Formability of the 5754-aluminum alloy deformed by a modified repetitive corrugation and straightening process

Sheets of 5754-aluminum alloy processed by a modified repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) process were tested in order to measure their formability. For this purpose, forming limit curves were derived. They showed that the material forming capacity decreased after being processed by RCS. However, they kept good formability in the initial stages of the RCS process. The formability study was complemented with microstructural analysis (derivation of texture) and mechanical tests to obtain the strain-rate sensitivity. The texture analysis was done by employing X-ray diffraction, obtaining pole figures, and the orientation distribution function. It was noticed that the initial texture was conserved after successive RCS passes, but the intensity dropped. RCS process did not induce ß-fiber, contrary to common deformation process. The strain-rate sensitivity coefficient was measured through tensile tests at different temperatures and strain rates; the coefficient of the samples processed after one and two passes were still relatively high, indicating the capacity to delay necking, in agreement with the good formability observed in the initial passes of the RCS processPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Texture and strain rate sensitivity analysis of solid solution and precipitation hardening aluminum alloys processed by repetitive corrugation and straightening

The potential of improving the mechanical strength by the RCS process is evaluated on the 5754, 6061, and 7075 aluminum alloys, which present different hardening mechanisms related to their respective alloying elements. This work compares the evolution of the texture and the mechanical properties of the different alloys through the RCS processing. The mechanical properties were evaluated by micro-hardness measurements, tensile tests at different temperatures, and strain rates to evaluate the strain-rate sensitivity. The results showed that after two RCS passes, the 6061 and 5754 alloys showed a relatively high strain-rate sensitivity at 300°C. In addition, an increment of 27%, 22%, 15% in hardness was obtained for the 5754, 6061 and 7075 alloys, respectively. Showing the potential of improvement in the mechanical resistance due to the different hardening mechanism. Furthermore, the crystallographic texture was characterized by the obtention of pole figures by X-ray diffraction and the calculation of their orientation distribution functions. The results showed the same trend in the three aluminum alloys, i.e., the initial texture components were conserved, but the texturized volume decreased.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of an Al-6061 alloy processed by repetitive corrugation and straightening

The repetitive corrugation and straightening process is a severe plastic deformation technique that is particularly suited to process metallic sheets. With this technique, it is possible to develop nano/ultrafine-grained structured materials, and therefore, to improve some mechanical properties such as the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fatigue lifetime. In this study, an Al-6061 alloy was subjected to the repetitive corrugation and straightening process. A new corrugation die design was proposed in order to promote a heterogeneous deformation into the metallic sheet. The evolution of the mechanical properties and microstructure obtained by electron backscatter diffraction of the alloy showed a heterogeneous distribution in the grain size at the initial cycles of the repetitive corrugation and straightening process. Uniaxial tensile tests showed a significant increase in yield strength as the number of repetitive corrugation and straightening passes increased. The distribution of the plastic deformation was correlated with the hardness distribution on the surface. The hardness distribution map matched well with the heterogeneous distribution of the plastic deformation obtained by finite element simulation. A maximum average hardness (147 HV) and yield strength (385 MPa) was obtained for two repetitive corrugation and straightening cycles samplePeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Study on the formability and texture evolution of AA6061 alloy processed by repetitive corrugation and straightening

The enhanced mechanical properties obtained by refining the grain size down to the ultrafine-grained (UFG) regime have attracted considerable attention in recent years. The severe plastic deformation (SPD) techniques allow obtaining ultrafine-grained materials. Different SPD techniques permit processing sheet shape materials such as repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) and accumulative roll bonding (ARB). In this study, the formability of an AA 6061-T6 processed by RCS was evaluated. The forming limit diagrams (FLD) were obtained by Nakazima tests of samples in initial condition (T6 state) and after one and two RCS cycles. The FLD curves showed that the forming capacity decreased from the first RCS cycle. Likewise, uniaxial tensile tests at different temperatures and strain rates were conducted to analyze the effect of the RCS process on the strain rate sensitivity. They showed a relatively high strain rate sensitivity coefficient in the samples after one and two RCS cycles, which indicates an improvement of i) the capacity of the material to delay the onset of the necking and ii) the formability at increasing temperatures. Finally, texture analysis was carried out employing X-ray diffraction, calculating the orientation distribution functions (ODFs). The initial texture showed a predominant cube texture component, whereas, for further RCS cycles, a weakening of the cube texture and an increment of the S texture component were observed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Mechanisms of liquid metal embrittlement of Cu-Zn alloys by liquid Ga-In eutectic

Ce travail présente l'étude de la sensibilité à la fragilisation par les métaux liquides (FML) à température ambiante de laitons alpha contenant différents taux de zinc par l'eutectique liquide In-Ga (EGaIn). Le liquide EGaIn mouille le cuivre pur de manière partielle avec un angle de contact relativement faible de 49 ± 5 °. Cet angle est plus faible pour les laitons alpha et décroit avec le pourcentage en zinc. Il est de 36 ± 5 ° pour le laiton Cu-30%Zn. De plus, l'intermétallique CuGa2 se forme dès le contact avec le liquide EGaIn avec le cuivre et les laitons alpha, indépendamment de la teneur en zinc. Les essais de flexion 3 points montrent que la sensibilité à la FML par l'EGaIn augmente pour des vitesses de déformation élevées, des taux de zinc plus élévés et des duretés plus importantes. Dans les cas de FML, le liquide EGaIn n'affecte pas la phase d'initiation de la fissure mais seulement la propagation de la fissuration. En effet, les faciès de rupture présentent toujours une initiation ductile de la fissure puis une rupture fragile. L'intermétallique CuGa2 empêche l'initiation d'une rupture fragile en limitant le contact entre le métal liquide et le laiton dans les premières phases de l'essai mécanique. Puis l'intermétallique se fissure et ainsi, le liquide EGaIn rentre en contact avec le laiton rendant possible la FML à condition de déformations plastiques suffisamment importantes du laiton. A cause de l'initiation d'une rupture ductile, le laiton Cu-30%Zn ne présente pas de sensibilité à la FML lorsque il est testé par le small punch test (SPT) standard. Cependant l'utilisation d'échantillons de SPT pré-entaillés permet l'observation pour ce laiton de la FML en contact avec l'EGaIn liquide. De plus, du fait de l'initiation d'une rupture ductile, il est impossible à partir des résultats des essais de SPT et de flexion de déterminer une ténacité en présence de métal liquide. C'est pourquoi, des micro-essais de flexion avec observations in-situ et présence d'une couche fine protectrice de W ont été mis en oeuvre. Ils ont permis de déterminer en présence d'EGaIn liquide une ténacité de 1,57 ± 0.08 MPa m1/2 pour le laiton Cu-30%Zn.This work presents a study of the liquid metal embrittlement (LME) phenomenon at room temperature on alpha brasses with different Zn content in contact with the liquid eutectic Ga-In (EGaIn). The liquid EGaIn wets pure Cu partially with a relatively low contact angle of 49 ± 5 °, which is lower for the alpha brasses and decreases with the Zn content alloy down to 36 ± 5 ° for the Cu-30%Zn alloy. Moreover, the CuGa2 intermetallic forms whenever the liquid EGaIn is in contact with Cu and the alpha brasses, independently of the Zn content. Testing with the 3-point bending test showed that the LME sensitivity by the EGaIn increases at higher strain rates, higher Zn content, and higher hardness. Whenever there is LME, the liquid EGaIn does not affect the fracture initiation but the fracture propagation; hence the samples systematically presented a ductile fracture initiation followed by a brittle intergranular fracture propagation. The CuGa2 intermetallic impedes the brittle fracture initiation by blocking the contact between the EGaIn and the alpha brasses from the early stages of the test. Later, when the intermetallic breaks, the liquid EGaIn comes into contact with the alpha brass making the LME possible if the brass is under sufficient plastic deformation. Due to the ductile fracture initiation, the Cu-30%Zn alloy does not present LME when tested using the standard Small Punch Test (SPT). In contrast, using pre-notched SPT samples enables the observation of this alloy's embrittlement in contact with the liquid EGaIn. Furthermore, due to the ductile fracture initiation, it is impossible to use the bending tests or the SPT to measure the fracture toughness related to the LME phenomenon. In contrast, in-situ micro-bending tests with a W protective layer were suitable for the fracture toughness measurement of Cu-30%Zn in contact with the EGaIn; for instance, a fracture toughness value of 1.57 ± 0.08 MPa m1/2 was measured with the double clamped beam test

Numerical and experimental study of a 5754-aluminum alloy processed by heterogeneous repetitive corrugation and straightening

Repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) is a process that induces cyclic plastic deformation on sheet geometries, reporting promising improvements in mechanical properties in metals and alloys. Alternative die geometries, as well as the effect of the process over strain-hardenable alloys, have not been widely studied. In this work, sheets of the aluminum 5754 alloy were processed by RCS, using a novel die design to induce heterogeneous repetitive plastic deformation at room temperature. Numerical 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed using the new die; the changes in the homogeneity of deformation, ductility and mechanical strength due to the process were studied. The processed samples were mechanically characterized by means of microhardness and tensile tests. Global and local XRD peak broadening were measured for determining the microstrain evolution during the process. After the initial heterogeneous RCS pass, a decrement in ductility was observed, but the increase in yield strength was significant. The microhardness mapping showed a heterogeneous distribution of the deformation with good agreement with the numerical simulation. XRD peaks width enlarged with the heterogeneous RCS passes in concordance with the mechanical resultsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Numerical and experimental study of a 5754-aluminum alloy processed by heterogeneous repetitive corrugation and straightening

Repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) is a process that induces cyclic plastic deformation on sheet geometries, reporting promising improvements in mechanical properties in metals and alloys. Alternative die geometries, as well as the effect of the process over strain-hardenable alloys, have not been widely studied. In this work, sheets of the aluminum 5754 alloy were processed by RCS, using a novel die design to induce heterogeneous repetitive plastic deformation at room temperature. Numerical 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed using the new die; the changes in the homogeneity of deformation, ductility and mechanical strength due to the process were studied. The processed samples were mechanically characterized by means of microhardness and tensile tests. Global and local XRD peak broadening were measured for determining the microstrain evolution during the process. After the initial heterogeneous RCS pass, a decrement in ductility was observed, but the increase in yield strength was significant. The microhardness mapping showed a heterogeneous distribution of the deformation with good agreement with the numerical simulation. XRD peaks width enlarged with the heterogeneous RCS passes in concordance with the mechanical resultsPeer Reviewe

Prevalence and risk factors for Enterobacteriaceae in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia

Background and objective Enterobacteriaceae (EB) spp. family is known to include potentially multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms, and remains as an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) associated with high mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and specific risk factors associated with EB and MDR-EB in a cohort of hospitalized adults with CAP. Methods We performed a multinational, point-prevalence study of adult patients hospitalized with CAP. MDR-EB was defined when >= 3 antimicrobial classes were identified as non-susceptible. Risk factors assessment was also performed for patients with EB and MDR-EB infection. Results Of the 3193 patients enrolled with CAP, 197 (6%) had a positive culture with EB. Fifty-one percent (n = 100) of EB were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 19% (n = 38) had MDR-EB. The most commonly EB identified were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 111, 56%) and Escherichia coli (n = 56, 28%). The risk factors that were independently associated with EB CAP were male gender, severe CAP, underweight (body mass index (BMI) < 18.5) and prior extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) infection. Additionally, prior ESBL infection, being underweight, cardiovascular diseases and hospitalization in the last 12 months were independently associated with MDR-EB CAP. Conclusion This study of adults hospitalized with CAP found a prevalence of EB of 6% and MDR-EB of 1.2%, respectively. The presence of specific risk factors, such as prior ESBL infection and being underweight, should raise the clinical suspicion for EB and MDR-EB in patients hospitalized with CAP

International prevalence and risk factors evaluation for drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia

Objective: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent bacterial pathogen isolated in subjects with Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) worldwide. Limited data are available regarding the current global burden and risk factors associated with drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP) in CAP subjects. We assessed the multinational prevalence and risk factors for DRSP-CAP in a multinational point-prevalence study. Design: The prevalence of DRSP-CAP was assessed by identification of DRSP in blood or respiratory samples among adults hospitalized with CAP in 54 countries. Prevalence and risk factors were compared among subjects that had microbiological testing and antibiotic susceptibility data. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify risk factors independently associated with DRSP-CAP. Results: 3,193 subjects were included in the study. The global prevalence of DRSP-CAP was 1.3% and continental prevalence rates were 7.0% in Africa, 1.2% in Asia, and 1.0% in South America, Europe, and North America, respectively. Macrolide resistance was most frequently identified in subjects with DRSP-CAP (0.6%) followed by penicillin resistance (0.5%). Subjects in Africa were more likely to have DRSP-CAP (OR: 7.6; 95% CI: 3.34-15.35, p < 0.001) when compared to centres representing other continents. Conclusions: This multinational point-prevalence study found a low global prevalence of DRSP-CAP that may impact guideline development and antimicrobial policies. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The British Infection Association