Analysis of acoustic emission during the melting of embedded indium particles in an aluminum matrix: a study of plastic strain accommodation during phase transformation

Acoustic emission is used here to study melting and solidification of embedded indium particles in the size range of 0.2 to 3 um in diameter and to show that dislocation generation occurs in the aluminum matrix to accommodate a 2.5% volume change. The volume averaged acoustic energy produced by indium particle melting is similar to that reported for bainite formation upon continuous cooling. A mechanism of prismatic loop generation is proposed to accommodate the volume change and an upper limit to the geometrically necessary increase in dislocation density is calculated as 4.1 x 10^9 cm^-2 for the Al-17In alloy. Thermomechanical processing is also used to change the size and distribution of the indium particles within the aluminum matrix. Dislocation generation with accompanied acoustic emission occurs when the melting indium particles are associated with grain boundaries or upon solidification where the solid-liquid interfaces act as free surfaces to facilitate dislocation generation. Acoustic emission is not observed for indium particles that require super heating and exhibit elevated melting temperatures. The acoustic emission work corroborates previously proposed relaxation mechanisms from prior internal friction studies and that the superheat observed for melting of these micron-sized particles is a result of matrix constraint.Comment: Presented at "Atomistic Effects in Migrating Interphase Interfaces - Recent Progress and Future Study" TMS 201

Mechanical tensioning of high-strength aluminum alloy friction stir welds

The extent to which in-situ global mechanical tensioning (GMT) can be used to modify the residual stress state in friction stir (FS) welds is investigated in this article. Residual stress distributions have been determined by synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction for four sets of FS welds in high-strength AA7449-W51 and lithium containing AA2199-T8 aerospace aluminum alloys subjected to a systematic range of GMT levels. For the cases studied, the results indicate that the level of residual stresses present in the as-welded state is a function of the alloy. The rate of residual stress reduction brought about by GMT, however, is basically alloy independent; indeed, it is essentially linear with respect to the GMT load, so that the tensioning required to reduce the weld stresses to zero can be calculated directly from the stresses present in the untensioned case. For thin plates, proximity to the yield stress in the hot-softened zone means that a guideline rule is that 1 MPa of tensioning during welding reduces the tensile stress by approximately 1 MPa. The GMT was found to be less effective at greater depths in thick plates. Furthermore, a reduction in bending distortion and an increase in angular distortion was observed with increased GMT, while no effects on the weld microstructure and hardness were observed

Effect of perioperative autologous versus allogeneic blood transfusion on the immune system in gastric cancer patients*

Background: Allogeneic blood transfusion-induced immunomodulation (TRIM) and its adverse effect on the prognosis of patients treated surgically for cancer remain complex and controversial. However, the potential risk associated with allogeneic blood transfusion has heightened interest in the use of autologous blood transfusion. In the present study, the serum concentrations of neopterin, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+) and a possible association between these variables were investigated. The purpose was to further evaluate the effect of autologous versus allogeneic blood transfusion on immunological status in patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. Methods: Sixty ASA I~II (American Society of Anesthesiologists) patients undergoing elective radical resection for stomach cancer were randomly allocated to receive either allogeneic blood transfusion (n=30) or autologous blood transfusion (n=30). Serum concentrations of the neopterin, IFN-γ and T lymphocyte subsets in the recipients were measured before induction of anesthesia, after operation, and on the 5th postoperative day. Results: Both two groups, serum neopterin, IFN-γ, percentages of T-cell subsets (CD3+, CD4+), and CD4+/CD8+ ratio had significantly decreased after operation, but decreased more significantly in group H (receiving allogeneic blood transfusion) than those in group A (receiving autologous whole blood transfusion) (P<0.05). On the 5th postoperative day, serum neopterin, IFN-γ, CD3+, CD4+ T-cells, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio returned to the baseline values in group A. In contrast, the above remain decreasing in group H, where there were no significant relations between serum neopterin and IFN-γ. Conclusion: Perioperative surgical trauma and stress have an immunosuppressive impact on gastric cancer patients. Allogeneic blood transfusion exacerbates the impaired immune response. Autologous blood transfusion might be significantly beneficial for immune-compromised patients in the perioperative period, clearly showing its superiority over allogeneic blood transfusion