Effect of austempering parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of horizontal continuous casting ductile iron dense bars

In the present research, the orthogonal experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of different austempering process parameters （i.e. austenitizing temperature and time, and austempering temperature and time） on microstructure and mechanical properties of LZQT500-7 ductile iron dense bars with 172 mm in diameter which were produced by horizontal continuous casting （HCC）. The results show that the major factors influencing the hardness of austempered ductile iron （ADI） are austenitizing temperature and austempering temperature. The fraction of retained austenite increases as the austenitizing and austempering temperatures increase. When austenitizing temperature is low, acicular ferrite and retained austenite can be efifciently obtained by appropriately extending the austenitizing time. The proper austmepering time could ensure enough stability of retained austenite and prevent high carbon austenite decomposition. The optimal mechanical properties of ADI can be achieved with the fol owing process parameters： austenitizing temperature and time are 866 ＆#176;C and 135 min, and austempering temperature and time are 279 ＆#176;C and 135 min, respectively. The microstructure of ADI under the optimal austempering process consists of ifne acicular ferrite and a smal amount of retained austenite, and the hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation and impact toughness of the bars are HBW 476, 1670 MPa, 1428 MPa, 2.93%and 25.7 J, respectively.

Effect of extrusion on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a low-alloyed Mg-2Zn-0.8Sr-0.2Ca matrix composite reinforced by TiC nano-particles

A low-alloyed Mg-2Zn-0.8Sr-0.2Ca matrix composite reinforced by TiC nano-particles was successfully prepared by semi-solid stirring under the assistance of ultrasonic,and then the as-cast composite was hot extruded.The results indicated that the volume fraction of dynamical recrystallization and the recrystallized grain size have a certain decline at lower extrusion temperature or rate.The finest grain size of~0.30μm is obtained in the sample extruded at 200℃ and 0.1 mm/s.The as-extruded sample displays a strong basal texture intensity,and the basal texture intensity increases to 5.937 mud while the extrusion temperature increases from 200 to 240℃.The ultra-high mechanical properties(ultimate tensile strength of 480.2 MPa,yield strength of 462 MPa)are obtained after extrusion at 200℃ with a rate of 0.1 mm/s.Among all strengthening mechanisms for the present composite,the grain refinement contributes the most to the increase in strength.A mixture of cleavage facets and dimples were observed in the fracture surfaces of three as-extruded nanocomposites,which explain a mix of brittle-ductile fracture way of the samples.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Si_3N_4 Composites Containing SiC Platelet

Hoppressed Si3N4/SiC platelet composites had been investigated with respect to their microstructure and mechanical properties. The results indicate that Vickers hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness of the composites were increased by the addition of SiC platelet until the content up to 20 vol pct. A slight decrease in flexural Strength was measured at room temperature with increasing SiC platelet content. The high temperature flexural strength tests at 1150, 1250, and 1350℃ were conducted. It was found that the flexural strength at elevated temperature was degraded with the rising temperature, and the downward trend of flexural strength for the composite containing 10 vol. pct SiC platelet was less. The results indicate that SiC platelet had a positive influence on the high temperature strength. Effects of SiC platelet reinforcement were presented

Effects of Quenching Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Nb-Ti Microalloyed Steel

The low carbon Nb-Ti mieroalloyed tested steel was prepared by the process of vacuum induction furnace smelting, forging and hot rolling. The new steel aims to meet the demand of high strength, high toughness and high plasticity for building facilities. The effects of quenching process on microstructure and mechanical properties of tested steel were investigated. The results showed that prior austenite grain size, phase type and precipitation behavior of （ Nb, Ti） （ C, N） play important roles in mechanical properties of the steel. Through modified appropriately, the model of austenite grain growth during heating and holding is d^5.7778 = 5. 6478^5.7778 ＋ 7.04 × 10^22t^1.6136 exp（- 427. 15 ×10^3 /（RT））. The grain growth activation energy is Qg = 427. 15 kJ. During quenching, the microscopic structures are mainly martensite and lath bainite which contains lots of lath substructure and dislocations. The content of phases, fine and coarsening （ Nb, Ti ） （ C, N ） precipitated changes during different quenching temperatures and holding time. Finally compared with the hardness value, the best quenching process can be obtained that heating temperature and holding time are 900 ℃ and 50 mins, respectively.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of ZrO_2-Ni Functionally Gradient Material

The fabrication. microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrO2-Ni functionally gradient materials (FGM ) have been studied. FGM as well as non-FG M of ZrO2-Ni system was developed by powder metallurgical process. X-ray diffractometer (XRD ). electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), scanning electron microscope (SEM ) and optical microscope were employed to investigate the crystalline phases. chemical composition and microstructure Experimental results demonstrate that the composition and microstructure of ZrO2-Ni FGM have the expected gradient distribution. There are no distinct interfaces in the FGM due to the gradient change of components. that is, the constituents are continuous in microstructure everywhere. Moreover, Vickers hardness and flexural strength were measured for the common composites as a function of composition. It is made clear that the mechanical properties of the FGM vary corresponding to the constitutional changes as well

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Two-phaseTiAl Alloys in Lamellar Form

In two-phase TiAl alloys, the lamellar structures are of special interest and importance since they are so common and persistent. not only under as-cast conditions but also after thermal treatment. However. the lamellar structures are still poor in ductility,although they are beneficial for toughness and high temperature strength. This article will review the recent progress made in understanding the basic mechanical properties of the γ and α2 phases which comprise the two-phase alloys in Iamellar form, and discuss how an improved balance of strength and ductillty in the lamellar form may be achieved

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Dy-α-sialon/Nano-size SiC Composites

The composite of Dy-α-sialon/10 wt pct nano-size SiC particles has been prepared from precursor powders of Si3N4, AIN, Al2O3, Dy2O3 and nano-size β-SiC. The hardness, toughness and bending strength of the composite at ambient temperature are a little higher than those of Dy-α-sialon.while the bending strength is maintained up to 1000℃ and about 2 times more than that of Dy-α-sialon at the same temperature. The fracture surfaces show that the grain size of the composite is smaller than that of Dy-α-sialon, and both Of them have predominately transgranular mode of fracture. It is believed that the decrease of the bending strength of Dy-α-sialon at elevated temperature is caused by the viscous flow of the grain boundary phase, while the addition of nanosize SiC particles effectively increases the viscosity of the grain boundary phase and therefore prevents the strength loss of Dy-α-sialon/nano-size SiC composites at elevated temperature

Effects of A1 Additions on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of MoSi_2

The effects of Al additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of MoSi2 have been studied. With the A1 additions from 2.5 wt pct to 5 wt pct, the siliceous grain boundary phase in hot pressed samples was eliminated because of the formation of Al2O3 particles. It was shown that Al and SiO2 reacted at 860℃. During the reaction, A1 atoms were mainly transferred to Al2O3 particles, and to some extent, diffused into MoSi2 grains. Both the toughness and strength of Al containing composites exceeded those of pure MoSi2 material. Bending strength and fracture toughness reach the highest value of 350 MPa, 4.05 MPa.m1/2, respectively, at ambient temperature when Al addition was of 3.5 wt pct.

Effects of process parameters and annealing on microstructure and properties of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy coating prepared by plasma cladding

Plasma cladding was used to prepare a CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy(HEA)coating under different conditions.The process parameters were optimized using an orthogonal experiment design based on surface morphology quality characteristics,dilution rate,and hardness.The optimal process parameters were determined through range and variance analysis to be a cladding current of 70 A,a cladding speed of 7 cm·min^(-1),and a powder gas flow rate of 8 L·s^(-1).During the optimized experiments,both the cladded and annealed CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings exhibit some pores,micro-voids,and a small amount of aggregation.However,the aggregation in the annealed coating is more dispersed than that in the cladded coating.The cladded CoCrFeMnNi HEA coating consists of simple FCC phases,while a new Cr-rich phase precipitates from the FCC matrix after annealing the coating at a temperature range of 550°C-950°C.After annealing at 850°C,the proportion of the FCC phase decreases compared to the cladded coating,and the number of large-angle grain boundaries is significantly reduced.However,the proportion of grains with sizes below 50μm increases from 61.7%to 74.3%.The micro-hardness and wear resistance of the cladded coating initially increases but then decreases with an increase in annealing temperature,indicating that appropriate annealing can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings by plasma cladding.The micro-hardness of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings after annealing at 650°C increases to 274.82 HV_(0.2),while the friction coefficient decreases to below 0.595.

The effect of annealing treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed nickel coating

The effect of annealing treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed Ni coating was investigated by conducting micro-hardness and tensile tests and using a normal optical microscope （OM） ,a scanning electron microscope （ SEM）, a transmission electron microscope （TEM） and an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer （EPMA）. The results show that following the increase of the annealing temperature ,the micro-hardness of cold-sprayed Ni coating decreases and the elongation after fracture increases, while the tensile strength increases before decreasing. The tensile deformation and fracture behavior change from a typical brittle fracture to a hybrid brittle and ductile fracture, then to a typical ductile failure. It is found that when annealed at an elevated temperature （ e. g. 900℃ ） ,the grains tend to grow abnormally with the oxides spheroidizing and the defects agglomerating at the interfaces, causing the tensile strength reduction of the cold-sprayed nickel coating. It is also pointed out that the tensile strength of the cold-sprayed Ni coating can be significantly improved by the appropriate annealing procedures, but the elongation after fracture cannot be clearly increased because it is difficult to eliminate the main defects in the coating by the following heat treatments.

Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Property during Long-Term Aging in Udimet 720Li

Thermal stabilities of microstructure and mechanical property have been investigated on superalloy U720Li, which is of great interest of application for jet engine and land-based turbine disc. The results showed that, the primary and secondary gamma' particles maintain good thermal stability at 650 and 700 degreesC with aging time up to 3000 h, while the tertiary gamma' is apparently dependent on aging temperature and time. The tertiary gamma' particles undergo a procedure of coarsening, dissolution and eventually complete disappearance with the increasing of aging time and temperature. They exhibit unusual high sensibility upon aging temperature, which is attributed to the lattice misfit between the gamma' precipitates and the matrix in the alloy. The grain boundary phase M23C6 remains stable without forming of sigma phase even with aging time up to 3000 h at 700 degreesC. Microhardness decreases apparently with increasing aging time and aging temperature. Theoretical analysis based on dislocation mechanism indicates that the change of microhardness should be attributed to the evolution of the tertiary gamma' during aging.

Microstructures and Properties of 550 MPa Grade High Strength Thin-walled H-beam Steel

The microstructures and mechanical properties of 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin-walled H-beam steel were experimentally studied. The experimental results show that the microstructure of the air-cooled H-beam steel sample is consisted of ferrite, pearlite and a small amount of granular bainites as well as fine and dispersive V（C,N） precipitates. The microstructure of the water-cooled steel sample is consisted of ferrite and bainite as well as a small amount of fine pearlites. The microstructure of the water-cooled sample is finer than that of the air-cooled sample with the average intercept size of the surface grains reaching to 3.5 gna. The finish rolling temperature of the thin-walled high strength H-beam steel is in the range of 750 ~C-850 ~C. The lower the finish rolling temperature and the faster the cooling rate, the finer the ferrite grains, the volume fraction of bainite is increased through water cooling process. Grain refinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening are used as major strengthening means to develop 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin- walled H-beam steel. Vanadium partially soluted in the matrix and contributes to the solution strengthening. The 550 MPa grade high-strength thin-walled H-beam steel could be developed by direct air cooling after hot rolling to fully meet the requirements of the target properties.

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of 2024 Aluminium Alloy Prepared by Rapid Solidification and Mechanical Milling

Rapidly solidified 2024 aluminium alloy powders were mechanically milled, then consolidated to bulk form. The microstructural changes of the powders in mechanical milling (MM) and consolidation process were characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses and transmission electron microscopy observations. The results showed that mechanical milling reduced the grain size to nanometer, dissolved the Al2Cu intermetallic compound into the aluminium matrix and produced an aluminium supersaturated solid solution. During consolidation process. the grain size increased to submicrometer, and the Al2Cu and Al2(Cu, Mg, Si, Fe, Mn) compounds precipitated owing to heating. Increasing consolidation temperature and time results in obvious grain growth and coarsening of second phase particles. The tensile yield strength of the consolidated alloy with submicrometer size grains increases with decreasing grain size, and it follows the famous HallPetch relation

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Nanocrystalline NiZr_2 Intermetallic Compound

Single-phase NiZr2 intermetallic compound nanocrystalline samples were synthesized by fully crystallizing the parent amorphous NiZr2 alloy at the temperature interval of 653~1073 K for a certain period of time. High resolution electron microscope (HREM) observations on the nanophase NiZr2 reveal a Iamellar nano-tWin structure with (110) direction on the nanometer scale, being typically a few interatomic distances to a few nanometers. Microhardness measurements on the single-phase NiZr2 samples indicate that the hardness of nanotwinned NiZr2 is obviously increased in comparison to the amorphous counterpart. When the average grain size increases from 19.1 to 93.9 nm, the variation of the hardness with the average grain size obeys the normal Hall-Petch relation, whereas as the average grain size is smaller than 19.1 nm. the microhardness data deviate from the above relation.

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of in-situ Al-Cu/TiC Composites

An approach named direct reaction synthesis (DRS) has been developed to fabricate particulate composites with an extremely fine reinforcement size. ID situ Al matrix composites were fabri-cated by DRS. Extensive analysis of the composites microstructure using SEM and TEM identify that the reinforcement formed during the DRS process is Ti carbide (TiC) particle, generally less than 1.0 μm. The reacted, semisolid extruded samples exhibit a homogeneous distribution of fine TiC particles in Al-Cu matrix, Mechanical property evaluation of the composites has revealed a very high tensile strength relative to the matrix alloy. Fractographic analysis indicates ductile failure although the ductility and strength are limited by the presence of coarse titanium aluminides (Al3Ti).

Combustion Synthesis and Densification of NiAl/TiB_2 Composites

A suitable combustion synthesis and densification process was designed to fabricate dense NiAl/ TiB2 composites from Ni-Al- Ti-B system. Combustion synthesis processing and microstructure characteristics of products were studied in detail. The results show that the amount of TiB2 ceramics has a great influence on the combustion synthesis processing and microstructure; with the increase of the amount of TiB2 ceramics, the combustion temperature and combustion velocity increase rapidly. The volume of synthesized products and the grain size of ceramics particle size are also affected by the amount of TiB2 ceramics. TiB2 ceramics fiber can be produced in this synthesis system. The dense NiAl/ TiB2 composites with residual porosity of no more than 1% are fabricated by the combustion synthesis and hot pressing, the mechanical properties of the dense NiAl/ TiB2 composites increase with increase of the amount of TiB2 ceramics.

Analysis of Hot Rolling Routes of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy and Prediction of Tensile Property of Hot-rolled Sheets

At the initial rolling temperature of 250 to 400 ℃, AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets were hot rolled by four different rolling routes. Microstructures and mechanical properties of the hot-rolled magnesium alloy sheets were analyzed by optical microscope and tensile tests respectively. Based on the Hall-Petch relation, considering the average grain size and grain size distribution, the nonlinear fitting analysis between the tensile strength and average grain size was carried on, and then the prediction model of tensile strength of hot-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet was established. The results indicate that, by rolling with multi-pass cross rolling, uniform, fine and equiaxial grain microstructures can be produced, the anisotropy of hot-rolled magnesium sheet can also be effectively weakened. Strong correlation was observed between the average grain size and tensile property of the hot-rolled magnesium alloy sheet. Grain size distribution coefficient d（CV） was introduced to reflect the dispersion degree about a set of grain size data, and then the Hall-Petch relation was perfected. Ultimately, the prediction accuracy of tensile strength of multi-pass hot-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy was improved, and the prediction of tensile property can be performed by the model.

High Speed Steel and WC Particle-Reinforced Composites Produce by Spray Forming

The process of spray forming utilized to fabricate WC particle-reinforced high speed steel composites has been studied. In addition, microstructures and mechanical properties of M2 high speed steel and its composites made by spray forming have been analyzed. The results show that the primary carbides of high speed steel are of two types: MC and MbC. With the increase in flight distance, the morphology of the primary carbides varies from fine fish-bone-like to islandlike and both bending strength and hardness increase. With the increase in volume fraction of WC reinforcement particles,hardness of the composites increases considerably, but bending strength, however, appears to be a decreasing tendency.

A Special TMCP Used to Develop a 800MPa Grade HSLA Steel

The effect of relaxation after finished rolling on structures and properties of four microalloyed steel with different content of Nb and Ti was investigated. By alloy designing and control rolling + relaxation-precipitation-control phase trail storm ati on (RPC) process, a new 800 MPa grade HSLA plate steel could be obtained, the microstructure is composite ultra-fine lath bainite/martensite. The tempering process and mechanical properties of this kind of HSLA steel were investigated. The yield strength can achieve 800 MPa, and the ductility and impact toughness is satisfied.