Oxidation protection of TNM alloys with Al-rich γ-TiAl-based coatings

The request to reduce carbon emissions as well as fuel consumptions of modern aerospace and aviation mobility,heavily motivated the development of lighter and more durable high temperature materials. $γ$-TiAl bulk mate-rials meet many of these requirements due to their unique properties, such as low density, high strength orexcellent creep resistance. However, improving their oxidation resistance above 750 ◦C is still challenging,especially without deteriorating other material properties. Recently, we showed that magnetron sputtered Al-rich$γ$-TiAl coatings are ideal candidates for well-established TNM bulk alloys (Ti-43.5Al-4Nb-1Mo-0.1B, in at%) toincrease their oxidation resistance and to block oxygen inward diffusion. Within this study, we present detailedmicrostructural investigations of the appearing phase transformations and morphological changes in the coatingdue to ambient-air-exposure at 850 ◦C for up to 1000 h. These show that only a 4-μm-thin, well-adheringα-Al$_2$O$_3$-based thermally grown oxide (TGO) forms on top of an initial 16.5-μm-thick coating. Cross-sectionalnanobeam diffraction in conjunction with high resolution chemical as well as structural analysis during trans-mission electron microscopy after these exposures highlight that the Al-rich $γ$-TiAl coating is perfectly intermixedwith the TNM substrate material. Already after 100 h oxidation at 850 ◦C, no interface between the Al-rich $γ$-TiAlcoating and the TNM alloy can be identified chemically or structurally. The structural homogenization is gov-erned by the transformation of all Al-rich phases (i.e., TiAl$_3$ or Ti$_2$Al$_5$) – also present in the as-deposited state –towards $γ$-TiAl. After 1000 h at 850 ◦C, the predominant phase within the original coating region is $γ$-TiAl, nextto the highly dense and well-adherent $α$-Al$_2$O$_3$-based scal

Transatlantic dual masters degree program in transportation and logistics systems: the first two years of implementation

In August 2010, the University of Texas at El Paso, the Czech Technical University, and the University of Zilina jointly launched the Transatlantic Dual Master\u27s Degree Program in Transportation and Logistics Systems. Under this program, a graduate student spends 1 year of study at the University of Texas at El Paso and a second year at Czech Technical University or University of Zilina, or vice versa. On successful completion of the 2-year program, a student earns two master\u27s degrees. Two years of effort led to a successful proposal submitted to the funding agencies in the United States and the European Union, followed by 1 year of administrative preparation before the actual student mobility began in August 2011. The first cohort of eight students successfully completed the program in June 2012. This paper reports the sequence of events that led to the proposal submission and award, major issues that surfaced throughout the course of the project, and challenges that were overcome during the administrative preparation phase. The experiences of students and professors who have participated in this program are also documented. Key factors leading to the successful implementation in the initial years are discussed