The high-pressure torsion (HPT) of Ti-Fe alloys with different iron content has been studied at 7 GPa, 5 anvil rotations and rotation speed of 1 rpm. The alloys have been annealed before HPT in such a way that they contained different amounts of α/α' and β phases. In turn, the β phase contained different concentration of iron. The 5 anvil rotations correspond to the HPT steady-state and to the dynamic equilibrium between formation and annihilation of microstructure defects. HPT leads to the transformation of initial α/α' and β-phases into mixture of α and high-pressure ω-phase. The α → ω and β → ω phase transformations are martensitic, and certain orientation relationships exist between α and ω as well as β and ω phases. However, the composition of ω-phase is the same in all samples after HPT and does not depend on the composition of β-phase (which is different in different initial samples). Therefore, the martensitic (diffusionless) transformations are combined with a certain HPT-driven mass-transfer. We observed also that the structure and properties of phases (namely, α-Ti and ω-Ti) in the Ti – 2.2 wt. % Fe and Ti – 4 wt. % Fe alloys after HPT are equifinal and do not depend on the structure and properties of initial α'-Ti and β-Ti before HPT.

Magnesium alloys are one of the lightest of all the structural materials. Because of their excellent physical and mechanical properties the

alloys have been used more and more often in various branches of industry. They are cast mainly (over 90%) on cold and hot chamber die

casting machines. One of the byproducts of casting processes is process scrap which amounts to about 40 to 60% of the total weight of a

casting. The process scrap incorporates all the elements of gating systems and fault castings. Proper management of the process scrap is

one of the necessities in term of economic and environmental aspects.

Most foundries use the process scrap, which involves adding it to a melting furnace, in a haphazard way, without any control of its content

in the melt. It can lead to many disadvantageous effects, e.g. the formation of a hard buildup at the bottom of the crucible, which in time

makes casting impossible due to the loss of the alloy rheological properties. The research was undertaken to determine the effect of an

addition of the process scrap on the mechanical properties of AZ91 and AM50 alloys. It has been ascertained that the addition of a specific

amount of process scrap to the melt increases the mechanical properties of the elements cast from AZ91 and AM50 alloys.

The increase in the mechanical properties is caused mainly by compounds which can work as nuclei of crystallization and are introduced

into the scrap from lubricants and anti-adhesive agents. Furthermore carbon, which was detected in the process scrap by means of SEM

examination, is a potent grain modifier in Mg alloys [1-3].

The optimal addition of the process scrap to the melt was determined based on the statistical analysis of the results of studies of the effect

of different process scrap additions on the mean grain size and mechanical properties of the cast parts.

Experimental Mg-Al-RE type magnesium alloys for high-pressure die-casting are presented. Alloys based on the commercial AM50

magnesium alloy with 1, 3 and 5 mass % of rare earth elements were fabricated in a foundry and cast in cold chamber die-casting

machines. The obtained experimental casts have good quality surfaces and microstructure consisting of an α(Mg)-phase, Al11RE3,

Al10RE2Mn7 intermetallic compound and small amount of α+γ eutectic and Al2RE phases.

The paper deals with experimental investigations of a set of metal "2-delta" gaskets of different depth. The gaskets were examined under assembly conditions, i.e. placed in their seats and loaded with the compressive assembly force with no operating pressure applied to the closure. The electric resistance wire strain gauges were used to measure the circumferential and axial strains at the inner cylindrical surface of the gaskets. The plastic deformations of the contact surface of the seats were measured after disassembly of the closures. The material tests were carried out to determine real mechanical properties of materials applied for the gaskets and the seats. The results of experiment were compared with the analytical approach. The plastic deformations were taken into account in the analytical solution of the contact region between the gasket and the seats. The results of experiment and analytical approach were verified by FEM calculations, which take into account linear hardening of the material, friction and contact effects.

This article concerns the issues of modeling and the optimizational approach for the performance of ore comminution circuits. A typical, multi-stage comminution circuit was analyzed with the high-pressure grinding rolls unit operating at a fine crushing stage. The final product of the circuit under investigation was, at the same time, a flotation feed in which particle size distribution initially determined the effectiveness of flotation operations. In order to determine the HPGR-based comminution circuit performance, a suitable mathematical model was built wherein the target function was linked directly with the effectiveness of the flotation processes. The target function in the presented model considers the issue in terms of the flotation operation’s effectiveness. The particle size distribution of individual comminution products and resulting from the weight recoveries of individual size fractions were criteria determining the quality of the comminution product. Weight recoveries of individual size fractions, in turn, were tied with the technical operating parameters of individual comminution devices. In the first model, profit maximization was the target function, while the second variant of the model took into account maximization of the useful mineral weight recovery in the concentrate. The HPGR application into ore processing circuits also results in energy saving benefits which were presented in a comparative analysis of the energy consumption of two comminution circuits – the first based on conventional crushing devices, and the second on the HPGR unit application which replaced the rod mills. The main benefit of such a modernization was almost two times lower energy consumption by the fine crushing stage and a decrease in the ball mills’ grinding operations load through bypassing a part of the material directly for the rough flotation operations.

W artykule przeanalizowano opisy procesu rozdrabniania przy użyciu różnych teorii. Scharakteryzowano pokrótce teorię stanów granicznych, teorię sprężystości oraz teorię plastyczności dla wyjaśnienia niektórych efektów obserwowanych w procesie rozdrabniania materiałów kruchych. Bardziej szczegółowo opisano zjawiska występujące przy rozdrabnianiu w wysokociśnieniowych prasach walcowych, przeanalizowano wpływ wybranych czynników na wyniki rozdrabniania. Ocenę przydatności różnych hipotez do interpretacji procesu rozdrabniania w wysokociśnieniowych prasach walcowych przeprowadzono na podstawie badań eksperymentalnych. Przedstawiono wyniki prób ściskania wapienia w warunkach podobnych do istniejących przy rozdrabnianiu w prasach walcowych. Kruszywo wapienne umieszczone w stalowym cylindrze poddawano ściskaniu poprzez stempel prasy hydraulicznej. Ściskano próbki o różnym uziarnieniu kruszywa i przy różnej wielkości ciśnienia. Oprócz wpływu wielkości ciśnienia prasowania stwierdzono wpływ uziarnienia nadawy na efekt rozdrabniania. Porównanie otrzymanych wyników wskazuje na duże możliwości regulacji parametrów pracy pras walcowych.

Final quality of casts produced in a die casting process represents a correlation of setting of technological parameters of die casting cycle, properties of alloy, construction of a die and structure of gating and of bleeding systems. Suitable structure of a gating system with an appertaining bleeding system of the die can significantly influence mechanical and structural properties of a cast. The submitted paper focuses on influence of position of outfall of an gate into the cast on its selected quality properties. Layout of the test casts in the die was designed to provide filling of a shaping cavity by the melt with diverse character of flowing. Setting of input technological parameters during experiment remained on a constant level. The only variable was the position of the gate. Homogeneity represented by porosity f and ultimate strength Rm were selected to be the assessed representative quality properties of the cast. The tests of the influence upon monitored parameters were realized in two stages. The test gating system was primarily subjected to numerical tests with the utilization of a simulation program NovaFlow&Solid. Consequently, the results were verified by the experimental tests carried out with the physical casts produced during operation. It was proved that diverse placement of the gate in relation to the cast influences the mode of the melt flowing through the shaping cavity which is reflected in the porosity of the casts. The experimental test proved correlation of porosity f of the cast with its ultimate strength Rm. At the end of the paper, the interaction dependencies between the gate position, the mode of filling the die cavity, porosity f and ultimate strength Rm.

Scientists are increasingly specializing in narrower fields, and communication is often difficult between physicists researching elementary particles and those studying semiconductors, not to mention between physicists and biologists or doctors. This makes interdisciplinary work difficult. And yet sometimes they succeed. One thread of work underway at the PAS Institute of High Pressure Physics offers a good example.

Development of salt cores prepared by high-pressure squeezing and shooting with inorganic binders has shown a high potential of the

given technology even for high-pressure casting of castings. Strength, surface quality of achieved castings, and solubility in water become

a decisive criterion. The shape and quality of grain surface particularly of NaCl – cooking salts that can be well applied without anticaking

additives has shown to be an important criterion. Thus the salt cores technology can cover increasingly growing demands for casting

complexity especially for the automobile industry.

The paper presents the results of investigations concerning the influence of negative (relative) pressure in the die cavity of high pressure

die casting machine on the porosity of castings made of AlSi9Cu3 alloy. Examinations were carried out for the VertaCast cold chamber

vertical pressure die casting machine equipped with a vacuum system. Experiments were performed for three values of the applied gauge

pressure: -0.3 bar, -0.5 bar, and -0.7 bar, at constant values of other technological parameters, selected during the formerly carried initial

experiments. Porosity of castings was assessed on the basis of microstructure observation and the density measurements performed by the

method of hydrostatic weighing. The performed investigation allowed to find out that – for the examined pressure range – the porosity of

castings decreases linearly with an increase in the absolute value of negative pressure applied to the die cavity. The negative pressure value

of -0.7 bar allows to produce castings exhibiting porosity value less than 1%. Large blowholes arisen probably by occlusion of gaseous

phase during the injection of metal into the die cavity, were found in castings produced at the negative pressure value of -0.3 bar. These

blowholes are placed mostly in regions of local thermal centres and often accompanied by the discontinuities in the form of interdendritic

shrinkage micro-porosity. It was concluded that the high quality AlSi9Cu3 alloy castings able to work in elevated temperatures can be

achieved for the absolute value of the negative pressure applied to the die cavity greater than 0.5 bar at the applied set of other parameters

of pressure die casting machine work.

The present work discusses results of increased temperature on shape-dimensional changes of a 110 type hose coupling, produced from EN AC-AlSi11 alloy with the use of pressure die casting technology. The castings were soaked for 3.5 h at temperatures 460°C, 475°C and 490°C. The verification of shape-dimensional accuracy of the elements after soaking treatment, in relation to raw casting, was carried out by comparing the 3D models received from 3D scanning. Soaking temperature of about 460°C-475°C results in no significant changes in the shapes and dimensions of the castings, or surface defects in the form of blisters, which can be seen at a temperature of 490°C.

A mathematical model, created for description of the mechanism of interaction between basic parameters of high pressure dispersion of emulsions, is presented in this paper. The model is applied for the analysis of the influence of physical properties of emulsions, quantitative content of dispersed emulsion phase and parameters of emulsification, pressure and temperature, on the characteristic dimension of particles of the dispersed phase. The model makes it possible to determine appropriate process parameters, especially the pressure necessary to obtain the required dispersion of the emulsion and to define construction and exploitation parameters of high-pressure emulsification valve.

The paper deals with experimental investigations of a set of metal wave-ring gaskets of different thickness and different assembly interference. The gaskets were examined under assembly conditions, i.e. pressed in their seats with no operating pressure applied. The electric resistance wire strain gauges were used to measure the circumferential and axial strains at the inner surface of the gaskets. The traces of contact at the working surface of the gaskets were measured after disassembly the gaskets from their seats. The material tests were carried out to determine the real mechanical properties of materials applied for the gaskets and the seats. The results of experiment were verified by FEM calculations and compared with the analytical approach based on the simplified shell model proposed for the gasket.

The poorly cemented Ciężkowice poorly sorted sandstone and the compact Mucharz fine grain sandstone have been laboratory tested at the triaxial compressing conditions in thermo-pressurized chamber of a rigid press MTS-815. The confining pressure: P = σ₂ = gσ₃ range from 0 to 96 MPa and the temperature: T from 22°C to 120°C (simulated 500 m intervals from the surface to the depth of 3500 m). During (the) each test, the characteristics of deformation and the elastic wave velocity paths were simultaneously monitored. The volume density and longitudinal wave velocity showed a non-linear increase with the progress of simulated depth, a volume density growth by 1.6 to 4.0%, and the elastic wave velocity up to 250% of the primary value (surface condition), dependable on loading path, phase of deformation, and varying type of lithology. That may lead to wide error margin in a determination of rock’s engineering properties and also create discrepancies between the static parameters of rocks (Est, gνst) determined by standard laboratory load tests, and the dynamic parameters (Ed, νd) determined from the wave velocity and volume density.

The results of the Charpy impact test of AE-type magnesium alloys produced by the high pressure die casting method are presented. Three alloys with different weight fractions of rare earth elements (RE; e.g. 1, 3 and 5 wt%) and the same mass fraction of aluminium (5 wt%) were prepared. The casts were fabricated using a typical cold chamber high pressure die casting machine with a 3.8 MN locking force. Microstructural analyses were performed by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The impact strength (IS) was determined using a Charpy V hammer with an impact energy equal to 150 J. The microstructure of the experimental alloys consisted of an -Mg solid solution and Al11RE3, Al10Ce2Mn7 and Al2RE intermetallic compounds. The obtained results show the significant influence of the rare earth elements to aluminium ratio on the impact strength of the investigated materials. Lower the RE/Al ratio in the chemical composition of the alloy results in a higher impact strength of the material.

Most high-pressure fuel pumps for compression-ignition engines manufactured today are cam driven. These pumps have numerous advantages, such as low energy consumption and limited production costs. However, a problem arising from the nature of the cam mechanism is an unfavorable distribution of forces in the camshaft-plunger-cylinder system of a delivery section. The authors have proposed an innovative pump design that eliminates most of the problems present in conventional solutions. The pump utilizes a gear-based hypocycloid drive. This paper focuses mainly on the strength analysis of the two critical components (countershaft and mount) of the subassembly under the highest load – simulations were carried out for different critical load states. The following procedure of estimating fatigue life was adopted for computations: the operational evolution of stresses will be systematized to the set of amplitude stresses and mean stresses by means of the “Rainflow” method. The results obtained in the work showed that the main factor determining change of stresses was the presence of clearances in the pump mechanism. It has been proved that the values of clearances have a negative influence on the power transmission in particular – their presence results in loads being carried by the countershaft and not by the support inter-operating with it. This may cause frictional wear of teeth, leading to the improper operation of the transmission. The analysis showed that the mount was designed correctly. This facilitates the use of less demanding constructional materials.