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Abstract: The fracture resistance of load-bearing trabecular bone is adversely affected by diseases such as osteoporosis. However, there are few published measurements of trabecular bone fracture toughness due to the difficulty of conducting reliable tests in small specimens of this highly porous material. A new approach is demonstrated that uses digital volume correlation of X-ray computed tomographs to measure 3D displacement fields in which the crack shape and size can be objectively identified using a phase congruency analysis. The criteria for crack propagation, i.e. fracture toughness, can then be derived by finite element simulation, with knowledge of the elastic properties.

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Abstract: Effects of plastic constraint on the fracture of materials have been studied extensively. Often in such studies, the plastic constraint is divided into in-plane and out-of-plane directions and each treated separately. Such a separation adds considerable complexity to the engineering structural integrity assessment analyses. Despite previous suggestions for unifying the effects of constraint in a single parameter, the current engineering assessments have not been updated due to lack of direct experimental validation of such parameters. In this study, we directly measured the effects of in-plane and out-of-plane constraints, for the first time, in the form of plastic zone around the crack using advanced experimental techniques. The measurement of constraints in four specimens with different levels of in and out of plane constraints, allowed us to show and relate the interdependency of in and out of plane constraints. The tests were carried out using synchrotron X-ray tomography with in-situ loading. Attenuation contrast between the constituents of the metal matrix composite material used allowed the tomograms to be analysed using digital volume correlation which calculated the full-field displacement within the samples. The displacement fields were used via a finite element framework to calculate the energy release rate in the form of the J-integral along the crack fronts. The measured plastic zone sizes, dependant on the combined level of in plane and out of plane constraints, were used successfully to rank the J-Integral at fracture of the samples. It was therefore proved the level of plastic constraint can be quantified by using the size of the plastic zone as without separating it into two components thus simplifying the treatment of constraint in structural analyses significantly.

Open Access

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Abstract: The phase behaviour of various deep eutectic systems was analysed using concurrent synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Deep eutectic systems containing the pharmaceuticals metacetamol, 2-ethoxybenzamide or benzamide as binary mixtures with phenol revealed new crystalline phases melting either before or with crystals of phenol, highlighting their lower stabilities. Furthermore, in the phenol:2-ethoxybenzamide system it was shown that multiple metastable phases can form, highlighting the potential for the separation of a hierarchy of crystal structures with differing stabilities from eutectic systems. Through these experiments, we strengthen the idea that eutectic systems can be described by understanding the formation and stabilities of metastable co-crystalline structures. These novel results lead to a deeper understanding of the structure and thermodynamics of deep eutectic solvents, with relevance for analagous systems across materials science.

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Abstract: Detailed information on the atomic arrangement of glassy Cu54Hf46, Cu61Hf39 and Cu69Hf31 alloys has been obtained by the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulation using high-energy X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction data as input. Dominant cluster units are identified by means of the radical Voronoï tessellation technique. Cu-centred clusters show a stronger ordering level than the Hf-centred ones. Results are compared with those previously reported for analogous binary amorphous systems such as Zr–Cu and Zr–Ni. Additionally, the thermal stability of the studied Cu–Hf alloys has been inspected by in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. A different structural evolution is observed for Cu69Hf31 compared with Cu54Hf46 and Cu61Hf39. Products of devitrification are identified and quantified. The better glass forming ability of Cu54Hf46 and Cu61Hf39 compared with Cu69Hf31 is explained in the view of short range order differences of glassy states and corresponding crystalline phases formed during devitrification.

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Abstract: The heat treatment response of the new superalloy ABD-900AM, designed specifically for additive manufacturing (AM), is studied. The as-fabricated microstructure is characterised at multiple length-scales including by X-ray synchrotron diffractometry and transmission Kikuchi diffraction imaging. The very high cooling rates arising during the process suppress γ′ precipitation; thus the details of heat treatment are shown to be important in establishing properties. The yield stress and tensile strength developed are marginally improved by super-solvus rather than sub-solvus heat treatment, but the ductility is then compromised. The tensile behaviour is superior to the heritage alloy IN939 which has a comparable fraction of γ′; this is due to the larger refractory content of ABD-900AM and its finer scale precipitation. The internal strains developed during processing are sufficient to promote recrystallization during super-solvus heat treatment which breaks down microstructural anisotropy and promotes grain growth; however, this effect is absent for the sub-solvus case.