This review article aims to provide an updated and comprehensive description of the development of the Electric Current Activated/assisted Sintering technique (ECAS) for the obtainment of dense materials including nanostructured ones. The use of ECAS for pure sintering purposes, when starting from already synthesized powders promoters, and to obtain the desired material by simultaneously performing synthesis and consolidation in one-step is reviewed. Specifically, more than a thousand papers published on this subject during the past decades are taken into account. The experimental procedures, formation mechanisms, characteristics, and functionality of a wide spectrum of dense materials fabricated by ECAS are presented. The influence of the most important operating parameters (i.e. current intensity, temperature, processing time, etc.) on product characteristics and process dynamics is reviewed for a large family of materials including ceramics, intermetallics, metal–ceramic and ceramic–ceramic composites. In this review, systems where synthesis and densification stages occur simultaneously, i.e. a fully dense product is formed immediately after reaction completion, as well as those ones for which a satisfactory densification degree is reached only by maintaining the application of the electric current once the full reaction conversion is obtained, are identified. In addition, emphasis is given to the obtainment of nanostructured dense materials due to their rapid progress and wide applications. Specifically, the effect of mechanical activation by ball milling of starting powders on ECAS process dynamics and product characteristics (i.e. density and microstructure) is analysed. The emerging theme from the large majority of the reviewed investigations is the comparison of ECAS over conventional methods including pressureless sintering, hot pressing, and others. Theoretical analysis pertaining to such technique is also proposed following the last results obtained on this topic.

Consolidation/synthesis of materials by electric current activated/assisted sintering

Mechanically alloyed nanocomposites

Analysis of process parameters effects on friction stir welding of dissimilar aluminum alloy to advanced high strength steel

http://iesys.skku.ac.kr/es/International%20Journal/8.pdf

Optimal cylindrical handle diameter for grip force tasks

Cold metal transfer joining aluminum alloys-to-galvanized mild steel

Machinability of Age-Hardened Al-Cu, Al-Cu-Pb, Bi and Al-Cu-Si Alloys from a Viewpoint of Chip Breaking.

On sport players using raket and bat and general persons, sensory evaluation of the optimum diameter in grasping cylindical object and the movable angle of wrist joint under the grasping were investigated, and the effcts of the fingers in the six movements of wrist joint (Horizontal movement : Palmar-flexion and Dorsi-flexion, Vertical movement : Radial-flexion and Ulnar-flexion, Twist movement : Supination and Pronation) were investigated using stress sensors attached on the fingers. The subjects were ordinary persons and players of badminton, baseball and tennis, and the obtained data were compared to each other. The optimum diameters of the grasping evaluated by sport players were ranging from 30 mm to 40 mm, these values were same as that of ordinary persons, and the average values of optimum diameter were almost same as grip diameters of raket and bat. About movable angle of wrist joint under the grasping, badminton players could move horizontally and twist at larger angle and fielders could move vertically at larger angle. About the grasping force of fingers, the maximum force was exhibited at the tip of index finger for sport players, on the other hand, it was exhibited at the tip of middle finger for ordinary persons. It was considered that the specific training has effect on the sport players in the movable angle of wrist joint and in the finger's way of using at the movement of wrist joint.

Relationship between Sensory Evaluation of Grasping Cylindrical Object and Movable Angle of Wrist Joint and Grasping Force of Finger. Comparison between Ordinary Persons and Sports Players Using Raket and Bat.

Corrosion experience of 13%Cr stainless steel injection well tubing in natural gas dissolved in brine field

We examined the structural neuroplastic changes associated with the learning of computer programming in university students with no previous programming experience. They participated in a 15-week course (26 lessons) on the "Processing" computer programming language. We have conducted a longitudinal analysis of gray matter volume (GMV) in the magnetic resonance images obtained before and after learning computer programming. Significant neuroplastic changes appeared in the following 8 sites: the left frontal pole; the right frontal pole; the right medial frontal gyrus; the left cuneus; the left lateral cerebellum (posterior lobule and tuber); the medial cerebellum (uvula and tonsil); the right pallidum; and the left pallidum. The amount of change in the GMV of the right frontal pole correlated positively with the final product score. Furthermore, the amount of change in the GMV of the right medial frontal gyrus and the bilateral pallidum correlated positively with the test scores. Thus, the right frontal pole was presumably associated with the function of persistent attempts to accomplish tasks (goal achievement-related function). The right medial frontal gyrus and the bilateral pallidum were presumably related to deduction and reward functions, respectively. Therefore, multiple brain regions appear to be involved in programming learning through different functions.

Structural neuroplasticity in computer programming beginners.

In late years, multi-wire saw has been used for the slicing of a silicon ingot for solar batteries, and multi-wire sawing is going to become the mainstream of precision slicing method for hard and brittle materials. However, in slicing by multi-wire saw, the technique for appropriately evaluating the severity of the slicing state or the slicing conditions has not been established yet. Therefore, there are a lot of parts where it relies on expert's experience rule as for the decision of the slicing conditions. In this study, an evaluation functions to evaluate severity of a slicing state or slicing conditions are derived. An analytical technique for modeling the machining process used by other abrasive machining to derive the evaluation functions is applied for multi-wire sawing. And evaluation function “mean depth of cut”, “normalized depth of cut” and “specific slicing energy” are derived. In this paper, slicing experiments are done under various slicing conditions, and it is examined about utility of the derived evaluation functions. As a result of investigation, utility of the derived evaluation functions were confirmed.

Takao Yakou

Papers

Machinability of Age-Hardened Al-Cu, Al-Cu-Pb, Bi and Al-Cu-Si Alloys from a Viewpoint of Chip Breaking.

Relationship between Sensory Evaluation of Grasping Cylindrical Object and Movable Angle of Wrist Joint and Grasping Force of Finger. Comparison between Ordinary Persons and Sports Players Using Raket and Bat.

Corrosion experience of 13%Cr stainless steel injection well tubing in natural gas dissolved in brine field

Structural neuroplasticity in computer programming beginners.

Study on Slicing Mechanism of Multi-Wire Saw