In situ synchrotron investigation of degenerate graphite nodule evolution in ductile cast iron

Ductile cast irons (DCIs) are of increasing importance in the renewable energy and transportation sectors. The distribution and morphology of the graphite nodules, in particular the formation of degenerate features during solidification, dictate the mechanical performance of DCIs. In situ high-speed synchrotron X-ray tomography was used to capture the evolution of graphite nodules during solidification of DCI, including degenerate features and the effect of the carbon concentration field. The degeneration of nodules is observed to increase with re-melting cycles, which is attributed to Mg-loss. The dendritic primary austenite and carbon concentration gradients in the surrounding liquid phase were found to control nodule morphology by locally restricting and promoting growth. A coupled diffusion-mechanical model was developed, confirming the experimentally informed hypothesis that protrusions form through liquation cracking of the austenite shell and subsequent localised growth. These results provide valuable insights into the solidification kinetics of cast irons, supporting the design of advanced alloys

Unraveling compacted graphite evolution during solidification of cast iron using in-situ synchrotron X-ray tomography

In spite of many years of research, the physical phenomena leading to the evolution of compacted graphite (CG) during solidification is still not fully understood. In particular, it is unknown how highly branched CG aggregates form and evolve in the semi-solid, and how local microstructural variations at micrometer length scale affect this growth process. We present here the first time-resolved synchrotron tomography combined with a bespoke high-temperature environmental cell that allows direct observation of the evolution of CG and relates this dynamic process to the local surrounding microstructures in a cast iron sample during repeated melting and solidification. Distinct processes are identified for the formation of CG involving the nucleation, growth, development of branches and interconnection of graphite particles, ultimately evolving into highly branched graphite aggregates with large sizes and low sphericities. CG is found to nucleate with a spheroidal or a plate-like shape, developing branches induced by high carbon concentration, e.g. thin melt channels. Additionally, CG grows much faster than spheroidal graphite during subsequent cooling in solid state. The direct visualization of the dynamic solidification process provides unprecedented new insights into formation mechanisms of CG and correlating factors such as local microstructural variations, and guides the development of CG iron solidification models

The immune system and the impact of zinc during aging

The trace element zinc is essential for the immune system, and zinc deficiency affects multiple aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. There are remarkable parallels in the immunological changes during aging and zinc deficiency, including a reduction in the activity of the thymus and thymic hormones, a shift of the T helper cell balance toward T helper type 2 cells, decreased response to vaccination, and impaired functions of innate immune cells. Many studies confirm a decline of zinc levels with age. Most of these studies do not classify the majority of elderly as zinc deficient, but even marginal zinc deprivation can affect immune function. Consequently, oral zinc supplementation demonstrates the potential to improve immunity and efficiently downregulates chronic inflammatory responses in the elderly. These data indicate that a wide prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency in elderly people may contribute to immunosenescence

An electron microscopy study of graphite growth in nodular cast irons

Growth of graphite during solidification and high-temperature solid-state transformation has been investigated in samples cut out from a thin-wall casting which solidified partly in the stable (iron–graphite) and partly in the metastable (iron–cementite) systems. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to characterize graphite nodules in as-cast state and in samples having been fully graphitized at various temperatures in the austenite field. Nodules in the as-cast material show a twofold structure characterized by an inner zone where graphite is disoriented and an outer zone where it is well crystallized. In heat-treated samples, graphite nodules consist of well-crystallized sectors radiating from the nucleus. These observations suggest that the disoriented zone appears because of mechanical deformation when the liquid contracts during its solidification in the metastable system. During heat-treatment, the graphite in this zone recrystallizes. In turn, it can be concluded that nodular graphite growth mechanism is the same during solidification and solid-state transformatio

Data for: Uncovering the local inelastic interactions during manufacture of ductile cast iron: How the substructure of the graphite particles can induce residual stress concentrations in the matrix

Raw data from dilatometric tests performed on two ferritic Fe-C-Si alloy: one with 2.0 wt% Si and one with 3.5 wt% Si. Carbon content close to the solubility limit in ferrite at room temperature. Each test is repeated 3 times.The measurements are described in detail in the paper:Tito Andriollo, Kristina Hellström, Mads Rostgaard Sonne, Jesper Thorborg, Niels Tiedje and Jesper Hattel, "Uncovering the local inelastic interactions during manufacture of ductile cast iron: How the substructure of the graphite particles can induce residual stress concentrations in the matrix", Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solid

Data for: Uncovering the local inelastic interactions during manufacture of ductile cast iron: How the substructure of the graphite particles can induce residual stress concentrations in the matrix

Raw data from dilatometric tests performed on two ferritic Fe-C-Si alloy: one with 2.0 wt% Si and one with 3.5 wt% Si. Carbon content close to the solubility limit in ferrite at room temperature. Each test is repeated 3 times.The measurements are described in detail in the paper:Tito Andriollo, Kristina Hellström, Mads Rostgaard Sonne, Jesper Thorborg, Niels Tiedje and Jesper Hattel, "Uncovering the local inelastic interactions during manufacture of ductile cast iron: How the substructure of the graphite particles can induce residual stress concentrations in the matrix", Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solid

Automated Procedure for the Performance Improvement of a Low-power Single-phase Synchronous Motor

The performance of a low power line-start single-phase synchronous motor is evaluated via a mathematical model, elaborating the results of an automated sequence of magnetostatic FEM analyses. Such an approach remarkably speeds up the transient simulation with respect to a commercial FEM code for the transient analysis, allowing analysis of the influence of the parametric variations in a reasonable lapse of time. An optimization procedure based on such a technique could be profitably applied to a self-starting single-phase synchronous motor

Analytical formulation for design and optimization of permanent magnet arrays

Rare earth permanent magnet arrays are extensively used in many electromagnetic devices. Their preliminary design can be eased by the analytical approach presented in this paper. It allows a fast evaluation of the flux density distribution and of the winding flux linkage and induced emf as functions of the configuration parameters and therefore can be particularly profitable to optimise the electromagnetic configuration