In April 2011 I attended in the following seminars:
1.04.2011
- M.Sc. Eng. Maciej Szczerba in public defense of the dissertation: “Structure and magnetic properties of single crystal alloys”;
- Associate Professor Jerzy Morgiel: “Development, characterization and properties of composites produced with nano-materials”;
- Associate Professor Piotr Ozga: “Utility of Thermodynamics in electrochemistry”
8.04.2011
- M.Sc. Eng. Michal Trebala: “'The migration of potassium in potassium ferrite and its application to the surface optimization of catalytic materials”';
-- M.Sc. Eng. Anna Maria Janus in public defense of the dissertation:”'Morphology of natural hydroxyapatite intended for biological applications”.
- Professor Henryk Paul: “‘Instability of plastic flow and their role in texture transformations in fcc metals”’
15.04.2011
- Prof. Janice M Barton, Prof. Ole Thybo Thomsen: “Nonlinear Thermomechanical Behaviour of Polimer Foam Cored Sandwich Structures”';
- Professor Pawel Zieba: “‘Mass and charge transport in polycrystalline materials”’
29.04.2011
-M.Sc. Marcela Trybula: “'Applying the theory of free volume to model the thermodynamic density and size”';
- Associate Professor Lidia Litynska-Dobrzynska: “Development of aluminium alloys”

In April 2011 I also continued the study of hydrogen release on different surfaces from citrate solutions. Surface-limited kinetics of hydrogen release are derived for arbitrary surface coverage (Fe, Zn,Sn). The experiments were carried out and controlled by means of PARSTAT 2273 potentiostat. Voltammetric curves were determined under various hydrodynamic conditions by the rotating disc electrode technique. 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.

1. Attending in seminars:
- M.Sc. Eng. Michal Trebala: 'The migration of potassium in potassium ferrite and its application to the surface optimization of catalytic materials';
- Prof. Janice M Barton, Prof. Ole Thybo Thomsen: ‘Nonlinear Thermomechanical Behaviour of Polimer Foam Cored Sandwich Structures';
- M.Sc. Marcela Trybula: 'Applying the theory of free volume to model the thermodynamic density and size';
- M.Sc. Eng. Maciej Szczerba in public defense of the dissertation: 'Structure and magnetic properties of single crystal alloys';
- M.Sc. Eng. Anna Maria Janus in public defense of the dissertation:'Morphology of natural hydroxyapatite intended for biological applications'.
- Associate Professor Jerzy Morgiel: 'Development, characterization and properties of composites produced with nano-materials';
- Associate Professor Piotr Ozga: 'Correlation between ceramics microstructure and functional properties';
- Professor Henryk Paul: ‘Instability of plastic flow and their role in texture transformations in fcc metals’ (second meeting);
- Professor Pawel Zieba: ‘Mass and charge transport in polycrystalline materials’ (second meeting);
- Associate Professor Lidia Litynska-Dobrzynska: ‘Development of aluminium alloys’ (second meeting).

2. Surface preparation of three samples (grinding on abrasive papers and polishing) and a study of the microstructure in the scanning electron microscope (FEI XL30 E-SEM) Aluminum alloy with 2.7% magnesium and 0.5% zirconium to confirm the well-selected saturation temperature and aging . Three samples were saturated at a temperature of 610 ° C and cooled in water and in turn each of them has been tempered by annealing at 300 ° C separately for 1, 3 and 24 hours. Observation of each of the microstructures revealed no precipitation, so it may be the treatment process parameters were not properly matched or separation is so small that the resolving power of microscope used was insufficient. Measurements will be repeated on a different microscope.

3. Stady of the book which has been bought to the project:
Haldar, Arunansu; Suwas, Satyam, Bhattacharjee, Debashish (eds.), Microstructure and texture in steel and other materials, Springer Publishing, London 2009. It contains materials from the International Conference under the same title (held 5-7.02.2008r. in Jamshedpur, India) and it consists of six chapters, headed respectively: Introduction, Control of Texture and Microstructure in Steels, Modeling, Specialized Characterization Techniques Texture and Microstructure Development During Special Processes and Materials, Contributory Papers, which in the first place are the most interesting chapters I, II, V and VI.

My research:

Composite powders - 7475 aluminium alloy powder with 10 wt.% and 20 wt.% addition of aluminum nitride powder subjected to high energy ball milling - were compacted in a VEB 40 hydraulic uniaxial press in a mould placed in a vacuum and heated using a high frequency generator. Discs about 5mm thick, 20 mm in diameter were obtained after hot pressing in a vacuum of 10-2 bar, at a pressure of 600 MPa and temperature of 380oC.
The microstructure of the hot compacted composites was characterized using an FEI E-SEM XL30 scanning electron microscope and a Tecnai G2 F20 (200kV) transmission electron microscope equipped with an integrated EDAX system. Thin foils for TEM investigations were prepared by mechanical polishing, dimpling with a Gatan Dimple Grinder (Model 656) and finally ion Ar milling with a Leica EM RES101 system.
Microhardness Vickers measurements were performed using a CSM-Instruments tester.

Seminars/meetings:

Third meeting of “Local Composite Platform”:
- presentation on ”Mechanical properties of metal-ceramics cast composites” by Pawel Kurtyka
IMMS seminars:
- “Investigations on the catalytic Au/TiO2 modelsystem” by Piotr Bobrowski
- “Atomistic simulations of the process of phase separation in the Fe-Cr system” by Rafal Abram,
- “Influence of technological factors on the wettability of soldering” by Artur Kudyba.

1. Attending in seminars:
- M. Sc. Eng. Piotr Bobrowski: ‘Investigations on the catalytic Au/TiO2 modelsystem’
- M. Sc. Eng Rafal Abram: ‘Atomistic simulations of the process of phase separation in the Fe-Cr system’;
- M. Sc. Eng Artur Kudyba: ‘Influence of technological factors on the wettability of soldering’;
- Professor Pawel Zieba: ‘Mass and charge transport in polycrystalline materials’;
- Associate Professor Marek Faryna: ‘Correlation between ceramics microstructure and functional properties’;
- Professor Henryk Paul: ‘Instability of plastic flow and their role in texture transformations in fcc metals’;
- Associate Professor Lidia Litynska-Dobrzynska: ‘Development of aluminium alloys’.

2. Discovering of Mendeley possibilities

3. Introduction to the scanning electron microscope to analyze the chemical composition using patterns. The analysis of chemical composition of aluminum-scandium alloy purchased in China. Result of the analysis is consistent with the certificate of purity (Al-2% Sc). This alloy will be subjected to chemical modifications in order to obtain materials of the program of research (Al-Sc and Al-Mg-Sc).

4. Surface preparation and execution of samples analysis in scanning electron microscope aluminum alloy with addition of magnesium and zirconium to confirm the well-selected temperature of homogenization. Earlier observations of the microstructure on the optical microscope revealed the existence of precipitates or voids. Analysis of chemical composition on the scanning electron microscope indicated that these are dispersoids Al3Zr. They are due to the fact that the solubility of zirconium in aluminum is very small, hence they form a separation, which are fairly distributed in the material. The next step is choosing the appropriate temperature heat treatment - this time, supersaturation and aging - based on literature data and own observations. Samples of the Al-Mg-Zr after homogenization were cut into smaller samples, which will undergo further treatment - each at different temperatures. Based on observation of the microstructures will be selected the most appropriate process parameters.

Main studies carried out during March:

- Microhardness measurements of the melt spun ribbons. As a result large scatter of data was obtained due to inhomogeneous microstructure of the ribbons.
- SEM imaging of the melt spun ribbons cross-section confirmed change in microstructure during changing casting condition (wheel speed). With faster cooling rates more areas with homogenous microstructure occurs in the ribbon. Also chemical analysis of phases present in the ingot was performed. Three different phases were found.
- Icosahedral phase indentification– based on electron diffraction patterns.
- Investigations of icosahedral phase decomposition during thermal treatment (TEM, XRD) – based on the obtained results probably two step decomposition trough the intermediate phase take place.
- Casting of two new alloys with zirconium and silicon addition.

Awards:
1st prize for the best Ph.D student’s abstract: TEM study of quasicrystals in Al-Mn-Fe melt - spun ribbon for the upcoming XIVth International Conference on Electron Microscopy (sponsored by Polish Society for Microscopy).

Participation in seminars:
- M. Sc. Eng. Piotr Bobrowski: ‘Investigations on the catalytic Au/TiO2 modelsystem’
- M. Sc. Eng Rafal Abram: ‘Atomistic simulations of the process of phase separation in the Fe-Cr system’;
- M. Sc. Eng Artur Kudyba: ‘Influence of technological factors on the wettability of soldering’;