In the gas-turbine research field, superalloys are some of the most widely used materials as they offer excellent strength, particularly at extreme temperatures. Vital components such as combustion liners, transition pieces, blades, and vanes, which are often severely affected by wear, have been identified. These critical components are exposed to very high temperatures (ranging from 570 to 1300 °C) in hot-gas-path systems and are generally subjected to heavy repair processes for maintenance works. Major degradation such as abrasive wear and fretting fatigue wear are predominant mechanisms in combustion liners and transition pieces during start–stop or peaking operation, resulting in high cost if inadequately protected. Another type of wear-like erosion is also prominent in turbine blades and vanes. Nimonic 263, Hastelloy X, and GTD 111 are examples of superalloys used in the gas-turbine industry. This review covers the development of hardface coatings used to protect the surfaces of components from wear and erosion. The application of hardface coatings helps reduce friction and wear, which can increase the lifespan of materials. Moreover, chromium carbide and Stellite 6 hardface coatings are widely used for hot-section components in gas turbines because they offer excellent resistance against wear and erosion. The effectiveness of these coatings to mitigate wear and increase the performance is further investigated. We also discuss in detail the current developments in combining these coating with other hard particles to improve wear resistance. The principles of this coating development can be extended to other high-temperature applications in the power-generation industry.

This paper presents the effect of laminated aluminium-steel panel with different configurations in a high-speed impact test. Layering aluminium plate with high strength steel has become an interest in reducing the overall density of armour vehicle body while improving the ballistic resistance. Different layering configurations differ in laminated panel performance. Two layering configurations of double-layered panel achieving 25% of existing panel weight reduction were tested using experiment and computational method to investigate their behaviours when impacted with 7.62-mm full metal jacket at velocity range of 800–850 m/s. The ballistic performance of each configuration plate in terms of ballistic limit velocity, penetration process and permanent deformation was quantified and considered. Laminated panel with aluminium as the front layer reduced the ballistic performance of existing panel to 50% and the other panel maintained its performance. Thus, the laminated panel with aluminium as the back layer can be used in designing a protective structure for armoured vehicle while maintaining the performance of the existing vehicle in achieving weight reduction.

This paper intends to prepare a nanofluid sample by suspending Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) at 0.005g/L concentration and analyze the behavior of electrical and dielectric properties based on the International Electrotechnical Commision test method. In order to validate the effectiveness of MWCNT nanofluid, alternating current breakdown voltage (BDV), negative polarity lightning impulse (LI), dielectric permittivity, dissipation factor (DF), DC resistivity and Raman structural measurement are executed accordingly. In the following, an analysis of the statistical distribution using the two-parameter Weibull distribution law of BDV and LI are evaluated at four experimental conditions to predict the probability of breakdown occurring at different percentages. Based on the observation, the MWCNT filler has a substantial effect in improving the BDV and LI characteristics of disposed mineral oil. The permittivity, DF and resistivity performance of MWCNT nanofluid from 25 °C to 90 °C also produces comparable and reliable performance as a fresh transformer oil. As for Raman structure, the revolution of transformer oil by doping MWCNT does not disrupt the original chemical structure of mineral oil. Hence, this study proves the improvement of the electrical and the behavior of dielectric properties and chemical structure of nanofluid, providing a huge contribution towards the development of insulating materials for transformer application.

With the development of societies, diabetic foot ulcers have become one of the most common diseases requiring lower extremity amputation. The early treatment and prevention of diabetic foot ulcers can considerably reduce the possibility of amputation. Using footwear to redistribute and relieve plantar pressure is one of the important measures for the treatment and prevention of diabetic foot ulcers. Thus, the evaluation and prediction of the distribution of plantar pressure play an important role in designing footwears. Herein, the finite element method was used to study plantar pressure under two kinds of foot models, namely, the skeletal structure foot model and the whole foot model, to explore the influence of human bones on the pressure of the soles of the feet and obtain accurate foot pressure. Simulation results showed that under the two models, the plantar pressure and the pressure from the footwear with ethylene vinyl acetate were all reduced. The total deformation demonstrated a slight increase. These stresses are very useful as they enable the design of suitable orthotic footwear that reduces the amount of stress in individuals with diabetic foot ulcers.

The joining of aluminium alloys to steels has been extensively studied, especially in the automotive sector. However, aluminium alloys are known to be difficult to join with steels when methods involving fusion welding are used because of the hot cracking problem. Hence, a high-strength joint between these dissimilar metals would be of benefit especially in reducing the weight of products. In this work, the torch-brazing method was applied to join AR500 steel with AA7075 aluminium alloy using Al–Si–Zn base filler metal at various flame times. The effects of the brazing work on the intermetallic phase formation and the mechanical strength of the joints were investigated. In this work, the maximum shear load obtained was 6460 N and the presence of the intermetallic phases had reduced the shear strength of the brazed joints. However, the torch-brazing process using Al–Si–Zn filler metal had successfully facilitated the joining of these dissimilar metals.