Effect of process parameters on the microstructure and properties of laser-clad FeNiCoCrTi0.5 high-entropy alloy coating

FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings with different process parameters were fabricated by laser cladding. The macro-morphology, phase, microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of each coating were studied. The smoothness and dilution rate of the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating generally increased with the increase of specific energy(Es), which is the laser irradiation energy received by a unit area. FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings at different parameters had bcc, fcc, and Ti-rich phases as well as equiaxed, dendritic, and columnar structures. When Es increased, the size of each structure increased and the distribution area of the columnar and dendritic structures changed. The prepared FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating with the Es of 72.22 J·mm-2 had the highest hardness and the best wear resistance, the highest hardness of the coating reached HV 498.37, which is twice the substrate hardness. The average hardness of the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coating with the Es of 72.22 J·mm-2 was 15.8% higher than the lowest average hardness of the coating with the Es of 108.33 J·mm-2. The worn surface morphologies indicate that the FeNiCoCrTi0.5 coatings exhibited abrasive wear.

Numerical simulation of friction stir butt-welding of 6061 aluminum alloy

A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model was established to simulate the friction stir butt-welding of 6061 aluminum alloy. The dynamic mesh method was applied in this model to make the tool move forward and rotate in a manner similar to a real tool, and the calculated volumetric source of energy was loaded to establish a similar thermal environment to that used in the experiment. Besides, a small piece of zinc stock was embedded into the workpiece as a trace element. Temperature fields and vector plots were determined using a finite volume method, which was indirectly verified by traditional metallography. The simulation result indicated that the temperature distribution was asymmetric but had a similar tendency on the two sides of the welding line. The maximum temperature on the advancing side was approximately 10 K higher than that on the retreating side. Furthermore, the precise process of material flow behavior in combination with streamtraces was demonstrated by contour maps of the phases. Under the shearing force and forward extrusion pressure, material located in front of the tool tended to move along the tangent direction of the rotating tool. Notably, three whirlpools formed under a special pressure environment around the tool, resulting in a uniform composition distribution.

Effect of rare earth content on microstructure and corrosion resistance of hot-dip Zn-5Al alloy coated steel wire for bridge cables

The effects of the content of rare earth elements on the microstructure and properties of hot-dip Zn-5 Al alloy steel wire for bridge cables were investigated.The microstructure of the hot-dip coating was analyzed using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer.The bonding force between the hot-dip coating and steel wire was determined by the winding test.The corrosion resistance of the steel wire hot-dip coating was tested by the electrochemical workstation.The hot-dip Zn-5A1 alloy coating has a corrosion-resistant structure composed of a zinc-rich phase and an aluminum-rich phase.Due to the enhanced bonding force,the micro structure of the hot-dip coating of the Zn-5A1 alloy with rare earth elements is more compact and uniform than that without rare earth elements.The addition of rare earth elements improves the corrosion resistance of Zn-5A1 alloy coated steel wire.Due to the rare earth segregation,which prevents the corrosion of the grain boundary and enhances the anti-intergranular corrosion performance,steel wire exhibits the optimum corrosion resistance when the content of rare earth elements is 0.08 wt.%.

Formation mechanism and mechanical properties of surface nanocrystallized Ti-6Al-4V alloy processed by surface mechanical attrition treatment

In the present work,surface mechanical attrition treatment(SMAT)was proposed to achieve surface nanocrystallization on Ti-6Al-4V surface via high-energy planetary ball milling method using a planetary ball mill.The characteristics of microstructure were studied using different methods.Surface nanocrystallization is achieved on Ti-6Al-4V substrate.The process of refinement could be summarized into four steps.During the refinement process,the reticular continuous beta phase performs a significant role,it cracked,broke up and moved to each side along the grain boundaries.The movement of beta grains has the capabilities of effectively optimizing the grain orientation and accelerating the further refinement of alpha grains.Twinning also plays an important role during the refinement.The grain orientation between different types of grains seems to be larger than that of same type grains.The interface will be divided into smaller nanocrystalline grains once the dislocation density breaks the threshold.Then,the balance will be achieved again and owns a higher critical value which cannot be broken,then a stable grain size can be achieved ultimately.The results of microhardness,friction coefficient and wear mass loss tests of SMAT samples indicate that the mechanical behaviors of substrate are greatly enhanced after this novel SMAT treatment.

Microstructures and properties of Cu-Cr-W composite coatings fabricated by surface mechanical alloying technique

Cu-Cr-W composite coatings were prepared by mechanical alloying(MA)method using different powder ratios,rotational speeds and milling time.The micro structures and chemical compositions of as-synthesized coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS).Phases of ball-milled powders were identified by X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results indicate that the coating fabricated with powder ratio of 40 wt%Cu-Cr-W has better surface and cross-sectional microstructures and higher microhardness.The comparisons of cross-sectional micro structures of the coatings fabricated at different rotational speeds suggest that rotational speed of 300 r·min-1is the optimal for fabrication the coating,and the optimal milling time for the formation of coating is 7 h.The results of microhardness test show that the hardness of the substrate is largely improved because of the as-fabricated coatings.The results of the friction and wear tests indicate that the wear resistance of the copper substrate is improved after the deposition of Cu-Cr-W coating on it.The coating fabricated for 7 h exhibits the lowest friction coefficient,indicating its favorable friction and wear resistance.The formation mechanism of the coating was elucidated.According to the investigations in this work,the Cu-Cr-W coating fabricated by MA method is considered to be effective to reinforce the copper substrate.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-Cu amorphous coating synthesized on pure Cu substrate by mechanical alloying method

Mechanical alloying method was applied to fabricate coating with amorphous structure on pure Cu substrate.The microstructure,the phase composition and the mechanical properties including microhardness and wear resistance of the coating were,respectively,characterized and analyzed.The results show that the coating is rough but continuous.It has favorable adhesion to the substrate.The coating is made up of an inner composite layer and an outer amorphous layer.The microhardness and the wear resistance of the pure Cu substrate are improved because of the bilayer structure.The formation mechanism of the coating was discussed.The as-synthesized coating is considered to be effective to strengthen the surface of pure Cu substrate.