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The effects of laser irradiation on the mechanical response of polycrystalline zirconium (Zr) have been investigated. Zr samples were irradiated with an excimer (KrF) laser (λ ≈ 248 nm, τ ≈ 18 ns and repetition rate ≈ 30 Hz). The irradiation was performed in the ambient environment of a gas mixture containing (CO 2 : N 2 : He) under a filling pressure of 20 Torr by varying laser fluences ranging from 3.8 to 5.1 J cm −2 . The surface and structural modification of the irradiated targets were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD). In order to explore the mechanical properties of the irradiated Zr, the tensile testing and Vickers microhardness testing techniques were employed. SEM analysis reveals the grain growth on the irradiated Zr surfaces; however, for increasing fluence up to 4.7 J cm −2 , the appearance of the grains becomes more distinct with an increase in their number density and decrease in size. For the maximum fluence of 5.1 J cm −2 , the grains completely vanish and the surface becomes diffusive. XRD analysis reveals the appearance of new phases of ZrN and ZrO 2 . The variation in the peak intensity is observed to be anomalous, whereas the decreasing trend in the crystallite size and residual stresses is observed with increasing fluence. The microhardness analysis reveals the increasing trend in surface hardness with increasing fluence. The tensile testing demonstrates the anomalous behaviour of the yield stress and ultimate tensile strength with increasing fluence.

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Abstract:The failure response of aluminum alloys under the condition of simultaneously pre-stressing and laser heating was investigated. Specimens were subjected to predetermined preloading states and then irradiated by continuous wave fiber (Yb) laser. For all specimens, it was found that the yield stress decreased with increasing laser power density. This implies that the load-bearing capacity of the specimens reduced under increased thermal or tensile loading. Consequently, the specimen's failure time was shortened by increasing either laser power density or preloaded speed. For Al-6061, a remarkable reduction in failure time by the increase of laser power density is found. However, for Al-7075, under higher preloaded speeds, comparatively smaller impact of laser power density on the failure time is reported. Moreover, for Al-6061, relatively a more non-uniform variation in the average failure time with the increase of laser power density or preloaded speed is observed. The failure mode of Al-6061 turned from brittle to ductile at higher laser power densities; whereas for Al-7075, it changed from quasi-brittle to ductile. At higher preloaded speeds, a greater degree of melting and ablation phenomenon can be seen due to relatively higher temperatures and higher heating rates.

Zinc-oxide (ZnO), a solid lubricant coating, can increase the wear resistance of steels by working as a self-lubricant. In this study, ZnO film is synthesized using the cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD) technique, using galvanized steel cathodic cage (steel cage with zinc coating). The effect of gas composition (H2 is added in Ar-O2) is investigated to optimize the film properties. The surface hardness is increased more than twice in each processing condition. The deposited film shows ZnO phases for samples treated with low hydrogen contents and a combination of ZnO and magnetite phase (Fe3O4) with higher hydrogen contents. The thickness of film reduced from 1.28 μm to 0.5 μm by increasing the hydrogen composition. The wear resistance is expressively increased by film deposition, and the abrasive wear mechanism is changed to an adhesive wear mechanism. A significant decrease in wear rate is observed, specifically by increasing the hydrogen contents. The friction coefficient as a function of sliding distance is smoother and lower than the base material in each condition. This study suggests that the CCPD technique can effectively deposit the solid lubricant coating of ZnO, and it can be used to enhance the tribological properties of steel samples. Moreover, this technique is convenient due to its better deposition efficiency, eco-friendly (no chemicals are involved), simple and relatively low-cost equipment, and low processing temperature. Thus, it can be advantageous for industrial sectors interested in materials with exceptional tribological properties.