DETERMINATION OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTALLY-ASSISTED CRACKING OF SMALL AND MICROSTRUCTURALLY VARIED REGIONS WHILE MAINTAINING FRACTURE MECHANICS VALIDITY. The proposed work seeks to develop an improved tool for more accurate design data and improved materials selection criteria for critical equipment and infrastructure maintenance in major Australian industries, where environmentally-assisted cracking is a serious concern (viz., marine, polymer/chemical processing, aeronautical, alumina m ....DETERMINATION OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTALLY-ASSISTED CRACKING OF SMALL AND MICROSTRUCTURALLY VARIED REGIONS WHILE MAINTAINING FRACTURE MECHANICS VALIDITY. The proposed work seeks to develop an improved tool for more accurate design data and improved materials selection criteria for critical equipment and infrastructure maintenance in major Australian industries, where environmentally-assisted cracking is a serious concern (viz., marine, polymer/chemical processing, aeronautical, alumina mineral processing and pulp-and-paper). A successful validation of the novel testing approach (namely, Spiral Notch Torsion Test (SNTT)) for evaluating the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of materials of practical interest that are difficult or impossible to adequately characterize by conventional tests, is as much a fundamental research challenge as its accomplishment will be industrially attractive.Read moreRead less
Improvement in Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance of Stainless Steels in Environments Conducive to Localized Pitting Damage. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to chloride and caustic environments. The proposed project will characterize the chloride-SCC crack propagation parameters for a super duplex stainless steel, which is the material of construction for vessels for stripping vinyl chloride monomer in a PVC processing plant. Alarmingly hig ....Improvement in Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance of Stainless Steels in Environments Conducive to Localized Pitting Damage. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to chloride and caustic environments. The proposed project will characterize the chloride-SCC crack propagation parameters for a super duplex stainless steel, which is the material of construction for vessels for stripping vinyl chloride monomer in a PVC processing plant. Alarmingly high numbers the welds (nearly 50%) in the vessel had suffered extensive pitting (which is a well-known SCC initiator) and SCC cracking. For the mitigation measures, the project will also investigate pitting and SCC susceptibility of weldments of alternative varieties of stainless steels, such as Zeron 100.Read moreRead less
Life Extension of Equipment Suffering Environmentally-Assisted Cracking: An Innovative Approach to Mitigation by Engineering of Materials in Service. Environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to caustic and chloride environments in process, marine, energy and chemical industries in Australia. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus mechanism for EAC. This project will investigate a fresh approach to life extension of in-service equipm ....Life Extension of Equipment Suffering Environmentally-Assisted Cracking: An Innovative Approach to Mitigation by Engineering of Materials in Service. Environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) represents a serious threat to infrastructure exposed to caustic and chloride environments in process, marine, energy and chemical industries in Australia. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus mechanism for EAC. This project will investigate a fresh approach to life extension of in-service equipment suffering EAC, by developing and testing a mitigation measure reasonably independent of the EAC mechanisms. The task includes development of a consolidated strategy based on: accurate determination of the fundamental parameters for crack propagation, and in-situ thermomechnical treatment for local manipulation of material at and ahead of crack-tip, in order to retard/stop crack propagation.Read moreRead less
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected out ....Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected outcome will discover the contributions of phase transition and plasticity on the wear property of NiTi SMA, formulate a reliable wear model and stimulate the application of NiTi in tribology and modern micro-electric-mechanical systems.Read moreRead less