Search results

The purpose of this study is to investigate the deposition of SS–Al transitional wall using the wire arc directed energy deposition (WA-DED) process with a Cu interlayer. This study also aims to analyse the metallographic properties of the SS–Cu and Al–Cu interfaces and their mechanical properties.

The study used transitional deposition of SS–Al material over each other by incorporating Cu as interlayer between the two. The scanning electron microscope analysis, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffractometer analysis, tensile testing and micro-hardness measurement were performed to investigate the interface characteristics and mechanical properties of the SS–Al transitional wall.

The study discovered that the WA-DED process with a Cu interlayer worked well for the deposition of SS–Al transitional walls. The formation of solid solutions of Fe–Cu and Fe–Si was observed at the SS–Cu interface rather than intermetallic compounds (IMCs), according to the metallographic analysis. On the other hand, three different IMCs were formed at the Al–Cu interface, namely, Al–Cu, Al₂Cu and Al₄Cu₉. The study also observed the formation of a lamellar structure of Al and Al₂Cu at the hypereutectic phase. The mechanical testing revealed that the Al–Cu interface failed without significant deformation, i.e. < 4.73%, indicating the brittleness of the interface.

The study identified the formation of HCP–Fe at the SS–Cu interface, which has not been previously reported in additive manufacturing literature. Furthermore, the study observed the formation of a lamellar structure of Al and Al2Cu phase at the hypereutectic phase, which has not been previously reported in SS–Al transitional wall deposition.

The purpose of this research is to show the characteristics of a Cu–Ti dissimilar interface produced by a wire arc-based additive manufacturing process. The purpose of this research was to determine the viability of the Cu–Ti interface for the fabrication of functionally graded structures (FGS) using the wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process.

This paper used the WAAM process with variable current vis-à-vis heat input to demonstrate multiple Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) and C11000 dissimilar fabrications. The hardness and microstructure of the dissimilar interfaces were investigated thoroughly. The formation of Cu–Ti intermetallic at the Ti64/Cu fusion interface is been revealed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, while X-ray diffraction was used to identify various Cu–Ti intermetallic phases. The effect of microstructure on interfacial sensitivity and hardness are also investigated.

The formation of CuTi intermetallic and the β-phase transformation in Ti-6Al-4V are found to be heat input dependent. The Cu diffusion length increases as the heat input for Ti64 deposition increases, resulting in a greater Cu–Ti intermetallic thickness. The Cu–Ti interface properties improve when the heat input is less than approximately 250 J/mm or the deposition current is less than 90 A. The microhardness ranges from 55 to 650 HV from the Cu-side to the interface and from 650 to 350 HV from the interface to the Ti-side. Higher current increases interface hardness, which increases brittleness and makes the interface more prone to interfacial cracking.

Nonlinear components are needed for a variety of extreme engineering applications, which can be met by FGS with varying microstructure, composition and properties. FGS produced using the WAAM process is a novel concept that requires further investigation. Despite numerous studies on Ti-clad Cu, information on Cu–Ti interface characteristics is lacking. Furthermore, the suitability of the WAAM process for the development of Cu–Ti FGS is unknown. As a result, the goal of this research article is to fill these gaps by providing preliminary information on the feasibility of developing Cu–Ti FGS via the WAAM process.

This study aims to determine the factors influencing consumers’ organic food purchase intention during Covid-19 and how Covid-19 impacted these factors. Understanding these factors will assist marketers in making strategic decisions on how to market their products during a crisis.

This study used a quantitative approach. Data were collected online from 278 organic food consumers based in India. The partial least squares-path modelling method was used for data analysis.

The results revealed that Covid-19 has substantially impacted consumers' health consciousness, environmental concern, availability, price and intention to buy organic food. This study also revealed that health consciousness, environmental concerns and availability of organic food affect consumers’ purchase intention even during the Covid-19. However, it has been found that price consciousness does not influence consumers’ purchase intention during Covid-19.

Marketers should come up with innovative promotional strategies. Providing information related to quality checks on packages, expanding online sales channels, boosting promotional activities and emphasising the long-term benefits of organic food items should be the go-to marketing strategy of organic food.

The study adds value to the extant literature by examining consumers' purchase intention towards organic food using more customised and thorough constructs that appear to be more practical during the challenging times of Covid-19 and whose findings are not restricted by some pre-established theoretical assumptions.

Perceived risk and benefits have been proposed as crucial elements in consumers’ technology adoption intention. Therefore, this study aims to use the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework, with perceived risks and benefits, to explore how they affect consumers’ Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) behavioural intention.

An online survey was conducted among 537 users of BNPL. Partial least square structural equation modelling analysis was performed to examine the hypothesized relationships.

The study found that perceived benefits, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, habit and social influence increase consumers’ behavioural intention towards BNPL. In contrast, perceived risk reduces the consumer’s intention to use. Additionally, the study revealed that consumers’ intention towards BNPL services positively affects their usage.

The lack of information makes consumers hesitant to use BNPL. Therefore, marketers should optimize facilitating conditions, such as user-friendly interfaces, accessible resources and efficient customer support, which should be the business strategy of BNPL service providers to ensure a seamless user experience.

The research empirically investigates the effect of perceived benefits on consumer behavioural intention. This contribution is crucial because while there was speculation about benefits as a driving force to consumers’ adoption intention, there was a lack of sufficient empirical evidence to support it.

Buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services can put consumers into a debt trap by encouraging consumers to buy things they cannot afford, leading to a culture of materialism and consumerism. Therefore, this research aims to investigate how materialism can influence BNPL use and impulsive and compulsive buying. Additionally, the authors examine if BNPL use and impulsive buying mediate between materialism and compulsive buying.

Data from 556 participants were collected through a structured questionnaire via an online survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using SMART PLS 4 was employed to analyze the relationship between variables and to test the proposed hypotheses.

Materialism impact BNPL use and increases the inclination for impulse buying, precipitating compulsive buying behavior. However, BNPL use does not directly influence compulsive buying. The mediating relationship was identified, where BNPL use, and impulsive buying mediate the relationship between materialism and compulsive buying.

BNPL use alone does not inevitably lead to compulsive buying. The only way BNPL use could lead to compulsive buying is through impulsive buying. Therefore, BNPL service providers need to foster responsible buying habits due to the rise in impulsive buying, which, if not controlled, could lead to a debt trap resulting from compulsive buying.

This study contributes to the limited BNPL literature because there is speculation, but the scarcity of empirical evidence to substantiate, how materialism influences BNPL use and increases the inclination for impulse buying, precipitating compulsive buying behavior.

This paper provides a snapshot of educational and economic trends across South Asia with an exploratory and comparative approach. Before COVID-19, South Asia was the world’s fastest-growing regional economy, concurrently achieving major strides in poverty reduction and access to education. Despite the region’s economic and educational accomplishments, the countries of South Asia fall short of international benchmarks in public education expenditure, resulting in a persistent lag in educational quality that hampers individuals, the workforce, and overall economic productivity. The paper highlights themes in the literature, including context-specific evidence for the various theories of economic growth, the returns to education, and educational inputs (e.g., teachers and private schools) that highlight how spending can be leveraged to increase educational outcomes. In addition, it examines the relationship between education, poverty, and marginalization factors that explain why some populations are deprived of education and its benefits. We provide a broad perspective of the dynamics of the economics of education and the related challenges in this region. This discussion aims to enhance the understanding of the inefficiencies in South Asia’s educational systems and, ultimately, in the development of the region’s human capacities.