Influences of Composition and Annealing on the Martensitic Transformation in Ni-Fe-Ga Alloys

A series of Ni-Fe-Ga alloys near the prototype Heusler composition （X2YZ） were prepared through arc-melting suction-casting method. The dependences of the transformation behavior on the alloy composition and annealing treatment were studied in detail by an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimeters methods. The experimental results show that the martensitic transformation temperatures increase almost linearly with increasing Ni content in all the NiFeGa alloys. Annealing the Ni55.5Fe18Ga26.5 alloy at 100-500 ℃ for 3 h and at 300 ℃ for 1-10 h shifts the martensitic transformation start temperature by almost 20 ℃ to high temperature. The variations in the martensitic transformation temperatures in these alloys are discussed in terms of structural differences resulting from alloy composition and annealing treatment.

Effects of the Composition of Electrodeposited Fe-Ni-P Alloy on the Thermostability and Magnetic Properties

The magnetic properties, structure defects of electrodeposited Fe-Ni-P alloys with various compositions and the thermostability at amorphous state have been studied by DSC, positron annihilation and electronic integrating instrument methods. The results show that the thermostability of amorphous Fe-Ni-P alloys increases with Fe content. Emergence and recrystallization of stable phases defer as the P content of the coating increases. The minimum H-c, B-r and P-h occur at 9.4 P (wt pet) content. Maximum H-c, B-r and P-h occur at the weight ratio of Fe to Ni equaling to 1/9.

Electrodeposition of Ni-W Amorphous Alloy and Ni-W-SiC Composite Deposits

Ni-W alloys and their composite deposits are electroplated on the metals when an appropriate complex agent is selected on the base of the theories of electrochemistry and complex chemistry, and the principle of induced codeposition. Effects of the bath composition, pH value, temperature and current density on the electrode position of Ni-W alloys and their composite deposits have been investigated, and the effect of heat treatment temperature on the hardness, structure and cohesive force of the amorphous Ni-W alloys and their composite deposits are also discussed. Results showed that the alloys containing more than 44 wt pct W content and the composite deposits containing 7.8 wt pct SiC content could be obtained by making use of the appropriate bath composition and plating conditions. Alloys and their composite deposits with over 44 wt pct W content show amorphous structure. The hardness of amorphous Ni-W alloys and their composite deposits increases obviously when heated, and can reach to 1350 HV and 1520 HV respectively for 46 wt pct W content. The cohesion on Cu, carbon steel and stainless steel is very good.

Phase Structure and Cycle Stabilities of Mg_2Ni/Mm_(0.3)Ml_(0.7)Ni_(3.55)Co_(0.75)Mn_(0.4)Al_(0.3) Composite Hydrogen Storage Alloys Prepared by Two-step re-melting

Mm0.3Ml0.7Ni3.55Co0.75Mn0.4-Al0.3 alloy has high chemical activity and favorable plateaus pressure. Mg2Ni is in favor of high hydrogen storage capacity and low weight, but it is difficult to be activated. In order to improve the capacity and cycle performances of hydrogen-storage alloy electrodes, Mm0.3Ml0.7Ni3.55Co0.75Mn0.4-Al0.3-x%Mg2Ni(x=0, 5, 10, 30) composite hydrogen storage alloys prepared by two-step re-melting were investigated in this work. The influences of Mg2Ni content on the cycle stabilities were analyzed by electrochemical methods. It was observed by XRD that the main phase of all the alloys is LaNi5 and the crystal lattice parameters of LaNi5 are changed with the increasing of x value, i.e, a-axis and unit cell volume decrease and c-axis decreases nonlinearly. The c-axis of alloy with x=5 is larger than the others. With the increasing of x value, capacity retentions of the composite hydrogen storage alloys rise from 66.21% while x=0 to 82.04% while x=10, but the capacity retention of the composite alloy with 30% Mg2Ni declines because of its decreasing axial ratio. More over, the composite alloy with 5% Mg2Ni shows the best cycle stability and higher discharge capacity, and it is an appropriate candidate for battery materials.

U.S. Department of Energy Research in Intermetallic Alloys and Composites

The program of the Division of Materials Sciences for.intermetallic materials will be surveyed. This program is carried out at Department of Energy National Laboratories and at U.S. universities. Areas of research include theory and material simulation, microalloying, high resolution studies of structure and composition, mechanical properties, point defects and dislocation mechanics, phase transformations, and processing. Finally, general considerations will be discussed for the future program.

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of a Novel AlNiLa Lightweight Medium Entropy Amorphous Alloy Composites

A new type of lightweight AlNiLa medium entropy amorphous alloy composite ribbons(labled as MEAAC ribbons)were prepared by vacuum arc melting technology and high-speed single roller meltspinning method.The microstructure and thermal stability of MEAAC ribbons were examined using X-ray diffraction,differential scanning calorimeter,and scanning electron microscope.Meanwhile,the hardness and surface roughness of these ribbons were measured by Vickers microhardness tester and atomic force microscope.The potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)were applied to investigate the corrosion behavior of these MEAAC ribbons in simulated seawater(3.5wt%NaCl corrosive solution)at room temperature.The results demonstrate that AlNiLa MEAAC ribbons in the as-received state are mainly composed of amorphous phase and intermetallic compounds.The hardness values of all melt-spun ribbons are above 310 HV_(0.1).With the increase of Al content,the linear polarization resistances of four various AlNiLa MEAAC ribbons are negligibly different numerically.It is also found that Al_(45)Ni_(27.5)La_(27.5) MEAAC ribbons have the most positive corrosion potential and the smallest corrosion current density at the same time;hence it may be a kind of potential material for metal surface protection in harsh ocean environment.

Microstructure and Eutectic Transformation of Squeeze Casting Alumina/Zinc Alloy Composites

Alumina fiber-reinforced zinc alloy composites were manufactured by squeeze casting, and the eutectic transformation in the zinc alloy composites was studied. The results indicate that there is a fine and close interface between the fiber and the matrix, and the alloy elements can improve the combination between the fibers and the matrix in the composites. The fibers can serve as the sites of heterogeneous nucleation of the eutectic in the zinc alloy during the solidification of the composites, and the silicon on the interface between the fibers and the matrix plays a leading role during the coupled growth of the eutectic so that the eutectic transformation of the composites consists of Al-Si eutectic transformation and Zn-AI eutectic transformation.

XPS study of the corrosion resisting composite alloying layer obtained by double glow plasma with the brush plating Ni interlayer

The Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu multi-element surface alloying with the electric brushplating Ni interlayer on the low carbon steel substrate has been investigated. By theelectrochemical method in 3.5 percent (mass fraction) NaCl solution, the corrosion resistance of thecomposite alloying layer and single alloying layer is determined. The experimental results showthat the corrosion resistance of the composite alloying layer is obviously better than that of thesingle alloying layer. The structure and composition of passive films formed on the two kinds ofalloyed layers after electrochemical tests in 3.5 percent NaCl solution have been studied usingX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is concluded that the double glow plasma surface alloyingof low carbon steel with the electric brush plating Ni interlayer is an appropriate technique toenhance the corrosion resistance compared with the single double glow surface alloying.

Microstructure and Hydrogen Absorption Pro-perties of Mg/MmNi_(5-x) (CoAlMn)_x Composite Prepared by Mechanical Alloying

The microstructure ofthe Mg/MmNi5-x (CoAlMn )x composite hydrogen storage material preparedby the method of mechanical alloyingwas characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM and particle size distribution analysis. By measuring PCTcurves, the hydrogen absorption properties of the composite was evaluated.The results show that nanocrystallinecomposite structure can be obtainedunder adequate ball milling condition. The reactive activation and hydrogen absorption capacity are improved compared with the sole MmNi5-x(CoAlMn)x alloy. The effect ofmagnesium on the microstructure andhydrogen absorption properties of thecomposite were also evaluated.

A Review on Utilization of Light Weight Fly Ash Cenosphere as Filler in both Polymer and Alloy-Based Composites

Fly Ash Cenospheres(FACs)are obtained from the coal power plants in the form of hollow spherical particles by burning the coal.FAC was started to use in early 1980-1985 as lightweight filler material in producing composites of cementitious and at present many researchers are focusing on use of FAC as filler in polymer and metals.In this paper,the systematic review on research activities and application of FAC in manufacturing light weight products are done.The influence of FAC on the physical and mechanical properties of incorporated polymer and alloy-based composites were summarized.Prospects of future for its use were also suggested and summarized in this paper.

Recent research progress on the phase-field model of microstructural evolution during metal solidification

Solidification structure is a key aspect for understanding the mechanical performance of metal alloys,wherein composition and casting parameters considerably influence solidification and determine the unique microstructure of the alloys.By following the principle of free energy minimization,the phase-field method eliminates the need for tracking the solid/liquid phase interface and has greatly accelerated the research and development efforts geared toward optimizing metal solidification microstructures.The recent progress in the application of phasefield simulation to investigate the effect of alloy composition and casting process parameters on the solidification structure of metals is summarized in this review.The effects of several typical elements and process parameters,including carbon,boron,silicon,cooling rate,pulling speed,scanning speed,anisotropy,and gravity,on the solidification structure are discussed.The present work also addresses the future prospects of phase-field simulation and aims to facilitate the widespread applications of phase-field approaches in the simulation of microstructures during solidification.

Superplasticity in an Aluminum Alloy 6061/Al_2O_3p Composite

The superplasticity of an Al203p/6061Al composite, fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques, has been investigated. Instead of any special thermomechanical processing or hot rolling, simple hot extrusion has been employed to obtain a fine grained structure before superplastic testing. Superplastic tensile tests were performed at strain rates ranging from 10-2 to 10-4 s-1 and at temperatures from 833 to 893 K. A maximum elongation of 200% was achieved at a temperature of 853 K and an initial strain rate of 1.67×103 s-1. The highest value obtained for the strain rate sensitivity index (in) was 0.32. Differential scanning calorimeter was used to ascertain the possibility of any partial melting in the vicinity of optimum superplastic temperature. These results suggested that no liquid phase existed where maximum elongation was achieved and deformation took place entirely in the solid state.

Superb creep lives of Ni-based single crystal superalloy through size effects and strengthening heterostructure γ/γ' interfaces

This study presents a design strategy to enhance the high-temperature creep resistance of Ni-based superalloys.This strategy focuses on two principles:(1)minimizing the dimensions ofγ/γ′interfaces andγchannels by reducing the size of theγ′phase;(2)key alloy composition control to strengthen the heterostructureγ/γ′interfaces.This strategy proved very effective by the designed three superalloys'prolonged creep lives.An alloy exhibits ultra-long creep life by 388 h at 1100°C/137 MPa,which runs at the highest level among those alloys without Ru addition.With Ru addition,an alloy that lasted for 748 h with a creep strain of~6%at 1110°C/137 MPa is developed.This study provides a new route of high-temperature creep lives through heterostructure interfacial design with size effects and key alloying elements.

Effect of tungsten carbide particles on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu alloy composite bit matrix

Copper alloy composite bit matrix was prepared by pressureless vacuum infiltration,using at least one of the three kinds of tungsten carbide particles,for example,irregular cast tungsten carbide,monocrystalline tungsten carbide and sintered reduced tungsten carbide particles.The effects of powder particle morphology,particle size and mass fraction of tungsten carbide on the microstructure and mechanical properties of copper alloy composite were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and abrasive wear test in detail.The results show that tungsten carbide morphology and particle size have obvious effects on the mechanical properties of copper alloy composites.Cast tungsten carbide partially dissolved in the copper alloy binding phase,and layers of Cu_(0.3)W_(0.5)Ni_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)C phase with a thickness of around 8–15μm were formed on the edge of the cast tungsten carbide.When 45%irregular crushed fine cast tungsten carbide and 15%monocrystalline cast tungsten carbide were used as the skeleton,satisfactory comprehensive performance of the reinforced copper alloy composite bit matrix was obtained,with the bending strength,impact toughness and hardness reaching 1048 MPa,4.95 J/cm^(2) and 43.6 HRC,respectively.The main wear mechanism was that the tungsten carbide particles firstly protruded from the friction surface after the copper alloy matrix was worn,and then peeled off from the matrix when further wear occurred.

Statistics of oxidation resistance of Ni-(0-15)Co-(8-15)Cr-(0-5)Mo-(0-10)W-(3-8)Al-(0-5)Ti-(0-10)Ta-0.1C-0.01B superalloys at 1000℃ by compositional variations

The effects of alloying elements(Co,Cr,Mo,W,Al,Ti,and Ta)on the oxidation resistance of Ni-(0-15)Co-(8-15)Cr-(0-5)Mo-(0-10)W-(3-8)Al-(0-5)Ti-(0-10)Ta-0.1 C-0.01 B alloys were studied.The sample compositions were designed by the Box-Behnken method of design of experiments(DOE).The alloying elements show complicated effects on the mass gain due to oxidation,depending on the alloy composition.Al reduces the mass gain largely.The other elements except Al do not appear to exert a strong effect on the oxidation rate on average,but their influences are shown clearly in the alloys with a low Al content.Co,W,and Ta reduce the oxidation rate,while Cr,Mo,and Ti promote oxidation.Ta is the most effective element in reducing the oxidation rate of the alloy with a low Al concentration.It is confirmed that a continuous Al2O3 layer is essentially required for high oxidation resistance.The oxide scale of easily oxidized alloys has various oxides such as NiCr2O4,NiAl2O4,NiO,Cr2O3,CrTaO4,and TiO2.

Fabrication and application prospects of Pr-Fe-B/Alnico nanocomposite alloys

The potentials of rare earth-based nanocomposite alloys have never been realized due to strict microstructural constraints.Owing to the easy demagnetization it is challenging to increase the soft magnetic phase content.To avoid the easy demagnetization,Pr-Fe-B/Alnico magnets were fabricated and reported in this manuscript.The content of the Alnico phase is increased from 0 to 25 wt%,while the content of Pr element is reduced to below the sub-stoichiometry of the 2:14:1 main phase.The maximum magnetic energy product,which is the figure-of-merit for permanent magnets,is increased from 122 kJ/m~3 for the standard alloy to 146 kJ/m~3 for the alloy with 15 wt% Alnico which shows a significant improvement considering the fact that the Curie point of the magnet is also increased by~66 K.The special microstructure contains distinctly and heterogeneously distributed 2:14:1 and Alnico phases.The dimensions of neither the 2:14:1 nor the Alnico phases meet the dimensional requirements of the nanocomposite magnets,but still the smooth demagnetization curves are noted for the alloys.The behavior of effective anisotropy,the performance of the magnets in applied magnetic field and the magnetic interactions among the various constituent grains were quantitatively studied by reversible susceptibility,irreversible susceptibility and re coil loop openness.This study may provide some guiding principles for the development of nanocomposite magnetic alloys with excellent magnetic properties by using much less RE elements.

An Investigation of Creep Resistance in Grade 91 Steel through Computational Thermodynamics

This study was conducted to understand the relationship between various critical temperatures and the stability of the secondary phases inside the heat-affected-zone(HAZ)of welded Grade 91(Gr.91)steel parts.Type IV cracking has been observed in the HAZ,and it is widely accepted that the stabilities of the secondary phases in Gr.91 steel are critical to the creep resistance,which is related to the crack failure of this steel.In this work,the stabilities of the secondary phases,including those of the M23C6,MX,and Z phases,were simulated by computational thermodynamics.Equilibrium cooling and Scheil simulations were carried out in order to understand the phase stability in welded Gr.91 steel.The effect of four critical temperatures—that is,Acl(the threshold temperature at which austenite begins to form),Ac3(the threshold temperature at which ferrite is fully transformed into austenite),and the M23C6 and Z phase threshold temperatures—on the thickness of the HAZ and phase stability in the HAZ is discussed.Overall,the simulations presented in this paper explain the mechanisms that can affect the creep resistance of Gr.91 steel,and can offer a possible solution to the problem of how to increase creep resistance at elevated temperatures by optimizing the steel composition,welding,and heat treatment process parameters.The simulation results from this work provide guidance for future alloy development to improve creep resistance in order to prevent type IV cracking.

Preparation and corrosion resistance of the micro-arc oxidation coating on Al_2O_3f/ZL109 composites

A ceramic layer was prepared on the surface of Al2O3f/ZL109 composites by means of micro-arc oxidation （MAO） technique. The surface morphology and phase constituent of the ceramic layer were analyzed using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The polarization curves of the composites before and after MAO treatment were measured and analyzed. The results showed that after Al2O3f/ZL109 composites were treated using MAO technique in silicate solution, the ceramic layer formed, and it was composed of Al, Si, and mullite phase. Al and Si came from Al alloy matrix of the composites, and the mullite phase formed in process of MAO. Al2O3 fiber in the composites affects the electric conductivity of the composites, the MAO reaction is promoted, and the cera- mic layer forming on the composite material side is slightly thicker than that on the Al alloy side. After Al2O3f/ZL109 composites were treated using MAO technique, the corro- sion resistance of the composites is significantly improved.

Microstructure of Ni–Al powder and Ni–Al composite coatings prepared by twin-wire arc spraying

Ni–Al powder and Ni–Al composite coatings were fabricated by twin-wire arc spraying（TWAS）. The microstructures of Ni-5wt%Al powder and Ni-20wt%Al powder were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy（SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）. The results showed that the obtained particle size ranged from 5 to 50 μm. The morphology of the Ni–Al powder showed that molten particles were composed of Ni solid solution, NiAl, Ni_3Al, Al_2O_3, and NiO. The Ni–Al phase and a small amount of Al_2O_3 particles changed the composition of the coating. The microstructures of the twin-wire-arc-sprayed Ni–Al composite coatings were characterized by SEM, EDS, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The results showed that the main phase of the Ni-5wt%Al coating consisted of Ni solid solution and Ni Al in addition to a small amount of Al_2O_3. The main phase of the Ni-20wt%Al coating mainly consisted of Ni solid solution, Ni Al, and Ni_3Al in addition to a small amount of Al and Al_2O_3, and Ni Al and Ni_3Al intermetallic compounds effectively further improved the final wear property of the coatings. TEM analysis indicated that fine spherical NiAl_3 precipitates and a Ni–Al–O amorphous phase formed in the matrix of the Ni solid solution in the original state.