• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.961-969
• /
• 2007

The laser material processing has replaced a conventional material processing such as a welding, cutting, drilling and surface modification and so on. LTH(Laser Transformation Hardening) is one branch of the laser surface modification process. A lot of energy is needed for the LTH process to elevate workpiece surface to temperature of the austenite transformation($A_3$), which results from utilizing a beam with a larger size and lower power intensity comparatively. The absorptivity of the laser energy with respect to material depends on the wave length of a beam. This study is related to the surface hardening for the rod-shaped carbon steel by the high power diode laser(HPDL) whose beam absorptivity is better than conventional types of lasers such as $CO_2$ or Nd:YAG laser. Because a beam proceeds on the rotating specimen the pretreated hardened-phase can be tempered and softened by the overlapping between hardened tracks. Accordingly, the longitudinal hardness measurement and observation of the micro structure was carried out for an assessment of the hardening characteristics. In addition, a hardening characteristics as a hardenability of materials was compared in the point of view of the hardness distribution and hardening depth and width.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.116-121
• /
• 2009

The 2-step low temperature plasma processes (the combined carburizing and post-nitriding) offer the increase of both surface hardness and thickness of hardened layer and corrosion resistance than the individually processed low temperature nitriding and low temperature carburizing techniques. The 2-step low temperature plasma processes were carried out for improving both the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel. The influence of gas compositions on the surface properties during nitriding step were investigated. The expanded austenite (${\gamma}_N$) was formed on all of the treated surface. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ and concentration of N on the surface increased with increasing both nitrogen gas and Ar gas levels in the atmosphere. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ increased up to about $20{\mu}m$ and the thickness of entire hardened layer was determined to be about $40{\mu}m$. The surface hardness was independent of nitrogen and Ar gas contents and reached up to about 1200 $HV_{0.1}$ which is about 5 times higher than that of untreated sample (250 $HV_{0.1}$). The corrosion resistance in 2-step low temperature plasma processed austenitic stainless steels was also much enhanced than that in the untreated austenitic stainless steels due to a high concentration of N on the surface.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.709-737
• /
• 2014

Fibre-reinforced self-compacting concrete (FRSCC) is a high-performance building material that combines positive aspects of fresh properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with improved characteristics of hardened concrete as a result of fibre addition. To produce SCC, either the constituent materials or the corresponding mix proportions may notably differ from the conventional concrete (CC). These modifications besides enhance the concrete fresh properties affect the hardened properties of the concrete. Therefore, it is vital to investigate whether all the assumed hypotheses about CC are also valid for SCC structures. In the present paper, the experimental results of short-term flexural load tests on eight reinforced SCC and FRSCC specimens slabs are presented. For this purpose, four SCC mixes - two plain SCC, two steel, two polypropylene, and two hybrid FRSCC slab specimens - are considered in the test program. The tests are conducted to study the development of SCC and FRSCC flexural cracking under increasing short-term loads from first cracking through to flexural failure. The achieved experimental results give the SCC and FRSCC slabs bond shear stresses for short-term crack width calculation. Therefore, the adopted bond shear stress for each mix slab is presented in this study. Crack width, crack patterns, deflections at mid-span, steel strains and concrete surface strains at the steel levels were recorded at each load increment in the post-cracking range.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.405-417
• /
• 2023

While ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is commonly reinforced with micro straight steel fibers in existing applications, studies have indicated that the use of deformed steel macro-fibers leads to enhanced ductility and post-peak responses for UHPC structural elements, which is of particular importance for earthquake-resistant structures. However, there are potential concerns regarding the use of UHPC reinforced with macro-fibers due to the issues of workability and fiber distribution. The objective of this study was to address these issues by extensively investigating the restricted and non-restricted deformability, filling ability, horizontal and vertical velocities, and passing ability of UHPC containing macro hooked-end steel fibers. A new approach is suggested to examine the homogeneity of fiber distribution in UHPC. The influences of ultra-fine fillers and steel macro-fibers on the workability of fresh UHPC and the mechanics of hardened UHPC were examined. It was found that although increasing the ratio of quartz powder to cement led to an improvement in the workability and tensile strain hardening behavior of UHPC, it reduced the fiber distribution homogeneity. The addition of 1% volume fraction of macro-fibers in UHPC improved workability, but reduced its compressive strength, which is contrary to the effect of micro-fiber inclusion in UHPC.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.122-132
• /
• 1992

This study has been performed to investigate into some effects of the power density and traverse speed of laser beam on the optical microstructure, hardness and wear characteristics of medium carbon low alloy steel treated by laser surface hardening technique. The results obtained from the experiment are summarized as follows : (1) Optical micrograph has shown that finer lath martensite is formed and the amount of undissolved complex carbides increases as the traverse speed increases under the condition of a given power density, whereas the coarsening of lath martensite and the reduction of undissolved complex carbides occur with increasing the power density at a given traverse speed. (2) Hardness measurements have revealed that as the traverse speed increases, hardness values of outermost surface layer more of less decrease under low power densities, but are uniformly distributed under high power densities, also showing that they are uniformly distributed at low traverse speeds and more or less decrease at high traverse speeds with increasing the power density. (3) The effective case depth has been found to decrease from 0.26 mm to 0.17 mm with increasing the traverse speed from 1.5 m/min to 3.0 m/min at a given power density of $25.48{\times}10^3w/cm^2$ and to increase from 0.20 mm to 0.36 mm with increasing the power density from $19.11{\times}10^3w/cm^2$ to $38.22{\times}10^3w/cm^2$ at a given traverse speed of 2.0 m/min. (4) Wear test has exhibited that the amount of weight loss of laser surface hardened specimen with respect to sliding distance at a given load increases with increasing traverse speed at a given power density and decreses with increasing power density at a given traverse speed.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.1898-1904
• /
• 2003

Laser heat treatment is an effective technique used to improve the tribological properties and also to increase the service life of automobile components such as camshafts, crankshatfs, lorry brake drums and gears. High power $CO_{2}$ lasers and Nd:YAG lasers are employed for localized hardening of materials and hence are of potential application in the automobile industries. The heat is conducted rapidly into the bulk of the specimen causing self-quenching to occur and the formation of matrensitic structure. In this investigation, the microstructrual features occurring in Nd:YAG laser hardening SM45C and $STD_{11}$ steel are discussed with the use of optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Moreover, This paper describes the optimisation of the processing parameters for maximum hardened depth of SM45C and $STD_{11}$ steel specimens of 10mm thickness by using CW Nd:YAG laser.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.438-443
• /
• 2005

Laser surface hardening is an effective technique used to improve the tribological properties and also to increase the service life of automobile components such as camshafts, crankshatfs, lorry brake drums and gears. High power CO2 lasers and Nd:YAG lasers are employed for localized hardening of materials and hence are of potential application in the automobile industries. The heat is conducted rapidly into the bulk of the specimen causing self-quenching to occur and the formation of martensitic structure. In this investigation, the microstructure features occurring in Nd:YAG laser hardening SM45C steel are discussed with the use of optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Moreover, This paper describes the optimism of the processing parameters for maximum hardened depth of SM45C steel specimens of 3mm thickness by using CW Nd:YAG laser. Travel speed was varied from 0.6m/min to 1.0m/min. The maximum hardness and case depth fo SM45C steel are 780Hv and 0.4mm by laser hardening.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.357-362
• /
• 2008

The 2-step low temperature plasma processes (the combined carburizing and post-nitriding) were carried out for improving both the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel. The effects of processing time and temperature on the surface properties during nitriding step were investigated. The expanded austenite (${\gamma}_N$) was formed on all of the treated surface. The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ was increased up to about $20{\mu}m$ and the thickness of entire hardened layer was determined to be about $40{\mu}m$. The surface hardness reached up to $1,200HV_{0.1}$ which is about 5 times higher than that of untreated sample ($250HV_{0.1}$). The thickness of ${\gamma}_N$ and concentration of N on the surface were increased with increasing processing time and temperature. The corrosion resistance in 2-step low temperature plasma processed austenitic stainless steels was enhanced more than that in the untreated austenitic stainless steels due to a high concentration of N on the surface.

• Laser Solutions
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2008

Laser Transformation Hardening(LTH) is one branch of the laser surface modification processes. A lot of energy is needed for the LTH process to elevate workpiece surface to temperature of the austenite transformation($A_3$), which results from utilizing a beam with a larger size and lower power density comparatively. This study is related to the surface hardening for the rod-shaped carbon steel by the high power diode laser whose beam absorptivity is better than conventional types of lasers such as $CO_2$ or Nd:YAG laser. Because a beam proceeds on the rotating specimen, the pretreated hardened-phase can be tempered and softened by the overlapping between hardened tracks. Accordingly, the longitudinal hardness measurement and observation of the micro structure was carried out for an assessment of the hardening characteristics. In addition, a hardening characteristics as a hardenability of materials was compared in the point of view of the hardness distribution and hardening depth and width.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.47 no.10
• /
• pp.629-634
• /
• 2009

The effects of processing parameters on the surface properties of the hardened layers processed by the low temperature plasma nitrocarburizing and the low temperature two-step plama treatment (carburizing+nitriding) were investigated. The nitrogen-enriched expanded austenite structure (${\gamma}_N$) or S phase was formed on all of the treated surface. The surface hardness reached up to 1200 $HV_{0.025}$, which is about 5 times higher than that of untreated sample (250 $HV_{0.1}$). The thickness of hardened layer of the low temperature plasma nitrocarburized layer treated at $400^{\circ}C$ for 40 hour was only $15{\mu}m$, while the layer thicknesss in the two-step plama treatment for the 30 hour treatment increased up to about $30{\mu}m$. The surface thickness and hardness increased with increasing treatment temperature and time. In addition, the corrosion resistance was enhanced than untreated samples due to a high concentration of N on the surface. However, higher treatment temperature and longer treatment time resulted in the formation of $Cr_2N$ precipitates, which causes the degradation of corrosion resistance.