Texas university receives grant to develop stronger concrete rebar
October 13, 2016
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The University of Texas at San Antonio announces that its researchers have received a $248,083 grant to support R&D to increase the strength of concrete rebar. The grant comes from a consortium of construction-oriented agencies: the Charles Pankow Foundation, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, and the American Concrete Institute.
"The bulk of all construction in the world is concrete-based," says Wassim Ghannoum, director of the research and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Concrete is very strong in compression, but very weak in tension. You can easily just crack it. The steel rebar takes the tension loads."
Rebar in use today first became common in the 1940s, and the most widely used type had a tensile strength of 40 ksi. In the 1960s, American construction moved to 60 ksi bars, which have been the standard ever since. Now, Prof. Ghannoum is testing new rebar with tensile strength up to 100 ksi , to determine if it could become the new standard.
"We're going to hone in on exact properties," he said. "Above all, we want to know the exact strengths of the steels we develop, as well as their ability to resist breakage, and their functional lifetimes." He also noted that in Texas, where a large portion of the rebar used in U.S. construction projects is forged, switching to a stronger steel could have positive environmental effects. Since sturdier rebar means less of it will be needed in construction, the energy saved could be considerable
Prof. Ghannoum is set to begin the two-year project this fall, with a small group of UTSA graduate students to aid him. He's working with the five largest steel mills in the United States to establish specifications for 80 and 100-grade bars, which will entail a good deal of testing. Ann ultrasonic testing machine to help simulate a host of conditions, including earthquakes, will soon be on the way to Ghannoum's laboratory.
www.utsa.edu
The University of Texas at San Antonio announces that its researchers have received a $248,083 grant to support R&D to increase the strength of concrete rebar.
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Texas university receives grant to develop high-strength concrete rebar
Source:
The University of Texas at San Antonio announces that its researchers have received a $248,083 grant to support R&D to increase the strength of concrete rebar. The grant comes from a consortium of construction-oriented agencies: the Charles Pankow Foundation, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, and the American Concrete Institute.
"The bulk of all construction in the world is concrete-based," says Wassim Ghannoum, director of the research and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Concrete is very strong in compression, but very weak in tension. You can easily just crack it. The steel rebar takes the tension loads."
Rebar in use today first became common in the 1940s, and the most widely used type had a tensile strength of 40 ksi. In the 1960s, American construction moved to 60 ksi bars, which have been the standard ever since. Now, Prof. Ghannoum is testing new rebar with tensile strength up to 100 ksi , to determine if it could become the new standard.
"We're going to hone in on exact properties," he said. "Above all, we want to know the exact strengths of the steels we develop, as well as their ability to resist breakage, and their functional lifetimes." He also noted that in Texas, where a large portion of the rebar used in U.S. construction projects is forged, switching to a stronger steel could have positive environmental effects. Since sturdier rebar means less of it will be needed in construction, the energy saved could be considerable
Prof. Ghannoum is set to begin the two-year project this fall, with a small group of UTSA graduate students to aid him. He's working with the five largest steel mills in the United States to establish specifications for 80 and 100-grade bars, which will entail a good deal of testing. Ann ultrasonic testing machine to help simulate a host of conditions, including earthquakes, will soon be on the way to Ghannoum's laboratory.
www.utsa.edu
The University of Texas at San Antonio announces that its researchers have received a $248,083 grant to support R&D to increase the strength of concrete reinforcing bar.
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Sandvik opens ultrasonic testing facility for pipes in the oil and gas industry
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Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art, fully automated ultrasonic testing facility for pipes in the oil and gas industry. "The new facility puts Sandvik in a world-leading position as a manufacturer of OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods)," said Per Olsson Artberger, Sandvik Global Product Manager for OCTG.
"This major investment is a substantial achievement for all involved, and a milestone in Sandvik's enhanced strategic focus on demanding applications within oil and gas such as OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods)," said Per Olsson Artberger, Sandvik Global Product Manager for OCTG.
"This ultrasonic testing facility will increase our capabilities and capacity significantly. Despite the downturn in the oil and gas market, we see continued good business opportunities for Sandvik material grades, especially in the Middle East and Caspian Sea regions.
"The new, automated facility provides us with much speedier throughput and greatly enhanced testing capabilities, and puts Sandvik in a world leading position as a manufacturer of OCTG."
The energy sector, including oil and gas, is a key strategic focus for Sandvik. Ultrasonic testing was the limiting factor in achieving maximum output with the existing facility. To solve this, Sandvik invested in both capacity and state-of-the-art technology to meet the industry's toughest requirements for defect detection.
Per Olsson Artberger added: "It also builds on the strategic alliance between Sandvik and Tenaris on the exclusive joint supply of corrosion resistant alloy OCTG materials and technology to the oil and gas sector. We now meet the industry's most exacting standards, and can exceed customer requirements."
Work commenced on the test facility in August 2015, with commissioning and site acceptance testing prior to the inauguration.
www.smt.sandvik.com
Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art, fully automated ultrasonic testing facility for pipes in the oil and gas industry
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Materion supplies beryllium for retrofit of Belgium’s nuclear test reactor
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Materion Corp., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, reports that beryllium components supplied by Materion Performance Alloys and Composites are helping Belgium's BR2 nuclear test reactor to continue operation and contribute to the world's supply of radiopharmaceuticals. The BR2 reactor plays an important role in producing materials for nuclear medicine and accounts for nearly one quarter of the world's production of radiopharmaceuticals used for medical nuclear imaging.
Materion's beryllium rods and reflectors were needed to refurbish critical components in Belgium's BR2 nuclear test reactor. These components are used in many test reactors because beryllium, with its low atomic number and weight, is the most efficient neutron donor of any metallic element. In order to function, nuclear reactors need a concentration of neutrons in the core. These neutrons are created by the uranium in the nuclear fuel, but at an energy not useful for the reactor. Beryllium is capable of reducing the neutron energy and multiplying the neutrons so the compact reactor core keeps running. These unique properties make beryllium the material of choice for nuclear test components at the heart of research reactors.
In 2013, operators of Belgium's nuclear research center (SCK-CEN), asked Materion to facilitate the production and fabrication of beryllium irradiation channels required for the 55-year-old reactor's retrofit project. Launched in 2014, the successful two-year project was completed on June 1, 2016, as the reactor became fully operational once again.
"BR2 is a major supplier of radioisotopes, and the global medical community relies heavily on its production to diagnose and treat cancer as well as many other medical conditions," said W. Glenn Maxwell, President, Materion Performance Alloys and Composites. "It was essential for us to produce high quality materials and deliver them on time to SCK-CEN so they could keep supply available to meet demand."
The photo shows beryllium reflector rods made by Materion shining through the center of the partly assembled mock-up for the BR2 matrix refurbishment.
Beyond SCK-CEN, Materion supplies a number of nuclear test reactors, for both materials research and medical isotope production. New applications, refurbishments, and upgrades to other reactors are scheduled over this year and into 2017, including the RP-10 Reactor in Peru.
http://www.Materion.com
Materion Corp., Mayfield Heights, Ohio, reports that beryllium components supplied by Materion Performance Alloys and Composites are helping Belgium’s BR2 nuclear test reactor to continue operation and contribute to the world’s supply of radiopharmaceuticals.
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Message from the President: Thank You for this Opportunity
October 12, 2016
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It is with a great deal of humility and excitement that I welcome the opportunity to serve as the President of the ASM Thermal Spray Society. This is truly a wonderful privilege – one which I certainly would not be in a position to perform had it not been for the incredible leadership of my predecessors whom I had the pleasure to work with. I therefore must thank Richard Knight, Peter Hanneforth, Mitch Dorfman, Charlie Kay, Luc Pouliot, and finally Christian Moreau, for not only their mentorship, but also for their tireless efforts in making TSS the outstanding organization that it has become today.
As we seemingly accelerate toward the end of another busy year, I do want to share the details of some really outstanding initiatives both underway and being planned within TSS. As part of a parallel effort with ASM, the Thermal Spray Society launched a strategic planning session this fall with a broad focus on defining ever increasing value for the TSS membership. As part of this effort, we have updated the society vision statement in a manner that captures our focus moving forward:
Through advocacy, networking, and global leadership, TSS shall be the foremost resource for the collection, distribution, and exchange of world-class scientific information and technical knowledge on thermal spray technologies.
To support this vision, we will be dedicating our efforts to resolving a number of critical issues that will enable this vision to truly become a reality. Outside of strategic planning, we are also organizing and working with our global partners to prepare a number of exciting events including the North American Cold Spray Conference (Edmonton, Alberta, Nov 30 – Dec 1) and the International Thermal Spray Conference (ITSC 2017, Dusseldorf, Germany, June 7 – 9, 2017).
As I am sure most everyone is aware, the activities undertaken by TSS are carried out by a team of outstanding volunteers who are dedicated to promoting thermal spray technologies. For this reason, we are always looking for more volunteers to help support these efforts and to ensure the continued success of this affiliate society. I therefore ask you all to consider volunteering and join one of the committees that will be helping to shape the future of TSS. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers, committee members, and board members. I look forward to working with you all to continue the fine success TSS has enjoyed for years and years.
Doug Puerta
President, ASM Thermal Spray Society
It is with a great deal of humility and excitement that I welcome the opportunity to serve as the President of the ASM Thermal Spray Society.
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Spray Tips: Cold Spray Process Parameters
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The image compares the particle velocity and gas temperature ranges of cold spray and other thermal spray processes. In the cold spray process, the gas and particle temperatures are much lower and the gas and particle velocity are much higher than in other thermal spray processes. There typically are four regions of particle/substrate interactions that can be defined by particle velocity.
In the first region, the particle velocity (Vp) is too low for a given coating/substrate combination to form a coating, and the feedstock particles are reflected from or bounce off the surface and do not form a contiguous coating or deposit.
When the particles impinge at moderate velocities, solid particle erosion of the substrate surface occurs, but no coating is deposited.
When the particles reach a critical velocity (Vcrit), the particles begin to plastically deform, adhere to the substrate, and form a coating. The critical velocity varies with particle and substrate material.
As Vp increases, the particles undergo more deformation, typically leading to higher coating densities. At very high velocities, the solid particles start to erode the surface of the substrate. When this occurs, the particle velocity is called the erosion velocity (Verosion).
Volume 5A, Thermal Spray Technology -> Thermal Spray Processes and Coatings -> Cold Spray Process -> Cold Spray Equipment and Process Parameters
The image compares the particle velocity and gas temperature ranges of cold spray and other thermal spray processes.
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One Minute Mentor: Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels
October 10, 2016
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The effect of tempering temperature on hardness and tensile properties of high-alloy steels appears to have the same general form as those of low-alloy steel. A serious decrease in notch toughness occurs when tempering between about 750 and 950°F, as illustrated in the graph for Type 410.
The graph shows the effect of tempering temperature on impact properties of AISI Type 410. Impact energy tests used Izod, Charpy V-notch, or Charpy keyhole as indicated. Heat treatment of test specimens: heated to and held at 1750°C for one hour; oil quenched, temperad for four hours at temperature given; air cooled.
Volume 4D, Heat Treating of Irons and Steels ⇒ Heat Treated High-Alloy Steels ⇒ Heat Treating of Martensitic Stainless Steels ⇒ Tempering
The effect of tempering temperature on hardness and tensile properties of high-alloy steels appears to have the same general form as those of low-alloy steel.
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Electron beam additive manufacturing builds and repairs tooling dies
October 9, 2016
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Sciaky Inc., Chicago, reports that its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (Ebam) technology helped a major automotive manufacturer cut significant time and cost from building and repairing several tooling and stamping dies. The manufacturer leveraged Sciaky's Ebam to deposit complex tooling features, as well as to repair and to clad several high-volume parts. After successful proof of concept, the 3D printed tool was put into production.
"Sciaky's technology is not limited to titanium parts and aerospace applications," says Bob Phillips, Vice President of Phillips Service Industries Inc. "We have provided 3D printed solutions in stainless steel, tantalum, tungsten, Inconel, and niobium to customers in a variety of industries such as automotive, agricultural, defense, nuclear, oil & gas, and sea exploration."
In July 2016, EWI (formerly the Edison Welding Institute) purchased an Ebam system to produce prototype parts for high-tech manufacturers in a variety of industries across the United States. Sciaky and EWI will work together to co-market their extensive metal 3D printing capabilities.
As the most widely scalable, metal 3D printing solution in the industry (in terms of work envelope), Sciaky's systems can produce parts ranging from eight inches to 19 feet in length, and can also manufacture smaller and even larger parts, depending on the application. Ebam is also the fastest deposition process in the metal additive manufacturing market, with gross deposition rates ranging from 7 to 20 pounds of metal per hour. Plus, with a dual wirefeed option, two different metal alloys can be combined into a single melt pool to create custom alloy parts or ingots. In addition, the mixture ratio of the two materials can be changed to create "graded" parts or structures.
www.sciaky.com
Sciaky Inc., Chicago, reports that its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (Ebam) technology helped a major automotive manufacturer cut significant time and cost from building and repairing several tooling and stamping dies.
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Soft magnetic steel combines low coercivity with high permeability and resistivity
October 6, 2016
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Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., has developed Cartech Hypocore, a new soft magnetic steel that offers performance benefits between those found in Carpenter's high-performance Hipercore family of high-cobalt magnetic alloys, and those of commercial silicon-based alloys.
This new electrical steel can provide lower core loss and higher induction than the Hiperco alloys, even at a low applied magnetic field. Hypocore can also be used at higher frequencies with less heat generation. It exhibits a unique combination of properties, such as low coercivity, high permeability, and high electrical resistivity, which makes motors and generators operate more efficiently. This new material offers potential benefits to next-generation electrical machines, as well as to electromagnetic devices such as laminations or assembled cores for small machines where higher efficiency and smaller size are important.
Initial manufacturing is already underway, and material is available upon request at different sheet thicknesses (from 0.005 to 0.025 in.) for testing and prototyping purposes. Carpenter can also support commercial orders. Please call 610-208-2000 for additional information.
www.cartech.com
Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., has developed Cartech Hypocore, a new soft magnetic steel that offers performance benefits between those found in Carpenter’s high-performance Hipercore family of high-cobalt magnetic alloys, and those of commercial silicon-based alloys.
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Linde convection technology boosts heat treating productivity without fans
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Linde LLC, Bridgewater, N.J., reports that the quality of heat treated metal parts can be improved by increasing the circulation of furnace atmospheres with technology that does not require fans, which can cause uneven convection. Specific advantages of advanced mixing and control technology apply, depending on the type of furnace.
Overall, Linde's atmosphere control systems yield benefits across a variety of heat treatment furnaces, including better atmosphere mixing and control, reduced soot formation, and greater unit productivity.
Continuous furnaces: Potential of 10% higher productivity coinciding with increased heat transfer when the gas injector is placed at the unit inlet. Up to 3% increased productivity in the cooling zone. Better burn-off of oil and lubricant residue at the front of the furnace. Quicker conditioning when atmospheres are switched.
Pit furnaces: More uniform heating and carburizing, resulting in up to 20% more efficient use of furnace space and potential gains in productivity. Up to three times longer furnace-lid life due to reduced corrosion levels.
Rotary retort furnaces: Up to 20% higher output when working with bulk materials due to deeper gas penetration. Longer retort life, increased throughput, and minimal formation of soft spots.
www.lindeus.com
Linde LLC, Bridgewater, N.J., reports that the quality of metal parts can be improved by increasing the circulation of heat treatment atmospheres with technology that does not require fans, which can cause uneven convection.
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