiesel + 8% water + 2% Span 80 (WOPOBDE2). Span 80 was employed as a nonionic surfactant, which emulsifies water in biodiesel. Experimental results revealed that the nitrogen oxides and smoke emission of orange peel oil biodiesel emulsion were reduced by 11%–19% and 3%–21%, respectively, compared to that of neat orange peel oil biodiesel (WOPOBD). In addition, the introduction of orange peel oil–water emulsions in the diesel engine considerably reduced the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The overall hydrocarbon emission of WOPOBDE2 was 12.2% lower than that of WOPOBD and 16.3% lower than that of diesel. The overall CO emission of WOPOBDE2 was 17% lower than that of base fuel (WOPOBD) and 21.8% lower than that of diesel. Experimental results revealed that modified fuel had higher brake thermal efficiency and lower brake specific fuel consumption than that of base fuel at all engine brake power levels.     

Direct Experimental Observations on Concurrent Microstructure and Magnetic Property Developments in Non-Grain Oriented Electrical Steel

Non-grain oriented electrical steel, with minor in-grain orientation gradients, was subjected to interrupted tensile deformations and concurrent microtexture, magnetic property and residual stress measurements. After the upper yield point, clear signatures of mechanical stress relief were observed. Changes in orientation gradients led to annihilation of low-angle (1 to 3 deg) boundaries. Prior deformation compressive residual stresses became tensile and magnetic properties improved. Beyond an optimum true strain of 0.01, this boundary annihilation ceased, compressive stresses were generated, and magnetic properties degraded.     

Synthesis of copper-ferrous (CuFe) nanowires via electrochemical method and its investigations as a fluid sensor

The special behaviour of nanowires with respect to electrical conductivity makes them suitable for sensing application. In this paper, we present a copper-ferrous (CuFe) nanowires based sensor for detection of chemicals. CuFe nanowires were synthesized by template-assisted electrochemical method. By optimizing the deposition parameters, continuous nanowires on a copper substrate were synthesized. The morphological and structural studies of the synthesized CuFe nanowires were carried out using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Substrates containing CuFe nanowires were moulded to form a capacitor. Different chemicals were used as dielectric in the capacitor which showed that the capacitance was a nonlinear function of the dielectric constant of fluid unlike the linear relation shown by conventional capacitors. This unique property of the nanowires based capacitors may be utilized for developing fluid sensors with improved sensitivity.     

Evaluation of Carbon Partitioning in New Generation of Quench and Partitioning (Q&P) Steels

Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) and a novel combined process of hot straining (HS) and Q&P (HSQ&P) treatments have been applied to a TRIP-assisted steel in a Gleeble®3S50 thermomechanical simulator. The heat treatments involved intercritical annealing at 800 °C and a two-step Q&P heat treatment with a partitioning time of 100 seconds at 400 °C. The “optimum” quench temperature of 318 °C was selected according to the constrained carbon equilibrium (CCE) criterion. The effects of high-temperature deformation (isothermal and non-isothermal) on the carbon enrichment of austenite, carbide formation, and the strain-induced transformation to ferrite (SIT) mechanism were investigated. Carbon partitioning from supersaturated martensite into austenite and carbide precipitation were confirmed by means of atom probe tomography (APT) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Austenite carbon enrichment was clearly observed in all specimens, and in the HSQ&P samples, it was significantly greater than in Q&P, suggesting an additional carbon partitioning to austenite from ferrite formed by the deformation-induced austenite-to-ferrite transformation (DIFT) phenomenon. By APT, the carbon accumulation at austenite/martensite interfaces was observed, with higher values for HSQ&P deformed isothermally (≈ 11 at. pct), when compared with non-isothermal HSQ&P (≈ 9.45 at. pct) and Q&P (≈ 7.6 at. pct). Moreover, a local Mn enrichment was observed in a ferrite/austenite interface, indicating ferrite growth under local equilibrium with negligible partitioning (LENP).