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Organisationseinheit der BAM
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- 9 Komponentensicherheit (1)
- 9.3 Schweißtechnische Fertigungsverfahren (1)
Today’s industrial demands challenge the research and development sector to make advances in the design and properties of materials that can withstand harsh environments. The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory high-entropy superalloy (RSA), with a remarkable morphological similarity to the γ/γ' microstructure of Ni-based superalloys and promising high-temperature compressive properties, has been considered as a candidate for structural applications. However, additional properties need to be investigated in order to assess the suitability of this alloy for high temperature applications. Therefore, this work investigates the thermodynamic and microstructural stabilities of the RSA at room temperature and between 900 and 1100 °C, and their influence on the mechanical properties. Although it is possible to improve the mechanical properties at 20 °C by tuning the cooling rate, long-term high temperature exposures lead to phase instabilities that negatively influence the creep behavior.
The present Ph.D. thesis provides a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the bulging-cracking relationship in laser beam welding of thick unalloyed steel sheets. It focuses on experimentally proving the existence of the bulging region and on developing a coupled multiphysics mathematical framework to analyze its influence on the three critical factors controlling the susceptibility to solidification cracking, namely the thermal, metallurgical, and mechanical factors.
The research employs a novel experimental setup, utilizing a combination of transparent quartz glass and thick unalloyed steel sheet, enabling real-time visualization of the weld pool geometry and confirming the existence of a distinctive bulging region. To deepen the understanding of these experimental insights, an extensive multiphysics mathematical framework was developed and rigorously verified and validated. This framework introduces an innovative approach using Lamé curves for accurately describing complex three-dimensional weld pool geometries, including the bulging region's characteristics. Through analytical solutions and numerical procedures, it facilitates the computation of solidification parameters, which are crucial for understanding the metallurgical aspects of crack formation. The framework also incorporates a mechanical model to assess and evaluate the local stress distribution within the bulging region.
The findings indicate that an elongated, sharply shaped bulging region significantly increases the susceptibility to solidification cracking. This is attributed to its adverse impact on the distribution and local dwell time of liquid metal residing at grain boundaries during solidification, combined with the localized tensile stresses identified in the bulging region.
In essence, this research contributes to the broader understanding of solidification cracking in laser beam welding of thick unalloyed steel sheets, with a particular focus on the bulging region. The insights and methodologies developed in this thesis are valuable for future research and advancements in the application of the laser beam welding technology for joining high-thickness unalloyed steel components.
Additive manufacturing (AM) offers significantly greater freedom of design compared to conventional manufacturing processes since the final parts are built layer by layer. This enables metal AM, also known as metal 3D printing, to be utilized for improving efficiency and functionality, for the production of parts with very complex geometries, and rapid prototyping. However, despite many technological advancements made in recent years, several challenges hinder the mass adoption of metal AM. One of these challenges is mechanical anisotropy which describes the dependency of material properties on the material orientation. Therefore, in this work, stainless steel 316L parts produced by laser-based powder bed fusion are used to isolate and understand the root cause of anisotropy in AM parts. Furthermore, an efficient and accurate multiscale numerical framework is presented for predicting the deformation behavior of actual AM parts on the macroscale undergoing large plastic deformations. Finally, a novel constitutive model for the plastic spin is formulated to capture the influence of the microstructure evolution on the material behavior on the macroscale.
The contamination of drinking water with pharmaceuticals represents a severe health risk. In order to monitor the drinking water quality continuously and enable quick countermeasures in case of contamination, novel sensors are required. Here, immunoanalytical methods based on the binding of the analyte to highly selective antibodies can be helpful. In this work, magnetic bead-based immunoassays (MBBAs) have been developed for the detection of two relevant contaminants of drinking water: diclofenac (DCF) and amoxicillin (AMX). In case of the latter, not only the parent drug is of interest in the risk assessment but also its hydrolysis products (HPs). In a comprehensive study, the influence of external factors and intrinsic properties of the water on the rate of hydrolysis was investigated. As the hydrolysis of AMX further impacts the recognition by the antibody, a strategy to analyze samples with unknown hydrolysis degree of AMX was established employing the enzyme β-lactamase in sample preparation. For both analytes, the MBBAs enable the fast quantification with results obtained in less than one hour which represents a major improvement over conventional immunoassays like the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared to the respective ELISAs with the same antibodies, the MBBAs further exhibit improved analytical parameters such as a broader measurement range and lower limits of detection. Due to the magnetic properties of the beads that serve as a platform for the assays, they are suitable for the mobile and automated detection at the point-of-care. An integrated diagnostic system was designed in which electrochemical detection with chronoamperometry on a microfluidic chip allows for further miniaturization of the system to enable monitoring of the drinking water quality online in water supply pipes at waterworks.
Development of electrochemical antibody-based and enzymatic assays for mycotoxin analysis in food
(2023)
Electrochemical methods are promising to meet the demand for easy-to-use devices monitoring key parameters in the food industry. Many companies run own lab procedures for mycotoxin analysis, but it is a major goal to simplify the analysis. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using horseradish peroxidase as enzymatic label, together with 3,3',5,5' tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)/H2O2 as substrates allows sensitive mycotoxin detection with optical detection methods. For the miniaturization of the detection step, an electrochemical system for mycotoxin analysis was developed. To this end, the electrochemical detection of TMB was studied by cyclic voltammetry on different screen-printed electrodes (carbon and gold) and at different pH values (pH 1 and pH 4). A stable electrode reaction, which is the basis for the further construction of the electrochemical detection system, could be achieved at pH 1 on gold electrodes. An amperometric detection method for oxidized TMB, using a custom-made flow cell for screen-printed electrodes, was established and applied for a competitive magnetic bead-based immunoassay for the mycotoxin ochratoxin A. A limit of detection of 150 pM (60 ng/L) could be obtained and the results were verified with optical detection. The applicability of the magnetic bead-based immunoassay was tested in spiked beer using a handheld potentiostat connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone for amperometric detection allowing to quantify ochratoxin A down to 1.2 nM (0.5 µg/L). Based on the developed electrochemical detection system for TMB, the applicability of the approach was demonstrated with a magnetic bead-based immunoassay for the ergot alkaloid, ergometrine. Under optimized assay conditions a limit of detection of 3 nM (1 µg/L) was achieved and in spiked rye flour samples ergometrine levels in a range from 25 to 250 µg/kg could be quantified. All results were verified with optical detection. The developed electrochemical detection method for TMB gives great promise for the detection of TMB in many other HRP-based assays. A new sensing approach, based on an enzymatic electrochemical detection system for the mycotoxin fumonisin B1 was established using an Aspergillus niger fumonisin amine oxidase (AnFAO). AnFAO was produced recombinantly in E. coli as maltose-binding protein fusion protein and catalyzes the oxidative deamination of fumonisins, producing hydrogen peroxide. It was found that AnFAO has a high storage and temperature stability. The enzyme was coupled covalently to magnetic particles, and the enzymatically produced H2O2 in the reaction with fumonisin B1 was detected amperometrically in a flow injection system using Prussian blue/carbon electrodes and the custom-made wall-jet flow cell. Fumonisin B1 could be quantified down to 1.5 µM (≈ 1 mg/L). The developed system represents a new approach to detect mycotoxins using enzymes and electrochemical methods.
In the event of moisture deterioration, rapid detection and localization is particularly important to prevent further deterioration and costs. For building floors, the layered structure poses a challenging obstacle for most moisture measurement methods. But especially here, layer-specific information on the depth of the water is crucial for efficient and effective repairs. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) shows the potential to generate such depth information. Therefore, the present work investigates the suitability of GPR in combination with machine learning methods for the automated classification of the typical deterioration cases (i) dry, (ii) wet insulation, and (iii) wet screed.
First, a literature review was conducted to identify the most common methods for detecting moisture in building materials using GPR. Here, it especially became clear that all publications only investigated individual time-, amplitude- or frequency features separately, without combining them. This was seen as a potential aspect for innovation, as the multivariate application of several signal features can help to overcome individual weaknesses and limitations.
Preliminary investigations carried out on drying screed samples confirmed the profitable use of multivariate evaluations. In addition to the general suitability and dependencies of various features, first limitations due to possible interference between the direct wave and the reflection wave could be identified. This is particularly evident with thin or dry materials, for which the two-way travel times of the reflected radar signals become shorter.
An extensive laboratory experiment was carried out, for which a modular test specimen was designed to enable the variation of the material type and thickness of screed and insulation, as well as the simulation of moisture deteriorations. The data collected revealed clear differences between dry and deteriored structures within measured B-scans. These deviations were to be detected with the newly introduced B-scan features, which evaluate the statistical deviation of A-scan features within a survey line. In this way, deteriorations to unknown floor structures are recognized, regardless of the material parameters present. In a subsequent training and cross-validation process of different classifiers, accuracies of over 88 \% of the 504 recorded measurements (252 different experimental setups) were achieved. For that, the combination of amplitude and frequency features, which covered all relevant reflections of the radar signals, was particularly beneficial. Furthermore, the data set showed only small differences between dry floors and deteriored screeds for the B-scan features, which could be attributed to a homogeneous distribution of the added water in the screeds. The successfully separation of these similar feature distributions raised the suspicion of overfitting, which was examined in more detail by means of a validation with on-site data.
For this purpose, investigations were carried out at five different locations in Germany, using the identical measurement method like in the laboratory. By extracting drilling cores, it was possible to determine the deterioration case for each measurement point and thus generate a corresponding reference. However, numerous data had to be sorted out before classification, since disturbances due to underfloor heating, screed reinforcements, steel beams or missing insulation prevented comparability with the laboratory experiments. Validation of the remaining data (72 B-scans) achieved only low accuracy with 53 \% correctly classified deterioration cases. Here, the previously suspected overfitting of the small decision boundary between dry setups and deteriored screeds within the laboratory proved to be a problem. The generally larger deviations within (also dry) on-site B-scans were thus frequently misclassified as screed deterioration. In addition, there were sometimes strongly varying layer thicknesses or changing cases of deterioration within a survey line, which caused additional errors due to the local limitation of the drilling core reference. Nevertheless, individual on-site examples also showed the promising potential of the applied signal features and the GPR method in general, which partly allowed a profound interpretation of the measurements. However, this interpretation still requires the experience of trained personnel and could not be automated using machine learning with the available database. Nevertheless, such experience and knowledge can be enriched by the findings of this work, which provide the basis for further research.
Future work should aim at building an open GPR data base of on-site moisture measurements on floors to provide a meaningful basis for applying machine learning. Here, referencing is a crucial point, whose limitations with respect to the moisture present and its distribution can easily reduce the potential of such efforts. The combination of several reference methods might help to overcome such limitations. Similarly, a focus on monitoring approaches can also help to reduce numerous unknown variables in moisture measurements and increase confidence in the detection of different deterioration cases.
Laser-based active thermography is a contactless non-destructive testing method to detect material defects by heating the object and measuring its temperature increase with an infrared camera. Systematic deviations from predicted behavior provide insight into the inner structure of the object. However, its resolution in resolving internal structures is limited due to the diffusive nature of heat diffusion. Thermographic super resolution (SR) methods aim to overcome this limitation by combining multiple thermographic measurements and mathematical optimization algorithms to improve the defect reconstruction.
Thermographic SR reconstruction methods involve measuring the temperature change in an object under test (OuT) heated with multiple different spatially structured illuminations. Subsequently, these measurements are inputted into a severely ill-posed and heavily regularized inverse problem, producing a sparse map of the OuT’s internal defect structure. Solving this inverse problem relies on limited priors, such as defect-sparsity, and iterative numerical minimization techniques. Previously mostly experimentally limited to one-dimensional regions of interest (ROIs), this thesis aims to extend the method to the reconstruction of two-dimensionalROIs with arbitrary defect distributions while maintaining reasonable experimental complexity. Ultimately, the goal of this thesis is to make the method suitable for a technology transfer to industrial applications by advancing its technology readiness level (TRL).
In order to achieve the aforementioned goal, this thesis discusses the numerical expansion of a thermographic SR reconstruction method and introduces two novel algorithms to invert the underlying inverse problem. Furthermore, a forward solution to the inverse problem in terms of the applied SR reconstruction model is set up. In conjunction with an additionally proposed algorithm for the automated determination of a set of (optimal) regularization parameters, both create the possibility to conduct analytical simulations to characterize the influence of the experimental parameters on the achievable reconstruction quality. On the experimental side, the method is upgraded to deal with two-dimensional ROIs, and multiple measurement campaigns are performed to validate the proposed inversion algorithms, forward solution and two exemplary analytical studies. For the experimental implementation of the method, the use of a laser-coupled DLP-projector is introduced, which allows projecting binary pixel
patterns that cover the whole ROI, reducing the number of necessary measurements per ROI significantly (up to 20x).
Finally, the achieved reconstruction of the internal defect structure of a purpose-made OuT is qualitatively and qualitatively benchmarked against well-established thermographic testing methods based on homogeneous illumination of the ROI. Here, the background-noise-free two-dimensional photothermal SR reconstruction results show to outclass all defect reconstructions by the considered reference methods.
This thesis investigates ultrasonic guided waves (GW) in multi-layered plates with the focus on higher order modes. The aim is to develop techniques for hybrid structures such as of adhesive bonds and composite pressure vessels (COPV) which are widely used in automotive and aerospace industries and are still challenging to inspect non-destructively. To be able to analyse GW, numerical methods and precise material properties are required. For this purpose, an efficient semi-analytical approach, the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method, is used. The material properties are inferred by a GW-based optimisation procedure and a sensitivity study is performed to demonstrate the influence of properties on GW. Then, an interesting feature, called mode repulsion, is investigated with respect to weak and strong adhesive bonds. The results show that the coupling between two layers influences the distance between coupled modes in a mode repulsion region, thus allowing for the characterisation of adhesive bonds. At next, wave-damage interaction is studied in the hybrid structure as of the COPV. Results show that the wave energy can be concentrated in a certain layer enabling damage localisation within different layers. Further investigations are carried out on the hybrid plate with an impact-induced damage. Two well-known wavenumber mapping techniques, which allow to quantify the damage in three dimensions, are implemented and their comparison is done for the first time.
Additive manufacturing technologies provide unique possibilities in the production of topologically optimized, near-net shape components. The main limiting factors affecting the structural integrity of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) parts are manufacturing defects and residual stress (RS) because both of them are virtually inevitable. Taking into account the complex thermal history of LPBF materials, a prediction of the material behavior is not possible without experimental data on the microstructure, defect distribution, and RS fields. Therefore, this thesis aims to understand the factors that influence the LPBF Ti-6Al-4V material performance the most, covering both the production and the post-processing steps of manufacturing.
Indeed, a parametric study on the influence of manufacturing process and post-processing on RS, defects and microstructure was performed. It was found that the volumetric energy Density (EV), commonly used for the LPBF process optimization, does neither consider the pore shapes and distribution, nor the influence of individual parameters on the volume fraction of pores.
Therefore, it was recommended not to use EV without great care. It was shown that the Position on the base plate has a great impact on the amount of RS in the part.
The micromechanical behavior of LPBF Ti-6Al-4V was also studied using in-situ Synchrotron X-ray diffraction during tensile and compression tests. Diffraction elastic constants (DEC), connecting macroscopic stress and (micro) strain, of the LPBF Ti-6Al-4V showed a difference
from the DEC of conventionally manufactured alloy. This fact was attributed to the peculiar microstructure and crystallographic texture. It was therefore recommended to determine experimentally DECs whenever possible.
Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) tests at a chosen operating temperature were performed to evaluate the effect of post-treatment on the mechanical performance. Through the information on the microstructure, the mesostructure, and the RS, the LCF behavior was (indirectly) correlated to the process parameters. It was found that the fatigue performance of LPBF samples subjected to hot isostatic pressing is similar to that of hot-formed Ti-6Al-4V. The tensile RS found at the
surface of LPBF as-built samples decreased the fatigue life compared to the heat-treated samples. The modification of the microstructure (by heat treatment) did not affect the Fatigue performance in the elastic regime. This shows that in the absence of tensile RS, the manufacturing defects solely control the failure of LPBF components and densification has the strongest effect on the improvement of the mechanical performance.
In this work, two X-ray refraction based imaging methods, namely, synchrotron X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR) and synchrotron X-ray refraction computed tomography (SXRCT), are applied to analyze quantitatively cracks and porosity in metallic materials.
SXRR and SXRCT make use of the refraction of X-rays at inner surfaces of the material, e.g., the surfaces of cracks and pores, for image contrast. Both methods are, therefore, sensitive to smaller defects than their absorption based counterparts X-ray radiography and computed tomography. They can detect defects of nanometric size.
So far the methods have been applied to the analysis of ceramic materials and fiber reinforced plastics. The analysis of metallic materials requires higher photon energies to achieve sufficient X-ray transmission due to their higher density. This causes smaller refraction angles and, thus, lower image contrast because the refraction index depends on the photon energy. Here, for the first time, a conclusive study is presented exploring the possibility to apply SXRR and SXRCT to metallic materials. It is shown that both methods can be optimized to overcome the reduced contrast due to smaller refraction angles. Hence, the only remaining limitation is the achievable X-ray Transmission which is common to all X-ray imaging methods. Further, a model for the quantitative analysis of the inner surfaces is presented and verified.
For this purpose four case studies are conducted each posing a specific challenge to the imaging task. Case study A investigates cracks in a coupon taken from an aluminum weld seam. This case study primarily serves to verify the model for quantitative analysis and prove the sensitivity to sub-resolution features. In case study B, the
damage evolution in an aluminum-based particle reinforced metal-matrix composite is analyzed. Here, the accuracy and repeatability of subsequent SXRR measurements is investigated showing that measurement errors of less than 3% can be achieved. Further, case study B marks the fist application of SXRR in combination with in-situ tensile loading. Case study C is out of the highly topical field of additive manufacturing. Here, porosity in additively manufactured Ti-Al6-V4 is analyzed with a special interest in the pore morphology. A classification scheme based on SXRR measurements is devised which allows to distinguish binding defects from keyhole pores even if the defects cannot be spatially resolved. In case study D, SXRCT is applied to the analysis of hydrogen assisted cracking in steel. Due to the high X-ray attenuation of steel a comparatively high photonenergy of 50 keV is required here. This causes increased noise and lower contrast in the data compared to the other case studies. However, despite the lower data quality a quantitative analysis of the occurance of cracks in dependence of hydrogen content and applied mechanical load is possible.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) in terms of laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) offers new prospects regarding the design of parts and enables therefore the production of lattice structures. These lattice structures shall be implemented in various industrial applications (e.g. gas turbines) for reasons of material savings or cooling
channels. However, internal defects, residual stress, and structural deviations from the nominal geometry are unavoidable.
In this work, the structural integrity of lattice structures manufactured by means of L-PBF was non-destructively investigated on a multiscale approach.
A workflow for quantitative 3D powder analysis in terms of particle size, particle shape, particle porosity, inter-particle distance and packing density was established.
Synchrotron computed tomography (CT) was used to correlate the packing
density with the particle size and particle shape. It was also observed that at least about 50% of the powder porosity was released during production of the struts.
Struts are the component of lattice structures and were investigated by means of laboratory CT. The focus was on the influence of the build angle on part porosity and surface quality. The surface topography analysis was advanced by the quantitative characterisation of re-entrant surface features. This characterisation was compared with conventional surface parameters showing their complementary
information, but also the need for AM specific surface parameters.
The mechanical behaviour of the lattice structure was investigated with in-situ CT under compression and successive digital volume correlation (DVC). The Deformation was found to be knot-dominated, and therefore the lattice folds unit cell layer wise.
The residual stress was determined experimentally for the first time in such lattice structures. Neutron diffraction was used for the non-destructive 3D stress investigation. The principal stress directions and values were determined in dependence of the number of measured directions. While a significant uni-axial stress state was found in the strut, a more hydrostatic stress state was found in the knot. In both cases, strut and knot, seven directions were at least needed to
find reliable principal stress directions.
In this study, nanoscopic particles of magnesium Fluoride (MgF2) and calcium fluoride (CaF2) also known as nano metal fluorides (NMFs), were evaluated for their potential to improve wood durability. Even though these fluorides are sparingly soluble, their synthesis in the form of nano-sized particles turns them into promising candidates for wood preservation. Their distinct property of low-water solubility is proposed to maintain long-lasting protection of treated wood by reducing the leaching of fluoride. Analytical methods were used to characterize the synthesized NMFs and their distribution in treated wood specimens. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that these fluoride particles are smaller than 10 nm. In nano metal fluoride (NMF) treated specimens, aggregates of these particles are uniformly distributed in the wood matrix as confirmed with scanning electron microscopy images and their corresponding energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy maps. The fluoride aggregates form a protective layer around the tracheid walls and block the bordered pits, thus reducing the possible flow path for water absorption into wood. This is reflected in the reduced swelling and increased hydrophobicity of wood treated with NMFs. The biocidal efficacy of NMFs was tested against brown-rot fungi (Coniophora puteanaand Rhodonia placenta), white-rot fungus (Trametes versicolor), and termites (Coptotermes formosanus). The fungal and termite tests were performed in accordance with the EN 113 (1996) and EN 117 (2012) standards, respectively. Prior to fungal tests, the NMF treated wood specimens were leached according to the EN 84 (1997)standard. Compared to untreated specimens, the NMF treated wood specimens have a higher resistance to decay caused by brown-rot fungi, white-rot fungus, and termites. Although all NMF treatments in wood reduce the mass loss caused by fungal decay, only the combined treatment of MgF2 and CaF2 has efficacy against both brown-rot fungi and white-rot fungus. Similarly, wood treated with the combined NMF formulation is the least susceptible to attack by C. formosanus.It is proposed that combining MgF2 and CaF2changes their overall solubility to promote the release of fluoride ions at the optimal concentration needed for biocidal efficacy against fungi and termites. In this thesis, it was proven that even after leaching, sufficient fluoride was present to protect NMF treated wood from fungal decay. This shows that NMFs are robust enough for above ground contact outdoor applications of wood, where permanent wetness cannot be avoided according to Use Class 3.2, as per the EN 335 (2013) standard. Also, they pose a low risk to human health and the environment because they are sparingly soluble. Since NMFs significantly reduce the decay of wood, the CO2 fixed in it will be retained for longer than in unpreserved wood. Overall, the novel results of this study show the potential of NMFs to increase the service life of building materials made from non-durable wood.
Polyaniline/Silicon Dioxide Composite-Based Coating for Corrosion Protection in Geothermal Systems
(2020)
Geothermal energy is one of the cleanest renewable alternatives to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel [1, 2]. Despite its promising future, its implementation faces various challenges, one of them being corrosion processes. To implement this energy, hot fluids are pumped from a geothermal well. These hot fluids originate from deep within the earth, so consist of different ionic species and gases in a wide range of temperatures, which lead to their corrosive nature. In terms of geothermal energy resources, Indonesia is at the forefront, with the highest preserved geothermal energy in the world of about 29 GWe and 312 potential geothermal locations [3]. Geothermal wells in Sibayak (North Sumatera), Indonesia, belong to young stratovolcanoes and have operating temperatures varying from 36 °C at the near ground surface to 310 °C at the bottom of the well, which is liquid-dominated with acidic and saline properties [4, 5]. Therefore, this geothermal fluid creates an aggressive environment that is conducive to corrosion of the powerplant infrastructure.
Parts of the geothermal powerplant infrastructure, such as pipelines and heat exchangers, are commonly made of metals, e.g. carbon steel and stainless steel. Consequently, they may undergo corrosion and scaling when exposed to the geothermal fluid, especially for carbon steel. To ensure the safety and longevity of a geothermal powerplant, the infrastructure is constructed of expensive corrosion resistant alloys [6–10], e.g., titanium and Ni-Cr based alloys, or carbon steel which needs to be protected by coatings or inhibitors.
To address the corrosion of carbon steel in the geothermal environment, artificial geothermal water was used to simulate a geothermal well in Sibayak, Indonesia, with pH 4 and a saline composition of 1,500 mg/l Cl-, 20 mg/l SO42-, 15 mg/l HCO3-, 200 mg/l Ca2+, 250 mg/l K+, and 600 mg/l Na+. Carbon steel underwent the most severe corrosion at 150°C in an oxygen-containing solution with a corrosion rate of 0.34 mm/year, which is approximately ten times higher than that in the absence of dissolved oxygen. In all conditions, pitting corrosion was observed, which necessitate a protection strategy on carbon steel. In order to promote a cost effective and locally available option, this work focused on an easily applicable coating which utilized local resources.
Toward developing such protective coating based on the locally available resources in Indonesia which can yield good corrosion resistance and thermal stability in geothermal environment, two additional components, i.e. polyaniline (PANI) and silicon dioxide, were used to modify an alkyd-based commercial coating. The selection of the alkyd-based coating as a matrix focused on the industrial convenience basis, where the coating application procedure should be simple and easy to apply within reasonable costs. The alkyd-based coating underwent severe blistering when exposed to the artificial geothermal water at 70 and 150°C due to the reaction between CaCO3 (as one of its components) and the artificial geothermal water, as well as a possible alkyd hydrolysis in the initial stage of exposure. In the oxygen-free solution, the degradation was controlled by chemical and thermal reactions, whereas in the aerated condition, oxidization at the coating surface further accelerated polymer degradation.
PANI was chosen as one of the anticorrosion pigments which was widely developed over the past decades. To investigate the interaction between PANI and the artificial geothermal water, PANI film was electrochemically deposited on the carbon steel surface and exposed to the artificial geothermal water. Electrochemically synthesized oxalate-doped PANI was protective against corrosion of carbon steel in artificial geothermal water at room temperature. The mechanism involved an exchange of electroactive species within the coating layer, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectra. Interaction of ionic species, such as Cl-, Na+, Ca2+ from the artificial geothermal water, with the outer layer of PANI is suggested both at 25°C and 150°C, based on the EDX spectra of the coating surface after exposure to the artificial geothermal water. Thus, the protection mechanism of PANI is not solely based on the physical barrier layer properties, but rather associated with the redox mediated properties of PANI, which selectively allow ionic species intrusion from the electrolyte into the PANI layer. Although PANI is a promising candidate as an anticorrosion coating, its morphological characterization reveals that electrochemically deposited PANI is not stable for an application at 150°C. Therefore, another approach was used to promote better protective behavior of PANI by dispersing chemically synthesized PANI in the alkyd-based coating.
To enhance the thermal stability of the coating, silicon dioxide (SiO2) was added, which was able to prolong the sustainability of coated metals until 28 days compared to the unmodified alkyd-based coating, which underwent a change in color to brown/orange only within 7 days of exposure. This improvement might be associated with the role of SiO2 to proportionate the thermal expansion coefficient of the coating system to be compatible with that of carbon steel. Although the coating is thermally enhanced, the electrolyte might still intrude through the coating resulting in the change of coating color after 28 days of exposure in the artificial geothermal water. When PANI was added, the coating system provided an active corrosion protection on the carbon steel surface. The chemical and morphological characterization of the PANI-alkyd and SiO2-alkyd coating system showed that coatings were improved, and no blisters were observed, albeit the degradation continued. Based on the results of exposure tests, the combined coating system was further investigated.
The combinational coating of PANI/SiO2-alkyd was used with 2 wt% of PANI and 15 wt% of SiO2. Electrochemical tests indicated cathodic protection at 150°C, as the Ecorr of PANI/SiO2 remained approximately 400 mV lower than the carbon steel potential. The impedance spectra of the combinational coating of PANI/SiO2 showed a continuous decrease in the absolute impedance value over time. A significant decrease was observed within one day of exposure, followed by a slow gradual decrease, which might be associated with water absorption in the coating. FTIR spectra revealed that several peaks associated with the organic portion of the coatings were reduced after the specimens were exposed for 6 months. However, the absorption peaks related to the inorganic portion of the coatings remained stable until 6 months. Morphological characterization of the combinational coating of PANI/SiO2 showed that there were no blisters or significant discoloration of coatings after long-term exposure for 6 months in artificial geothermal water at 150°C, indicating that the chemical degradation does not significantly affect the functionality of the coating. This clearly shows the durability of PANI/SiO2 coating in the geothermal condition, suggesting that this coating can be used for such geothermal application. However, further testing of this coating should be conducted in a real geothermal environment on-site to ensure safety and viability.
Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) and Slow Crack Growth (SCG) of PE-HD induced by external fluids
(2020)
High-density polyethylene (PE-HD) is widely used as a packaging material. Typical applications are pipes and containers for storage and transport of dangerous goods. For these applications, the understanding of the craze-crack damage mechanisms slow crack growth (SCG) and environmental stress cracking (ESC) is of importance. Since these mechanisms are considered to be the major causes of failure, their understanding is essential for inspection and release of those materials.
A well-established test method for the assessment of these damage mechanisms is the full-notch creep test (FNCT). It is used in this study for a detailed investigation of crack propagation phenomena in PE-HD container materials under the influence of different fluids such as air, water and aqueous detergent solutions (Arkopal N 100) as well as biodiesel and diesel. Based on the results of the FNCT, a classification scheme of different fluids is proposed, which allows for an assignment of the respective damage mechanisms. Hereby, it is differentiated between (i) inert, (ii) purely surface-active and (iii) additionally sorptive, bulk-active fluids with respect to SCG. If the test fluid changes the intrinsic properties (at the surface or in the bulk), the damage mechanism is addressed to ESC behavior.
In FNCT investigations, stress, temperature and specimen geometry were varied systematically. In addition to the time to failure as common measure for the resistance of a PE-HD type against crack propagation, specimen elongation was considered in detail.
Several imaging techniques were applied for fracture surface analysis of specimens tested in FNCT to gain novel information on SCG and ESC behavior. From height profiles obtained by laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and information on surface structures from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicators for the differentiation of the crack propagation mechanisms could be derived. Based on the LSM data, an algorithm for the distinction between ductile shear deformation and brittle crack growth as dominating failure mechanism was developed. Imaging techniques were also used for determination of crack propagation rates, which were related to time-resolved FNCT elongation data. From the time-resolved determination of crack lengths of partly damaged FNCT specimens, an increasing length of craze zone with a progressively propagating crack was revealed for the first time. This relation of crack and craze zones was specified by fracture mechanical considerations.
The present work is intended to make a contribution to the monitoring of civil engineering structures. The detection of damage to structures is based on the evaluation of spatially and temporally distributed hybrid measurements. The acquired data can be evaluated purely geometrically or physically. It is preferable to do the latter, since the cause of damage can be determined by means of geometrical-physical laws in order to be able to intervene in time and ensure the further use of the structures. For this reason, the continuum mechanical field equations in conjunction with the finite element method and hybrid measurements are combined into a single evaluation method by the adjustment calculation. This results in two challenges.
The first task deals with the relationship between the finite element method and the method of least squares. The finite element method solves certain problem classes, which are described by a system of elliptical partial differential equations. Whereas the method of least squares solves another class of problems, which is formulated as an overdetermined system of equations. The striking similarity between both methods is known since many decades. However, it remains unresolved why this resemblance exists. The contribution is to clarify this by examining the variational calculus, especially with regard to its methodological procedure. Although the well-known Gauss-Markov model within the method of least squares and the finite element method solve inherently different problem classes, it is shown that both methods can be derived by following the same methodological steps of the variational calculus. From a methodical viewpoint, this implies that both methods are not only similar, but actually the same. In addition, it is pointed out where a possible cross-connection to other methods exists.
The second task introduces a Measurement- and Model-based Structural Analysis (MeMoS) by integrating the finite element method into the adjustment calculation. It is shown in numerical examinations how this integrated analysis can be used for parameter identification of simple as well as arbitrarily shaped structural components. Based on this, it is examined with which observation types, with which precision and at which location of the structure these measurements must be carried out in order to determine the material parameters as precisely as possible. This serves to determine an optimal and economic measurement set-up. With this integrated analysis, a substitute model of a geometrically complex structure can also be determined. The issue of the detection and localisation of damage within a structure is studied by means of this structural analysis. The Measurement and Model-based Structural Analysis is validated using two different test setups, an aluminum model bridge and a bending beam.
Free-living and (ecto)-mycorrhizal fungi enhance rock weathering. In their roles as mineral weathering agents and mutualistic partners of phototrophs, fungi supply primary producers like plants and phototrophic microorganisms with mineral-derived nutrients. The exact mechanisms behind fungus-induced mineral weathering processes are however not well understood. Progress can be achieved here by reproducible experimental simulations of the natural processes, using well-characterised model organisms and minerals.
In this study, the weathering-affecting, rock-inhabiting fungus, Knufia petricola A95 and the Fe-bearing olivine (Fe0.2Mg1.8SiO4) were selected to investigate fungi-induced effects on mineral dissolution. The availability of a melanin-deficient mutant (ΔKppks) of K. petricola A95, that produced more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) than the wild type (WT), enabled comparative studies of the role of melanin and EPS in weathering processes.
Three experimental systems, which generate long-term microbiological stability, were developed to study the impact of the WT and ΔKppks on olivine weathering: (1) batch and (2) mixed flow dissolution experiments, and (3) biofilm cultivation experiments. In addition, state-of-the-art analytical techniques were used to monitor changes in the growth medium, as well as of the mineral surface and biofilm-mineral interface.
Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis of the Mg, Si and Fe concentrations in the reacted growth medium was used to quantify olivine dissolution. In abiotic controls, Mg and Si dissolved congruently, while Fe precipitated. The measured olivine dissolution rates at pH 6 were two orders of magnitude lower than previously reported, but similar at acidic pH. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the olivine surface confirmed the presence of Fe (oxyhydr)oxide precipitates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of an abiotically reacted polished olivine section from the long-term cultivation experiment showed the presence of an amorphous layer enriched in Fe. All these observations indicate that the precipitation of Fe (oxyhydr)oxides on the olivine surface inhibits olivine dissolution.
Both tested rock-inhabiting fungal strains affect Fe precipitation as well as olivine dissolution. Evaluation of the WT and ΔKppks revealed that the WT formed less biomass but could take up higher amounts of metals (e.g. Fe) and was more efficient in its attachment to olivine. The WT and ΔKppks enhanced olivine dissolution as demonstrated by higher Mg and Si concentration in the reacted growth medium. They furthermore prevented Fe precipitation by binding Fe and retaining it in solution, thereby allowing olivine dissolution to proceed. The WT cells that were attached to the olivine surface were particularly efficient at inhibiting Fe precipitation. By binding Fe directly at the olivine surface, the WT cells removed the inhibition of olivine dissolution almost completely. TEM analysis of polished olivine sections, colonised by a fungal biofilm for seven months, supported this hypothesis. After long-term fungus-olivine interaction, the Fe-enriched, amorphous layer did not develop, and the olivine surface was stronger etched compared to the abiotic control.
To study the effect of mutualism on mineral weathering, K. petricola was grown with the cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133. Both partners showed an enhanced growth and formed a stratified biofilm which attached more strongly to olivine. Nevertheless, the olivine dissolution rate of the fungus-cyanobacterium consortium was moderate.
Rock weathering simulation systems developed here are promising research instruments. The experimental conditions allow for the alteration of the studied mineral surface, while the clear definition of these conditions delivers a stable growth of microorganisms. The latter makes these systems universally applicable, especially in combination with integrative multidisciplinary analytics. Processes underlying environmental and biological effects on rock weathering, metal corrosion, plastic degradation, or the deterioration of any other substrate can be studied reproducibly and over a long period of time. The chemical and biological complexity of these simulation systems mimics natural rock weathering processes. The mineral dissolution rates generated in this study are therefore relevant to natural ecosystems.
Data fusion for multi-sensor nondestructive detection of surface cracks in ferromagnetic materials
(2018)
Fatigue cracking is a dangerous and cost-intensive phenomenon that requires early detection. But at high test sensitivity, the abundance of false indications limits the reliability of conventional materials testing. This thesis exploits the diversity of physical principles that different nondestructive surface inspection methods offer, by applying data fusion techniques to increase the reliability of defect detection. The first main contribution are novel approaches for the fusion of NDT images. These surface scans are obtained from state-of-the-art inspection procedures in Eddy Current Testing, Thermal Testing and Magnetic Flux Leakage Testing. The implemented image fusion strategy demonstrates that simple algebraic fusion rules are sufficient for high performance, given adequate signal normalization. Data fusion reduces the rate of false positives is reduced by a factor of six over the best individual sensor at a 10 μm deep groove. Moreover, the utility of state-of-the-art image representations, like the Shearlet domain, are explored. However, the theoretical advantages of such directional transforms are not attained in practice with the given data. Nevertheless, the benefit of fusion over single-sensor inspection is confirmed a second time. Furthermore, this work proposes novel techniques for fusion at a high level of signal abstraction. A kernel-based approach is introduced to integrate spatially scattered detection hypotheses. This method explicitly deals with registration errors that are unavoidable in practice. Surface discontinuities as shallow as 30 μm are reliably found by fusion, whereas the best individual sensor requires depths of 40–50 μm for successful detection. The experiment is replicated on a similar second test specimen. Practical guidelines are given at the end of the thesis, and the need for a data sharing initiative is stressed to promote future research on this topic.
Isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) is emerging in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine as an alternative to immunoassays and is acknowledged as the MS “gold standard” for small biomolecule quantification. Hepcidin-25, a key iron-regulatory peptide hormone discovered in 2000, has revolutionized the understanding of iron disorders and its quantitative determination in biological samples should advance the management of iron-related pathology (diagnosis, prognosis and treatment). This study applied LC-MS/MS, using the triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometer, in a rapid and robust analytical strategy for the quantification of hepcidin-25 in human serum, to be implemented in routine laboratories. For this purpose, two sample preparation strategies and two complementary chromatographic separation conditions were investigated, where the use of acidic mobile phases (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid) was compared with a novel approach involving solvents at high pH (containing 0.1% ammonia). The application of these LC-MS/MS methods to human samples in an intra-laboratory comparison, using the same hepcidin-25 calibrators, yielded a very good correlation of the results. The LC-MS/MS employing trifluoroacetic acid-based mobile phases was selected as a highly sensitive (limit of quantification LOQ of 0.5 μg/L) and precise (coefficient of variation CV<15%) method and was recommended as a reference method candidate for hepcidin-25 quantification in real samples (in the dynamic range of 0.5-40 μg/L). One of the novel aspects of the methodology was the use of amino- and fluoro-silanized autosampler vials to reduce the interaction of the 25-residue peptide to laboratory glassware surfaces. Moreover, this LC-MS/MS method was used for an international round robin study, applying a secondary reference material as a calibrator. By determining the degree of equivalence between the results of the ten participating methodologies, the performance of the method developed in this study was found to be in the optimal range as defined by the International Consortium for Harmonization of Clinical Laboratory Results (ICHCLR). In this work, the formation of hepcidin-25 complexes with copper(II) was investigated. The first reversed-phase chromatographic separation of hepcidin-25/Cu2+ and hepcidin-25 (copper “free”) was achieved by applying mobile phases containing 0.1% of ammonia (pH 11). LC-MS/MS and high-resolution mass spectrometry (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS) were applied for the mass spectrometric characterization of the formed hepcidin-25-Cu(II) species at pH values of 11 and 7.4 respectively. A new species corresponding to hepcidin-25 complexed with two copper ions was identified at high pH.
Guided waves hold great potential for applications in the field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing. Examples of possible applications are the ultrasonic testing and structural health monitoring of wheelset-axles as used in trains. Depending on the particular type, these axles can be described as either thick cylindrical rods or thick walled hollow cylinders with varying thickness. Wheelset-axles are safety relevant components that have to be inspected on a regular basis. The use of guided waves would allow a full inspection while accessing only the front faces of the axle, thus potentially speeding up the inspection procedure. In order to develop such an inspection technique, however, detailed knowledge of wave propagation through the axle is required. Established mesh-based procedures, like the finite element method, could be used to simulate guided wave propagation in such structures. However, due to the size of the axle itself and the comparatively fine mesh that is dictated by the wavelengths usually applied in ultrasonic testing, these mesh-based procedures would be very expensive in terms of computation times. The multimodal approach seems to be a very promising alternative that can be expected to provide results significantly faster. The multimodal method uses the guided wave modes of a corresponding waveguide with a constant cross-section as basis in which the local sound field at any given position in a waveguide with varying thickness can be expressed. Thereby the numerical effort is reduced to solving the one dimensional differential equations that govern the evolution of the coefficients in the mode spectrum along the waveguide. Once the sound field has been calculated, a time dependence can easily be included, which allows the simulation of pulse propagation through the waveguide. In this thesis, the multimodal approach, as described for the calculation of Lamb-waves in plates with non-constant thickness, is extended to other types of elastic waveguides such as cylindrical rods and thick walled hollow cylinders. For the sake of simplicity, investigations are restricted to axially symmetric wave modes. The results obtained with the multimodal approach are validated against FEM-simulations. It is shown that the multimodal method potentially holds a great advantage in terms of computation time over commercially available software based on the finite element method. Finally, the multimodal method is evaluated with respect to possible future applications on wheelset-axles.
Switchable Surfaces: Mono- and Multilayers of Stimuli-Responsive Supramolecules on Solid Supports
(2016)
Rotaxanes are mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) that are considered to be excellent prototypes for the development of molecular machines. They comprise a discrete number of molecules that are bound to each other via non-covalent interactions. Mechanically interlocked means that a covalent bond must be broken in order to separate the molecules from another. If the rotaxanes are furthermore provided with different binding sites, they can perform a con-formational change and thus a nanoscopic movement by the application of an external stimu-lus. However, this movement is not directed in solution and a macroscopic effect is therefore, if at all, very difficult to realize. The integration of rotaxanes into a reference system by, for example, the immobilization on a surface is regarded as a promising approach to convert the generated nanoscopic motion into a macroscopic effect.
The present work describes the immobilization of chloride-switchable rotaxanes onto surfaces using a variety of methods. In detail, the applied methods are the metal-mediated layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly and the covalent deposition using click chemistry, which can be con-sidered as separate approaches. Before the rotaxanes were immobilized, the deposition meth-ods were first established and gradually improved on the basis of earlier results by using dif-ferent macrocycle and guest molecules. Various template layers – so-called self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) – were used. These are terminated with pyridine or terpyridine for the metal-induced LbL deposition. Azide-terminated SAMs are used for the covalent deposition.
In the course of that, the following objectives were achieved: The deposition of diterpyridin functionalized macrocycles in multilayers with a preferential orientation was investigated and verified by transmission-UV/Vis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). In order to produce the multilayer, metal-ions and macrocycles were alternately deposited onto various SAMs. To enable further process control for the LbL deposition, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) has been extended by use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) which is capable of analyzing even very small changes in the deposition procedure. By using two different macrocycles and four metals, a mixed multilayer was fabricated that can be programmed by its deposition sequence. The treatment of the multilayers with appropriate guest molecules showed that they are on one hand addressable to the lowest layer by an external stimulus and that they are on the other hand able to incorporate a relatively large amount of the guest. Additionally, the covalently deposited supramolecules are also able to bind guests and to adapt to their structures. In both cases, the reversibility could be shown by appropriate experiments. Finally, the introduction of pyridine-functionalized nanoparticles into the multilayers led to a higher guest uptake, which can be explained by the reduction of the macrocycle-order due to the uneven surface of the nanoparticles.
A thermophone is an electrical device for sound generation. The advantages of thermophones over conventional sound transducers such as electromagnetic, electrostatic or piezoelectric transducers are their operational principle which does not require any moving parts, their resonance-free behavior, their simple construction and their low production costs.
In this PhD thesis, a novel theoretical model of thermophonic sound generation in real gases has been developed. The model is experimentally validated in a frequency range from 2 kHz to 1 MHz by testing more than fifty thermophones of different materials, including Carbon nano-wires, Titanium, Indium-Tin-Oxide, different sizes and shapes for sound generation in gases such as air, argon, helium, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur hexafluoride.
Unlike previous approaches, the presented model can be applied to different kinds of thermophones and various gases, taking into account the thermodynamic properties of thermophone materials and of adjacent gases, degrees of freedom and the volume occupied by the gas atoms and molecules, as well as sound attenuation effects, the shape and size of the thermophone surface and the reduction of the generated acoustic power due to photonic emission. As a result, the model features better prediction accuracy than the existing models by a factor up to 100. Moreover, the new model explains previous experimental findings on thermophones which cannot be explained with the existing models.
The acoustic properties of the thermophones have been tested in several gases using unique, highly precise experimental setups comprising a Laser-Doppler-Vibrometer combined with a thin polyethylene film which acts as a broadband and resonance-free sound-pressure detector. Several outstanding properties of the thermophones have been demonstrated for the first time, including the ability to generate arbitrarily shaped acoustic signals, a greater acoustic efficiency compared to conventional piezoelectric and electrostatic airborne ultrasound transducers, and applicability as powerful and tunable sound sources with a bandwidth up to the megahertz range and beyond.
Additionally, new applications of thermophones such as the study of physical properties of gases, the thermo-acoustic gas spectroscopy, broad-band characterization of transfer functions of sound and ultrasound detection systems, and applications in non-destructive materials testing are discussed and experimentally demonstrated.