Au-Fe alloy solidification and solid-state transformations

In order to better understand the microstructure that forms during laser welding of an 18 carat gold and an austenitic stainless steel, solidification of the Au-Fe binary analog has been studied using thermal analysis and interrupted Bridgman experiments. For a hypoperitectic composition, the formation of the primary phase, its coarsening and the peculiar macrosegregation associated with the large density difference between the elements have been studied. Just after the peritectic phase forms around the primary dendrites, continuous and discontinuous precipitation has been shown to occur as a result of the immiscibility of the two face-centered cubic phases below the peritectic temperature. Finally, the solid-state transformations associated with the eutectoid have been characterized. (C) 2009 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Peritectic solidification of Cu-Sn alloys: Microstructural competition at low speed

Directional solidification experiments on Cu-Sn peritectic alloys have been conducted at very low velocity in a high-thermal-gradient Bridgman furnace. The size of the samples has been reduced in order to decrease natural convection and the associated macrosegregation. At the lowest growth rates (0.5 and 0.58 mu m s(-1)), eutectic-like alpha + beta lamellar structures have been observed in near-peritectic composition alloys over several millimeters of growth. These structures resulted from a destabilization of a band structure in which alpha- and beta-phases overlay each other. Electron backscattered diffraction measurements revealed that bands and lamellae of a solid phase are continuous and originate from a single nucleus. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Antibiotic Transport in Resistant Bacteria: Synchrotron UV Fluorescence Microscopy to Determine Antibiotic Accumulation with Single Cell Resolution

A molecular definition of the mechanism conferring bacterial multidrug resistance is clinically crucial and today methods for quantitative determination of the uptake of antimicrobial agents with single cell resolution are missing. Using the naturally occurring fluorescence of antibacterial agents after deep ultraviolet (DUV) excitation, we developed a method to non-invasively monitor the quinolones uptake in single bacteria. Our approach is based on a DUV fluorescence microscope coupled to a synchrotron beamline providing tuneable excitation from 200 to 600 nm. A full spectrum was acquired at each pixel of the image, to study the DUV excited fluorescence emitted from quinolones within single bacteria. Measuring spectra allowed us to separate the antibiotic fluorescence from the autofluorescence contribution. By performing spectroscopic analysis, the quantification of the antibiotic signal was possible. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the intracellular accumulation of a clinical antibitiotic could be determined and discussed in relation with the level of drug susceptibility for a multiresistant strain. This method is especially important to follow the behavior of quinolone molecules at individual cell level, to quantify the intracellular concentration of the antibiotic and develop new strategies to combat the dissemination of MDR-bacteria. In addition, this original approach also indicates the heterogeneity of bacterial population when the same strain is under environmental stress like antibiotic attack

A Simple but Realistic Model for Laser Cladding

A model which takes into account the main phenomena occurring during the laser-cladding process is proposed. For a given laser power, beam radius, powder jet geometry, and clad height, this model evaluates two other processing parameters, namely, the laser-beam velocity and the powder feed rate. It considers the interactions between the powder particles, the laser beam, and the molten pool. The laser power reaching the surface of the workpiece is estimated and, assuming this power is used to remelt the substrate with the clad having been predeposited, the melt-pool shape is computed using a three-dimensional (3-D) analytical model, which produces immediate results, even on personal computers. The predictions obtained with this numerical model are in good agreement with experimental results. Processing engineers may therefore use this model to choose the correct processing parameters and to establish cladding maps