Don develops devices to test hardenability of steel

Prof. Jacob Aweda of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has designed and evaluated what he called the "Jominy End Quencher" apparatus for the determination of the hardenability of steel materials.

Aweda disclosed this on Friday in Ilorin during his paper presentation at the 217th inaugural lecture of the institution, entitled "Engineering Technology and Manipulation of Process Parameters."

According to the dictionary, "hardenability of steel" is the property of material that determines the depth of the hardness of material when cooled to a desirable quench from its austenitizing temperature.

The scholar who lectures in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology explained that this was measured through the determination of the depth of hardness of the standard size and the shape of the steel in a controlled, standard environment, which the apparatus was used for.

He noted that in many research centers and tertiary institutions, appropriate testing equipment was either not easily available or obsolete.

"Added to this is the cost of testing which is enormous, charges are high where necessary equipment are available.

"This may be due to the high initial cost of procurement and the high cost of maintenance of such equipment." If access to research equipment is readily available and at an affordable cost, the risk of traveling long distances and paying so much for material evaluation will be reduced.

"Currently, due to the non-availability of required laboratory equipment, many researchers send test samples outside the country, resulting in a reduction in the number of samples required for testing, which may not be a good representative of the overall result," he said.

Aweda observed that the non-availability of appropriate equipment had been hampering research and teaching in the country.

Similarly, the don also developed a creep measuring apparatus with a heating chamber.

According to him, this is an improvement on the existing apparatus without the heating chamber usually applied for the measurement of creep at room temperature.

"The one developed can measure creep at both room and elevated temperatures." Two separate creep-measuring apparatuses were developed; each for the measurement of creep in tension and compression loads application," he said.

Aweda advocated a cordial relationship between universities and industries, saying this would ensure thriving industries and more support for research.

He also called for the revival of technical education, laying emphasis on entrepreneurship skills from the lower level to the higher level.