Ageing studies on some titania gels

Hydrous titania gels, precipitated from titanous chloride and aged in different aqueous media have different textural, thermal and structural properties as demonstrated by nitrogen adsorption, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy studies. Ageing in ammonia leads to the development of microporosity, whereas ageing in water causes an extension of the pore system in the primary particles with little change in the surface texture. Heat-treatment of the precipitated gels prior to ageing seems to afford a certain stability to the primary particle by allowing hydroxo and oxo bridges to be formed, thus leading to the formation of a more rigid structure. The nature of the ageing medium and its effect on the inner coordination sphere of the titanium ions are important parameters affecting the textural and thermal behaviours of the titania gels.     

Influence of accelerated ageing on methacrylate‐based denture resins heterogeneity as viewed by ESR‐spin‐probe method

The electron‐spin‐resonance (ESR) spin‐probe method, was used to study the heterogeneity of denture resins based on poly(methyl methacrylate). Results for three resins processed by microwave energy, conventional curing and cold curing (depending on the curing procedure and exposed to ageing in various environmental conditions) were compared. All three cured resins were stored over the same time (1200 h) in distilled water at ambient temperature and in artificial saliva at 348 K. The temperature‐dependent ESR spectra of a spin probe dispersed in the denture resins are analyzed in terms of line‐shapes and line‐widths. The appearance of two spectral components was taken as an indication of resin heterogeneity. The results reveal that the cold‐cured resin has a lower local density in comparison with microwave and conventionally cured resin. The amount of residual monomer also contributes to the local motion of polymer segments. The change of denture resins exposed to ageing is influenced both by the structure of the original resin and the ageing conditions. Restricted motion of a spin probe incorporated into the acrylic resins exposed to accelerated ageing suggests additional crosslinking of polymer chains. The differences are observed for all the investigated resins, but the highest change is observed with the cold‐cured resin. The ESR results are accompanied by T_g and T_m measurements. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

微量Ag对CP276合金性能和组织的影响

研究添加不同含量的Ａｇ对ＣＰ２７６合金的拉伸性能和时效组织的影响。对拉伸强度、延伸率测试及透射电镜观察表明：０．１１ｗｔ％加入可促进Ｔ１相析出，使合金强度值升高；０．３５ｗｔ％Ａｇ的加入可在时效前期生成富Ａｇ、Ｍｇ的稳定的ＧＰ区，从而降低合金中Ｃｕ的固溶度，阻碍Ｔ１相析出，时效后期，ＧＰ区分解，生成大量Ｔ１相，使合金强度值显著升高。     

Early detection of ageing in solder joints through laser probe thermal analysis of the peltier effect

We have recently developed an optical contactless method for testing the quality of solder joints during accelerated thermal cycling ageing processes.¹ The method was based upon the measurement of the dynamic thermal behaviour of the joint to short bursts of Joule heating. It has proved to be efficient in revealing the formation of cracks at the lead-solder interface. We present a method to evaluate ageing at a much earlier stage in the cycling process. We have observed in earlier work,¹ that before cracks appear, structural changes occur in the solder at the lead-solder interface. The thermal response of the solder joint is recorded over time to a Peltier heat perturbation produced by flowing a current pulse through the interface where structural changes occur. The key point in this method is to discriminate the Peltier effect from the Joule thermal response because both effects generate heat. The variation of the early Peltier response in the thermal cycling ageing tests is seen as a quantitative signature of the structural changes in the lead-solder interface.     

Visualization and quantification of the mechanical deformation induced by an electrical field in poly(ethylene naphthalene 2,6‐dicarboxylate) (PEN) films

An optical nondestructive strain measurement technique was performed to analyze the mechanical deformation induced by an electrical field within the insulating materials. Poly(ethylene naphthalene 2,6‐dicarboxylate) (PEN) films were then subjected to constant electrical fields right up to their electrical breakdown. The experimental technique made it possible to follow the various stages of the mechanical behavior of PEN in real time. The final breakdown occurred in the observation zone and the related mechanical deformation was captured. A “margarita” structure was observed with a hole at the center. The experimental results indicated that the level of the induced‐mechanical deformations depended on the local environment. We defined two different zones representing the inside and the outside of the damaged area. The induced‐deformations were larger in the damaged zone. It was also observed that deformations increased when the sample had a lower degree of crystallinity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Changes in the thermomechanical behavior of epoxy glasses under the state of strain aging

Changes in thermomechanical behavior with structural relaxation taking place in epoxy glasses were studied. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements and thermostimulated strain recovery tests were performed for specimens deformed and then aged under fixed strain. In the course of heating, the specimens started to absorb thermal energy, whereas plastic strain was still stable. At higher temperatures, plastic strain started recovery, which was accompanied by exothermic behavior of the specimen. With an increase in the aging duration, the endothermic peak signified and moved to a higher temperature. These results indicated that the longer the aging duration was, the harder the plastic strain and strain energy were frozen in the glassy structure. This freeze‐strain phenomenon was observed for crosslinked epoxy glass, as well as polymeric glasses with linear molecular structures, aged under strain. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Lifetime and ageing management of nuclear power plants: A brief overview of some light water reactor component ageing degradation problems and ways of mitigation

The susceptibility and tendency for nuclear power plant (NPP) components to undergo changes in their mechanical and physical properties in the course of the NPP lifetime is generally termed as “ageing”. The light water reactor (LWR) nuclear environment is not a begnign one; it is characterized not only by fast neutrons, which can degrade metallic structures, but also relatively high temperatures of coolant water (around 300°C) which may contain impurities (e.g. sulphate, chloride, peroxides) which can cause corrosion. The hydrodynamical conditions of the coolant in steam generators, for example, can cause thermal fatigue, erosion and corrosion; suspended particulate matter can accelerate erosion processes which can lead to wall thinning and lowering of safety margins. Ageing is, therefore, a very complex mixture of factors concerned with materials, temperatures, times of exposure to environments which vary with time and with respect to chemical composition and flow charactertistics.

The paper describes a few ageing phenomena which can be considered important due to their impact on nuclear safety issues; their influence on economic aspects (availability) of NPP is outlined. Mitigation measures for NPP component ageing problems are given together with recommendations for addressing such issues in NPP now and in the future.     

河道堤防老化指标体系评定之浅见

水利工程老化、失修是当前工程不能发挥正常效益的主要原因,建立工程老化指标评价体系是解决该问题的基础工作之一。老化是工程建成后在自然因素和人为活动长期连续的作用下,工程效益衰减、构件功能降低及材料性能逐渐变坏的自然现象。河道堤防以土石为主要材料,应以工程的功能为主建立老化指标体系。依据对工程效益和安全的影响程度,水利工程的综合老化度可分为四级。工程损坏后,在防洪工程运用年度内未能修复称为水利工程失修。解决老化问题主要依靠折旧或大修费,而解决失修问题主要依靠运行管理和维修养护费。     

High temperature low cycle fatigue

Fatigue at high temperature is a complex phenomenon as it is influenced by a number of time-dependent processes which become important at elevated temperatures. These processes include creep, oxidation, phase instabilities and dynamic strain ageing (DSA), acting either independently or synergistically influence fatigue behaviour, often lowering the fatigue life. Current design approaches employ linear summation of fatigue and creep damage with suitable factors on permissible damage to take care of uncertainties in interaction between cyclic and time-dependent processes. It is, therefore, important to develop a deeper understanding of the processes that occur during high temperature fatigue so that realistic life predictions could be made. Results on the high temperature fatigue behaviour of austenitic stainless steels, ferritic steels and nickel base alloys are presented here. The important mechanisms of interaction of high temperature time-dependent processes with fatigue under various conditions are discussed in detail. Emphasis is placed on cyclic stress response, fatigue life, deformation substructure and fracture behaviour. This is followed by a review of important life prediction techniques under combined creep-fatigue loading conditions. Life prediction techniques considered here include linear damage summation, strain range partitioning, ductility exhaustion approach, frequency modified and frequency separation methods, techniques based on hysteresis energy and damage rate models, and methods based on crack-cavitation interation models.     

Al-4%Cu过饱和合金在强磁场中时效行为

采用差示扫描量热仪分析并结合显微硬度测试、电子探针分析、透射电镜观察研究了10-T稳恒强磁场对Al-4％Cu（质量分数）合金130℃时效过程中各沉淀相析出行为的影响。结果表明：在低温时效初期强磁场的引入加速了铜的扩散，降低了G.P.（Ⅰ）区的溶解激活能，促进其溶解，各沉淀相的析出与溶解温度均向低温处移动，时效进程加快；另外，强磁场时效后沉淀相尺寸减小；施加强磁场试样的硬度明显高于未施加磁场试样的，时效硬化效果加强。