Main studies carried out during June:

- Investigation of crystallographic orientation relationship between matrix and quasicrystalline phase in Al-Mn-Fe melt-spun ribbon, as a result relation i5<001>&#945; was observed in the 5-fold diffraction pattern, further investigation of eutectic composition by STEM analysis showed that it has slightly different composition comparing to the quasicrystals with spherical and dendritic shape.

- Preparation of the articles (4 pages), poster and presentation for the following conference: The XIVth International Conference on Electron Microscopy in Wisla.

- Participation in the conference mentioned above between 26-30th of June. During conference oral presentation was given at the Young scientist session (as 1st award for Best Ph.D student’s abstract) - „TEM study of quasicrystals in Al-Mn-Fe melt-spun ribbon”. Participation in poster session where two posters were presented. The first one with the title corresponding to the topic of oral presentation, the second one: „Microstructure and properties of hot compacted Al-12 wt% Zn-3wt% Mg-1.5% Cu melt spun ribbons”. Attendance in lectures during following sessions: electron diffraction, highlights in TEM, holography, SEM, defects, materials and nanomaterials.

Participation in seminar performed by M.Sc. Eng. Lukasz Rogal about thixo-cast steels.

Conference:

In June I took part in “The XIVth International Conference on Electron Microscopy” (Wisla, June 26-30). For this occasion I presented some results of my research carried out during PhD studies in a form of a poster entitled “TEM investigation of metal/ceramic interfaces in AA7475/AlN or Al2O3 nano-composites”.

During the conference I attended eight plenary sessions and five oral sessions devoted to the transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron diffraction, holography and their applications in investigating conventional materials and nanomaterials. I also took part in a poster session at which I presented my poster.

Research:

I made some high resolution TEM observations of aluminum/ceramic interfaces in AA7475/AlN and AA7475/Al2O3 nanocomposites.

IMMS Seminars:

- M.Sc. Eng. Lukasz Rogal: “Technology of tixoforming of chosen iron and aluminium alloys in terms of their microstructure and properties”

- M.Sc.Eng. Michal Spisak: “Nanoscale functionalization of a surface of porous materials for cell culture applications”

In June 2011 I continued the study of hydrogen release on different surfaces from citrate solutions. Surface-limited kinetics of hydrogen release were derived for arbitrary surface coverage (alloy layers: Zn30%-Sn70%, Zn50%-Sn50%, Zn70%-Sn30%). The experiments were carried out and controlled by means of PARSTAT 2273 potentiostat. Polarization curves were determined under various hydrodynamic conditions by the rotating disc electrode technique.
I conducted research in the following solutions:
1) 0,1 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=5;
2) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=5;
3) 0,4 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=5;
4) 0,7 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=5;
5) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=1;
6) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=2;
7) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=3;
8) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=4;
9) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=6;
10) 0,25 M (Na3HCit+H4Cit); pH=7.

The results of all carried out tests, and plans for further research were discussed in detail with the tutor Prof. Associate. dr hab. Piotr Ozga.

In June 2011 I attended in the following seminars:
- M.Sc. Eng. Lukasz Rogal: „Technologia tiksoformowania wybranych stopow zelaza i aluminium w aspekcie ich struktury i wlasciwosci”;
- M.Sc. Eng. Michal Spisak: „Nanoskalowa funkcjonalizacja powierzchni materialow porowatych pod zasiedlanie komorkowe”;
- Professor Henryk Paul: ‘Instability of plastic flow and their role in texture transformations in fcc metals’ (third meeting);
- Associate Professor Jerzy Morgiel: 'Development, characterization and properties of composites produced with nano-materials'(second and third meeting);
- Associate Professor Marek Faryna: ‘Correlation between ceramics microstructure and functional properties’ (second and third meeting).

1. Attending in seminars:

- M.Sc. Eng. Lukasz Rogal: „Technologia tiksoformowania wybranych stopow zelaza i aluminium w aspekcie ich struktury i wlasciwosci”;
- M.Sc. Eng. Michal Spisak: „Nanoskalowa funkcjonalizacja powierzchni materialow porowatych pod zasiedlanie komorkowe”;
- Professor Henryk Paul: ‘Instability of plastic flow and their role in texture transformations in fcc metals’ (third meeting);
- Associate Professor Jerzy Morgiel: 'Development, characterization and properties of composites produced with nano-materials'(second and third meeting);
- Associate Professor Marek Faryna: ‘Correlation between ceramics microstructure and functional properties’ (second and third meeting).

2. Continues of the training of using the scanning electron microscope for creating maps orientation (EBSD).

3. Training of using the circular saw.

4. Preparing the article: ‘Nucleation in Recristallization of fine-grained structure of aluminium alloy’ (for SIM 2011 conference) based on own research and articles:
- H. Jazaeri, F.J. Humphreys, The transition from discontinuous to continuous recrystallization in some aluminium alloys I – the deformed state, Acta Materialia 52 (2004) 3239–3250;
- H. Jazaeri, F.J. Humphreys, The transition from discontinuous to continuous recrystallization in some aluminium alloys II – the deformed state, Acta Materialia 52 (2004) 3251–3262;
- G.H. Zahid, Y. Huang, P.B. Prangnell, Microstructure and texture evolution during annealing a cryogenic-SPD processed Al-alloy with a nanoscale lamellar HAGB grain structure, Acta Materialia 57 (2009) 3509–3521.

5. Research

- Preparation of samples for observation in scanning electron microscope - the electrolytic-polishing by A2 reagent (test SEM / EBSD) and etching in order to observe the microstructure (for SEM);
- Preparation of the orientation maps of samples of aluminum after ECAP and recrystallization (T = 270 ° C and t = 1min, 0min.) using the EBSD / SEM – the works with other parameters than before (step 50 nm);
- Observations of the microstructure in the scanning electron microscope samples of aluminum after ECAP and recrystallization (T = 270 ° C and t = 1min, 0min.);
- Pressed by the curved channel angular (ECAP) samples of aluminum alloy (AA1050 and 3004) with dimensions 10x10x70mm using a testing machine INSTRON 3382. Samples pressed 2 -, 4 -, 6 - and 10-times using different routes between each test;
- Pressed by the curved channel angular (ECAP) samples of aluminum alloy (Al-Mg-Zr). Samples pressed once and then cut to the small samples with dimensions of 10x10x3mm by the circular saw and by the wire saw - and each of these samples will be subjected to another heat treatment (search for the appropriate temperature and time);
- Assisting in the round tensile specimens at elevated temperatures (400° C) on the testing machine INSTRON 6025.

My research in may:

I made a literature review on sintering of aluminium alloys in different atmospheres. The effectiveness of the sintering atmosphere of most of the aluminum alloys decreases in the order: nitrogen > vacuum >argon > nitrogen+hydrogen = argon+hydrogen. This indicates that the atmosphere plays an active role in the sintering of aluminium. A clue of the beneficial use of nitrogen is the formation of aluminium nitride.

In order to perform sintering in nitrogen and argon atmospheres, I tried to produce green compacts from milled 7475 alloy powder by uniaxial cold pressing at different pressures (200 – 600 MPa). Compacting turned out to be impossible without using a binder. Therefore, I decided to use 1 wt.% of glycerin addition to the powder. The optimal pressure of compacting was 300MPa.

Seminars/meetings:

Fourth meeting of “Local Composite Platform”:
- very interesting lecture on ”Composite layers and regions fabricated by in situ technique in iron and aluminum castings” given by Ewa Olejnik from Faculty of Foundry Engineering, AGH

IMMS seminars:
- “The characteristics of stress-textured areas of heterogeneous structure in selected materials and construction elements” by Sylwia Pawlak,
- “Ultra-thin multilayer polymer films as multifunctional coatings and membranes” by Tomasz Kruk.