Microstructure,Properties,and Grain Growth Kinetics of Mo-5Ta Refractory Sputtering Targets Prepared by SPS

Mo-5Ta targets were prepared by the spark plasma sintering(SPS)technology under the sintering temperatures of 1400-1600℃,the holding times of 0-20 min,and the axial pressure of 30 MPa.The microstructure,performance,and grain growth kinetics of Mo-5Ta sputtering targets were studied.With the increase of sintering temperatures and times,Ta can more dissolve in Mo and form a Mo(Ta)solid solution.The grain sizes of Mo-5Ta targets remain unchanged at low temperatures(1400-1500℃)while increasing significantly at high temperature(1600℃)with the extension of the holding time.In addition,the densities and Vickers hardness(HV_(0.5))first ascend and then decrease with sintering proceeding.The thermal conductivity is positively correlated with the grain size and density,as a result of their joint action.Based on the comprehensive analysis,the grain growth is dominated by the combination of boundary diffusion and volume diffusion.When n=2,the activation energies of grain growth under holding times of 5,10,20 min are calculated as 762.70,617.86,and 616.52 kJ/mol,respectively.

Solute drag-controlled grain growth in magnesium investigated by quasi in-situ orientation mapping and level-set simulations

Critical properties of metallic materials,such as the yield stress,corrosion resistance and ductility depend on the microstructure and its grain size and size distribution.Solute atoms that favorably segregate to grain boundaries produce a pinning atmosphere that exerts a drag pressure on the boundary motion,which strongly affects the grain growth behavior during annealing.In the current work,the characteristics of grain growth in an annealed Mg-1 wt.%Mn-1 wt.%Nd magnesium alloy were investigated by advanced experimental and modeling techniques.Systematic quasi in-situ orientation mappings with a scanning electron microscope were performed to track the evolution of local and global microstructural characteristics as a function of annealing time.Solute segregation at targeted grain boundaries was measured using three-dimensional atom probe tomography.Level-set computer simulations were carried with different setups of driving forces to explore their contribution to the microstructure development with and without solute drag.The results showed that the favorable growth advantage for some grains leading to a transient stage of abnormal grain growth is controlled by several drivers with varying importance at different stages of annealing.For longer annealing times,residual dislocation density gradients between large and smaller grains are no longer important,which leads to microstructure stability due to predominant solute drag.Local fluctuations in residual dislocation energy and solute concentration near grain boundaries cause different boundary segments to migrate at different rates,which affects the average growth rate of large grains and their evolved shape.

ON THE MONTE CARLO SIMULATION OF NORMAL GRAIN GROWTH

The microstructures and their kinetics of normal grain growth are simulated using different Monte Carlo （MC） algorithms. Compared with the relative figures and the theoretical normal grain growth exponents of n =0.5, the effects of some factors of MC algorithm, i.e. the lattice types, the methods of selecting lattice sites, and the neighbors selection for energy calculations, on the simulation results of grain growth are studied. Two methods of regression were compared, and the three-parameter nonlinear regression is much more suitable for fitting the grain growth kinetics. A better model with appropriate factors included triangular lattice, the attempted site randomly selected, and the first and second nearest neighbors for energy calculations is obtained.

Grain Growth Behavior of 5Cr21Mn9Ni4N Steel Micro-Alloyed by Rare Earth

Grain growth behavior of 5Cr21Mn9Ni4NRE steel was experimentally studied at various solid solution treatment temperatures and holding for different times. The experimental results show that the 5Cr21Mn9Ni4NRE steel has the feature of sharp austenite grain coarsening after solid solution treatment at the temperature above 1150 ℃. RE added in the steel has the benefit to restrain grain growth and increase grain growth activation energy.

In situ observation of austenite grain growth behavior in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone of Ti-microalloyed steels

The austenite grain growth behavior in a simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone during thermal cycling was investigated via in situ observation. Austenite grains nucleated at ferrite grain boundaries and then grew in different directions through movement of grain boundaries into the ferrite phase. Subsequently, the adjacent austenite grains impinged against each other during the α→γtransformation. After the α→γ transformation, austenite grains coarsened via the coalescence of small grains and via boundary migration between grains. The growth process of austenite grains was a continuous process during heating, isothermal holding, and cooling in simulated thermal cycling. Abundant finely dispersed nanoscale TiN particles in a steel specimen containing 0.012wt% Ti effectively retarded the grain boundary migration, which resulted in refined austenite grains. When the Ti concentration in the steel was increased, the number of TiN particles de- creased and their size coarsened. The big particles were not effective in pinning the austenite grain boundary movement and resulted in coarse austenite grains.

In situ observations of austenite grain growth in Fe-C-Mn-Si super bainitic steel

In situ observations of austenite grain growth in Fe-C-Mn-Si super bainitic steel were conducted on a high-temperature laser scanning confocal microscope during continuous heating and subsequent isothermal holding at 850, 1000, and 1100℃ for 30 min. A grain growth model was proposed based on experimental results. It is indicated that the austenite grain size increases with austenitizing temperature and holding time. When the austenitizing temperature is above 1100℃, the austenite grains grow rapidly, and abnormal austenite grains occur. In addition, the effect of heating rate on austenite grain growth was investigated, and the relation between austenite grains and bainite morphology after bainitic transformations was also discussed.

Grain Growth Behavior in Sintered Nd-Fe-B Magnets

The Nd2Fe14B grain growth behavior in sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets was quantitatively described.The effects of sintering temperature and time,and alloy powder size and its distribution on grain growth process were analyzed.Hence,possible grain growth mechanisms in these magnets were qualitatively discussed.The Nd2Fe14B grain growth proceeded at quite a high rate in the initial 0~1 h of sintering and from then onwards the grain growth rate decreased.A large average particle size or a wide particle size distribution of initial alloy powders was found to remarkably accelerate the grain growth process and even result in the occurrence of abnormal grain growth.On the basis of experimental results,two grain growth mechanisms were considered to operate during sintering of Nd-Fe-B magnets,that is,dissolution and re-precipitation of Nd2Fe14B particles,and Nd2Fe14B particle growth by coalescence.It was believed that Nd2Fe14B particle growth by coalescence not only produced a large average grain size and a wide grain size distribution,but also was the fundamental reason for the formation of abnormally large grains in the microstructure of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.

MODELING OF FERRITE GRAIN GROWTH OF LOW CARBON STEELS DURING HOT ROLLING

For most commercial steels the prediction of the final properties depends on accurately calculating the room temperature ferrite grain size. A grain growth model is proposed for low carbon steels Q235B during hot rolling. By using this model, the initial ferrite grain size after continuous cooling and ferrite grain growing in coiling procedure can be predicted. In-plant trials were performed in the hot strip mill of Ansteel. The calculated final ferrite grain sizes are in good agreement with the experimental ones. It is helpful both for simulation of microstructure evolution and prediction of mechanical properties.

Effects of yttrium on recrystallization and grain growth of Mg-4.9Zn-0.7Zr alloy

Recrystallization and grain growth in Mg-4.9Zn-0.7Zr and Mg-4.9Zn-0.9Y-0.7Zr alloys as a function of temperature on deformation were investigated with regards to hot rolling and annealing. The influence of yttrium addition on the microstructure was examined by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results indicated that yttrium addition promoted nucleation of recrystallization during hot rolling process. The grain size of Mg-4.9Zn-0.7Zr alloy samples grew significantly with annealing temperature （300-400 ℃） and holding time （0-120 min）, while the microstructure of the alloy with yttrium addition remained unchanged and fine. The activation energy of grain boundary migration for Mg-4.9Zn-0.9Y-0.7Zr alloy samples （56.34 kJ/mol） was higher than that for Mg-4.9Zn-0.7Zr （42.66 kJ/mol） owing to the pinning effect of Y-containing particles. The proposed growth models of recrysta/lized grains for the two studied alloys conformed well to E. Robert＇s grain-growth equation. Besides, the ultimate strength and yield strength of the alloys with yttrium addition were improved with good plasticity.

Static recrystallization and grain growth during annealing of an extruded Mg-Zn-Zr-Er magnesium alloy

Microstructure stability is essential to maintain a fine grain structure for an alloy throughout its processing.The effects of Er addition and its existing form on the static recrystallization and grain growth during annealing of an extruded Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr magnesium alloy were studied in this paper.The results showed that microstructure stability was much improved by Er addition and the best thermability was obtained in 2 wt.%Er-containing alloy.For the incomplete dynamic recrystallization(DRX)microstructures extruded at a lower temperature of 350℃,Er addition increased the resistance of static recrystallization;and for the complete DRX microstructures extruded at a relatively high temperature of 420℃,Er addition suppressed grain growth.The difference in microstructure stability was then correlated with the microstructure features.Both the intermetallic phase and the solute atoms of Er inα-Mg matrix contributed to the microstructure stability.Moreover,it is believed that the existing form of Er-Zn atom pairs in theα-Mg solid solution favored the most to improve the thermal stability of the alloy.

Microstructural evolution and grain growth mechanism of pre-twinned magnesium alloy during annealing

The microstructural evolution and underlying grain growth mechanism of a{1012}-twin-containing Mg alloy during annealing are investigated through quasi in situ electron backscatter diffraction measurements of a rolled AZ31 alloy subjected to precompression along the rolling direction(RD).The precompressed material shows a partially twinned structure consisting of a twinned region and a residual matrix region,and this structure changes to an almost twin-free structure consisting of grown grains with serrated grain boundaries in twinand matrix-originated regions after annealing at 250℃ for 1 h.In addition,the average grain size almost doubles and the internal strain energy decreases significantly after annealing.These microstructural variations are induced mainly by grain growth through the strain-induced migration of high-angle grain boundaries without the movement of twin boundaries.The twinned region of the precompressed material has higher stored strain energy than the residual matrix region because the crystallographic orientation of the former region is favorable for basal slip and because of the occurrence of the dislocation transmutation reaction in the twins.For reducing the total strain energy accumulated in the precompressed material,the residual matrix region—having lower stored strain energy—preferentially grows while consuming the twinned regions formed in the surrounding grains during annealing.As a result,the area fraction of grains with a matrix texture increases whereas that of grains with a twin texture decreases after annealing.The twin texture intensity increases significantly and this texture becomes more concentrated along the RD because the highly RD oriented twins tend to grow during annealing on account of their fairly low stored strain energy.

Grain growth in calibre rolled Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy and its effect on hardness

Calibre rolling of Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy at 300℃ led to development of fine grain size of 3μm.Subsequent annealing,from 5 to 6000 minutes at 300-450℃,revealed faster grain growth initially up to 60 minutes,which became sluggish on prolonged annealing.The time exponent for grain growth kinetics(n)suggests bi-linear behaviour with n=0.11 and 0.008 over these time scales.The activation energy,based on various n values,varied over wide ranges that made the understanding of the mechanisms for grain growth difficult.This problem is explained by concurrent evolution of texture and grain boundary structure.The effect of grain growth on hardness at ambient temperature was found to follow the H-P type relationship.

Isothermal grain growth of reactive spray formed 7075 alloys in semi-solid state

The grain growth behavior in reactive spray formed 7075+2.91 vol percent TiCAl alloy was studied and compared with that of spray formed 7075 Al alloy at semi-solid state. Theeffects of in-situ TiC particles on the microstructure of spray formed 7075 Al alloy were alsoinvestigated. The specimens were heat-treated isothermally at various temperatures between thesolidus and liquidus of 7075 Al alloy for times in the range of 10-60 min, then quenched in water.The microstructure of reheated specimens was characterized using scanning electron microscopy andoptical microscopy. The grain size was measured using a mean linear intercept method. Results showthat the in-situ TiC particles can effectively retard grain growth and refine the grain at a limitedsize. The grain growth exponent in Arrhenius equation increases from 2 to 3, which indicates thatthe in-situ TiC particles have the significant pinning effect on grain coarsening in the semi-solidstate.

Three-Dimensional and Cross-sectional Characteristics of Normal Grain Growth Based on Monte Carlo Simulation

An appropriate Monte Carlo method was developed to simulate the three-dimensional normal grain growth more completely. Comparative investigation on the three-dimensional and the cross-sectional characteristics of normal grain growth was done. It was found that the time exponent of grain growth determined from cross-section exhibits the same rule of increasing slowly with time and approaching the theoretical value n = 0.5 of steadygrain growth as the three-dimensional (3-D) system. From change of the number of grains per unit area with timemeasured in cross-section, the state of 3-D normal grain growth may be predicted. The gtain size distribution incross-section is different from that in 3-D system and can not express the evolution characteristic of the 3-D distribution. Furthermore, there exists statistical connection between the topological parameters in cross-section and thosein three-dimensions.

The role of recrystallization and grain growth in optimizing the sheet texture of magnesium alloys with calcium addition during annealing

The contribution of recrystallization and grain growth to the texture evolution in AZ31 alloy and a modified version AZ31+0.5 wt.%Ca was investigated utilizing a multi-step annealing process.The results showed that the addition of Ca triggered a considerable texture modification by increasing the texture spread and decreasing the overall texture intensity.This effect was found to be temperature dependent.When the annealing temperature remained lower than 450℃,a weak double peak texture with large basal pole tilt towards the RD was formed.This is correlated to microstructure observations of a large number of Ca-containing nano-sized particles that seemed to suppress grain growth below 450℃,which stabilized the weak recrystallization texture.This favorable texture was lost upon annealing at higher temperatures.In AZ31,recrystallization nuclei were found to preserve the orientation of their deformed parents,which offered limited potential to optimize the texture via annealing treatments.Grain growth of recrystallized grains resulted in a distinct sheet texture transition from a double-peak to a single-peak basal texture.Aspects of grain boundary energy and grain topology are discussed to explain the growth advantage of the sharp basal component over other orientations.

Grain size distribution and topology in 3D grain growth simulation with large-scale Monte Carlo method

Three-dimensional normal grain growth was appropriately simulated using a Potts model Monte Carlo algorithm. The quasi-stationary grain size distribution obtained from simulation agreed well with the experimental result of pure iron. The Weibull function with a parameter β=2.77 and the Yu-Liu function with a parameter v =2.71 fit the quasi-stationary grain size distribution well. The grain volume distribution is a function that decreased exponentially with increasing grain volume. The distribution of boundary area of grains has a peak at S/〈S〉=0.5, where S is the boundary area of a grain and 〈S〉 is the mean boundary area of all grains in the system. The lognormal function fits the face number distribution well and the peak of the face number distribution is f=10. The mean radius off-faced grains is not proportional to the face number, but appears to be related by a curve convex upward. In the 2D cross-section, both the perimeter law and the Aboav-Weaire law are observed to hold.

Doping Effect on the Grain Growth of Spinel LiMn_2O_4 Prepared by Sol-Gel Methods

The cathode-active materials, Li1＋yMxMn2-xO4 （M = Al, Co, Ni, Zn, y = 0.02, x = 0.02） powder, were synthesized by sol-gel method using LiOH, Mn（NO3）2 as the starting materials, citric acid as a carrier and Al（NO3）3·9H2O or Co（NO3）2·6H2O or Ni（NO3）2·6H2O or Zn（NO3）2·6H2O as dopants. The influence of different doping elements on the structural properties of the as-prepared samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, infrared （IR） spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. X-ray diffraction patterns of the prepared samples were identified as the spinel structure with space group Fd3m. The grain size increases gradually as the sintering temperature rises and corresponding activation energies for the grain growth have been estimated using Arrhenius’ empirical relation.

Effects of Four Pesticides on Grain Growth Parameters of Rice

Effect of four commonly used pesticides, triadlmefon, jingganmycin, triazoplos andimidacloprid, on grain growth parameters was examined using a growth equation in thepresent paper. Two hundreds of spikes, not damaged by pests were simultaneously markedper plot during the heading stage of rice. Rice plants were sprayed at 1 d after marking.Thereafter, 20 spikes were sampled at 4 d intervals and dried in an oven. Then, 10superior and inferior grains were picked from each spike, and brown rice was weighedafter shelling, respectively. First, second and third order derivates were deduced fromthe following grain growth formula:bt-aKwe1+=, where W was the weight of 100 grains brownrice at time t; K was maximum of grain growth; a and b were parameters of the formula. Theparameters were calculated as following:Where R0, △t, GT and Vmax were initial growth power, active growth stage, accumulativeweight of dried content during △t and maximum growth rate, respectively. The resultshowed that GT and K of superior grain following 22.5 and 45 ga.i.ha-1 of imidaclopridsprays were significantly reduced, and △t was significantly decreased for 112.5 and 225ga.i.ha-1 jingganmycin treatments. In addition, the high dose of imidacloprid signifi-cantly reduced the weight of 1000 rice grains by 9.77%. However, there was no significantdifference for the weight of 1000 grains between the high dose of jingganmycin and thecontrol, indicating that effective duration of jingganmycin on grain filling was shorterthan that of imidacloprid.

Austenite grain growth behavior of Q1030 high strength welded steel

The austenite grain growth behavior of Q1030 steel was studied under different heating conditions. The austenite grain size increases with the heating temperature and holding time increasing. Austenite grains grow in an exponential manner with rising heating tem- perature and in a parabolic manner with prolonging holding time. A mathematical model for describing the austenite grain growth behavior of Q 1030 steel was obtained on the basis of experimental results using regression analysis. When the heating temperatures lie between 1000 and 1100℃ at a certain holding time, abnormal grain growth appears, which causes mixed grains in Q1030 steel.

A Study of Grain Growth Kinetics in Sintered NdFeB Magnets

The Nd2Fe14 B grain growth kinetics in sintered NdFeB magnets with nominal compositions of Nd30+xDy1.5Fe67.08-xAl0.4B1.02 (%, x = 0, 3) was studied. The grain size parameters were determined by means of the linear intercept method on SEM secondary electron images. It is observed that the grain growth process is more sensitive to sintering temperature than to sintering time although the grain size rises with both sintering temperature and time. It is also found that magnets prepared from the pre-alloy powder with a higher oxygen content exhibit a lower grain growth rate and magnets made from the pre-alloy powder with a broader particle size distribution demonstrate a higher grain growth rate. It is believed that the presence of appropriate amounts of Nd oxides effectively impedes the grain growth process and a larger difference in sizes between pre-alloy powder particles significantly accelerates the grain growth process. On the basis of experimental results, the grain growth exponent and the corresponding activation energy were obtained. A possible grain growth mechanism in NdFeB magnets during sintering was briefly discussed.