In this work, the microstructure and mechanical properties of an additively manufactured X3NiCoMoTi18-9-5 maraging steel were determined. Optical and electron microscopies revealed the formation of melt pool boundaries and epitaxial grain growth with cellular dendritic structures after the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. The cooling rate is estimated to be around 10⁶ °C/s during solidification, which eliminates the nucleation of any precipitates. However, it allows the formation of austenite with a volume fraction of about 5% and dendritic structures with primary arm spacing of 0.41 ± 0.23 µm. The electron backscatter diffraction analysis showed the formation of elongated grains with significant low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). Then, a solutionizing treatment was applied to the as-printed samples to dissolve all the secondary phases, followed by aging treatment. The reverted austenite was evident after heat treatment, which transformed into martensite after tensile testing. The critical plastic stresses for this transformation were determined using the double differentiation method. The tensile strength of the alloy increased from 1214 MPa to 2106 MPa after the aging process due to the formation of eta phase. The experimental data were complemented with thermodynamic and mechanical properties simulations, which showed a discrepancy of less than 3%.

The surface finish was extensively studied in usual machining processes (turning, milling, and drilling). For these processes, the surface finish is strongly influenced by the cutting feed and the tool nose radius. However, a basic understanding of tool/surface finish interaction and residual stress generation has been lacking. This paper aims to investigate the surface finish and residual stresses under the orthogonal cutting since it can provide this information by avoiding the effect of the tool nose radius. The orthogonal machining of AA7075-T651 alloy through a series of cutting experiments was performed under dry conditions. Surface finish was studied using height and amplitude distribution roughness parameters. SEM and EDS were used to analyze surface damage and built-up edge (BUE) formation. An analysis of the surface topography showed that the surface roughness was sensitive to changes in cutting parameters. It was found that the formation of BUE and the interaction between the tool edge and the iron-rich intermetallic particles play a determinant role in controlling the surface finish during dry orthogonal machining of the AA7075-T651 alloy. Hoop stress was predominantly compressive on the surface and tended to be tensile with increased cutting speed. The reverse occurred for the surface axial stress. The smaller the cutting feed, the greater is the effect of cutting speed on both axial and hoop stresses. By controlling the cutting speed and feed, it is possible to generate a benchmark residual stress state and good surface finish using dry machining.

Having environmental and economic advantages, flax fibers have been recognized as a potential replacement for glass fibers as reinforcement in epoxy composites for various applications. Its widening applications require employing failure criteria and analysis methods for engineering design, analysis, and optimization of this material. Among different failure modes, delamination is known as one of the earliest ones in laminated composites and needs to be studied in detail. However, the delamination characteristics of unidirectional (UD) flax/epoxy composites in pure Mode I has rarely been addressed, while Mode II and Mixed-mode I/II have never been addressed before. This work studies and evaluates the interlaminar fracture toughness and delamination behavior of UD flax/epoxy composite under Mode I, Mode II, and Mixed-mode I/II loading. The composites were tested following corresponding ASTM standards and fulfilled all the requirements. The interlaminar fracture toughness of the composite were determined and validated based on the specific characteristics of natural fibers. Considering the variation in the composite structure configuration and its effects, the results of interlaminar fracture toughness fit in the range of those reported for similar composites in the literature and provide a basis for the material properties of this composite.

The potential of ultrasonic surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) at different temperatures (including cryogenic) for improving the fatigue performance of 304L austenitic stainless steel is evaluated along with the effect of the fatigue loading conditions. Processing parameters such as the vibration amplitude, the size, and the material of the shot medias were fixed. Treatments of 20 min at room temperature and cryogenic temperature were compared to the untreated material by performing rotating–bending fatigue tests at 10 Hz. The fatigue limit was increased by approximately 30% for both peening temperatures. Meanwhile, samples treated for 60 min at room temperature were compared to the initial state in uniaxial fatigue tests performed at R = −1 (fully reversed tension–compression) at 10 Hz, and the fatigue limit enhancement was approximately 20%. In addition, the temperature measurements done during the tests revealed a negligible self-heating (∆t < 50 °C) of the run-out specimens, whereas, at high stress amplitudes, temperature changes as high as 300 °C were measured. SMAT was able to increase the stress range for which no significant local self-heating was reported on the surface.