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Stress-relief annealing is an indispensable processing step for non-oriented electrical steel (NOES) sheets to achieve optimal magnetic properties. The annealing microstructure and texture are not only dependent on the annealing conditions, but also on the prior thermomechanical processing history. To investigate the effect of deformation mode on the recrystallization behavior, a NOES containing 0.9 wt% Si was cold rolled by skew rolling in which the hot-rolled-and-annealed plate was fed at 45° into the rolls to change both the initial texture and the deformation mode. The skew-cold-rolled sheets and those rolled by conventional and cross rolling were then annealed at different temperatures (650 to 1050 °C) for different times (0.5 to 30 min). The recrystallization behavior was characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. It was found that the cold rolling deformation mode and the initial texture have a significant effect on the recrystallization behavior.

Soft magnetic cores of electric motors and generators are normally manufactured by stamping individual circular laminates from non-oriented electrical steel (NOES) sheets and stacking them layer by layer to reach the required height. The traditional lamination method can only achieve the average performance of the NOES since the magnetization is in all the directions of the sheet plane. Although NOES is ideal to have isotropic magnetic properties in all the directions of the sheet plane, commercially available electrical steel sheets always show apparent anisotropy in the rotating magnetization directions lying in the sheet plane. The anisotropy in magnetic properties not only causes fluctuations in the rotating magnetic field, but also leads to oscillations in electromagnetic torque, and thus needs to be minimized.

Recently, there have been substantial activities focusing on the development of magnesium alloys for high temperature applications (>150°C) through alloying additions, in order to expand its use. However, a simple route of improving the elevated temperature property of a magnesium alloy through the composite route has been overlooked. In particularly, the possibility of reinforcing a magnesium component through selective reinforcement has not been widely explored. In this paper, a viable technique of fabricating magnesium matrix composites through squeeze casting is provided. In addition, the novel approach of making preforms and the manner which they can be selectively reinforced into magnesium components is introduced. Finally, results on some of the key properties of magnesium composites developed by this technique along with the characterization results are presented.

This paper reports on the fourth part of a continued study on further research and development with the automated Ignition Quality Tester (IQT™). Research over the past six years (reported in SAE papers #961182, 971636 and 1999-01-3591) has demonstrated the capabilities of this automated apparatus to measure the ignition quality and accurately determine a derived cetane number (DCN) for a wide range of middle distillate and non-conventional diesel fuels. The present paper reports on a number of separate investigations supporting these continued studies.

A combustion-based analytical method, initially developed by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and referred to as the Constant Volume Combustion Apparatus (CVCA), has been further researched/developed by an SwRI licensee (Advanced Engine Technology Ltd.). This R&D has resulted in a diesel fuel Ignition Quality Tester (IQT) that permits rapid and precise determination of the ignition quality of middle distillate and alternative fuels. Its features, such as low fuel volume requirement, complete test automation, and self-diagnosis, make it highly suitable for commercial oil industry and research applications. A preliminary investigation, reported in SAE paper 961182, has shown that the IQT results are highly correlated to the ASTM D-613 cetane number (CN). The objective of this paper is to report on efforts to further refine the original CN model and report on improvements to the IQT fuel injection system.

The Magnesium Front End Research and Development (MFERD) project under the sponsorship of Canada, China, and USA aims to develop key technologies and a knowledge base for increased use of magnesium in automobiles. The primary goal of this life cycle assessment (LCA) study is to compare the energy and potential environmental impacts of advanced magnesium based front end parts of a North American-built 2007 GM-Cadillac CTS using the current steel structure as a baseline. An aluminium front end is also considered as an alternate light structure scenario. A “cradle-to-grave” LCA is conducted by including primary material production, semi-fabrication production, autoparts manufacturing and assembly, transportation, use phase, and end-of-life processing of autoparts. This LCA study was done in compliance with international standards ISO 14040:2006 [1] and ISO 14044:2006 [2].