MICROSCOPIC CORROSION STUDIES OF DUPLEX STAINLESS STEELS

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy have been used for in situ monitoring of localized corrosion processes of different Duplex stainless steels (DSS) in acidic chloride solutions. The techniques allow imaging of local dissolution events with micrometer resolution, as opposed to conventional electrochemical techniques, which only give an overall view of the corrosion behavior. In addition, combined scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy were used for mapping the Volta potential variation over the surface of DSSs. A significant difference in Volta potential between the austenite and ferrite phases suggests galvanic interaction between the phases. A compositional gradient appears within 2 micrometers across the phase boundary, as seen with scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). In all, the studies suggest that higher alloyed DSS exhibit a more homogeneous dissolution behavior than lower alloyed DSS, due to higher and more similar corrosion resistance of the two phases, and enhanced resistance of the ferrite/austenite phase boundary regions.

Unexpected creep behavior in a rejuvenated metallic glass

Rejuvenation,bringing metallic glasses(MGs)to the younger and higher energy states,provides an alternative avenue to explore the interplay between the property and microstructures of MGs.In this study,the creep behavior of the Zr_(69.5)Cu_(12)Ni_(11)Al_(7.5)MGs was experimentally examined by controlling the energy state in terms of structural rejuvenation and thermal annealing.It is found that compared to the as-cast counterpart,the annealed MG at a lower energy state exhibits a higher hardness,a smaller displacement,and a lower creep rate due to the decreased free volume and the inhibited activation of the shear transformation zone.Conversely,the rejuvenated MG at a high energy state displays lower hardness and increased free volume content,yet it demonstrates superior creep resistance compared to its as-cast counterpart,which deviates from conventional understanding.This unexpected phenomenon occurs as the initial high-content free volume annihilates during creep,and strain hardening takes precedence over strain softening as the prevailing process during creep deformation,leading to a superior creep performance in extremely rejuvenated MGs.

Hardness-thermal stability synergy in nanograined Ni and Ni alloys:Superposition of nanotwin and low-energy columnar boundary

Refining grains into nanoscale can significantly strengthen and harden metallic materials;however,nanograined metals generally exhibit low thermal stability,hindering their practical applications.In this work,we exploit the superposition of the contribution of nanotwins,low-angle grain boundaries,and microalloying to tailor superior combinations of high hardness and good thermal stability in Ni and Ni alloys.For the nanotwinned Ni having a twin thickness of∼2.9 nm and grain size of 28 nm,it exhibits a hardness over 8.0 GPa and an onset coarsening temperature of 623 K,both of which are well above those of nanograined Ni.Re/Mo microalloying can further improve the onset coarsening temperature to 773 K without comprising hardness.Our analyses reveal that high hardness is achieved via strengthen-ing offered by extremely fine nanotwins.Meanwhile,the superior thermal stability is mainly ascribed to the low driving force for grain growth induced by the low-angle columnar boundary architecture and to the additional pinning effect on the migration of twin/columnar boundaries provided by minor Re/Mo solutes.The present work not only reveals a family of nanotwinned metals possessing the combination of ultra-high hardness and high thermal stability but also provides a strategy for tailoring properties of metallic materials by pairing low-angle grain boundaries and twin boundaries.