Dispersion of inerts in molten matrix by ultrasonic energy, and ultrasonic treatment of alloys to produce dispersion strengthenin

Fairbanks, H. V.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

. 
F i n a l  Report of 
NS G - 533 
We st Virginia University 
PRODUCTION OF DISPERSION W Y S  IdI" THE AID 
OF ULl%*SONICS 
SGbmitted by 
Harold 'J. Feirbanlrs 
Departlllent of Chemic32 Engineering 
2 N66 3 5 9 8 2  " 
D 
z UCCESSION NUHBERI f f H R U 1  
I 
> c IPAQESI 
< 
(CODE1 
2 
L 44- 7777Y L IUTEQORYI 5 
(NASA OR OR TYX OR A D  NUMBER) 
June, 1966 f 
GPO PRICE $- 
CFSTI PRICE(S) s- 
f! 653 July 65 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19660026692 2020-03-16T20:31:49+00:00Z
Fina l  Report of 
NS G - 533 
W e  st Virginia University 
?RODUCTION OF DISPERSIQN JLXXS WITE THE AID 
OF U L T W N I C S  
Theses comle ted  under t h i s  a r a n t :  
11 1. Dispersion of I n e r t s  i n  a Molten Matrix by Ultrasonic Energy," 
by Junior H. Landes, 11. 
Thesis used f o r  Master's degree. 
2. "Ultrasonic Treatzoent of Alloys t o  Produce Dispersion Strengthening, 
by Won Kak he .  
Thesis used f o r  Master's degree. 
Papers submitted: 
A paper e n t i t l e d  "Effect of Ultrasonic Insonation on Sone Selected 
Metallurgical Processesn has been submitted f o r  publication i n  the IEEE 
Transactions on Sonics and Ultrasonics. A portion of this  paper presents 
the r e su l t s  of the NASA N s  G - 533 research Project-  
Papers presented: 
Two papers have been presented which included sow of the results 
obtained from the NASA Ns G - 533 research grant. 
1. "Effect of Ultrasonic Insonation on sonre Selected w t a u r g i c d  
Processes," presented a t  the 1965 Annual Symposium on Sonics and 
Ultrasonics sponsored by the Sonics and Ultrasonics group of the 
IEEE i n  Boston, Massachusetts on December 1, 1965. 
"The Effect of Ultrasonics on Some Metallurgical Processes,'t ple- 
eented a t  the symposium on the Effec ts  on Ultrasonic Ehergy on 
Metallurgical Phenomena sponsored by Lockheed-Georgia Company and 
2. 
Georgia I n s t i t u t e  of Technology i n  Marietta, Georgia on January 24, 
1966. 
Scope of Investigation: 
The objective of the research car r ied  out under the t h e s i s  e n t i t l e d ,  
"Dispersion of I n e r t s  i n  a Moltel-i Matrix by Uitrasonic Energy" was t o  
explore a procedure f o r  mixing f inely divided i n e r t  mater ia ls  i n t o  molten 
m e t a l  f o r  production of a dispersion-strengthened material. 
aluminum was used with alumina, thoria ,  and s i l i c a  powder being used for  
Molten 
the i n e r t  materials. The par t ic le  s ize  of the i n e r t s  used was between 
1 and 5 microns. 
The object ive of the research ca r r i ed  out under the theeis e n t i t l e d ,  
"Ultrasonic Trea tmnt  of Alloys t o  Produce Dispersion Strengthening," was 
t o  study the e f f e c t  of ul t rasonic  energy i n  producing a dispersed phase 
during the metal lurgical  processing of alloys.  
invest igated included: the e f f e c t  of insonation during the s o l i d i f i c a t i o n  
Three systems which =re 
of gray c a s t  i ron  on the d is t r ibu t ion  of graphite and pearlite formation; 
the e f f e c t  of insonation on the decomposition of i ron  carbide i n  w h i t e  
c a s t  i ron  during heat treatmnt; and the e f f e c t  of insonation upon the 
dispersion strengthening of aluminum a l loys  during solut ion and precipi-  
t a t i o n  heat treatment. 
sumnsry of Results: 
I. Ultrasonic Dispersion of I n e r t s  i n  Molten Aluminum 
The results of mixing an  i n e r t  material i n t o  molten aluminum indi- 
cated that a near ly  uniform dispersion by the  use of u l t rasonics  could 
be obtained (See Fig. 1.). I n  order t o  have a stable dispersion, it was 
found tha t  the molten Illetal should have so= a f f i n i t y  f o r  the inert 
mterial. 
2 
S t a t i s t i  
t ion:  
a1 an 
3 
l y s i s  of the results produced the following infoma-  
a. Temperature of the m e l t  abave solLddification temperature was of 
major importance i n  the  sepmation of the i n e r t s  from the molten 
metal. 
b. In  all the  systems evaluated, the in te rac t ions  between tfie variables 
were important. These varis3les included: i n t ens i ty  of insons- 
t i on ,  riurstion of I n s o n s t l a ,  and the r g t i o  of d l o y  t o  inerts. 
The mnts of i n e r t s  capa3ie of 'tieing dispersed i n t o  the l i q u i d  
e t a 1  var ied  with the  in tens i ty  and duratioa 02' irsonatioli. 
c. 
11. Ultrasonic Dispersion Strengthenizg During Sol id i f  i c a t i m  a d  Heat Treatnrent 
Insoriation .luring the so l id2f5~at icm of gray c a s t  i ron  produced more 
f e r r i t e ,  l e s s  pearlite, and so= -?kite p a r t i c l e s  than the non-insmated 
reference spee*n(~ee Tig. 2. ) . 
Insonation during the decGqosltion of white c a s t  iron by heat tmatmnt 
produced sp ince- type  ferrite gmins (See Fig. 3. ) ,  re tarded p e a r l i t e  for-  
mation and gave higher hardness [LO saints Rockwell "B") when compared t o  
the non-insonated reference specinren. It was also noted t h a t  an adherent 
corrosion r e s i s t a n t  f i l m  was forrned on the insonated saurple (See Fig. 4.). 
The following results were obtained upon insonation of aluminum a l loy  
2024 during various heat t r e a t i n g  processes: 
a. Insonation during annealing s l i g h t l y  decreased the hardness when ' 
compared with a non-insonated reference spec-n (2 points  Rock- 
well "F") . 
b. Insonation during the solution t r e a t m n t  process produced a s l i g h t l y  
higher hardness (2 points R o c k w e l l  "F") when compared t o  the oon- 
insonated reference specimn. 
4 
c. Insonation during solution t r e a t m n t  prevented cracking of the 
specimn during subsequent cold workings (See Fig. 5 . ) .  
Insonation during the precipi te t ion heat t r e a t m n t  process increased 
the hardness of the a l loys  very mpi.lly i n  respect  t o  the non- 
d. 
insonated reference spe2-n. The mxtmum difference i n  hardness was 
=ached i n  approximately 3 hours, with a hardness d i f f eRnce  of 6 
poin ts  Rockwell "F". A t  the end of 96 hours the hardness difference 
was only Rockwell 3 "F" between the insonated and non-insonated 
Efe rence  specimn. 
e. S t a t i s t i c f l y ,  it was fourd that there  were in te rac t ions  between 
t i m e ,  tepmerature, and in tens i ty  of insonation during solut ion 
heat treatment. 
Recommendations f o r  continued studv: 
I. Ekplore f u r t h e r  the feasibility and ef f ic iency  of mixing of i n e r t s  i n t o  
molten m e t a l  by: 
1. U s e  of smaller d l a m t e r  i n e r t  p a r t i c l e s  eg. 0.1 t o  0.01 microns. 
2, Use of i n e r t  f i b r e s  separately o r  with i n e r t  powder. 
3. Flowing the  metal and/or the  i n e r t s  through an o r i f i c e  placed a t  
the end of the ul t rasonic  horn. 
4. Studying the adherence of the i n e r t  materials t o  the metal. 
11. Study n r t h e r  the influence of insonation on preventing i n t e r n a l  
cracks i n  aluminum and other  a l loys  during p l a s t i c  deformation. 
111. Study further the influence of insonation during malleabi l izat ion of 
white c a s t  irons.  (Research under consideration) 
N. Study f u r t h e r  the influence of insonation upon corrosion. 
(Research underway) 
5 
V. Study the influence of insooation upon s i ze  of graphite spheres during 
the  production of nodular Csst Iron. 
Expenditures macle f o r  proje2.t: 
Salarie s : 
Supplies: 
Travel: 
C ompu te r : 
Publication: 
$ 5,600.00 
523.30 
213.03 
56.60 
81.00 
T o t a l  $ w74.73 



.. 
t 


Production of Dispersion Alloys with the Aid of Ultrasonics Final Report

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server