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Biodiesel is a biodegradable fuel that consists of alkyl esters, obtained from renewable sources, vegetal oil and animal fats reacting with a short-chain of aliphatic alcohols (typically methanol or ethanol) in the presence of a catalyst (reaction known as transesterification). An important property to use the biodiesel as fuel in diesel engines is its oxidation stability because biodiesel can contain unsaturated fatty acids, which are susceptible to oxidation, being able to change into polymerized compounds, which can cause engine problems such as blocked fuel filters. Numerous analytical methods have been applied to determine oxidation stability, European Union and Brazil use the same method DIN EN 14112 - known as Rancimat method that consists in the sample heating to 110°C where the products formed by the decomposition are blown inside by a flow of air in to measurement cell with distilled water.

This work is based in a model of neural and wavelets networks using published experimental data. The objective is to compare a neural and a wavelet network estimating the creep rupture strength based on chemical composition of Fe-2.25Cr-Mo and Fe-(9-12)Cr steels, and on its heat treatment temperature and life time. It will be determined the configuration that provides the best fit of the data.

Although quench factor analysis has been used by many researchers in predicting the performance of a quenchant to strengthen aluminum, it has rarely been applied to steel quenching. However, quench factor analysis posses a number of advantages over current empirical methods or more recently employed finite element thermophysical property modeling. For example, quench factor analysis can address the non-Newtonian cooling process involved with many processes utilizing vaporizable quenchants. Quench factor analysis predictions of as-quenched hardness can be successfully performed with an Excel Spreadsheet calculation. Finally, quench factors can be easily utilized in constructing databases for quenchant characterization and selection.

This paper describes the use of computational simulation to examine the heat transfer properties and resulting residual stress obtained by quenching a standard probe into various quench oils. Cooling curves (time-temperature profiles) were obtained after immersing a preheated 12.5 mm dia. × 60 mm cylindrical Inconel 600 (Wolfson) probe with a Type K thermocouple inserted into the geometric center into a mineral oil quenchant. Different quenching conditions were used, as received (“fresh”) and after oxidation. Surface temperatures at the cooling metal - liquid quenchant interface and heat transfer coefficients are calculated using HT-Mod, a recently released computational code. Using this data, the temperature distribution was calculated. The corresponding residual stresses were calculated using ABAQUS. This work illustrates potential benefits of computational simulation to examine the expected impact of different quenchants and quenching conditions on a heat treatment process.

One of the most important heat treating processes is steel carburizing. However, the relatively long process times makes carburizing (and related thermochemical processes) a particularly energy consumptive and expensive process. Thus, if significant reductions in process times or temperatures can be achieved, this would result in substantial product cost savings and reduced energy consumption. Various methods of accelerating the carburizing process have been reported previously including: the use of rare earth metals, optimization by computer control of endo gas composition, use of superficial nitriding and others. In this paper, an overview of a new process using a hydrocarbon decomposition reaction catalyst that results in substantial diffusion rate acceleration and/or the potential use of significantly lower carburization temperatures will be discussed.