Table of contents

Advanced Materials XIV is a compilation of peer reviewed papers presented at the 14^th International Symposium on Advanced Materials (ISAM 2015) held from October 12- 16^th 2015 at the National Centre for Physics, Islamabad, Pakistan. In the role of Secretary ISAM-2015, I feel honored that the symposium ended on a positive note. The challenges of the present day industry entail an indepth knowledge of the science behind the processes involving advanced materials. It is this need that ISAM, along with similar other forums, endeavors to address.

The five day deliberations of ISAM 2015, consisted of 29 technical sessions and 2 poster sessions, inclusive of a poster competition on nanostructures which displayed 150 research papers depicting various aspects of nanomaterials. In all 307 papers were presented, inclusive of 61 contributory, invited and oral presentations. The symposium also hosted 3 parallel panel discussions led by renowned scientists and eminent researchers from foreign as well as local institutes.

The ultimate aim of this proceeding is to archive various findings in the field of advanced materials. I hope that the technical data available in this publication proves its worth to scientists and researchers working in this area of science.

I wish to acknowledge the Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing UK, for accepting the research papers from ISAM-2015 for publication in the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. The proceeding will be available on the IOP website as an online open access document.

I am profoundly thankful to the Symposium Chairman for his firm support and for the wisdom with which he guided the Organizing Committee of ISAM 2015 to make it a successful event. On the same note, I must sincerely acknowledge the truly commendable efforts of the organizing committee. My gratitude to all our distinguished participants, session chairs/co-chairs, and reviewers for their active role in the symposium. Last yet not the least, my thankfulness goes to all our sponsors for financing the event.

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

The field of nanotechnology is about research and development on materials whose at least one dimension is in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. In recent years, the research activity for developing nano-materials has grown exponentially owing to the fact that they offer better solutions to the challenges faced by various fields such as energy, food, and environment. In this paper, the importance of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based techniques is demonstrated for investigating the properties of nano-materials. Specifically the nano-materials that are investigated in this report include gold nano-particles (Au-NPs), silver atom-clusters (Ag-ACs), tantalum single-atoms (Ta-SAs), carbon materials functionalized with iron cobalt (Fe-Co) NPs and titania (TiO₂) NPs, and platinum loaded Ceria (Pt-CeO₂) Nano composite. TEM techniques that are employed to investigate nano-materials include aberration corrected bright-field TEM (BF-TEM), high-angle dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), and BF-TEM electron tomography (ET). With the help presented of results in this report, it is proved herein that as many TEM techniques as available in a given instrument are essential for a comprehensive nano-scale analysis of nanomaterials.

Laser has offered a large number of benefits for surface treatment of ceramics due to possibility of localized heating, very high heating/cooling rates and possibility of growth of structural configurations only produced under non-equilibrium high temperature conditions. The present work investigates oxidation of porous ZrB₂-SiC sintered ceramic substrates through treatment by a 1072 ± 10 nm ytterbium fiber laser. A multi-layer structure is hence produced showing successively oxygen rich distinct layers. The porous bulk beneath these layers remained unaffected as this laser-formed oxide scale and protected the substrate from oxidation. A glassy SiO₂ structure thus obtained on the surface of the substrate becomes subject of interest for further research, specifically for its utilization as solid protonic conductor in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs).

Polycrystalline Eu₀.₆₅Sr₀.₃₅Fe₀.₃Mn_a7O₃ was synthesized using a standard solid state reaction technique. The preliminary microstructure of this compound at room temperature was studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and the crystal structure was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The considered compound was found to crystallize in a single-phase orthorhombic structure in the P_bnm space group (62). The Raman spectrum shows three Raman-active vibrational modes at approximately 208, 476 and 616cm^-1. The temperature variation of the resistivity shows that these compounds have semiconductor behaviour with an activation energy 0.498 eV. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant in these materials indicates that space charge polarization contributes significantly to their observed dielectric parameters.

Flexible eyepiece telescope has been designed and verified. The rotating eyepiece of telescope will facilitate viewing of objects in a remote or out of sight target. Eyepiece arm of telescope can be rotated upto 360^o keeping objective and reticule unchanged and ensuring zero deviation in reticule inclination. Main application of this scope is off axis viewing of objects. Image inversion has been carried out by using pair of mirrors and length of telescope is controlled by using relay lenses. The optical design, simulation and image analysis has been carried out by using ZEMAX®. Magnification of telescope is between 10∼⃒12 times with FOV of 6⁰. Experiment has been carried out using uncoated Edmund Optics and optical tool box of Micro Series Kit, NEWPORT.

In automotive industry, the spot welding is a general practice to join smaller sections of a car. This welding is specifically carried out in short time and in an elevated number with certain pressure applied on copper electrodes. In addition, copper electrodes are expected to endure against cyclic mechanical pressure and temperature that is released during the passage of the current. The deformation and oxidation behaviour of copper electrodes during service appear with increasing temperature of medium and they also need to be cleaned and cooled or replaced for the continuation of joining process. The coating of copper electrodes with ceramic matrix composites can provide alternative excellent high temperature strength and ensures both economic and efficient use of resources. This study shows that the ESD coating of copper electrodes with a continuous film of ceramic phase ensures an improved resistance to thermal effects during the service and the change in content of film may be critical for cyclic alloying.

Sodium bismuth titanate, Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ (NBT) ceramics were produced by three different methods; conventional mixed-oxide (CMO) route, molten salt synthesis (MSS) and topochemical microcrystal conversion (TMC) and then sintered at 1150 ^oC for 2 h in air atmosphere. The crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric and field-induced strain properties were investigated for all samples. All samples showed a single phase perovskite structure without any evidences of unwanted secondary phases. The NBT ceramics synthesized by the TMC method show slightly better dielectric, ferroelectric and field induced strain response as compared with CMO and MSS synthesized ceramics. The room temperature dielectric constant measured at 1 kHz increased from 218 for NBT ceramics synthesized by MSS method to 271 and 330 for CMO and TMC synthesized ceramics, respectively. Similarly, the dynamic piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃*) enhanced from 91 pm/V for CMO synthesized to 97 pm/V and 107 pm/V for MSS and TMC synthesized ceramics, respectively.

Mesoporous catalysts have shown great prospective for catalytic reactions due to their high surface area that aids better distribution of impregnated metal. They have been found to contain more adsorption sites and controlled pore diameter. Hydrocracking, in the presence of mesoporous catalyst is considered more efficient and higher conversion of larger molecules is observed as compared to the cracking reactions in smaller microporous cavities of traditional zeolites. In the present study, a number of silica-alumina based mesoporous catalysts are synthesized in the laboratory. The concentration and type of surfactants and quantities of silica and alumina sources are the variables studied in the preparation of catalyst supports. The supports prepared are well characterized using SEM, EDX, and N₂-BET techniques. Finally, the catalysts are tested in a high pressure autoclave reactor to study the activity and selectivity of the catalysts for the hydrocracking of a model mixture of plastics comprising of LDPE, HDPE, PP, and PS.

The objective of this study is to investigate the brittle cracking behavior of Plexiglas material when subjected to indentation loading. Indentation tests were conducted on Modified Vickers testing machine to acquire the experimental data in the form of load-displacement curve. Several mechanical properties such as hardness, yielding stress and fracture toughness have been ascertained from the analysis of the experimental data. The experimental data then used to create a mathematical model of Plexiglas for its brittle cracking behavior with indentation loading. Furthermore, a numerical simulation based study was carried out to simulate the brittle cracking in Plexiglas plate when subjected to indentation loading. The simulations were performed in the FE solver Abaqus. The brittle cracking model in Abaqus/Explicit is used which determines the required force and displacement to produce crack in Plexiglas. Finally a comparison of simulation results was made to the experimental data to validate the FEA procedures and accuracy of predictions. The numerical predictions of load-displacement curve found remarkably consistent with experimental results.

Deep drawing is a sheet metal forming process which is widely used in manufacturing parts for automobile and air craft industries. In this paper, the mechanism of deformation, effect of the geometrical parameters involved and the defects encountered in the process are presented and discussed. These include: the radial clearance percentage, punch and die profile radii. Despite the number of publications on the subject, there is still a great demand for further research. Recent experimental investigation on the effect of radial clearance percentage, punch and die profile radii on their autographic records (punch load- punch displacement curves) and on quality of the produced blanks is carried out and the results are presented and discussed. It was found that the maximum drawing force decreases with increase of the die profile radius and increases by increase of the punch profile radius. Furthermore, the liability of the produced cups to wrinkle increases by the increase of both punch and die profile radii being more influenced by the die profile radius.

A two-fold approach was adopted to understand the fatigue crack growth process in an Aluminum alloy; fatigue crack growth test of samples and analysis of fractured surfaces. Fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on middle tension M(T) samples prepared from an Aluminum alloy cylinder. The tests were conducted under constant amplitude loading at R ratio 0.1. The stress applied was from 20,30 and 40 per cent of the yield stress of the material. The fatigue crack growth data was recorded. After fatigue testing, the samples were subjected to detailed scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. The resulting fracture surfaces were subjected to qualitative and quantitative fractographic examinations. Quantitative fracture analysis included an estimation of crack growth rate (CGR) in different regions. The effect of the microstructural features on fatigue crack growth was examined. It was observed that in stage II (crack growth region), the failure mode changes from intergranular to transgranular as the stress level increases. In the region of intergranular failure the localized brittle failure was observed and fatigue striations are difficult to reveal. However, in the region of transgranular failure the crack path is independent of the microstructural features. In this region, localized ductile failure mode was observed and well defined fatigue striations were present in the wake of fatigue crack. The effect of interaction of growing fatigue crack with microstructural features was not substantial. The final fracture (stage III) was ductile in all the cases.

Micro/nanohybrid materials have vast applications due to their great potentialities in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Herein we report an investigation on the fabrication and physicochemical characterization of ceramic (Fe_0.01La_0.01Al_0.5Zn_0.98O) and hybrid ceramic-polyaniline nano-composits. Ceramic nano-particles were prepared by sol-gel technique while optimizing the molar ratios of the constituent's metal nitrates. The prepared inorganic particles were then embedded in the polymer matrix via one-pot blending method. The prepared ceramic particles and their composites with polyaniline were analysed under FT- IR, SEM and TGA. The presence of some chemical species was observed at the interface of the compositing materials. TGA analysis showed the thermal stability of the composite material. Frequency dependent dielectric properties were analysed and it was found that conducting polyaniline has an additional effect on the electrical behaviour of the composite. Rheology study showed enhanced mechanical properties of composite material as compared to their constituting counterparts.

Metal forming industries are constantly looking for advanced innovation, economical and energy efficient techniques. Superplastic forming has a great potential to be one of those advanced forming methods. It is a near net shape forming process which uses a unique type of materials where elongation exceeds 200% during a controlled forming conditions, e.g. temperature, pressure, and strain rate. Most of superplastic materials are formed by gas technique at elevated temperature. The main objectives of the research work in this paper were: to study the effects of the forming schemes on the forming time and thickness distribution of the formed and device a method to improve the forming part thickness and its uniformity distribution and the forming time. In this paper, a hydraulic and heating system were designed and manufactured to facilitate the experimental investigation. The superplastic magnesium alloy AZ31, Mg AZ31, was formed at 350°C with different strain rates to investigate the effect of the forming pressure profiles on the thickness uniformity of the superplastic formed part. The pressure profiles were generated based on Dutta and Mukherjee analytical approach. Finally, a variable strain rate method is modified to improve the uniformity of the thickness distribution of the formed part and reduce the forming time; which is a major limitation of superplastic forming.

Most of the rotating or noting patterns are being developed by using silver plating through chemical coating. Silver layers deteriorate with the passage of time and become less reflective while undergo through cleaning process due to its softness and the results become unpredictable. In this paper an alternate method for development of above mentioned pattern has been demonstrated. Chromium (Cr) and Silver (Ag) thin films of 200nm and 160nm thick respectively have been realized using electron beam evaporation (PVD technique) on quartz substrate. Structural analysis has been carried out by XRD and SEM while optical transmission/reflection has been studied using spectrophotometer. XRD analysis shows that Ag coated thin films exhibit FCC structure while Cr coated thin films reveals a BCC structure. SEM analysis shows almost smooth and uniform surfaces in both cases. After passing through high and low temperature cycles it was found that the results of pattern structures developed by chromium coating were more reliable than obtained through silver platting process.

A novel and reliable theoretical model based on the Birnbaum-Saunders (BISA) distribution is presented from which the fatigue life can be determined. Experimental verification of the model is in progress and will be published in due course.

TiO₂ nano-tubes are getting strong attraction in many fields due to their unique properties. They are important in biomedical application, Dye sensitized solar cells, sensor and photocatalys is applications, etc. Our prime interest is to grow these tubes for dye-sensitized solar cells with high conversion efficiency and low production cost. In this research, we have synthesized TiO₂ naonotubes by anodizing 25 µm thick titanium foil at 40V using two-step anodization method. The electrolyte used is the ethylene glycol with varying concentration of NH4F and fixed concentration of deionized water. Effect of different concentrations of the electrolyte on tube crystal structure has been studied. It is observed that crystallinity increases with increased concentration of fluoride ions. It is found that two-stepanodization method results in more crystalline and open structures. Scanning electron microscopy is utilized to study the surface morphology and tubes growth, whereas observation of the crystal structure of nano-tubes is made by X-ray diffraction.

Energy harvesting is the process of acquiring energy from the external sources and then further used to drive any system. Piezoelectric material was operated at various temperature but the characterization of the material mostly performed at room temperature. The depolarization in piezoelectric material occurs when the material is heated to its curie temperature and when mechanical stresses are high to disturb the properties of the material. The aim of this paper is to study the performance of lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) piezoelectric material under various temperatures and loading conditions. The output voltage of piezoelectric material decreases with increase of temperature. It was found that output voltage from the harvester increases when loading increases while its temperature decreases.

Plasma temperature and electron density of iron in iron slag samples taken from a local plant is studied. Optimal experimental conditions were evaluated using Nd: YAG laser at 1064 nm. Some toxic elements were identified and quantitative measurements were also made. Plasma temperature and electron density were estimated using standard equations and well resolved iron spectral lines in the 229.06-358.11 nm region at 10, 20, 30 and 40 mJ laser pulse energy with 4.5 μs delay time. These parameters were found to increase with increase in laser pulse energy. The Boltzmann distribution and experimentally measured line intensities support the assumption that the laser-induced plasma was in local thermal equilibrium. It is worth mentioning that iron and steel sector generates tons of solid waste and residues annually containing variety of contaminants which can be harmful to the environment and therefore knowledge, proper analysis and investigation of such iron slag is important.

It was repeatedly reported that the clay bricks industry in Jordan is facing both weak mechanical strength and poor quality which caused marketing problems where it is expected to serve the increasing demand of housing in the country especially after the political crises in the neighboring countries Iraq and Syria. It is therefore anticipated that improvement of the mechanical strength and quality of the produced clay evaluation of the brick industry in Jordan is worth investigating. In this paper, theoretical and experimental investigation obtained from field visits to the factories producing clay bricks were carried out. Furthermore, the effect of using some additives from locally available materials namely: Battn El-Ghoul Clay, Suweileh sand and Olive extracts on the mechanical strength, thermal conductivity and surface quality of the produced bricks is investigated and discussed. The experimental results indicated that thermal conductivity, color and durability were all enhanced and the ultimate compressive strength was reduced but remained higher than the acceptable value for brickwork.

Various hazard and vulnerability scenarios for energetic materials involve multiple shock compression. Triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) based explosives are comparatively insensitive to shocks of low impacts and therefore considered suitable materials for the devices vulnerable to low shock impacts. Multiple shock compression may further desensitize these materials. Although the desensitization criterion for HMX based plastic bonded explosive PBX9404 has long been determined, no such criterion for TATB based explosives has yet been determined. In the present paper the desensitization criterion for TATB based explosive is proposed, based on recently performed experiments. By using a model which employs the proposed criterion to account for the desensitization effects in TATB based explosives, numerical simulations of the multiple shock experiments have been performed. The calculated results agree closely with the experimental results.

The objective of this work was to study the capability of advanced polymeric material constituted by chitosan and natural rubber matrices for controlled release of pesticides (1-hydroxynaphthalene and 2-hydroxynaphthalene) in aqueous solution. The released amount of pesticides was measured spectrophotometrically from the absorbance spectra applying a standardized curve. The release of the pesticides was studied into refreshing and non-refreshing neutral aqueous media. Interestingly, formulation successfully indicated a consistent, controlled and prolonged release of pesticides over a period of 35 days.

Good yield of carbon products was obtained by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique using 100-500mg of ferrocene catalyst at temperature of 900 °C and acetylene flow rate of 150-200cc/min. The effects of amount of ferrocene, temperature and hydrocarbons precursors on the yield of carbon nanomaterial's was calculated and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) andenergy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Good yield of carbon nanomaterials primarily consisted of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanoparticles was obtained. CNTs obtained after purification were dispersed in epoxy resin to produce composite coatings which were coated on stainless steel 316L. The coated stainless steel samples' corrosion behavior was studied using open circuit potential (OCP), cyclic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Results showed that epoxy coating containing 4 wt. % of CNTs offered improved corrosion resistance to stainless steel.

A facile and cost effective method for fabrication of super hydrophobic surface on a glass substrate is studied. The surface is fabricated from surface functionalized silica particles, synthesized by sol-gel process with the average size of 200±10nm. These particles were functionalized with stearic acid to induce hydrophobicity followed by coating on a glass substrate. After coating, substrate was dried to remove excess solvent. The drying temperature was optimized and its effect on contact angle of hydrophobic surface was studied. It was observed that surface exhibits higher contact angle with increased drying temperature till the decomposition temperature of Stearic acid. Silica particles were characterized by using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis was performed with Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) while the coated surface was studied using SEM and Contact Angle (CA) measurement.

Aluminum and its alloys are normally grain refined by Ti or Ti+B to transfer their columnar structure during solidification into equiaxed one which improves their mechanical behavior and surface quality. In this paper, the effect of addition of Zr on the metallurgical, and mechanical aspects, hardness, ductility and wear resistance of commercially pure aluminum grain refined by Ti after extrusion is investigated. Zr was added at a level of 0.1% which corresponds to the peretectic limit at the Al-Zr phase diagram. The experimental work was carried out on the specimens after direct extrusion. It was found that addition of Ti resulted in decrease of Al grain size, whereas addition of Zr alone or in the presence of Ti, resulted in reduction of Al grain size. This led to increase of Al hardness. The effect of the addition of Ti or Zr alone resulted almost in the same enhancement of Al mechanical characteristics. As for the strain hardening index,n, increase was obtained when Zr was added alone or in the presence of Ti. Hence pronounced improvement of its formability. Regarding the effect of Zr addition on the wear resistance of aluminum; it was found that at small loads and speeds addition of Ti or Zr or both together resulted in deterioration of its wear resistance whereas at higher loads and speeds resulted in pronounced improvement of its wear resistance. Finally, the available Archard model and the other available models which consider only the mass loss failed to describe the wear mechanism of Al and its micro-alloys because they do not consider the mushrooming effect at the worn end.

Zinc aluminum alloys are versatile materials which are widely used in manufacturing many industrial and engineering parts due to their attractive properties. The ZA22 has the extra advantage of possessing super plastic behavior within the temperature range from 350 to 375°C. The equal channel angular pressing, ECAP is a relatively recent manufacturing process by which heavy plastic deformation can be produced in materials resulting in grain refinement of its microstructure. It is, therefore, anticipated that if the ECAP process is applied to the ZA22 alloy after being grain refined by certain grain refiners may produce super plastic behavior in this alloy at room temperature, by this eliminating the heating process and its costs, hence widening its applications rendering it to be cost effective. In this paper, the effect of molybdenum addition at a rate of 0.1 % wt. to ZA22 grain refined by Ti on its metallurgical and mechanical characteristics in the cast condition and after applying the ECAP process is investigated. It was found that addition of Mo to ZA22 either in the nonrefined or the refined by Ti resulted in refining its structure being more refined in the latter. The ECAP process resulted in further refinement of its structure of the ZA22-Ti, ZA22-Mo and the ZA22-Ti-Mo alloys. Regarding the mechanical behavior, it was found that addition of Mo to ZA22 resulted in pronounced reduction of its mechanical strength presented by the following values of the flow stress at 20% strain: from 451 MPa to 346 MPa, whereas pronounced increase in case of Ti addition i.e. by 22.22% and only increase of 1.1% when Mo is added in the presence of Ti. However the Vickers hardness HV was increased by 5% in case of Ti addition and 2.5% increase in case of Mo addition. Finally it was concluded that super plastic behavior was obtained at room temperature by the addition of Mo and the ECAP process.

Oxidative degradation of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) limits the life of implants. This degradation can be monitored to estimate the service life of UHMWPE following the standard protocols as defined by American Standards for Testing Materials (ASTM). In this work, a comparative study has been carried on two commercially available UHMWPE grades i.e. GUR 1020 and GUR 1050 and one laboratory grade UHMWPE which was purchased from Sigma Aldrich. These powder samples were pressed while using hot press with controlled heating and cooling setup in open air under 200 bar of external pressure. These sheets were then subjected to accelerated aging in an oven at 80 °C for three weeks. The degradation of the UHMWPE was monitored by ATR-FTIR techniquefor three weeks. The oxidation index (OI) measurement showed that the commercial grade UHMWPE i.e. GUR-1020 and GUR-1050 degrade more as compared to laboratory grade UHMWPE. The values of OI after three weeks of accelerating aging were found 0.18, 0.14, and 0.09 for GUR-1020, GUR-1050, and Sigma Aldrich, respectively. In addition to this, it was found that commercial grades of UHMWPE suffer more structural alterations as compared to laboratory grade one. We hope that these results will be of particular and fundamental importance for the researchers and orthopaedic industry.

Magnesium-aluminum alloys are versatile materials which are used in manufacturing a number of engineering and industrial parts in the automobile and aircraft industries due to their strength - to -weight -ratios. Against these preferable characteristics, magnesium is difficult to deform at room temperature; therefore it is alloyed with other elements mainly aluminum and zinc to add some required properties particularly to achieve high strength -to- weight ratio. Grain refinement is an important technology to improve the mechanical propertiesand the microstructure uniformity of the alloys. Most of the published work on grain refinement was directed toward grain refining aluminum and zinc alloys; however, the effect of the addition of rare earth material on the grain size or the mechanical behavior of Mg alloys is rare. In this paper the effect of Ti addition on the grain size, mechanical behavior, ductility, extrusion force and energy, of Mg-AZ31 alloy both in the as cast condition and after direct extrusion is investigated.

Spinel ferrites are important class of compounds which has variety of electrical, magnetic and catalytic applications. A small amount of rare earth element causes modification in structural, electrical and magnetic properties of ferrite materials for practical applications. Neodymium doped cobalt ferrites with composition CoNd_xFe_2-xO₄ where x is 0.1 has been synthesized by sol-gel method. Sol-gel method was preferred because it has good control over stoichiometry, crystallite size and particle size distribution. Characterization was done by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique for structural analysis and crystal structure was found to be spinel. Particles like morphology was observed in micrographs obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Thermal analysis of sample has been done which includes Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) of samples was also performed. DC resistivity as a function of temperature has been studied and its shows direct dependence on temperature and inverse dependence on the concentration of Nd dopant. The studied material is a potential candidate for resistive random access memory application.

Aluminum and its alloys are widely used materials in automobile, aircraft and space craft industries due to their high strength- to- weight ratio and corrosion resistance beside their other useful properties. They are the second materials in use after steel alloys. Most of the failures in parts of aircrafts and space vehicles are mainly caused by fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. In this paper, the effect of shot peening on the fatigue life of commercially pure aluminumand two of its alloys namely:Al-2024 and Al-7075-T6 is presented and discussed. Furthermore, the effect of addition of vanadium to Al and Al grain refined by Ti and Ti+Bon Its fatigue life and strengthis also presented and discussed using scanning electron microscope, SEM. It was that shot peening and the addition of V toAl and Al onAl grain refined by Ti and Ti+B have resulted in enhancement of the fatigue life and strength. Ffinally, the effect of shot peening on the surface quality of the peened parts is also presented and discussed.

Mn_xZn_1-xFe₂O₄ (0.0 < x < 1.0) ferrite nano particles were synthesized for concentration varying from 0.27 to 0.87 to obtain chemically homogenous powder for obtaining fine particle size by co precipitation technique. Keeping in view the interest of scientists for particle size, the present work focus on the impact of UV radiation to control the particle size of prepared fine magnetic particles. The particles were digested for ninety minutes at a temperature of 90^oC. The samples were divided into four equal quantities and were subjected to different doses of UV radiation. The chemically produced samples of Mn-Zn ferrite nano particles were analyzed by XRD which confirmed cubic spinel structure of the material. The average crystallite size (t), lattice parameter (a) and other structural parameters of UV-irradiated Mn_xZni_-xFe₂O₄ spinel ferrite were calculated from XRD data. The spinel peak of the irradiated sample when compared with the control sample, shifted from 35.38 to 35.15. In few samples, additional peaks supporting the ferrite structure were also observed. The variation in the particle sizes observed for various doses of UV irradiation were in the range of 17.6 to 6.2 nm, whereas the particle size of the control was 8.82nm. The experiment was repeated for different concentrations, at the same digestion temperature and time revealed the similar results indicating that UV radiations can have a remarkable effect to control the phase and size of nano size fine magnetic ferrite particles. The present work successfully document the impact of UV to control the particle size.

In this work a low surface roughness and homogenous, high refractive index, and amorphous TiO₂ layer on corrugated structures of diffractive optical element is coated by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for biosensors. The design of Guided Mode Resonance Filters (GMRFs) is based on refractive indices and thicknesses of the waveguide biomolecular layers. The designed spectral shifts are calculated by Fourier Modal Method (FMM) and depend on the magnitude of the variations in refractive index of the biomolecular layer on waveguide structures. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the biomolecular sensors depends on the thickness of biomolecular layer and periodicity of the structures. The waveguide structures designed for larger periods show an enhancement in the sensitivity (nm/RIU) of the biomolecular sensor at longer wavelengths. The periodicities of nanophotonic structures are varied from 300 to 500 nm in design calculations with predominance of increase in effective index of the structure to support leaky waveguide modes.

High deep draw ratio of metal sheets is often required in industry to produce complex structural components and is considered to be problematic beyond a draw ratio of 1.7. In addition, anisotropy of material plays a great role in the final form of deep drawn products. In this research AISI SS304 L high draw ratio deep drawing (HDR) cups have been developed by using multiple intermediate annealing steps. The form of flange produced at each draw step is recorded, Numerical simulation of the process is carried out using ABAQUS Standard^TM. Accurate modelling of the process requires anisotropic parameters. Tensile tests at 0^o, 15^o, 30^o, 45^o, 60^o, 75^o, 90^o to the rolling direction are carried out to determine the Lankford coefficients and hardening coefficients in each direction. The detailed material data obtained is then applied to simulate the HDR process. The forms recorded experimentally are compared with simulation results and conclusion is drawn as to the accuracy of the simulation.

Use of energetic materials has long been considered for only military purposes. However, it is very recent that their practical applications in wide range of commercial fields such as mining, road building, under water blasting and rocket propulsion system have been considered. About 5mg of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in serviceable (Svc) as well as unserviceable (Unsvc) form were used for their thermal decomposition and kinetic parameters investigation. Thermogravimetric/ differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize two types of TNT. Arrhenius kinetic parameters like activation energy (E) and enthalpy (AH) of both TNT samples were determined using TG curves with the help of Horowitz and Metzger method. Simultaneously, thermal decomposition range was evaluated from DTA curves. Distinct diffraction peaks showing crystalline nature were obtained from XRD analysis. SEM results indicated that Unsvc TNT contained a variety of defects like cracks and porosity. Similarly, it is observed that thermal as well as kinetic behavior of both TNT samples vary to a great extent. Likewise, a prominent change in the activation energies (E) of both samples is observed. This in-depth study provides a way forward in finding solutions for the safe reutilization of decanted TNT.

Eutectic Al-Si alloys find their applications in moderate to severe tribological conditions, for example: pistons, casings of high speed pumps and slide sleeves. The higher hardness, so the better tribological properties, are originated by the formation of a silicon rich secondary phase, however, the morphology of the secondary phase drastically influence the toughness of the alloy. Microstructural modifiers are used to control the toughness which modifies the Si rich secondary phase into dispersed spherical structure instead of needle-like network. In the present study, a mixture of chemical fluxes was used to modify the Si phase. The alloy was cast into a sand mold and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, hardness testing and tensile testing. It was found that the morphology of the Si phase was altered to acicular structure due to the modification process. In comparison, the un-modified alloy contained Si phase in needle-like structure. The effect of modifier was also pronounced on the mechanical properties, where increase of 50% in yield strength, 56% in tensile strength and 200% in elongation occurred. A discernable raise in strain hardening component indicated the improved strain harden ability and formability of the modified alloy.

The interest into deposition of nanocrystalline PbS thin films, the potential of designing and tailoring both the topographical features and the band gap energy (Eg) by controlling growth parameters, has significant technological importance. Nanocrystalline thin films of lead sulfide were grown onto glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The experiments were carried out by varying deposition temperature. We report on the modification of structural and optical properties as a function of deposition temperature. The morphological changes of the films were analyzed by using SEM and AFM. AFM was also used to calculate average roughness of the films. XRD spectra indicated preferred growth of cubic phase of PbS films in (200) direction with increasing deposition time. Optical properties have been studied by UV-Spectrophotometer. From the diffused reflectance spectra we have calculated the optical Eg shift from 0.649-0.636 eV with increasing deposition time.

In this study, thin films of Nickel Phthalocyanine (NiPc) were deposited by centrifugation at high gravity (70g), and also at normal gravity (1g) conditions to fabricate humidity sensors. Ceramic alumina sheet, coated with silver electrodes, having interelectrode distance of 0.2l mm were used to assess the electrical properties of the sensors. Room temperature capacitance and impedance variations were measured as a function of relative humidity ranging from 25% ∼⃒ 95% at 1 kHz frequency. It was observed that sensors fabricated at 70g were more sensitive compared to sensors fabricated at 1g. Sensors fabricated at 70g exhibited 1.8 times decrease in their impedance and1.5 times increase in their capacitance at peak ambient humidity. SEM images showed more roughness for the films deposited at 70g compared to films deposited at 1g. It was assumed that surface irregularities might have increased active surface area of 70g sensors hence changed the electrical response. Impedance-humidity and capacitance-humidity relationships were modeled and a good agreement was observed between experimental and modeled data. Experimental data showed that NiPc films could be useful for instrumentation industry to fabricate organic humidity sensors.

In this paper polymerization of acrylic acid was performed using non thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet technology. The goal of this study is to deposit organic functional coatings for biomedical applications using a low cost and rapid growth rate plasma jet technique. The monomer solution of acrylic acid was vaporized and then fed into the argon plasma for coating. The discharge was powered using a laboratory made power supply operating with sinusoidal voltage signals at a frequency of 10 kHz. The optical emission spectra were collected in order to get insight into the plasma chemistry during deposition process. The coatings were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and growth rates analysis. A high retention of carboxylic functional groups of the monomer was observed at the surface deposited using this low power technique.

The purpose of in-tumescent fire retardant coating (IFRC) is to protect substrate from fire attack by limiting heat transfer. A range of coating formulations have been prepared using Bisphenol A epoxy resin BE-188 and polyamide solidifier H-2310 as two-part binder, ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as acid source, melamine (MEL) as the blowing agent, expandable graphite (EG) as carbon source and nano-boron nitride (BN) as inorganic nano filler. The filler was used to improve the performances of the APP-EG-MEL coating. The effects of nano-BN on the char morphology and thermal degradation were investigated by fire test, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results showed that by substituting or reinforcing of 4% weight percentage of nano-BN, residual weight of the char increases by 23.82% compared to APP-EG-MEL coating without filler. Higher carbon content was obtained in the char and a more compact char was produced. The results indicated that nano-BN could be used as a filler to improve thermal stability of the APP-EG-MEL coating.

A super hydrophobic coating on the surface of glass substrate has been developed using chemical bath deposition (CBD) process. A water contact angle (WCA) greater than 150° has been achieved. Cobalt Chloride (CoCl₂) has been used as the main precursor to investigate optimum composition and high superhydrophobicity. The water droplet has been observed to slide with a sliding angle less than ∼⃒3°. This effect is particularly due to the surface morphology (roughness) and low surface energy that causes water droplet to form a large contact angle thus allowing the surface to show water-repellent properties. Deposition time is the primary parameter affecting the coating properties and a different WCA value has been observed by increasing time. Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) images show the presence of a nano flower-like morphology that helps in imparting superhydrophobic behavior. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) indicate the coating to be composed of cobalt as the main constituent. Contact Angle Measurement confirms the contact angle value to be greater than 170°.

In this study, silane activated nanoclay was reinforced in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) to enhance the thermal resistance/stability and mechanical properties of SBR. silane activated nanoclay with variant concentrations was impregnated in the rubber matrix to fabricate polymer nanocomposites under control processing conditions. Experimental thermal transport, thermal oxidation, phase transition study, and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite specimens were carried out. Thermal insulation, thermal stability, and heat flow response were remarkably enhanced with the addition of nanokaolinite in the polymer matrix. Phase transition temperatures, their corresponding enthalpies, tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation at break and hardness of the rubber composites were positively influenced with the filler incorporation into the host matrix. The Even dispersion of nanoreinforcements, morphological and compositional analyses of the thermal transport tested specimens were performed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively.

Mn-Zn ferrite is one of the important class of soft ferrites. These are famous for possessing high initial permeability. In the present work, we have studied the effect of sintering on Mn-Zn nano particles. The particles were synthesized using co-precipitation method. The structural characterization of the prepared sample after each sintering step were done by using XRD. The XRD analysis showed the spinel structure. The electrical properties were studied as a function of temperature. It was observed that dielectric constant, loss tangent and AC conductivity varies with respect to temperature. The prepared composition is useful in microwave devices.

The explosives materials are normally in an energetically metastable state. These can undergo rapid chemical decomposition only if sufficient energy has first been added to get the process started. Such energy can be provided by shocks. To predict the response of these materials under impacts of shocks of different strengths and durations and at various conditions, mathematical models are used. During the last three decades, a lot of research has been carried out and several shock initiation models have been presented. The models can be divided into continuum based and physics based models. In this study the single and double shock initiation models presented in last three decades have been reviewed and the ranges of their application has been discussed.

Zinc alloy castings are usually assembled together or mounted by screwed steel fasteners, and are tightened to a predetermined torque to develop the required tensile preload in the fastener. Due to relaxation processes in the castings, creep may cause a partial preload loss at an elevated temperature. The equipment used for load relaxation tests consists of a loadmonitoring device, an oil bath, and a data-acquisition system. A load cell monitoring device is used to monitor the load loss in an ISO-metric M6*1 steel screw set into sand castings made from alloys No. 3, No. 5 and No. 2 and tightened to produce an initial preload of 6 kN. The castings were held at constant temperature in the range 80 - 120°C in an oil bath. The oil bath maintains the desired test temperature throughout the experiment. All tests were conducted for periods of up to 160 h. For all alloys, the initial load loss was high, decreasing gradually with time, but not ceasing. The load loss increased rapidly with test temperature, and almost all of the relaxation curves approximated to a logarithmic decay of load with time. Alloy No. 2 had the best resistance to load loss, with No. 5 next and No. 3 worst at all temperatures. The lower resistance to relaxation of alloy No. 3 was mainly due to the lower relaxation strength of copper-free primary dendrites, whereas in alloys No. 5 and No. 2, the higher copper contents contribute greatly to their relaxation strength in the form of second-phase particles.

Upon the legislations issued by the governmental agencies, many companies are in effort of using lead free solders for their electronic products. Many researchers have also focused on lead free solders and determined their physical properties to the merit of their desired strength and conductivity which turns out to be a potentially advantageous after all. The addition of nano particles into the solder alloys has been attempted to investigate the property change caused by such addition from which a main outcome was a limited improved mechanical and physical properties such as lowering the melting temperature. In this study, the addition of nano active carbon particles to Pb-Sn and Pb-free solder alloys were made and characterization studies were conducted to determine their basic properties such as electrical conductivity, microstructural study and also phase transformations. The results indicate that the addition of active carbon particles brings about a change in thermal properties more markedly than other properties with respect to the amount of addition.

Cuboidal shaped PZT powder particles based composition Pb_0.89(Ba, Sr)_0.11(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ co- doped with 1 mol% manganese and 2 mol% fluorine was prepared through hydrothermal route. 200-250nm size cuboidal particles were observed under FE-SEM. XRD technique revealed that the perovskite type ceramic structure has a dominant rhombohedral phase. The resultant powder particles were then spray dried, uniaxially pressed and sintered at different temperatures to achieve maximum theoretical density. 98% density was obtained in the pellets at a sintering temperature of 1190°C with an average grain size of 1-3um. The electrical properties of sintered samples were also measured before and after poling to evaluate the effect of dopants on piezoelectric properties.

Sound proof canopies for diesel power generators are fabricated with a layer of sound absorbing material applied to all the inner walls. The physical properties of the majority of commercially available sound proofing materials reveal that a material with high sound absorption coefficient has very low thermal conductivity. Consequently a good sound absorbing material is also a good heat insulator. In this research it has been found through various experiments that ordinary sound proofing materials tend to rise the inside temperature of sound proof enclosure in certain turbo engines by capturing the heat produced by engine and not allowing it to be transferred to atmosphere. The same phenomenon is studied by creating a finite element model of the sound proof enclosure and performing a steady state and transient thermal analysis. The prospects of using aluminium foam as sound proofing material has been studied and it is found that inside temperature of sound proof enclosure can be cut down to safe working temperature of power generator engine without compromise on sound proofing.

Alumina ceramics having small grain size and high density yield good mechanical properties, which are required in most mechanical applications. Two Step Sintering (TSS) is used to develop dense alumina ceramics. In this research work the effect of sintering temperatures on microstructure and density of the alumina specimens developed by using TSS has been investigated. It has been observed that TSS is more efficient in controlling grain growth and increasing the density as compared to One Step Sintering (OSS) of alumina. Scanning electron micrographs of sintered alumina specimens have been compared. It has been observed that TSS proves to be a better technique for increasing density and controlling grain growth of alumina ceramics than OSS. More relative density, hardness, fracture toughness and small grain size was achieved by using TSS over OSS technique.

Roots pumping systems are widely used in industries to generate vacuum with high pumping speed. In the present work, the performance parameters of indigenously developed Roots pumping system have been studied. The performance parameters being studied are the ultimate pressure, working temperature, compression ratio and pumping speed. Ultimate pressure of the Roots pump after continuous running of eight hours is found to be 1.1x10^-3 mbar. The most important parameter of the roots pump is the zero-gas flow compression Ratio (K_o) which is found to be 18 for the pumping system under study. Efficiency of Roots pump is found to be 76% which is in good agreement as reported in the literature.

Highly reliable, fast and cost effective Spectro-photometric methods have been developed for the determination of Mn, Fe & Cu in aluminum master alloys, based on the development of calibration curves being prepared via laboratory standards. The calibration curves are designed so as to induce maximum sensitivity and minimum instrumental error (Mn 1mg/100ml-2mg/100ml, Fe 0.01mg/100ml-0.2mg/100ml and Cu 2mg/100ml-10mg/ 100ml). The developed Spectro-photometric methods produce accurate results while analyzing Mn, Fe and Cu in certified reference materials. Particularly, these methods are suitable for all types of Al-Mn, Al-Fe and Al-Cu master alloys (5%, 10%, 50% etc. master alloys).Moreover, the sampling practices suggested herein include a reasonable amount of analytical sample, which truly represent the whole lot of a particular master alloy. Successive dilution technique was utilized to meet the calibration curve range. Furthermore, the workout methods were also found suitable for the analysis of said elements in ordinary aluminum alloys. However, it was observed that Cush owed a considerable interference with Fe, the later one may not be accurately measured in the presence of Cu greater than 0.01 %.

Alumina and Silicon Carbide armor plates have been tested numerically against 7.62x51 (mm x mm) armor piercing (AP) projectiles. A 2-D problem with axial symmetry has been designedand the simulations were carried out using commercial software ANSYS AUTODYN. Experiments were modeled for Alumina (99.5%), Alumina (99.7%) and SiC with a range of tile thicknesses (5, 10, 15 and 20 mm). The projectile was chosen as 7.62 x 51AP bullet (initial velocity 810 m/sec)with two different core materials Steel 4340 and WC, however, casing material was copper for both cores. SiC showed better defense against AP bullet as compared to Al₂O₃. The residual velocity and momentum of the bullet were found to decrease with increasing tile thickness. SiC tiles with thickness 15mm and 20 mm successfully sustained penetration against steel 4340 and WC core bullets, respectively. However none of the Alumina targets succeeded in stopping the bullet.

Air plasma spraying system was utilized to deposit Ni₃Al coatings on AISI 321 steel samples. After plasma spraying the coatings were heat treated at different temperatures i.e. 500 °C to 800 °C for 10 to 100 hours. The characterization tools such as, X-Ray diffraction analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy were used. By comparing the XRD scan data of as sprayed and heat treated coating, it was observed that the formation of NiO increases drastically with time and temperature. Due to the formation of NiO, hardness was also enhanced. The oxidation behavior was observed by using optical microscope and when it was studied that the oxidation was increasing with time and temperature. Further, the SEM tool was utilized to study the detail microstructural behavior such as shrinkage cavity and oxide particles. The other phases like alumina and spinel phases were determined by using Energy dispersive spectrometer method.

Inconel-718 is a Ni-Cr-Fe based super alloy. It is widely utilized in aircraft gas turbines, nuclear power systems, space vehicles and medical applications. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of Ti and Nb content on high temperature stress rupture properties of Inconel718. OM, SEM and TEM were utilized for characterization of microstructure. Inconel718 is unique in that it forms large number of phases due to its composition and variety of heat treatments. γ"+ γ' precipitates and the effect of annealing on these precipitates have been studied using TEM. The main hardening phase was identified as metastable Ni3Nb (γ"). Other phases identified after annealing were secondary carbides (NbC) and stable acicular 5 phase. Effect of γ", 5, primary carbides and NbC on creep behavior was observed using OM and SEM. Higher Ti content(1.25 wt. %) resulted in poor creep properties due to large concentrations of primary carbides (TiC) at grain boundaries.

The scheduling in job shop is important for efficient utilization of machines in the manufacturing industry. There are number of algorithms available for scheduling of jobs which depend on machines tools, indirect consumables and jobs which are to be processed. In this paper a case study is presented for scheduling of jobs when parts are treated on available machines. Through time and motion study setup time and operation time are measured as total processing time for variety of products having different manufacturing processes. Based on due dates different level of priority are assigned to the jobs and the jobs are scheduled on the basis of priority. In view of the measured processing time, the times for processing of some new jobs are estimated and for efficient utilization of the machines available an algorithm is proposed and validated.

A job shop has an arrangement where similar machines (Direct consumables) are grouped together and use indirect consumables to produce a product. The indirect consumables include hack saw blades, emery paper, painting brush etc. The job shop is serving various orders at a particular time for the optimal operation of job shop. Forecasting is required to predict the demand of direct and indirect consumables in a job shop. Forecasting is also needed to manage lead time, optimize inventory cost and stock outs. The objective of this research is to obtain the forecast for indirect consumables. The paper shows how job shop can manage their indirect consumables more accurately by establishing a new technique of forecasting. This results in profitable use of job shop by multiple users.

Focus of present work is to develop a setup for high strain rate electromagnetic forming of thin aluminum sheets (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mm) and optimization of forming parameters. Flat spiral coil of 99.9% pure Cu strip (2.5x8.0 mm) with self-inductance 11 μH, 13 no. of turns and resultant outer diameter of 130mm has been fabricated and was coupled to a capacitor bank of energy, voltage and capacitance of 9 kJ, 900 V and 22.8 mF, respectively. To optimize the coil design, a commercially available software FEMM-4.2 was used to simulate the electromagnetic field profile generated by the coils of different pitch but same number of turns. Results of electromagnetic field intensity proposed by simulation agree in close proximity with those of theoretical as well as experimental data. The calculation of electromagnetic force and magnetic couplings between the coil and metal sheet are made. Forming parameters were optimized for different sheet thicknesses. Electromagnetic field intensity's profile plays a principal role in forming of typical shapes and patterns in sheets.

In this study, the effect of processing parameters on the mechanical and microstructural properties of aluminum AA2014-T6 joints produced by friction stir welding was analyzed. Friction stir welding was carried out on a milling machine. Different samples were produced by varying the tool rotational rates (700, 1000 rpm) and travel speeds (45-105 mm/min). Tensile tests performed at room temperature were used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the joints. In order to analyze the microstructural evolution of the material, the welds' cross-sections were observed under optical microscope. The results shows that the resulting microstructure is free of defects and tensile strength of the welded joints is upto 75% of the base metal strength.