Eutectic copper oxides (Cu2O) crystallize during the copper solidification process in the ETP grade copper which leads to high oxygen concentrations in interdendritic spaces. It has been experimentally found that they can be regular or elongated, and their size reaches several micrometres. During the multi-cage hot rolling process, homogenization of the oxide distribution in the entire volume of the wire rod occurs. This process is carried out in the soft copper matrix. Throughout the drawing process the fragmentation of oxides transpires along with changes in the shape from angular to more oval in a degree depending on the size of the deformation (wire diameter). Microcracks, fissures and local stress fields in the reinforced copper matrix arise around the oxide particles. The article presents the results of research on the evolution of copper oxides in ingots, wire rods and wires. The results of investigations of the wires properties and the limitations of the drawing process, especially of microwires, are presented.

In the last 20 years, a new meshless computational method has been developed that is called peridynamics. The method is based on the parallelized code. The subject of the study is the deformation of open-cell copper foams under dynamic compression. The computational model of virtual cellular material is considered. The skeleton structure of such a virtual cellular material can be rescaled according to requirements. The material of the skeleton is assumed as the oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper. The OFHC copper powder can be applied in additive manufacturing to produce the open-cell multifunctional structures, e.g., crush resistant heat exchangers, heat capacitors, etc. In considered peridynamic computations the foam skeleton is described with the use of an elastic-plastic model with isotropic hardening. The dynamic process of compression and crushing with different impact velocities is simulated.

The paper presents the results of the pitting resistance investigations of selected stainless steels in the chloride environment and the simultaneous impact of erosive factors using the cyclic polarization technique. Additionally, using electrochemical techniques, ie: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and measurement of corrosion potential, the behavior of the passive layer of selected stainless steels in the environment of chlorides and erosion was examined. On the basis of the obtained results, the resistance of stainless steels 1.4301 and 1.4404 was found, both on the effect of chloride ions and erosive factors in the studied systems. Both tested steels are susceptible to pitting corrosion. It was found that a good measure of erosive impact on stainless steel is both impedance spectrum analysis and continuous monitoring of the corrosion potential of steel.

The addition of hard ceramic particles of nc-(Ti,Mo)C in carbon network into Ti matrix has been proved to be an efficient way to enhance their properties. The purpose of this work was to analyze the corrosion, tribological, mechanical and morphological effects of combining nc-(Ti,Mo)C/C with titanium metal, to create a unique composite via selective laser melting technique (SLM). Composites with different weight percentage (5, 10 and 20 wt %) of ceramic phase were produced. The samples of pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy were also tested, as a reference. These composites were examined for corrosion resistance in body fluid (artificial saliva solution). Moreover, the properties of titanium composites reinforced with nc-TiC powders were compared. It was stated that mechanical properties were significantly improved with increasing amount of nc-(Ti,Mo)C/C in Ti matrix. In terms of corrosion resistance, the composites showed worse properties compared to pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V alloy, but better than TiC-reinforced composites.

AISI 316L/TiB2/2p composites were manufactured by HP-HT using different pressures (5 and 7 GPa) and temperatures (900-1300°C), with constant reinforcing particle content 2 vol%. The mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated on the basis of hardness (HV0.3) and compression tests (20°C, 10−5 s−1). The results showed that the role of sintering pressure increased with increasing process temperature. At temperatures of 900°C and pressures of 5 and 7 GPa the difference in measured values of compressive strength was 1-2%, while at 1300°C they reached 20%. At constant pressure of 5 GPa, a change in hardness and compressive strength of 40% were obtained with a temperature change of 900 to 1300°C. Changes in mechanical properties in the composite occurred without substantial changes in density, microstructure, reinforcement phase distribution, and phase composition in the matrix.

7N01-T4 aluminum alloy was welded by metal inert gas welding and the influence of V-groove angle on joint fatigue properties was investigated. The results indicate that the volume of fusion zone (FZ) and the grains in FZ become small when the groove angle decreases to 50° from 70°. Most pores distribute at the FZ edge and fewer pores are formed in the small angle joint. The fatigue crack mainly initiates at the transition region between the weld passes due to the pore concentration. The small angle contributes to increasing joint fatigue properties, especially at the low stress level. The fatigue strength of 50° joint is 103.06 MPa which is 15.3% higher than that of 70°joint.

In order to improve the efficiency of power generation system and reduce CO2 emissions power plants work at high temperature and pressure. Under such conditions modified steel 9Cr, which fulfils the requirements concerning creep resistance, is used. However, Cr2O3 formed on the steel does not protect the construction material in the atmosphere which contains CO2 and SO2. The aim of the experiment was to study the behaviour of P91 steel in CO2 atmosphere with the addition of 1% and 5 vol.% of SO2 at different temperatures (700, 800 and 900°C). It was concluded that the corrosion rate of P91 steel is increasing with a rise in temperature. Scales formed in CO2 atmosphere at 900°C contain a mixture of iron oxides in the outer layer and chromium-iron spinel in the inner layer. The FeS and Ni were found in the inner zone of scales formed in SO2 atmosphere.

In this paper, study the preparation of Y-Fe alloy by reduction-diffusion process, which is novel technique for producing an alloy from its ores directly at different temperatures. From this work, investigates the particles size and morphology structure of alloy by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive-X-ray analyzer (EDAX) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) respectively. Here study the thermodynamics of property of system such as Gibbs free energy and reaction kinetics of system respectively. The Vibrating Sample magnetometer (VSM) is used to study the magnetic properties of alloy such as cocerviety, saturation magnetization and retentivity.

In this study a group of selected transformation kinetics equations is applied to describe the isothermal ferritic transformation in austempered ductile iron (ADI). A series of dilatometric tests has been carried out on ADI at different temperatures. The obtained experimental data are utilized to determine the parameter values of the considered kinetic equations. It is found that the transformation kinetics models by Starink, Austin and Rickett are substantially more effective at describing the ferritic transformation in ADI than the much celebrated Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) equation. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that evaluating the kinetic parameters using the least squares method instead of calculating them from vastly used formulas can significantly improve the accuracy of the JMAK model’s predictions.

The article presents current methods used for the recovery of metals from used electronic equipment. The analysis of the composition and structure of the material was made on the example of one of the most popular and widespread e-waste – used cell phones. The article was address the problems of processing and separation of individual components included in these heterogeneous wastes. The main purpose of the conducted research was to prepare the tested material in such a way that the recovery of metals in the further stages of its processing was as effective as possible.The results of attempts to separate individual material fractions with magnetic, pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods will be presented. An analysis of the possibilities of managing electronic waste in terms of the circular economy will be made.

Electrochemical Cr coatings doped with diamond nanoparticles were deposited on sintered steels with different carbon contents (0.2-0.8 wt.-%). The mechanical properties of surfaces as hardness and wear resistance increase as compared to the steel substrate. Microcutting and microgridding mechanisms were observed after tribological tests, but also adhesive wear in some areas was observed. X-ray examination indicated that the layer was textured, with the exception of the sample with the highest concentration of diamond nanoparticles in the electrolyte (42 g/l). The intensity ratio ICr110/ICr200 was calculated and compared with the indices for a standard sample. The greatest differences in the intensity ratio occurred for the samples with low carbon content (0.2%C). On the other hand, more the material is textured the greater the difference.

The report presents research efforts on the synthesis of Zn/MoS2 composite coatings by electrochemical reduction from a sulphate-borate bath containing MoS2 powder as a dispersion phase at various concentrations. The structure of the Zn/MoS2 composite coatings was characterised and the effect of MoS2 particles embedded on their microhardness was evaluated. The coatings produced are characterized by a compact, homogeneous structure and a good connection to a steel substrate. The incorporation of MoS2 particles into the zinc matrix has an influence on the structure and morphology of the Zn/MoS2 composite coatings. It was found that the presence of MoS2 particles increases surface roughness along with coating hardness. The incorporation of the MoS2 particles into the zinc matrix slightly improves the corrosion resistance compared to Zn coatings, making the corrosion potential shift towards more electropositive values.

Wider application of silicon carbide (SiC) is anticipated for increasing the durability of various structural facilities. For this study, SiC was fabricated with decreased electrical resistivity for precision electrical discharge machining. Two-step reaction sintering by infiltration of molten Fe-Si alloy was applied for SiC fabrication. The procedure included first sintering at 973 K in Ar gas atmosphere and second sintering by spontaneous infiltration of molten Fe-75%Si alloy at 1693 K in vacuum. The sintered structure porosity became very low, forming 3C-type SiC. Results confirmed that molten Fe-75%Si alloy infiltration occurred because of reaction sintering. The electrical resistivity of the sintered SiC infiltrated by molten Fe-75%Si alloy can be improved to be two orders of magnitude lower than that by molten Si, consequently maintaining the high performance of SiC.

Mixture of nickel and titanium powders were milled in planetary mill under argon atmosphere for 100 hours at room temperature. Every 10 hours the structure, morphology and chemical composition was studied by X-ray diffraction method (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as electron transmission microscope (TEM). Analysis revealed that elongation of milling time caused alloying of the elements. After 100 hours of milling the powders was in nanocrystalline and an amorphous state. Also extending of milling time affected the crystal size and microstrains of the alloying elements as well as the newly formed alloy. Crystallization of amorphous alloys proceeds above 600°C. In consequence, the alloy (at room temperature) consisted of mixture of the B2 parent phase and a small amount of the B19’ martensite. Dependently on the milling time and followed crystallization the NiTi alloy can be received in a form of the powder with average crystallite size from 1,5 up to 4 nm.

The paper discusses experimental studies to determine the effect of the die working portion angle on the lubrication conditions, zinc coating thickness and the mechanical properties of medium-carbon steel wires. The test material was 5.5 mm-diameter wire rod which was drawn into 2.2 mm-diameter wire in seven draws at a drawing speed of v = 10 m/s. Conventional drawing dies of a working portion angle of α = 3, 4, 5, 6, 7°, respectively, were used for the drawing process. After the drawing process, the quantity of the lubricant on the wire surface and the thickness of the zinc coating were determined in individual draws. Testing the finished 2.2 mm-diameter wires for mechanical properties, on the other hand, determined the effect of the die working portion on the yield point, tensile strength, uniform and total elongation, reduction in area, the number of twists and the number of bends.

An attempt was made to determine phase composition of commercial aluminium alloys using X-ray diffraction. Samples for phase composition analysis were selected from the group of aluminium alloys covered by the EN 573-3:2013 standard [1]. Representative samples were taken from eight groups of alloys with different chemical composition (at least one sample from each group). The diffraction intensity was measured with a standard X-ray diffractometer in Bragg-Brentano geometry in a way that allowed identification of the weakest diffraction peaks. As a results of the performed research it has been shown that X-ray phase analysis can be used to identify the matrix of aluminium alloys, Si and crystalline intermetallic phases such as Mg2Si, Al93.38Cu6.02Fe24Si16.27, Al4.01MnSi0.74, MgZn2, Al17(Fe3.2Mn0.8)Si2, Al65Cu20Fe15, and Cu3Mn2Al. The detectability limit of the above-mentioned phases is better than 0.5%. The research has also shown that X-ray phase analysis is applicable in the investigation of phase transformations taking place in aluminium alloys.

This paper presents the results of research of Ni/diamond composite coatings produced by electrochemical reduction method. Research was focused on composite coatings with nickel matrix and diamond as a disperse phase and for comparison purposes on nanocrystalline nickel coatings. Ni/diamond composite coatings were produced in baths with different content of nanodiamond powder. The structures of the dispersed phase and the composite coatings were analysed by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Measurements of selected properties of the coatings were performed, including roughness, microhardness, adhesion and abrasive wear resistance. The research results indicate that the produced coatings have a compact structure and good adherence to steel substrate. Moreover, nanocrystalline Ni/diamond composite coatings exhibit greater hardness and reduced abrasive wear resistance compared to nanocrystalline nickel coatings.

The paper presents the effect of manganese on the crystallization process, microstructure and selected properties: cast iron hardness as well as ferrite and pearlite microhardness. The compacted graphite was obtained by Inmold technology. The lack of significant effect on the temperature of the eutectic transformation was demonstrated. On the other hand, a significant reduction in the eutectoid transformation temperature with increasing manganese concentration has been shown. The effect of manganese on microstructure of cast iron with compacted graphite considering casting wall thickness was investigated and described. The nomograms describing the microstructure of compacted graphite iron versus manganese concentration were developed. The effect of manganese on the hardness of cast iron and microhardness of ferrite and pearlite were given.

To this day, most of the papers related to hybrid joints were focused on single and double lap joints in which shear deformation and degradation was the dominant phenomenon. However, in real constructions, complex state of loads can be created by: a) torsion with shear, b) bending with shear, c) torsion with tensile.

Analytical and numerical computation for simple mechanical joints is known, however, the introduction of an adhesive layer to this joint makes the load transferred both through: (1) the adhesive and (2) mechanical fasteners. There is also an interaction between the amount and stiffness of mechanical fasteners and the strength of the adhesive layer.

The paper presents the results of numerical calculations for the bending with shear type of load for the hybrid structural joint and corresponding simple joints by: (1) pure adhesion and (2) rivets with different quantity maintaining the same cross-sectional area. A total of 9 simulations were performed for: (1) 4 types of pure rivets connections, (2) pure adhesive joint and (3) 4 kinds of hybrid joints. The surface-based cohesive behavior was used for creation of the adhesive layer, whereas the rivets were modelled by connector type fasteners, which simplify complexity of the numerical model. The use of connectors allowed for effort assessment taking into account damage in both types of connections. Application of connector elements can be useful for larger structures modelling, e.g. aircraft fuselage, where the number of mechanical joints is significant and complex load conditions occur.

The temperature of liquid steel for continuous casting determines the casting speed and cooling conditions. The failure to meet the required casting process parameters may result in obtaining slabs of inconsistent quality. Numerical methods allow for real processes to be modelled. There are professional computer programs on the market, so the results of the simulations allow us to understand the processes that occur during casting and solidification of a slab. The study attempts to evaluate the impact of the superheat temperature on the slab structure based on the industrial operating parameters of the continuous casting machine.

Al2O3-Al2TiO5-TiO2 composites can be obtained by the infiltration of molecular titanium precursors into presintered α-Al2O3 (corundum) cylinders. Two titanium tetraalkoxides, and two dialkoxy titanium bis(acetylacetonates) serve as precursors for TiO2 (rutile) and Al2TiO5 (tialite). The precursors were infiltrated as ethanolic solutions. After sintering at 1550, 1600, and 1650°C, the prepared ceramics’ properties were investigated by SEM, in-situ HT-XRD, and conventional XRD. Titanium tetraisopropoxide leads to the highest content of Al2TiO5 in the composite. The more reactive the precursor, considering the Al2O3/precursor interface, the lower and more anisotropic the grain growth, the more homogeneous is the TiO2 contribution and the higher is the content of Al2TiO5. Raising the sintering temperature causes an increase of the crystalline Al2TiO5 con­tent as well as of the grain growth. Moreover, the reactivity of the precursor molecule influences the Ti/(Al + Ti) ratio in the obtained tialite phase.

The paper presents research results on the selection of parameters for the asymmetric rolling process of bimetallic plates 10CrMo9-10 + X2CrNiMo17-12-2. They consisted in determining the optimum parameters of the process, which would be ensured to obtain straight bands. Such deformation method introduces in the band the deformations resulting from shear stress, which affect changes in the microstructure. But their effect on the structure is more complicated than in the case of homogeneous materials. It has been shown that the introduction of asymmetric conditions into the rolling process results in greater grain refinement in the so-called hard layer. There was no negative effect on the structural changes in the soft layer observed.

Modern metal forming processes of non-ferrous metals, particularly aluminum and its alloys, are increasingly based on integrated technologies combining numerous operations in one process line. The subject of this paper focuses on the possibility of using materials after mould casting (simulating a continuous casting process between cylindrical crystallizers – Twin Roll Casting method) for the direct cold rolling process. As a part of this research a pilotage study on metallurgical synthesis and mould casting process of Al-Mg alloys with the magnesium contents of 5%-10%, testing their mechanical, electrical and structural properties as well as susceptibility to cold plastic deformation. This process was carried out with the measurement of strength parameters and confirmed the possibility of cold rolling alloys with a casting structure without prior hot deformation.