This is a two.year collaborative research project between Robert D. Pehlke of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, and Li Qingchun of the Casting Division of the Department of Metallic Materials and Technology of the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China. The project is sponsored jointly by NSF and the Harbin Institute of Technology. The research program will focus on defect formation in castings with an emphasis on hot tearing. Several front.line research issues will be addressed, including (1) measurements of compressive strength/resistance of green and dry sands; (2) quantitative estimates or measurements of frictional behavior at the sand/metal interface; (3) determination/estima tion of more accurate fracture or tearing criteria; and (4) mechanical property measurements of casting alloys at and above 80 percent of the absolute melting temperature. The assessment of fracture criteria would be undertaken at the University of Michigan, and the high temperature mechanical property measurements for selected alloys would be studied at the Harbin Institute of Technology. The other issues of high temperature sand properties and the frictional behavior at the sand/metal interface would be jointly undertaken by groups at both institutions. The goal of this project is to contribute to a major research activity conducted at the University of Michigan with NSF support since 1979 in the field of computer.aided design for castings. The research will also contribute to ongoing research at the Harbin Institute of Technology.
