Influence of Al_2O_3 particle pinning on thermal stability of nanocrystalline Fe

Second-phase particle pinning has been well known as a mechanism impeding grain boundary （GB） migration, and thus, is documented as an efficient approach for stabilizing nanocrystalline （NC） materials at elevated temperatures. The pinning force exerted by interaction between small dispersed particles and GBs strongly depends on size and volume fraction of the particles. Since metallic oxides, e.g. Al2O3, exhibit great structural stability and high resistance against coarsening at high temperatures, they are expected as effective stabilizers for NC materials. In this work, NC composites consisting of NC Fe and Al2O3 nanoparticIes with different amounts and sizes were prepared by high energy ball milling and annealed at various temperatures （Tann） for different time periods （tann）. Microstructures of the ball milled and annealed samples were examined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles not only enhances the thermal stability of NC Fe grains but also reduces their coarsening rate at elevated temperatures, and reducing the particle size and/or increasing its amount enhance the stabilizing effect of the Al2O3 particles on the NC Fe grains.

Effects of concurrent grain boundary and surface segregation on the final stage of sintering: the case of Lanthanum doped yttriastabilized zirconia

Dopants play a critical role in tailoring the microstructure during sintering of compacts. These dopants may form solid solution within the bulk, and/or segregate to the grain boundaries（GBs） and the solidvapor interfaces（free surfaces）, each causing a distinct energetic scenario governing mass transports during densification and grain growth. In this work, the forces controlling the dopant distribution, in particular the possibility of concurrent segregation at both surfaces and GBs, are discussed based on the respective enthalpy of segregation. An equation is derived based on the minimum Gibbs energy of the system to determine enthalpy of segregation from experimental interface energy data, and the results applied to depict the role of La as a dopant on the interface energetics of yttria stabilized zirconia during its final stage of sintering. It is shown that La substantially decreases both GB and surface energies（differently）as sintering progresses, dynamically affecting its driving forces, and consequent grain growth and densification in this stage.