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Mukherjee, Sundeep

Publications and source records attributed to Mukherjee, Sundeep.

Biocompatible Co–P Metallic Glasses with Superior Degradation Tolerance in Physiological Environments

Metallic glasses represent a class of metallic alloys with a fully amorphous structure and attractive properties, making them promising in bioimplant applications. Here, the degradation tolerance of biocompatible cobalt–phosphorus (Co–P) metallic glasses was studied in a simulated physiological environment. The metallic glasses were synthesized in the form of coatings through a facile electrodeposition approach. This method utilizes their outstanding surface characteristics and bypasses the size limitations usually associated with their bulk counterparts. Further, the Co–P alloys showed exceptional tribological response with ~14% lower coefficient of friction and 2 orders of magnitude lesser wear rate compared to SS316 stainless steel. In addition, the Co–P alloys showed a 3 times higher hardness and 4 times higher hardness/modulus ratio compared to SS316, indicating better elastic recovery under dynamic shear stresses that are common in load-bearing bioimplants. The Co–P metallic glasses exhibited excellent hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility in terms of lower platelet adhesion, spreading, and aggregation, a hemolysis ratio lower than 1%, and enhanced surface wettability, suggesting a superlative performance in bioimplant applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructure and Temperature Dependent Indentation Response of Additively Manufactured Precipitation-Strengthened Al 0.3 Ti 0.2 Co 0.7 CrFeNi 1.7 High Entropy Alloy

The temperature-dependent [from room temperature (RT) to 500°C] nanoindentation behavior of a precipitation-strengthened Al 0.3 Ti 0.2 Co 0.7 CrFeNi 1.7 high-entropy alloy (HEA) processed via two different additive manufacturing (AM) techniques was investigated in the as-deposited and annealed conditions. The hierarchically heterogeneous microstructures were achieved via simple one-step annealing treatments, exploiting the residual stresses in the AM-processed HEA to partially recrystallize the microstructure, performed remarkably better than the nearly homogeneous microstructures in the as-deposited state. Further, the one-step annealed conditions revealed < 6.6% reduction in hardness values at 500°C compared to RT, while the as-deposited conditions showed a > 18% reduction in the hardness. The one-step annealed conditions also exhibited significantly higher hardness than the as-deposited conditions owing to their L1 2 -strengthened FCC microstructures. Furthermore, serrated yielding or the Portevin-Le Chatlier effect indicative of microstructural instability was observed during nanoindentation deformation (at 500°C) for the as-deposited conditions but not for the one-step annealed conditions. This, therefore, signifies the robustness of the hierarchically heterogeneous microstructures at elevated temperatures presenting a strong avenue for tuning the HEAs for future nuclear reactor applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Temperature-dependent formation of gradient structures with anomalous hardening in an Al–Si alloy

The temperature effect on forming gradient structure in an Al-Si alloy during surface severe deformation is studied in this report. The intermediate temperature (473 K) produces the steepest gradient structure by an anomalous hardening on the top layer compared to lower (300 K) and higher temperature (673 K) counterparts. Our analysis shows profuse aluminum oxide particles in the top layer of the gradient structure under 473 K and thus lead to anomalous hardening by oxide-dispersion strengthening. Here, the counterintuitive enhancement of strengthening at the intermediate temperature is explained by the dynamic interplay between thermal-driven, mechanical-aided oxidation and the wear-induced loss of surface materials as a function of temperature, which yields a critical processing temperature to achieve the steepest gradient structure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Decoupling of strain and temperature effects on microstructural evolution during high shear strain deformation

The interplay between defect generation by shear strain and defect annihilation by local heating is difficult to predict in shear-assisted processing techniques. In this study, we decoupled the effects of high shear strain and external heating in an immiscible Cu-Nb alloy using a pin-on-disk tribometer to mimic the microstructural evolution of material during solid-phase processing. The change in sub-surface deformation, strain distribution, and redistribution of the second phase as a function of temperature were examined using transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Zener-Hollomon parameter is used to semi-quantify the deformation of Cu-Nb alloys as a function of strain and temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Excellent ballistic impact resistance of Al 0.3 CoCrFeNi multi-principal element alloy with unique bimodal microstructure

Multi-principal element alloys represent a new paradigm in structural alloy design with superior mechanical properties and promising ballistic performance. Here, the mechanical response of Al 0.3 CoCrFeNi alloy, with unique bimodal microstructure, was evaluated at quasistatic, dynamic, and ballistic strain rates. The microstructure after quasistatic deformation was dominated by highly deformed grains. High density of deformation bands was observed at dynamic strain rates but there was no indication of adiabatic shear bands, cracks, or twinning. The ballistic response was evaluated by impacting a 12 mm thick plate with 6.35 mm WC projectiles at velocities ranging from 1066 to 1465 m/s. The deformed microstructure after ballistic impact was dominated by adiabatic shear bands, shear band induced cracks, microbands, and dynamic recrystallization. The superior ballistic response of this alloy compared with similar Al x CoCrFeNi alloys was attributed to its bimodal microstructure, nano-scale L1 2 precipitation, and grain boundary B2 precipitates. Deformation mechanisms at quasistatic and dynamic strain rates were primarily characterized by extensive dislocation slip and low density of stacking faults. Deformation mechanisms at ballistic strain rates were characterized by grain rotation, disordering of the L1 2 phase, and high density of stacking faults.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Deformation behavior of metallic glass composites and plasticity accommodation at microstructural length-scales

Bulk metallic glass matrix composites represent a unique microstructural design strategy for overcoming the strength/ductility trade-off in structural alloys. Site-specific mechanical behavior of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass composite was evaluated at microstructural length-scale. The micro-pillars on the amorphous matrix showed on average a yield point of 1.9 GPa followed by serrated plastic deformation characteristic of shear banding. In contrast, micro-pillars on the crystalline dendritic phase showed a much lower yield strength of 0.72 GPa on average for the four different crystallographic orientations chosen, smooth plastic flow with no recognizable load burst, and stable strain-hardening after yield point. A number of micro-pillars were made at the interface between the glassy matrix and the crystalline dendrite. The mixed micro-pillars showed homogeneous deformation and greater plasticity which was attributed to their smaller stored elastic energy. Shear bands initiated in the amorphous matrix were arrested by the crystalline dendrite, which accommodated plasticity through slip bands and dislocations pile-ups. The interface remained intact after plastic deformation, with no observable signs of devitrification in the amorphous phase.

Bulk metallic glass matrix composite, Micro-pillar↗

Dynamic Shear Deformation of a Precipitation Hardened Al 0.7 CoCrFeNi Eutectic High-Entropy Alloy Using Hat-Shaped Specimen Geometry

Lamellar eutectic structure in Al 0.7 CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) is emerging as a promising candidate for structural applications because of its high strength-ductility combination. The alloy consists of a fine-scale lamellar fcc + B2 microstructure with high flow stresses > 1300 MPa under quasi-static tensile deformation and >10% ductility. The response to shear loading was not investigated so far. This is the first report on the shear deformation of a eutectic structured HEA and effect of precipitation on shear deformation. A split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was used to compress the hat-shaped specimens to study the local dynamic shear response of the alloy. The change in the width of shear bands with respect to precipitation and deformation rates was studied. The precipitation of L1 2 phase did not delay the formation of adiabatic shear bands (ASB) or affect the ASB width significantly, however, the deformed region around ASB, consisting of high density of twins in fcc phase, was reduced from 80 μm to 20 μm in the stronger precipitation strengthened condition. We observe dynamic recrystallization of grains within ASBs and local mechanical response of individual eutectic lamellae before and after shear deformation and within the shear bands was examined using nano-indentation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Particle Engulfment and Pushing By Solidifying Interfaces

The phenomenon of interaction of particles with solid-liquid interfaces (SLI) has been studied since the mid 1960's. While the original interest stemmed from geology applications (frost heaving in soil), researchers soon realized that fundamental understanding of particles behavior at solidifying interfaces might yield practical benefits in other fields, including metallurgy. In materials engineering the main issue is the location of particles with respect to grain boundaries at the end of solidification. Considerable experimental and theoretical research was lately focused on applications to metal matrix composites produced by casting or spray forming techniques, and on inclusion management in steel. Another application of particle SLI interaction is in the growing of Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) (123) superconductor crystals from an undercooled liquid. The oxide melt contains Y2Ba1Cu1O5 (211) precipitates, which act as flux pinning sites. The experimental evidence on transparent organic materials, as well as the recent in situ observations on steel demonstrates that there exist a critical velocity of the planar SLI below which particles are pushed ahead of the interface, and above which particles are engulfment. The engulfment of a SiC particle in succinonitrile is exemplified. However, in most commercial alloys dendritic interfaces must be considered. Indeed, most data available on metallic alloys are on dendritic structures. The term engulfment is used to describe incorporation of a particle by a planar or cellular interface as a result of local interface perturbation, as opposed to entrapment that implies particle incorporation at cells or dendrites boundaries. During entrapment the particles are pushed in the intercellular or interdendritic regions and then captured when local solidification occurs. The physics of these two phenomena is fundamentally different.

Stefanescu, Doru M.↗

Effect of Melt Convection at Various Gravity Levels and Orientations on the Forces Acting on a Large Spherical Particle in the Vicinity of a Solidification Interface

Numerical modeling was Undertaken to analyze the influence of both radial and axial thermal gradients on convection patterns and velocities claiming solidification of pure Al and an Al-4 wt% Cu alloy. The objective of the numerical task was to predict the influence of convective velocity on an insoluble particle near a solid/liquid (s/l) interface. These predictions were then be used to define the minimum gravity level (q) required to investigate the fundamental physics of interactions between a particle and a s/l interface. This is an ongoing NASA founded flight experiment entitled "particle engulfment and pushing by solidifying interfaces (PEP)". Steady-state calculations were performed for different gravity levels and orientations with respect to the gravity vector The furnace configuration used in this analysis is the quench module insert (QMI-1) proposed for the Material Science Research Facility (MSRF) on board the International Space Station (ISS). The general model of binary alloy solidification was based on the finite element code FIDAP. At a low g level of 10(exp -4) g(sub o) (g(sub o) = 9.8 m/square s) maximum melt convection was obtained for an orientation of 90 deg. Calculations showed that even for this worst case orientation the dominant forces acting on the particle are the fundamental drag and interfacial forces.

Bune, Andris V.↗

Numerical Analysis of Temperature Gradients and Interface Shape During Directional Solidification of Al and Al-Cu Alloy Under Microgravity Conditions

Numerical modeling was undertaken to analyze the influence of radial thermal gradient on solid/liquid (s/1) interface shape and convection patterns during solidification of pure Al and Al-4 wt% Cu alloy. The objective of the numerical task was to predict the influence of convective velocity on an insoluble particle near a s/l interface. These predictions would then be used to define the minimum gravity level (g) required to investigate the fundamental physics of interaction between a particle and a s/I interface. To satisfy this objective, steady state calculations were performed for different gravity levels and orientations with the gravity vector. ne furnace configuration used in this analysis is the proposed International Space Station Furnace, Quench Module Insert (QMI) 1. Results from a thermal model of the furnace core were used as initial boundary conditions for solidification modeling. General model of binary alloy solidification was based on the finite element code FIDAP. It was found that for the worst case orientation of 90 degrees with the gravity vector and a g level of 10(exp -4)g(sub o) (g(sub o) = 9.8 m/s(exp 2)) the dominant forces acting on the particle would be the fundamental drag and interfacial forces.

Bune, Andris V.↗