On the applicability of selective laser melting on pistons for the oil & gas industry: Fatigue limit and fracture toughness of selective laser melted TI6AL4V

Pistons for reciprocating compressors for industrial applications are often made of specialised materials. These prove to have problems with manufacture due to the high quality and short production times needed in combination with a low production volume per design. Additive manufacturing, specifically selective laser melting, could solve the...

Permeability Evolution During Shear Zone Initiation in Low-Porosity Rocks

Using an innovative experimental set-up (Punch-Through Shear test), we initiated a shear zone (microfault) in Flechtingen sandstone and Odenwald granite under in situ reservoir conditions while monitoring permeability and fracture dilation evolution. The shear zone, which has a cylindrical geometry, is produced by a self-designed piston...

Relating matrix stress to local stress on a hard microstructural inclusion for understanding cleavage fracture in high strength steel

Macroscale cleavage fracture toughness of high strength steels is strongly related to the fracture of hard microstructural inclusions. Therefore, an accurate determination of the local stress on these inclusions based on the matrix stress is necessary for the statistical modelling of macroscale cleavage fracture. This paper presents...

Fracture properties and microstructure formation of hardened alkali-activated slag/fly ash pastes

This study presents a comprehensive experimental investigation on the fracture properties of hardened alkali-activated slag/fly ash (AASF) pastes in relation to the microstructure formation and reaction product composition. The main reaction product in AASF is C-(N-)A-S-H gel along with minor hydrotalcite phase, with the polymerization of C-...

Fracture mechanisms and microstructure in a medium Mn quenching and partitioning steel exhibiting macrosegregation

A medium-Mn steel, exhibiting manganese macrosegregation, was investigated. In order to study how the microstructure development influences the fracture mechanisms, the steel was quenching and partitioning processed using two different partitioning temperatures. At 400 °C partitioning temperature, the microstructure exhibits intergranular...