The present paper focuses on laboratory tests of fatigue strength of prototype under ballast mats (UBMs), carried out according to the procedure described in the new European standard EN 17282, which was released in October 2020. The mineral wool-based mat revealed significant differences in the values of static and dynamic characteristics, measured before and after the fatigue tests. The elastomeric mats based on recycled materials (SBR granulate and fibers) turned out to have had sufficient durability and effectiveness of protection against vibration caused by railway traffic. The values of static and dynamic bedding moduli, determined before and after the fatigue tests, were used to develop a viscoelastic rheological model of the vibration isolator with the use of fractional derivatives. Using this original model of the ballasted track system with four degrees of freedom, a significant influence of cyclic loading on the level of vibration suppression (insertion loss factor) was demonstrated. The analytical model confirmed that the mats with variations of bedding moduli exceeding 10% should not be used as resilient elements.

The main goal of this work was an improvement in the mechanical and electrical properties of acrylic resin-based nanocomposites filled with chemically modified carbon nanotubes. For this purpose, the surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was carried out by means of aryl groups grafting via the diazotization reaction with selected aniline derivatives, and then nanocomposites based on ELIUM^® resin were fabricated. FT-IR analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the carried-out chemical surface modification of MWCNTs as new bands on FT-IR spectra appeared in the measurements. TEM observations showed that carbon nanotube fragmentation did not occur during the modifications. According to the results from Raman spectroscopy, the least defective carbon nanotube structure was obtained for aniline modification. Transmission light microscopy analysis showed that the neat MWCNTs agglomerate strongly, while the proposed modifications improved their dispersion significantly. Viscosity tests confirmed, that as the nanofiller concentration increases, the viscosity of the mixture increases. The mixture with the highest dispersion of nanoparticles exhibited the most viscous behaviour. Finally, an enhancement in impact resistance and electrical conductivity was obtained for nanocomposites containing modified MWCNTs.

This paper presents the testing methodology of specimens made of layers of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V in dynamic impact loading conditions. Tests were carried out using a drop-weight impact tower. The test methodology allowed us to record parameters as displacement or force. Based on recorded data, force and absorbed energy curves during plastic deformation and sheet perforation were created. The characteristics of the fractures were also analyzed. The impact test simulation was carried out in the ABAQUS/Explicit environment. Results for one, two, and three layers of titanium alloy were compared. The increase in force required to initialize the damage and the absorbed energy during plastic deformation can be observed with an increase in the number of layers. The increase in absorbed energy is close to linear. In the simulation process, parameters such as Huber–Mises–Hencky stress value, equivalent plastic strain, temperature increase, and stress triaxiality were analyzed.

This paper presents the research results on the influence of vibration abrasive machining parameters on the surface layer integrity of elements made by LPBF technology from Inconel 939. The research was carried out on samples of various sizes on vibrating smoothing machines. The influence of the size of the processed elements, the type of abrasive shapes, the processing time, and the supporting fluid on the surface roughness and microstructure of the processed elements was analyzed. Tests have shown that as a result of using vibration processing, it is possible to reduce the surface roughness five times to the value of Ra = 1.1 µm. A significant influence of the type of abrasive shapes was found. There was no significant effect of the machining fluid on the process.

In this article, we present a numerical model of a magnetic abrasive finishing station, which was analyzed using the finite element method (FEM). The obtained results were compared with the real values measured on an experimental station of our own design. The prepared station had the option of adjusting the magnetic flux density inside the machining gap, the width of which could be changed from 10 to 30 mm. The maximum value of the magnetic flux density inside the air gap was 0.8 T. The real distribution of magnetic flux density in the finishing area was also analyzed. A design of experiment was carried out with the following variables: abrasive grain concentration, width of the machining gap, and process duration. The results are presented in the form of regression equations and characteristics for selected roughness parameters.

The present research analyzes the impact of heat treatment atmosphere followed by finishing surface machining of small elements of Inconel 939 fabricated through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The analysis involved annealing in two gas mediums, solution treatment, and aging to achieve the desired microstructure and mechanical properties. The finishing surface was performed using various variants of abrasive machining. A more than fivefold reduction in the average roughness height Ra from 5.6 µm to 1.15 µm was achieved using metal balls as an abrasive, which was required for further processing. Residual stress tests have shown that due to heat and abrasive treatment, tensile stresses change into compressive ones. After printing, samples are characterized by tensile residual stresses on the surface (+ 428 MPa), while after heat treatment, compressive stresses occur (− 179 MPa). Abrasive machining with metal balls increases the value of compressive stresses to − 464 MPa. In addition, the impact of post-processing on the microstructure of Inconel 939 was discussed in terms of mechanical properties. The yield strength of 1184 MPa and elongation values of 19.3% were obtained for samples after HT in an argon atmosphere and abrasive machining with a ceramics roller. These studies provide valuable new information on the effective heat treatment and optimization of the finishing machining of Inconel 939, especially in achieving the desired surface roughness, microstructure, and mechanical properties for aerospace applications.