Hardening effects of sheared precipitates on {1121} twinning in magnesium alloys

The interactions between a plate-like precipitate and two twin boundaries(TBs)({1012},{1121}) in magnesium alloys are studied using molecular dynamics(MD) simulations. The precipitate is not sheared by {1012} TB, but sheared by {1121} TB. Shearing on the(110) plane is the predominant deformation mode in the sheared precipitate. Then, the blocking effects of precipitates with different sizes are studied for {1121} twinning. All the precipitates show a blocking effect on {1121} twinning although they are sheared, while the blocking effects of precipitates with different sizes are different. The blocking effect increases significantly with the increasing precipitate length(in-plane size along TB) and thickness, whereas changes weakly as the precipitate width changes. Based on the revealed interaction mechanisms, a critical twin shear is calculated theoretically by the Eshelby solutions to determine which TB is able to shear the precipitate. In addition, an analytical hardening model of sheared precipitates is proposed by analyzing the force equilibrium during TB-precipitate interactions. This model indicates that the blocking effect depends solely on the area fraction of the precipitate cross-section, and shows good agreement with the current MD simulations. Finally, the blocking effects of plate-like precipitates on the {1012} twinning(non-sheared precipitate), {1121} twinning(sheared precipitate) and basal dislocations(non-sheared precipitate) are compared together. Results show that the blocking effect on {1121} twinning is stronger than that on {1012} twinning, while the effect on basal dislocations is weakest. The precipitate-TB interaction mechanisms and precipitation hardening models revealed in this work are of great significance for improving the mechanical property of magnesium alloys by designing microstructure.

Effect of long-period stacking ordered structure on very high cycle fatigue properties of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloys

Magnesium alloys with a long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure usually possess excellent static strength,but their fatigue behaviors are poorly understood.This work presents the effect of the LPSO structure on the crack behaviors of Mg alloys in a very high cycle fatigue(VHCF)regime.The LPSO lamellas lead to a facet-like cracking process along the basal planes at the crack initiation site and strongly prohibit the early crack propagation by deflecting the growth direction.The stress intensity factor at the periphery of the faceted area is much higher than the conventional LPSO-free Mg alloys,contributing higher fatigue crack propagation threshold of LPSO-containing Mg alloys.Microstructure observation at the facets reveals a layer of ultrafine grains at the fracture surface due to the cyclic contact of the crack surface,which supports the numerous cyclic pressing model describing the VHCF crack initiation behavior.

Hierarchical porous nitrogen,oxygen,and phosphorus ternary doped hollow biomass carbon spheres for high-speed and long-life potassium storage

Limited lithium resources have promoted the exploration of new battery technologies.Among them,potassium-ion batteries are considered as promising alternatives.At present,commercial graphite and other carbon-based materials have shown good prospects as anodes for potassium-ion batteries.However,the volume expansion and structural collapse caused by periodic K+insertion/extraction have severely restricted further development and application of potassium-ion batteries.A hollow biomass carbon ball(NOP-PB)ternarily doped with N,O,and P was synthesized and used as the negative electrode of a potassium-ion battery.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy,and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the hollow biomass carbon spheres were successfully doped with N,O,and P.Further analysis proved that N,O,and P ternary doping expands the interlayer distance of the graphite surface and introduces more defect sites.DFT calculations simultaneously proved that the K adsorption energy of the doped structure is greatly improved.The solid hollow hierarchical porous structure buffers the volume expansion of the potassium insertion process,maintains the original structure after a long cycle and promotes the transfer of potassium ions and electrons.Therefore,the NOP‐PB negative electrode shows extremely enhanced electrochemical performance,including high specific capacity,excellent long‐term stability,and good rate stability.

Current understanding of ultra-high cycle fatigue

The fatigue life of numerous aerospace,locomotive,automotive and biomedical structures may go beyond 10~8 cycles.Determination of long life fatigue behavior becomes extremely important for better understanding and design of the components and structures.Initially,before the invention of ultrasonic fatigue testing,most of the engineering materials were supposed to exhibit fatigue life up to 10~7 cycles or less.This paper reviews current understanding of some fundamental aspects on the development of accelerated fatigue testing method and its application in ultra-high cycle fatigue,crack initiation and growth mechanisms of internal fracture,S-N diagram,fatigue limit and life prediction, etc.

Discuss the Properties of Structural Steel and Applications of Waste Concrete from Post-Earthquake Investigations

This work proposes two aspects about construction materials abased on Wenchuan post-earthquake investigations. According to different feature failure modes in various damaged structures and the cause of the damage to the effects of the loading during the ground motion, the structural failures were found related to low cycle fatigue (LCF) properties of building steel. The hitherto research development is presented briefly. The characters of cycle response of the steels are tested and discussed. During the post-earthquake reconstruction process, the disposal of huge quantities of earthquake demolition waste brought great challenges. Utilizing the waste concrete taken from earthquake-stricken area as recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) in the new concrete is conducted. Furthermore, the application perspective of RCA is discussed.

Very high cycle fatigue behavior of bridge steel welded joint

Very high cycle fatigue（VHCF） behaviors of bridge steel（Q345） welded joints were investigated using an ultrasonic fatigue test system at room temperature with a stress ratio R = -1. The results show that the fatigue strength of welded joints is dropped by an average of 60% comparing to the base metal and the fatigue failure still occurred beyond 10~7 cycles.The fatigue fracture of welded joints in the low cycle regime generally occurred at the solder while at the heat-affected zone（HAZ） in the very high cycle regime.The fatigue fracture surface was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,showing welding defects such as pore,micro-crack and inclusion were the main factors on decreasing the fatigue properties of welded joints.The effect of welding defects on the fatigue behaviors of welded joints was discussed in terms of experimental results and finite element simulations.

Effect of low cycle fatigue pre-damage on very high cycle fatigue

Carbon-manganese steel is often applied in components of pipes in nuclear plant. Ultrasonic fatigue tests following low cycle fatigue （LCF） cycles damaged are used to study the strength of very high cycle fatigure （VHCF）. The comparison of test results of simple VHCF and cumulative fatigue （LCF plus VHCF） shows that LCF load influences the following VHCF strength. Continuum damage mechanics model is extended to VHCF region.

Effect of ultrasonic peening treatment on the fatigue behaviors of a magnesium alloy up to very high cycle regime

Ultrasonic fatigue tests are performed on a magnesium alloy with and without ultrasonic peening treatment(UPT).Surface enhancement layer leads to the complete change of crack initiation sites.However,crack initiation mechanism keeps the same and results in a single-faceted morphology at crack initiation site.Microcracks initiate as Mode Ⅱ crack within the original grain,but deflect to Mode I crack outside of the original cracked grain.A threshold SIF value is proposed to evaluate the retarding effect of grain boundary on microcrack propagation.Outside of the original cracked grain,Mode I crack propagation below the threshold ΔK_(σ-th) is responsible for the formation of fine granular area(FGA,a nano-grain layer).Based on the Numerous Cyclic Pressing(NCP) model,it is proposed that crack type should be another necessary condition for the formation of FGA.

Homogenization and trend analysis of 1960–2015 in situ sea surface temperature observations along the coast of China

Sea surface temperature(SST)measurements from 26 coastal hydrological stations of China during 1960–2015 were homogenized and analyzed in this study.The homogenous surface air temperature(SAT)series from meteorological stations which were highly correlated to SST series was used to construct the reference series.Monthly mean SST series were then derived and subjected to a statistical homogeneity test,called penalized maximal t test.Homogenized monthly mean SST series were obtained by adjusting all significant change points which were supported by historic metadata information.Results show that the majority of break points are caused by instrument change and station relocation,which accounts for about 61.3%and 24.2%of the total break points,respectively.The regionally averaged annual homogeneous SST series from the 26 stations shows a warming trend(0.19℃ per decade).This result is consistent with that based on the homogenized annual mean SAT at the same region(0.22℃ per decade),while the regionally averaged mean original SST series from the same stations shows a much weaker warming of 0.09℃ per decade for 1960–2015.This finding suggests that the effects of artificial change points on the result of trend analysis are remarkable,and the warming rate from original SST observations since 1960 may be underestimated.Thus a high quality homogenized observation is crucial for robust detection and assessment of regional climate change.Furthermore,the trends of the seasonal mean homogenized SST were also analyzed.This work confirmed that there was an asymmetric seasonal temperature trends in the Chinese coastal water in the past decades,with the largest warming rate occurring in winter.At last,the significant warming in winter and its relationships to the variability of three large-scale atmospheric modes were investigated.

Fatigue properties of age-hardened AI alloy 2017-T4 under ultrasonic loading

Fatigue properties of age-hardened Al alloy 2017-T4 under ultrasonic loading frequency （20 kHz） were investigated and compared with the results under conventional loading of rotating bending（50 Hz）.The growth of a crack retarded at about 500μm in surface length under ultrasonic loading,while at about 20μm under rotating bending.Although striations being a typical fracture mechanism were observed under conventional loading,most of fracture surface was covered with many facets under ultrasonic loading.These facets were also observed under rotating bending in nitrogen gas.The difference in growth mechanism depending on the loading frequency and the retardation of a crack growth under ultrasonic loading may be caused by the environment at the crack tip due to high crack growth rate under ultrasonic loading.

Special subject on very high cycle fatigue

In the applications of aircrafts, automobiles, railways, biomedicine and off-shore structures many components may experience cyclic loading conditions over a long period of time, running up to several hundred million cycles.1 Determination of long life fatigue behavior becomes extremely important for better understanding and design of components and structures.

Effect of Texture on the Grain-Size-Dependent Functional Properties of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys and Texture Gradient Design:A Phase Field Study

Texture is inevitably introduced during the manufacturing of most NiTi shape memory alloys(SMAs),and the textured nanocrystalline NiTi has been extensively employed in engineering.However,the effect of texture,and the joint effect of grain size(GS)and texture on the functional properties of NiTi SMAs and the corresponding microscopic mechanisms have not been clearly understood yet.In this work,based on the phase field method,the effect of texture on the GS-dependent functional properties of NiTi SMAs,including super-elasticity(SE),one-way shape memory effect(OWSME),and stress-assisted two-way shape memory effect(SATWSME),is investigated,and the corresponding microscopic mechanisms are revealed.Moreover,the samples with discrete geometrical gradients and/or texture gradients are designed to achieve graded functional properties.The simulation results indicate that the dependence of functional properties on texture is due to the effect of crystallographic orientation on martensite transformation and reorientation,which can lead to different inelastic strains.In the designed samples with texture gradients,the stress–strain responses of sheets with various textures are different,allowing for the coordination of overall deformation of the sample by combining such sheets,with varying inelastic deformation degrees.Thus,the overall response of the sample differs from that without texture gradient,leading to the achievement of graded functional properties.The simulation results and new findings in this work contribute to a deeper understanding of the effects of texture,GS,and their interaction on the functional properties of SMAs,and provide valuable reference for the design and development of SMA-based devices with desired functional properties.

Multi-field Coupled Inverse Hall–Petch Relations for Ferroelectric Nanocrystals

Tailoring grain size can improve the strength of polycrystals by regulating the proportion of grains to grain boundaries and the interaction area.As the grain size decreases to the nanoscale,the deformation mechanism in polycrystals shifts from being primarily mediated by dislocations to deformation occurring within the grains and grain boundaries.However,the mechanism responsible for fine-grain strengthening in ferroelectric materials remains unclear,primarily due to the complex multi-field coupling effect arising from spontaneous polarization.Through molecular dynamics simulations,we investigate the strengthening mechanism of barium titanate(BaTiO3),with extremely fine-grain sizes.This material exhibits an inverse Hall–Petch relationship between grain size and strength,rooting in the inhomogeneous concentration of atomic strain and grain rotation.Furthermore,we present a theoretical model to predict the transition from the inverse Hall–Petch stage to the Hall–Petch stage based on strength variations with size,which aligns well with the simulation results.It has been found that the piezoelectric properties of the BaTiO3 are affected by polarization domain switching at various grain sizes.This study enhances our understanding of the atomic-scale mechanisms that contribute to the performance evolution of fine-grain nano-ferroelectric materials.It also provides valuable insights into the design of extremely small-scale ferroelectric components.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Displacement Cascade in Ni-Based Concentrated Solid Solution Alloys

Single-phase concentrated solid solution alloys(SP-CSAs),including high-entropy alloys,have received extensive attention due to their excellent irradiation resistance.In this work,displacement cascade simulations are conducted using the molecular dynamics method to study the evolution of defects in Ni-based SP-CSAs.Compared with pure Ni,the NiCr,NiCo,and NiCu alloys exhibit a larger number of Frankel pairs(FPs)in the thermal peak stage,but a smaller number of surviving FPs.However,the NiFe alloy displays the opposite phenomenon.To explain these different observations for NiFe and other alloys,the formation energy and migration energy of interstitials/vacancies are calculated.In the NiFe alloy,both the formation energy and migration energy barrier are higher.On the other hand,in NiCr and other alloys,the formation energy of interstitials/vacancies is lower,as is the migration energy barrier of interstitials.The energy analysis agrees well with previous observations.The present work provides new insights into the mechanism behind the irradiation resistance of binary Ni-based SP-CSAs.

Bioinspired Additive Manufacturing of Hierarchical Materials: From Biostructures to Functions

Throughout billions of years,biological systems have evolved sophisticated,multiscale hierarchical structures to adapt to changing environments.Biomaterials are synthesized under mild conditions through a bottom-up self-assembly process,utilizing substances from the surrounding environment,and meanwhile are regulated by genes and proteins.Additive manufacturing,which mimics this natural process,provides a promising approach to developing new materials with advantageous properties similar to natural biological materials.This review presents an overview of natural biomaterials,emphasizing their chemical and structural compositions at various scales,from the nanoscale to the macroscale,and the key mechanisms underlying their properties.Additionally,this review describes the designs,preparations,and applications of bioinspired multifunctional materials produced through additive manufacturing at different scales,including nano,micro,micro-macro,and macro levels.

La_(2)O_(3)-modified BiYbO_(3)–Pb(Zr,Ti)O_(3) ternary piezoelectric ceramics with enhanced electrical properties and thermal depolarization temperature

High-performance Pb(Zr_(1−x)Ti_(x))O_(3)(PZT)piezoceramics are urgently desired by the market in view of their expanded operating temperature range,reduced property temperature dependence,and enhanced sensitivity and acoustic power.In this work,we reported a kind of low-cost and high-performance 0.06BiYbO_(3)–0.94Pb(Zr_(0.48)Ti_(0.52))O_(3) ternary piezoceramics;the modifying effects of La_(2)O_(3) on this perovskite system were investigated in terms of the structures,electrical properties,and thermal depolarization behaviors of ceramics.The field-dependent dielectric and conduction properties indicated that there are close correlations among oxygen vacancies(VO),conducting electrons,and intrinsic conduction process.The degradation in ferroelectric properties observed in those samples doped with more than 0.15 wt%of La_(2)O_(3) indicated that the occupying mechanisms of La^(3+)changed from the donor substitution for Pb^(2+)to the isovalent substitution for Bi^(3+).The thermally depoling micromechanisms of ceramics were revealed from the thermodynamic processes of defect dipoles and intrinsic dipoles within ferroelectric domains.The sample doped with 0.15 wt%of La_(2)O_(3) shows excellent electrical properties with TC=387℃,d33=332 pC/N,TKε=5.81×10^(−3)℃−1,Pr=20.66μC/cm^(2),Td=356℃.The significantly enhanced electrical properties and thermal depolarization temperature benefited from the donor substitution of La3+,decreasing the oxygen vacancy concentration in the lattice and possibly optimizing the ferroelectric domain structure of ceramics.

Microstructural evolution and oxidation inα/βtitanium alloy under fretting fatigue loading

Coupling effects of fretting wear and cyclic stress could result in significant fatigue strength degradation,thus potentially causing unanticipated catastrophic fractures.The underlying mechanism of microstructural evolutions caused by fretting wear is ambiguous,which obstructs the understanding of fretting fatigue issues,and is unable to guarantee the reliability of structures for long-term operation.Here,fretting wear studies were performed to understand the microstructural evolution and oxidation behavior of anα/βtitanium alloy up to 108 cycles.Contact surface degradation is mainly caused by surface oxidation and the generation of wear debris during fretting wear within the slip zone.The grain size in the topmost nanostructured layer could be refined to~40 nm.The grain refinement process involves the initial grain rotation,the formation of low angle grain boundary(LAGB;2°–5°),the in-situ increments of the misorientation angle,and the final subdivision,which have been unraveled to feature the evolution in dislocation morphologies from slip lines to tangles and arrays.The formation of hetero microstructures regarding the nonequilibrium high angle grain boundary(HAGB)and dislocation arrays gives rise to more oxygen diffusion pathways in the topmost nanostructured layer,thus resulting in the formation of cracking interface to separate the oxidation zone and the adjoining nanostructured domain driven by tribological fatigue stress.Eventually,it facilitates surface degradation and the formation of catastrophic fractures.

应变梯度引起的极化畴结构减少铁电材料脆性

铁电材料的力电耦合特性以及在纳米尺度的快速失效导致其剪切过程很难研究,而材料的脆性也限制了这些材料在铁电器件中的潜在应用.在这项工作中,我们使用分子动力学方法模拟了剪切和畴演变的动态过程,揭示了这些畴结构如何影响材料的力电性能.在原子尺度上,一个明显的极化旋涡状的畴结构出现在剪切带的尖端,两侧分别有180°和90°的畴壁.由应变梯度引起的挠曲电效应导致了这些复杂的畴结构.施加外部电场阻碍畴的翻转,并通过减少积累的能量减少了失配应变区域,加速了剪切过程.结果表明极化旋涡畴阻碍了剪切破坏过程,这启示我们可以通过设计畴结构来增韧铁电材料.

Thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes with substrate layer composed of polysulfone blended with PEG or polysulfone grafted PEG methyl ether methacrylate

To advance commercial application of forward osmosis （FO）, we investigated the effects of two additives on the performance of polysulfone （PSf） based FO membranes： one is poly（ethylene glycol） （PEG）, and another is PSf grafted with PEG methyl ether methacrylate （PSf-g-PEGMA）. PSf blended with PEG or PSf-g- PEGMA was used to form a substrate layer, and then polyamide was formed on a support layer by interfacial polymerization. In this study, NaC1 （1 mol·L^-1） and deionized water were used as the draw solution and the feed solution, respectively. With the increase of PEG content from 0 to 15 wt-%, FO water flux declined by 23.4% to 59.3% compared to a PSf TFC FO membrane. With the increase of PSf-g-PEGMA from 0 to 15 wt-%, the membrane flux showed almost no change at first and then declined by about 52.0% and 50.4%. The PSfwith 5 wt-% PSf-g-PEGMA FO membrane showed a higher pure water flux of 8.74 L·m^-2·h^-1 than the commercial HTI membranes （6-8 L·m^-2·h^-1） under the FO mode. Our study suggests that hydrophobic interface is very important for the formation ofpolyamide, and a small amount of PSf- g-PEGMA can maintain a good condition for the formation of polyamide and reduce internal concentration polarization.

Oxygen octahedron tilting,electrical properties and mechanical behaviors in alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

In this work,we present a new piezoelectric solid solution consisting of two typical alkali niobate-based materials,K_(0.5)Na_(0.5)NbO_(3)(KNN)and Li_(0.15)Na_(0.85)NbO_(3)(LNN).Although KNN and LNN have the same perovskite structure,they exhibit extremely different electrical properties and mechanical behaviors.The phase structures,electrical and mechanical evolutions of the new lead-free piezoelectric materials with different ratios of KNN and LNN are comprehensively and theoretically investigated.According to the Xray diffraction patterns and curves of permittivity versus temperature,a series of complicated phase transitions can be found with varied LNN content.Rietveld refinement results based on XRD patterns reveal an oxygen octahedron tilting in the LNN-rich crystal structure,and simultaneously the reasons for octahedron tilting are discussed.The distorted crystal structure is accompanied by extremely decreased electric properties but increased mechanical properties,which reveals electrical and mechanical properties of alkali niobate-based piezoelectric ceramics strongly depend on their inner structures,and the enhancement of intrinsic hardness results in the deterioration of piezoelectric properties.Our work exhibits the detailed evolutions of structure,electrical and mechanical properties from KNN to LNN,which provides experimental and theoretical basis for development of new alkali niobate-based piezoelectric materials.